grinchy

i haven't been feeling the season, so-to-speak. sad but true. i figure instead of being grinchy, i'll just post some pretty pics of recent thrift finds and hope that you enjoy!

all hail the "junk drawer organizer"!

i found one of those "junk drawer organizers" at the thrift store and snatched it up to organize.... well, our junk drawer, of course! it's the kind with all of the little compartments and a smaller tray that sits on top of the larger tray and slides back and forth so you can get to all of the junk below. i have always loved any kind of office supply or storage system, cubby, pocket, or box meant to make my life appear more "together" than it really is. well, this guy proved so useful that the next time i was in the thrift and spotted another one i bought it too.

it sat and sat just awaiting it's drawer and when i began to organize my dressing room it's time finally came! i have now gone and purchased another (as well as some smaller organizing "cups" that click together in any arrangement your drawer needs) to organize

my (everyday) makeup drawer:

my hair do-dads:

baby bobbie pins are hidden in the mini-altoids tin and great for throwing in your purse for 'dos on the go!

and my jewelry:

sorry this one's sideways!

lois is, as always, a great necklace holder and the hand my grandma gave me (okay, i spotted it on her dresser and asked if i could have it -!) is great for my rings.

i used to work as a makeup artist for MAC so i have a LOT of cosmetics. all of the makeup and hair products i don't use all that often are found in the drawer system lois sits on and my hair dryer, straightener and brushes and combs just sit in a basket on the floor by the outlets for easy use.

please excuse the mess of headbands, bows, perfume, and miscellany on the vanity - there's still more to organize!

i know this post isn't thrilling in any way, but the moral of the story is: junk drawer organizers aren't just for junk - they'll do wonders for your treasures too! go get one now. meg says so.

welcome to my lair

last post you got a look at my (previously) UGLY downstairs/basement room and today is the mini reveal of the work in progress to the half of the room designated to my dressing area and clothes storage. though it's not magazine worthy yet... (or ever) it is my pride and joy. for the first time i can *see* and readily retrieve all of my clothing and accessories! for the first time ever i got ready quickly and arrived somewhere ON TIME! it's a miracle i tell ya!

here's what i have to thank for it:

TA- DAHHHH!

my "dressing room"

my vintage vanity with huge mirror provides quick and easy outfit critiques - now i can just hold things up and put together an outfit without having to run into the living room to check in the mirror there - this saves lots of time but doesn't burn as many calories running around like a chicken with my head cut off (that's such a gross saying) -it's a sacrifice i'll make!

*note - i'm not showing you the whole vanity because the mirror was super smudgy and gross and i didn't want you to see me in the reflection cause i was in my jammies*

yes, lois made the move and instead of sitting in the window of the guest room scaring off potential burglars -and my friends and neighbors- she is back to her rightful job of holding my necklaces (and sporting a new "blair waldorf inspired headband i just got at target!)

in this interesting nook by the vanity i keep my little deer collection.

i'm going to paint the inside a nice bright color - any suggestions? comment below!

the shoe closet which you saw in the previous post is seen in the bottom right corner of this pic

here is one of the compartments that i took the majority of the shelves out and instead installed a rod to hang my nicer shirts and vests (i have lots of vests for some reason!)

sweatshirts are stored on top

nice shirts hang

tees, tanks, sweaters, and cardigans are folded and stored in drawers below

in the compartment beside that are:

some bags (the kind you throw magazines in to go to the beach, or produce in at the market, or a blanket in for the park) and my "painting clothes"

skirts hang

yoga tops and bottoms, as well as jeans, pants and leggings

are folded and stored in drawers below

here is a view of those two compartments as well as the drawers i mentioned below them to give you a broader view and an idea of how the built-ins are... well, built.

there is a very small closet that is technically in the office side of the room

i can say "very small closet" now that i have an entire room dedicated to my clothes... but yes, this is the NORMAL sized closet that up until this point i lived with for years.

there i store my travelling bags, hang my dresses and put shoes that aren't pretty enough to go in the shoe closet (ie: tennis shoes, vans, and bummin' around oxfords)

in the two last compartments i kept the shelves in order to store my bags (purses).

i only photographed one side but you get the point....

oh, and in the basket on top are belts that don't hang well and in the drawers below are undies, bras, socks, tights and winter hats & scarves.

finally (whew!) we get to the rolling rack which divides the space and holds my jackets, blazers and hanging belts

i have stored my magazines (most of them anyway) in baskets under the rolling rack for easy reference. i should do a "tear book" so i don't have to keep all of the mags -just the pics i love- but i just love magazines as objects. i love flipping through them and seeing things in the context of the issue, of the month, and the year and time of year... not just isolated images.

i know i am completely spoiled here and i'm sure that once we start a family this whole thing will have to be re-done to make room for kids and their things but until then... i'm going to be selfish and indulge in having all of this space!

** tomorrow i'll show you how i've stored and organized my jewelry and makeup thus far (there's still more to do)

so STAY TUNED!**

ida wanna go outside

translation: "i don't want to go outside"

tropical storm ida is currently dumping rain all over my head.... hard, steady, cold, miserable rain ALL. DAY. LONG. and so i cancelled my afternoon classes and am staying home to paint. riiiiight after i browse the internet for an hour or so and make this post... i'll be productive today, it just may take me a while to get there.

i did however make it out to a "gratitude drum circle" at lunch time (yes, i'm a hippie freak who says that kind of thing like it's just totally normal because i think it is...) and it put me in a *much* improved mood... well, that and like i said just being a diva and canceling the rest of my day so i could come home and stay inside away from the horribleness raining down on me.

anyhow, i don't feel that my sad flat hair would do me any favors in an outfit post so i'll just give you a quick run down of my most recent purchases. i feel a bit bad about it but here's the honest truth: even after pledging my allegiance to the thrift and only shopping in second hand stores (for the most part) i still find that sometimes the mall calls my name. not just a store mind you, but THE MALL. so sunday, after leaving an outdoor art festival with the hubs, i casually asked if he'd like to stop at the mall for a bit - not long - just a bit. and he agreed saying "well, it closes in an hour so how much harm can you do?"

here's the harm i did:

JCREW

- one embellished tee

- two headbands
- four pair of socks
- one card holder thingy (some people call this a "magic wallet" but i think that's weird.)

FOREVER 21 (i know... i know... for shame!)

- a utility/rain jacket that has saved me today - i don't have a pic of it and can't find one on the site but it's kind of a cross between these two:

(shop it here)

(shop it here)

- these shoes are so much more amazing than the pic shows. so much. they look GREAT with black tights and are surprisingly comfortable. the way they lace up makes them really hug your foot securely and the platform makes them not so torturous. love!


in the end it took me all of 20mins to shop and i didn't spend that much. every item i bought at jcrew was on super sale and F21 is always easy on the wallet. i guess in the end i have to agree with martinisordiapergenies (my new favorite blogger who speaks my language) and admit that sometimes a good trip to the mall is all you need :)

petite me.

i think i'm tall. i'm not.

the proof is in the pudding folks... or in my case, the jeans. i found the perfect pair of j brand jeans on sale (but still expensive) at anthropologie a couple of weeks ago and tonight i went online to see if i could find more. i love these jeans so much that i want to buy enough pairs in enough sizes that i could possibly wear them for the rest of my life (even if i get fat and/or preggo). i don't care how much they cost.

as you can see from the image above these jeans are supposed to be cropped - almost capri style- on normal people... i did not know this until now. on me they hit right at the ankle, are the perfect length and i love them. guess the name "seven eighths" should've tipped me off huh?

i feel like a short fool.

eh, it'll do!

so it's no great outfit or photo or revelation, but here is a little pic to break up the endless babble about houses and weddings and stress. this sweater/poncho thing was a recent thrift find. i threw it on over a tank top and jeans for a cookout in the courtyard of our apartments and got two interesting comments that night: 

1. (from p) you look like a 70's kindergarten art teacher. (he meant this as a compliment.)
2. (from my too-honest friend, josh) i'm diggin your look tonight. your outfit is, like, groovy but you've got your hair pulled back like a mormon housewife... but it works. (i'm not sure if this was a compliment.)

i was tempted to belt it at first, but it looked super silly when i did. i was tired and ready for a beer and relaxation so i didn't work too hard at it... maybe next time i'll put in a little effort! 

i'll be back with more insanity soon - we should deliver our "post inspection addendum" to the sellers today....

all the sordid details... for your squealing pleasure

sunday was a great day. 

we slept in and then got up for brunch with ellie and brad at the pancake house. ate until i was full up to my sternum. then we all piled into the car and drove out to look at "the barn house"....a house shaped like a barn i was convinced would be crazy perfect. alas, it was not. not even the awesome jacuzzi on the back deck (for kitch factor) could not save this mess. sad.
then, we got lost driving into the ghetto to see an amazing but run-down spanish style house that is selling for only $12,000! now brad and ellie are laughing in the back seat because not only have i convinced everyone that driving into the ghetto to look at this house is a worthwhile pursuit (ok - there was not much to convincing e. i made the suggestion and she was like "YES!") but p and i were also in one of our infamous moods where we can get lost and aggrivated and say horrible things to one another like "i hate your face" all while smiling and not ever really being mad at one another... it's how we express our love..... ok, it's how i express my love and he is just easy going enough to know i don't mean any of it and to just sit back and play along.

brad claims to find this all very entertaining and we discussed the level of interest people would have in watching mine and p's relationship if it were a reality tv show. the consensus was that most people would find it horrifying and amusing... in other words, a huge success. 

then we drove brad and ellie home and continued driving all over god's green earth in search of houses for sale we would actually consider living in. no success. 

but on the way home we saw this awesome rainbow and that made everything feel a little better:

can you see it? behind the light poles?!

then we took the puppies out to the park for a little play time and vowed to go home and clean the apartment - it's an insane dog-hair disaster. disgusting. 

so, we came home and made an awesome frittata:

and drank red wine and began watching Hitch on tv instead. productive, huh?!

i did attempt to at least decide where i was finally going to hang the stack of thrift store artworks that have been leaning against the wall in the record room since we moved in...but i didn't get any further than that before i was sucked back into the movie and sucking down red wine (i didn't have to work monday cause it was labor day so why not?!)

then p gets up to go to the bathroom and comes back and insists we go on a walk. i grumble and refuse and say i am very content sitting and drinking and watching the rest of a movie we have seen a million times and actually own on dvd. he persists. i give in but continue to grumble as he tries to turn us down the street that runs along the low side of the park. it's now 10 o'clock at night and i'm semi-drunk and it's a dark and uneven sidewalk. i proceed to accuse him of not caring if i fall down.

he asks "where is that house where we first met at that party" and i just point and say "down there about 3 or 4 houses. can we go home now?" and he says "we don't have to walk down there but can we just keep walking a bit longer?" i huff, but agree. 

then he starts talking about when we first met (at a house party i wasn't even invited to and he stumbled into after his sister's wedding holding a bottle of wine in each hand and still wearing part of a tux... i think). i accuse him of being cheesy this time and proceed to tell him i have an aversion to all things cheesy so he better stop. besides, i don't like to look back or forward. i just want to enjoy our little walk - isn't that enough?.....

so then we are walking up to my old apartment where we had our first kiss. we had been friends for a few months and i wasn't sure we were actually going to survive being anything more than friends but i knew he really liked me and i like him and so as he was dropping me off one night i (apparently, i don't remember) said "are you sure you're ready for this?" and leaned over and kissed him..... and his foot slid off the brake and we rolled about 20 feet before we realized the car was moving! (here is where if i were as cheesy as he is i would say something along the lines of how it felt like the earth was moving but it was really just the car!)

so i reluctantly give into the cheese-factor and give him a little kiss and chide him for being a squishy romantic....

and all of a sudden he has this look on his face and he says "i just want to know if you are ready for this...." and he reaches for his pocket.

i totally think he's f*cking with me. i do! i begin saying "no! stop it!" but then i realize he is NOT kidding and HE'S PULLING A LITTLE BLACK BOX OUT OF HIS POCKET AND GETTING DOWN ON ONE KNEE! so i really start shreaking, "no! don't do this! are you serious?! oh, my god! really?!" get up! no! *instant tears flooding from my eyes out of nowhere*

and then it gets a little blurry cause he's saying all this sweet stuff and i realize it's not a joke. and so i feel so far away from him standing up that i begin kneeling too. i do know he asked me to marry him and i said yes. 

but then there are two guys walking out of the apartments behind p (i still don't know if i was super loud when i was yelling at p to stop and they thought i was being attacked or what!) and he suggests we cross the street. 

then we are standing there shaking and grinning like fools and i say "did that just happen for real? what do we do now?" and he says "yes" and "i don't know!" so i suggest that he actually gives me the ring (he still hadn't!) and we laugh and he produces the ring from the box and puts it on my finger and asks me if i like it.... but i can't even see it because it's 10:20pm and we are standing out on a dark sidewalk. so we walk under a street light and i get to see my ring for the first time and it's very pretty and he's very concerned that i won't like it because i had said previously that i didn't want a diamond. but he saw this one and thought it was perfect and wanted to get it for me... so it is. 

then we walk around for a few more minutes like we are stoned out of our minds - just asking one another over and over again if it is real. and did it just happen? we finally formulate enough clarity to decide to go home and get my phone so that i can call my best friend. i was the first person she told when she got engaged and i wanted to share likewise.... but long story short, p had wanted it to be a total surprise so even though she had gone with him to get the ring and knew it was coming sometime she didn't know it was that night and she and her husband had gone to a 10:00pm movie.... so i finally got to tell her at 12:30am! we called and woke up our mom's and then went to the store to get some champagne! we were still all stunned and out of it and i'm sure the lady at the grocery store thought we were out of our minds because my makeup was all runny and we just kept looking at each other and giggling. 

yesterday was a big day. we saw family and friends and shared the news. and now i'm sharing with my web-friends! i don't know yet what we will do for a wedding... since we are still looking to buy a house we have thrown around the idea of having a housewarming wedding. i picture it as a pot-luck casual wedding where people can bring food and drink and hang out and dance and party and have a good time. and if we do a registry i can be things we will need for the new house - and hopefully lots and lots of lowe's and home depot gift cards! 

but we'll see! i know i won't have anything traditional but i am not quite sure what we will decide on... or when. p has been nice enough to say he'll do whatever i want to do :)

wish us luck! i'll keep you posted!

i love my:

 Nathan water bottle. 

(the skyline one in the middle)

not only is it more environmentally friendly but it's more cost effective as well! i have been meaning to carry a water bottle for quite some time now - and i would be good about it for about a day or two - but it never stuck. well, that's because i didn't truly love my water bottle until now. most of the ones i've had in the past you have to screw/unscrew the top and it's a hassle. others, like the oggi one i'd been eyeing, have very small openings and are difficult to clean inside. and still some just weren't pretty enough to make me happy to see it and carry it around all day. 

the Nathan one is the best i've found. it's got a flip up straw for quick and easy drinking, it has a large opening so it's easy to clean, it came with 3 straws so if one gets icky i can just swap it out, it has a built in clip and finger loop for super portability, it's lightweight and keeps water cold, and it's pretty so i like looking at it and carrying it around. 

no more plastic bottles!