fine by me

I have nothing to say except that I've spent the day dancing around my house & getting things done. I feel like I might be a superhero right now. A footloose & fancy-free superhero with an ipod & headphones in lieu of a cape. What's on your playlists right now? I discovered this song the other day & I've been listening to it ever since. The video is okay, too I suppose.

things that are loved

I am in an inspired mood these days. I've been trying my hand at art, jewelry-making, baking {of course} and even home repair. Nothing has been quite so annoying as my attempt at photoshop & I've decided to put that on the back burner until I begin to enjoy struggling to create my vision. I'm the type of person who wants instant gratification.

In the meantime, I've been using Kate Spade's gorgeous & feminine beauties to feed my creative needs.  I'm going to create my own book of things I love. It's like my inspiration books, but the 2.0 version. Back in September 2011, Things We Love was posted on the Kate Spade Blog and it's just an aesthetically pleasing & fun book. The hard copy is set to be released in January & you can pre-order it on amazon. I'll probably get my copy. In the meantime, you could stroll on over to the blog & give it a virtual viewing. Here are some of the things that the lovely people at Kate Spade love that I also love:

love the gold font

a touch of shimmer

But most of all:

{all images via Kate Spade}
In other news, do they make fat {a.k.a. Chisel Tip} sharpies in pink or any poster marker comparable to Sharpie? Help a girl out.

still growing up

Tell me I'm not the only grown woman one with a super girl crush on Taylor Swift. She's so stinking cute & I'm pretty addicted to everything on Speak Now. I'll probably lift my rule on not seeing big venue shows when she tours again. I'll be the one wearing a romper & bobby socks. Okay, maybe not THAT extreme, but I will be the one excitedly jumping around next to my third grade niece who will be mortified with my singing. At least she was when we netflixed {it's a verb} her concert...

week in review

Mondays are always crazy, aren't they? Enjoy a week in photos:

P.S. Eventually I will learn how to do rounded edges & cute collages a la picnick in photoshop. Tonight's endeavor just left me in a bad mood, so for now you get this mishmash. Does anyone have any good tutorials? Pleaseandthankyou.

love notes

It's been a little while since I posted my last set of love notes. Do you remember when I posted them here? Well, they're back.

Dear Frank Sinatra,
     I heart your music. I heart it a lot. Even though I've heard that you were quite a butthead in your day, I'm going to pretend that you were just a sweet crooner.
                                                                           Sincerely,
                                                                     I Think I've Flown Before

Dear Pedicures,
     I think you're pretty swell. I like a good calf massage & a pop of color on my tootsies as much as the next girl. Sometimes your water is a little too hot for me, but I suck it up in the name of beauty. Thanks for always making my toes smile.
                                                                           Sincerely,
                                                                       One Happy Camper

Dear Vogue,
     We've been spending time together now for quite a number of years. I like to think of us as good friends. I love what you offer me & I always treat you with the utmost care. That said, if I ever open to a full page ad with Cameron Diaz again we will have words.
                                                                        Signed,
                                                            You Know What You Did

Dear Waitresses,
     I'm not going to mince words on this one. I've had my fair share of horrendous service. Some of you are tremendous & delightful. Yesterday I was sent one of you who hooked me up with a kid's meal served in a cardboard boat. This was Uh-Mazin' in itself. When I asked for a fresh boat untainted by food, she did not dismiss my wishes. I find that to be swell.
                                                                        Love,
                                                              Forever a Kid at Heart

Dear Bath and Body Works,
     It's been a long time since we saw one another. You looked well. I think we shared a moment when the kid behind the counter hunted down a specific scent for me and I bought the world's greatest air freshener. As always, you don't disappoint. {Unlike your sister Victoria's Secret with a serious lack of maxi skirts & an overabundance of sweatpants}.
                                                                          Regards,
                                                                           Moi

Dear Jamiah on Fire and the Red Machine,
      I was fortunate enough to hear your Blues act recently & I must say I was impressed. At 11, 13, & 17 you made me wonder, "Is it too late to take up the recorder and become part of their act?" But in all seriousness, holy wow!
                                                                Sincerely,
                                                           Consider This Girl a New Fan

spaces & places

bright & airy. look at that island! love.

I wonder if I can DIY these shelves...

LOVES

what a sweet way to inspire young readers

yes, please.

tiny bedroom office

i will have a breakfast nook one day

In case there was any question, you can find all of these images via pinterest with their sources. Have I posted any of these before? I know that it's entirely possible, but I still just really love them. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I wanted to post to say happy birthday to my little sister, Terri.

You are a good mom, a tremendous friend, a talented artist, and a strong person. I hope this is a great year for you!

kids say the darndest things

Holy moly are children hilarious.

These two little girls are so stinking adorable. I just want to see the bad haircut. Also, why didn't I ever think to cut my sisters' hair? There were 3 of them! It would have been so easy...


Anyway, it's the Friday before the fourth of July and it's supposed to get hot, hot, hot this weekend. Hotter than half-naked Channing Tatum? It's possible. What are your Friday plans? I'll probably listen to some jazz & ride a horse. {RIDE A HORSE!}

thursday latelies

I don't know what I did yesterday but one minute I was cleaning and the next I was sneezing up a storm, itching my eyes, and howling. The only way to describe it was that I'm pretty sure I was feral OR having an allergic reaction to some unknown contaminant. Either way, my eyes ended up swelling and they're still not back to normal today.

That said, I wanted to link up with Bex for Thursday Latelies and do a vlog. Obviously that's not happening while my eyes look engorged less than awesome. Instead, I'll use photographs to show you what is pleasing me this week.

This skirt. This is the skirt that dreams are made of. First of all, it shines and we all know how much that pleases this girl. It's much shorter than what I would usually wear, but after trying it on and seeing that my hoo-hah wasn't showing I knew I needed it in my life.

These notebooks. Despite my announcement on Twitter that I am an office supplyaholic, when I saw the pink version of this notebook on the Glitter Guide {LOVE} instagram, I almost ran right out to buy some. It just so happens that I needed to go on a Target excursion and found myself in the stationery aisle face to face with my future.

via Google

The return of Pretty Little Liars. So this didn't happen this week, but I am so excited this show is back on the air and I kind of wish it was on every night. I make due with the first season on netflix instant but it just isn't enough. One thing I wish hadn't happened though? WHY YOU GOTTA CUT YOUR HAIR, TELEVISION FRIENDS?! Where is my inspiration for keeping long, wavy locks now, hmmmmm? 

via Google

Moonrise Kingdom. I think Wes Anderson is a genius. I am so smitten I can't even explain it. Can we talk about Suzy's eye makeup for a minute? Reminiscent of Margot Tenenbaum and absolutely AMAZING. Am I the only one who thought she had a dash of Vada Sultenfuss in her attitude? Sam's return for the binoculars? <3 I didn't even have to leave the state to see it!

Watercolor paint. I love painting in watercolor because mistakes make the piece look that much more magical. 

some pretties

Here are a few favorites things I'm digging right now... courtesy of pinterest, of course.

Favorite pretty glasses

Favorite short hairstyle & color that I might eventually get if I get sick of my long hair.

Favorite image of a cold adventure.

Favorite image of NYC that confirms I need to revisit & that I need to get myself a DSLR.

via

Favorite hide out

Favorite child I've never met

Favorite tiny tattoo. Except I'd get an anchor, not a heart. I also wouldn't put it on my shoulder.

Favorite pretty wedding moment. Now break out the sparklers!

In other news, I really want a bar cart as a side table for my living room. I have the perfect one in mind. Sadly it's $850. Craigslist, here I come!

happy list monday

Last week I strayed a bit from my traditional happy list to post some quotes that I'm liking on the pinterest circuit. Never fear, friends! I'm back with an all new set of happy things.

101// reconnecting with old friends

102// peacocks

103// good morning text messages

104//  falling asleep to the sound of heavy rain. You feel so well-rested in the morning!

105// word searches

Of course, if you missed the past happy lists, you can find them here.

You may also have noticed that my header is tiny now in comparison to the format of my blog. Blergh. I'm working on it... kind of...

awkward & awesome

awkward
- Hearing 10 & 11 year olds explain how to play Apples to Apples to one another.
- Getting hugs from kids after you've all been in a room all day that's about 90 degrees.
- Singing a song that is sugary pop REALLY loudly to yourself and turning around to see someone has been there THE WHOLE TIME!
- Being in a public bathroom & hearing someone in the stall next to you talking on the phone while doing her business


awesome
+ Scoring one of these babies for $10 {say whuuuuuuuuu?!?!}

+ Anna Karenina {my fav. book} is being made into a movie starring Keira Knightley {also a fav.}
+ The pools are finally open
+ Using portaportal to store my bookmarks so my computer {Amelie} will be faster.
+ Spending tomorrow afternoon with all of my coworkers & friends before a new journey.
+ George Clooney's voice. He sounds so dashing, doesn't he?

it's monday

It's Monday & I should be doing a happy list, but instead I'm overwhelmed with mountains of paperwork {could report cards be more terrible?!} and job applications {why am I sending a resume AND filling out the same info on an application?!}. In the job situation, one of four things could potentially happen:

a} I could end up working in a career field other than the one I want. This could mean getting an alternative certification in something education-related or it could mean I'm managing a Dunkin Donuts...

b} I could end up teaching middle school {I'm crying on the inside}because I'm certified K-8 with a dual major.

c} Sending applications & resumes all around could be all for naught if I get that little letter {this week?} that says, "Hey it's all good in the hood. See you in August."

or

d} I teach. In another state. Away from my babies.

You see my panic? So the point is, instead of a happy list you are going to get pin-rolled. That's where I flaunt a bunch of pinterested quotes that are currently bringing a smile to my face. You're welcome! :) {Psst! I probably should have used a cut. You're double welcome!}

{life is made of the little moments}

P.S. The new outlets opened less than 20 minutes away. Review to come. Perhaps with photos!