friday five #34

01. autumn brews - so stoked that the autumn seasonal beers are already rolling out! blue moon's "harvest moon" is one of my all time faves (especially in beer bread) and so far this year i've purchased sierra nevada's "tumbler brown ale" and brooklyn brewery's "post road pumpkin ale" the tumbler is a little bitter, but i haven't tried the post road yet, looking forward to a bottle tonight i think.

02. diy magnetic bookmarks - molly over at wild olive just posted this cute, printable pdf of little foldover bookmark set (pickle, pencil, bandaid, ruler, and my favorite, the bacon strip!!!) that you just print, fold in half and attach magnetic tape to! so cute!

03. "the suburbs" - so far i'm not loving this as much as "funeral", but still really loving it. it's just not as epic for me, but totally a great album to drive to. you should definitely at least check it out.

04. boombox lust - ever since we watched "step up 3d" i've been lusting after an old school ghetto blaster (let's be honest, i'd really rather have a whole wall of them like in the movie). i'm kind of feeling like a new apartment calls for an new old stereo, yeah?

05. weeds - so sad it's the final season, but so psyched that it's finally back on! it seems like forever since shane first wielded that mallet! the previews for this season are awesome. watch it. love it.

friday five #23

01. marathon's chicken matzo ball soup - i met up with my friend john at the marathon grille on walnut street (philly) for a quick post-haircut (me)/post-coachella (him) catch up and i decided i wanted a little snacker so ordered up some matzo ball. ohmygod! this chicken matzo ball soup is probably my new favorite soup of all time. so, yummy, buttery and delish. if you're in the area, get like 6 bowls, right now!

02. sprinkled shell top - liked this on anthro's website, looooved it when i tried it on in the store. it's not the lightest top ever, because of the shell pieces, but it's gorgeous and i need it. like. now. maybe i can use my upcoming trip to indiana as an excuse?

03. cheeky cherry - you know how you sometimes get lost on the internet? you're searching for an image, and then you end up on someone's blog, and then you're clicking a link to a store they design for, and then you're falling in love with something new? that happened to me a couple of days a go, but i had the happy accident of coming across a stamp company i really, really love that we are going to start carrying at the store! one of the collections i'm most in love with is, sadly, not available to retailers yet but will soon, thank garsh (as emma pilsbury would drawl). they're little vargas like girls and i need them all. can't wait to see the new designs of these girls that they'll have available to us in june! in the meantime, we'll be stocking up on the anya & ian stamps, as well as the wild sprouts a.s.a.p. can't wait!

05. invisible monsters art - it's no surprise that even though we haven't found an apartment yet, i've been dream room planning for a couple of months now. this new screenprinted poster by kevin tong for the "invisible monsters" by chuck palahniuk anniversary is sooo in one of my main color zones right now, and i def need it to be in our future apartment. bad. i feel like it may just inspire a whole room, living room perhaps?

04. new broken social scene - an always favorite, i'm pretty excited for the new broken social scene album, "forgiveness rock album" which releases on may 4th! and now that i've heard the full album preview on npr.org, i'm even more stoked. it feels like a perfect spring album, ideal for driving home at night with the windows down and a hoodie on. i'm really, really into it.

friday five #22

01. droolworthy books - the second round of penguin putnam classics are out and about in the world and i am, yet again, dying! the odyssey is one of my favorites. i also really love alice's adventures in wonderland, even though it makes me slightly crazy that the colors don't really go with the rest of the series. i guess it will just need to have it's own shelf on my imaginary not-yet-built or thrift-shopped bookcase that's just for this series of books!

02. multiple easters - due to my mum having to work part of the day, and it being the perfect holiday to meet more of the boy's fam, i was fortunate enough to have multiple easter's! this resulted in a face that hurt from lauging and smiling, a super full tummy and a really awesome easter. (fun fact: the boy can apparently pull off pink gingham in a pretty major way. who would have guessed it?)

03. chocolate covered gummy bears - i happen to have the best mum ever who knows me all to well. therefore my entire easter basket consisted of about 3 pounds (literally) of chocolate covered gummy bears from the rocky mountain chocolate factory which she drove 3 hours round trip to get to. beyond yum.

04. bloomers - you know those new scrappy products that you love so much you check on their status every day? well these bloomers trims from webster's pages are it for me! i can't wait 'til these are released! the colors are making me drool, and even though i'm not normally a flowery kind of girl i find myself wanting to cover, like my whole life in them. i die.

05. a future blog re-do - i'm not a digital scrapper by any means, but someone posted a link to danielle thompson's new kit for kitschy digitals, called vintage cameras and i fell for it. i'm still working out the logisitics, but it's going to be perfect for me to re-do my blog with! it's been needing a little overhaul for a while now, but i've been hesitant to do so because i still love these colors so much, but with this kit in hand (so to speak) i'll be able to keep the colors and still give it a new look.

a spring to do list...

... because i officially deem it spring simply because i just can not take any more winter! but first, let's check in on how i did with my autumn check list.

not the worst ever, i was wearing heels more than ever before in the beginning of autumn. i'd say i crossed booking my bristol trip +. perfect fall boots have been attained (even if it did happen in the winter). 3 shows is a pretty poor showing but it's almost to 5 right? i didn't get enough harvest moon for my taste, but it did happen.

and now, on to spring's edition, i'll try to remember to work on this one a little more diligently!

p.s. that first notepad is from boygirlparty and the second is from knock knock. go check out all their awesomeness for all your list needs!

fictional love.

in further celebration of valentine's day, or at least valentine's week(?), i bring you a tentative list of some of my favorite fictional couples.

ned & chuck - pushing daisies was yet another show that i feel was canceled way too early, much like a lot of other awesome television shows that don't necessarily appeal to everyone. aside from the amazing sets, costumes, character names, guest stars & main characters, the romance between ned & chuck, who have been meant to be since childhood and can't even touch (or chuck will die, again, instantly) is actually adorably romantic, this is the way they hold hands, pretending they are holding each others instead of their own. too sweet, despite the everyday intricateness of it.

elizabeth bennet & fitzwilliam darcy - i am not yet tied to any particular portrayal of these two, but the one to the left is the one i've seen so far. i always much prefer my imagined version of the characters that come naturally as i read to any tv or movie portrayal anyway. love that this didn't come easy, elizabeth bennet never compromised who she was and the general stubborness, interference & unlikelihood that their love manages to overcome.

jim & pam - i was a little late in the american office game, so luckily i didn't have to wait quite as long as everyone else to see these two finally get together, but managed to be dying the whole time they weren't nonetheless. everyone, or at least most everyone i know, wants fiercely to believe in the possibility of an unrequited, ill-timed friend crush working out amazingly in the end and these two are the perfect example. add awesome comedic chemistry, hijinks (lots) and a million occasions when it seemed like it would never happen and when it finally does, you just about die.

eric & sookie - maybe it's because i've read all the books (hey, they're excellent mindless summer reading) but i just find bill soooooooo annoying, all simpering and such. i want eric & sookie to get together, and not just in her random fantasies! he is a little more rough & tough, and i feel like he would be there to back her up, but would never take over when she could handle something on her own, y'know? i guess we'll call this a couple i'm dying to have happen!

angela and jordan catalano - i mean seriously! do i have to quote like every painful moment of this non-relationship to you?! remember how it was like this is high school? when you could fall in love with a boy because you "just love how he's always, like, leaning on things" and every single word out of his mouth is dissected and analyzed forever? so painful. so true. haha.

there are a fair bunch of couples i have left off this list, buffy & spike, satine & christian among others, but i guess that just leaves room for the possibility of a future list. : )

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 #07

01. monsters of folk - i don't know if i can really even explain my monsters of folk experience in terms that will be able to do it any sort of justice, but i'll try. i had heard rumblings of this "super group", but had just put them in my mental to-check-out-list until my friend john off handedly mentioned that he had a spare ticket for their philadelphia show at the academy of music, which i jumped on. these 4 guys, m. ward (solo work, she & him), conor oberst (commander venus, desparacidos, bright eyes and solo work), jim james (my morning jacket and solo work as yim yames) and mike mogis (bright eyes + 5 million other things) have written, performed, produced or appeared on like 70% of the albums i love most in the world and their degree of musicianship is INSANE (and you know i don't use caps!) anyway, the show was definitely one of my favorite performances of all time, if not the favorite. it was obvious that these dudes all really dig each other and thoroughly enjoy writing & playing music together. they performed some of their songs from their album as well as a ton of each others' songs for 2ish+ hours and it was amazing! beyond words.

02. screen printed tour posters - i have written before about my love for a good gig poster, but i just have to revisit it since the past week and a half has yielded two! kristina & i scored the amazing screen printed typewriter tour poster (pictured up there) at the get up kids show last thursday, and then i also scored an amazing one with metallic-y bits at the monsters of folk show monday. i die. now they just need a good framing so they can join the art wall.

03. new york magazine - just go ahead and subscribe now. new york magazine is the perfect length for a weekly reading, an awesome mix of news & entertainment, and it always supplies me with at least one or two interesting stories i want to share. i love it so much that i will even forgive it for this weeks cover story about how there are bands back in brooklyn. duh, nym!

04. chapstick "classic" - any of you who know me in person know that if i can't get my hands on my lip stuff it's all over. in fact john and i had to dash to the locust deli pre-show because i almost started hyperventilating sans-lip moisturizer. anyway, chapstick medicated used to be my go to love, but then they switched it all around when they changed their packaging and so i had to start using burts bees instead. it's good, but it's no chapstick medicated. anyway, on said pre-show dash for lippy stuff i made a wonderful discovery, chapstick "classic" is in fact chapstick medicated!!! rejoice with me.

05. penguin classic hardcovers - i think i have blogged in the past about my desire to read the classics that i somehow skipped in my earlier days. i started with pride & prejudice and am enjoying it so much that i'm slowing my reading down so that it doesn't end. and it's making me wonder what other classics are out there that i would love as much as this one. and now the design/literary world has given me yet another reason to keep reading; penguin hardback classics designed by coralie bickford-smith. gorgeous repeated images, printed and debossed on cloth hardcovers. so yum. my favorites are the picture of dorian gray, madame bovary, great expectations and oliver twist i am putting them on my christmas list, and have already visited them in the book store. you can drool over them all here. how beautiful will they be on their very own set of shelves?!?

friday five #01

since i love doing list entries so much and sometimes get blog stumped, i thought it might be a good idea to do an entry every friday with things i'm loving at the moment. so, welcome to the inaugural "friday five"!

01. "popular songs" by yo la tengo - i love when an album's cover art makes my heart go all fluttery, and a beautiful album cover like this one also serves as proof of that awesome new jersey/texas chemistry! yo la tengo done good when they picked an amazing sculpture from texas based artist dario robleto for their newest album, and the music's not half bad either, haha. almost all of these tracks are perfection on a cool rainy day, and my so-far-favorite is the 5th track, "periodically double or triple" which makes me want to shimmy dance with a cute boy in a dive bar somewhere.

02. the limited edition julie west chubby book - adorable name aside, check out the stats on these artist series books; 6"x6"and one & a 1/2 inch thick books packed with 10 artist designed postcards (one of which is a calendar), 100 lined pages & 150 blank sketchbook pages. julie west is one of my favorite artists of all time, to the point where my next tattoo is one of her pieces, and so i really can't wait to house all my thoughts, schemes, mix drafts and everything else for 2010 in this chubby book. julie's shop is sold out of them, but you can get them here, as well as some other places online.

03. jemaine & bret - seriously! how have i only just started watching "flight of the conchords" this past week? i know everyone loved jemaine in eagle vs. shark, but i'm a bret girl for sure, and now i am totally going to have to nerd out and check for him in lord of the rings as "elf escort" (or maybe not). i mean, how can you not fall in love with dudes when they do stuff like this in every episode? i'm only halfway through season one, but i die!

04. supayana - kerry's friend yana makes these amazing shirts by repurposing vintage & secondhand mens dress shirts into awesome ladies tops and sells them, and other cute pieces, on etsy! when i visited austin in june and kerry was doing most of my styling she threw me her "yana top" and a thick belt to go at waist level and i have to say i got a bunch of compliments! the tops are super comfy, super wearable, but still really interesting. and now, she is making these sweet shoelace necklaces that i can't wait to get my hands on, not to mention my need to own a "yana top" of my very own!

05. the romantics by galt niederhoffer - i absolutely adore this author's first book, a taxonomy of barnacles because it reminds me a little of a wes anderson style movie. so, when i saw she had a new book coming out it was hard to wait for it to come out in paperback, but it's here! i'm about halfway through and so far i like it a bunch. it seems less dense and quirky then taxonomy, but it's still enjoyable. i'll let you known how it turns out!

i know...

... i know i just did one of these, but i've had total bloggers block lately, and these little lists are the easiest kick start, so without further ado, 9 things i'm doing, loving, reading, watching, listening to & working on right about now.

01. artsy kismet -  okay, i know kismet isn't the correct word, but you'll get what i mean! so back in the beginning of june kristina gave me a bundle of cuteness, prints, cards, atc & such which all happen to be in pretty blues and creams. then, i got that melissa moss printed canvas up there on sale from urban. so, now i feel like i need to throw in my fave black & white photo booth strips and make a cute little cluster of blues somewhere in my room! it's high on my to do list post-saturday.

02. all things jenny - not that i haven't always loved jenny lewis, but lately it's been kinda non-stop. i've been belting songs from acid tongue, the execution of all things & under the blacklight at the top of my lungs in the car, wishing i could pull off little shortie jumpsuits with tights and vintage heels like she does and lately she has been serving as my inspiration to let my hair grow for as long as i can stand it, or at least until october! she is, however, also kind of making me covet all across bangs and that scares me a little.

03. bonfires - seriously? so glad that i got to check this one of my summer to do list this year! everyone's summer should include at least one bonfire, camping or otherwise. i love when i have a tummy full of s'mores, hair that smells like camp fire and ears full of great music & friends laughing . soooooo good!

04. collapse - okay, so this book may be really arduous, but it's definitely really interesting also. i have been hearing good things about it for a while, but was afraid to really dive in. but, after a whole month of reading nothing but sookie stackhouse "novels" i figured i should offset those with something serious. i'm only about a quarter of the way through, and it's slow going, but so far i would definitely recommend it for anyone patient enough to sometimes have to read things twice to really get it.

05. card camp - tomorrow's the big day! after 12+ hours of class prep and 5ish hours of other prep and packing i'm teaching "3 maximizing you paper pad classes" in one day with 29 students total! eek! i'm sure it's going to be lots of fun teaching my scrappy ladies off campus but it will be a relief to be able to think of something other than 6x6 paper pads after 4 p.m. tomorrow!

06. queen sophie ann - it wouldn't really be a list style post from me if there wasn't at least a mention of true blood, would it? i found queen sophie ann's character pretty intriguing in the sookie stackhouse books, so i'm excited to see where they take her character in the the tv series. in the books she's supposed to be about 16, which made her a little creepy and disconcerting in my mind, so i'm glad to see that evan rachel wood is playing her in the series and wonder what that means for it all. i'm super bummed that there are only two episodes left though!

07. cheeseball photos - i have a few friends who would be the first to tell you that i am no good at staying candid or having my picture taken. but, lately i've been embracing the cheesiness and rocking the top model poses (like the photo above, i'm doing the marjorie hunchback) and silly faces. i have to remember to just have fun, not be afraid to be silly and forget what others are thinking!

08. fantasy factory - okay, if you are not hooked on this show already, you need to be or we probs can't really be friends! at least catch a marathon next time there's one on because rob & drama totally kill me. the second season premiere was the other night and my face like seriously hurt from laughing/smiling so hard throughout the entire half hour. i just love that they have fun, do whatever crazy thing they cook up but they all stay supportive of one another and their fun is never at anyone else's expense. i'm not saying it's good family viewing, but it's way better than a lot of other stuff out there. i mean i really almost peed my pants during all the cheesy & swissy scenes.

09. the big relocation - things are starting to move along with the big scraptasia move! i'm so excited about all the ideas bouncing around and all the planning. i can't believe i haven't made a whole organizational binder system for the space design and move yet, i mean really. i'm sure dawn can't believe it either, she know i'm always looking for an opportunity to come up with a new organizational or binder/notebook system. it's a sickness.

cozy corner.

i've re-discovered the coziness that is my bedroom and all it took was a silly looking chair from target. i've been spending more time up there recently, reading & watching a movie or tv on dvd. i've just started watching seas one of the tudors and i can't tell if i'm going to like it or not. thoughts? i was re-watching all the season of buffy so i could start reading the comics that pick up where the last season ended, but i haven't made it back into borders for season 5 yet. summer tv is just so lame, other than weeds & true blood of course and there is dexter to look forward to. guilty pleasures like daisy of love (which is almost over and i am in love with london) and degrassi also help me through .  i like to watch something to relax before bed and there is only so much deadliest catch left to watch on my dvr, although i must confess that next time they do a whale wars marathon i'm dvr-ing for sure.. 

so i'm looking to anyone out there who may still actually be reading this blog, what tv series should i be watching on dvd? and what books should i be reading for that matter?  there are only so many sookie stackhouse books and i'm almost out. then it's on to finish sex drugs and cocoa puffs before i move on to collapse and pride and prejudice, which i feel obligated to read before i check out the zombie version, haha. then. my book reading dance card it open after that. suggestions?

10 things i'm lovin' on right about now-ish...

1. the 500 days of summer soundtrack - this finally came out today, and it's just making me more and more excited for the movie. the opening voiceover is beyond adorable and i fell in love with "sweet disposition" by the temper trap as soon as i saw the first preview and i'm pretty excited to finally have it in my musical posession, mix completely built around it soon to come.

2. dark, smoky grey patent leather anything - i grabbed these peep toes at old navy, and if they are comfy enough i'll have to go back for the eggplant ones too. i'm also wearing this same shade of grey on my nails non-stop these days.

3. rupert grint - we've been re-watching all the harry potter movies and i have to say that in the earlier ones especially, ron's facial expresisions and cracking voice totally make the movies for me. and then in the last couple, he's gotten pretty cute in his own awkwardly kinda hot way! i think kerry totally called my ginger loving stage when i was in austin. i've never been into the ginger boys before, but i think i'm there. haha.

4. "the boyfriend" line - cosmo cricket posted their 3 new lines on their blog today and i have fallen in love with "the boyfriend" line.  i choose to not be annoyed by the fact that girl paper is always shoes & shopping, and instead embrace how stoked i am on the pumpkin orange mix tape paper & all the accessories from the line, especially the chip shapes, which include bikes, a boom box, mix tapes, an old school video game joystick, a polaroid and about 20 other fun shapes i'm dying to play with!

5. nicole! - i'm always psyched on nicole, she's one of my top 5 favorite people in the world, but i'm especially psyched on the fact that she is in philly for the summer (she has mostly ditched us americans for the rest of the world by way of england) and tomorrow we are meeting up for the first time since she's been back! gianna's (philly's best vegan grille) for lunch and catch up squee-ing before my hair appointment. i also get to have dinner with miss ashley sue & my hair is muchly in need of this appointment, so it's going to be an all around exciting day.

6. "stencil me in" by marthe le van - spotted this book and had to have it. my friend colin makes amazing stencils for street art and fine street art canvases and i've always had ideas for them but have not really gotten a handle on them yet. this books seems to have all the info i'll need for what paints to use on what surfaces and tons of ideas, plus 20+ stencils in a little pouch on the back cover, most of which are pretty rad. plus i got it 50% off, so you really can't beat that.

7. a 2nd austin trip! - southwest had another awesome 48 hour fare special so i got a hold of kerry and booked it! i'm officially headed back to my new favorite city to further explore and hang out with kerry & allen in mid-october! i can't wait to re-visit a few places, check out some new ones & find some awesome shows & events as the date gets closer. plus, i'll be arriving right after kerry's birthday, which means it's her turn for an all out celebration!

8. basic grey kid stamps - i'm really into the 2 random little tim burton/edward gorey-esque creepy kid stamp sets that are in basic grey's gamma stamp series. i want to sit down and experiment with them a bit, maybe some dark circles under their eyes, a la gashlycrumb tinies. they just look so startled and awkward, i love it.

9. the diana+ instant back - i know it's kind of cheating the magic of shooting actual film, but with a camera with so many possible effects like the diana+ it would be a big plus, hehe, for me to be able to almost instantly see the image so i could really learn how to get the style of shots i want, training wheels of sorts. this guy snaps onto the back of your diana+ and shoots onto fujifilm instax mini for your immediate enjoyment. for sure lusting after this.

10. all things stackhouse -  if you follow me on twitter or are friends with me on facebook, i'm sorry. i'm going through a sookie stage and it's beyond crazy. i'm hooked on "true blood", reading the book series the show is based on and keeping up on the bon temps gossip on twitter. i'm even dreaming it, so that really can't be a good sign.

on & on

+ loving tumblr! the stuff that people share is just completely stellar. i have to stop myself from heart-ing just about every post because there is just so much inspiration out there in the collective creative community! this mosaic is a little me and a lot collected from some of my favorite tumblr ladies;  jasmine , eyeswideopen and others. i am a bit confused about how to use it. i don't feel like i completely get it yet. sometimes i really wish i could just comment on someones post instead of re-blogging it, but it's fine. i'll get there.

+ the colors in that "close your eyes, clear your heart, let it go" piece up there are so what i am loving right now and i'm lucky enough to have an awesomely talented dude friend in my life who i could just ichat and say, "i want this text square re-done with my blog title and while you're at it can you figure out the hexadecimal colors for me so i can rock out my blog" and like 5 minutes later, done. now i want to live in my blog. steve, thanks for totes killin' it!

+ umm.... i've been reading in the woods by tana french for like EVER now! it's not that it's bad, because it's definitely good, it's just a little too creepy at time to be read before sleepy times, which is when i do most of my reading. anyway, i thought it might help if i have a new book that's next up to bat, y'know? so, i went to borders the other day to find one and that place looks like a ghost town of book. there is like nothing on the shelves, it's a little scary! so, all i ended up buying was wreck this journal  and some owl stickers, haha. any book suggestions for me? make them good!

+ the time has come for me to start saving money like a crazy lady to pay for the major tattoo itch i've got growing right now. i've been wanting a full on 3/4 sleeve full of julie west loveliness for a while now, but it has always seemed pretty daunting as a whole. but i have just discovered the perfect piece to start with and so now i'm dieing to make it happen! i think i might be able to pull off an early april appointment if i save my money from teaching this month. nevertheless, i want it now!

+ also majorly craving some items that i have neither the energy nor funds to procure such as the sweet granita bag & the movement of waves bag from anthropologie. anyone care to be my benefactor? i also would still like my helicopter pilots liscense and now also want to go to stunt driver school, if for no other reason than to see what happens when you do crazy things while driving, but without the pesky dieing part! anyone? anyone? no? fine.

a lil' halloween love.

obviously i can't get enough of this skully either! i made this little lady with the same "snag 'em" stamp and general card layout as the pink & black chick below and yet they look so different! this one is using a pumpkin colored card from memory box, the black double dot with the scallop punch and a couple of new ribbons from cha (that double loop down there is black metallic!!!) plus, the best part, i think, is that spiderweb paper from making memories. i accentuated the spider by tracing over it with the new, crazy glittery american crafts pens we just got in. all in all i kind of totally love it.

anyway, i've survived the weekend and even made a couple of layouts tonight after work, including ones with pictures from the party saturday. i am still catching up on the sleep defecit though, so i'm off to bed now.

i left my glasses the friends house we stayed at saturday night, and it's messing with my before bed reading! i've started "nobody belongs here more than you" by miranda july and i'm hoping to really like it. has anyone else read it yet? i feel like i keep hearing random tid bits about it, but really have no idea what to expect from it. i guess we'll see, once i have glasses that is. : )

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!

i did it!

i've actually kind of been scrapping like crazy the past couple of days! first at the store and then again today at trish's with my sassy scrappers! yes, i have made a couple of minis for store samples, but i've also done 3 layouts for the store and a quickie one that i love, but won't be able to photograph 'til tommorow, for myself.

oddly enough, the past 4 i've done have been 12 x 12, which is a size that i've moved away from mostly until now. i guess all those years of strictly 2 page 12 x 12's burnt me out, but sometimes there is just too much fun to be had on a page for it to be a smaller size!

i've been love, love, loving the october afternoon we finally got in, and mixed with love, elsie woodgrain from the forrest collection? perfect! that little journaling spot there is something else i'm totally in love with lately, a little something spotted in a catalog that we ordered on a whim and it's worked out so well; they're these layered sticker and chipboard mini sets from paper bliss and i can't get enough of them. the set i used here is one of my faves, along with the owls and flowers that remind me of dawn's orla keiley bag! sorry, i can't find a good picture of them online. : ( you'll have to either take my word for it that they're awesome or come by to the store! anyway, i'm also loving the new hambly fancy frames rub-ons and super bright colors, it just seems like the right time of year for those!

let's see... i've been getting some nice outside time, laying on my bright polka dot sheet and reading or chatting in the sun, can't beat that. tommorow the plan is more outside time reading the curious incident of the dog in the night-time (probably finishing it) and listening to some of the newest music on mypod like the ting tings, santogold, my morning jacket, the new-ish maria taylor and the always present mates of state! i've been really making an effort to bring my music collection back to life, until lately it's been getting a little stale but man do i think i'm back in the game now! i wouldn't say no to anymore suggestions though, i do have mucho mixes to work on!

done and done.

my new bedroom is finally finished. there are a couple of things that are slightly off, but they will be fixed over time. it has a bit of a foresty vibe without me really realizing it until i was almost done, which i like. it just kind of came together that way.

the print wall is going to be added to and rearranged on a pretty constant basis, i'm sure. and i love the way the color coded bookshelves look. i think my absolute favorite part is the jewelery trees though, thank you ikea. the curtains and tree branch tie-backs from urban were another necessary bit that i really love, especially from outside at night.

and, as in any room, it's the small touches that really make it for me. the little owls katie made, little dishes and drawer pulls from anthropologie and little plush friends.

you can see the actual pictures in my bedroom re-do flickr set.

i'm really hoping that settling into my new digs will help center me in some way. i'm still having that constantly on the verge of a panic attack feeling still. there are just so many things that i need to be re-working and doing and enjoying and i can't seem to get to that level point of dealing with everyday life things, nevermind the extra. so, maybe this will work... a new sanctuary = a new center. here's to hope.

... 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!

"you really shouldn't mumble, i can't understand a word you're saying!"

kristina, quality control officer chloe rose and i had a lot of fun kitting sunday and monday. we really did get a pretty awesome amount of stuff done. and, having had the sneak peek of kristi's classes i have to say that everyone needs to take them! for real. and if you're not going to
scrap bowl, maybe you'll luck out and she'll have some leftover kits to sell on her blog. we watched a bunch of movies, awesome ones and ridiculous ones and kristina tried to make me only have healthy snacks, which is necessary as evidenced by that picture up there, eek!

speaking of which, i found a 24 hour gym near me, which is major for this area and you can even join on a month to month basis. so, i'm totally getting on that, as well as the big healthy food grocery shop, after this crazy weekend coming up! that all paired with a new haircut happening next week, a possible work week change and finally actually moving into my room all the way (i think i've been in denial about moving back) i should be setting myself up for a much happier me, which i usually have a hard time getting around to doing.

i finished colin's book, "when you leave..." at least mostly, haha. i still need to drill the holes at the top so that i can put the binder rings in and get it to him. i realy liked how it turned out, simple, clean and heartfelt. and seriously, what would i do without my typewriter?

and ooh! did y'all see that now you can buy individual pieces of scrap in syle's patterned paper? my favorite, of ocurse, being the label love collection. not only do i love it because it's kristina's, but it's the most versatile, by far! i can't stop using it! i have done at least 3 or 4 layouts, 3 mini's and a bunch of daily cards with it and i still can't get enough!

and, since i've been a fairly bad blogger lately, here's a little general info, haha.

reading: a great and terrible beauty (actually re-reading because the 3rd one came out.)
watching: lost in hi-def online to prepare for season 4. : )
listening: dan in real life: soundtrack perfect for this grey snowy day at work.
purchasing: little bits for my room re-do like this and this.
scrapping: valentines atc swap

and i really can't wait 'til this weekend is done and i can really work on ruthlessly cleaning out my scrap area! i'm talking about even getting rid of stuff i like, but know i will never get around to using. then it's all going in a big bin in the garage until the next scrapbook garage sale at mlpa! i just have way too much stuff to even operate over there! wish me luck!

oh so obsessive.

yes, i do have a bit of an obssesive personality. i find something i love to do and i want to share it with everyone, play all the time and own it all. scrapbooking supplies, albums, cute flats, big earrings... once i love something i love it big time. so, it's always nice when a new obsession is a healthy one like good reads. it's an awesome website that i've been hearing people like elise and vee talk about and just remembered to check out today. you know that when people you totally love and respect like something chances are it's worth a look, and sure enough...OBSESSION!

you can rate and review books you've read, are reading or want to read and add friends to your profile to check out their lists and reviews. i even added that fun little widget over there --------------> isn't he cute?

so, check it out peeps. you won't be dissapointed and while your at it, add me to your friends so i can see what you are into!

mixed by morgan....

... introducing "music to unpack to" ta-da!



love how this mix turned out. i'm telling you,
kristina revolutionized the way i look at cardboard with her, "right now" class. anyway, this little baby is being shipped off to miss michelle who just moved back out to california. it's filled with music to unpack to. here's the track listing;

01. the gift - angels & airwaves
02. lazy eye - the silversun pickups
03. natural's not in it - gang of four
04. i don't feel like dancin' - the scissor sisters
05. touch the sky - kanye west
06. don't change - inxs
07. breakin' up - rilo kiley
08. i feel it all - feist
09. golden years - david bowie
10. nowhere again - the secret machines
11. super duper love (are you diggin' on me) - joss stone
12. young folks - peter bjorn and john
13. fraud in the 80's - mates of state
14. kissing the lipless - the shins
15. daft punk is playing at my house - lcd soundsystem
16. back in yoru head - tegan & sara
17. automatic girl - lola ray
18. this is it - ryan adams

does this count as my monday mix? haha. i'm going to be in long island/new york city sunday to monday, yay! hanging with two of my fave scrap ninjas and meeting up with a third for dinner monday night.

so, did anyone else read the twilight trilogy; twilight, new moon and eclipse? i absolutely loved twilight, new moon was rocky at first, but then sucked me back in and i was digging eclipse until the end. did anyone else feel a little ripped off? if so e-mail me and we shall discuss, haha.

off to clean up my scrappy stuff and get ready to dash home, pick up my mum, hunt for a couple cute jumper shirts and meet my aunt for her birthday dinner. i'm digging the whole jumper style that's going on right now. it's the perfect way to mask all the thermals, tees and such that i have accidentily shrunk so that they are too short, haha.