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.

reed books

I shopped in my favorite used book store and den of vintage treasures today, reed books, and got some super fun treats:

VINTAGE PATTERNS

*it's hard to see but this one is my favorite cause it's a wacky romper one piece that you put on the shorts and then pull the top through your legs from the back to the front and wrap it around your neck like a halter - see the small pic on the bottom left*

THIS AMAZING OLD ADVERTISEMENT

sorry the pics are all turned around funny - taking pics with my iphone and then posting them from the blogger app always causes trouble!

(click to enlarge so you can read - sideways, unfortunately - how to put on weight quickly with ease!!! i suggest donuts but whatever!)

VINTAGE LIFE MAGAZINES

can't wait to scan in images from these to share with you all!

here's one sneak peek:

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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 :)

delivery day!

to my delight there was a package awaiting me when I got home today. and what was in said package?... three lovely dresses from beth/the vintage society!!! I bought them from her etsy store late last week and they got here super fast... and she included helpful styling tips and a nice note- love her!
I know, I know.... outfit posts in the dresses soon! for now I'm off to sew ;)

THANKS BETH!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sometimes you lose...

So today i went thrifting for the fun of it - not for the wedding... which was a relief! Lo and behold i came across this awesome shiny red gumball machine just as they were putting it out and i snatched it up - for only $5! I was feeling so spiffy and went straight to target to buy a bunch of gumballs. After spending $15 on the candy i brought it home and filled it up to give it a go. NO GO. it steals my money and gives me no gumball in exchange.... boo.

my new defective, money thievin' gumball machine

at least it looks super cool.

PS- that's how many $15 buys you at target - not much.

 

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....

freaking out, part one (of a million more to come)

so the madness has begun and i've started looking at other dresses and now my head is all turned around because there are a million different ways to go... country, mod, boho, hippie, classic, ethereal... who knows?! 

the real kicker is that the dress i want most at this moment is this one from fleur wood: 

and it's sold out. 

so this morning i bought this dress from etsy (click to enlarge):

now if only i were a tall gorgeous dark skinned woman with an amazing fro....

 i really wanted this one from shripton couture because it's daisy-like but dressier... but, wouldn't ya know it, it too is sold out:

(this one has amazing details so if you have time click the link to see the other pics of it)

i am thinking that i could do a bit more of a yellow color scheme and that the daisy dress can be both country AND mod if done right.... i'm thinking of super cute pics on my vespa and standing outside a barn...  and if i don't wear it for the big day i know i'll wear it sometime cause it's just so damn cute! TOTALLY DIFFERENT from the first i know, but that's because i can be any kind of gal on any given day so i like all of these styles. how will i ever choose?!

i've been obessed with a mountain bride and snipet and ink these days. amazing sources of inspiration! it's like amazing stylish women did all the legwork for me and found all the best stuff on the internet :)

in good news:

last night p and i went to his mom's to begin making our invite list and it is not as bad as i originally thought. it looks like maybe we can invite everyone we really wanted to without going coo-coo-crazy. she was great about everything. 

AND.... 

one of my clients has a farm about an hour and a half south of us that she has offered for us to use for free for the big day!!!! AND... it has a chapel built in 1890 on the property!!!! we are going to drive down there to check it out this saturday so cross your fingers that it is just what we are looking for so we can get the locale nailed down. once we do, it will then determine a lot more about the # of invites, the theme/feel of the day and even the food and decorating decisions. oh gee, i hope it's what i'm imagining... or at least workable! 

and lastly, i have gone berzerk at the thrift.

this is just the very tip of a very large iceberg.

i stocked up on jars a plenty to make lanterns out of.

and glass canisters to serve vintage style candies in.

and an old school desk so i can totally rip off this idea:

and vintage sheets to use as the backdrops for photos or for tablecloths!

my sweet ellie was kind enough to soak all of the jars, peel off all the thrift store stickers, AND wash them all by hand!

she is a gift from the heavens i tell ya! :) THANKS E! YOU RULE BY MAKING MY LIFE SO MUCH EASIER!

begin at the beginning...

so, i have NO IDEA how i'm going to plan a wedding... or a party... or whatever it is that p and i decide to do but i do know that i have to start somewhere! i think a lovely place to start is in narrowing down things i *think* i want to be a part of this moment in our lives and things i know i do not.
sorry to be a negative nancy, but the truth is that the things i don't want are a lot easier for me to rattle off than the things i do - or think i do for right now anyway. 

i know i don't want to spend a lot of money... period. 

that pretty much acts as the guideline by which all other things much follow: renting an expensive place - no. buying an expensive gown - no. paying a ton for flowers or food - no. paying to transport people to a distant location -no. 

i think most of what i do want is achievable with some ingenuity and lots of hands on DIY time (which lucky for me is something i have and i love) and the things that are not are things i think are worth splurging on: the fun stuff! 

if i'm going to be honest (and i am to a fault sometimes) i would predict the things i will be most willing to dish the cash on will be:

1. photographs and.... dare i say it?...
2. hair. 
   

the first makes sense when you know that i graduated with a BFA in photography from the Art Institute of Chicago and i worked for a great wedding photographer even before that. in fact, it kills me that i can't shoot my own wedding because, like most things, i am 100% sure i could do it to my liking far better than anyone else. i'm super picky about this. 

the second makes sense when you know me. and my hair. and our torrid love affair that borders on masochism. i have colored my hair practically every conceivable color and had it a ba-zillion different styles and i'm not done yet. my latest vision is very long, very boho, and very very much what i do not currently have and will not have before expected wedding time. 

i'm just gonna take a deep breath and type this (to no one's surprise i'm sure).... i'm seriously considering splurging on expensive professional extensions for the big day. it's totally silly, i know. but so am i. this is what i'm thinking:

(click to enlarge any of the above - photos taken from bohememusings.blogspot.com - thanks isabell! you are beautiful!)

unfortunately for me, my hair is only chin length at the very longest strand right now and we probably won't wait a year to "make it official" so there's no way it's going to grow as long as i'd like it in time. bummer. but my worry is that if i splurge on extensions and i don't like them or they don't feel like "me" then i will forever regret getting them for such an important occasion. (but, again, if i'm really honest, i will bet big money that if i were to get them my someday kids would look back on the pictures from that day and tell stories about how their crazy mom was always doing something wacky with her hair and it would totally become part of my life story... just sayin.)

at any rate, here is a daydream list of things i would love to incorporate into the big day:

mid-summer's night circus:

mosquito tents w/ blankets & pillows on "floor"

orange & white stripped tent

lanterns EVERYWHERE

bowls of fruit for centerpieces (cherries, green apples)

lemonade (spiked?) - koolaid

blueberry pie instead of cake

barefoot

circus flags of old linens

fireflies

pinata

magician/clown/balloon animals/caricature artist

wood cut out of bride & groom for photos

pony rides

popcorn stand

bottled cokes

beer in tin tubs

everyone bring a flower to comprise bouquet

picnic style ceremony

COLORS: orange, limon, yellow, aqua, kelly green,fuschia

hammocks

lawn games: badminton, croquet, frisbee

DIY photo booth

sparklers!!!

clearly, you can tell i'm thinking warm weather and outside as two main factors! p took the thought right out of my brain when he said something about a housewarming/wedding/celebration. i would love it if we bought a house with a backyard that would accommodate this idea... we are still looking!

so, with the starting points of not spending a lot of money, kind of going for something a little on the hippie side and definitely casual side, and tentatively planning for something outdoors in warm weather (which here in the deep south can sometimes mean as late as october or even- believe it or not- november) i bought this dress for $80 today:

please keep in mind this is a shoddy pic taken with my phone 

and i just came from teaching a yoga class so i have on a sports bra under this and no real makeup on. 

i like it because it is flowy without overwhelming my petite stature. it's comfy as all get out. it's not white but can be seen as falling into the typical wedding dress color scheme. and it's long but not so long that i couldn't wear it barefoot or with flats seeing as how i'll likely be standing in grass! don't you think it would look perfect with a wildflower bouquet on a warm summer(ish) afternoon?! i think it pretty much meets all of my requirements... and if i change my mind in a month and want to go with something fancier or in a different vein then i still love this one and can get lots of wear out of it. plus, it would feel good to have a real starting point to plan everything else around and it would feel *amazing* to have such a big piece of the puzzle already figured out... and for so little money :)

now here's my next question: do i show p?! or keep it a secret?!

Hey good lookin' -Whatcha got cookin'?

I may not have saved money up front by buying this book at TJMaxx last night:

($6 is still a great deal tho!)

but I am hoping that by making some tasty muffins I can have a healthy breakfast to-go in the mornings and I won't be tempted to pull through starbucks and get that awesome sugary low-fat cinnamon swirl coffee cake... Which I'm sure is only low fat when compared to the mcdonalds hashbrowns I kinds sorts wish I was eating....
I am not a cook. I am not a baker. I am not a candlestick maker. But I have tried my hand at all of these things and maybe this time I will actually make something edible in the kitchen.

The first batch are shredded veggie muffins made with whole wheat flour and included in the "healthy" section of the book.

The second batch are Brie & cranberry muffins listed in the "savory" section of the book.

I'll let you know how they taste!

-posted with help from my robot

rich like them

part of the new frugality means revisiting what i guess was the old frugality... i've always loved going to the library and i love it even more now that i get to celebrate it as a money saving venture and pat myself on the back for it... i'm always happy for another reason to tell myself "good job"! i've been revisiting the movie section of the library and checking out movies for free instead of renting them AND i signed up for email reminders so that i won't forget when they are due back and accumulate those (unusually) hefty fees. 

recent rentals:

a good funny time waster as always

my first time watching it. robert redford made me swoon despite 

his passionless, stand-for-nothing character.

don't bother. i feel asleep. 

haven't watched it yet... p and i have almost broken down and purchased this one on apple tv seeing as how it's not for rent but then i found it in the library - yay! probably watch this weekend. 

and today i came across this book:

it's called Rich Like Them: My Door-To-Door Search for the Secrets of Wealth In America's Richest Neighborhoods by Ryan D'Agnostino

i almost laughed out loud when i saw it because i cannot tell you how many times p and i have driven round the rich neighborhoods that sit just over the hill and joked about knocking on one of the mansions' doors and asking "so, how did you get this rich?".... and i have a feeling this book is going to tell me that most of those people would respond by somehow saying that they too had a crazy idea like that one and just DID IT and got rich... like i'm sure this ryan guy did. i bet if we had actually knocked on those doors and asked those questions we could be collecting old ryan's checks! 

another thing i find funny is that i work in some of these mansions and i know for sure that when ryan went and knocked on the doors the homeowners did not answer - their housekeepers did. And i also know that one of my more.... let's say "interesting"... clients once called the cops on a strange person knocking on their door! turns out it was a girl scout!

kiddding! 

but just barely....

at any rate, i'll be reporting back next week on how we can all be tremendously wealthy and live in mansions - stay tuned!

oh, and i did splurge a bit on some online retail therapy at american apparel yesterday but i am still coming in under the clothing budget i set for myself. i got these things:

striped dress with pockets

grey athletic shirt

basic black mini

three good basics, i think.... AND i got free shipping and 15% off for signing up for the email newsletter. not so bad!