DIY flower necklace
DIY chunky vintage bracelet
Origami bows
Make-ahead, healthy egg mcmuffin copycats
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
a list of things
1. We had another uneventful weekend, hanging around the apartment with the exception of Ross's grandmother's birthday party. We go crazy on the weekends, obviously.
2. I HATE GOING TO THE DENTIST. Finally had an appointment today, and let's just say I walked out with a long list of crap-that's-wrong-with-my-teeth and thoughts of "maybe I should sell my car to pay for all of this." Oh happy day!!!
3. On chapter 7 of Mockingjay - love it so far! I now have a library card, so I'm hoping to find some good (and free) post-Hunger Games reads for my Nook. And yes, I'm still reading Wuthering Heights (it kind of got shelved after I started HG).
4. Declared this week to be "healthy eating/cooking week." So far, so good. I've made two meals this week that I found via pinterest, and they both turned out great! Bubble Up Enchiladas and Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers if you're interested.
5. Some thoughts on grocery shopping:
• I could not find anything on my list at Earth Fare. I thought I'd do my entire shopping trip there...either I am severely challenged when it comes to navigating that store, or they sell nothing I need. I only plan on going back for meat & produce, but honestly, who wants to go to two grocery stores??
• I'm done with making grocery lists on my iphone. Somehow, I accidentally check off items without realizing it, and then when I get home I end up in that "I'm so pissed off HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT" kind of mood. so I'm sticking with a paper and pen from now on.
6. (Healthy continued) I downloaded the "My Fitness Pal" app and it's helping in the calorie-counting arena. Eating less calories is important if you are trying to lose weight, but I wonder how much it's actually helping me. I'm an instant-results kind of person, obviously, since I'm asking that question after two days of cutting calories. Back to the app - I'm pretty impressed with how easy it is to find items. Tonight, I easily found the calorie information specifically for the tuna burgers from the exact blog where I got the recipe. Exciting, right?
7. There are two shows I am really liking right now: The Ricky Gervais Show on HBO, and Workaholics.
Current fave song:
Happy May, y'all!
2. I HATE GOING TO THE DENTIST. Finally had an appointment today, and let's just say I walked out with a long list of crap-that's-wrong-with-my-teeth and thoughts of "maybe I should sell my car to pay for all of this." Oh happy day!!!
3. On chapter 7 of Mockingjay - love it so far! I now have a library card, so I'm hoping to find some good (and free) post-Hunger Games reads for my Nook. And yes, I'm still reading Wuthering Heights (it kind of got shelved after I started HG).
4. Declared this week to be "healthy eating/cooking week." So far, so good. I've made two meals this week that I found via pinterest, and they both turned out great! Bubble Up Enchiladas and Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers if you're interested.
5. Some thoughts on grocery shopping:
• I could not find anything on my list at Earth Fare. I thought I'd do my entire shopping trip there...either I am severely challenged when it comes to navigating that store, or they sell nothing I need. I only plan on going back for meat & produce, but honestly, who wants to go to two grocery stores??
• I'm done with making grocery lists on my iphone. Somehow, I accidentally check off items without realizing it, and then when I get home I end up in that "I'm so pissed off HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT" kind of mood. so I'm sticking with a paper and pen from now on.
6. (Healthy continued) I downloaded the "My Fitness Pal" app and it's helping in the calorie-counting arena. Eating less calories is important if you are trying to lose weight, but I wonder how much it's actually helping me. I'm an instant-results kind of person, obviously, since I'm asking that question after two days of cutting calories. Back to the app - I'm pretty impressed with how easy it is to find items. Tonight, I easily found the calorie information specifically for the tuna burgers from the exact blog where I got the recipe. Exciting, right?
7. There are two shows I am really liking right now: The Ricky Gervais Show on HBO, and Workaholics.
Current fave song:
Happy May, y'all!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Updates and my birthday!
Well, it's been over a month...and I wish I could say that was because I've been super busy doing all kinds of exciting things, but it's not. I've been working. Spring is our busiest time of the year, and it is not fun. But I'm surviving.
That doesn't mean I don't have a few exciting things to share, though. I'm 27 as of Monday, and we celebrated my husband's birthday in March! The only significance 27 really has is that it's three years away from 30.
As always, I decided it was best for me to buy my own gift from my husband rather than him getting me anything...aka taking a birthday shopping trip! It was all spent at Hobby Lobby on things for our apartment. I am not a decorator, so I always end up in a bland state of nothingness in-between holidays. Luckily, almost everything at Hobby Lobby was 50% off!
I took Friday off, went shopping, then Ross and I ate dinner at one of my favorite steakhouses in Charlotte, Beef and Bottle. Saturday, I met up with a few friends at Cajun Canvas and created a masterpiece!
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It's "Paris in the Rain," and if you look close enough, you can see the couple dancing under a red umbrella on a sidewalk covered in reflective puddles. So, that was the idea. It was my first "wine and paint" experience and certainly won't be the last! We had a lot of fun. Sunday, Ross and I had a great birthday lunch with my fam, so it was definitely a very good pre-birthday weekend!
On a side note: finally started reading The Hunger Games. Finished Catching Fire last week, and hope to start Mockingjay tonight! I've been a little distracted with our shiny new cable tv upgrade...HBO fo free (for a couple months, anyway)!
That doesn't mean I don't have a few exciting things to share, though. I'm 27 as of Monday, and we celebrated my husband's birthday in March! The only significance 27 really has is that it's three years away from 30.
As always, I decided it was best for me to buy my own gift from my husband rather than him getting me anything...aka taking a birthday shopping trip! It was all spent at Hobby Lobby on things for our apartment. I am not a decorator, so I always end up in a bland state of nothingness in-between holidays. Luckily, almost everything at Hobby Lobby was 50% off!
 |
| New lamp and mini-clock |
I took Friday off, went shopping, then Ross and I ate dinner at one of my favorite steakhouses in Charlotte, Beef and Bottle. Saturday, I met up with a few friends at Cajun Canvas and created a masterpiece!
.JPG)
It's "Paris in the Rain," and if you look close enough, you can see the couple dancing under a red umbrella on a sidewalk covered in reflective puddles. So, that was the idea. It was my first "wine and paint" experience and certainly won't be the last! We had a lot of fun. Sunday, Ross and I had a great birthday lunch with my fam, so it was definitely a very good pre-birthday weekend!
On a side note: finally started reading The Hunger Games. Finished Catching Fire last week, and hope to start Mockingjay tonight! I've been a little distracted with our shiny new cable tv upgrade...HBO fo free (for a couple months, anyway)!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Oh, how Pinteresting! Thursday - The Spring Edition
I missed Wednesday...but better late than never! :) I am so ready for spring and warm weather!
(My first honest question was: are the lemons real? Apparently, lemons are actually good to put in flower water. Who knew?)
Sunday, March 4, 2012
a wedding & our mini vacay
Well, February is over and I spent the first weekend of March laying around the apartment and then cleaning (have I mentioned I hate cleaning??). We kicked the weekend off with a bang and watched two new (to us) movies. We watched Bridesmaids- LOVED it...and loved Chris O'Dowd. Kristin Wiig and Maya Rudolph are also two of my faves right now. Next, we watched "Take Me Home Tonight" (with Topher Grace) on netflix. The movie was a little lackluster as far as a storyline goes, but I enjoyed the whole 80's theme. Demetri Martin also made a few very brief appearances, but he was hilarious in the small role he played.
Onto the wedding... it was fabulous. Everything went smoothly, and I think everyone loved the small/laid back vibe.
Our trip to Myrtle Beach (immediately following the wedding) with Ross's family was a much-needed winter break. We spent most our time hanging out, shopping and eating. Ross's brother, who recently moved to New Mexico, was also able to go with us, so it was just a good time all around with the whole fam!
Sadly, I didn't get around to any reading while we were there. At this point, I'm trying to decide what to take up next (even thought I am STILL reading Wuthering Heights). The Hunger Games or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?? Or something else?
I am counting to down to whenever/wherever it is we go on vacation this summer...
Onto the wedding... it was fabulous. Everything went smoothly, and I think everyone loved the small/laid back vibe.
 |
| at the reception |
 |
| in front of Barley's - if you look close enough, you can see my sister and her husband dancing/making funny faces at the camera :) |
The reception was held at Barley's in Spindale, NC. They have amazing pizza, seriously. and good beer. That's a recipe for a great wedding reception...who knew? I know I promised a picture of my $35 dress, but of course I neglected to get a full length shot. Guess I'll have to wait until my sister gets her pictures.
Sadly, I didn't get around to any reading while we were there. At this point, I'm trying to decide what to take up next (even thought I am STILL reading Wuthering Heights). The Hunger Games or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?? Or something else?
I am counting to down to whenever/wherever it is we go on vacation this summer...
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
February.
Honestly, that's as creative of a title I could think of. It's been a while, and this month has mostly been comprised of work and me being tired (my life story, basically). But I'm happy to say it's all downhill from here. My sister is getting married this weekend - YAY! - and then my husband and I are off to the beach for a little four day vacation. Cannot. wait.
Hope everyone's Valentine's Day was fabulous. Ours was pretty low key. To avoid the crowds, we went to our favorite local Mexican restaurant, which we probably would have done on Tuesday night anyway. I bought myself a purse (Thirty-One's 5th Avenue, it has a gazillion pockets and is awesome) and told Ross "thanks for my Valentine's Day present!!!" For the record, I bought it used for a significantly cheaper price than what it retails for...so...go me! And then he sent me beautiful flowers at work even though we agreed not to do anything special for each other. :)
I feel like I need to share this with other iPhone (or smartphone in general) users. Maybe I'm behind the times, but I just recently started using the app Songza. Love it so far, and it's serving as a very good replacement for the SiriusXM music stations I loved so dearly but no longer want to pay for.
Speaking of music...I recently went through a week long-ish period of complete White Stripes obsession. Also just recently heard Jack White's new single, "Love Interruption"...thoughts? I like the female vocal, but could do without whoever is singing it. I also finally realized who Jack White reminds me of:
The child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks that, since I found this picture on google from someone's tumblr (tumblog? I don't know). I then stumbled upon the fact that Roald Dahl was the screenwriter for that film...who knew?!
I've moved on from my incessant White Stripes listening to other things now, and here are a few songs currently on my playlist:
1. Change of Heart - El Perro Del Mar (original version and Robyn's Rakamonie Remix...I think I actually prefer the remix, but I like both)
2. Someone Like You - Adele...I could listen to this song a million times a day and probably not get tired of it.
3. Are You Satisfied? - Marina & the Diamonds
4. As Ugly As I Seem -The White Stripes (a current WS favorite of mine)
5. Come Back Down - Greg Laswell featuring Sara Bareilles
Post sister's-wedding-and-beach update to come soon! I plan on at least getting a good pic of me in my bridesmaid dress I found at a thrift store for $35...AWESOME.
Hope everyone's Valentine's Day was fabulous. Ours was pretty low key. To avoid the crowds, we went to our favorite local Mexican restaurant, which we probably would have done on Tuesday night anyway. I bought myself a purse (Thirty-One's 5th Avenue, it has a gazillion pockets and is awesome) and told Ross "thanks for my Valentine's Day present!!!" For the record, I bought it used for a significantly cheaper price than what it retails for...so...go me! And then he sent me beautiful flowers at work even though we agreed not to do anything special for each other. :)
I feel like I need to share this with other iPhone (or smartphone in general) users. Maybe I'm behind the times, but I just recently started using the app Songza. Love it so far, and it's serving as a very good replacement for the SiriusXM music stations I loved so dearly but no longer want to pay for.
Speaking of music...I recently went through a week long-ish period of complete White Stripes obsession. Also just recently heard Jack White's new single, "Love Interruption"...thoughts? I like the female vocal, but could do without whoever is singing it. I also finally realized who Jack White reminds me of:
I've moved on from my incessant White Stripes listening to other things now, and here are a few songs currently on my playlist:
1. Change of Heart - El Perro Del Mar (original version and Robyn's Rakamonie Remix...I think I actually prefer the remix, but I like both)
2. Someone Like You - Adele...I could listen to this song a million times a day and probably not get tired of it.
3. Are You Satisfied? - Marina & the Diamonds
4. As Ugly As I Seem -The White Stripes (a current WS favorite of mine)
5. Come Back Down - Greg Laswell featuring Sara Bareilles
Post sister's-wedding-and-beach update to come soon! I plan on at least getting a good pic of me in my bridesmaid dress I found at a thrift store for $35...AWESOME.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Oh, How Pinteresting! Wednesdays
Happy Wednesday! Hanging on to the fact that I only have to survive 2.5 more days of work...
Pearl Jam. I have a new respect for them after watching PJ20 this past weekend.
...and a much more accessible one thanks to a new Keurig at home AND work!
Finally found a pretty-close-to-perfect recipe for cheese dip (the kind you get at Mexican restaurants)!
favorites // Tori Amos // Under The Pink
Flourish De Lis Dress from Mod Cloth. LOVE this color.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Lately...
I guess I've fallen off the face of the earth a little....well, for three weeks-ish. My journey to "Frugal Living," well, that's another post (or maybe not, because the daily challenges are sitting unread in my inbox). There's not even a reason for my lack of blogging other than I've been readjusting to five day work weeks after the holidays.
The closest thing to exciting that happened recently is a couple weeks ago, I won tickets to see Sarah Jarosz at Neighborhood Theatre here in Charlotte! She is what I would consider bluegrass...but I guess maybe more progressive bluegrass. Probably a couple years ago, I purchased her first album on iTunes after randomly stumbling across it, so I was kind of familiar with her songs (although she had also put out a new album since then). I happened to see that Creative Loafing was giving away a pair of tickets, so I submitted my email address and won! It was a nice surprise since I think I had forgotten I even entered to win in the first place.
Several things hit me that night: (1) Sarah Jarsoz is far more talented than I realized. (2) Going to see live shows of not-so-well-known musicians is something I should do WAY more often. (3) There is a difference in spending time with your husband on the couch watching tv and actually going out and doing something. (4) Someday, I want to learn how to play the banjo.
Items #1 and 4 are pretty self explanatory. Sarah spent most her time on an octave mandolin, which I had never seen before, but she also switched between it and the banjo. She usually performs alongside a cellist and fiddler, but was sans cellist for this one. Sad face. BUT, fiddler Alex Hargreaves was out of this world.
Number two, Charlotte isn't exactly what I'd call a music scene hotspot, but I think it's improving. Not too long ago, Sara Bareilles played at Neighborhood Theatre. Ross and I have seen a couple good smaller shows at Amos' Southend, too.
As for number three, it really was kind of an "a-ha!" moment. My husband and I both thoroughly enjoy being at home, but we realized that it is fun to actually go out and do things together sometimes. Who would have thought? We eat out a lot, but that doesn't count. And to be honest, seeing a movie doesn't really count either. I mean, those are fun things to do, but we both love music...and it was just something different. Had we paid for the tickets, seeing Sarah Jarosz would've cost us the same as seeing a movie, anyway.
Since we live right down the road, we also need to take more advantage of NoDa, and I suggest you visit if you live near Charlotte...it's almost like a mini-Boone, which I love. I really liked Neighborhood Theatre as a venue, and we tried Revolution Pizza for the first time and enjoyed that as well (side note: I tried Four Friends Queen City Red there and would recommend it).
So those are the recent happenings, and hopefully there will be more similar things to discuss in the future now that we have realized there is a world outside our apartment!
The closest thing to exciting that happened recently is a couple weeks ago, I won tickets to see Sarah Jarosz at Neighborhood Theatre here in Charlotte! She is what I would consider bluegrass...but I guess maybe more progressive bluegrass. Probably a couple years ago, I purchased her first album on iTunes after randomly stumbling across it, so I was kind of familiar with her songs (although she had also put out a new album since then). I happened to see that Creative Loafing was giving away a pair of tickets, so I submitted my email address and won! It was a nice surprise since I think I had forgotten I even entered to win in the first place.
Several things hit me that night: (1) Sarah Jarsoz is far more talented than I realized. (2) Going to see live shows of not-so-well-known musicians is something I should do WAY more often. (3) There is a difference in spending time with your husband on the couch watching tv and actually going out and doing something. (4) Someday, I want to learn how to play the banjo.
Items #1 and 4 are pretty self explanatory. Sarah spent most her time on an octave mandolin, which I had never seen before, but she also switched between it and the banjo. She usually performs alongside a cellist and fiddler, but was sans cellist for this one. Sad face. BUT, fiddler Alex Hargreaves was out of this world.
Number two, Charlotte isn't exactly what I'd call a music scene hotspot, but I think it's improving. Not too long ago, Sara Bareilles played at Neighborhood Theatre. Ross and I have seen a couple good smaller shows at Amos' Southend, too.
As for number three, it really was kind of an "a-ha!" moment. My husband and I both thoroughly enjoy being at home, but we realized that it is fun to actually go out and do things together sometimes. Who would have thought? We eat out a lot, but that doesn't count. And to be honest, seeing a movie doesn't really count either. I mean, those are fun things to do, but we both love music...and it was just something different. Had we paid for the tickets, seeing Sarah Jarosz would've cost us the same as seeing a movie, anyway.
Since we live right down the road, we also need to take more advantage of NoDa, and I suggest you visit if you live near Charlotte...it's almost like a mini-Boone, which I love. I really liked Neighborhood Theatre as a venue, and we tried Revolution Pizza for the first time and enjoyed that as well (side note: I tried Four Friends Queen City Red there and would recommend it).
So those are the recent happenings, and hopefully there will be more similar things to discuss in the future now that we have realized there is a world outside our apartment!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Frugal Living...? Oh snap.
The f-word isn't even one I'd consider to be in my vocabulary. Ever. Before I make it sound too bad, I promise I'm not someone who needs to go to shopaholics anonymous or anything like that (my husband would probably say that's debatable). I do have some self control when it comes to finances, but I'm willing to admit there is room to grow. Either way, I want to be smart about things. I want to recycle things and be wise when it comes to purchasing (or not purchasing) everything from clothing to food. I know it's possible, it just requires a little creativity and discipline.
So, I'm giving this a try. I'm not quite sure what to expect, but it will be a fun way to attempt being, what's the word again? Oh, yeah. Frugal. This whole thing starts tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have some positive updates from time to time on my life as a frugal-person-in-training!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Oh, How Pinteresting! Wednesdays
Some of my recent favorites!
Love this idea! Recycle Christmas cards into gift tags. I saved several of my cards this year in hopes of finding a good idea like this one.
So true.
Babes in Toyland (Disney, 1961)
I loved watching this movie when I was younger, and decided to buy it on DVD this year!
Thankful that there are so many blogs out there that have such great cleaning and organizing tips! I enjoy reading them. Still working on the whole actually going through with it part.
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