spring wish list 2011

(note: clearly i wrote this a a couple of days a go when it was 60something and not snowing again, like it is today! come on spring! why you gotta tease us like that?)

finally! instead of just raining like it's spring, it is spring! and, it's actually beginning to feel like it! it couldn't have come soon enough. spring is possibly my favorite season, mostly because of all the associated feelings of fresh, exciting things to come. i've been carefully cataloging possible spring necessities for a few weeks now, and with today being the beginning of the first week of spring, and my very first day of work at anthropologie, the timing seemed perfect. here's (just) 26 of the items on my spring wish list (of which i will probably end up with 7 or 8, haha)

01. share a sweet tweet bag 02. encircled effulgence posts 03. military henley 04. paige roxley high-waist trousers 05. word of the year necklace 06. after party flats 07. spangled stripe sweater 08. pierce eyeglass frames 09. gold chevron dangles 10. joe's denim shorts 11. ecote knotted fan thong sandal 12. fossil limited edition tote 13. autumn mixtape necklace 14. blurred chevron scarf 15. decade-by-decade skirt 16. fennec fox 17. urban ears plattan 18. equinox spectators 19. chelsea crew carly peep toes 20. liberty convertible satchel 21. tuileries dress 22. columba necklace 23. your sweet self socks 24. totes ditsy umbrella 25. borrowed boyfriend cardi 26. sheswai perfecto laquer 27. wooden heel oxford 28. striped grass fedora 29. eastpointe garden top 30. grey star canvas plimsoll 31. sunny soiree dress 32. p.s. i made this diy pom pom necklace 33. monster family flip video camera 34. sugar work skirt 35. raised teardrops hoops 36. matte is murder manglaze

friday five #40

i've actually kind of missed doing these, i was over them for a while, but now i'm back! at least until i don't feel like doing them again.

01. cans! - hey! did you know that blue moon comes in cans now? "brewmasters cans" according to the case. i know deep down that this is a step down in the beer world, but something about it seems fancy to me. it's just so much easier!

02. tiny books - boygirlparty is selling this adorable set of 3 tiny books as well as some pretty adorable designer sudoku collections over in her shop. i have always loved hee adorable little illustrations, mini paintings & stationary and i even own a couple of her necklaces! these would be perfect to take notes at cha in, but alas, i am trying to be thrifty!

03. craft critique - i'm super stoked to be reporting for craft critique! and, at one of the 2 most exciting times of the year for crafters, the winter CHA tradeshow in l.a. this time next week! you can check out my first article/review over on the website and look for tons from all of us during CHA!

04. nerd alert - you know how blog hopping can be, you click on one thing and an hour and 20 blogs later, you have a new favorite! that's kind of how i happened upon kinsey wilson's blog, and now i really want to take her "nerd alert" week long blog class for crafty organizational nerds. it's only $15, but like i said trying to be thrifty. i think i may just do it anyway, we'll see!

05. spring clothing fantasies - my fall and winter wardorobe has been pretty blah this year. basics are awesome, but not when you're just not feeling them. this upcoming l.a. trip has me thinking warmer weather clothes (although thus far the forecast is rainy and 60 while i'm there, but that's better than snowy and 5!). so i've been doing that horrible thing i do to myself where i go around bookmarking adorable spring-y thingies that i will not be able to buy, but will drool over about once a week, like this adorable open back ruffly top from jem that was featured on papercakes today. i love it!

friday five #38

01. fall dream bag - i abstained from the purchase of a new fall bag last year, and this year i certainly shouldn't be spending the cash this fall either, but i'm having a really hard time resisting this vintage reissue bag from fossil. i know i can justify just about any unnecessary purchase if i really work at it, but i really feel like this is such a classic, basic bag, that it's a necessary purchase, no? i'm anxious to see it in person though, because you know how browns that look great online are not always as great in person.

02. fall fashion hopes - i think my clothing mantra this fall will be WWJLD "what would jenny lewis do?" she is gutsy and i love it. can i pull off tweed shorts & tights? WWJLD dare i rock that hat or pouch belt? WWJLD am i a girl who can rock a heeled vintage bootie? WWJLD i want to be just a little bit daring!

03. falsies - okay, so i occasionally fall prey to those articles in magazines about the new miracle mascara so i was hesitant to believe the hype from nylon magazine about maybelline's falsies mascara but when my old mascara ran out i figured i'd give it a whirl. it could come out pretty heavy if you don't clear the brush enough, but i love what it does to my lashes, and at $7.77 it's worth a try i think.

04. necessary accessories - currently i am rocking a really grandma looking vera bradley makeup bag, which is actually an improvement on the crazy tacky silver metallic one i was previously saddled with. currently, i'm kinda digging this framed, flat-bottomed make-up bag from fossil. it would be nice to not have to dump my makeup out every time i need to find one thing or cringe anytime i have to bring it out in public, haha.

05. old school sanrio - loving the resurgence of the sanrio characters from my childhood. it's nice to see keroppi, my melody and tuxedo sam out in the world! i love hello kitty and all, but was missing those 2! you can make a my melody & keroppi at build-a-bear and there are tuxedo sam and my melody flash drives at mimoco (they both have hello kitty as well, of course!)

friday five #28

01. hey cupcake! lust - this time last year i was in austin, tx being shown what's up by the best austin tour guide in the world, miss kerry potter mccormick. she has defected back to nyc, and luckily i'll be able to spend my birthday with her here on the east coast this year, if only she had brought hey cupcake! back with her though! not only is the little airstream trailer, complete with rotating cupcake on the top, too cute for words but their vanilla dream cupcakes are the only bakery cupcakes in the entire world that i love! everyone who is able should be giving them a try, like right now. now.

02. iphone art - design sponge did a really cute guest blog entry all about awesome and well designed iphone cases, and i fell in love with these etched bamboo ones from grove. they have some really rad artist series cases and the option of uploading your own graphics to be etched for you and only you. you even get to pick the color of your bamboo and the outlying bezel color. they are a bit pricey, but look to be pretty sturdy and could end up being more than worth the bucks. perhaps they will be a post-birthday option.

03. halsey birds - yes, i have a quasi-quilty little spot in my heart for kurt halsey. i admit it! so i pretty much almost dyed when i saw his fireflies necklace at art star. i snapped it up and i wear it all the time and always get compliments on it. well, lo and behold art star posted a new weekend special today, spend $35 in the store and get a kurt halsey birds necklace free! that's an amazing deal, especially considering i didn't even know this new necklace existed. sadly i won't be able to get there this weekend so i ordered it up as a little birthday present to myself. but to all my philly peeps, go for it! it's a $34 necklace for free when you spend $35, that's insane! (ooh, also note how it comes in 2 different lengths, love that!)

04. spring cleaning apron - i'm working on a list things to do in the next year, and one of them is to complete a sewing project. i used to really enjoy sewing years and years a go, so it stands to reason that i will still enjoy it, right? the amazing fabric out there right now, not only from amazing fabric designers, but also from scrapbook companies i already love (cosmo cricket, basic grey, mme & more) is pushing me into action. i think my project will be this sweet scalloped apron from fig tree quilts. i love how it's designed to use just one "jelly roll" from moda and a little extra for lining and the scallop. i think i'll be using this jelly roll by joel dewberry, but may also still decide to get adventurous and mix my own fabrics. i could see how this could get silly expensive, but i'm going to fake myself into believing it's an investment, haha.

05. custom calligraphy address stamp - this little pretty jumped off oh so beautiful paper and straight into my "want" folder this week. how amazing would this be when we finally find an apartment? it's beyond beautiful, and just right for my handwriting hating self. just another reason for the universe to align and find us something already!

a little wishful thinking...

there's nothing like a little birthday wish list related wishful thinking...

01. trip to lake tahoe 02. nixon chalet in walnut (still) 03. 4 door wrangler rubicon in metallic olive (the most perfect wrangler color ever) 04. seychelles "get outta town" sandals (they seem like a perfect brown summer flat) 05. fox ear flap hat from cottonhill's etsy (the boy says he will pretend he doesn't know me, but i deal with neon yellow on a daily basis so he can hush) 06. red shiba inu puppy (they are like little ginger house friendly foxes!) 07. tickets to "american idiot" on broadway (NPH gave it his endorsement) 08. rayban wayfarers (a true classic) in dark marble 09. birthday photoboothing with favorite people 10. adobe photo shop elements 8 (i think this is the one i should get, suggestions?) 11. rei 4 person tent (because you have to camp to have proper s'mores) 12. "happy logs" iphone skin (since the death of iphone 1 i always have a soft case on, but i'll know it's there) 13. a king size bed with bartlett sheets already on it 14. true blood season 2 on dvd 15. the anthro wooden radio with mp3 hook-up (it's half off!)

it's june 5th, e-mail me to find out where to send those gifts too, haha. yeah right.

friday five #14

i can't believe i've been mostly keeping up with this for fourteen-ish fridays! that's fourteen lists of things i've discovered, become obsessed with or am into that particular week. i'm loving the time-capsule-like quality of it, even now when it's only been a few months.

01. woodland creatures - i've been known to break for a leaf or shadow that looks like an animal from time to time and my heart hurts when i see a little group of deer grazing by the side of the road or a bunny or squirrel darting across the road all panicked looking. so, when i'm on a back road or in my complex i stop, roll down my window and give them a little mothering talk about the dangers of roads. is anyone else this crazy... or is it just me? p.s. the stitched fawn & flower is from here.

02. dublin - it's official! i'm going to dublin with rhian for a couple of days while i'm visiting nicole in bristol! i can't wait to finally get to ireland and i really, really can't wait to have a crazy fun adventure with miss rhian! i have the dk dublin top ten book, but am looking for a little more insight. anyone have anything we need to check out whilst we're mucking about?

03. new spoon - the new spoon album, "transference" came out this week and i am in absolute love with the dirty, under-produced garage vibe it has going on. it's like older spoon and i'm in love. it's already been playing in my car on an almost constant loop, and i definitely recommend it for the cozy feel.

04. cosmo's "boyfriend" woodgrain alpha - obvs i'm a little late in the game with these, but i couldn't decide if i needed them needed them, or was just blinded by the woodgrain. turns out i did need them need them, a whole 3 sets worth. oops! can't wait to play with them asap!

05. orla kiely store - a light bulb went off this week when i realized that when nicole and i take london i can finally visit an orla kiely store! you can find bits and pieces of her collections here, and she did that little line for target a bunch of months back, but this will be my first trip to her store where i can check it all out in person and try not to do a ton of damage. i see the possibility of something fun and orla in my future!

friday five #10

01. yeasayer's international tour - these crazy dudes, also known as the band yeasayer, are a reportedly blessed with the ability to melt peoples faces off with their live performances, and i intend to find out. they make it onto a bunch of my mixes because they are just so ridiculous and fun to listen to and now, because of their tour set up, it looks like i might be able to see them a few times between now and may; in brooklyn, philly & london!

02. the photo hunt app for iphone - so, i have a little bit of a photo hunt problem and have been spotted hyperventilating at the sight of a megatouch machine somewhere unexpected, so the fact that i can now play it on the iphone is just no good.

03. pretty album covers - nothing keeps me buying vinyl more than a gorgeous album cover. i most definitely buy music on itunes for that instant gratification, but it's the cover art (when it's actually art) that gets me into that record store every time. prime example; volcano choir's "unmap", yo la tengo's "popular songs", m. ward's "hold time" and faunts' "feel.love.thinking.of". and for a laugh, check out pitchfork's lists of the worst album covers each year, somehow weezer's "raditude" didn't make the cut this year, amazing.

04. snowman holiday specs - you need to go online or head to your nearest cracker barrel, which is where we got ours for less, and track down these "holiday specs"! they are cute paper glasses that make little points of light (i.e. christmas lights, headlights & chandelier lights) into adorable little snowmen. even when i'm at my grinchiest these dudes brighten my mood.

05. "layabout" boots - man, veronica mars can really do no wrong by me, even years later! these boots from simple are on kristen bell's celebrity wish list on piperlime and i am in love with them, so now they are also on mine. how cozy do they look?! plus they are completely earth friendly and even have coconut buttons! want.

2009 christmas wish list

so in lieu of a friday five this week , i'm doing 25 christmas wishes!

01. a new wool coat, this one has pleats! 02. frye whipstitch hobo in "cognac" 03. shark mittens! 04. custom address stamp from paperwink (kristina turned me on to these, so good!) 05. prague (my airfare from london, not the city itself!) 06. "sagaform" dishes from huset 07. felt lowercase alphabet scarf 08. new penguin hardcover classics 09. steve madden "stardom" flats (studded, pewter faux snake skin! they're like an 80's hair metal video in shoe form!) 10. more ink for the lifestyle letterpress system 11. wooden fox necklace by joanna rutter whose shop is currently down : ( 12. "big love ring" in winter colors by pink saguaro. jen spotted these! i heart the gray one! 13. yellow bird project hoodie 14. dublin! (again, not the city itself) 15. sweetheart tree necklace by lisa leonard 16. julie west "chubby book" 17. "and then..." limited edition screenprinted poster by julie west 18. 2010 critter calendar (printed on wood) from night owl paper goods 19. always the fold over mid-city tote in grey by foley + corinna. always. 20. the chalet watch in walnut woodgrain by nixon 21. repurposed vintage paint by numbers united states cut out from somethings hiding in here 22. ever since they were in the anthro catalogue last year; "benjamin button boots" by matisse in brown have been in my dreams 23. orla kiely "tripp" large tote 24. "anna" plaid dress and "athena" braided belt (yes, i still shop at delia*s even though i'm 27) 25. a merlotte's mug (can't wait for true blood!)

it's good to have wishes that are totally out there, right?

friday five #03

01. american mortals - so the fact that i take the train into philly every 6 or so weeks just to get my hair done should be pretty indicative of just how much i love it. heidi has been doing my hair for close to three years now, and i totally love her, plus it's just a fun place to be. and it didn't hurt that they brought me candy corn part way through my hair cut. not bad.

02. terrible yellow eyes - the oh joy! blog turned me on to this collection a couple of weeks a go, and a bunch of the pieces have been rotating as my laptop wallpaper ever since. cory godbey has created this project that hosts a huge bunch of different artists' work inspired by where the wild things are. there are drawings, illustrations, graphic patterns, collages and all kinds of other awesome pieces, and they can all be viewed on the terrible yellow eyes blog. here are some of my favorites. i also stopped in to urban yesterday, post-haircut and their whole middle floor looked like the forest in the book! i wanted to curl up in it, or at least take a bunch of pictures.

03. yellow bird project - okay, so i know we all love band shirts, but in my case they usually end up collecting in bins under my bed so i've been cutting myself off. but with an organization like yellow bird project in existence i am officially back in band tee buying business! ybp has some of their favorite musicians, singers & bands design their own tee shirts and then lets them pick the charity that the proceeds will benefit, an amazing idea that has so far brought us this rilo kiley tee to benefit free arts for abused children, this au revoir simone tee to help fund transportation alernatives and this guy from the dears to help the pediatric cancer community among others. and if you're still not sold on the band tee things, feel free to spend some time playing with the indie rock coloring book!

04. turning summer clothes into fall clothes - umm... so i went a little too crazy shopping in philly, but that point aside, one of my absolute most favorite things about fall is turning summer clothes into autumn friendly outfits with tights, boots, maryjanes & grandpa cardis! this process is especially fun, for me anyway, when it involves getting a cute summer dress on clearance and being able to wear it right away, no matter how crisp it's getting outside!

05. "the brothers bloom" - i think i gushed a bunch about this movie when i saw it at the alamo draft house in austin with kerry at the beginning of the summer, so i'll make this brief; rent this movie! i mean seriously, it was written and directed by the same dude who did "brick", so just do it! it comes out this tuesday and you will absolutely adore it! love adrien brody & mark ruffalo together, love how completely expressive bang bang is, love rachel weisz's wardrobe & obviously i totally love joseph gordon-levitt's cameo!

10 things for now.

01. my diana+ camera rig - i caved on the instant back, and as long as i was already buying, i also bought the flash and fisheye lens, oops! i have to say though, i love my diana so much more right now! it takes some practice to get those classic diana style, dreamy shots so i'm looking at the instant back (fuji instax actually) as my training wheels. i'll use it until i get a handle on what settings and exposure lengths get all the affects i want, and for parties of course! we went instax crazy at k's birthday soiree, as evidenced by the 40ish shots lining her mirror, and it was perfection!

02. tattered angels "marshmallow" glimmer mist - there aren't even words to describe how much i'm crushing on this limited edition color, mostly i just drool over it. seriously, i dare you to shake it up, spray it on some chipboard and not fall head over heels for it's perfect snowy color & shimmer! i can't wait to go on a spraying rampage when the new mini chipboard snowflakes from maya road arrive!

03. "time to die" by the dodos - i am beyond ready for it to cool down already! airy, dreamy music like the tracks on the dodos' brand new album are for open car windows, zooming down the highway late at night, breezy hillside reading and bright days when the heat has finally broken. so, can this heat please break already? "fables" which is getting the heaviest pandora and sirius xmu play, made it's way onto my dare mix, and it's a good one to start with.

04. anthro's bold boutonniere dress - this one is high up on anthropologie wish list. i'm stalking it on the daily, hoping to be there at just the right time when it goes on sale. the mustard & plum stripes are killing me! hopefully is just as gorgeous in person. we'll see today when nat & i make a trip to short hills for american apparel and for me to check on this slate & sun jacket.

o5. eric northman - i know i've already blogged about my complete "true blood" obsession, and the fact that eric is my favorite part of the sookie stackhouse books, but the whole eric/godric story arc that just ended was completely ridic in the best of ways! loved little unassuming looking godric and his almost accent. loved the origin story of eric's transformation, and i always love eric's sassiness. you all must know by now that i'm a sucker for a guy with that classic troublemaker half smile!

06. get up kids tickets - seriously, what person my approximate age didn't at least fall a little bit in love to the sounds of the get up kid's "something to write home about"? the get up kids hold a special little piece of my nostalgic heart and they're on tour! so, obvs, kristina's birthday present had to be tickets for us to go see them in november at my favorite venue in philly, the trocadero (troc) already have late 90's emo throwback outfit planned.

07. photobooths - i can't get enough of them! they have to be the real deal, 4 photos on a textured paper strip for me to be fully in love, but like anyone else, i'll take a cheap knock off in a pinch. we found a couple along our celebration route last saturday, my favorite being the one that produced that photo strip over there <- b&w, crisp and yummy! if i ever randomly strike it rich, first purchase will be 2 photobooths (2nd will be a mega touch machine, duh!)

08. nat, vee & k visiting - seriously? i can not wait for the summer time version of that popsicle pups picture over there to happen! natalie is home from taiwan for a couple weeks and she's headed up to meet me here at work as i type! then, kristina and that precious pup, chloe rose, will head over from ny post-rush hour and vee follows close behind tomorrow morning. much catching up and fun to be had. i can't wait to be surrounded by a large portion of some of my favorite ladies in the world!

09. where the wild things are - i was super excited/incredulous about the release of this movie, but when the first trailer came out i got excited, and then... when the new extended trailer came out i freaked the heck out! it makes me tear up, love "the arcade fire" even more, which i didn't think was possible" and dance around like a total crazy lady. check it out, fall in love with it, go win us some tickets to the premiere k thx.

10. scarlett - luckily 80's/9o's cartoons were pretty good about supplying us gingers with some cool redheads like april o'neill, daphne & ariel, but my favorite cartoon ginger was  scarlett, she was kick butt, in command and super cool. i was not so sure about this "g.i.joe rise of cobra" thing, the previews made it look so cheesy, but i went to see it wednesday by myself (with coffee & animal crackers) and looooooved it. scarlett was totally awesome and the cheese was kept to a total minimum. it's a definite summer must see, and i might even go see it again myself.

what i did on my birthday vacation...

... or my 10 favorite parts of an amazing trip to austin, tx

(now with musical accompaniment if you hit the play button on the "boom box" below)

01. shopping on south congress - the buildings are all interesting to look at, the paint colors are amazing, the shops are jam packed full of  vintage, indie and affordable clothes, shoes, jewelry and every other type of cuteness you can imagine. photo ops abound. already worn in cowboy boots attained. hey cupcake trailer attacked.

02. breakfast/brunch - i won't even go into the super tasty texas pecan coffee kerry got me hooked on, but our breakfast's and brunches were some of the best meals; savory breakfast crepes out of an airstream (apparently lots of scrumptious food in austin comes from an airstream), cheap & yummy breakfast tacos and a special birthday cupcake breakfast.

03. t.c.'s - have i mentioned yet that kerry is a first class tour guide? she showed me some truly amazing places and was always super quick with a suggestion when i told her what i was in the mood for, plus she had no problem taking the reins and planning our days when i was feeling a little undecided. anyway, we went to t.c.'s on monday night and i instantly fell in love. it kind of pops up out of nowhere, a neighborhood gives way to a gravel parking lot filled with all kinds of cars and long haul trucks. it feels a little like a scene out of "crybaby"; real texas road house blues bands, bring your own wine and liquor (they sell the beer  & mixers) and a complete mixed bag of patrons. beyond packed, beyond hot and beyond any sort of explanation that could really do it any justice. maybe my whole experience was colored by the awesomeness of my partners in crime for the evening, but i really think it was the vibe at t.c.'s working a lot of the true magic.

04. movies at the alamo draft house - movies + food + beer. i mean, need i say more? okay, i will anyway. kerry & i went to see "brothers bloom" (which was amazing and snarklarious by the way, watch for the joseph gordon-levitt cameo of hotness) and "up!" (bootleg non-3d version) at the alamo near-ish her house (there are 3 around austin) and it's awesome.  every other row of seats are replaced by low bar tables with lights underneath to ready your menus by, and when you want to order you just write it down, fold it in half, they come get it and 20 minutes later you have your beer, mozzarella sticks, hummus, fried pickles, espresso shake, warm chocolate chip cookies, or whatever else you want (that just happens to be what we got the two times we went.) they also have sing along and quote along movie nights that i would love to hit up next time i go visit!

05. beauty bar on my birthday - rocking the change over to 27 while in austin was really the best way i could do it. cute, plaid skirted party dress, stella's & pbr's all night, outdoor patio, and a dj inside whose playlist may even beat my fave dj at the 7hundred club (yeah yeah yeahs, lykke li, salt n peppa, what?).  it also helps that i had a fabulous dinner in my tummy courtesy of kerry taking me to blue dahlia & awesome company. and, we rocked the party all night since i had to be up at 5:30 for my flight anyway. totally killer!

06. puppies everywhere! - i finally got to meet bacon, kerry's pug, and he is amazing! he slept with us and one night his little pug snores even invaded my dreams! plus, roommate jackie's pup, rigby, and a revolving cast of visiting puppies in the house kept me happy! plus, we got to meet lots of new dogs everywhere we went, including our 4 mile walk around town lake with the pups, followed by avocado margaritas with the pups on the patio.

07. elysium's 80's night - we hit austin's "goth" bar my second night in town for 80's night, had a sparks for old time's sake, moved on to rum & cokes, got hit on by a couple of teddy-bear-like west point dudes, danced for hours upon hours to the best mix 0f 80's & 90's music ever (barring their glaring lack of smiths songs considering the surroundings) and i passed my first pick up moo card, successfully i might add. and when i say dancing, i mean dancing. the kind where you don't care what you look like, sweating like crazy, getting all messy & sticking to the dance floor, but you're lovin' it and killin' it philly style.

08. the harlem shakes & passion pit at emo's - there was definitely some more super sweaty dancing this night as well! first thing kerry booked for us, as soon as i booked my flight, was this show and i'm so glad she's on top of things because it was totally off the chain (for lack of better term.) it was a sold out, outdoor show and therefore totally packed in the best of ways, totally entertaining,  with lots of foot stomping and crazy hot! i can only imagine how great it is to be in austin for sxsw! i'll have to make that a goal.

09. people watching at barton springs - barton springs was something else that kerry enticed me with right away. it's a huge, and i mean monstrous, natural swimming pool, fed by underground springs, that is always at a cool 68. we headed over there with a blanket in tow, planted ourselves up the hill under the shade of a tree and read, listened to music, people watched and kerry even got some of her studying for the bar done. i also shot a not-so-successful roll of diana+ film there, but i'm learning. we did get in the water for a little bit, but i would totally be a nerd and bring water shoes next time, i kept slipping on the rock bottom! haha.

10. the austin wardrobe! - so, i'm not big on my legs, and will usually cover up anything above mid-calf, but kerry pried my leggings away from me pretty early on in the trip and i'm glad she did! it's so hot in austin, and people are so non-scene-y, that all the girls are rocking little dresses and skirts, with no judgement felt! i loved having kerry throw something at me to make up or complete my outfit, and she was always right. kerry was my favorite shopping partner, but she is also now my favorite stylist. i rocked a dress and my new cowboy boots almost every day and night!

there are about a million more people, places and things that i loved about my trip, but i won't go there, my top ten list got long enough as it is! i can't wait to go back and visit kerry a couple more times before she heads back out to the east coast for her grown up job at a firm! austin (or awes-tin) has totally topped san francisco as my favorite city, and i really didn't think any place would ever be able to take over sf's place in my heart! i also can't wait to scrap all my pictures from this trip in the wood veneer album from chatterbox, so yummy!

 MixPod.com

+/-

i haven't done a good ol' plus/minus post in a while, or any blogging for that matter, oops!

+ current musical obsession = "pot kettle black" from the new tilly & the wall;



- it's stuck in my head like woah!

+ finally got to catch up with kristina! fun in long island followed by me kidnapping her for more fun/take your friend to work day in jersey.

+ it's officially fall since i got to have a pumpkin ale (with cinnamon sugar rim) with kristina

+ new fall clothes that i can't wait to wear (hello sweater dresses, grandpa cardigans, sweater vests and really cute flats on the cheap)

- my thirst for cute flats may be near satiated, but darn anthropologie for having the raddest selection of boots i can not afford!

+ at least i'll "totes" (hehe, k) be rockin' sweet feather headbands all fall!

+ "hometown" collection from october afternoon = love at first (well second, really) sight. it's not often that i buy a stamp set and use 5 of the stamps right off the bat!

+/- i can't stop making halloween cards! it's no secret that i'm always smitten with tons of halloween paper, but there are so many adorable halloween stamps out this year! there is really no end in sight.

+ for y'all since that means i'll be sending tons of halloween cards this year!

+ the new (october 2008) issue of nylon arrived today and zooey descganel is on the cover, love that girl!

+ fall tv is finally starting! it probably deserves it's own +/- list but for now, it simply gets a +. although, i will say this;

- i never thought that i would be so much more invested in chuck bass (a.k.a. the basstard or basshole) & b than s & lonely boy, i mean what the h?

+ my mum & i are planning a charity crop (just for this year, to help a friend out who was going to have to cancel it because of illness) and we just found a great venue for it. i've already started e-mailing companies, kit clubs & generally rockin' people for donations for baskets, door prizes and table gifts and i think it's going to be really rad.

+ i have scrappies to play with, which is exactly what i'm going to go do right this very minute!

mucho fun in the sun!

so, i spent wednesday night at nicole's enjoying a little impromptu surprise belated birthday celebration while scrapping (she made me my fave cupcakes, funfetti, and got me the cutest little mustard colored purse evs!) nicole of course got some major cute-ness finished and i kind of pushed things around forever and then gave up and pulled some different stuff out and banged out a cutie layout in about 30 minutes. love when that happens!



while i was at nicole's marykate called to see if i wanted to head down the shore the next afternoon for the 4th of july weekend. after a little mental inventory of what clothes i actually had clean i said "of course." so, after a little late night laundry i got some sleep and headed to meet mk at her house and we headed down. maggie rode on my lap the whole way down and mostly just slept.


we had a lot of fun. lots of reading, really awesome food, some beers, a couple of days out on the boat, some mini golf and TONS of fireworks. of course charlie had to set off the professional ones from the back deck and everyone along the lagoon had one type or another. we played a ton of "left, right or center" too! i totallly need to pick me up some of those dice! it's a really fun game to play, especially with a big group. you can play with $3 for a really long time, haha.


so here's a little list-y of things i've been doing, digging on and dieing over;


* rock band for wii- hello! i totally knew i was going to love this! i spent 6 hours singing all the songs at the too of my lungs the first full dya i had it. now to perfect those pesky drums! my highest score songs are def "i think i'm paranoid" by garbage, "say it ain't so" by weezer (that one was bound to happen, i've been singing along to it for 10 + years, haha) and "dani california" by the red hot chili peppers.


* "lamb: or the gospel according to biff, Christs childhood pal" by christopher moore - pure hilarity that is def not for the overly serious! i'll let you know if i still love it when i'm done!


* cute new bags - they're everywhere right now! what's up with that? total torture! i had another one in my hand last night and i just had to say no. i am loving my fossil one though and the bag switching is getting out of control!


* major etsy love - i haven't really been exploring etsy lately, but when i went on to get kristina's awesome mini kit i started doing some browsing and holy heck! i came pretty close to getting myself into some trouble! i got a couple of things though. obviously i needed this typewriter necklace from boygirlparty and i threw it's octopus counterpart in as well. then, while i was on the necklace kick i grabbed this cute bird on a swing! eek! so cute! pluse the custom wallet and business card holders i'll be receiving from dear sukie any day now. seriously though, how could i pass up a wallet made with that beloved sassafras lass dear paper? there was no way! i'll have to blog about the other items i'm lusting after someday soon!


* cha - i've been mentally packing for about a week now, haha. that's not saying that i won't find some things i "need" when i'm in philly tommorow getting my hair did, but y'know. i bought some more travel toiletries yesterday at target. that travel aisle is totally evil! i always end up buying things i will never need because they are cute and tiny! and has anyone else noticed the total lack of peaks this year? i've seen american crafts, pink paislee and a couple of other really tiny peaks, but where are my precious basic grey, hambly and sassafras? the suspense is killing me! also, i have been wondering about a SIS meetup for forever, so i just checked with jj and picked a place and set a date & time, haha. someone had to take the reigns, right?


alright, i'm off to work on my class sample for august. it's one of those projects that i'm so excited about that i just can't seem to really get it done! there is too much pressure with all the cuteness involved! i'm using the prima acrylic build-a-book and the sass "sunshine lollipop" collections with touches of thickers, hambly, bling and bunches of bling!

spring is here!

finally! obligatory spring related list starts here;

* riding around with the windows down to spoon, rogue wave, say anything and rilo kiley as well as summer jams old and new. i'm going to start making new mixes this coming week, who wants to trade? for reals trade. i'm already starting random themed mixes as we speak, hehe. i tried pandora since everyone is always talking about it, and i have to say i'm not that into it. i like my music to be eclectic, i don't want to listen to a bunch of songs that all sound the same. i wish it would let you type in your top 10 bands and then stream the music based on that, rather than just one band or song. oh well, it is pretty good in short spurts at least.

* spring means new beginnings right? well, say goodbye to my old job and hello to my brand new job at scraptasia! that's right, i'm out of here. dawn has been so absolutly awesome to teach for, talk to and collaborate with that i can't wait to start working for her too!

* i cleaned out soooooo much stuff at the scrapbook garage sale that it's crazy. barely any came back to the house and i'm probs just going to keep it in a container and add to it along the way for the next garage sale. i already started spending my cushy credit yesterday. it's so fun to let myself buy things that i've been wanting but didn't want to spend the money on, but with the credit it's almost like found money, hehe. i picked up this alphabet i've been wanting, one of these 17 x 23 mats for my scrap table, some more of this and lots of other stuff like fontwerks labels, thickers, journaling stamps and other fun goodies.

* i've been scrapping like crazy lately; circle journals, class samples, store layouts, stuff for a guest dt spot, an album a friend is paying me to do and i had forgotten how much i love to do this! it seems crazy, but i just wasn't making anything and now that i am it's like a fresh breeze and i just want to do it all the time! i'm scrapping with nicole tommorow and with my sassy scrapper ladies friday night and at work inbetween and i wouldn't have it any other way.

* i've been going a little crazy with the spring clothes shopping lately too. marykate and i went shopping sunday and i did some more damage on my way home from mlpa yesterday too. a cute dress, adorable flats, a couple tees, a really cute new bag and some easy-breezy-throw-'em-on-and-go tops.

* i also nabbed the most adorable reusable shopping bags at target. i already had gotten the cute grocery type bag a couple months ago, but now they have a bigger, clothing shopping type bag that folds and snaps up and really cute little tote type bags that fold up and then zipper around to about 3 x 6. they are perfect for just keeping in my purse for whenever and they happen to safely fit 12 x 12 paper without bending anything! how rad is that?

* loving weeds on netflix instant play. instant play on my laptop has gotten me through many days here. i've also watched all of the office, 30 rock and the first season of dexter. obviously i am in love with jim, want to be bff's with liz lemon and have started reading the dexter books.

* i am also on the hunt for cheap, but not horrible, cross trainer sneakers and comfy workout pants and the gym membership comes next week. i can't wait. i like that i'm at the point where i'm looking forward to excercising. i have kind of fallen off the eating well bandwagon, but that comes back next week too. it all changes.


so yup, new music, new scrappies, new job, new clothes and new workout plan. sounds pretty spring-y to me.

list-ing...

as always;

* nyc to meet the brits ='ed an easy drive to dawn's in harlem, an excellent parallel parking job, fire escape photo shoots, subways, taxis, yummy pad thai at republic, fabulous ladies, 2 of the most awesome brits ever, drooling at anthropologie, silly 80's sunglasses in an adorable bag from free people and cutie kitties.

* watched august rush yesterday and ohmygosh! so great. you must all see it and make sure you are either alone, or with people you are comfortable outwardly sobbing in front of. i def went through some serious tissues! freddie highmore's little face just always, always, always makes my heart hurt, he's so cute and the relationship between these two? so melt-y!

* i am officially in a complete crafting slump! i have about a million of these cute little books and i want to make them into storybooks to sell on my etsy and i just can't seem to get the motivation to do it! a million inspiring things are swirling around in my head and i can't seem to get anything down, so frustrating! maybe i just need to sit down and make a couple of atc's or something to get a little of the overload out of my head and then i'll be able to scrap proper. think so?

* speaking of those little storybooks, does anyone have any scraps of fabric or gaffer tape that are at least 3 inches long? i want lots of different kinds without ending up with lots of extra and would be willing to send some rak-type-goodies in exchange. : )

* the big house re-do is majorly underway now and i've been doing some serious dreaming about my new bedroom, especially when it comes to the reading corner and art wall. i can not wait! i have spent a sizeable amount of time online today bookmarking all the lovelies that i would love to cover the wall with. i would love, love, love for the focal point of the "art wall" to be this curio shelf. i am totally in love with it at the moment. the test will be wether i'm still in love with it when i can actually afford it, haha. in the meantime i'm also drooling over this camilla engman print, this awesome print set by erin zam that i've been wanting forever and at some point in my life would like to ever be able to afford this giclee print by julie west, not to mention an original piece or two, ever.

* also i am way psyched that i get to go to ikea saturday! the downfall of that day is that we also have to go pick up all the flooring and materials ourselves afterwords so that they can sit in the house for at least 4 days before instillation. eek! at least that yuckiness will be cushioned by all the lovliness at ikea and hopefully scraptasia along the way as well.

* the return of jezebel james! so umm... parker posey & lauren ambrose in a show written by amy sherman-palladino & dan palladino of gilmore girls fame? what, what, what? i had heard nothing about it, watched it and i loved it! now if only we could get them to nix the cheesy laugh track, than it would be perfection!

a system of +'s & -'s...

... in relation to the past 7 days and the 3 still ahead of me.

+ meeting marykate at cryan's for drinks last saturday night
- having to have her talk me in because there were so many roads closed because of flooding that it took me about 50 minutes to get there.
+ laughing about it the whole time
+ the cute bartender who we call, rolled up sleeves, being there
+ me having the guts to sit at the bar by myself once marykate left
+/- minimal friendly chatter with cute bartender, whose actual name is justin
+ cute bartender being nice enough to walk me to my car when i left to make sure i got there safely
- no text back from said cute bartender
+ an interview for a patient services rep. position at the hospital monday morning
+ the really adorable interview outfit i got sunday night!
+ scoring an awesome deal on a really rad bronze sueded bolero/swingcoat that i am love with!
+ my monday night class at scraptasia went really well, as per usual. love that place!
- waiting all week for a call about the interview and still not hearing either way! : (
- a yucky, blah, poopy kind of stressful week.
+ the entire first season of dexter on netflix on demand.
+ moving on to all the seasons of american the office
+ talking to nattie lite a lot this week.
+ making cute little cards to send off with some stuff in the mail.
+ altering a little jotter to serves as my new directions book for the car.
- a stressful morning this morning.
+ dressing up in the aforementioned bolero/swingcoat, a really fun dark orange silk shirt& bronze flats to head to level 3 at melt tonight with some friends from forever ago & friends from now.
+ getting to visit with nicole while she is rockin' the downstairs bar.
+ heading to the city to meet kristina and dawn tommorow morning at dawn's new place in harlem, then meeting rhian and a bunch of ladies for lunch in union square
+ refusing to believe that it's actually going to snow and therefore simply not dressing for it.
+ saint patrick's day fun at cryan's or manion's monday night!
- still lusting after the teal patent francine coach bag.
2 x - not even being able to afford the wallet!

... in which i am a sponge.

3.6.8 inspiration mosaic, originally uploaded by miss morgan....

1. Another View, 2. Untitled, 3. Sassafras Lass, 4. theheart.jpg, 5. Louis Vuitton, 6. Thickers love, 7. Untitled, 8. Domino Mag. (3), 9. Studio : Childhood Desk, 10. Parker Posey in the Rabbit Room, 11. Untitled, 12. the darjeeling limited, 13. March Project Kit Add-On, 14. livingRoom, 15. Up the wall, 16. Domino Mag. (88), 17. Mates of State, 18. Untitled, 19. jenny one, 20. 365-66, 21. Domino Mag. (144), 22. Urban Outfitters Ad, 23. Marion Cotillard, 24. eyeshadow, 25. garment district, NYC

i have been a total sponge lately, sucking up inspiration everywhere. i'm starting to get a little over-sodden, and the time has come to just create already! i won't really have time to do so until this weekend after i get my class sample done for my april class at scraptasia. when it happens though, i have a feeling something pretty rad is going to come of it. i'm not saying, i'm just saying.

also, i have been reading "the book of lost things" by john connolly as of late, and i have to say that i am really loving it. it is mysterious, fairytale-ish, dark and lovely all at once. i am only about 2/3rds of the way through, but thus far i would defenitly recommend it.

i've been fantasizing about all the lovely clothing i would like to purchase when i have a. money, b. a job that warrants them and c. my body where i would like it to be. i am currently drooling over; this dress, this cardigan, this tee with this vest and this pretty top. a girl can dream can't she.

speaking of dreams, i had one of those feels real dreams that paul rudd was my boyfriend. this is only a week or so after my dream wherein jordan catalano was my boo. seriously subconcieus? seriously! apparently i need a date or two, as i am now having a series of dreams with adorable "celebs" cuddling on the couch, holding hands and going to brunch with me. i really am just 2 or 3 mis-steps away from becoming a full fledged cat lady at the age of 25! eesh!

make it work, son!

yeah, that's a combo of tim gunn and rob & big, haha. i totally feel like i'm on project runway this week! so much to do before i leave for cha saturday morning. i am working both days and my mum's birthday is tommorow so we are going out to dinner and then to see juno. and, it seems so silly, but i kind of feel like i've been hit by a bus with this whole complete computer re-write thing. it just doesn't feel like my laptop still and it's making easy-peasy things not so easy-peasy.

anyway, enough complaining because that's really not what i want to be doing. i am so lucky to have so much stuff going on and i'm looking forward to all of it. i just have to make it work, son!

anyway, here are some things that are making me happy these days;

* taking my little 100 calorie pack of teddy grahams to the movies
* putting together my next class at scraptasia
* using two of my new fave papers in that class, fifth avenue and tiffany's.
* scoring some really cute tops, jeans that actually fit right and 2 new pairs of fun shoes that i can be comfy and cute in at cha and scrapbowl.
* especially these red moccasins!
* the assignment for the next round of the fashionista search. it's a big one, but it's a really fun one! i can't wait to work on it between cha and scrapbowl!
* that colin almost cried, in a good way, when i gave him his book. and that he later texted me about something new he noticed and loved about it when he looked at it for the third or fourth time. : )
* how cute charlie looks on the season premiere of lost.

alright, back to inventorying the store. ::bleck::

she'd make you into a purse!

i know i already blogged about the awesome kirsten dunst ads, that i spotted thanks to jasmine, but i had to scrap one of my faves last night. so gorgeous, so glam, need to make it into the scrapbook!

then i got to making some mini faux poloroids with the little epson and i am in love with them! popped them up with foam tape to give them that, threw them on and that's how they landed, vibe.



i wanted to get to a third layout before i crashed, so i made this little quickie featuring miss chloe rose. i might just ask chloe to be my valentine. do you think she'll bark yes?

i want to start only weighing myself weekly starting tommorow, because this first week of my healthy eating i've been weiging myself like almost every day, haha. however, i am psyched on the 4.5 pounds i have lost so far. now to help me along i need to start actually playing dance dance revolution on a regular basis.

now i'm off to find a cute pair of flats, a couple shirts and some cute big earrings to get me through cha and scrapbowl. wish me luck!

someone find me a helmet with flames on the side!

maybe i'll just always update in list form, it seems more fun that way. especially since i'm sure that no one needs a play by play of my life! so, lately;

* made a quick run to philly for my haircut at american mortals, a quick stop into a doggie boutique and a magazine run into my old borders. why is it that they hire the cute boys after i leave? haha. p.s. i'm not quite sure why i look so angry in that picture other than the fact that it was pre-coffee. the next decision is wether i want to dye it dark, dark brown again and not go orangey red 'til summer, or do i dye is an auburn closer to my natural color, but with a little more pop?

* my class at scraptasia was awesome! i totally had no reason at all the be nervous! the ladies were awesome and picked up on the exacto so quickly! i can't wait to teach my next one! especially now that i have an awesome apron that rhian made me! my next class there will be in march. i'll totally post when i have a sample done and a defenite date. it really is a gorgeous store.

* kristina came jersey side and we finished up her kits, watched factory girl and some my so called life. factory girl was a defenite, "ooph" kind of movie. so good, but so sad! i want her body and subsequently her wardrobe as well. did a little shopping, some scrapbook painting and took kristina to her very first jersey diner, next i'll take her to her first truck stop diner, haha. watch out girl!

* ummmm... could i love kirsten dunst anymore? if anyone sees these miu miu ads anywhere, i would kill for them! i want to hang a couple of the pictures us in my re-done room (when that happens after the crazy month that is february)

* i am officially eating waaaaaay better and have given up soda. i just started sunday, but i seemingly have lost two pounds already, which is good because i hate all my clothes and refuse to buy new ones for this body i have now. i'm thinking of buying a cute pair of flats that will make a couple of outfits and a couple of basic tops to hold me over for cha and scrapbowl. and then after those two events i'm joining the 24 hour gym that just opened up near me. can't wait to work it all off. i'm making a "work it out" mix, haha.

* speaking of mixes, i'm also making an. "eat mosaic" mix for k & j's 'straunt and a "jetsetter music letter" mix for the plane ride, all breezy and funky and some about california, one of my top 5 states, haha. perhaps i'll post it when it's all done. i was having a total, getting tired of my music stage, but then working on these mixes has made me remember all the rad music on my i-pod, not to mention all the cd's i can load once i finally move my stuff upstairs and all the way in (yeah it's been a year, i know.)

* i'm starting to get my pictures together for the classes i'm taking at scrapbowl and getting all those plans together too. it's all just making me more and more psyched!