Today, I am

Hey all! Happy Monday.

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Today, I'm:

Grateful for: my lovely bridesmaids. For visiting me in South Bend, for organizing my bachelorette party (with basically no help from me, I'm hopeless!), and committing to traveling all over the country to share in these special moments with me. Ladies, you rock!

Proud of: myself - for getting started on 2 big projects last night! Spray painted my trash-find bistro set for the patio and recovered 2 of 4 seats on our trash-find dining room chairs. Yay for diy and my compliant fiance! Now on to the taxes and my grad school application . . .

Struggling with: committing to the dresses for those lovely bridesmaids! This shouldn't be so hard!! Oh, and keeping up with my ever-lengthening to do list. Sigh. Thank God I found out about gmail tasks.

Excited about: yogurt making! No, that's not some weird euphemism. Everyone in my department is making their own yogurt at home - and it's surprisingly easy! Of course, the results are great too - cheap, creamy yogurt! I'll post all the details one of these days for anyone who'd like to play along.

Loving: Vietnamese food! Matt and I went for Pho Friday night and holy moly!! What have we been waiting for? He had a bowl of the house special Pho (all the tripe you want, no added charge!) and I had a Vietnamese crepe (think a mix of a dhosa, a french crepe and a coconut - yum!). It was such a sweet place - the owner sent us home with a box full of thai basil.  'benders, check out Bowl of Pho.

Cooking: speaking of food, it's been fun trying new recipes that fit with our healthy eating plan, like sweet potato hashbrowns, buffalo chicken salad, and Thai turkey meatballs.

Glad for: so, so glad for the sunshine. I forget how much I need it and then begrudgingly realize each spring that life is not the same without it.

Hope you all have a fabulous week!!
xo,
E.

Should I Say It?

Happy Valentines Day! 

A bit early I know, but I thought I would share for one of two reasons:

1. You're so excited about tomorrow that getting a little early enthusiasm will just add to your pleasure.

2. You so hate Valentines day that one more blog post about the day could put you over the edge. So it's a good thing we're getting it out of the way early.

In all honesty, the day isn't a huge deal for me. Which I find really ironic, since - as a long suffering singleton all through middle school, high school, and college - I DREAMED about how awesome Valentine's Day would be with a beau. So now that I have one? Meh. I'm not overly impassioned by the day. 

But regardless, I do enjoy soaking up some of the romance that fills the air alongside the red and pink hear shaped confetti. 

Like this article, below. Did you see it already? If not, have a tissue handy.

from here

How about these great postsecret postcards?

So now, with that inspiration, what are you going to do for your valentine? Truth be told - we're celebrating tonight. We met on Friday 13th, so celebrating on the 13th is kind of habit back from the "OMG IT'S OUR 4 MONTH ANNIVERSARY!!!!" stage. But a nice card and gift tomorrow may be in the works. I like these graphic diy ideas, from for a song.

And, if even after all this inspiration, you still despise Valentine's day consider this - Vinegar Valentines.

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Popular in Victorian times, these nasty notes were sent to deter possible Valentines - by mocking them for unpleasant characteristics. Even worse? At that time, the recipient paid the 1 cent postage fee, not the sender. Pretty sour, huh?

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So what will you be this Valentine's day? Mushy or Mean? Either way - eat some chocolate!!

xo,

E.

The Itch

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This week I got the itch. 

No, not that kind of an itch.

An itch to clean and organize and re-habitable-ize my apartment.

Two weekends in a row of traveling to The Boy + general laziness had left my apartment in shell-shocked, bombed-out, war zone conditions. 

No more, my friends. With the brutal finality that only the most unpredictable and commanding need to clean can garner, I tossed things left and right - into the trash and the donate pile. Huzzah, I see the floor! And a million things I forgot I had that I still like - even better!

I'm sure there's a deep psychological reason why this urge to purge comes at certain moments. It must be something about the need for control when life gets chaotic, creating a peaceful place during stressful times, etc.etc.etc. 

Whatever it is, I'm glad. It has kept from a. hiring a maid or b. burning all my belongings - which is good because, let's be honest, I can't afford the fees or the jail time.

Have a fabulous weekend! I plan to enjoy gazing at my carpeting....

xo, E.

Pulling the Trigger

I think it really is true: You are what you read. Which worries me when I get into reading profiles of  serial killers... So yeah, I've been reading all these interior design blogs (like Design Manifest, Young House Love and Little Green Notebook) and now I'm constantly looking at old shitty furniture and saying things like "but, look at those bones" and "can't you just see that with a wash of color?" My parents are not happy with all the flotsam I've dragged into their garage. 

But it has such potential!!

Today I came across this lovely pillow on One Kings Lane, another darling of the blogosphere:

I loves it much. It's even reversible:

I'm always afraid to pull the trigger on household purchases. I always think I might find something better and cheaper the next place I look - uhm, I mean at Goodwill. At almost $40 bucks, this pillow ain't cheap. But yesterday my mom said, "You know, you shop at Goodwill a lot. Maybe it's ok to spend sometimes..." And she's right.

So, question of the day, what combination of pillows makes my couch into the living embodiment of the word "Delicious"?

This group is all from the One Kings Lane collection and are obviously made for each other. Nice, but very "decorated."

So I swapped in some trellis pillows from Amazon. The teal is a nice tie in with the painting, if I do say so myself.

That leopard print from Pier One? Fah-bulous, darling. The navy prints from Amazon are nice too. 

Ok, we're really getting somewhere here. I love the grey chevron and the polka dots (all from Amazon) are so cheery!

Ooh, and this is a close tie. Love the navy stripes (from Amazon) - they have some nice beading on the stripes as well. It's a lot more white, though, and white things tend to get dirty in my house. Yep, I admit it. Still love that leopard though.

So what do you think? I leaning toward numbers 4 or 5. I need some group reassurance before I go ahead and pull the trigger on these purchases. What's your vote?

Pillow sources: One Kings Lane, Amazon (trellis, chevron, navy print 1, navy print 2, stripes), Pier One.

Terrariums! Terrariums!

Oh my goodness, you guys: We did it. We DIY'd as a couple, and didn't kill each other. Actually, it was pretty cute. Sexy, too. 

Nah, not really sexy. But cute, yes.

Saturday was the perfect day for Terrarium making. I was so excited, I made a little song that went something like this: "TerrarIUM TerrARium ...God shed his grace on thee..."  The Boy really liked that.

First up, we hit Pinterest and researched our way through the collections of adorable "easy to make" terrarium tutorials for "inspiration." This is a good one. 

We'd been collecting vessels from Goodwill, but The Boy wasn't happy with those offering so we headed to infamous HomeGoods where the variety of reasonably-priced glass goods perfect for terrarium-making was epic. We selected two and rushed over to Lowe's. There, we consulted the experts on what plants to use. Basically, open terrariums (without a lid) are good habitats for drought-resistant plants, like succulents and cacti. For closed-top terrariums, stick with ferns and leafy plants that like moisture. We had one open hurricane vase and three closed jars so we chose a variety of wet and dry plants. 

Here's the materials you'll need:

-Glass vessels (you can use vases, mason jars, bowls, anything really)

-Plants

-Large and small stones

-Potting soil

-Dried moss

-A spoon, wire hanger, or other implements to help you dig/arrange

Then from there, it's pretty easy. 

Wait, let me restate that. The steps are easy, but doing them is not so easy. We fought with our little plants, trying to get them to look perfect. And we cursed the hipster bloggers that made it look so easy. But a little patience and work paid off spectacularly - and it was fun getting our hands dirty!

-Line the bottom of your vessel with large or small sized rocks. This provides drainage. Be generous - it helps the plant stay health and the rocks look nice from the outside. The Boy was very gentle with this step...look how tenderly he cradles his jar!

Layer on plenty of potting soil. The hipsters will tell you to use special charcoal soil, but the guy at Lowe's said that's just hogwash. 

Remember, you need enough soil to cover the root balls of your plants. 

Didn't know they had balls, did you? Learn something every day.

Start planting your babies! I used a spoon to be civilized but ended up mostly needing all five fingers in the dirt to get a good result. 

I played around with the arrangement, trying to get the perfect little zen garden...

After much digging, giggling, and plant mothering (come on baby, stand up cute for mama, you can do it, there you go!) we had success! Terrariums are go go go!!

Number 1: Desert terrarium (so great I almost wrote dessert!)

In fact, maybe I will call it Dessert - look how adorable that little cupcake of a cactus is! It's surrounded by some other friendly succulents and a few baby rocks. It's going to live on my coffee table and make me oh so happy!

Numbers 2 and 3: 

The Boy's didn't photograph so well, but it's really, really pretty. Look at those great layers of rock, soil, and moss. He's got a couple different leafy plants in there - a reddish-purple one and some variegated green ones.

My second was just a left over bit of the green leafy plant with some moss. So super easy!

Number 4: I made one little baby one with all the leftovers - some moss and a few sprigs of a succulent. Doesn't your voice just go up a few octaves when you look at it??

It's a wittle baby!

So there you go! This was a really fun project and both The Boy and I were equally pleased with the process and the results. He's taking his to the office, and I have one in the living room, one in the bedroom, and I think the baby's coming with me to work. In case you know me personally, you can expect to receive one of these babies for future gift giving occasions. They're easy to personalize and just so cool.

Have you made any terrariums? Braved DIYing as a couple? Discus!!

DIY Dream

This weekend, I experienced every girl's dream. My boyfriend, looking at my Pinterest DIY board, said AND I QUOTE "That looks fun. We should do that!"

Yes, my boyfriend wants to DIY with me. It's a big step and a huge commitment and I'm not sure he know just what he's getting himself into. And like any good girlfriend, I'm perfectly prepared to take advantage of that!

So, without running any of this by him - sorry, baby!- here is my list of most pressing DIY projects:

1. Terrarium

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The Boy is all about this mini-gardening project, and I am right on board as well. It looks fairly cat-proof as well as idiot human proof, which is the perfect combination for any greenery in my home. We're in the process of collecting cool vessels - no way are we shelling out for the glass guy above, though a leaded glass project may be in our future - and I think this is the weekend we actually head to Lowe's for the rest of the supplies. We'll have to wear our fitted plaid shirts and skinny jeans to fit in with the rest of the terrarium-making hipsters out there, but it'll be worth it.

2. Bench

tutorial here

I've been scouring Craigslist and Shopgoodwill.com for cute benches and have turned up nada! I want one for my entryway and one for the foot of the bed. Good areas to put on shoes, drop purses, and likely catch all the mess and debris that usually just goes straight to the floor. Off the floor is progress, y'all. This tutorial shows just how easy it could/should be to transform an old coffee table into a sweet little bench. The Boy prefers the version below which utilizes two old chairs and considerably more power tools. Go figure.

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3. Book frames

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I always need more book storage, and these little boxes topped with antique frames are so neat. This feels like something that, after scrounging Goodwill for frames and hitting the Lowe's for boxes, could take just a few hours on a lazy Saturday. I know that's the great myth of DIY, I know it. But it seems so true.

4. Rock Collection Display

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Gah, I've been drooling over this project for weeks now. As I child, I was an avid collector of rocks and fossils - my parents' basement is overflowing with my treasures that they CAN NOT THROW AWAY EVER! How easy to just mount some of the more beautiful pieces in cheap shadow-boxes with mats? Hang up in a grid, done and done.

5. Organization Station

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If all else fails, here a project we can check of the list in seconds. Step One: Raid office's supply closet for binder clips. Step Two: Attach to home desk/side table. Step Three: Insert charging devices and feel like such a brilliant man/woman.

Honestly, I'm so excited to think that we might just become that couple that DIY's stuff together -- look out Sherry and John, we're the sheriffs in town! In all seriousness, I'm extremely lucky to have a guy that likes to do stuff I like to do - and that we love to do things together. Aw, shucks!

Hold me accountable folks - if I haven't posted about something constructive we've down, I suggest you TP this page. I'm sure there's a way to do that online.


Update: Speaking of cute couples, my friend Dana and her husband, Zach, just launched their own adorable blog chronicling their goals for the last years of their 20s. Check it out here!

Dumpster Dive

In our family, the highest form of success is finding an awesomely great piece of trash. That's right, legends are told throughout the generations about finding that amazing oriental rug, or snow blower, or coffee table on the side of the road or in a dumpster. There's a karmic, momentous feeling of finding something mere seconds before it's drop into the jaws of death. 

 Remember the Brave Little Toaster? Haunting here.

I've had my fair share of tales to add to the family lore. But my most recent success is my coffee table. In fact, it wasn't actually a coffee table when I found it. It was just a weird, metal base with no top. But I saw potential.

In my mind, Pinterest images of pallet furniture rushed forward, demanding attention:

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If you're not familiar with the pallet-hacking trend, you are seriously behind on you pinning. Pallets (some people call them skiffs) are available anywhere people use a forklift - including the school where I work! It always pays to be friends with the facilities guys, and before I knew it, I had two of my very own pallets to play with.  Strip the boards, add to the top of the base (ok, ok, I recruited Dad and The Boy to do this) and Ta-dah! I lurve it.

It's great. It makes my life of eating dinner on the coach in front of the tv sooo much more refined. And I designed it! I think that puts me up there with the cool kids in the bloggin' neighborhood, right?

xo,
E.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

DIY materials, via Pinterest.

First off, I'd like to welcome any new readers! I've had some lovely shout-outs lately, so thanks for checking out the blog!

Secondly, if you are a member of my immediate family, my boyfriend or my boyfriend's family,

 please stop reading!

You'll ruin all the fun.

Ok, we'll proceed. Some of you may, like me, be a teensy bit behind on Christmas gifts. Some of you, like me, may be stuck in the office and unable (or unwilling) to make it to the mall.

Solution: These gift ideas are DIY, and all you really need are office supplies.

Genius? Thanks, I thought so too.

1. For Grandma:

Need: calendar, markers, printer



Via Pinterest



We always struggle to find presents for my grandparents. At that age, they really don't want that much extra stuff, that, to be honest, they're just going wonder "now who should I leave this too?" This year, my Dad said "All Grandma really wants is visits from her grandchildren." Cue the guilt attack.

So here's what you do. Take your standard office calendar-preferably for the correct year - and personalize it with all the days you plan to make the pilgrimage to Grandma's house. Mark them on your calendar too - the visits are an essential part of the gift.  I used one of the laminated, pocket kinds, circled a few days every month, and added some fun doodles, holiday reminders and notes. Then I added text to the cover:

front "Emily's Coming to Visit...."

back "So Put on Some Pants!"

Always a good reminder.

2. For the Parents (or anyone hard to buy for):

Need: Publisher or word processor, images from google, printer

From here, via Pinterest.

Gift certificates are kind of tacky and impersonal. But not if you make your own! Remember when I talked about gifts of experiences? A great way to present them is by making a cute little greeting card announcing your gift, sharing the relevant details, and opening yourself up to praise and gratitude.

So, say you were giving someone something like a segway tour of San Francisco (for example.) You might make a card like this:

Front: This Christmas, roll into San Francisco in style...

Inside: Unitard NOT Included

Enjoy two hours of Segway Touring in San Francisco!

xo, E.

They don't have to be extremely witty (as soon above) but a little chuckle is a nice addition, if you can manage it. Add some google images (this one's from here) and you're good to go! Publisher has great templates that print out all on one side (no fighting with the printer and flipping pages) and you just fold them up and you are set.

3. For your sweetie:

Need: notebook, word processor, printer.

The Boy wants practical things = boring gifts like socks and jeans. So I'm trying to spice things up (and stay within our enforced budget limitations) by making a notebook full of a year's worth of fun things to do. I've got a section for restaurants we need to visit, day trips, date night ideas, and attractions. I've been using Yelp.com mainly, plus recommendations from friends and things we've always wanted to do but haven't gotten around to. Slap some tabs on the different sections, add a cute intro and you're done. No more thumb-twiddling Saturday nights in 2012!

(PS this idea was inspired by a blog I read, but I don't remember which one. Check the ABOUT ME tab to see my list of favorites. It's one of those.)

Hope this helps with some last minute ideas!

 Oh, and BTW, like, don't steal office supplies from your employers and stuff.

That's just wrong.

All Around the World

So hot right now, from here via Pinterest.

I have a serious thing for maps and globes. I don't really care about their utility-factor, except for the rare times I need to remember exactly where Burundi is. Mostly I like the idea of just looking at their lovely colors, reminiscing about favorite countries and pondering just how much the world has changed since the USSR, Rhodesia and Yugoslavia existed.

Though sometimes I want to put on a blindfold and throw a dart at them, just to choose my next trip destination...

Anyways, maps and globs are having a big moment in the design world right now. This I know not because I am any kind of mover or shaker in that world, but simply because I have a lot of free time and spend that time reading design-y blogs which inject useless words like mid-century regency, greige, and bananas (as an exclamation) into my vernacular.

Artsy-cool, from here via Pinterest.

Love the wallpaper/map combo, from here via Pinterest.

My ab-fab, from here, reposted everywhere.

All of these interiors make me desperate to embark on a map/globe hunt throughout every nearby flea market and thrift store (and maybe some unsuspecting people's attics.)

And if I happen to find a not-so-truly vintage map or less-than-perfect globe, I may consider it for one of these reincarnations.

DIY globe clock, from here.

Use the other half to make a globe bowl, from here.

Emily Henderson's family of globe-men for the holidays.

British artist TerrorDome makes these sweet, customizable collages of couples - cut out of maps of their childhood homes. awwwwww.....



psimadethis.com created this neat map-tray tutorial.



What do you think? Eager to add some maps or globes to your home? Where should I go to find my own ... I wantsssss it!