Posy the Porcelain Pig

Blogger Survey, and a Fun Award!

2012-01-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

I have never participated in a blogger survey before, so this should be fun! I was tagged by Kristi from Keeping up with Kristi.

The Rules:

1. You must post the rules.
2. Post 12 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 12 new questions for the people you tagged.
4. Tag 12 people and link them on your post.
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

So here are my 12 fun facts:

1. I am really good at guessing what time it is. I'm usually within 5 minutes. Weird, huh?

2. I once ate a huge bag of Sour Patch Kids and then couldn't taste anything for 3 days.

3. I played the piano through HS and wanted to be a famous concert pianist. That changed in college when I decided that 5 hours a day of practice was pure torture.

4. I love kids and was a nanny in college for 3 years. My favorite job ever.

5. My favorite candy is skittles. MMM, taste the rainbow.
6. I've been to Germany, France, Poland, Spain, and Italy. I love to travel!
7. My favorite color is blue. And green. Greenish blue.
8. I'm having a really hard time coming up with these facts.
9. I've been blogging for 2 years now. I can't believe it's already been that long.
10. My favorite food is Italian; anything with fresh basil and tomatoes is the best.
11. I've read Wuthering Heights 6 times, and every time I read it I cry.
12. I'm going to Los Angeles soon for a vacation and I can't wait!

And here are my questions from Kristi:

1. What is your favorite childhood memory?Wow, it's hard to choose just one, but I would have to say one of my favorites is when my mom and I made a Barbie mansion out of cardboard boxes. I would play with that thing for hours on end, and recreated the entire "White Christmas" movie with my Barbies. Good times.
2. Who do you look up to? I really look up to my parents. They raised me and my 3 siblings so well and are such great examples of Godly people.
3. What does your name mean? It means "Who is like God?" It is the feminine form of Michael, and it's Hebrew in origin.

4. If you won $10,000 how would you spend it?Well, my first instinct was to say a shopping spree... but honestly, I would love to see that money help people out who are in need.
5. How come you blog?I blog because I love it! Really, I can't think of a better reason. I just enjoy sharing my thoughts and hearing other people's and seeing the fun projects that people come up with. It's very inspiring.
6. Where do you feel safest?It's going to sound so cliche, but definitely in my husband's arms. I feel safest and most content when he is close by.
7. What is your dream vacation?I'm dying to go back to Monaco with Josh, I went there years ago with my Aunt and Uncle and it was so beautiful and romantic, I have always dreamed of going there again with my husband!
8. If you could speak another language what would it be?French.
9. Coffee or tea?Depends on the time of day! Coffee in the morning, tea at night. Yum!
10. pen or pencilDefinitely a pen. Pencils are annoying.
11. What was your favorite subject in school?I loved my literature class in college that was all about Charles Dickens. It's the only class I never missed and was always on time to!
12. What is the most important thing in your life?My relationship with God. It's how I relate to everyone else around me!

People I tagged:

1. Courtney at Feminine Unique New
2. Lisa at All Things Jane
3. Cindy at The Flipping Couple
4. Bridget from Cozy Little House
5. Christina at Home Says Hello
6. Rachel at Joyfully Weary
7. Kirsti from Lovely Lala Land
8. Ange from The Blooming Hydrangea
9. Ashley from The Beautiful Details
10. Ingrid from Reaching HIS Kids
11. Cheryl at Thinking About Home
12. The Cape on the Corner

Whew! That's a lot of people to tag!

Here are my 12 questions for you:

1. How long have you been blogging?
2. What is your favorite restaurant and why?
3. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
4. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
5. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
6. What's your favorite color to wear?
7. What is your favorite fruit?
8. What TV show do you most enjoy watching?
9. Who is one person, alive or dead, that you would love to have a conversation with?
10. What is the worst decorating/crafting/fashion mistake you've ever made?
11. Coffee or tea? (Just had to steal this one from Kristi!)
12. What's the temperature in your city today?

Feel free to participate if you want! There's no pressure though, it's just for fun!

Next, I received the Liebster Blog award from Cath @ Home is Where the Heart Is. How sweet! This award is given to blogs with less than 200 followers. I like that it is bringing attention to some great blogs! I'm excited to pass it on.

The Rules are:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your five picks for the award and let them know.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogshare-other bloggers.
5. Finally and the best rule of all..........have fun and spread the love!

My five picks for the Liebster award are:

1. Courtney at Feminine Unique New
2. Christina at Home Says Hello
3. Kirsti at Lovely Lala Land
4. Lisa at All Things Jane
5. Ashley from The Beautiful Details

These are all wonderful blogs! Each one is unique in subject matter, style, and writing, yet they are all some of my favorite blogs to read every day. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Pretty Details

2012-01-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I decided to spend some time organizing my dresser. It was starting to become a messy catch-all for clothes, jewelery, and random things like cups full of 3 day old tea (eeew).

I found these super cool old cheese forms at a garage sale this Summer. They are perfect for corralling perfume, lotions and some jewelery.

I used a vintage ironstone platter to hold more jewelery, including a vintage bracelet from my Grandmother.

On the other side of the dresser, I pulled together a few pretty things. I love the candle, it's from Bath and Body works and smells divine. The vintage hat was from Goodwill, and the willow branches were leftover from our wedding.

One of my favorite additions is this tiny beaded hook. I found it at JoAnne fabrics (love that place), on sale for 50% off. I love having a place to hang up some necklaces so they don't get all tangled!

I also took some time to organize and clean up my nightstand. I love the little plant holder, it's mercury glass (also from JoAnne's). The clock is from IKEA and the coaster was a Goodwill find too.

Sometimes, I think the smallest changes end up being the most satisfying. What have you been working on lately?

Care for a Cuppa?

2012-01-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

Growing up in a very Scottish family, I always heard the word "cuppa" (referring to a cup of tea), and was surprised to find recently that many people have no earthly idea what that means and will give you strange looks if you happen to use it in regular conversation.

As a tea-lover, I was so happy to find these lovely little japanese-style teacups at Goodwill the other week. They are a wee bit bigger than most, and have the sweetest design of some type of winged creature. I can't tell if it's a peacock or a stylized chicken or something else entirely. Can you?

Either way, they match my new tetsubin to perfection. Josh bought this cast-iron teapot for me for Christmas this year! It weighs a ton but it pours tea better than any teapot I've ever used!

My other latest "find" was this sweet little table. It's very mid-century mod! It's solid wood, but it looks like someone covered the top with a layer of faux-woodgrain drawer liner or something. So, it needs a bit of work but I think when it's done it will be adorable!

Josh and I went for a walk the other day, and noticed that our neighbors were getting rid of a couch for FREE. And it was kinda cool looking. So, being the weirdos that we are, we of course nabbed the couch and brought it home to our garage. I'm not really sure what we'll do with it. Best case scenario: I will successfully reupholster it and find a great space for it in our (tiny) townhome. Worst case: it will end up in the "free" section of Craigslist. =)

So that's the extent of my thriftiness lately- have you stumbled upon any great finds?

P.S. I want to say a big WELCOME to my new friends from the blog hop! I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was listed as the guest host, and it's soooo fun to meet some new blog friends. I really look forward to getting to know you all better!

Backsplash is DONE!

2012-01-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

The backsplash is done. And oh, what a difference it makes! It really brings out the white cabinets and pulls everything together. I love it! My husband did an amazing job. =) I helped lay a few of the tiles, but this project was definitely his baby. Without further ado, here are more photos:

Say it with me: Ooooh, Aaaaaah!

Overall, this project cost us around $70. The tile was SO inexpensive. I worried for a bit that we would regret doing subway tile, because so many DIYers are going that route these days, but I don't feel that way now. It's just such a classic look, I think it will be "in" for years to come.

We still have to seal the grout, and add a couple more light switch covers, but it's pretty much finito. And so pretty to gaze upon.

Just for reference again, here's what the old kitchen used to look like:

Apparently, back then I didn't know that you're supposed to put away a few dishes and make your kitchen look a little less cluttered before getting all snap-happy with the camera. Oh well, it adds to the "before" effect. You know, like when they do makeovers on women and for the before picture they say "Ok, take off all your makeup, wear your most frumpy amish-housewife-type clothes, wash your hair in vegetable oil, and give me an expression that's somewhere between constipated and 'My husband just bought me a blender for our anniversary.'"

You know?

Welcome Changes and a Funny

2012-01-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all! I'm taking a day "off" from my regularly scheduled posts, but I wanted to mention some small changes I've made around here. If you scroll down, you will see on the right sidebar that there are some new ways for you to connect with this little blog of mine.

If you are a regular visitor but don't use Google Reader, here are some super-easy ways to get your blog fix! You can now follow Posy on Bloglovin', connect through an RSS feed, or just enter your email address and get updates delivered to you via email. Sweet!

I'm so thankful for all of you, my wonderful blog-friends! YOU are what makes blogging worthwhile. I love "chatting" with you and hearing your thoughts! Please let me know if anything isn't working correctly, or if there's any way I can make things easier/more accessible for you. =) Love you all!

And now... for the funny part.... My sister and her boyfriend, David, and I were out thrifting last Friday, and we stumbled upon this vintage jean jumper. At first glance, it appears to be innocently portraying two loveable giraffes.

But once you look closer.... it appears that something is very wrong indeed with this picture.

When Morna put this up on Facebook (what, you don't put all your funny thrift-store photos on Facebook?!) she wrote "I hope they're married."

Bahahaaaa! Yes, I hope they're married too.

Ruffle-Toes

2012-01-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

I'd like for you to meet the newest addition to my shoe-drobe (that's a wardrobe for shoes in case I lost anyone there...). I actually bought these ruffled, metallic heels to go with a bridesmaid dress for a wedding I'm in later this year. I wanted to find something that wasn't too spendy, and that I would wear again (since we all know that you can NEVER ever ever wear those dresses again).

After scouring the internet for silver toned shoes, I was starting to get a little disillusioned. Everything was too expensive, too clunky, too high, or too "Barbie" for my taste. When I happened upon these at target.com, I was pleasantly surprised! Then, when they arrived in the mail I was even more pleased. Pleased as punch, if you must know.

Jeans: Old Navy, Shoes and Crdigan: Target, Tank: American Apparel (Macy's)

I put together an outfit for fun, pairing the shoes with some skinnies, a chevron- printed shirt, and a cardigan. Another reason why I love Target? That cardigan was 75% off. It was $5.48.

If for any reason you are hunting for some cute shoes, here's the link to these ruffled beauties.

Now, I'm off to do Pilates for the 2nd time in my life. I did a 45 minute workout yesterday and I am SO sore. Like, I'm not sure if I should feel accomplished or if I should check myself into the ER and ask for a huge dose of morphine. Have you ever done Pilates before? Any advise for a newbie like myself?

(Linking this up to Breanna's blog: My Beautiful, Crazy Life for Fab Friday!)

~and~

Backsplash Bidness

2012-01-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that our kitchen is 100% tiled up! This photo was taken early in the process, so now that gorgeous white subway tile wraps around our whole kitchen. I love it more than I have loved any of our other projects.

However, even though the tile is at 100% the grout is at 0%. I had hoped to have some beautiful before and afters to share, but sadly they will have to wait.

This furry creature kept waking us up last night. When she runs out of food in the middle of the night, she has figured out how to open the bifold doors to the closet where her food is stored, and gnaw through the bag to get her food. She also discovered where her treats are in one of the kitchen cupboards, opened it up and chewed through a bag of treats. They are 7 calories each and I think she consumed about 30 of them. What a little turd.

Last night, I shut the door to the room where her food is so she spent quite some time pawing and scratching at the door until I got out of bed at 3 am to give her more food. She is a spoiled brat.

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Skeleton Keys and Answered Prayer

2012-01-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Now that all of the Christmas decorations are down, it's time to clean the house and bring in some clean, wintry decor.

I switched out our Christmas centerpiece for a simple arrangement of candles, a bowl of pinecones, and a new table runner made from burlap.

I found this burlap fabric at JoAnne's, and fell completely in love. Skeleton keys are definitely making their mark on home decor, and I don't mind one bit.

In other not-so-related news, Josh has been really encouraged at work lately. I've been praying for him ever since he started this job; it's a job with a lot of responsibility and a huge workload, and very little appreciation. It was hard to see his job situation slowly wear him down the first couple of years. All I could do was pray for him. Within the past year, however, he's been encouraged at work so much. His newest supervisor is so supportive, and really recognizes the hard worker that he is. Isn't God great? I love seeing Him answer prayers, even though the answers aren't always in my timing.

Also, I'm excited because he is getting sent to California for training soon, and I get to tag along! California in the dead of MN winter? Yes please! I can't wait to escape to the land of glamour and sunshine.

Healthy Choices

2012-01-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't really describe this as a "New Year's Resolution" since I've been trying to make healthier eating choices for a few years now, but it does seem like the perfect time of year to renew those decisions.

I made the switch to decaf tea a couple of months ago, and it has made a marked difference in how I feel. I used to have trouble with waking up a lot in the middle of the night, and that has significantly decreased since I stopped consuming caffeine in the evenings. Plus, decaf tea counts as water technically, so I can switch out a couple of glasses of water a day which makes me a happy camper!

My two favorite blends of decaf are Tazo Decaf Chai, and Good Earth Sweet and Spicy blend. Yum!

I've also started including a lot more veggies in my meals. I used to fill up on carbs like pasta and bread, but I've found that helping myself to more vegetables instead helps fill me up without packing on the pounds. One of my go-to lunches lately has been frying up an egg (with a butter substitute, of course) in a slice of green pepper and eating it with arugula. SO good. I haven't decided what to call it yet, for now DELICIOUS will suffice.

How about you? Have you found a "healthier" food choice lately that you love? What about tea- do you have any favorite blends? I'm all ears (or eyes, I guess, in this case...).

Goodbye, 2011

2012-01-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

2011 was a wonderful (and at times challenging) year. I think I learned a lot and grew in so many ways through the process. I thought it would be fun to jump on the "Year in Review" bandwagon, and take a little chronological look through the events of 2011...

I kicked off the year by starting in a whole new career direction. After quitting my 9-5 work as a government employee, I started working as a part-time voice and piano teacher. Wow, it was like culture shock for a while (but in a very good way!). I got an email one day from the music school where I teach, asking me what I wanted my schedule to be, and I broke down in a fit of happy tears. It just felt SO good to not be forced into a rigid work schedule under constant micro-management.

As you can see from the photo below (taken the day after my last day of work, we went out to dinner to celebrate), I was a little crazed from the whole experience!

In early January, I sweet-talked my husband into letting me bring home an adorable, furry creature whom we subsequently name Agatha (Aggie, Aggs, or Aggs Benedict for short). We have never regretted this decision... except for perhaps when we came home at quarter to midnight on Christmas Eve and found that she had puked in our living room a total of EIGHT times...

It's ok, we still love her.

(one more gratuitous cute kitty photo)

We undertook one of the biggest home improvement projects we've done so far, and painted our ugly cabinets! We also replaced the flooring with tile, and re-laminated the countertops.

It's like a whole new kitchen!

On the blogging side of things, I finally delved into the world of fashion blogging. My "Blue Skies" refashioned skirt garnered quite a few rave reviews, and I was totally encouraged to keep on with refashioning and posting about more sartorial topics. These posts have definitely been my most popular, which is super fun! I hope to have quite a few more in store for 2012...

In June, Josh and I took our first "real" vacation as a married couple, and went on a big road trip to Virginia to visit my huge family. Note: my family members are not overweight, there are just a lot of them.

In VA, I got to meet my blogging buddy Jane from The Borrowed Abode in real life! She and her boyfriend (now fiance) Ryan invited us to there casa for a BBQ and the most delicious strawberry cupcakes I have ever tasted. Meeting a blogging friend was one of the funnest experiences! It made blogging seem so much more "real" and helped me realize it's value in my life even more. Yay for blogging!

In July, I got to be a part of an opera program here in MN. It was a little nerve-wracking, and the first time I sang classical music in public for 3 years, but it was so rewarding. It opened up a new realm of possibilities for my singing and teaching career!

My family celebrated not one, but TWO engagements! (Well, technically, engagement #2 happened on January 1 of 2012, but who's keeping track anyway?).

So far, 2012 is looking to be a pretty awesome year. One of the things I'm looking forward to most is going to California with my handsome man for a wee vacation in February... should be fun!

Blog-wise, I'm really inspired to keep truckin' along. I'm hoping to keep up the same types of posts, but add in quite a few more fashion/refashion inspired posts. My goal is to write at least one each week!

What are some of your goals (I hate the word resolution... it just begs to be broken in my book) for the New Year? Is there anything that you would like to see more of on this ol' blog? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Flowers + Stripes (and a Surprise!!!)

2012-01-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, inspiration strikes at the strangest of times. One night, I was laying in bed trying to convince my brain that it was time to fall asleep. Suddenly, right as I was about to give in to sweet slumber, a vision came to me.

What, no one else has visions of the sartorial variety? =)

So, the next day I happily assembled this outfit, using a sweater that had been neglected for a few years and a lovely skirt given to me by my ever-so-fashionable sister Elsipeth. I knew I had held on to this sweater for some reason. It's fun to pull together a "new" outfit using things you already have on hand sometimes!

(Skirt- Unknown, Sweater + Boots- Old Navy, Cami + Tights + Skinny Belt- Target)

When I wore this outfit out later to run some errands, I threw on a lovely red jacket (Target) and one of my favorite Christmas presents- this hat made by my talented Mother-In-Law.

Seriously, is she amazing or what? It's styled after a 1920's flapper hat (a cloche), but a little more loose on the top. It's fun to wear, and easy on the hair!

And now, for the exciting news that I couldn't share before....

MY SISTER IS ENGAGED!

It's finally Facebook Official.

Elsie and Kyle were High School Sweethears (awww!) and now are going to be married in the Fall of 2012. That means not one, but two family weddings are in store this year! I couldn't be happier for my sweet sister and best friend, and her fiance who is already like a brother.

They got engaged on New Year's Day- Kyle took Elsie to several places that had special meaning to their relationship, gave her sweet little gifts at each one, and finally proposed to her by moonlight next to the Mississippi River. How wonderful is that?

That evening, our immediate family got together to celebrate their engagement. My Dad was playing around with his phone, after he had taken a picture of the ring, and said "Oh, I suppose I shouldn't post this on Facebook yet." We all said "No! Definitely not!" and then he said "Oops."

Thankfully, we managed to delete it (it only took 4 adults and 10 minutes to figure out how to do that... stupid Facebook), and no was was any wiser until their official announcement a few days later. Ah, it's those stories that we will look back on one day and smile about!

Projects Underway!

2012-01-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we finally started on our subway tile backsplash! (note- this is not the exciting news I referred to yesterday, but it's exciting nonetheless...)

Even the small amount that we've accomplished is really starting to pull the kitchen together. Have you ever done home improvement projects that lag on forever, like fitting a 1,000 piece puzzle together? That's kind of what our kitchen project feels like right now, but this sleek subway tile backsplash is starting to bring everything together at last.

We got a bit waylaid when we realized that something needed to be done about the electrical outlets. Once the tile was in place, they would be set way too far back. Enter these nifty contraptions- outlet extender boxes.

All we need to do is screw them onto the existing outlet boxes in order to bring them forward a wee bit. The small plastic lips will rest on the new tile for a perfectly flush finish.

We spent all of Monday working on this (well, after I woke up at 10 am...), and got about 1/3 of the way around the kitchen. Hopefully tonight we can crack down on it again and get some more finished! I can't wait to be done!

Any fun projects that you are working on lately? Have you ever installed subway tile? I would love to hear about it!

New Years, New Look!

2012-01-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend I got a mini-makeover in the form of a new haircut. My sister's roommate is a stylist, and she does a seriously amazing job. I've had bangs before, but I had been letting them grow out for a while. I love the look of bangs though, so I decided to get them again.

The rest of the weekend consisted of celebrating Elsie's b-day (above), ringing in the New Years with Nick and Cindy and friends, visiting with family, and celebrating another exciting happening that I can't talk about quite yet....

How is your New Year's going so far?

Sequined

2011-12-30T06:16:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to share one of my latest creations! I love it when I get an idea that actually turns out the way I imagine it...

This sequined scarf was so much fun to make. I used a stretchy dance-fabric that had printed sequins, combined with an ultra soft polar fleece. Together, they make for one really fashionably comfortable scarf!

The scarf is no longer in my possession, since I made it with my Grandma in mind, thinking it would be the perfect Christmas present for her. I think she liked it!

But, I'm just so happy with how it turned out that I think I may need to whip up a few more...

Christmas Snapshots

2011-12-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

(My parent's tree)

(The Guest of Honor)

(In Love)

(Also in Love!)

(Christmas on Ice)

(My sis is a little fashionista!)

(Newly engaged!)

(Getting ready for Christmas pyroghies!)

(Hope your Christmas was wonderful too!)

Don't Skirt the Issue...

2011-12-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

A while back, I found this adorable houndstooth skirt at ye olde GW.

It was actually close to perfect just the way it was- high waisted, and hit right above the knees. However, I had visions of something even greater in mind...

Oh yes, I shortened that puppy! I love the look of a cute cropped skirt with leggings or sweater tights. All the modesty (not to mention comfort) of pants, but with the added pop of some hounds-tooth goodness.

{Sweater: Target, Tank: Gap, Boots: Blowfish (thrifted), Skirt: Vintage Express (thrifted), Tights: Target}

I love the versatility that a good pair of solid color tights or leggings can bring to a wardrobe. Suddenly, a whole new world of (shorter) skirts, and even shorts, is completely attainable! Have you been pulling off this look lately? I would love to hear about it!

*I should add as a side note, that I completely DO NOT condone wearing tights and/or leggings as the sole layer over your booty. I have seen this crime committed by younger girls as well as women in their 50's and it is just not cool. Even if you have the buns to attempt this, please refrain. Either that, or limit your wearage to your local Wal Mart. Thank you.

Just for funsies... I thought I would share these pictures that I took to test the camera before the real photo shoot. Apparently, this is what Josh thinks I look like when taking outfit photos....

(I'm linking this project up to "What's Up Wednesday" over at Sew Woodsy)

When Creativity Abounds

2011-12-21T06:54:00.000-08:00

Now that my teaching is over for the semester, I have a glorious 3 weeks to fill with other things! Of course, crafting is always pretty high on my list. One of the first projects I tackled with my free time last week was this tray. I found it at Goodwill a few months ago and originally planned to paint it white. However, it just didn't feel exciting enough. So, instead, I decided to repurpose some vintage sheet music that I had on hand. It had been damaged so that it was not useful anymore for actually playing, but it was perfect for this project!

I was able to make a few Christmas presents this year, which is always a fun thing to do. I made a few table runners out of burlap, and this cute flower hat for a special little girl (my friend's daughter). The hat itself was knitted by my friend Beth, but I made the flower out of felt.

My last burst of creativity came the other day, approximately 2.5 minutes before company was coming over... I looked at the huge mess of lovely Christmas cards on our refrigerator and decided that something had to be done. Every time I went to open the door a card would fall off...

I fashioned this card holder using twine, mini clothespins, and a 3m command adhesive hook. I love how it turned out! It makes use of some "extra" space in our dimly lit hallway, and now I don't have to worry about cards falling down when I open the fridge. I simply tied the other end to one of the brackets on our fridge. It works perfectly!

In other news... the forecast is not looking good for snow! We might have a brown Christmas here in Minnesota, which is just utterly unthinkable in my book. I'm halfway tempted to buy all the flocking I can get my hands on and go crazy outside. What's the weather looking like in your part of the country?

(Linking up to What's Up Wednesday at Sew Woodsy!)

My Blogging Buddy

2011-12-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

No blogging experience is complete these days without my little furry companion purring softly by my side. In just a few weeks, it will be a year since Aggie came to live with us! We sure love our quirky kitty.

The Most Important Gifts

2011-12-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

I got a sweet surprise when I logged into my Facebook account this morning. My Aunt Elizabeth had posted this photo on her wall and wrote this: "This sweet little Nativity is always proudly displayed in our home and is traditionally the first one out every year. Made by the loving hands of my niece when she was around 7. She is now married. Thank you Mikalah for thinking of me when you made this! I'm still so proud of this!!"

Aw, it just about brought tears to my eyes! I remember making this for her. She saw a little doll that I had hand-sewn, and she asked me to make her a nativity set. I was thrilled that she trusted me with such a big project! I had no idea that after all these years, she still had the nativity set.

It's not the most amazing craft ever, since it was made by a seven year old, but I think it goes to show that the gifts we hold most dear often don't carry great monetary value. Instead, it's the love that goes into the giving that is the important part.

Merry (almost) Christmas, dear friends!

Christmas is coming...

2011-12-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

The packages are wrapped.....

The house is gently glowing with candle-light and tiny shimmers from the tree...

Christmas smells fill the air with memories of times gone by, and hope for the days to come.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

(Isaiah 9:2 NIV)

Christmas Home Tour

2011-12-08T09:01:00.001-08:00

Welcome to our Christmas Home Tour! I'm excited to share with you the final product of our Christmas decorating this year. Our mammoth (11 foot tall) tree sits behind the loveseat, where we can enjoy the twinkly lights and still have traffic flow through our living room.

In the living room, I brought out my big glass bowl and added some pinecones, a white candle, and some glittery branches.

I tucked a pretty snowflake into one of the empty frames on the wall for some added shine.

My green glass trees are sitting atop the secretary desk. I recently filled the case with my milk glass collection. I think they are the perfect backdrop for our Christmas decorations.

In the dining room, I created a simple display using candles and glass votives that we already had on hand.

I love my glittery animals...

I also used the burlap table runner that I made (you can find the tutorial in this post.)

Another DIY project from this year made it's way onto the record player. The "Glittery Wonderland" scene was such a fun project, I hope it will last for years to come! I made the moss-covered trees last year, tutorial here.

At the top of the stairs, I just tucked some branches with pinecones on them into our vase of willow branches.

And since we had to move the furniture around a bit for the tree, I decided to create a little sitting area right next to the tree. It's a fun little spot to read a book, sip some tea, and enjoy the Christmas lights.

A couple more gratuitous photos of the tree... This tree is definitely a show stopper. My 5 year piano student was in complete awe of the tree! I don't think she had ever seen one so big!

We had a LOT of leftover branches from the tree. After filling a few vases with them over the house, we also gave some away to my sister and my piano student's family.

It's nice to have the scent of evergreen wafting through the house again.

From our home to yours, we wish you a joyful season celebrating the birth of Christ! Merry Christmas!

Linking up here...

Trimming the Tree

2011-12-08T07:19:00.001-08:00

(Photo Source)

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of having a gloriously huge Christmas tree. I was always slightly disappointed when we would bring home a tree that barely cleared my dad's head.

This year, Josh and I thought it would be "fun," since we have such high ceilings and the tree farm we visited had a flat-rate price for all of their trees, to pick one that was a little more awe-inspiring in height.

So, giving way to our exuberant childhood fantasies, we picked out a tree that we thought was about 8-9 feet tall. Perfect! Then... we got home.

(Don't worry- no one was hurt during the decorating of this monstrosity)

So, our Christmas tree is about 11 feet tall. And it gives me great joy and induces fits of happy giggles nearly every time I walk into the living room!

As you can imagine, it takes quite a few decorations to fill up an 11 foot tall tree! Plus, we had to put it behind the couch, where it is pretty much visible from every angle, which meant that we had to decorate the entire tree. We definitely didn't have enough ornaments stocked up, so after purchasing 2 more sets of lights (we already had one), I decided to make some new ones. I thought it would be fun to add some tissue paper pom-poms! I found a tutorial online, and made 3 of these cuties.

I searched the house for things that could work as ornaments, and fit into our silver/cream/white/blue theme. This tiny picture frame was the perfect match! I just hot glued some ribbon on the back, and voila, a new ornament.

I made 6 of these cute, round paper ornaments using leftover Amy Butler paper from our wedding programs. I just embellished them a bit using some glue and glitter.

Of course, no tree is complete without an ornament that looks like a 5 year old on a sugar high created it.

Some new ornaments that I bought last year on sale after Christmas are making their first debut as well! I bought 2 of the beauties from Macy's, for about 20% of their original price. Nice!

These ornaments (gifts from my Mother-In-Law) are by far my favorite though. There are 2 of them, little tiny antiqued mirrors. Aren't they sweet?

I also love this blown-glass ornament, Josh's aunt Jackie bought it years ago, or so I am told!

I am really loving our tree this year. It's so fun to gaze at it and think back on all of the memories that I have from Christmases past. One thing's for sure- I can check off "buy a giant Christmas tree" from my bucket list!

P.S. You may notice some changes are a-happening around here... I put up a new banner that I've been working on for a while, and some more subtle changes will occur shortly. Hope you like them! Also- be sure to check back tomorrow for the full tour of our decorated home! I'll be linking to some fun holiday parties. Can't wait to see you then!

A Musical Weekend

2011-12-06T06:51:00.001-08:00

On Friday night, Josh and I broke from our routine and went out on the town. Yup. Us old folks got dressed up and went to a concert like we were college-age again (which really wasn't that long ago.... right?).

Beirut is my all-time favorite band ever. I have listened to them for years. I literally listened to their album "Gulag Orkestar" every morning at work for a year. Yup, I still like it. We even played some of their music at our wedding reception.

So, of course I have been watching their tour dates to see when they would come to Minnesota. They had not come here since 2006! Finally, I was listening to The Current (local radio station) one day, and they announced that Beirut was coming to Minneapolis! Wooo to the Hoo!!!

The lead singer, Zach Condon, has a wonderful, mellow singing voice. And, he also plays the trumpet like you wouldn't believe! Their music is indie rock/world music, but it's unlike anything I've ever heard. Their songs have the ability to transport you to another place. There's a few songs that instantly make me feel like I'm in Paris again!

I took a couple videos during the concert, so here's a little snippet of their sound.

The next day, I got to actually participate in some music making! Our church hosts an annual "Christmas Tea," and this year I was the featured vocalist. I got to sing with a trio of wonderful musicians on piano, flute, and violin. My mom and my friend Jill also joined me on one song and sang harmony. It was so fun to be a part of the tea this year!

My dear friend Katie joined us! It was so fun to have her there.

Here are (starting from the left) Jill, my Mom Ruthie, and my Aunt JJ.

And here is my wonderful MIL Jody, and my Grandma Bertie.

And of course, my lovely sisters Morna and Elsie.

December is always filled with lots of music for me- between church events and concerts, there is never a shortage of opportunities to be involved with and attend events. It's one of the best ways that I know to experience the season.

Tree Hunting

2011-12-05T08:41:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, Josh and I joined some dear friends for what (I hope!) is going to be a yearly tradition; we went to a lovely tree farm to pick out our Christmas tree.

It was the perfect day for a tree-hunting adventure. There was some freshly fallen snow on the ground (with a forecast predicting even more!), and it was actually still pretty warm outside. Last year we were freezing, but this year we had more time to hem and haw over the quintessential conifer.

The owners of this particular tree farm sure know how to bring on the Christmas spirit! There's hot cider, a beautifully decorated barn with decorations for sale, a fire pit outside for chilly hands, hay rides, and even a wood stove inside so you can warm up before heading out into the winter wonderland.

We grabbed two big sleds for the trees, and headed out into the "forest" of evergreens. It took a while to find the perfect tree for both of us couples. Nick and Cindy found theirs first, so Nick cut it down and even trimmed off the top, which would make a perfect "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" in my opinion.

Josh and I had more trouble finding our tree. I must confess, I am used to having a fake tree (that's what we used last year, but we still went with the Germann's to pick out their tree), and I was taken aback by the misshapen trees all over. Like this little dude below, whom Josh joked about taking home with us. But since all of the trees were evenly priced at $40 (yikes!) we decided to keep looking.

Finally, we found "The One." It was nice and tall (we were hoping for an 8 foot tree since we have nice high ceilings), so we chopped it down and loaded it onto the sled for the ride back to the car.

While Nick and Josh took the trees to be bagged up, Cindy and I decided to explore the beautifully decorated barn for a bit.

I just love that the tree farm has a fun little shopping area too! I haven't purchased anything there yet, but it's still so fun to wander through and get ideas as you window shop.

They use lots of natural elements in the decor, like pinecones that I'm sure come right from their property. I love the twinkly lights that they hang to really transform the old barn as well.

There's an assortment of antiques and handmade goods, and they are all grouped into Christmas-y vignettes.

I really love this gigantic hanging wreath. It would be so beautiful in a large entryway, and easy to create out of some leftover tree branches, lights, and flowers.

We planned to tie our tree onto the top of the car for the ride home, but it ended up fitting perfectly in the back of Nick and Cindy's truck along with their tree. Nice! So we headed back to our place for some warm beverages and cookies.

Now that Josh and I have been married for over two years (this is our third Christmas together now!), it's fun to see some of our very own traditions beginning to emerge. I hope this tree-farm expedition continues!

I don't have the "official" decorated tree photos yet, but hopefully this slightly blurry one will suffice for now. As you can see, the top of the tree almost touches the highest point of our vaulted ceiling. Yikes! What we thought was an 8 foot tree ended up being almost 11 feet tall! So it's definitely going down in history as "The Year of the Mammoth Christmas Tree."

We had to buy extra lights, and I'm thinking it might need a few more ornaments to balance it out (but only super-on-sale ones!). So, have you put up your tree yet?

The Ghost of Christmases Past...

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

We haven't put out our Christmas decorations yet (for shame!), mostly because Josh and I have both been sick this week. Ugh. Nothing to dampen the Christmas spirit like a sore throat and a runny nose!

However, I am mentally planning where our decorations will go, and as soon as we have our energy and health back we will get to decorating! Just for fun though, I was looking through our albums of past Christmases here at our little casa. We've been here for 2 Christmases so far, and it's amazing to see how much our home has changed since then!

Our first Christmas here, the decorations were simple and minimal. We still lived with ugly beige walls and a TV stand and coffee table from the 80's. Josh got a Nerf gun for Christmas that year.

Even though the decorations would never be featured in a magazine, it was perfect for us as our very first Christmas as a married couple!

After that Christmas was over, we invested in some more decorations that were on super-sale for the next year! Those got pulled out again one year later for Christmas 2010.

I stuck with a "Green" theme for the dining area. I love lots of greenery at Christmas, and I'm sure that many of these same decorations will be featured again in new ways. I found that berry wreath at GW for only $2!

I even made some moss-covered trees for a display. I love how they turned out!

I wrapped some tulle around a few fake mini-trees that we had for a soft, romantic touch. Like little Christmas-tree ballerinas!

Our tree was decorated with white and silver ornaments, and white lights. Ah, so pretty! It's also a faux-tree that we got on sale for only $10 the year before.

So that's what our 2 past Christmases have looked like! Just reminiscing about them makes me want to turn on the Christmas music and get decorating.... I have some moldy pumpkins that really need to be replaced with twinkling lights! Have you started your decorating yet?

A Day in the Life of an Elf

2011-11-30T08:43:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite traditions during the holidays is going to the Macy's 8th floor exhibit in downtown Minneapolis. They have been doing their 8th floor display for years and years, I can remember going there when I was just a wee kid!

The past few years, the exhibit has stayed the same (instead of changing it out every year like they used to). The exhibit is called "A Day in the Life of an Elf." It features miniature scenes of elves as they work and play in preparation for Christmas. You'll have to excuse the poor-quality cell phone pictures, but I wanted to share a few pictures so you can see how cute it is!

There's a forest of singing trees, who move and dance in rhythm to their Christmas carols.

There's a bakery complete with oodles of delicious looking treats!

Scenes depicting the snowy outdoors, as well as cozy elves tucked into their beds for the night.

We always have so much fun going to the 8th floor, and it's totally free! If you have kiddos, there's even an opportunity to get portraits with Santa at the end. So, if you are in the Minneapolis area this Christmas season I would highly recommend checking it out. It's fun for kids and adults alike!

Thankful

2011-11-23T05:45:00.001-08:00

This Thanksgiving, I'm giving thanks to God for so many wonderful blessings!

A wonderful husband who loves me
A warm, comfortable home to live in
Family that I love spending time with
Friends who encourage and laugh with me
A job that I adore
The many opportunities that God provides

There's just so much to be thankful for, I can't even list them all. But, at least it's a start!

Today, I will be busy baking 2 apple pies for Thanksgiving with my Mom's family, preparing the delicious and heart-attack-inducing mashed potatoes for Friday's celebration with Josh's family, and making a special pre-Thanksgiving dinner for my hubby. We like to celebrate before each holiday by having a sit-down meal together (that doesn't involve watching Warehouse 13 on SyFy...) and enjoying a little at-home date!

What are you thankful for this season?

Glittery Wonderland

2011-11-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun little craft idea for everyone who wants to get a head start on their Christmas decorating! The little vignette above was made using some cheap plastic toys, paint, glue, and glitter. Total, it cost me under $5 to make! Plus, it's a really fun (and easy) project to work on while you sip some hot chocolate and watch a Christmas-y flick!

The supplies you need are:

Plastic animal toys and trees (I found mine in the toy section at Wal-Mart for $3)
A small, plain wooden plaque (JoAnne fabrics, about $2)
Craft paint (I use acrylic craft paint)
Hot glue gun
Tacky glue (I love Aleene's, it's great!)
Glitter

The toy set I found had some little plastic trees in it already, which were perfect! I used a wooden plaque (like the one pictured above, but smaller) that I already had on hand. It's about 4'' wide, the perfect size to fit 5 little trees and 2 sheep!

I painted the animals first, with about 3 coats of metallic paint. Then I coated the plaque with a cream colored acrylic paint, and accented the sides with a pearly paint in the same shade. I also used a snowflake stencil to make some pearly snowflakes on the top just for fun!

The trees were super easy to make, I used a small paintbrush to paint on some tacky glue and then dipped them in glitter. Instant transformation! Once everything was dry, I used a hot glue gun to adhere them to the surface of the plaque.

I really love how this little Glittery Wonderland turned out. It reminds me of the vintage decorations that I sometimes see! The picture below will give you a better idea of the size, it's pretty tiny.

Have you started on your Christmas decorations yet?

I'm linking up to Sew Woodsy- head on over there to check out some more awesome craft ideas!

Also linking to CentsationalGirl and these other fabulous parties:

A Funny Story...

2011-11-21T07:37:00.001-08:00

2 posts in 1 day? Crazy, right? I was going to wait and post this later on this week, but I'm just too excited and I have to publish it right away. =) So here's the story...

When I first started college as a music major in the Fall of 2003, Melissa was one of the first people I met and became friends with. We had music theory together, at 8:00 am Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She lived one hall away from me in the dorms, so we would meet every morning and walk to class together.

Throughout college, Melissa and I stayed friends. We had the same voice teacher, same major, and many of the same classes! We even sang in 2 Opera Workshop productions together.

After we graduated, we kept in touch and would hang out occasionally (not enough, of course!). Finally, after being friends for about 8 years, I thought that maybe *just maybe* Melissa would be a good fit for my brother, Iain. So, I invited her over to our place for an informal gathering which my brother just happened to be attending as well.

That was in June.

2 weekends ago, Iain got down on one knee and asked Melissa to marry him.

I can't believe how amazing God is, and I'm so happy to have a sister-in-law who is also a dear friend. Their wedding is set for the 1st weekend in May (I'm a bridesmaid! woohoo!), and I couldn't be happier for them. Iain is so blessed to have Melissa, and she is definitely a lucky girl. Life is pretty crazy, right?

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-11-21T06:48:00.001-08:00

This weekend before Thanksgiving was filled to the brim! Looking back, I can't believe how much we fit into 3 short days (I'm counting Friday, since I don't usually work on Fridays!).

I went to the French bakery again (this makes the 5th visit in 2 months... hehe!) with Elsie, my not-so-little sister.

We sipped coffee, nibbled on eclairs and pastries, and just spent some wonderful sister time together. Elsie is flying to Ohio on Tuesday to visit her boyfriend for Thanksgiving. I'm sad she won't be with us, but so glad that they will be reunited after 2 whole months apart!

Friday night, we got together with a bunch of friends for a "Dominion" tournament, complete with scratch-off tickets and prizes. I may or may not have beat a table full of die-hard Dominion players... It was pretty fun!

Saturday, my soon-to-be sister in law, Melissa, came over and we had a day full of Christmas crafting! We watched sappy movies, sipped hot chocolate, and even got the weather to cooperate!

Josh brought my car to the tire store to get 2 new tires, since my old ones were starting to wear really thin (not a good thing for Minnesota winters!). He came back with the adorable milk-glass bud vases/candle holders. I can't really decide what they are for sure, but I know they are adorable and will fit into my collection perfectly!

On Sunday, we went to church, did a bunch of Christmas shopping, and then ended the evening by having dinner with some dear friends. It really was a wonderfully full weekend!

So what did you do this weekend?

P.S. Here's a little teaser for a couple of posts I have planning for the week. Stay tuned to hear about how I transformed these $3 plastic animals into the perfect Christmas decoration (tomorrow!), and then later on I will be sharing the story of how my brother met his soon-to-be wife (it's pretty fantastic, and I actually had a part in it! hehe!).

P.P.S. I can't believe it, I finally hit 100 followers! How exciting! My aim in blogging is not to gain followers, but to really connect with other bloggers and share ideas and such, but even so, it's an exciting milestone! =)

Burlap + Gold

2011-11-17T08:03:00.001-08:00

I love unexpected combinations. Especially for holiday decorations, where things can easily careen into "gaudy" territory with all the glitter and stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love me some glitter! But, I think it's good to balance those things out.

I saw a magazine article recently (I can't remember which one- it was in a doctor's office!) that had a burlap table runner with gold stripes. I thought immediately "I could make that!" And so I set out to JoAnne Fabrics to gather supplies. I found some burlap fabric in the remnant section for only $1.50! It was less than a yard, but still perfect for what I needed.

Using the lines of the fabric as a guide, I cut the fabric into two equal length runners. You can make them whatever size you want! Then, I peeled back about 4 rows or so to get a nice fringe around each side.

Then, I made a stripe going down each side using painters tape, and slid some sheets of paper underneath to protect the carpet.

I used some paint that I found at JoAnnes. It's normally used for less porous surfaces, but it had the sheen that I wanted so I thought I would give it a try! It's gold with a bit of silver mixed in called "Champagne Gold." I just can't decide whether to go with the gold or silver as an accent color, so I thought this would be a good mix!

Next, I used a foam brush intended for stenciling to dab paint down each line. Make sure to press the tape down well so you get a clean line!

After letting it dry overnight, I now have a brand new table runner that will work for the whole holiday season, and beyond!

I love the subtle shimmer of the gold. It's not overwhelming or gaudy, but it's the perfect accent to the rugged look and feel of burlap.

So I guess my holiday decorating has officially begun! No Christmas lights yet, but they will be coming soon. Have you started decorating for the holidays yet?

Procrastinator Extraordinaire

2011-11-16T10:30:00.001-08:00

Do you ever put off doing things because you worry they will be too expensive? I do this ALL the time. And the silly thing is, my assumptions about cost are not based on fact, they are based on this idea I have in my head that life is just so darn expensive.

So, we had 2 things that we were putting off for a while: getting my engagement ring and wedding band soldered together, and buying the subway tile for our backsplash.

For the jewelery work, I was assuming it would be like $150. Again, not based on fact, but on my own ridiculous expectations. Finally, I talked to my aunt (who works at a jeweler) and she said that for soldering it's usually only $35 to $50. What? I could have done that 2 years ago!

Sure enough, I brought the rings to my jeweler and it was $70 to have them soldered and have the rhodium reapplied. They feel much more secure now on my finger, and plus they look all pretty and shiny!

We also got a big shock when we went to purchase the subway tile for our kitchen backsplash. Once again I was assuming it would be upwards of $150 since we want tile from the countertops all the way to the bottom of the cupboards. Guess how much it ended up costing?

$60.

Yup, $60 for the tile, the grout, and several accessories. We already had a wet saw and mortar, but we were shocked when our total rang up.

So, through all this I have learned a very valuable lesson. From now on, instead of procrastinating on doing things that need to be done because of money concerns, I will go ahead and price things out right away!

What about you? Have you left any projects undone because of finances?

T(urkey) Minus 11 Days!

2011-11-14T08:04:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the blurry photo- but it was taken with my cell phone as I drove by this house that had a giant rooster on their front lawn. I spotted it while I was on my way to work one day, and had to go back and take a photo because it made me giggle. I thought maybe you all might appreciate a little laugh. Unless of course you also have a giant rooster in your yard, in which case I apologize profusely. But really, maybe it's time to rethink your lawn decor... =)

I also thought the giant fowl was appropriate, considering that Thanksgiving is only 11 days from now (counting today)! Can you believe how fast it's coming this year? What are your plans?

Busy Little Bee

2011-11-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

This week, I feel like a busy little bee buzzing all over the place. Between prepping for and teaching lessons, trying to cook dinner every night, keeping the house somewhat tidy, getting myself dressed every day (what, you don't have trouble with that?) and practicing for an audition on Saturday, I'm feeling a bit stressed.

I was hoping to publish another outfit post today, but that will have to wait because somehow in the busy-ness I forgot to take photos.

So instead, I thought I would talk a little bit about how I handle stress. You see, I didn't used to handle it very well. In fact, a little over a year ago I had to go see a psychologist who recommended medication for my anxiety issues. That was kind of a big surprise to me, I didn't realize my anxiety was that big of a deal. Then again, I was having panic attacks on a regular basis which were what caused me to see a doctor in the first place.

Well, I didn't want to start taking medication, so I decided instead to really focus on alleviating unnecessary stress. Part of that plan was to quit my 40+ hour a week job to start teaching music, something I am thankful for on a daily basis. Doing what I love to do, instead of spending 50 hours a week working and commuting at a job that was a bad fit for me, is an automatic de-stresser. When I was working full-time, I was still teaching voice on the side and taking lessons myself to keep up and it was just getting to be too much.

In addition, I started using my planner again to keep track of everything, learning to say "no" to certain things (anyone else have a hard time with that?), spending time daily in God's word, and taking time to get the right amount of sleep every night. Even though I still deal with stress on a regular basis, it's definitely to a much lesser extent. I feel like a different person. I haven't had a panic attack in over a year, praise the Lord!

When I notice my stress levels creeping up, it's usually due to one of those issues. So I go back and look at what I did wrong- do I really need to hang out with friends 3 days in a row? Can I move one to the next week? I know, it's a rough life. =) But I tend to over-commit to things that are important to me; family, work, church, friendships, music events.

How about you? Are you a high-stress person, or do you handle life in a stride? I would love to hear your comments and thoughts on dealing with stress. One of my biggest tips? Grab a cup of decaf chai, and take a few minutes to sip some tea and breathe deeply. Instant calm-in-a-cup!

Thrifty Finds

2011-11-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

I come bringing tidings of yet another great thrifting experience! Every once in a while, I just seem to hit the jackpot! Have any of you other thrifters out there noticed this phenomenon? You can go 50 times and only find one thing, then suddenly you find yourself actually looking for a shopping cart... Gotta love it!

The blue mason jar was actually found this Summer at a garage-sale, but I just had to post a picture of it's prettiness. It was in a big collection of canning supplies that my MIL stumbled upon, and of course when I saw this I couldn't hide my envy, so she gave it to me. I have the best Mother-In-Law ever! =)

But ahem, on to the thrifting finds. First up, I found another tile-trivet to add to my growing collection. I have 2 smaller ones that are similar colors, and they are really versatile! I use them for setting plants on, for decoration, hot pans, so many things!

Next, I finally found a chair for the desk in our 2nd bedroom. I've been waiting for the perfect one, and I finally found this for only $3.99. Yup. I think it may be from IKEA. I plan to paint it and the desk someday for a matching pair.

I also found this interesting painting- it is hand-painted on a wooden plaque, with a cool, scrolly metal hanger at the top. I can't decide where to put it quite yet, but I think it would work in pretty much any room of our house!

Finally, I found a fun hounds-tooth skirt that I plan to refashion soon... Hopefully by the end of the week.

I also found a couple of sweaters, but I may be returning them. I think I was a little too greedy in my thrifting... Have you found any fun things while thrifting lately? I would love to hear all about it!

DIY Feather Headband

2011-11-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

Last week, I finally decided to use my package of decorative feathers that I purchased at Michaels a while back. I love the cute, spotted feathers and have been waiting for the perfect project to put them to use!

This headband was SO easy to make, and I think it would be a really cute Christmas gift for some special girl in your life!

My step-by-step pictures are lacking, but it's just so easy that I think you can handle it without the pictures!

Here are the supplies you will need:

Package of feathers (mine were purchased at Michaels in the craft aisle, sorry I can't recall the price! They are under $5 for sure).
Slim plastic headband (I bought a 3-pack of these at Target a few years ago)
Hot glue gun
Cute button or bead for the center!

I took a picture at the half-way point. You will want to figure out how big you want the feather-decal to be. I chose to go with a longer line of feathers since they are pretty delicate. Starting at the TOP, start gluing feathers down one at a time, spacing them so that each feather is seen. You don't need much hot glue, just a little dab will do!

Then, glue a couple more feathers facing the other way. It should resemble a bow, with one side being longer. Finally, glue your button over the top, and voila! You have a pretty new headband. I kid you not when I say that this took me 5 minutes! 5 minutes! So easy.

Yes, I am already thinking about Christmas gifts- are you? As usual, I'm hoping to do a combination of purchased and homemade gifts for an extra-special, checkbook-friendly Christmas! How about you?

Pinterest Outfit

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I found this outfit on Pinterest a few weeks ago and thought, "Hey, I could recreate that!" I even have the exact same belt! How often does that happen?

Image found via Pinterest, original post HERE

So here's my take on the outfit. I loved wearing this, and felt like I had stepped out of a J Crew catalog or something. =)

(I realized after I took this picture, that I am holding money in my hand. I have no earthly idea why.)

Shirt: Gap

Sweater: Limited (thrifted)

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Bare traps

I love all of the inspiration I glean from Pinterest, especially when it comes to style! I get into clothing ruts SO very easily, so it's nice to be able to look through the photos and find inspiration for items I already own. What do you do when you get stuck in a style-rut?

Mirror-Obsession

2011-11-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's official. I have mirrors on the brain. I guess I just love how they instantly brighten up and add style to any room. And with only 3 windows in our townhome, we definitely need every bit of brightness we can get!

Take for instance our master bedroom. It was lacking a little in the style + light department. I don't know why, but this has proved to be the hardest room to decorate. Maybe because I am stubborn and refuse to repaint. I love the wall color, but it's really hard to decorate around it!

I'm always on the lookout for mirrors these days, and I was at Wal-Mart the other day and found these two for $4.95 each. Regular price. Wowza! I definitely snagged them, figuring I could turn them into trays even if they didn't work in the master bedroom.

Now, they are hanging pretty! I might do something different at some point (I'm thinking of antiquing them and trying to add some type of candle-holder), but for now they add just the touch I was looking for!

Also- you may have noticed a pillow switcher-oo. I made the slipcovers a few years ago and used them in my first apartment after college, but they had been sitting in my closet for a while. I love the fabric though (bought on clearance at Jo-Anns) and I'm glad they fit in our room so well!

Oh, how I love cheap, quick decorating fixes!

Twinkle-Toes

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Remember that fairy-tale obsession I hinted at in my post on Monday? Well, that may have slightly influenced my purchase of these shoes.

When I saw them sitting on the shelf at Goodwill, I knew that they had to be mine. Nevermind that the only other time I have seen shoes like these were on the feet of a 5 year old girl dressed up like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (and yes, I had to resist the urge to steal her shoes even then!).

I wore them on our date-night last week, and boy are they fun. They may have pinched my big toe a little, but every time I looked at my sparkly feet I smiled. And maybe giggled a little.

I decided to pair them with some cuffed jeans, a black sweater, and my military-style jacket to offset the sparkle. After all, when your feet look like they've been dipped in a vat of Martha Stewart's Craft Glitter, you're already going to be drawing plenty of attention to yourself. (Consequently, no one else cared that I was wearing glitter shoes. Josh just smiled and suggested we eat somewhere dimly lit.)

Military-inspired jacket: Herbergers (2010)

Sweater: Target

Jeans: Old Navy

Shoes: Steve Madden (thrifted)

Fairy-Tale Obsessions, and Other Things

2011-10-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

(source)

Have any of you been watching the new ABC show "Once Upon a Time"? There are only 2 episodes out so far, but I have fallen head-over-heels in love. I am such a little girl at heart, but anything fairy-taleish automatically gets my stamp of approval. =)

I think that slight obsession with fairy-tales has influenced my life in a lot of ways. I love shows and movies that remind me of the good in people, rather than exploiting the evil that is so prevalent in our world. I'm not going to get in a deep theological discussion here, but I just wanted to mention the show and see if anyone else was watching it!

In other news- we had an amazing weekend. We got to host a Halloween Party last Friday, went out to eat at a fabulous Italian restaurant and then to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concert with some friends on Saturday, and then went to a laid-back party/bonfire hosted by my parents on Sunday evening. A very full, enjoyable weekend!

Tonight, I think we will be hunkering down inside and turning out the lights to avoid trick-or-treaters. Call me a grumpy old lady, but I'm tired and I don't feel like shelling out more money for candy! Maybe next year...

What did you do this weekend? What are your plans for this Halloween night?

Easy Image Transfer

2011-10-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our Hallowe'en Party, I wanted to make some fun Halloween-themed tags for labeling the different foods.

I searched online for ways to transfer laser-printed images, but all of the tutorials either used items I didn't have on hand, or just didn't work. I first tried using nail polish remover, since acetone is supposed to be able to transfer ink. However, it just made the paper too soggy and the image that transferred was really spotty and just didn't look right.

Well, my brilliant husband finally suggested that I try using 100% acetone instead, which we happened to have in the garage. It worked SOOO well! I couldn't believe how easy it was, and how well the image transferred onto the tags. I would highly recommend this method, since 100% acetone also evaporates so quickly that it doesn't make the paper soggy or wrinkly!

So without further ado, here's what you need to do:

Supplies-

Laser printed image (I found mine on the Graphics Fairy website)
Paper or fabric or some other porous surface to transfer onto
100% acetone
Rubber gloves- IMPORTANT! Acetone can be really harmful to your skin, so you should take proper precautions.
Q-tip
Masking tape

Using the masking tape, tape your image, printed side down, onto the surface you want to transfer it to. I used some blank tags that I purchased from Jo-Anne fabrics a few years ago.

Wet the Q-tip in the acetone, and gently swipe it over the surface. As the acetone seeps into the paper, you will see the image come through more clearly on the back side. After applying the acetone once, re-apply using the same steps.

Gently peel off the paper and tape, and you will see your beautiful image transferred! Set it aside for about 10 minutes to ensure it is completely dry. Fabric may take longer to dry completely. After it's dry, you are done! Please make sure to follow the directions for safety on the Acetone container. It's a dangerous substance if not used correctly!

I haven't tried using this on fabric yet, but I think it would work really well. You could also try this on wood, cardboard, or some other porous surface. I am just giddy thinking of all the possibilities, I think I will be using this method for years to come!

Hallowe'en Party

2011-10-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Josh and I (with the help of some wonderful friends) hosted our very first Halloween Party! Normally, I don't get into decorating for or celebrating Halloween, but we decided to use the holiday as an excuse to get together with friends and have a little spooky fun!

My sister, Morna, and our friend Ali both helped to pull this shindig together. We decorated with lots of fun vintage items as we were going for kind of a "Steampunk Halloween" theme.

For food, we had lots of fun snacks and hors d'oeuvres, including pinwheels (Eye of Newt), pickles wrapped in corned beef and cream cheese (Chopped Snake), Monterey Jack Fondue, Baked Potato Soup, and special cupcakes made by Ali.

The "Shards of Glass" cupcakes turned out SO well. Ali did an amazing job, and they tasted even better than they looked!

For the rest of the decor, we just hung more faux-spiderwebs, lit lots of candles, and turned down the lights. It's amazing how quickly a place can transform by just doing those simple things!

I pulled some of our creepiest books out to display on the table, among them were "Phantom of the Opera," "Complete Poems of Edgar Allen Poe," and "Sherlock Holmes."

We had quite a few friends come over, and everyone dressed up!

Josh and I were Bert and Mary Poppins! That's my brother in the background photo-bombing us. He was dressed up as an old man, complete with a cane and an ugly sweater! His girlfriend Melissa was also dressed up like an old lady and she brought a walker! It was pretty hilarious to see them come up the stairs with those costumes.

My favorite part of the evening was playing a game called "Snip, Snap, Dragon!" This game dates all the way back to 16th century England. You place a bowl full of rum and raisins on the table, and then light it on fire! The object of the game is to reach into the "fire" to grab a raisin, at the risk of burning your fingers. It's scary because the flames are very convincing, but they are nowhere near as hot as a real fire. You grab a flaming raisin and pop it into your mouth to put the fire out! There's an old poem that is recited while playing.

Just for fun, here's a video I took while the game was taking place. It gives you a better idea of how it's played!

Perfectly (Imperfect)

2011-10-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

After reading this blog post yesterday, I was inspired to chime in with my own words as well. I don't think I can even count how many times I have started writing a post like this, only to save it in my drafts because I just couldn't find the right words!

This idea of "perfection" has been around since the dawn of mankind. Unfortunately, the internet has made a false image of "perfection" attainable. It's taken Perfection to the next level. I've seen it happen on Facebook, where people will constantly post status updates about how amazing their life is, or they will untag themselves from every semi-unflattering photo (ok, I have untagged myself before, but I'm talking about being hyper-vigilant here) while posting only professionally doctored photographs. This kind of false-image creation happens in the blog-world on a much larger scale.

We have the opportunity to pick and choose what we share on our blogs, which is why it may be tempting to only share the wonderful, perfect, amazing things. But in real life, I am not friends with people who set themselves on the Pedestal of Perfection. I am friends with real-life women who are honest in their struggles and their day-to-day lives. So, why on earth would I want to read a blog about someone's so-called "perfect" life?

Josh and I live a pretty moderate life. We don't drive super nice cars, or live in a perfect house. We get in stupid arguments and I am the Queen of Sulking. I have always struggled with my own image (like so many women do!), my acne-prone skin in particular. I also have struggled on and off with depression and anxiety my whole life. I'm Perfectly Imperfect in just about every way.

Another element to this is the fact that I am a Christian, and I think there's a temptation for us Christian women to show that we are true believers by being good all of the time. But you know what? I am not good all of the time. I may be a Christian, but that doesn't mean that I don't struggle with my human nature anymore. In fact, I struggle with it even more! I have to tell you, these past few weeks God has been doing MAJOR work in my heart. I can be crabby, mean, selfish, rude, and lazy, among other things. And God has been gently prying these things from my heart and helping me to replace them with Christ-like characteristics. God is the standard of Holiness, not me.

I don't think that people who put up a false image of themselves are bad people. I think they are just confused and struggling with their own problems, and maybe the internet is just a way of creating a life that feels better than the one they are actually living. But the truth is, they are only making other people feel bad about themselves. And Perfection has a way of isolating itself. I would rather be Imperfect and surrounded by other wonderfully Imperfect people, than be Perfect and be alone.

Wow, this post is getting long! It's a true blog-rant! =) Ok, so I know that I'm preaching to the choir here. Because the truth is, I choose my blog-friends like I do my real friends. I want to be open, honest, and real and I follow blogs that are that way. Those of you who regularly read my blog and comment (all 6 of you! Hehe!) are real people, and I'm SO incredibly thankful for you! So what can we do to fight this onslaught of internet perfection? We can keep being real with ourselves and with our blogs. I want to do that, because I don't ever want someone to read my blog and go away feeling bad about themselves. Amen? I'm interested to hear your thoughts, so please leave comments and let me know what you think!

Also- if you didn't read the original post by Rachel at Maybe Matilda, I would encourage you to do so!

More Mirror!

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I started this mirror gallery wall a while back thinking that it would definitely need some more accessories to round it out! Me being the pack rat that I am, I actually stumbled upon this little gem in our garage. It was just waiting for the perfect place, and I finally found it!

This bronzed beauty was actually a hand-me-down from my Aunt Jane. She wasn't using it anymore and gave it to me, and I'm so glad I finally found a spot for it! I will definitely be putting candles in there at some point too.

So for a little reminder, here's how the gallery was started out...

And again, here it is now:

So much better, don't you agree?

P.S. I'm linking up to "What's Up Wednesday" at Sew Woodsy- click over to see some more fun projects!

Featured House #4- A New Abode

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

This past week, we helped my baby sister Elsie move into her first post-college abode. She had been living at my parent's house, and it was time for her to find a space of her own. Now, she is living in an adorable 1930's home in a quaint neighborhood with her roommate.

I simply adore her new space, and I am SO happy for her! Here's a peek at how it's looking now:

The bedroom set (bed and dresser) are antiques, and are actually mine but Elsie is using them for now. They are over 100 years old! I spent about 30 hours a few years ago restoring them, and I'm so glad Elsie is able to use the set in her new place.

Elsie's style is a very eclectic mix of vintage, bohemian, and natural elements. You can tell from her living space that she is a creative through and through!

She even made her own wreath out of twigs and branches she found, and attached a cool feather piece to it for decoration.

She made a little vignetted on her dresser using vintage books, an old railroad tie, and a vintage music box in the shape of a gramaphone.

Her beta fish, Crusoe, lives in a glass jar at the foot of her bed.

Elsie is very talented with pottery, she made the face-shaped pot below! Her boyfriend Kyle is also good with pottery and made the vase cast from an old shoe on the left. How amazing is that?

The rest of the house is decorated with a wonderful vintage style as well, Elsie's roommate has great taste and their styles mesh really well. I wish I had some better pictures of the rest of the place, but here's a little glimpse of the living room.

I'm so happy for Elsie and wish her all the best in her new abode! I got to spend some time there with her last Saturday, and it feels so homey and so right for her!

Dear Dad...

2011-10-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Dad,

It's a special day today, and I wanted to honor you in a different way and let you know how important you are to me. Somehow, all of the bags of pistachios, the multiple silk ties, the assortment of gifts that I've given you over the years just never feel like enough. I think most of us feel that way when trying to buy gifts for the most important people in our lives. They always fall short.

When I was little, you would come to my room in the evening, tuck me into bed, and play and sing "Lion of Judah" on your guitar so I could fall asleep to the sound of your voice.

Once, you packed all four of us kids into the van for a 3:30 am car ride to Grandma and Grandpa's house, where we gazed at the stars through your telescope and drank hot chocolate.

You would always, without fail, send me letters when I was away at summer camp. How I loved being able to show my friends the letters you wrote, it made me feel so special and loved.

I remember how you teared up when I left for college (a whole 15 minute car ride away!), and how every time you cry (which is not very often...) I start bawling even when I don't know why. When you walked me down the aisle, I remember looking at you and saying through a shaky smile "Don't you dare cry." I knew that if you crumbled, I would too!

Over the years, you have been a steady presence in my life. I know that some people don't have a father figure in their lives, and some have fathers who don't show them the love they deserve. I feel blessed to have a Dad who loves me selflessly, teaches me what it means to be a true Follower of Christ, and gave me an example of what I should look for in a husband. You have so much God-given wisdom, and the kind of humility that draws people to you.

Dad, I love you, and I hope that today is a reminder of how much you are loved and treasured. Happy Birthday.

Autumn, Layered

2011-10-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

I got this "skirt" from my sister, who had originally bought it as a maxi dress and then decided to restyle it. Unfortunately for her, she never got around to restyling it so she passed it on to me! With a bit of elastic sewn into the waistband, it's now the perfect black skirt for Fall layers.

I paired it with a golden yellow sweater, a brown tank trimmed in lace, and my favorite skinny belt.

Sweater: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Tank: Old Navy

Skirt: Restyled

Belt: Target (thrifted)

Booties: Blowfish (thrifted)

Back in the days of Myspace, this would have made a perfect profile picture, eh? =) I took it to show the lace detail on the tank. I love this tank top, and have been wearing it at least 4 days a week! I bought it on sale from Old Navy hoping it would round out my wardrobe a bit, and it sure has!

What are you wearing on these chilly Fall days?

Apple Orchard

2011-10-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite family traditions is our yearly visit to the Apple Orchard. We often go several times, but once a year my mom's side of the family all heads to the orchard together to celebrate my Grandma's birthday.

There are several orchards around the Twin Cities, but our favorite is Pine Tree. It gets SO busy on the weekends, but it's still fun to go and eat lots of yummy apple food and take a wagon ride through the orchard.

The weather was perfect this weekend- bright and sunny and in the 60's. We stayed at the orchard for a while and ate lots of apple turnovers and apple-cinnamon donuts. They make them right there at the orchard and they are so good. It's probably a good thing we only go there a few times a year...

What are some of your favorite Fall traditions?

Weekend Update

2011-10-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

The fashion show was a huge success! It was such a blast to be a part of this whole thing, and get a glimpse into the wonderful world of fashion. That's Beth in the middle and the other model, Jackie, right after we both got done with makeup. The makeup artist penciled on fake eyebrows (over my real ones) and made my lips about 20% bigger. Up close I looked completely ridiculous, but it gave a good effect under the lights.

Jackie's dress was inspired by Lucille Ball- it is hand-dyed silk with hand stitched trim and beading, and hand painted design. It was a huge hit with all the guests!

Here's a video from the fashion show in case you care to take a gander, Jackie and I were on last so if you want to skip to us you can go to the end of the video. =)

As for the rest of the weekend, we spent some time with family at the Apple Orchard, carved pumpkins, watched some Firefly (best show ever!), and spent lots of quality time together. A lot of our weekends lately have been just jam-packed with stuff, which is lots of fun but not so great for time as a couple! How was your weekend?

Also- I'm about to take Aggie in for a vet appointment. Yup, she is getting spayed. I think she knows something is going to happen, she has been very docile this morning... Poor kitty!

Friends in the Fashion Biz

2011-10-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

(Photo Credit)

This past Spring, I had the privilege of helping out a friend of mine who is an up and coming fashion designer here in the Twin Cities. Beth Kendrick started out by taking classes on fabric dyeing from a local textile school, and gradually became more interested in fashion design. I modeled two of her beautiful creations that she wanted to enter in the Surface Design Association fashion show. Her piece Lucette (pictured above and below) got in, and ended up winning first place! You can click on that link to see more pictures from the show (I didn't model the dress in the show).

The two-piece ensemble, entitled "Lucette", is made from several different types of fibers. Here's the description in Beth's own words:

"Lucette," Paul Bunyan’s girlfriend, stands as a fiberglass statue on the shores of Birch Lake in Hackensack, Minnesota. She’s now a strong, glamorous woman of the modern frontier.
Hand-dyed silk satin skirt with rhinestone embellished train; cotton and silk chiffon corset hand-dyed, discharged, and painted with hand and machine sewn embellishment.

Tonight, I get to wear this dress again for a fashion show at the Minneapolis Textile Center. "Hot Art Cool Jazz" is a yearly benefit to raise money for the Joan Mondale Gallery. Beth will be showing two pieces, Lucette and Lucille (a new creation!) in the runway show. I'm so excited to be a part of this and support this kind of design! Hopefully my runway debut will go smoothly, I'll let you know how it goes! Meanwhile, feel free to check out Beth's facebook page for her studio Nineten Textiles to see some more photos of her amazing work.

Photos by Kristina Jager

Prep, Prime, Paint!

2011-10-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved into our Home Sweet Home, Josh and I have been planning on painting the 80's brown trim to update our casa. Well, let me rephrase that, I have been planning to paint it and finally got Josh on the bandwagon.

Well, as it turns out with most projects, it's definitely a big undertaking. Especially since our home is carpeted throughout. But, we are not people who shy away from a challenge! So, we've been tackling that ugly 80's trim one room at a time.

First, I started by taking a couple of days to focus on our bedroom. I taped off all the trim, using a flat spackling tool to wedge the tape under the trim so the carpet didn't get painted as well.

Our trim isn't in great shape, so I also had to use paintable caulk to seal off some of the cracks and dents.

It's definitely a time-consuming project, but so rewarding in the long run! The bedroom trim is 95% done (just needs another coat on the doors), and not the hallway trim is underway as well. I can't wait to share the final result with you!

I know this is one project that we won't regret putting time and effort into. Stirrup pants and big hair may be making a comeback, but I'm pretty sure this 80's trim is gone forever!

Weekend Wanderers

2011-10-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the weather in Minnesota was absolutely perfect. We had lots of time to explore around the city, so that's exactly what we did! On Saturday, we drove to St. Paul to a gorgeous lookout spot that Josh found. The colors were so magnificent, my cell phone photo definitely doesn't do it justice.

We also finally got a chance to visit a coffeeshop I have wanted to go to for a while! Spyhouse Coffee, in Uptown. I got a vanilla latte that was so delicious, I wanted to order 3 more! Josh got plain coffee, which is just too bad because his was nowhere near as purdy as mine.

I even managed to sip so carefully that the design stayed put the whole time! Talk about talent, right?

Our final "adventure" (yes, our adventures usually include food...) was visiting a new French Bakery in our town. This place has authentic French pastries! I couldn't believe my taste buds when I bit into my Pain au Chocolat, it was like being in Paris again! I think I might be going back there on a regular basis...

Josh also had the day off work yesterday, so we got to spend even more time together. Oh, and just in case this post makes it look like our weekend was perfect... haha, it wasn't. I had a MAJOR badittude pretty much all weekend. I don't know why, but my sweet husband was an angel and was super patient with me. It was definitely one of those times where I had to apologize (on numerous occasions) to my husband and to God, and just pray that even though I didn't feel great I would have the strength to be positive and not be a brat to everyone around me. Ever have one of those days? Or weekends?

Well, today I am definitely grateful for a God who not only forgives, but who helps us to become more like Him on a daily basis. So even though I may have failed at being gracious this weekend, I know that today is a new day, thanks to the Grace of my Savior.

Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Mirror Gallery Wall

2011-10-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

After months of having a barren wall above our sofa, we finally have a mirror gallery wall to fill the space and brighten up the room! I originally wanted a mirror for over our couch, but had a completely different look in mind. Here's the post where I share my Pinterest "inspiration" photos. However, after finding a beautiful focal mirror at a vintage sale, I decided to go a different route.

The bonus of choosing to do this instead of one of the ideas from my Pinterest catalog was that it used mainly things I already had on hand. The only thing I had to purchase was the center mirror (at $14, it was a steal!).

I had 2 other vintage style mirrors around the house. So I gathered those along with 2 gold-toned frames (with backing and glass removed) and created this grouping. I really love the way the mirrors bounce light around, and the structured (yet not too formal) arrangement.

In case you're wondering how to create a gallery grouping of mirrors, frames, or other objects, here's what I've found works well.

1. First, lay all of the object on the floor to decide on what arrangement you like best. It's easier to move things around and play with the arrangement when they are at ground level.

2. Lay newspaper under each frame and trace around it with a pen or highlighter (highlighters work especially well with newspaper!). Then cut out each shape and use masking tape or painter's tape to tape the newspaper shape onto the wall. (Oops, forgot to photograph that step!)

3. Next, if any of the frames do not have a hanging device, you can easily make one by hot-gluing a paper clip to the back. SO easy. Just be careful not to do this with heavy frames, it probably won't support too much weight. Both frames I used this for were really light.

4. Finally, mark the spot on each hanging shape where the nail should go. I just used a pencil to make a mark.

Once you have the nails in place, you can tear off the paper and tape, and hang your frame! Another little trick I learned is to use poster putty to center each frame, instead of a leveler. I'm too lazy to use a leveler, and I like it when frame galleries have a slightly off-kilter look. So, I just put a little dot of poster putty on the bottom two corners and adjust the frame by sight. Easy-as-pie!

I love how this gallery wall worked out. I think I will probably continue to add a few more mirrors/frames here and there as I find them, to beef it up a bit. But in the meantime, it's the perfect solution!

So in Love...

2011-10-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

No, this post is not about my husband, even though I am in love (a different and MUCH greater love) with him. No, this is about love of the inanimate object kind.

Every once in a while (maybe once a year?) I stumble across something that grabs my attention and captures me so much that I just fall in love. Inanimate object love.

I found this mirror at a vintage sale this past weekend, and was immediately smitten. I love the shape, the weathered look, the details.

Oh, the details!

So, for a heftier-than-usual price of $14, it came home with me. My return home with yet another mirror elicited a humorous eye-roll from my Hubs. I tend to amass mirrors like Snow White's stepmother. (Except I don't stare into them and demand confirmation of my beauty....)

I thought about where I wanted to put the mirror, but I just couldn't decide. Finally, I realized that I liked it so much it needed to be somewhere where I could see it a lot! So I focused on the blank wall in the living room, which has been needing something for a while.

I knew it needed something more to beef it up, since the mirror is smallish. I scrounged around and found a couple of other vintage mirrors that I had on hand, and started playing with some arrangement ideas.

I know I want the new mirror to be a "focal" point, and I don't want it to get too cluttery. What do you think? Do you like the idea of a mirror gallery-wall?

Ch-ch-changes

2011-10-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

The leaves are starting to change color here in MN. We're not quite into the "peak" season of fall colors quite yet, but there are definitely some vibrant colors making their debut. This past weekend, Josh and I went to Hudson, WI, to walk around a bit and enjoy the outdoors, as well as do some antique shopping. On a side note, I love antique shopping, but I rarely ever buy anything at antique stores. I just feel like most things are outrageously priced, especially when I can usually find similar items at thrift stores... Anyone else feel that way?

Along with Fall comes the worst season of my allergies- I'm talking 1/2 box of kleenex per day. That is, until I discovered the wonders of Zyrtec. I was considering getting allergy shots (it has to be really bad for me to consider getting a shot), but then Zyrtec came along and saved the day. I can now breathe again! Praise the Lord! And no, the makers of said product did not pay me to advertise. I just love it that much.

So to recap, Fall in Minnesota is beautiful, and I can breathe again.

Since we ran across this painting of Calvin and Hobbes on the sidewalk in Hudson, I think it's only fitting to end with a quote. So, in the words of the indomitable Calvin, "[I pray for] The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference."

Barn Sale Find

2011-09-28T05:03:00.000-07:00

Last week, my little sister Morna and I went to a "barn sale" in nearby Stillwater. I was seriously kicking myself for not bringing a camera, because the whole barn was decked out with beautiful handmade, vintage, and antique items for the home. I wanted to just move in (but it was a little drafty, you know, being a barn). So instead, we just wandered around and gazed at all the lovely items. I did find one thing to take home with me, a pretty amber colored candle holder. At first glance, I thought it was a lamp, but it just has a holder for a candle.

I like the ambiance that the candlelight brings more than I would like a lamp there, anyway. I think it adds the perfect touch to the rest of our fall-ish decorations.

Speaking of Fall, it's really here! Unlike Summer and Spring, it seems like Fall and Winter really get down to business. When they arrive, you know it. Colors are bursting out on the trees, cool breezes make us grab for sweaters, and, perhaps most noticeably, it gets dark a whole lot faster in the evenings.

I love Fall. I can't wait to get to our local Apple Orchard, to buy pumpkins for carving, and fit in as many bonfires at my parent's house as possible! How about you- what's your favorite way to celebrate the season?

Feeling Pinspired

2011-09-22T05:33:00.000-07:00

As you know from my post on Monday, the wall above our living room couch is now barren because the shelf that was there started "leaning," and was threatening to topple over at any minute on top of some unsuspecting house guest.

I've been living with the wall like this for a couple of weeks, just to get a feel for what I might like to put up there instead. Just for fun, I thought I would pull some of my Pinterest "inspiration" photos and show you what I'm thinking of (click on each photo for credit).

First, a collection of prints. I love the botanical prints that are everywhere these days. Yes, they are a little overdone, but they are so classic and lovely that I would be so tempted to jump on the bandwagon!

I also found this photo, and promptly fell in love.

But what has really been sticking in my brain as of late, is something like this:

I really love the look of mirrors in larger spaces, how they fill up a large wall yet still bounce light around. Here's a couple more that caught my eye:

I especially love the silvery frame above. It adds just the right touch of elegance and sophistication.

Gilded/antiqued mirrors are also really in style lately, and I've been thinking about the possibility of DIY-ing one.

So, that's what I'm feeling inspired by. Now, I just have to decide on an idea, scrounge up the money, and make it happen! Any votes on your favorite?

Wee Tidbits

2011-09-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Life has been pretty wonderful lately. Every time Fall comes around, I just get giddy with excitement because Fall is my fav. And also, Christmas is right after Fall. Win-win. Best time of the year!

In addition to the cooler weather, here's a few things that are making me smile:

Aggie. Seriously, she is simultaneously the most obnoxious and cutest furry creature ever. My parents, family, and friends all hate her because she is so unfriendly to them. However, she loves Josh and I. She's a 2-person cat I guess. Lately she's taken to napping in the strangest places (laundry hamper, sink, bathtub), and in the strangest positions. Josh snapped this picture below when she fell asleep in my lap like this. Crazy, huh? Note- I told Josh to crop my head out of the picture because I looked horrific, and he did. Isn't he sweet?

Books. I am all about reading, but for some reason, my appetite for reading dwindles during the Summer months. Once Fall hits though, I love to run to the library, grab a bunch of great books, and sit and read on the couch for hours on end. With a cup of tea. It is absolute perfection. I stumbled upon this book at the library and I am totally in love. It combines some of my favorite topics: mystery, house restoration, and murder. Seriously, can it get better than that? I think not. You should check it out if you are in the market for a good read.

Finally, I "splurged" at Pier One the other day and bought this fantastic cocktail ring. I have been wanting one for a while, but just waiting to find the perfect one. This is it! I love the sparkly center and the yellow leaves, and it makes me happy every time I glance at it on my hand. Even when it snags on my hair and clothing.

So those are a few things that are making me smile this week. How about you? Are you a Fall-lover too? What are some things that are making you smile lately?

P.S. Sorry about the strange spacing, I have no idea what blogger is up to, but it keeps messing up the spacing I put between paragraphs. So annoying!

Fall-ified

2011-09-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

With the cooler weather we've been having, I decided it was about time to change some of the decor in our house to keep up with the Fall-ish feeling in the air. I had fun shopping with my mom at a few craft stores to find some items that would lend an Autumnal feeling to our decor. I found the bouquet at Michaels and thought it would look perfect with my little owl collection.

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of "fake" anything, but let's face it, I don't have a backyard to scrounge around for twigs and leaves and such, so fake is all I got. I look for decorations that have some natural elements in them, like the "flowers" below that are partially dried, with faux-stems.

I couldn't resist a couple bags of leaves as well, they are so fun and colorful and fit this vase perfectly.

My little owl from Anthropologie (below) got to come out of hiding and be the star of this vignette atop our pie cupboard. I love the fanciful colors and the fact that her head comes off so you can store stuff inside! Hehe.

I also added some branches to the arrangement on the table to fill it out and add more of a natural element.

In the living room, I brought out some candles (because nothing says "Fall" like candles, right? Unless, that is, you are lucky enough to have a fireplace...) and some sprigs of fall-ish things.

I really love the orangey-red colors and the miniature pumpkins. So cute!

The orange really works in our living room since we already have some orange in there as an accent color. Perfect!

Also, you may have noticed that the wall above our couch is sadly barren. The shelf we had up there was starting to tilt forward too much, and I worried that someone was going to get smacked on the head by falling objects. So, the shelf had to go. We are living with the clean, wide-open expanse of wall for a while until we fund something that will work well there. Any suggestions?

So there is our home, Fall-ified. As you can see, I really like to keep it simple. What's your favorite way to decorate for the season?

A Versatile Wardrobe

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest things I look for when buying new items of clothing is whether the piece is versatile enough. I used to have problems pulling outfits together, and frankly, sometimes I still do! I think one of the main reasons is because I buy pieces that I like separately but forget to think about them in the context of my entire wardrobe.

In order to solve this dilemma, I started thinking through every piece I purchased. I decided that if I couldn't come up with at least 3 different ways to wear a piece, then it wasn't worth purchasing.

That's why I love this skirt SO very much. In fact, I have loved it ever since I was with my sister in Anthropologie when she bought it. Yup. You guys, I have waited faithfully for her to get sick of it and pass it on to me, and that day finally came about 3 weeks ago. I have no shame.

I love the pencil shape with the kick pleats and the stretchy, denim fabric. It's like jean-skirt meets Mad Men. It's perfect to pair with a cardigan, skinny belt, and heels for teaching during the day, and then easy to change it up for the evening. Because when I'm cooking spaghetti for dinner I really like to look my best.

So here it is dressed for success at my day job as a voice teacher:

Skirt: Level 99 (Anthropologie)

Cardigan + Skinny Belt: Target

Top: Old Navy

Shoes: Franco Sarto

And here it is (with the same top) for a warm September evening out:

I paired it with some heels I scored on super-sale from Payless. I haven't bought shoes from Payless in years, but I went in there on a whim last week and was so glad I did! These shoes are fun and extremely comfortable. I'm just sad that they will have to be put away for the winter.

So, that's my secret for building a versatile wardrobe. Now that a new season is underway, it's definitely coming in handy as I change out my Summer clothes and look for a few new things for Fall. How about you? Any style secrets you care to spill?

Framed!

2011-09-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

I keep moving things around/tweaking the decor in the 2nd bedroom/office/music room. The most recent addition is one of my favorites, and one that has a special meaning as well.

As part of a wedding gift, my talented Grandma Polly let us pick out one of her original watercolor paintings. After looking through tons of beautiful, incredibly colored paintings I settled on this one. It is smaller than almost all of her other works, but I just fell in love with it at first sight!

Well, I finally got around to framing the picture this past week! Sadly, it has been sitting in a drawer wrapped in cellophane for way too long because I couldn't find the right size frame. It turns out, I just wasn't looking in the right place!

I visited JoAnne fabrics last week and found this frame there. I love it. The detail around the edges is just perfect, and I love how it displays my Grandma's painting beautifully while not detracting from it! Plus, it was 40% off and less than $20 bucks. Score!

One of the reasons I love this painting so much is because I can remember walks down tree-lined pathways just like this. My family loves to go out and enjoy nature (especially this time of year!), and my parents have some wooded paths by their house that are just like this.

Ah. Now, every time I go in the 2nd bedroom I smile when I see this! It's finally starting to feel like a space that is comfortable and inspiring.

Beauty in Strange Places

2011-09-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day, we were at my Grandparent's house for a family gathering. Sadly, some of our family recently moved to the beautiful state of Virginia, so each gathering feels a little strange without them here. But nevertheless, we had a beautiful day and the perfect temperature for outside exploration. Some of my cousins came back with the crazy, fiery orange organism you see above there. Know what it is? It's a mushroom. No, we didn't eat it (that would be stupid), but it sat on the table as a kind of living cornucopia and everyone admired it throughout the day.

Seriously, have you ever seen a fungi that is so beautiful?

It just struck me that with all our human endeavors, we never can make anything that matches even the slightest profound beauty of our Creator. It was a good reminder to me that as I struggle to make myself and my surroundings "beautiful," God creates beauty in something as seemingly mundane as fungus. And perhaps all my strivings for beauty, perfection, and order are simply masking the true beauties of life. So this Fall I'm determined to take note of every detail of creation that surrounds me, to the best of my abilities. And instead of feeling ashamed that I can't produce the kind of beauty I want, I will rest assured that I don't have to. He's got it covered already.

Featured House #3

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've done a "Featured House" post. Over 1 year, to be exact! Since it was high time to do another feature, I decided to choose a house that has a special meaning to me: my Grandparent's home.

Even though their house was built more recently (within the past decade, if I remember correctly!), it has the feel of a much older home. Little details like the gorgeous pergola entryway and the vines on the front of the house really lend an older charm.

My Grandma has always been an avid gardener, and there are beautifully kept gardens sprawling across the whole property. One of my favorites is in the courtyard between the house and garage, which is surrounded on 4 sides with flowers.

They have lots of beautiful copper detailing around the exterior as well, which is starting to get that beautiful aged look.

Their "backyard" is really acres upon acres of beautiful woods, but part of it is home to a big vegetable garden and a pond teeming with wildlife of many kinds.

Of course, I had to include some inside pictures too! I have always loved my Grandma's taste for decorating. It feels so homey and inviting, with a mix of rustic pieces, floral tones, and unique touches.

This vignette in the entryway highlights one of my Grandma's watercolor paintings. She is an amazing artist, and their home features many of her pieces.

One of my favorite places in the house is the front entryway/hallway. It has these huge, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. It's such a great touch!

This couch is where everyone gravitates when they enter the house- it's so soft and comfortable! We sit here every Christmas and for many other holidays and enjoy warm cups of tea and each others company. Oh, and everyone fights for that corner spot!

The view from the living room is spectacular, with the pond and trees and vegetable garden in the background.

I also love how my grandparents had slate tiles installed in a couple of places in the living room so they could bring plants indoors without worrying about getting dirt/water on the carpet. Brilliant!

Here's another view of the living room, the staircase leads up to the master suite. I love the fireplace and the (real!) stuffed bear on top. His name is Sydney.

Another view of the entryway/bookshelves. That dog isn't real, it's actually a stuffed toy that the younger cousins love to play with.

At this point, the lighting was starting to get worse, but I just had to snap some photos of their kitchen. I LOVE the white beadboard cabinets and the french-country feel of this kitchen.

It even has a lovely little breakfast nook off to the side.

Yup, really bad lighting, but at least you can see the stove with the amazing copper vent hood and the glass-front cabinets they installed.

So, you can see why I have always been inspired whenever I step foot into my grandparent's home. I love how my Grandma always has bouquets of fresh flowers from her garden scattered around. It seems like the place is ready for a photo shoot, and I definitely think it's worthy of being featured!

September Already?

2011-09-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

(Photo found via Pinterest)

Can you believe the Summer is officially over? I can't. As usual, the Summer flew by. I'm not TOO sad to see it go though, because Fall is far and above my favorite season of the year!

As we are celebrating Labor Day and peering into a new season, I have lots on my mind! As usual, when I have lots on my mind I must resort to lists. So here goes:

I worked at the Minnesota State Fair for 4 days straight last week, selling Fish and Chips at a booth owned by some family friends. It was awesome and excruciating at the same time. Awesome because I got to work with some good friends and some ridiculously cool kids that make me wish I was a teenager again, and excruciating because I spent 8 hours a day yelling things like "I NEED A FISH!" and "WHERE IS MY LOBSTER, YO?" Yup. It was a week to remember!

I start teaching again this very week. I am excited to get into a routine again, but I feel rather unprepared. However, I feel unprepared for just about everything so I'm learning to just go with it. As a wise professor once told me, "You may not feel like you know much, but you always know more than they do!" Amen.

Pinterest is going to be my undoing. I realized a while ago that I have been on it too much when I suddenly started having nightmares about wreaths. Seriously, have you SEEN the ridiculous amounts of wreaths that people have been pinning lately? I've been awaking in sheer panic because I don't have one yet for my front door.

I painted the trim in our bedroom white finally, it's been a project that has been looming over my head since we bought this place. It took me 2 days to do one room, but I'm so glad it's done! Of course, pictures will be coming soon.

How about you? Are you excited for the arrival of Fall? Have you been doing anything exciting or different these days? And perhaps most importantly, do you have a wreath for your front door yet???

Project Week- Recap

2011-08-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

So, you may be wondering how I did with my self-proclaimed "Project Week" last week. I had a laundry list of things to do, and I was aiming at finishing them off before the end of the week. So, did I make it?

Well, almost. =) I was SO close. Here's the list of things that I had to do:

Paint Bookshelf #1
Paint Bookshelf #2
Finish Curtains
Organize and clean music room
Prettify music room using things I already have
Finish wooden tray (I found an awesome wooden tray at Goodwill that needs a makeover!)

And here's what got done.

Bookshelf #1 got a nice new paint job to transform it from this:

To this:

Bookshelf #2 gave me a bit more trouble.

After priming it and painting 2 coats, I went to put the polyeurethane finish on and the stupid stuff turned my white bookshelf yellow. I may or may not have cried in angst at that. So bookshelf #2 will probably be repainted sometime in the near future. Grr.

#3 on my list was to finish the curtains I had started a couple months ago. I'm happy to say that they are all done and doing their job quite nicely!

#4, organize and clean the music/craft/office space went pretty well too. It really helped to finally have a functional place to put things! All of my teaching books are now happily housed on the new bookshelf.

#5, prettify (is that a word?) the music/craft/office space, is off to a good start as well. I used things that I already had on hand to try and bring some continuity to the space.

One of the biggest changes in that area was the addition of an oversized print that I purchased a few years ago. I didn't have anywhere to put it for a long time, so it was sitting in the garage! I didn't know if the colors would work in here since I'm going for more of a green and white combo, but I really like the zap of color that the teal brings.

There's definitely more that I would like to do in that regard, but at least it's off to a decent start!

Project #7 was also derailed by a bad paint job. I found this tray at GW and planned to give it a makeover, but the paint I chose did a really poor job of covering it, and then I decided I hated the color anyway. You win some, you lose some!

All in all, I'm really happy with how the project week turned out. It's nice to know that the Summer didn't completely get away from me before I was able to carve out some time and get things done! Just in time for some Fallish weather, it seems.

Just to jog your memory, here's what that room used to look like:

The wall where the piano is still looks pretty much the same and will need more work, but I think it's definitely come a long way! So, what projects are you finishing up this Summer?

Roughin' It

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Until this past weekend, it had been about 10 years since I had been camping. Let's face it, I'm one of those girls that doesn't really get along with nature. I like my bed, my shower, my sparkly clean toilet, and being able to kill every spider that dares to set an appendage over my threshold.

But when our dear friends Nick and Cindy (you can read their account of the trip here) asked us if we would be interested in an end-of-summer camping trip, I finally caved. Well, I have to admit, part of it was the sheer stubborn will that I've had ever since I was a child. If other people can camp, then so can I. Even if I die trying.

So, since we are all quite adventurous (read: ignorant), we thought it would be a great idea to book a backpacking campsite. For all you other non-campers out there, that means you have to carry everything in on foot. No backing up your u-haul and unloading all your crap, you have to strap it on your back and carry it in. 1 mile, 1/4 of which was a pretty extreme uphill hike.

We also realized, after booking the site of course, that there were no flush toilets or shower facilities. Oops.

But although we got off to a rather rocky start, the trip was really amazing. Our campsite was so remote, we barely heard or saw anyone else. It was up on the bluffs of the St. Croix river, so the views were stunning!

We got to chop our own firewood, and haul water back and forth from the well.

We also had some of the most amazing food ever. Like these banana desserts, ohmygoodness. I'm still dreaming about them! Cindy has the deets on how to make these over at her blog, The Flipping Couple.

There were some beautiful sunsets, here's one we saw as we were heading back up the trail to our campsite.

It was such a wonderful trip. The views, the weather, the food, and especially the company were perfect. So after such a successful camping trip, I think I will have to do it again!

How about you? Do you enjoy camping?

Project # 2

2011-08-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

It took me a good 4 hour chunk of time on Tuesday, but the curtains are finally done! I was hoping to finish them in under 2 hours, since they were already mostly sewn, but as I tweaked the design a little to incorporate features I wanted it got to be a bigger project! For instance, I added tabs at the top of the curtain for hanging so it would be easier to move the curtains. Originally, I had just folded the fabric over and sewn a loop for the rod to go through, but it made the curtains to difficult to open and close. The tabs are much better, plus I like the way the curtains lay now more!

The green and cream fabric was from a friend that I helped with her sewing machine. She made curtains for her kitchen and had a ton of fabric left over, I think I still have 2-3 yards left!

Here's that list again- I'm still hoping I can power through the rest of these things before the week is out!

~~Paint bookshelf #1~~
~~Paint bookshelf #2~~ (post coming soon!)
~~Finish curtains~~
Organize and clean music room
Prettify music room using things I already have
Finish wooden tray (I found an awesome wooden tray at Goodwill that needs a makeover!)

Week of Projects

2011-08-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

I've started quite a few projects in the past few weeks, and I'm planning on using this week to finish them all up! After a fun and busy Summer, it's time to focus on getting the house in order for Fall, especially since I will be teaching piano again from our home. So, most of the projects are geared towards the music room!

First off, Josh and I found this wonderful specimen at a garage sale last weekend. Isn's she a beaut?

Actually, using my supreme detective skills (a la Hercule Poirot), I have deduced that this was once used in a clubhouse of some sort. Why? Because someone scratched in the surface "Boys Rule" and "No Girls Allowed." Awesome.

Well, I couldn't really have that kind of propaganda in the house, considering that I am in fact a girl, so I sanded it down and gave it a coat of primer, 2 coats of a lovely off-white shade, and a protective polyurethane coat.

This bookshelf fits the room perfectly! Originally, I was going to buy something from IKEA for this space, but really, this bookshelf was only $5 (plus $50 for materials I will be reusing on other pieces). And, it's solid wood!

The bottom shelf fits the boxes I store sheet music in perfectly. It's so nice to finally have a little storage in that space!

Are you curious about what other projects I am working on this week? Well, here's my list (so far):

Paint bookshelf #1 (done!)
Paint bookshelf #2
Finish curtains (yes, I started this project 2 whole months ago...)
Organize and clean music room
Prettify music room using things I already have
Finish wooden tray (I found an awesome wooden tray at Goodwill that needs a makeover!)

So, here's hoping that I can check a few more projects off this list before this week is out!

Opera, Schmopera

2011-08-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

I talk very little about "the other part" of my life. I know, that sounds creepy, like I'm a serial killer or something. I promise you, that is most definitely not the case! In fact, I am a music teacher + a wannabe someday grad student in the field of Vocal Pedagogy and Opera Performance.

This blog was originally a way for me to delve into some other interests besides music- since being a music major in college was all-encompassing and didn't give me much of a chance to do anything else! But, music is such a huge part of my life that I can't NOT talk about it, at least once in a while. =)

Last week, I got to finish up a 2-week Italian Opera study program. It consisted of several lessons and language classes with Maestro Leonardo Marzagalia and his wife Cristina, who come here every couple of years from Italy to do this program. I was one of 12 lucky participants, ranging in age from 16 to 60-ish. It culminated in a recital where we all sang the pieces we had been working on. Here's a photo taken after the recital, of all the participants + the Maestro (at the piano).

And just for fun, here's a wee clip of me singing. It's not the whole song, some parts of the beginning got cut off, but here's a least part of it!

Bledded Wiss

2011-08-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my honey and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary! I can't believe it has already been 2 years since I walked down the aisle and married the love of my life. My, how time flies!

We celebrated by getting dressed up, and going out to one of my favorite restaurants (Josh had never been there, but I'm assuming that now he has experienced it he loves it too!), The Loring Pasta Bar. I seriously love that place. The food is to die for, and the ambience is spectacular!

I love the rustic look of the building- lots of exposed brick and industrial texture mixed with some lavish, moroccan style furnishings. Yummy.

Of course, I did not spend the whole time taking pictures of the restaurant. I focused on the dinner with my hubs, but what can I say, I am a home-decorating blogger and can never completely switch off that side of myself! =D

See what I mean though? Gorgeous. I wonder if they would let me move in?

Here's what we ate, because I know everyone loves looking at pictures of delicious food that someone else ate:

Artichoke Ramekin with Garlic Bread.

Saffron Chicken Linguine with Cilantro and Basil (!).

Portobello Stuffed Ravioli. Oh my.

It really was the perfect date. As wonderful as the food + atmosphere were, it's always about who you're there with, and my hubby is my favorite person to spend time with. We laugh, pray, cry, commiserate, work, go on adventures, and do just about everything together. Ok, with the crying, I must admit, it's usually only me. But he is a good soother and always has a spare hankie.

We both have a pretty healthy sense of humor as well, and an innate ability to mess up the words that we are trying to say. So at one point during our date Josh proposed a toast and said, "To 2 years of Bledded Wiss." I think he meant to say Wedded Bliss. AH, we had a good laugh over that one!

Favorite Places

2011-08-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love a good cup of tea! one of my favorite places to get tea is from a local restaurant call the Avalon Tea Room. It's located in White Bear Lake, MN, and it's been around for years. You can find many different people there, older ladies sharing tea with friends, young moms with their daughters, even guys will come in for the wonderful food!

My Grandma has been going there every week for the past few years. She's one of the "regulars," and it seems like everyone there knows who she is!

We go there and have lunch once in a while, usually my mom, sisters, Grandma and I. Last week, I went with my mother-in-law Jody, my sister Elsie, and Grandma Bertie.

The tea, of course, is wonderful. They have a wide variety to choose from, and they bring it out in colorful teapots and serve it to you in delicate china cups. The food is also amazing. I have never tried anything there that I didn't like. They also make the best quiche and scones with devonshire cream!

They even have some fun vintage hats that you can try on and wear during your teatime if you wish!

It's fun to see local, privately owned businesses that are really thriving in this day and age. Thankfully the Avalon doesn't have much to worry about, they have some pretty fiercely loyal customers that keep coming back. I am definitely one of them!

I wasn't paid or given any perks to endorse the tea room, I just wanted to share one of my favorite places. How about you? What are some of your favorite home-away-from-homes?

Awkward (Housewife) Moments

2011-08-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that I have just won the "Awkward Housewife of the Year Award." Trust me, I would bet you some serious money that I am the only person in the world this has ever happened to...

I did a big ol' load of laundry yesterday, and then went to put it in the dryer, only to discover that my laundry was covered in a strange white, fibrous substance. Literally, every inch of of every single piece of clothing was covered. Like when you accidentally leave a tissue in the pocket of your jeans, but x100.

I surmise that somehow, an entire roll of toilet paper somehow fell into the washer as I was doing laundry.

Oh yes. An entire roll. I even found remnants of the cardboard roll in the middle. Thankfully, toilet paper dissolves in water. Unfortunately, it doesn't dissolve enough.

So Josh and I spent some time shaking out each article of clothing (as evidenced by the "snow" on our porch), and now I am rewashing everything, but I also suspect I will have to spend some serious time with a lint roller this week.

Please tell me that you have also had some awkward housewife moments? I need a little support here. =)

P.S. Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts and prayers re: my last post. Josh is doing just fine, and has not had any more issues since that night! Praise the Lord! He is, however, going to dramatically scale back his workout routines for a while. =)

2011-08-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a very crazy couple of weeks here! And, it doesn't look like it will calm down anytime soon. I was initially hoping to keep blogging despite the fact that I'm doing a 2-week Italian Opera Study program, but honestly, I just have to focus on one thing at a time!

However, something crazy happened last night and I just feel the need to write about it, just to help debrief myself from the situation!

Josh (my hubby) went to the gym to work out with some friends yesterday evening, and I was exhausted from the program so I put on some PJ's and was catching up on my fav tv show.

After a couple hours, I heard the car pull up outside, the garage door open, and Josh starts honking the car horn repeatedly. At first, it didn't even register that it was OUR car, I thought some neighbor's car alarm was going off. Then, I realized it was Josh and I was actually slightly annoyed at the fact that he was honking (seriously, I should win the Terrible Wife of the Year award for that one). So, I ran down in my pajamas to see what was going on.

Josh was completely limp in the front seat, his hands were frozen in claws, and he couldn't move his legs. He opened his mouth and started telling me that he began feeling weird on the way back from the gym, but his speech was slurred. My first thought was "Is he having a stroke? These are symptoms of a stroke!" and then Josh actually said, "I think I might be having a stroke." I have never been so afraid in my entire life. I managed to get him out of the car (pure adrenaline) and lay him down on the driveway and ran up to get my phone and call 911. The fire department and then the EMTs were there in less than 5 minutes, and it was a complete blur as they surrounded him and checked his vitals and administered tests to see if he was having a stroke. I'm so thankful for one of our neighbors who came over and stayed with Josh while I ran up to get my purse and throw jeans on in case we had to take the ambulance!

His symptoms began to subside while the emergency team was there. The EMT said that she suspected it wasn't a stroke, but hyperventilation. However, she said to get him to the ER right away. We got to the ER and were there for a couple of hours while they ran tests to make sure everything was ok. The initial diagnosis was hyperventilation/calcium deficiency, and after the tests it was confirmed. We are SO THANKFUL that it was not a stroke! Looking at the symptoms, every sign seemed to point that way. I had no idea that you could experience those symptoms from hyperventilating.

I have never felt that kind of fear before, seeing my husband unable to move or talk like that was so scary. After the EMT's left, he actually said that he felt fine and could wait to go to the doctor, but I was like "GET IN THE CAR! WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" I turned into Mama Bear.

I am so thankful that Josh is ok. Being the trooper that he is, he actually got up and went to work on time this morning. He amazes me every day. Also, God's grace and provision amazes me. It was clear from the moment that things started happening that God was with us! I broke down crying on the phone with the operator, but I also felt a strange sense of calm and was able to remember everything I needed to. Seriously, with the chaos I'm amazed that I remembered Josh's birthdate. God brought our neighbor (whom we had never even met) over and he stayed with Josh while I went to get some things from the house. We got into the ER immediately, we didn't have to wait at all to see the doctor. Everything worked like clockwork. God's provision was so evident.

I try not to take anything in this life for granted, but it's moments like that when you realize what truly is important in life!

Can't Beat the Heat

2011-07-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to stay fashionable this Summer, but with temperatures inching towards 100 degrees every day, it's become quite a challenge. So, I've resorted to just trying to keep my hair off of my face/neck and makeup a bit lighter than normal (because it all tends to melt off anyways...).

I found this hairstyle tutorial recently and completely fell in love. I love that it is fun and different from the old ponytail, but still easy enough to whip up in a flash. So, I thought I would share this with you, in hopes that you can benefit from it as well! I think this would look really cute even over a shorter hairstyle. Also, if you have a chance you should just click around her blog. She has some great hair/makeup.fashion tips. She only has a few hairstyle tutorials but they are all fabulous.

So how are you attempting to beat the heat these days?

Happy Friday everyone!

WIAW- Date Night

2011-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to be on vacation, but SO nice to be back in my own kitchen once we got home. To celebrate our return, Josh and I had an impromptu date night at the Casa de Posy. I made some tomato basil pizza, homemade lemonade, and salad, and we watched a few episodes of "Monk." I'm like seriously addicted to detective/murder mystery shows. Now, Josh is too.

For fun, I decided to take things up a notch on the lemonade front, and when I was done making the lemonade (recipe HERE), I mixed it with 1/2 sparkling flavored water (I buy the Market Pantry brand from Target, it has 0 calories!). It was delicious, I tell you! Plus, adding the sparkling water cuts down a little on the sugar content, and when it's 92 degrees here I can consume a LOT of lemonade!

My mother always taught me to make well-rounded meals (which usually means a meat, a starch, and a veggie), so I threw together this salad with lettuce, cucumbers, croutons and balsamic vinaigrette.

Date night was a success. We filled our tummies, Monk solved his case, and my sweet husband loaded the dishwasher. Perfection!