Is It Too Late to be a Ballerina Princess?

My heart stopped a little bit at 11:44 this morning. Why, you ask? Because that's the timestamp on the email I received from "Heaven on Earth" {some call it Anthropologie, but I digress} that they were coming out with a bridal line. Combining my love of all things Anthro {just a little nickname for my retail BFF. I came up with it on my own, naturally...} with my love of all things frilly.

Aaaah! I'm dying inside.

So, I went to the website on my lunch break & what did I see but a gorgeous flash site taunting me with quick snippets. Tease. I don't think I can wait until February 14th for the launch. Also, since I'm not engaged I need to find places where it will be appropriate to wear wedding dresses. I would need more than one, of course. Which is why, my friends, I ask you- is it too late to be a ballerina princess? I could wear feathers, lace, rhinestones, tutus, and gowns all day. Petticoats would be a regular part of my wardrobe. I'd slap on a tiara & maybe don a cute pink wig {a la ScarJo} and head out to check out Target's dollar bin. In my next life, I'd like to come back as The Ga's slightly less over-the-top, equally as famous cousin.

Thank you, Anthropologie's BHLDN. Let's get married... or at least snuggle.

This one isn't from Anthropologie, but doesn't it look like it should be?

I found this on my beloved Dujour website. Getting a digital subscription was probably the best money I ever spent. Only $9.99, are you kidding? This is the stuff dreams are made of, for real.

P.S. This blog is basically just a love letter to Anthropologie & Dujour. I know. I know.

Getting My Learn On

I didn't want to turn this into a blog about teaching, but since that's my profession, it would be difficult if the blog & teaching paths never crossed. Recently, I moved from second grade to fourth grade. It's a huge difference working with second graders as they start their year and working with fourth graders in the middle of the year. If you add the immensely sad circumstances that brought me there, it's a recipe for some strange times.

I am scrounging to find some things to make the space my own. I really like the look of a warm, colorful, welcoming classroom. I think that's why I like the little guys so much. All of the K-2 supplies {Carson-Dellosa, I love you} make you want to stay in the classroom all day. I apologize if I'm absent, but I can't concentrate on much more than the questions that are bouncing around in my brain about how the classroom should look, how I'm going to manage behaviors, and keeping up with the grading.

I'm sad that it's already the 25th and I haven't gotten to put much time into my 30 for 30. I am definitely still going to take the challenge, but it will probably take more than 30 days. Between the outside temperatures & the fact that my classroom is hot, hot, hot I might end up in a few t-shirts on the weekends that I'm in there working my educator magic.

Does anyone remember anything about 4th grade or know where to get some furniture on the cheap {or better yet... free}?

Fast Times at ... Well, They're Fast.

Times they are a-changing. Things are getting a little chaotic over here. I wish I had more time to share what's going on, but I'm really working on how to get a handle on my new job. Yikes. It's going to require lots of work. I'm sad to think I might not be able to update this little blog of mine each day. Maybe I'll have to cut down to every other day? :[ No me gusta.

I'll keep you informed & I promise to have a better post for you tomorrow. For now, I'm going to sweet, sweet dreamland with my heating blanket because it's -8 outside. See you on the other side.

Bake Bake Bake Senora

via Dujour Magazine

My favorite memories of my grandmother revolve around her in the kitchen. She made the best food {except one episode where she tried her hand at chinese chicken and the smell alone repulsed me.} I would come home after playing a rousing game of dodgeball and she would have these double chocolate chip cookies baked. Not just enough for us to eat. Oh no. That wasn't her. There would be something like 7 dozen of these cookies. Did I mention she had 8

children?

To this day, I can't find a whoopie pie that I like nearly as much as hers. No one I know has ever heard of a polka dot brownie made the way I know them. Spinach pita was the only way I would touch that freakish green vegetable. Lasagna... mmm... it's my favorite dish to this day. I have found a rival lasagna, in case you're wondering.

Every day I get emails with recipes for things that I think look like something my grandmother would have loved to make. Today's recipe was for homemade oreos. For reals? I MUST give them a try. My beloved cookbooks could use a break and it's 12 degrees over here, so my oven will warm the place up nicely. Usually I find great recipes from Martha Stewart {love love love her} or Dujour magazine {have you heard of it? It's girlish fun & full of DIYs and recipes.}

Do you have a favorite recipe?

via Baking Bites

via Cupcake Project

{P.S. I do more than bake, but baked goods are just so much fun! Have you ever used 2 of my favorite cupcake books?}

That's Fancy

I am the type of person who collects all sorts of things. I guess you could call this being a pack rat. I work hard to keep it at that level. I wouldn't want to star on an episode of Hoarders. Recently I went through my closet and got rid of over 100 articles of clothing, shoes, & belts. I've been clearing out old notes and notes from college courses. Living in a one bedroom apartment, there just isn't enough room for all my goodies.

I can't bring myself to get rid of any of my books though. I used to switch out books that I had read once and didn't see myself reading again. Paperbackswap came in handy for that. So many of my books have come from there & the local thrift store. In the past few years, I've stopped buying as many books for myself and I've been building up my classroom library.

When I was a kid, my favorite children's book was a book called Lucille by Arnold Lobel (you might know him from the Frog & Toad books). I fell as in love as a child could with this book about a horse who wanted to be a lady. Even as a grown up, my penchant for these types of books hasn't changed.

Some of my more recent favorites are Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, Olivia, Eloise, Angelina Ballerina, and Tea for Ruby. My nieces love them, too. My six-year-old niece devours every Fancy Nancy story that Jane O'Connor can pen. It took me a long time to write my name on them & add them to my bookshelf for everyone to borrow.

Now that I've got that off my chest, I want to let the world know about the new book I got for Christmas. Yes, it's a children's book. No, it will never have my name written in it or have the book jacket removed. It will sit safely on my coffee table where it will bring a smile to my face whenever I open it. You should get a copy yourself:

Birdie is a little girl who longs to be grown up (didn't we all?). She envisions all of the things she'll be able to do when she wears shoes just like her mother- stilettos, peep toes, and strappy sandals.

Sujean Rim's artwork is the main reason I wanted this book, the story was just an added bonus. If you get emails from Daily Candy, you've seen her illustrations. Even retailers like Target & Tiffany & Co have picked up on the irresistible cuteness.

For the little girl inside all of you- Get your girly self to a bookstore. You can thank me later. :]

30 for 30

I have been really interested in trying something I read about on one of my favorite blogs-

30 for 30. Basically, I choose 30 items (shirts, shoes, pants, skirts) to wear and I can only wear those 30 things for 30 days. The idea is to remix these pieces into different outfits.

Oh! I forgot to mention, no shopping for 30 days. Yikes.

I figure this is a good thing for me to try because I am one of those people who stares into my closet (no pics, it's an embarrassment right now) and think, "I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!" I'm also the type who will buy a skirt in anticipation of all the pieces I'm going to buy later to wear with it. I never do buy those things. I'm not even sure those things exist. Also, I am on a tight budget.

I even made a handy pie chart to show you how much I make in relation to others. Helpful, isn't it? :) I kid, I kid.

Admittedly, I'm nervous to commit to this. 30 articles of clothing (did I mention this includes shoes?!?!) isn't a lot at all. I live in New England. Who knows what the weather will be like in a week? I'm always cold. I can never tell what the temperature will be at the school. How fashionable can you be when you end up on the floor working with kiddos? What if I can't come up with creative outfits? More importantly, how can I commit to so few pairs of shoes? I should just suck it up and do it...

I will...

I think...

Yeah, I'm going to go for it.

Maybe.

Who knows, maybe it will even make it so I don't want to run out & buy these 3 things.

1. 2. 3.

It's a Sunday kind of Thursday

More snow for tomorrow... blech.

This post is going to be lackluster because I'm watching a show that is crazy good. CRAZY GOOD.

Apparently I'm Vince

Which Dexter Character Are You?

More on Dexter. Created by BuddyTV

Bah ha ha.

Just Whipping My Hair Back & Forth

Folks, let's talk hair, shall we?

Like most girls, I am always looking to get my hair cut or styled in a new way. I can’t help it. It’s so boring waiting for it to grow out and when it finally does, all I want is to cut it into a fabulous bob. My amazing hairstylist Michelle puts up with me bringing in pictures of redheads, girls with chocolate hair, caramel & platinum blondes, and we can’t forget Jessica Alba. For some reason, my hairstyle choices always go back to Jessica Alba… Most of these girls have thick, shiny, pin-straight hair. So, what’s the problem, Patti? Oh that’s simple. I was blessed {::cough cough:: yeah right} with fine, naturally wavy locks. Not in the good way where I wake up looking like Giselle either. No way. Usually I wake up looking more like a crazed lion.

<-- sexy

After lots of experience, I’ve determined the longest my hair can get without me hating it or it looking like a tangled mess is shoulder-length. I’m fine with this. I’ve accepted it. I’ve also decided blonde is too much upkeep. The most upkeep I want to deal with is getting regular trims & not wearing a ponytail.

This doesn’t stop me from pining away at luxurious curls and pixie cuts. Oh yeah, did I mention I’m super into pixie cuts? I could NEVER do it, but I like admiring the girls who rock it with style.

Jessica Stroup's hair makes me want to get out my Hello Kitty scissors and get started.

Since I know the limits of my hair, I tread cautiously. Careful not to do anything too crazy, while still appeasing my ever-changing mind. That said, I think I'm going to attempt blunt bangs again. I was on the fence until I saw this picture of Sarah Hyland from the Golden Globes.

Seriously, I die. My only concern is how it will look with my stacked bob. I don't want to look like an old woman, but looking like a 13-year-old isn't really an option either...

In case you're wondering, here are examples of me with bangs:

sNOw problem

There are few things in this world I like less than snow {ahem, Cameron Diaz}. The only good thing that comes along with it is that school is cancelled and I don't have to drive in it. Instead, I spend my day organizing, crafting, & watching whatever marathon is on TV. Today's marathon? The Rachel Zoe Project.

I have a few things to say:

1) I forgot what it's like to watch TV with commercials. As I type this, I'm watching ads for Passages of Malibu and Jenny Craig. I'm not missing much.

2) Watching this woman & her 2 cohorts search for dresses & baubles that are, "... so perfect for ______" makes me really yearn to make some of my own things.

3) I wish Martha Stewart would do a marathon.

I have some good things planned for the blog & I definitely want to get some photos on here. In the meantime, you can enjoy some images of the goodies that I plan to make in the near future. I think posting them on here will force me to get off my toosh and be more creative. What inspires you to be more creative?

Lacy Votive Candle holders via Martha Stewart

Felt Fortune Cookies via Martha Stewart

Ruffle Necklace this one was made by Disney at RufflesandStuff using a tutorial found here.

{or you can buy one from this fabulous etsy seller.}

Some Anthropologie-inspired necklaces.

1. 2. 3.

Why, Hello There...

My name is Patti and this is my blog. Now that that's out of the way we can really get started!

I've put off creating a blog for so long because I can rarely keep my attention on one thing. I had no idea which of my favorite things I wanted my blog to encompass. I'm also an avid blog reader and I was nervous (still am) that my blog wouldn't be as good as some of my favorites.

After lots of thought, I came up with the only possible solution to my dilemmas. Why limit this? If I love cupcakes, crafts, photography and fashion why shouldn't I write about all three? I'm not rocking a Nikon or a designer wardrobe, but I think I'll manage all right. If you want to join me on my journeys through my closet and to find the perfect {budget friendly} boyfriend watch, I say, "Welcome, Salut, Howdy."