BLUE pt. 2

I try not to buy things when I'm feeling blah. However, I think that this guy will be mine in a few days:

Kimchi Menswear Tote 

At some point, I'd like to buy this guy as well:

The Brothers Bray & Co.

If I've learned anything with past bags, it's that having only a black bag or only a brown bag doesn't cut it. I need one of each. (Plus I really like that both bags' structures help balance the formality or lack of formality of their colors.)

I'M BLUE.

I have a feeling that this would help:

Or this:

 

(sigh) Come here, Cujo. Mom needs a cuddle.

Put away the claws.

CHECK THIS GUY OUT

And his white, slightly shorter cousin (who has obviously been photo-shopped but we'll look past it):

I really love candy green...but the white would look so good in my soon-to-be gray living room! Now, if only they had a navy version, I'd be set.

Stools sold on Overstock for $84.99 and $83.99, respectively.

CURL UP AND REVEL, MY PRETTIES

If this was my bed, I'd never leave it.

style-files

And if this was my bed (and room), I'd bound out of bed in the morning, full of energy...

Living, Etc. 10/2007

...and I'm not sure which is better. :)

101 in 1001 -- UPDATE!

72) Make time for reading fiction: one novel a month. (0/33)

In progress!

This might sound silly, but the reason I put this on my list is simply because I miss reading stories. As an anthropology major, I spend a lot of my free time reading, and the majority of what I read is either reference material or non-fiction. Don't get me wrong, I'm choosing to read those things because I want to...but they're not exactly easy or light. Then during my winter break, I bought and read a novel, and it was so nice. :) I want to bring fiction back into my life, so I'm giving myself permission to read for fun from now on.

This month's book:

I've heard good things. :)

PINK

Originally, this post was just going to be about the awesomeness of this:

Flickr: tad carpenter

A plus, tad carpenter. A plus.

Then it became about Valentine's Day. Even though I really do hate the holiday.

 

 Bear with vest: flickr user Mubina H 

Heart cookies: flickr user Whipped Bakeshop 

 Valentine ribbon: Etsy seller RosyBlossom 

Valentine's Day NOMs: Flickr user merwing little dear 

Vintage style Valentine people: Etsy seller Magpie Ethel 

Catnip toy: Etsy seller OhBoyCatToy 

Mario loves Peach: flickr user david a lea 

And then it just became about pink.

Candy corn: flickr user melissann 

  Pink luggage: flickr user simple tess 

Pink peony: flickr user boltandfrolic

Pink glasses: flickr user such pretty things

I'm not usually interested in pink of any kind, but all of the pale pink that's floating around the internet right now is grabbing my attention. There might be a flower arrangement for the dining room in my immediate future. 

TO LIVE BY

ALRIGHT, I'M DOING IT.

Good morning! This huge glorious picture cheers me up big time.

Beautiful photo belongs to boltandfrolic

I first saw a "101 in 1001" list over at Ice Cream & Peonies and really liked the concept; 101 goals for just under three years is somehow more manageable than the traditional five-ear plan in my mind! After admiring Kay's list, I started to look for other lists and found such a variety in goals: buy a house, save X amount of money, improve patience, learn how to sew, get a massage. It was amazing to me how different and yet similar so many of our desires are and, really,what we'd like to see ourselves become.

Inevitably, all of this looking at other people's goals led to me thinking about my own. I like making goals, and I love making lists, so here it is: my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days.

PARDON THE HOUR

It's 2:42am, and I'm awake, so here we are. :)

Want to hear about my day? Because this was it:
-woke up at 6:00
-worked 8:00-5:00
-attended math lecture 6:00-9:00
-finished cleaning and painting the old apartment and packed the last of my stuff in the car 9:30-12:30
-drove home and found someone parked in my garage stall 12:45; left a (somewhat scathing) note on the windshield
-hauled all of my stuff upstairs from outside 12:50
-ate dinner 1:30 (I forgot to pack it for class)

Don't know about you, but I'm the type that has to lounge calmly for an hour or so before I can fall asleep...so I'm up. But check out this fun periodic table I saw on campus today:

I enjoy it. :) Old school in the best of ways. They should paint the frame a really bold purple, or something.

Signing off. My 101 in 1001 list will be posted tomorrow! (Today?)

FOR THE LOVE OF WHALES (AND RHINOS)

Cujo the Cat needs a nice looking set of food and water bowls.

This is the current situation:

I think the household's outlook would improve considerably if these were to replace the tupperware:

 

The whale bowl would be for water, naturally. I guess that makes Mr. Rhino food? So be it.

(Bowls sold by Etsy seller ninamoto for $17 each.)

IN WHICH JAMIE STOPS BEING CHEAP [KIND OF]

There's something you have to understand about me: I'm super cheap about magazines. I love them, but it's like pulling teeth to get myself to subscribe (which makes no sense, I know, since it costs so much more to buy them on from the stand!). I kid you not, my sole resolution last year was to subscribe to three magazines, which ended up being House Beautiful, Real Simple, and Runner's World.

I finally bit the bullet and subscribed to Elle Decor, Country Living and Veranda. Five dollars each, yo.

Aaand back to being broke. :) At least I'll have six magazines in my mailbox to cheer me up!

MY OWN EVERYDAY INSPIRATION

Re: fabulous k's everyday inspirations post last week, in which she wrote, "Have you ever taken a look at your surroundings and felt inspired? It happens to me on a daily basis."

I remember feeling contrary when I initially read those words; I tend to be more inspired by what my mind cooks up than what I see in front of me. Or if I am inspired by something in front of me, it's something that has been designed to inspire (read: magazines, storefronts, displays, etc.).

But at the library this weekend, I had my very own moment of everyday inspiration. Who'd have thought? :)

Yellow seems to grab me lately. This little stool was in the second row of bookshelves, all by its lonesome. My school's library is very brown, very exposed brick, very blah. It's weird to say, but this little yellow stool cheered me up, and I think I might even have to do some eBay/thrift hunting for a similar one. I think it's adorable.

(I did spend about four seconds wondering if I could somehow smuggle it out of the library. Shh, don't tell.)

NEEDS TO HAPPEN

Storetry No 017

Storetry No 042

Storetry No 019

Storetry No 140

Storetry No 103

I think that last one is my favorite. It might have to find a home in my kitchen.

(Sold by Etsy seller YeeHaw for $35 each; 27.5"x16-18.25", depending on the print)

AND HERE WE GO

The new semester has officially begun. I feel as stressed as I did last semester but can already tell that this spring will be better than last fall. Yes, yes I can. (says firmly to self)

I'm revisiting my New Years resolutions and adding one big one to the list: I am going to take better care of myself this year. No more taking on more than I can handle (school). No more disregard for my fitness. No more ignoring major warning signs and ending up in emergency surgery. Nothing puts a damper on a semester's success like having to take a week off of work and school because of incapacitating drugs! :P

This semester (and year), I am making time for myself. I can find 2 hours a week to work out. I can find 1 hour a week to do something just for me (read a non-school book, draw a bath, paint a wall). This time around, I'd like to find and maintain a sense of balance.

(I'm not a fan of Gossip Girl, but I do think that Blake Lively is a looker. Photo courtesy of blakelively.net)

SHE'S NOT MUCH, BUT SHE'S MINE

I have internet again! Hooray! (And I'm pretty sure my cable guy hooked me up with extra channels. Here's hoping they don't show up on the bill, yeah?)

Well, friends, the move has happened. Some light documentation:

Morning of move: Some boxes remain unpacked, and I try to convince my type-A side to calm the f* down. This involves chocolate and caffeine.

 

Cujo the cat observes as I pack some last-minute items.

 

I pick up my keys at the new place and snap some quick "before" pictures.

Note: These pictures do not do the space justice. I love it. Those windows are absolutely glorious.

(view of front door and kitchen from living room)

 

(living room)

 

(crap picture, but look at my 10-ft. ceilings!)

 

(my quaint stove! oh, my. :P)

 

 

Back at home, Cujo flips out as the family volunteers arrive and "hides" on top of the kitchen cupboards.

 We have three SUVs between the four of us (no judging, now; Minnesota winters equal 4x4 drive), and we are inexplicably bound and determined to make the move in one trip. This is the result.

 

Dad is trying so hard! We make it work, though. (I just don't make eye contact with anyone while behind the wheel.)

The place is coming together. Boxes are slowly being unpacked and furniture is getting situated, and I can't wait to see and share the results soon!

KEEP ON THE SUNNY SIDE

I need this taped to my bathroom mirror for days like today.

 

"Keep on the Sunny Side" oversized postcard , sold here.

OFFICE BRAINSTORM

I've been thinking about home offices a lot lately. To be more specific, I've been thinking about home offices that are housed in rooms other than offices, because that's going to be my situation in a few days. I'd like to build a pretty substantial work space, but it has to fit in the living room, both size-wise and style-wise. I keep hearing/reading that a desk in a living room is somehow taboo, but I completely disagree. My living room is where I spend the majority of my time. Whether I'm being productive or being a slob, I'm in that room. My bedroom, on the other hand, is off limits for productive activity, making the idea of putting my office in there an impossibility. (Plus I just don't get it. Bedrooms are for sleeping, and lounging, and being otherwise relaxed.)

My new living room is an 18x13ft rectangle, like such (no balcony, unfortunately):

My thought is to put the sofa in the rough middle of the room, facing and centered against the shorter wall. Behind it and closer to the kitchen will be my dining room table, leaving me with 11-12ft of wall (not to mention the wall opposite, with the window). I'd like to set up some sort of long, skinny desk system there. Lots and lots of work space, but only about 18-23 inches deep.

I keep seeing different versions in my mind, and for some reason, most have a double-desk set up, kind of like this:

DecorPad user Teresa's office

I of course have no need for my desk to have multiple seating options. I just think it could look kind of cool.

I'd also like to have some sort of set-up on the wall for creative...meanderings, shall we say? Inspiration board, etc. If I can't have something like that up, then I definitely want to hang either a couple of larger prints or a gallery-style arrangement of personal photos.

The desk is likely to be black or very dark brown, and in the living room, the walls will be a dark gray and the couch will be an oatmeal color. I'm going to add pops of yellow and dark blue wherever I can. This is very close to where I hope to take the room:

PCH

It's going to be interesting, though. I'm concerned about mixing what are essentially three very distinct zones: living, office and dining. Not sure how I'm going to break them up but still somehow get them to flow/work together...

Signing the lease tomorrow!

 

TODAY I'M WEARING

 Jacket: Gap, $50 (on sale! reg. $118! go get it!)

Scarf: Target, $17 (but saw it in store for $11)

Cardigan: Target, $25 (on sale! reg. $90! go get it!)

  

Tee: Gap, $17 (on sale! reg. $30! saw it in store for $11! go get it!)

Watch: Tag Heuer 

 

Jeans: J. Crew, $98

Boots: Target (no longer available)

It's cold, y'all. 

AMIDST MY DAY OF CRAP...

...amidst greasy hair because the shower  inexplicably lost all water pressure, amidst scrubbing the kitchen clean after my electric mixer splattered room-temperature butter everywhere (and I mean everywhere), amidst spilling half a gallon of primer on my bathroom floor and my Tag Heuer (because I'm an idiot who forgets to take things off when painting)...

Country Living

...my roommate said that she felt like she was looking at a magazine when she saw me painting, and I could have hugged her. I wasn't feeling particularly glamorous with a foot covered in dried paint and my hair tied back, but she said I looked picturesque, framed by the doorway of the bathroom and standing on one of my lovely old Ashley chairs to reach the ceiling.

Should have asked for a picture. :) No one's ever mentioned me and magazine in the same sentence before.

(The Tag Heuer survived the primer incident. All I can say is thank God it's water-approved!)