e.louise

A Table for Coffee {round 2}

2012-01-24T11:07:00.001-06:00

industrial coffee table (again) | west elm

Dimensions: 48" x 24" Good: Pretty much what I'm looking for Bad: the price, 16" height- our current coffee table has ~20" height. I would ideally like somewhere in between.

What this boils down to is 1) spending $$ and 2) purchasing something that looks relatively easy to make. Now, a table top, I cannot build, but I think my (second) favorite store, Ikea, may be able to help if I go this route:


Lagan countertop \| Ikea

Dimensions: 49 5/8" x 25 5/8" x 1 1/8" Good: Beech, solid wood; dimensions; price Bad: not currently available, unknown when they will be available, $$$$ to ship.

Numerar countertop | Ikea

Dimensions: 49 5/8" x 25 5/8" x 1 1/2" Good: (See above) Bad: (See above)

As for table legs, I ordered some of these for my ikea expedit cabinet (which was an ultimate fail.... particle board does not play nice with drills and screws). I would love them on a coffee table too:

Hairpin Legs

In total, I would spend less money going this route (if I wait until the table tops are in stock again). But part of me is saying, just purchase something... NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DIY-ED. First world problems, I know.

A Table for Coffee

2012-01-17T14:42:00.001-06:00

For a while now, we have been wanting to upgrade the coffee/end tables in our living room to better fit our updated sofa. This is what our living room (kind of) looks like now:

I fell in love with this coffee table, and I went to look at it West Elm. (I may have even purchased it because it was on sale and on back order.)

industrial coffee table | west elm

And now I'm having second thoughts (to cancel or not to cancel my order...). X thinks we need end tables that match the coffee table, which I'm not so sure about, but it has led me to continue the seemingly endless search for a table. I'm looking for something structurally light (in appearance, if that makes sense). I think anything too bulky will make our room look tiny again, which I'm really trying to avoid. I'm also obsessed with mixing wood and metal elements. OBSESSED.

Here are some other options that I came up with:

pia coffee table | crate and barrel

I love that this table looks almost invisible in this room. However, X nixed this one because of the glass. Sad face that my anti-glass views have rubbed off on him.

hammary "intrepid" cocktail table | wayfair

I like the color combination of this table, but I'm not sure how I feel about the marble top. Yes it looks like wood, but will it look cheesy? Is it just as durable?

tfg "wabash" cocktail table | wayfair

tfg martini coffee table | wayfair

I think this might be my favorite. Not sure how I feel about the shape though- I think a rectangular/square table may fit the space better.

rand natural steel cocktail table | room & board

riverside "logan" cocktail table | wayfair

There is a fine line here between rustic and modern. This one leans more on rustic I think, but I like the dark wood + dark metal combo. And actually, the more I look at it, the more I don't like it. Blah.

So that's it. Some of these are out of my price range, and I really would like real wood, not veneer. I also prefer bronze/dark steel. I have looked on almost every furniture site under the sun, but can't seem to find something *just* right. Any further insight or suggestions are appreciated!

One photo, Everyday

2012-01-10T09:24:00.001-06:00

I'm participating in a photo challenge that involves taking a picture everyday in 2012. So far, all of mine are from my ~~crappy~~ iphone. Hopefully, I'll be a little more motivated to take pictures with my nice camera and upload them (it's so much easier just to take a quick picture with my phone, but the quality is lacking). I'm also wondering how many of my pictures over the year will be of 1) coffee 2) food (omg I love food) and 3) the dogs. I know some of you are also participating in this too... but if you haven't yet, go here to check it out :)

Oh, and a very belated Happy New Year!!!

Odds & Ends

2011-12-21T10:22:00.000-06:00

1. I saw the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night. It was so, so good. It followed the book pretty closely (I hate when the movie doesn't follow the book at all!). And the acting- omg the acting! Rooney Mara is awesome and may be my favorite actress now.

2. Kingsley has an ear infection. Poor baby :( He will be going to the vet on Friday. Maybe I can convince them to clip his Freddy Krueger nails while he's there, hmm.....

3. Five days 'til Christmas and I still have baking, shopping, cooking to do. And send out some holiday cards. Aghhh!

4. Item 3 has me exhausted. All I want to do is curl up on the sofa with a good episode of MI-5 (I'm hooked) and some coffee.

5. I really wanted to do some recap posts of the last year, but I'm exhausted (see items 3 & 4). Thus, it may or may not happen.

Happy Wednesday all!

A Christmas Wish List

2011-12-14T09:26:00.000-06:00

1. 10-20mm||f/3.5-4.5 lens
I would love to take better pictures of my home decor... and I think this little gem would help.

via Amazon

2. 30mm||f/1.4 lens
I've heard many good things about this lens too.

via Amazon

3. West Elm coffee table
Duh. I've been drooling over this coffee table since I first laid eyes on it. *Cough* *Cough* husband.

via West Elm

4. Kindle Fire
I guess it's time to transition to an e-reader. I do still read hard/paperbacks, but I also read a fair amount on kindle for iPhone. Probably not the best for my eyesight.

via Amazon

5. Penguin Classics
For my future library :) I already own a few of these (and of course I LOVE them) and they double as art work!

via Amazon

6. Perfume
Calvin Klein Euphoria Spring Temptation. I tend to fall in love with items that are either 1)limited editions 2)go out of stock or business. I believe this falls under category 1.

via Amazon

7. Donations to any of the following:


LFA

LLS

MD Anderson

Town Lake Animal Shelter

8. Classes for Knitting or Crochet

Stitch Lab

WEverb11: 8-12

2011-12-13T12:03:00.000-06:00

Day 8: Choice
What was the biggest choice you made in 2011? What caused you to choose what you chose?

Oh my, this prompt is really hard to answer. I guess the biggest choice I made was choosing to take the professional engineering exam and choosing to study really hard for it so that I would be able to pass it. I have a long list of choices I would like to make for 2012.

Day 9: Appreciate

In which moment did you find yourself flooded with gratitude? How will you rally around gratitude in 2012?

I honestly can't think of one individual moments, I think I really felt appreciative year round in 2011. There were so many moments when I absolutely felt so lucky to be surrounded by such a great network of family and friends. I think 2012 will be the year that I take time to show more appreciation. Little gestures like handwritten notes or phone calls come to mind.

Day 10: Create
Share a creative project you undertook this year (art, writing, DIY, cooking, home decoration, crafts, photography … whatever comes to mind). How do you use your creativity to express yourself?

There are too many to share ;) I'm planning on doing a recap of 2011, in which many of my DIY projects will make an appearance. DIY, home decoration, crafts, and sewing are my preferred methods of creativity. I've found that I require them on a regular basis to really be happy.

Day 11: Try
What are12 new things do you want to do/accomplish in 2012?

1. Regular Exercise: this is really a "must" on my list. I'm aiming for a healthier lifestyle.
2. Crochet. Not just lines of stitches, an actually item (blanket, rug, pillow, etc.)
3. Making Dinner every night. This is requires a balance between my husband and myself (because I don't think I can do this alone). Also, part of leading a healthier lifestyle.
4. Participate in a photo everyday.
5. Stay organized. I'm not sure on the "how" yet, but it needs to happen.
6. Give up Diet Dr. Pepper.
7. Have "Meatless Mondays".
8. Give up control. I have a really hard time doling out tasks to others, but my perspective (of "I must do everything myself") will run me into the ground one day.
9. Invest more money.
10. Take the dogs to dog parks.
11. Take walks with my husband.
12. Doing something that scares me.

Day 12: Thrive
What was your healthiest habit of 2011? What would you like to change or do differently in 2012?

I started making protein smoothies for my husband and myself for breakfast every morning. We are definitely starting out our days more healthier. In 2012, I have a long list of things I want to do differently. See Day 11 for details.

We Took Some Pictures

2011-12-13T11:09:00.001-06:00

I have long been a fan of Stephanie's annual family photographs, and, of course, I want to share this tradition with my family :) We missed a chance last year for our first anniversary, but I was bound and determined to get pictures for our second anniversary. After much ~~complaining and moaning~~ excitement from my husband (please tell me I'm not alone in this!?!), we finally made it happen. Our anniversary falls conveniently close to Christmas, so I'm pretty sure these photographs will double as our holiday cards every year :)

Our wedding photographer shot these (she is awesome, by the way). I love them. I think my husband does too.

The dogs missed out on joining us this time, but I assure you that I have some plans to include them in our cards (mwahahaha).

If you don't take photos every year, I highly recommend it.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!!!

2011-12-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

I blogged about it last year. You can find more about it here and here.

via

WEverb11

2011-12-06T09:06:00.002-06:00

Last year I participated in reverb (and may or may not have finished....), so this year I'm going to give it another try with WEverb11. Like last year, a prompt is given for each day in December and bloggers respond. To find out more, go here.

Day 1: Choose one word.
Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why. Imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?

2011: Accomplishment
I became a licensed engineer, X started school again and got into grad school. We somehow squeezed in a belated anniversary trip and our house feels more like a home now.
2012: Adventure

Day 2: Listen.
What song did you listen to in 2011 to completely change your mood? Think about ways you can you add more music to your life in 2012.

I wouldn't say it was one song. I listened to a lot of classical and opera music to get into "study mode" when I was studying for my exam. I also discovered Florence & the Machine, which puts me in the best mood.

Day 3: Learn
What lesson did you learn in 2011 from “The School of Life” rather than a classroom?

You can't afford to stress over every little thing.

Day 4: Haiku
Sum up your year, via haiku.

One more year long gone
Working hard to live our dreams
Loved every second

Day 5: Befriend
Did you meet any new friends this year? How did they impact your 2011?

Most of the new friends I've met have been online through twitter and Weddingbee. Some people may not consider these "real" friends, but I look forward to hearing bits and pieces about their lives and they are some of the most genuine, sincere people I have ever met.

Day 6: Travel
Where did you travel this year? What was your favorite part? If you didn’t get to travel, where do you want to go next year?

I traveled to NOLA with the 'bees in April. My favorite part of this trip was getting to know some of these women a little better and, of course, it didn't hurt that we were in a fabulous city :) I went to the meet-up in 2010 and I hope to attend the next one in 2012!
Husband and I were also able to take a trip to Puerto Rico in June. I loved being able to just relax and spend time with him. Also the food was ah-mazing. One day I'll blog about it- promise ;)
Next year, we would like to travel to Seattle because I've had a crush on that city since forever. We'll see though what 2012 brings!

Fabric off the Rack

2011-12-01T11:24:00.000-06:00


Sunburst Dress \| Francesca's Collection

Echo- Scattered Blooms | Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics via Hawthorne Threads

I need

2011-11-29T08:58:00.003-06:00

found via CSN|Wayfair & also Joss & Main (today)

OMG this chair.

This also brings me to my second point. This chair is available on one of those member's only sites- Joss and Main (non-returnable + $24 in shipping), but it's also available at CSN (returnable + FREE shipping) for $20 more. I originally found the chair on Joss and Main, but further research led me to CSN's site. I'm not saying one site is better than the other, but this isn't the first time I've found an item on a "member's only" site that I found for a much better price/return policy/shipping policy elsewhere.

I guess my only point is this: shop around peeps... after all, there is a rather large internet out there :)

Breaking Dawn I Alamo Drafthouse

2011-11-21T13:14:00.002-06:00

Don't worry- no spoilers here! Feel free to keep reading even if you haven't seen it :D

On Friday, I ventured over to Alamo Drafthouse with some of my besties to check out the new Twilight movie. If you've never been to the Drafthouse, and you live near Austin, it should definitely be on your list of things you MUST do :) It is seriously the best way to watch movies. You may have heard about this quirky theater via this well known video that was recently released:

via You Tube

Anyways, before each film, instead of showing annoying commercials like most movie venues, they show videos pertaining to the feature presentation. Of course for Breaking Dawn, most of the videos were about vampires. Below are a few hilarious (parody) clips that were shown... enjoy!

via Hulu

via You Tube

Happy Monday!!

Fabric off the Rack

2011-11-17T15:47:00.000-06:00

Or in this case, wall. Ever since seeing this wall paper in Stinkerpants' adorable house, I have had a huge crush on it.

via Stinkerpants

Julia Rothman for Hygge & West via Supermarket

Khristian A. Howell |The Woodlands for Anthology Fabrics via Hawthorne Threads

Odds & Ends

2011-11-17T07:42:00.001-06:00

1. I've been neglecting this blog because of the craziness that comes with the upcoming holidays. I can't believe it's already the end of November!!

2. Husband and I are hosting a smallish Thanksgiving dinner with our parents and siblings this year. It will be our first real dinner party and I am so excited!

3. To prepare for said dinner, decoration making has been in full force around these parts. Supplies include velvet, pumpkin stems, foam pumpkins, glitter, burlap, leaves, more glitter. I think I'm close to wrapping up the decor (with only a week before Turkey day, I hope so!)... so that means an upcoming blog post w/ tutorials should appear soon :)

via Nest of Posies on Pinterest

4. Husband and I have been in disagreement about having the basset hound on the sofa. At first I was against it, but with the cooler weather I've changed my mind (I feel bad once he gets up there, he looks so warm and comfortable). Husband's argument is that it is a control issue. Not letting them on the sofa means that we are in control. Thoughts? Do you allow pets on your furniture?

5. Harry Potter Lego (years 5-7). Enough said.

Guest Posting...

2011-11-15T12:45:00.000-06:00

...over at the blog of the very lovely and crafty Joyl!!

Hop on over and say hi :)

October Photo Challenge: Days 9-12

2011-10-19T08:09:00.000-05:00

{9} Someone You Love


Husband \| X: One of my best decisions was saying yes to him

{10} Childhood Memory

Mama (in a picture of a picture)

Most of my childhood memories revolve around my mom, who stayed home with both my sister and me until we started elementary school. Even after that, she spent the summer and holidays at home with us. One of my favorite memories as a child, was baking cookies with her and my sister (which we would do every year) before Christmas.

{11} Something Blue

Upholstered chair (that I still need to blog about)

{12) Sunset

October Photo Challenge: Days 5-8

2011-10-12T08:04:00.000-05:00

{5} From a High Angle

morning coffee

{6} From a Low Angle

the basset hound & his extra skin

{7} Fruit

my favorite fall candle

{8} A Bad Habit

diet dr. pepper, you are my downfall

Stay tuned later this week for a crafty giveaway :)

October Photo Challenge- Day 4

2011-10-05T07:57:00.000-05:00

{4} Something Green

October 30-day Photo Challenge- Day 3

2011-10-03T19:11:00.000-05:00

{3} Clouds

The only cloud in the sky this afternoon.

October Photo Challenge- Day 1 & 2

2011-10-03T07:43:00.001-05:00

{1} Self Portrait

{2} What I Wore Today

I really need a full length mirror

Today's photo challenge is clouds, this could be difficult (because it was a pretty clear sky yesterday and today will be the same)... ah the joys of living in Texas :)

30-Day Challenge

2011-09-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

It starts tomorrow. I'll try to post every day. If you want to join in the fun too.... go here :)

source

Fabric off the Rack

2011-09-30T11:21:00.001-05:00

Honestly, I never really liked Ty Pennington's fabric line (I know).

Ty Pennington for Westminster | Wave in Spice via Hawthorne Threads

But when I saw the pattern on this dress, I may have changed my mind.

Jenny Dress by Goldie | Top Shop

And because I missed last week's post (lately, it seems that life has been hectic both at work and at home!)...

Storybook V | Windham Fabrics

Twist Neck Dress by Annie Greenabelle | Top Shop

Odds & Ends

2011-09-19T08:18:00.000-05:00

1. It almost rained this weekend at our house. Almost. I was terribly sad that it didn't. I love the rain!

2. The downstairs bathroom reno is almost complete. After two weeks of work and two season of the Vampire Diaries (which I have to admit, I loved- does anyone else watch this??). Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures later this week of a completed project. Here is a hint as to why it has taken me so long to finish:

via Jones Design Company

3. Two of my favorite boys {Husband + Kingsley} celebrated birthdays this weekend. Though husband worked on a paper for most of the weekend and I worked on the bathroom. We did manage to leave the house Saturday to watch the game and enjoy dinner with my in-laws.

4. Kingsley enjoyed his birthday by playing with his new favorite toy, which I discovered on Laura's blog:

As of today, it has lived up to it's reputation of being indestructible. We shall see if it lasts another week!

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Fabric off the Rack

2011-09-15T15:25:00.001-05:00

Garden Party | Social Climber in Gold by Anna Maria Horner

Veranda Floral Flats in Yellow via Ruche

Bronze vs. Brushed Nickel

2011-09-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

The age old dilemma. Or at least the dilemma that is swirling around in my mind at the moment. The problem is that we've replaced some of the light fixtures around our house and the new ones happen to be bronze.

The new fixtures {hall way, bathrooms}:

(both via Home Depot). Honestly, I probably would not have normally chosen to install these, but 1) they were very cost effective and 2) they match the finishes and look of the living room fan and the light in our dining area, that, I might add, were both installed by the previous owners.

So, with that in mind.... I would like to spray paint our door knobs, towel rods, and maybe sink faucets (sans the kitchen faucet and the metal surrounding the shower in the master bath) ala Young House Love. Right now our faucets are either silver/gold, or silver and the door knobs are all ugly gold. In other words, they don't match AT ALL and I would like them to all match. Would you (spray) paint them all bronze or all brushed nickel? Is it weird for the finish on the lighting to differ from all the other metal accents? I'm leaning towards bronze, but things like the metal surrounding our shower (could one even spray paint that?) not matching any of the other metal finishes in the bathroom bother me. And if one bathroom has bronze accents, shouldn't they all? And if the bathrooms have bronze accents, shouldn't the door knobs match? Obviously this is an issue that should be tackled at the same time, and not room by room... like I'm doing.

*sigh, lesson learned*

Fabric off the Rack

2011-09-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

Denyse Schmidt- Flea Market Fancy Bouquet via Janey Mac

Every time I see this dress, I am reminded of Denyse Schmidt and her lovely fabric.

Anthro Verdant Slip Dress

Odds & Ends

2011-09-06T13:00:00.001-05:00

1. As I'm sure many of you have heard, we've been battling fires around Austin this weekend. Primarily northwest and east of Austin (the one near Bastrop is still 0% contained). It is really scary to see and smell the smoke from a blaze nearly thirty miles away. If you are interested in helping, go here or here- nearly 600 homes in Bastrop alone were destroyed :(

Bastrop Fire :(

2. Speaking of fires, this weekend my husband kept freaking me out with questions like what would you take if we needed to leave? if there was a fire? Um isn't that supposed to be a theoretical question? But it was so real to many, many people this weekend. It has definitely made me rethink (once again) about all of the things in our house. Things that could be gone in an instant. Things that we may or may not miss.

3. Part of our fence fell over Sunday morning. (OMG it was windy) Which means, at the moment, that we are sharing a yard with our neighbors, and (of course) the dogs are having a grand time enjoying the extra space and company. It also means that most of Monday was spent digging up fence posts and cementing in new ones. Thank goodness it was cooler!

4. Speaking of cool, today is a big day:

Pumpkin Spice is back!!! This means fall is officially here, right? So I can start decorating? Lets hope the cool weather sticks around for a while, so it actually feels like fall too :)

Fabric off the Rack

2011-09-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Full Moon Polka Dot (Cherry) by Amy Butler via Hawthorne Threads

In Full Color Dress via Modcloth

Career Art

2011-08-31T09:39:00.000-05:00

So, I'm still in the process of gathering prints and photos for our photo wall, and I thought it would be nice to include some prints that subtly hint at the careers that husband and I spend a majority of our time working toward.

I purchased this print {for me} and I love it! I'm so excited to hang it up in our house :)

via etsy seller Megan Lee

I've also been looking for some bear/bull prints {for the husband- to represent the stock market/ finance} Perhaps these:

Although, it's actually harder than I thought to find a bear and bull print. Maybe I should look for something entirely different? Or brainstorm to DIY some art...

Fabric off the Rack

2011-08-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

I'm always on the look out for fabric that looks like it could be used to create something hanging on racks at Anthropologie or Nordstrom's. Today I found some :)

Papillion by Jessica Gonahca Swift for Red Rooster (found via Hawthorne Threads)

Lepidoptera Dress via Anthropologie

Also, I think I'm going to make this a weekly post. Happy Thursday!

Around the House

2011-08-18T11:18:00.001-05:00

I am really scatterbrained when it comes to, well, everything. Especially projects around our house. Here are a few things I'm working on at the moment:

- we re-painted our bedroom and I love it :) Pictures soon to come. In the mean time I'm working on finding items to hang on our walls and perhaps a coffee table--bench reno inspired by Love and Renovations for the end of our bed.

- I received my comic book boards from Amazon and have started the tedious process of organizing my fabric. I love how they look now, but I have come to the realization that I have way too much fabric. I see a much needed sewing marathon in my near future.

- I made my first ever craigslist purchase! Details to come... :)

- I am still scraping off bits of wall paper border from our downstairs bathroom. It sucks. It's a project that I've had to walk away from for a while because I hate it so much. I found that using a plastic (kitchen) scrubber and hot water is the only way to get the large amounts of glue and paper scraps off the walls. The good news is that the paint has been bought and as soon as the last of the paper is gone, the painting will begin!

- The backyard. Oh help me. Our grass is quickly dying and I hate this area next to our patio.

Once it gets a little cooler, I'm ~~hoping to~~ will rip up all of the pavers, de-weed and re-lay/ extend them to the fence, and then mulch the side of the house for a "dog-run" area. I also purchased a pair of metal chairs at a garage sale that I'm repainting & reupholstering for this space. And, I found a small outdoor (al fresco dining) table at Target on clearance for $15 (yay), but cannot find any pictures online...

- I am slowly collecting artwork and frames for my frame wall under the staircase. One day, it too will get finished.

It really doesn't seem like that much when it's documented punch-list style, but it feels like so much every time I step through the front door. I know it will get done, but I am easily overwhelmed.

Odds & Ends

2011-08-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

1. My husband and I just started watching Breaking Bad (AMC) and we are hooked. I think I actually like it better than this season's True Blood.

2. Item 1 has resulted in getting little done around the house. We still have two more seasons to get through people!

3. In an attempt to reorganize my craft room (and hopefully sew more), I ordered these boards after seeing Maggie's organized fabric yardage:

via Smashed Peas & Carrots

I am a little anxious to get this room organized because I am constantly unable to find items I need. It is seriously a disaster area, my husband can (and will) attest to this. Maybe I'll post some pre-organization pictures, *maybe*.

4. We had a bit of a scare with the Oso dog. He has been drinking a ton of water lately, and last week he started waking us up in the middle of the night (whining) because he wants water. The vet sounded really certain that the excessive water drinking was related to either kidney problems or diabetes. However, we found out yesterday that the blood work they ran looks really good. So for now, they are going to treat him for a UTI and see how he responds.

Old Bear

5. The heat here is pretty unbearable. I find myself so exhausted after the drive home from work (it's only 30 minutes in an air-conditioned car, but the sun takes every ounce of energy out of me). We spend most of our time inside and I feel like I'm getting cabin fever. This past weekend we installed window tint on the windows in our kitchen (they face west and are BRUTAL in the afternoon). I wish we would have thought to do this sooner because it is amazing. Our kitchen is no longer a sauna after 3 p.m. :) I may actually be motivated enough to cook dinner now.

Guest Posting

2011-08-03T07:54:00.000-05:00

I'm over at Love & Renovations today doing a DIY post on these chairs. Go check it out :)

Greige

2011-08-02T09:03:00.001-05:00

Some happy news (for you and my husband)- I have decided on a paint color for our bedroom:

via Lowes

The color is Valspar: Notre Dame (5006-1B), and it looks much more grey in person than as shown in the above picture. I think it will go nicely with our ugly trim. Although if it doesn't, I may be crazy enough to repaint all the trim and doors in our house a (normal) off-white and be done with it.

Here are some pictures of the color in action:


via Carrie Loves

via Simplify

via Modern Garden (warning: there is music)

via Decorating Obsessed (also, check out her awesome houndstooth wall!)

Yay!

30 Before 30

2011-07-25T12:24:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, I entered in to the last year of twenties. I'm actually really excited about the prospect of my 30's and I'm hoping those are the years I finally begin feeling like a "real adult". I'm still working on the 1001 in 101 (with a little over a year left to complete... eek!), but I wanted to make a list of items that I absolutely want to do before turning 30. A list of items that I really want to hold myself to, even if I don't get to finish all the items in my 1001 in 101 (and yes, some of them overlap).

Finish the quilt I started sewing for my mom (like five years ago).
Create an outdoor space where my husband and I can go to relax.
Finish my wedding recaps.
Begin and stick to an exercise regiment.
Be more optimistic, act more positively, and try my best to be a happier person.
Read a biography.
Take a camping trip and/or spend more time outdoors (when the temperature finally starts to go down, of course).
Become more organized (both at home and at work).
Start the journey to becoming meds-free.
Eat healthier/ eat less red meat/ eat less processed food.
Eat more meals at home.
Become debt free.
Hang pictures of my husband and I in our house (we still don't have any up- I know. I know!)
Stick to a regular blogging schedule.
Keep a journal or sketchbook.
Sew more, and get better at it.
Learn to read sewing patterns, and become good at it.
Start a craft club.
Open an etsy/big cartel shop- even if it only has one item.
Disconnect from social media a few nights out of the week.
Outline my personal goals for the next 10 years.
Make a list of goals for my husband and myself, as a couple.
Throw a dinner party.
Celebrate a holiday at our house.
Spend more effort on my work attire and dress more professionally.
Take more pictures of my husband and me together.
Create a substantial rainy day fund.
Learn how to take better photographs.
Start an herb or vegetable garden
Start a compost pile.

Here's to year 29!

Odds & Ends

2011-07-12T10:05:00.000-05:00

1. My dad has been picking up (very ripe) peaches on his weekend trips to Fredericksburg. I have made peach cobbler two weeks in a row now- I'll post the recipe if anyone is interested. If this keeps up, my pants may not fit next week. Any healthier recipes involving peaches are welcome :)

2. I'LL BE WATCHING HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS II ON THURSDAY AT MIDNIGHT. I'm a little excited.

3. We are in the process of choosing a new paint color for our bedroom. This has turned out to be a huge pain because I'm trying to choose a neutral color (beige, taupe, greige) and it is not working with the existing trim color at all:

left: pretty greige; right: ugly yellowish beige trim

The trim is making all of the beige/taupe/greige colors I have chosen look either pink or purple. I think I'll spend some time using this helpful color selector tool before making another trip to Lowe's for more $3 paint samples.

4. We installed an outdoor ceiling fan on Saturday afternoon. (Southern peeps, I'm sure you know this, but this was not the best idea). It was so hot outside and it resulted in a very cranky husband and wife.

The installation was further delayed by two trips to the hardware store. Once to pick up the fan. Once to pick up the white medallion to cover up the huge hole that the builder made to install the previous light fixture. Also, the fan is crooked. The existing outlet box was installed crooked, so when we mounted the fan to it.... But the good news is: it works! So, we are not going to straighten it out until it is much cooler outside. And if I'm feeling really ambitious.... there's a flood light (not shown) also connected to the fan/light circuit that I want to split up so that they can each be controlled by a separate switch (right now the fan/light and the flood light are controlled by a single switch).

Maybe items 3 & 4 are signs I should lay off the home improvement projects....

Words Cannot Explain..

2011-07-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

how much I love this:


Arrow & Apple via A Beautiful Mess

If I could do it again, my bridesmaids would wear colored tights too.

Missing This

2011-07-06T16:11:00.000-05:00

Exhausted

2011-07-02T22:20:00.003-05:00

1) my husband and I just got back from vacation (yay), which was wonderful until
2) we found out there was a death in the family :(
3) we are now home, but just spent the day mourning a loved one and commemorating the anniversary of my mother's death
4) i hate today and
5) the 4th of July holiday is quickly becoming my least favorite (but I hope all of you are having a safe and happy holiday)
6) I will be spending the next few days recovering both physically and emotionally
7) I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends
8) thanks for listening

xoxo
e

Steamed

2011-06-22T15:40:00.002-05:00

And I'm not talking about veggies.


via

via

And finally, by Forever 21, who gears there merchandise towards young girls, teenagers and women:

*the magnet has since been pulled of their website due to the high number of complaints against it

As a woman engineer, seeing this image literally made me cringe. Although there are those naturally smart people who will breeze through engineering school (they exist, I promise), I was not one of them. And as a minority in all most my classes (as in could count the number of other females in the lecture on my hand) and my major, I struggled with confidence through most of my college education. Now I'm not saying that all women go through this when they choose a career dominated by males, but I did. And shirts and magnets that seem to encourage young women to stray from the studies and career paths that could provide not only incredible potential to themselves, but also to the fields they go into, REALLY, really makes me sad. disappointed. hurt. That people would actually think it is a good idea to print this and sell it to and profit from girls who are already struggling with their own self image really is just ....Really, don't they have enough to worry and think about without having to agonize over whether the fact that they like or are good at math and science really means that they are ugly and uncool. Because when I look at that phrase, that's what I think young women will see. Or maybe it's just another excuse for girls to avoid things that are hard. Whatever the reason, I think it's horrible.

I'm all for freedom of speech and expression. But please, lets take a better look at how and what we are encouraging the young girls around us to do.

Further ranting can be found here, here, here. In fact if you google it, you'll probably find a slew of other well-versed, angry rants.

*Stepping off my soapbox*

S'mores

2011-06-22T12:51:00.001-05:00

Since starting a big bonfire in our backyard doesn't seem smart right now, I may just have a pretend bonfire and this cake:

via Baking Bites

Graham cracker cake + marshmallow filling + melted milk chocolate frosting = a s'more minus the fire hazard.

Mirrors Continued

2011-06-20T07:34:00.059-05:00

Last weekend I finally finished the mirror project:

Mirrors (spray painted): Target; Hooks: Anthropologie; Ribbon: JoAnn's

I was really looking for these hooks, but Anthro did not have them in stock. I found the white ones and I like the way they sort of blend into the wall. Luckily, they had exactly four in stock when I found them :)

Here's a breakdown of the cost:

Mirrors (4, Target Clearance): ~$44
Spray Paint (1 can, Lowes): ~$5
Hooks (4, Anthropologie): ~$40
Ribbon (left over from our wedding, JoAnn's): $0

Total: $90

That's a little more than I wanted to spend, but I think the project was a success. I tried to find some cheaper hooks and was unsuccessful (I think I had already had my heart set on the hooks from Anthro).

My ultimate goal is to replace the black & white church picture with an array of black frames. And yes, that is the Karlstad sofa assembled :) It's not very noticeable, but I also spray painted the feet- inspired, of course, by this post. I love it, my husband loves it, my dogs are not allowed to sit on it, but they love it too. We have since changed out the slip cover for this one. It's amazing how much it lightens up the room (pictures to come).

Framed: Black or White?

2011-06-16T09:32:00.000-05:00

I've been having this internal dilemma as I start organizing items for my array of pictures (of which I'm still deciding the location). What is this debate you ask: Do I go with white frames or black frames? I figure worse case scenario, if I change my mind later on, I can always go back and paint them one way or another.

black

*Not sure of the source* via Lydia on Pinterest

Scandinavian Retreat via Caitlin on Pinterest

Seen & Said via Kathy on Pinterest

Space for Inspiration/ Domino via Megan on Pinterest

Family Photo Wall Display via Lyka on Pinterest

Emily Clark via Kelsey on Pinterest

OR white

Few Things From My Life via Morgan on Pinterest


Laura Winslow Photography via Sara on Pinterest

Boy Wonder/ Samantha Pynn via Kelly on Pinterest


Young House Love via Kayla on Pinterest

Houzz/ Tracy Murdock via Jennifer on Pinterest

OR mismatched

Peonies For Me via Giulia on Pinterest

*Source??* via Katherine on Pinterest

Ohdeedoh via Amy on Pinterest

Design*Sponge/ Matthew Bird via Alicia on Pinterest

OR some other color

*Source??* via Shannon on Pinterest

The Estate of Things via Liz on Pinterest

Southern Living via Kyndel on Pinterest

Live.Like.You/ Ryan Korban via Mary on Pinterest

Way too many options....

A Bookcase Redone

2011-06-15T08:32:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned here, we moved my "Billy" bookcase into our office for the time being. I didn't reattach the doors because I didn't want to drill a big hole in the wall (it has to be attached to the wall otherwise it is too front heavy and it WILL fall over). After seeing it sit empty for several months, I decided it needed a face lift. I had been looking everywhere for a wallpaper print that was 1) inexpensive 2) not too busy. Finally I found this Graham & Brown paintable wallpaper:

I've never applied wallpaper before, so I will say this: it is a huge PITA. I applied the paper to the back insert of the bookcase while it was on the floor, and it was a messy, tiresome process (does practice make perfect in this case?). I can't imagine doing this to walls or a ceiling. Also, this wallpaper states that it is paintable, but it is really hard to get paint into all the little crevices. I used both a brush and roller... and it still took several coats and some touch up. I think maybe if I would have used a darker paint color, it would have been easier to see where the paint was being applied, and maybe would have taken less painting time.

That being said, here is the result:

Organizing and decorating the bookcase is a work in progress, but I think it's off to a good start.

The large blue and purple vases on the topmost shelves are from IKEA (the smaller blue vases are heirlooms from my Oma). I made the terrarium in an empty, cleaned out Bath & Body Work's candle, the wheat/dried flower vase is a left over centerpiece from our wedding, the tea cup is a favor from one of my bridal showers, and the 'X' & 'E' are cardboard letters mod-podged with decorative paper from Paper-Source (I'm still in search of an '&').

I'm still figuring out what to do with the 4th shelf from the top- more books, perhaps?

The Entryway

2011-06-14T08:54:00.000-05:00

I never posted this, but I updated the entryway to our house several months ago.

Before:

After:


Wreath- Handmade/From Wedding, Hook- Anthro, Entry Table- World Market, Vase- giftted, Rug- Surya, Overstock (No longer available)

I was really skeptical about putting a light colored rug right by the front door. My experience has been light colored anything near an outside door = dirty all the time. HOWEVER, this rug is awesome because it's wool. All I have to do is vacuum it and the dirt comes right out - it looks brand new again! (So helpful with two dogs). If I could afford it, I would furnish my whole house in wool rugs. (I highly recommend them, and so does Sara).

I reused the key hook (in the first picture) by moving it to our hallway closet to hold my scarves:

I was so happy that I found a way to reuse it and organize!!

Also, I've noticed the quality of my pictures drastically decrease when I upload them to my picasa web album. I've been decreasing the size when uploading them and it screws everything up. Somehow I forgot this, maybe I need to blog more... So, I'm going to have to re-upload all my mirror pictures before I can post them here (perhaps tomorrow??), and maybe some better pictures of the entryway...
In the mean time, here's a sneak peak :)

A Lazy Weekend

2011-06-13T08:57:00.000-05:00

I feel like the previous weekend was far more productive than this weekend. Instead of jumping on our list of "to-do" home improvement projects, we spent most of Saturday and Sunday lounging inside, away from the 100 degree temperatures outside. We did manage to sneak out Saturday to grab some burgers at one of my favorite places, Phil's Icehouse, which conveniently opened a second location in south Austin :)

I also managed to finish the mirror project, and now I just need to take photos and blog about it. I think it turned out well :) How did you spend your weekend?

A Bookcase

2011-06-09T08:10:00.000-05:00

I recently finished yet another project that I've been working on. It involved wall paper and the Billy Bookcase. This bookcase used to sit in my craft room. When we were trying to sell the house we moved it into storage, and when we took the house off the market, it came to sit in our office, which is where it lives now. Although I love the glass doors, I haven't attached them and I'm not sure if I'll put them on again anytime soon. Anyways, I'm still trying to organize/decorate it and, once again, I've turned to Pinterest for some inspiration:

Isuwanee via Happy Burrito on Pinterest

Flickr via Becca on Pinterest

Decor8 via Faith on Pinterest

HGTV/Simplified Bee via Joanna on Pinterest

And finally, here is a sneak peek of the bookcase:

Blue

2011-06-08T08:01:00.001-05:00

My newest craft obsession is spray paint. It's not quite as messy as painting and it can completely change the look of an object. Usually I'm very much a neutrals (black, beige, white) person when it comes to furniture, but I saw this color blue* at Hobby Lobby during a recent trip and wanted to try it out. My victim was this IKEA, outdoor, metal table that I've had for 5 years. I failed to take any before pictures, but it was looking pretty shabby.

I think I really love it. It will look great next to the black bench that Kingsley has claimed.

* the color is Rustoleum Satin in Lagoon

Winners!

2011-06-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

The winner of the double giveaway featuring yummy oatmeal cream pies from Kate at Marshmellow Goodness

and choice of a pretty apron from Jenn at Orange You Sweet

is Mrs. B-P!!!

The winner of the Get One, Make One giveaway from Melinda at Palindrome at Home

is Marissa!!!

Please email me your addresses so you can receive your goodies :D AND a HUGE Thank You to everyone who entered!!

Extra thanks go to my wonderful friends who donated items for all of the giveaways (Kate, Jenn, Melinda, Amy, Laura, Jessica ) This would not have been possible without you!!!!

AND (best of all)...... $93 has been donated to the Lupus Foundation of America because of all your wonderful comments :) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

More Mirror Inspiration

2011-06-06T09:25:00.001-05:00

This weekend was very productive at our house. The Karlstad arrived Friday, and was assembled in our living room Saturday. It looks sooooo much better and we are really happy with the result... pictures soon to come! Unfortunately, Husband injured himself moving the old sofas into the garage (for storage, until we sell them). He was feeling a little better Sunday night, so I think (hope) that the muscle(s) he pulled are on their way to healing.

I also painted the guest/second bathroom and removed the existing light fixture only to find out that there was no junction/electrical box installed. Lovely, and I'm going to guess that all of the bathroom light fixtures were installed this way. Thus, another trip to Home Depot or Lowes is in order to correct the problem.

In the mean time, more mirrors:


Living Etc. via Birch & Bird on Pinterest

Viva Terra via Lissa on Pinterest

Apartment Therapy /Elle Decor via Cassandra on Pinterest

Hip Hostess via Lynn on Pinterest

P.S. The winners from the last two Lupus Awareness Month Giveaways + the total amount donated to the Lupus Foundation of America will be announced this evening :)

The Staircase

2011-06-02T21:04:00.000-05:00

There are some areas of our home that I know exactly how they should look and there are others that I have no clue about. One of these areas is the portion of empty wall above our staircase. See the following (and please excuse the poor quality of the photos, the mirror that needs cleaning, and the dust on the fan, mmmkay?)

You can kind of see the top part of one of the sofas in the last photo. Other than the mirror and one other framed picture on the wall to (your) the right, the walls are pretty bare. My problem is this: The area that includes the stairway, upstairs hallway, entry way, and living room is very open. I don't want to overdo it with pictures/stuff, but at the same time it looks so empty as is.

Also, whoever build the house we live in did a horrible job of sealing the drywall joints. If you squint in the top picture, you can see a little line that's in between the fan blades- trust me, it's far more noticeable in person. So the second purpose of putting something on the staircase wall (above the stairs) is to draw attention away from that monstrosity. I also, feel like I'm limited to what I can put on both the wall above and below the stairs because they are in the same line of site.

I stumbled across this before/after post on Design*Sponge today and fell (hard) in love:

Design Sponge

I think this would be the perfect solution for our stairway wall, but I don't think my husband will be as easily convinced. So now, I'm thinking of adding symmetrical, organized elements or one large element to one wall (probably above the staircase) and a mismatch of smaller items (sans mirror, it will move to a new location) to the wall below the staircase. My first thought was to line the top staircase wall with mirrors. Somewhat inspired by this:


Elizabeth Martin Design via Katherine on Pinterest

Apartment Therapy via Emily on Pinterest

Country Living/ My Sweet Savanah via Nikki on Pinterest

I think I like the simplicity of the second picture best, but using mirrors instead of framed art. I picked up some cheap round mirrors from Target (on clearance) and I'm experimenting with them right now to see if really like the look or not. Hope to have some results soon :)

A New-To-Me Chair

2011-06-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

My husband owns these two bar stools (I think he's had him since we first met, which was a really long time ago) that were quite plain. Instead of throwing them away/giving them away/setting them out on the curb and buying new ones, I decided to try to make them a little more presentable.

Before:

After (and much better IMO):

One down, one to go. Details to come :)

Don't forget to enter the final Lupus Awareness giveaway!!! I'm donating $1 for each entry to the Lupus Foundation of America!

A Dog and His Bench

2011-05-31T22:05:00.000-05:00

Homeboy loves his bench. Or at least he thinks it's his bench. I think he likes the extra height ;) I've been working on renovating said bench for a while, but it's just soooo hot outside- it makes the job very unmotivating. I still need to touch up the black paint in some places and paint a final varnish coat after that.... I'm done! Hooray to another project being *almost* finished. There are some more items that are in the works, but in the mean time I'll leave you with this:

Love Affair with Alice

2011-05-31T18:00:00.012-05:00

I recently stumbled across a series that The Black Apple is debuting on Friday and I'm pretty sure I have to have this painting.

I ordered some prints from her shop a while back, and I love the quality of her work. Needless to say, Emily is a very talented artist.

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-31T12:54:00.000-05:00

May 24: More than 90 percent of people with lupus will experience joint and/or muscle pain. Treatments are available that can help to control the pain associated with lupus.

May 25: The malar, or butterfly rash on the face, is present in about one third of those with systemic lupus.

May 26: Discoid lupus (most common skin lupus) accounts for approximately 10 percent of all cases of lupus and occurs in 20 percent of those with systemic lupus.

May 27: Approximately 95 percent of people with lupus suffer from some form of oral involvement that will affect their mouth or gums. Ulcers on the roof of the mouth or in the nose can be a sign of lupus among people who are not yet diagnosed with the disease.

May 28: Eye disease occurs in approximately 20 percent of people with lupus. The disease can affect the eyeball, the retina, and the muscles that control eye movement.

May 29: Lupus can be expensive to manage and live with. A study found that the average annual cost to provide healthcare for a person with lupus was $12,643 and was nearly $21,000 when lost productivity on the job due to illness is included.

May 30: Successful treatment of lupus often requires a combination of medications. Nearly two dozen clinical studies are underway to develop new safe, more tolerable and effective treatments for lupus.

May 31: As many as 80 percent of people with lupus experience fatigue. For some people with lupus, fatigue is their main symptom and can be debilitating, even to the point of forcing them to stop working.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

Get One, Make One!

2011-05-31T07:50:00.001-05:00

As Lupus Awareness Month comes to an end, I want to thank everyone for following along! Lupus Awareness is a cause that is near and dear to me and it means so much to me that you have commented and followed me along this journey :)

To celebrate.... I have one more giveaway to offer! Melinda, of Palindrome at Home, has donated a lovely hand-made tote, sewn from Hawaiian fabric and embellished with bamboo handles and a clay button. In addition, she has donated fabric and supplies to sew your own tote!

To Enter:

TO ENTER:

1) Post a comment telling me about a cause you care about and why it is meaningful to you.

2) Tweet this giveaway with the #lupusawarenessmonth hash tag and post a separate comment with the twitter link.

3) Blog about this giveaway and post a separate comment with your blog link.

4) Make a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America and post a separate comment letting me know you have done so :)

Giveaway will end Saturday at midnight, GOOD LUCK!

** I will be donating $1 per entry/comment for this giveaway to the Lupus Foundation of America!**

*Items are donated, I am not receiving anything in return :)

Excuse me while I pick my chin up off the floor.

2011-05-25T09:25:00.000-05:00

So I'm sure many of you know Kelly Moore by her fabulous camera bags or incredible photography. Here's another reason to love her: an incredible home renovation.

The best part? Those counter-tops you see? They're DIY. They're concrete. The cost was around $300. This has probably replaced the butcher block counter-top as my new favorite. Now, if only I can convince my husband to feel the same....

Winners Announced!

2011-05-23T20:54:00.001-05:00

The Nifty Foodie Doggie Bandana:

Palila at Soccer/CS

Integrative Creation Bronze Earrings:

Layla at Wish Fulfillment {Every Day}

Thoughtfully Designed Wedding Candle or Bouquet Charm Giveaway:

Hannah at Gator Tales!

Congratulations! Please email me {e.louise.blog@gmail.com} your information so that you can receive your winnings.

And thank you to everyone who entered- $32 will go to the Lupus Foundation of America on your behalf!!

A Double Giveaway!

2011-05-23T09:32:00.001-05:00

I can't believe May is already coming to an end next week! Has it flown by for anyone else??
This weekend marked a momentous occasion for my sister- she graduated from UT! I am so proud, happy, and excited for her to start on this new journey of her life. In honor of this special occasion, and because it's Monday, and because it's almost June, and just because.....
I'm hosting a double, cooking-themed giveaway today!

A yummy, favorite childhood treat: Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies graciously donated by the lovely Kate at Marsh Mellow Goodness.

AND a super cute apron donated by the sweet, mama-to-be, Jenn at Orange You Sweet:
Choose from one of her handmade, waist-tie aprons-

TO ENTER:

1) Post a comment telling me your favorite dish to make or your favorite dish to eat :)

2) Tweet this giveaway with the #lupusawarenessmonth hash tag and post a separate comment with the twitter link.

3) Blog about this giveaway and post a separate comment with your blog link.

4) Make a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America and post a separate comment letting me know you have done so :)

Giveaway will end Friday at midnight, GOOD LUCK!

** I will be donating $1 per entry/comment for this giveaway to the Lupus Foundation of America!**

Stay tuned, I will be announcing the winners from the previous giveaways this evening!

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-23T07:57:00.000-05:00

May 19: Since many symptoms of lupus mimic those of other illnesses, lupus often can take three to five years to diagnose. Symptoms of lupus can come and go over time, which makes a definite diagnosis more difficult.

May 20: There is no single laboratory test that can determine whether a person does or does not have lupus. Diagnosing lupus involves analyzing the results of several lab tests that are used to monitor the immune system, along with a review of the person’s entire medical history.

May 21: With current methods of therapy, 80 to 90 percent of people with non-organ threatening lupus can look forward to a normal lifespan.

May 22: It is estimated that as many as 40 percent of all people with lupus, and as many as two-thirds of all children with lupus, will develop kidney complications that require medical care and treatment.

May 23: Lupus develops most often between ages 15 and 44. However, lupus can develop among males and females of any age, including children and teens.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

On Stress

2011-05-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

I am horrible at handling stress. This is something I've really had to work hard at managing, and, many times, I've failed. Emotionally, I get incredibly anxious when there are too many things on my plate or when I've avoided confronting or dealing with a problem. Work, studying, commitments to friends and family, deadlines, responsibilities, expectations from others and myself, and everyday life can be overwhelming at times. I know that if I don't handle my stress carefully, it will end up snowballing down on me at some point which leads to emotional and physical fatigue and pain. Both of these consequences are exasperated by my autoimmune illness, and it usually takes days or weeks to recover from it. In summary, it sucks.

However, over the last 10 years, I've learned that there are things that I can do to help prevent this. Specifically, I've found that through art and creativity, I am able to release some of the tension that I tend to keep pent up inside. Other stress-relieving methods such as exercise, yoga, and meditation also seem to help, but art is definitely my go-to solution for stress management.

I thought I would bring this up for a few reasons. One being that I have suffered from horrible back, neck and arm pain for the last month. Pain that would wake me up at night (trust me, it's not fun). Finally, I caved and saw my general practitioner, who after questioning me, was led to the conclusion that it was probably caused from stress stemming from the big exam I took at the beginning of April. I remembered how tense I was in the week before the exam and even on the actual exam day. I pretty much ate, slept, and breathed exam preparation for most of March, and I neglected to handle the mounting stress I was feeling- no wonder I've felt so horrible for the last month. This is the first time I've had severe muscle tension from stress, and it's really been a reminder/wake-up call that managing stress will be a continuing struggle for me.

The second reason I thought I would bring light to this is that stress management is really important for everyone- whether you suffer from an autoimmune illness or not. It affects your metabolism, immune system, muscles, emotional health, and can negatively affect overall life. It can cause ulcers and heart problems. For Lupus patients, stress can cause flare ups (increased activity of the illness) and can lead to serious problems, such as Lupus Nephritis- Lupus involvement of the kidneys. This is something that my mother suffered from, and I now wish we had made an earlier (better) effort to manage stress in our lives.

To find out more information about stress and ways to manage it, visit the American Institute of Stress.

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-18T07:53:00.000-05:00

May 17: About five percent of the children born to individuals with lupus will develop the illness. At present, there is no genetic screening test that can determine who might go on to develop lupus later in life.

May 18: Lupus is typically treated by a doctor called a rheumatologist. Depending on how lupus affects their body, some people with lupus may need additional care from specialists, like a dermatologist for skin problems, a nephrologist for kidney disease, or a cardiologist for heart complications.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

**Make sure you enter the Wedding giveaway from Laura at Thoughfully Designed!!

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-16T20:42:00.000-05:00

May 16: African Americans, Hispanics/Latinas, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans are two or three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians; however, lupus affects people of all races and ethnicities.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

**Don't forget to enter the Wedding giveaway from Laura at Thoughfully Designed (here)!!
(I'm still processing the winners from the previous giveaways due to the errors with blogger last week)

Some Exciting News

2011-05-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

This weekend, we ordered a new sofa. This sofa to be exact.


IKEA Karlstad

It should arrive in two weeks- I can't hardly wait!!!

Another Great Giveaway!

2011-05-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

Today's giveaway was generously donated by Laura, over at The Luckiest in Love.

In addition to blogging, she also runs an etsy shop: Thoughtfully Designed, where she has continued her love for creating wedding DIY projects. Laura is offering either a memorial candle:

OR a Bouquet Charm:

Either of these beautiful mementos would be a wonderful way to honor a loved one that cannot join you on your big day. I love that Laura's items can be easily incorporated in to your home decor as an every day reminder of your wedding, and a continued tribute to those no longer with us.

P.S. They make great gifts too :)

To Enter:

1) Post a comment stating your favorite attribute about someone you love.

2) Tweet this giveaway with the #lupusawarenessmonth hash tag and post a separate comment with the twitter link.

3) Blog about this giveaway or Lupus Awareness and post a separate comment with the link.

4) Make a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America and post a separate comment letting me know you have done so :)

Contest ends Thursday at midnight!

GOOD LUCK!

*I will be donating $1 to the Lupus Foundation of America for every comment posted on this giveaway. I am not receiving anything from Laura in return for this giveaway.

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-15T18:48:00.000-05:00

May 11: The most common symptoms of lupus are: extreme fatigue or exhaustion, headaches, painful or swollen joints, fever, a butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose, sun- or light-sensitivity, and hair loss.

May 12: Some of the factors that may trigger lupus in people who have the genes that make them prone to develop the disease include infections, ultraviolet light, extreme stress, certain prescription drugs, and hormones.

May 13: Cutaneous lupus is a form of lupus that is limited to the skin and can cause rashes or sores.

May 14: Drug-induced lupus is a lupus-like disease caused by taking specific prescription drugs. The symptoms usually disappear within six months after these medications are stopped.

May 15: Neonatal lupus is a rare condition that affects infants of women who have lupus and is caused by antibodies from the mother that affects the infant in the womb. With proper testing, physicians can now identify most at-risk mothers, and the infant can be treated at or before birth.

**Don't forget to enter to win a pair of beautiful earrings from Integrative Creations (here)!!

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Awareness Day

2011-05-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

What is Fibromyalgia?

-a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.

Diagnosis:

The FM diagnostic criteria, established by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1990, includes a history of widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum duration of three months, and pain in at least 11 of the 18 designated tender points when a specified amount of pressure is applied.
Since people with FM tend to look healthy and conventional tests are typically normal, a physician knowledgeable about the disorder is necessary to make a diagnosis.
Physicians should rule out other causes of the symptoms before making a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Symptoms:

Although chronic, widespread body pain is the primary symptom of fibromyalgia, a variety of other symptoms are common in FM patients. Symptoms include: moderate to severe fatigue, sleep disorders, problems with cognitive functioning, IBS, headaches and migraines, anxiety and depression, and environmental sensitivities.
Research has documented neuroendocrine physiological abnormalities that may contribute to the symptoms.

Causes:

Recent research has suggested a genetic component. The disorder is often seen in families, among siblings or mothers and their children.
Fibromyalgia often occurs following a physical trauma, such as an acute illness or injury, which may act as a “trigger” in the development of the disorder.
Increasing attention is being devoted to the central nervous system as the underlying mechanism of FM. Recent studies have suggested that FM patients have generalized disturbance in pain processing and an amplified response to stimuli that would not ordinarily be painful in healthy individuals.

Treatment:

Since there is no known cure for FM, treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and improving function.
A variety of prescription medications are often used to reduce pain levels and improve sleep. On June 21, 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lyrica (pregabalin) as the first drug to treat fibromyalgia. Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) was approved in June 2008; and Savella (milnacipran HCl) was approved in January 2009.
Alternative therapies, such as massage, myofasical release, acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal supplements and yoga, can be effective tools in managing FM symptoms.
Increasing rest, pacing activities, reducing stress, practicing relaxation and improving nutrition can help minimize symptoms and improve quality of life.

All information is taken from the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association's website.
Donations to support research and awareness can be made here.

Inspired by Lupus

2011-05-11T13:18:00.000-05:00


Tumblr via Jennifer Lai on Pinterest


Apartment Therapy via Beki Lambert on Pinterest

Ellmania via ThuyDuong Mang on Pinterest

via Swati Prasad on Pinterest


Red Online via Hanna on Pinterest

Venice, I Love You via Marianna on Pinterest

Wednesday Giveaway!

2011-05-11T08:12:00.000-05:00

Today's Lupus Awareness Month Giveaway is from local (Austin) artist Integrative Creations. I recently stumbled across her shop, and I absolutely love the rustic look of her jewelry creations. Of course it doesn't hurt that she resides in the best city in Texas ;)

For those of you not in Texas, she also makes customized state necklaces- <3 the little heart!

This giveaway is for one pair of these very lovely bronze earrings:

Hammered Bronze Diamond-Shaped Earrings

To enter:

1) Post a comment telling me about what you most look forward to this Summer.

2) Tweet this giveaway with the #lupusawarenessmonth hash tag and post a separate comment with the twitter link.

3) Blog about this giveaway or Lupus Awareness and post a separate comment with the link.

4) Make a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America and post a separate comment letting me know you have done so :)

Giveaway will end Sunday at midnight!!

** I will be donating $1 to the Lupus Foundation of America for every comment posted on this giveaway. I am not receiving anything from Integrative Creations in return for this giveaway.

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-10T14:18:00.000-05:00

May 10: Only ten percent of people with lupus will have a close relative who already has lupus or may develop lupus. Some people with lupus also will have a relative who has lupus or another autoimmune disease.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

Last chance to enter the doggie bandana giveaway (here). I'm donating $1 for every comment to the Lupus Foundation of America!!

A Starbucks Winner!

2011-05-10T13:14:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Carly of The Less Than Domestic Goddess!!!

And a HUGE Thank You to everyone who commented. $42 will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of America because of YOU!

World Lupus Day

2011-05-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

The Lupus in My Life:

Lupus has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I didn't know the specifics of the disease until later in life, but I remember as a child that my mom was careful to stay out of the sun and that she took medicine every day. Even so, she never let Lupus interfere with being a mom. She always put her family first and made sure we were taken care of and loved. For the most part, she balanced life and Lupus beautifully.

My Mom's Story: Mama was diagnosed with Lupus at an early age. I can't imagine how her and her family took this news initially. During that time, little was known about Lupus, and having such a diagnosis was often associated with a very, very hard battle with it. I'm not sure what her life as a teenager was like with Lupus. I believe she developed pneumonia several times, and had to spend some time out of school and in the hospital because of it. I remember my father saying that she wore white gloves on one of their first dates because she had a Lupus rash on her hands. Like always, it seems that Lupus was not something she let interfere with her life.

It wasn't until I reached high school that I remember her really having problems with it. She got sick and had to have chemo treatments. The cause of it was Lupus Nephritis: a form of Lupus that affects the kidneys. I didn't realize it at the time, but I know it must have been a very scary period of time for her. Her doctor and her were forced to make a serious decision on how to stop her Lupus from essentially attacking her kidneys, and, at the time, chemo was the answer. Unfortunately, we later found out that the same chemo used to prevent Lupus from attacking her kidneys, most likely caused the pre-leukemia she was diagnosed with nearly seven years later.

My story: During the second semester of my freshmen year, I developed vasculitis. Three months and several doctors later, a rheumatologist gave me a diagnosis: Lupus. It was scary. The only Lupus I knew was that which my mom had, and, at the time, I didn't understand that every person's Lupus was different. Thankfully, I had a wonderful rheumatologist, and the non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that he prescribed to treat my illness were very effective in keeping my illness in check. Since then, I've gone through the emotional and physical struggles of coping. I saw a counselor for a while, I attended some stress-management classes, and, over time, I learned that there are certain things I must avoid that will cause me feel pain and fatigue.

I know now that in no way is my Lupus like my mother's- mine is much less invasive and much less severe. At the same time, I am aware that there are many other men and women who have a type of Lupus very much like my mother's. For that reason, I know how important it is to spread Lupus awareness and encourage continued research.

Lucy: The Beetles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was inspired by a drawing Julian Lennon made as a young child of a girl named Lucy. Lucy passed away from complications with Lupus in 2009. Julian Lennon and James Cook paired up to write this song, inspired by both Lucy and James' grandmother, who also suffered from Lupus:

Proceeds from the EP will be donated to both the Lupus Foundation of America and the St. Thomas Lupus Trust in Great Britain.

Amazon

**Today is the final day to enter the doggie bandana giveaway (here)!!! I'm donating $1 for each comment to the Lupus Foundation of America.

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-09T21:38:00.000-05:00

May 9: Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can damage any organ in the body and can cause life-threatening consequences.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

Only one more day to enter the doggie bandana giveaway (here). I'm donating $1 for every comment to the Lupus Foundation of America!!

Mom

2011-05-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I hate Lupus, sometimes I hate cancer. Today is one of those days. I miss you and love you very much, Mama. I'm sorry you had to suffer so.

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-08T22:12:00.000-05:00

May 8: Kidney disease occurs in 50-75% of children with SLE. The prevalence seems to be slightly higher than that seen in adults.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

Don't forget to enter the doggie bandana giveaway (here). I'm donating $1 for every comment to the Lupus Foundation of America!!

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-07T21:14:00.000-05:00

May 7: 5 percent of all cases of lupus are in children. About 20% of systemic lupus patients are diagnosed before 20 years of age. In the majority of these individuals, the illness begins around the time of puberty, or 12 to 14 years of age.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

Don't forget to enter the doggie bandana giveaway (here). I'm donating $1 for every comment to the Lupus Foundation of America!!

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

May 6: Ninety percent of the people who develop lupus are females. Males also can develop lupus and their disease can be more severe in some organs.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

Lupus Fact of the Day

2011-05-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

May 5: You can’t catch lupus. Lupus is not contagious and can’t be given to someone if you have the disease.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

There is still time to enter this week's giveaways (here and here). I'm donating $1 for every comment to the Lupus Foundation of America!!

5th of May and a Giveaway!

2011-05-05T10:17:00.001-05:00

I'm sure many of you have made plans involving Mexican food and margaritas this evening. To help you celebrate even more, Amy of The Nifty Foodie has graciously offered up some of her cute puppy bandanas for y'all. (Not only can the woman cook up a storm, but she's also a very talented seamstress!)

The giveaway is for THREE puppy bandanas in either small, medium, or large (in the prints, as shown below):

To enter:

1) Post a comment telling me about your Cinco de Mayo celebration plans. (If you don't have any, just say hello :D )

2) Tweet this giveaway with the #lupusawarenessmonth hash tag and post a separate comment with the twitter link.

3) Blog about this giveaway or Lupus Awareness and post a separate comment with the link.

4) Make a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America and post a separate comment letting me know you have done so :)

Contest ends Tuesday at midnight!
(And don't forget to enter the Starbucks gift card giveaway here!)

GOOD LUCK!

*I will be donating $1 to the Lupus Foundation of America for every comment posted on this giveaway. I am not receiving anything from Amy in return for this giveaway.

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

May 4: Lupus is not related to HIV/AIDS. In lupus, the immune system is overactive, while in HIV or AIDS, the immune system is underactive.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

And just for kicks:

Kingsley as a pup

Inspired by Lupus

2011-05-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

A theme of purple- the color representing the Lupus cause. In celebration of Lupus Awareness Month, I found some inspiring images incorporating purple into decor.

Enjoy!

Design*Sponge via skiptomylou on Pinterest

Moonlight Rainbows via Craftduck on Pinterest


Sweet Home Style via Shlomit Shapira on Pinterest

Apartment Therapy via Maddiesmama on Pinterest

Netvibes via Lucie Bichet on Pinterest

Wow Painting via Heather A. on Pinterest

** Don't forget to enter the Starbuck's gift card giveaway!!!

Lupus Fact of the Day

2011-05-03T10:50:00.002-05:00

May 3: Most people with lupus will experience joint pain without swelling. Although people with lupus can have arthritis, lupus is not a form of arthritis.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

Lupus Fact of the Day:

2011-05-02T15:31:00.000-05:00

May 2: In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs ("foreign invaders," like the flu).The result is the production of autoantibodies that attack healthy tissue.

via the Lupus Foundation of America

A Cure for the Mondays...

2011-05-02T10:48:00.002-05:00


Aubrey Arenas via Flickr

To jump start Lupus Awareness Month (and your Monday morning), I'm giving away* a

$25 Gift Card to Starbucks

To enter:

1) Post a comment telling me your favorite coffee house drink.

2) Tweet this giveaway with the #lupusawareness hash tag and post a separate comment with the twitter link.

3) Make a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America and post a separate comment letting me know you have done so :)

Edit: I've extended the contest through Friday at midnight.

GOOD LUCK!!

*I will be donating $1 to the Lupus Foundation of America for every comment posted on this giveaway. I am not receiving anything from Starbucks in return for this giveaway. They know not who I am and are in no way sponsoring this contest.

Lupus is....

2011-05-01T21:45:00.001-05:00

an autoimmune disease
chronic
a disease that can affect numerous organs throughout the body
hard to diagnose
sometimes hard to live with
more common in women
different for every person who has it
so named because of the "wolf like" rash that can appear across the face
usually treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and steroids in more serious cases
an illness that varies in severity
an illness that is (sometimes) adversely affected by stress and sunlight
an illness whose symptoms can come and go
an illness whose symptoms may not be obviously visible to other people
an illness that needs more public awareness!!

*May is Lupus Awareness month. I will be discussing different aspects of this disease throughout the month. For more information go to www.lupus.org.

The Month of May

2011-04-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

This past week I decided to do something I'm very excited about: I'll be holding a few giveaways and posting every day during the month of May in honor of Lupus Awareness Month. I've been really wanting to do something to this extent for quite some time and I now have the time to make it happen. More details to come...

A few other important awareness dates** in May include:
May 10: World Lupus Day
May12: Fibromyalgia Day

Happy Wednesday all- half way there!!

** there are several other awareness observances listed here, these two illnesses are important to me because I personally know people that suffer from them.

Splurge or Save

2011-04-25T09:19:00.001-05:00

As a newishly (?) married couple who have not been living together that long, Husband and I have been slowly trying to furnish and decorate and make the house we're living in our home. I'll be the first to admit that this is harder than I thought. Trying to mesh two styles, create a cohesive look throughout the house, mix new pieces with old ones is quite hard.

Shortly after I moved in with the Husband, we purchased new bedroom furniture. And that is the extent of furniture we have purchased together. There are some items that need to be replaced, some items that should be replaced, and some items that are perfectly fine, but make me cringe. My question is do we go cheap or do we save up to buy something that will last us forever? Do we just make do with what we have and save for a rainy day? It's really just all stuff and I wonder if it's worth the investment. Will our tastes change so much that we will want to replace it? Will it outlast dogs? kids? moves? Am I too old to be shopping at IKEA, scouring thrift stores, garage sales and craigslist? On the one hand it feels like I should have outgrown that after college (even though it seems to be trendy now), On the other hand, I have a really hard time spending large amounts of money, so that method makes sense to me.

What is your "go-to" place for furnishing your home?

Bathroom Curtains

2011-04-18T13:53:00.000-05:00

We have a smallish window in our master bath that I've been wanting to update for a while now. When I first moved in with the husband, I created some handmade curtains out of this fabric:

Joel Dewberry

It is perfect for fall, and looks delightful with brown and neutral tones. However, it is not fall and I'm kind of over it. I've been looking for new fabrics for a while and couldn't find anything that was quite perfect. Then recently, I had a genius idea that I would make either striped or chevron patterned curtains out of some solid fabrics. Blues and greens that feel bright for Spring and Summer = yay!

Some inspiration:

The Yellow Cape Cod || via The Daily Beeswax

HGTV || via Living Livlier

Mollie Johnson Interiors || via Living Livelier

Faith's Place

Southern Living || via My Home Ideas

I love that this pattern is running length-wise instead of horizontally. I may attempt to replicate it!

Posh Surf Side

Back to the Land of the Living

2011-04-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

After several months of studying, I finally took my (professional engineering) exam on Friday. That means 1) for the next two months I will endure a stomach full of knots while I anxiously await the results and 2) FREE TIME- yay! It began this past weekend with yard work, lazing on the couch, reading (for fun), drinks and a date with my husband, and naps. I forgot how nice it was to actually have a weekend with nothing to do :) I'm hoping to use most of my free time getting caught up on my "to-do" list for our house (which I'll of course blog about) and maybe squeeze in a few crafts before I find out if I need to start studying again.
Happy Monday!

Three Things

2011-03-07T12:49:00.002-06:00

1) This, I don't understand:

source

"Sturdy cellulose, crafted to look like a rumpled and rolled paper sack." Anthro, I love you, but a washable paper bag? Really?

2) This, I want:

source

I think it would go very nicely with these (ahem, if they ever come out of their boxes...):

source

3) I recently discovered there is a Sprinkles in Houston. Yes, I will be going when I'm in town next weekend. Yes, I may go all three days. Yes, I may bring some home. Hellloooo cupcakes :)

source

Happy Monday, All!

Office Furniture

2011-02-23T11:08:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I received some very happy news: my business is relocating to another office space! This means a few things for moi: a larger office, an actual window, new furniture, and an opportunity to make my work space my own.

At this point I'm searching for a new desk. My current desk is old and cramped. I'm hoping to come across something a little larger and more modern. Right now, I have a serious love affair with furniture that combines metal and wood.

source

Some of these are quite a bit out of my price range, but I think they serve as a good foundation for inspiration!

After April...

2011-02-21T11:38:00.001-06:00

So, my absence lately is due to the fact that I've been studying my little head off for an exam I'm taking on 4.8.11. I am seriously counting down the days until it's over because that means I can have a life again and how much fun will that be?!? Then again, I'm kind of not looking forward to it because the anxiety over said exam has officially begun (hello sleepless nights and coffee overload). Anyways, in the moments that I do get to spend deep in thought (ahem, on my drive to work), I've been formulating a very long list of projects/hobbies/things-other-than-engineering that will begin 4.9.11.

Master crochet. So that I can create numerous items involving granny squares.
Paint. About 5 years ago, my go-to hobby was painting. For some reason I stopped, I think a combination of moving, discovering sewing, and work somehow distracted from my love of it. Now I have several unfinished/unpainted canvases hidden away in my closet that are begging for my attention.
Sew. I have one unfinished quilt that needs to be completed and I have some other design ideas swirling around in my head that I really want to implement.
House Projects. This is a list that keeps on growing. I still need to finish up the throw pillows for our living room, organize a bookcase that was recently moved in to the study, and hang up art work. Additionally, we want to:

repaint two of the guest bath and half bath
paint the cabinetry in the master bath and guest bath and add cabinet hardware.
add molding around the mirrors in both bathrooms.
replace the lighting in all bathrooms
replace the mirror in the half bath
repair the ceiling in the guest bedroom and then repaint both the ceiling and the walls
repaint the baseboards in the living room/study/hall
repaint the window seats in the kitchen/dining area
reorganize the master closet (again...)
replace the carpet on the stairs and all of the upstairs area
install tile in the master bath
replace the door knobs/handles with nickel (if this is not too costly, the current door knobs are an ugly yellow gold that makes me cringe)
do something with our back yard, create a flower bed along the back fence maybe?
create an outdoor eating area adjacent to the covered porch
invest in a composter
repair the fence line
good grief, when are we going to find time and money to do all this?!

Plan a vacation. Um, after all the house repairs, I think husband and I will need one :)

I know this list is more for myself than for any of my readers, but I hope you'll enjoy following along during the process.

In happier news, I think I can officially say that it is Spring in Austin! It has been so gorgeous outside for the past week, I wish it would stay this way forever.

Happy Monday peeps :D

Spring Wreath

2011-02-08T09:52:00.000-06:00

Amidst the snow we had last weekend, X decided it was time for the berry wreath on our front door to go. Over winter? Perhaps. I dug up some leftover wedding supplies and came up with these:

Dried twig wreath and faux floral items; all from Hobby Lobby.

After some cutting the stems with a pair of wire cutters, I hot glued the green leafy branches and green berries to the wreath.

Originally I was going to use only green in the wreath, but after showing it to X, he said it needed more color. I added some purple to break up the green a bit:

It's not fabulous, but it brings the hope of spring to our door. I'm hoping to repaint the ugly gold colored wreath hanger (which you can kind of see at the top) with some of this at some point (in the satin nickel):

source

Oh, and in case you're curious, this is the snow that shut the City of Austin down on Friday.

Yes, everyone from the north that reads this blog can now begin laughing :)

Reverb10. Continued

2011-01-19T13:48:00.000-06:00

Now, I know it's already mid January and #reverb10 ended in December, but gosh darn I WILL finish this. So here we go:

Day 12: Body Integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

I'm not sure there was one? I guess I feel myself most when I am crafting, sewing, or being creative.

Day 13: Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?

My next step in my career is taking an exam. My next step(s) in my personal life is enjoying every second with my husband, nurturing my relationships with friends, and taking the time do the things I love.

Day 14: Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

My husband :D (typical newlywed answer, perhaps?) In all seriousness, my husband is my rock. He has helped me get through so many hoops this year and is always on the sideline cheering me on. I try to show him that I love him every day and I try my hardest not to dwell on his imperfections (ahem, like his inability to use his clothes hamper and hang up towels :P)

Day 15: 5 Minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

1) My friend C's wedding.
2) Vegas with my husband and finally meeting familiar faces
3) A wonderful birthday spent with my loved ones
4) Holding my friend H's newborn for the first time and seeing her and her husband glowing with happiness.
5) Little moments with my husband that make me laugh and smile.

Day 16: Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

I'm not sure that my perspective on the world has changed much. I think hearing about every day events, not only in my neighborhood, but around the globe, is constantly causing me to rethink about the world and what is important.

Day 17: Lesson Learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

It takes a lot to break me and I somehow get through the hard stuff in life in one piece. I think if I just remember other points in my life that I have struggled, it will help me realize that every challenge I encounter can be conquered.

Day 18: Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it?

I would like to try to be more physically active. I really want to incorporate more yoga in my weekly schedule. I'm not sure if there was anything I really wanted to try in 2010.

Day 19: Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

My friends and family healed me this year. I would have to say it was a drip-by-drip because the parts of me that needed healing were slow in scabbing over. I'm not sure that there is anything I need heeled this year, but I would love to help someone else heal. Whether it's just an act of kindness or a physical contribution of money or food remains to be seen.

Day 20: Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)

More creative projects. I have a long list of art/sewing projects that I would like to complete/start. My avoidance of these projects was mainly due to being busy. I would like finish some of those projects from last year, this year.

Day 21: Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)

Dear 10-years-younger self:
Walk away from that boy you're hanging around. He's not worth all the time, pain, and effort. Soak up every second of your courses and don't take any of it for granted: your FUTURE SELF will thank you. Be picky about the friends you choose. You deserve friends that are selfless about your relationship with them. Pick your chin up and don't let people get you down. You must believe in yourself!! You will find a wonderful man who loves you, flaws and all. It will happen, don't fret over it. Try out sewing and flex your creative muscles... you will love it! Stop trying to rebel so much, there's no need for it (and it's a stage, you will grow out of). And finally, spend every moment you can spare with your parents and family. They won't be around forever and those few moments are more precious than you can ever imagine.

Reverb10 #fail

2010-12-28T14:42:00.001-06:00

If you haven't noticed, I'm a little behind on my #reverb10 posts. What can I say, except that life seems to be flying by at an unprecedented rate. So... I'll be posting the prompts I've missed in the next few days and hopefully finish by 1.1 :) I feel like these are really more for me than for you, so I'll try to get my Christmas pics uploaded soon (so it's not all words and thoughts around here).

Day 7: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

My first thought would be Weddingbee (even though I technically discovered that last year). I feel so blessed to be part of such a great community of wonderful women. Instead, I'll say twitter. I know some people think that it's incredibly lame to be on twitter and see no point to it, but I feel like I've "met" some wonderful people who I would never would have connected with otherwise. I really can't state enough how
much admiration I have for my fellow tweeters.

In 2011, I would like to find a local sewing/craft/art circle to join. I feel like those activities are truly what I'm passionate about and I would love to find some fellow Austinites who feel the same. I think it would motivate me to invest more time in them too, because sometimes I feel like every day life just exhausts me to the point of wanting to do nothing.

Day 8: Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.

Honestly, I really hate this question, mainly because I hate focusing on myself. I guess if I were to ask my husband this question he would probably say either my thoughtfulness or my creativity. I really like combining the two to create homemade items for people. I love putting thought into gifts (whether it's birthdays or Christmas or just because). I try my best to help my peeps out when they need it. I love spending time with my husband, friends, and family. I love doing things for other people to show that I, that someone, care(s). I love learning about my family history and learning (and carrying on) family traditions. I love seeing people smile, I love making people smile.

Day 9: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.

I would have to say my friend's wedding that was back in April. The weather was perfect, the music was great, the food was yummy, and it was great to see my friend happy, happy, happy (and look so very beautiful).

December 10: Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

This is a tough prompt too. I can name a million wise decisions that I made in 2009, but for 2010..... I wouldn't necessarily call this a "wise" decision per say, but one of the best decisions of 2010 was going to Vegas in April for a Weddingbee meetup. It was so much fun seeing and talking with the women I had previously only chatted with online. Other than that, I would have to say deciding to postpone my big exam until April was my wisest decision. I was able to celebrate my one year wedding anniversary with my husband stress and worry free (the previous exam would have been the weekend following our anniversary) and I now have more time to study. I guess I'll find out in April if the extra study time was really worth it :)

December 11: 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

1. Stress. Emotionally, I tend to naturally stress about every. little. tiny. thing. The yucky part is that affects more than just my emotions- I feel it in my bones and muscles. I'm going to attempt to tackle this in the coming year through two methods. 1) Adequate planning. I think by becoming better organized, I will be more able to take on tasks with less worry and anxiety. 2) Exercise. I want to incorporate more cardio and yoga in my life in the coming year. I really just need to create a schedule so that exercise becomes a part of my every day routine. (After you do something 5 days in a row, it becomes a habit? easier? lets hope so...)

2. Caffeine. (see item 1, I'm sure caffeine and stress don't mix). This is going to be tough because I. Love. Coffee. I think I've finally cut down on my soda intake to a point that I'm happy with, so now I need to cut down on the coffee. The only solution I see to this is incorporating more decaf into my daily coffee intake. I'm also hoping that by establishing a regular exercise routine, I'll have more energy/ less need for caffeine too.

3. Eating out. We do it, a lot. It's expensive and not necessarily the healthiest of choices. Husband X and I both need to do a better job of making a daily menu, taking sack lunches, and eating left overs. I've found that I really hate grocery shopping, but I'm so picky about what veggies, etc. we buy... I have to do the shopping. Uh, and the same goes for cooking: I feel like I have to do it. Call it being independent or anal, but it needs to change.

4. Stuff. Husband will be the first to agree with me when I say I have a lot of it. I really would like to go through my crafting supplies and clothing and finally get rid of the items I don't use/ wear. They take up too much space and cause the rest of the items I do use to become disorderly and messy. Must. Organize.

5. Smelly dogs. They will be getting a bath on a regular basis. Regular as in at least every two weeks. Good for me, not so good for them.

6. Perception. I happen to worry quite a bit too. I worry about what people think of me and how I'm perceived. It's not as bad as it used to be, and it's getting easier as I get even more comfortable in my skin. My confidence has always been a little lacking, but I build it up a little bit each and every day.

7. Chapped lips & dry skin. Burts bees wax and lotion.

8. Dull moments. If ever there are any, I hope that I can come up with an adventure to keep life interesting.

9. Plaquenil. Really, this is an item I need for right now to treat my autoimmune disease. It helps me not feel pain every day. It prevents me from requiring a nap or two every day. However, I hate that I have to take it and I would really like to cut down on my dose (not that it's really that much anyways...) This item is definitely dependent on items 1 & 2 because I know they make my every day symptoms worse. I think this year will be about paying better attention to my body and becoming healthier. I really hope that I can improve on those things so that 9 can be eliminated :)

10. Wasted time. I want to be better organized with my time management. Creating a set schedule will definitely help me improve in this area.

11. Wasted money. I think I'm fairly good about money management, but I still feel like I need a tighter budget. I think I can be putting more $$ towards retirement or savings, so I want to work on making that happen. Eliminating item 3 will contribute to more $ in my bank account and I'm sure there are items that can be cut from my every day/week/month spending (ahem, starbucks....).

Many of the items I've listed are for a healthier me. Emotionally, physically, financially. I really want to have my ducks in a row as I near the 3-0 mark (as of now, I have 1.5 years). And I really, really, really want to have my ducks in a row before the husband and I start seriously discussing the "b" word (and no it's not happening anytime this year or next year, thank you :P).

DIY Wall Clocks

2010-12-15T10:22:00.000-06:00

Lately, I've been thinking about must-have-items for our walls. A while back, I ordered a print from Canvas on Demand (using my groupon). I'm still trying to find the perfect spot for it. I'm also thinking that we need a clock somewhere in our house, since obviously the clocks on the microwave, stove, coffee pot, and my phone -um, which is on my person almost 99% of the time- still seem to have no effect on my tardiness. oops. Plus, I think a wall clock is sort of an adult home's staple.

I briefly searched for a clock on two occasions: when we were registering for wedding gifts and for our anniversary. I really didn't find anything I really loved. And the ones I did love were $$$$. Who knew clocks were so expensive?! Thus, I may end up going the DIY route....

I'm loving these:

source (w/ tutorial!)

Oddly enough, the first thing that came to mind when I saw this was that it would be an excellent way to reuse framed DIY wedding table numbers (especially if you used pictures for your table numbers - unfortunately, we did not *sad face* ).

In other words: Please someone do this so that I can live vicariously through you.

via Design Sponge (w/ tutorial)

via Indie Fixx

The numbers shown above were purchased from Anthro, but I think these numbers would look just as lovely:

via Papercutdiecut

Or maybe I could do a clock collage on one wall. If I could create plate clocks, it would be a great way to display them. And a wonderful reason to indulge in all the pretty plates I see at Anthro.

via Fairehoure

It really seems like the options for number designations and clock hands are endless.. I think I will probably go with something similar to the first or third image just because I think they would be easier to change out the numbers if I get tired of them. Looks like another project is getting added on to my list of DIY items...

St. Nicholas Day

2010-12-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

(A Day Late)

source

When my sister and I were growing up, our stockings hanging over the mantel would be empty on Christmas morning. This is because we celebrated the stocking portion on 12.6. We would hang our Christmas stockings on the outside of our bedroom doors before we went to sleep on 12.5. In the morning, we would wake up to find them filled with an apple, an orange, some sort of nuts- usually walnuts, sweets, and usually a "stocking stuffer" item. After reading up on St. Nicholas Day, I found out that European countries celebrate this holiday differently. It seems that our celebration most closly resembles the German holiday (makes sense, my heritage is German). I'm happy to say that we never found coal in our stockings :)

Moment Wonder Let Go Make

2010-12-06T14:30:00.002-06:00

So, I took a short break from blogging this weekend. Primarily because we were so busy (again)! I decided to combine the last four #reverb10 topics into one post, and, without further adieu, here they are:

Day 3: Moment: Pick one moment which you felt most alive this year.

Hmm, I don't think there was only one moment where I felt this way. I think I feel most alive when I'm surrounded by my friends and family. On nights when it's just my husband and I, and we're on the couch watching one of our shows. My weekly visits with my papa and my in-laws. Family get-togethers. Meeting my girlfriends for drinks and . When I get to see the people I love- the people who really make my life joyful. These are the moments when I feel all my worry subside and I can just be.

Day 4: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

Yet another hard question to answer. I think just experiencing marriage for the first year has created wonder in my life. Even though X and I have known each other for quite a while, marriage brings this whole new perspective to how we live day to day. I try new things because of him and he tries new things because of me. On the whole, we get to have many experiences we would not have had we not met.

Day 5: Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

In a few weeks, we will be letting go of cable. I grew up not having 1000+ useless channels, so I don' t think that it will be too hard for me to adapt; however, I think it will be a harder transition for X to make (we'll see). The primary reason for deciding this was $$. It seemed like a waste to be spending $120 a month on cable when we only watch a handful of channels and shows. I think it will be good for us not to have that "crutch" to lean on when we can't think of anything else to do. I'm looking forward to spending more time crafting, reading, exercising, or just spending quality time with my husband and pups.

Day 6: Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

This weekend I worked on two big craft projects. The first was an ornament for an ornament exchange. I used glass, glue, glitter, fabric, Modpodge (for the first time!!), paper, & ribbon. I really liked how it turned out in the end and I think I'll be posting a tutorial on here in the near future (maybe after the recipient receives it :) ).

The second project I worked on was creating some holiday floral arrangements to take to the cemetery for my mom & my Oma. Both projects were relatively simple. For my Oma, I purchased a Christmas wreath from Michael's and hot-glued some red pine cones and a bow to it.

For my mom, I found a twig spray at Hobby Lobby and hot glued pine cones, greenery, red berry branches and an angel ornament to it.

In addition to these projects, I have a long list of items on my "to-make" list. Who knows when I'll get around to actually doing them though...

* please excuse the horrible iPhone pics...

Writing

2010-12-02T21:17:00.001-06:00

#Reverb, Day 2 – Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

My initial response to this was work, since I spend most of my Tim there during the week. However, I know I could dedicate more time to writing when I get home from work. Sometimes I'm just tired, or don't want to look at a computer screen any longer, or just want to spend time with my friends or family. However, I need to write when I really want to- not as some regular scheduled activity. I know that will eventually lead to a "do I really have to?" attitude towards blogging. And really, as much as I love writing and blogging, spending time with my loves ones is always more important. So I don't think there is much I want to do to provide more time in my schedule for writing.

Reverb 2010

2010-12-02T07:45:00.000-06:00

Remember yesterday, when I said I'm kind of relieved not to be blogging every day? Um, yeah, well I've decided to participate in Reverb10, a daily reflection on the past year. After reading other bloggers' responses to yesterdays questions, I spent so much time thinking about my own response that I figured I may as well blog about it too :)
Yesterday's Prompt was: One Word (to describe 2010 and hope to describe 2011)

2010:

Milestones

My husband and I experienced many milestones during the past year. X and I worked through our first year of marriage. We took our first vacation as husband and wife. We have experienced living together (just the two of us + pups) for the first time. X started a new job at a new place in July and LOVES it. It has been just the right amount of motivation for him to decide to take on grad school in 2011. I have been lucky to have many, many doors open this year that will abeit success in my career (still can't believe I have one of those). On top of all that, X turned the big 3-0 in September, and I'm not far behind ;)

2011:

Balance

In my own life, I want to find balance between my career, my personal relationships, and my "me" time. I feel like I neglected many of my own hobbies during 2010 (for different reasons- trying to sell our house, burnt out from wedding planning, b-u-s-y). I guess it just boils down to time management, something I've always kind of failed at. Emotionally, 2010 was pretty stressful for me and for a good chunk of it, I was really strung out. For 2011, I want to be able to control my stress. I want my husband and I to continue to balance our finances together. I want us to continue to work together to find a balance between spending and saving. With us both studying or in school for the first half of 2011, I want us to be able to both find balance in our lives to be able to put aside time to work on our marriage. I feel like a marriage needs to continually grow and it's all about the time you put towards it.

e.louise

A Table for Coffee {round 2}

A Table for Coffee

One photo, Everyday

Odds & Ends

A Christmas Wish List

WEverb11: 8-12

We Took Some Pictures

Happy St. Nicholas Day!!!

WEverb11

Fabric off the Rack

I *need*

Breaking Dawn I Alamo Drafthouse

Fabric off the Rack

Odds & Ends

Guest Posting...

October Photo Challenge: Days 9-12

October Photo Challenge: Days 5-8

October Photo Challenge- Day 4

October 30-day Photo Challenge- Day 3

October Photo Challenge- Day 1 & 2

30-Day Challenge

Fabric off the Rack

Odds & Ends

Fabric off the Rack

Bronze vs. Brushed Nickel

Fabric off the Rack

Odds & Ends

Fabric off the Rack

Career Art

Fabric off the Rack

Around the House

Odds & Ends

Guest Posting

Greige

30 Before 30

Odds & Ends

Words Cannot Explain..

Missing This

Exhausted

Steamed

S'mores

Mirrors Continued

Framed: Black or White?

A Bookcase Redone

The Entryway

A Lazy Weekend

A Bookcase

Blue

Winners!

More Mirror Inspiration

The Staircase

A New-To-Me Chair

A Dog and His Bench

Love Affair with Alice

Lupus Fact of the Day:

Get One, Make One!

Excuse me while I pick my chin up off the floor.

Winners Announced!

A Double Giveaway!

Lupus Fact of the Day:

On Stress

Lupus Fact of the Day:

Lupus Fact of the Day:

Some Exciting News

Another Great Giveaway!

Lupus Fact of the Day:

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Awareness Day

Inspired by Lupus

Wednesday Giveaway!

Lupus Fact of the Day:

A Starbucks Winner!

World Lupus Day

Lupus Fact of the Day:

Mom

Lupus Fact of the Day:

Lupus Fact of the Day:

Lupus Fact of the Day:

Lupus Fact of the Day

5th of May and a Giveaway!

I need