Monday, August 31, 2009

We are Ikea-hackers

We put together two of the Ikea Lack TV solutions to make room for Pup's stereo components.

Lovely!

We are still doing the back and forth on his bachelor surround-sound. Yuck I say! :)

I LOVE loud, pounding music, but really hate the wires! We'll come up with something.

(Good grief, could that photo be any fuzzier or that TV any larger??)

Friday, August 28, 2009

Hot Men Friday

I am anxiously awaiting the new Ironman. He is lovely.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Now This is Love

Pup is the sweetest man ever. When we moved in together last November (after getting engaged and being together since 2005), we had a talk about decorating and where he was with my type of style which is god knows what.

Luckily, he's a typical guy and his sister had decorated his place after his divorce many years ago and, other than his white marshmallow leather couch, he had nothing much he was attached to.

He loved my couch, my decorating ideas, my rug choices, the rest of my furniture. He drew the line at the light fixture above. I found it at a 60s decor garage sale last summer and when I brought it home he declared it "gristle" and good naturedly refused putting it up.

We had some fixture I had found at Ikea, but I hated it.

Yesterday we had a hole in the ceiling (from the previous light fixture) repaired and he agreed to put up my light!

Lovely!

He admits it might grow on him. I love that man!

Monday, August 24, 2009

My One and Only

my tat

My new tat is one month old and it is lovely.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Thrifting is Solid Gold

A few of my finds from the past few thrift outings.





Good grief! I just noticed that everything here is the same color nearly. Hmm . . . I am truly stuck in a neutral state of mind. But just think of the accessorizing I can do.

Here are a couple of things I bought from Off 5th for nearly nothing! They were marked down significantly, then 80 percent off. Lovely!


The two at the end here are Matty M and will be perfect in Mexico next April. Whooo hoo!

And I'm hungry like the wolf!


Just noticed that the pics are big! That's the last time I pre-write my blog in Google Docs. Seemed like such a good idea!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Project Runway Inspiration

I sat for three hours Thursday night watching the Project Runway debut on Lifetime. The challenge was so fun to watch. The creativity is dumbfounding. How? You gotta love the brain. The endless variations of creativity really is inspiring.

How can we be more creative in our lives? There are places everywhere to do it. Our thinking, the way we express ourselves - be it verbally or in the written word, our houses, our car, our makeup, our hair, the way we dress, the way we accessorize, the way we cook, the way we set a table, the way we exercise. I have just scratched the surface.

Whenever I think I'm out of ideas (a big, huge, black thought of late) I need to push it in areas I don't think about generally. Inspiration comes from where we find it. Yikes I'm so deep. And so clichéd. How do you think clichés get started?? Ha!

Now get in that closet and get creative! Trends start with forward-thinking people like you.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Hot Men Friday

Well - he is a personal favorite. Scruff is lovely.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Beauty

Here is the beauty.

Here is the cheesy. I love this shot!

Hot Men Friday (on Thursday)

To celebrate the beginning of Mad Men.

Aaaaaah - Don

Love this woman!

Are those lips or what?

Random Thoughts of the Day


Received this in my inbox from DD Lorenzo. Made me laugh out loud!

~~~~~~~~~~

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

That's enough, Nickelback.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f*ck was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA. No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Realizing


I've been reading a wonderful blog the past month or so. Kevyn and Stacy's "the best life ever." I love their life philosophy so much. It really is simple to conceive, yet very hard (for me) to realize.

I've been thinking about it at the most random times lately. Be the change you want to see and all that yes? Last night just before I went to bed I read an outline of Stacy's last day before being induced with their baby. A simple list of what she and her hubby did. The best day ever! Friends, family, exercise, love, cooking, neatening. Inspirational.

It also made me remember that I have tried many times to welcome and value the small things in my day that give me joy. In fact I post with a few women and once started a thread that I called "list your happy." It eventually fell of from lack of participation. The forum is mostly grousing and complaining which is what people seem to do best. Why are we that way? So easy to be negative. Harder to be positive. Yet, as Stacy and Kevyn show, it's really very simple.

Here are a few things that make me happy.
  1. Pup, my new hubby.
  2. Bella and Lorenzo, my darling baby-girls.
  3. George, my cute dog.
  4. Calvin, my cute cat.
  5. Daisies.
  6. Morning coffee.
  7. Clearance racks.
  8. Thrifting.
I will work harder on realizing.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Went thrifting again today . . .


Oh the fun. This must be how a hunter feels. When I find something awesome it is a lovely rush kind of feeling.

Pup went to bed early after working like a slave on the patio all morning and most of the afternoon and bff is sleeping over. I'm now awake after falling asleep in the couch.

Me, DK, and Calvin are hanging out in my office.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Cannot WAIT!!

Hot Men Friday

Oh dear. This one is nearly embarrassing. He's hot in a cliched way yes? Hot nonetheless. Feweuuu!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

This Just Might Be a "No."

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Patio

The first bricks are laid. This is scary stuff.

Pup making sure his work is perfect. He is a sexy beast in his knee-pads.

Deck with furniture I scored from Craig's List for $225! Love it.

My deck daisies. See the little grasshopper?

George helping. He is the cutest dog in the world. Even with eye-boogers.

Julie & Julia


Here is a little postette I created the other day after seeing this movie. That movie is what started me on my real thinking.

BTW - I once created a brochure cover that looked EXACTLY like this. For the Navy. Do you think the Julie & Julia people saw it? ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pup and I went to see Julie & Julia yesterday afternoon after we returned from Rice Lake (fab time btw!!). Loved it!

Made me rethink my blog and recommit to it. I do fear I've been all over the place without a set plan or deadline or purpose or vision. Typical! :)

Here is what I do know:
  1. Design is everywhere.
  2. I have a baby-knack for it.
  3. It needs nurturing.
  4. I need to throw off the limits.
  5. I need to embrace inspiration.
  6. I miss cooking!

Can We Talk?

*sigh* I am amazingly unfocused. Not an entirely horrible thing. I haven't had a summer off since I was a student! I am reveling in it, yet am getting nothing done. This causes me a bit of guilt. Why is that?? Everyone is running around "getting things done." I just feel no compulsion!

Not entirely true I guess. Pup and I have been working on a patio - doing it ourselves!! - I am planning our party - I am dealing with identity theft (oh yes it can happen to you!). I got married, my oldest got married, I road-tripped with youngest, healed from knee surgery, got laid off from a job I had had for 11 years, had my dad and step-momma here for a month, dealt with said dad having mild heart attack the minute he got here. The list goes on and on when I list it out.

So! I have been thinking about where I am going and what I want to DO with this blog. Coming up with my plan, thinking thinking. I've been thinking for months! Ha!

If anyone is reading this I'm glad! If no one is I'm not surprised!

I even thought about blowing up the blog and starting over, but I don't want that. I want to see my mistakes. I'm growing.

Love anyone out there that is reading this. I am eating the energy and getting strong. Thanks!