24 Days // Day 1

Last month, I stumbled upon this fantastic modern DIY advent calendar from Hey Look, and immediately bookmarked it for a rainy day. Since we haven't actually had many rainy days lately, a couple of weekends ago I decided to turn on season two of Downton Abbey (my admittedly late but now major obsession) and got to work assembling all 24 little boxes. I finished up in a few hours -- I work slowly when enthralled in beautiful British dramas -- and then attached them to a canvas I had wrapped in kraft paper.

Then came the hard part: figuring out how to fill the boxes. I thought about little candies, but lord knows I don't need the extra padding in the waistline this time of year. So what about fun activities? That sounded great, but could I really keep up with them with my already-busy schedule? Probably not. And then it hit me -- creative ideas and prompts that would keep me motivated throughout the month. Perfect! I've been in dire need of a kick in the ol' creative pants, so this could be just what I need. I knew I'd have to keep it simple to stay on track, so I came up with a list of 24 ideas (including some that are a little more involved for the weekends), printed them out, and then mixed them all up before I placed a prompt in each box so I'd have no idea what each day would bring.

And can I just say that I'm really really excited about this whole thing? It's been a long time since I've felt so motivated, and I'm only on Day 2! Even more, I've decided that I'm going try try hard to document the each day with a photo here on the blog (or, at the very least, on Instagram -- follow me at sarakate5!). So let's get this show on the road, shall we?

DAY 1 // Watch an inspiring documentary

Watched Objectified and an episode of PBS' Art 21 that featured Cindy Sherman.

Please excuse my shoddy manicure. It happens.

Out with the old ...

Fireworks over Kansas City's WWI Memorial, as seen from our room at the Crown Center Westin Hotel
Photo by me, shot on the iPhone 4S and edited with Typic

Hey, everyone.

It's been ... well, it's been a very long time. I last showed up around here eight months ago, if you're looking to get specific. As if it weren't completely obvious, I've fallen out of love with this whole blogging thing. I've made it a goal so many times over the past year to reinvigorate the passion I once had and find my niche in a never-ending sea of personal blogs. It should now be painfully apparent that this hasn't been a top priority for me. Or a priority at all. Not that it should be a top priority, but it could be a little higher than dead last, at least. I've had a personal site or blog off and on for the past 14 years (which is half my life, for those of you playing at home), and it's something I've invested a lot of time and effort -- and yes, even money -- into maintaining. So it would seem that it's something I truly enjoy. Honestly, I'm not even always sure why. After 14 years, I'm still trying to figure that out.

With that being said, today is the day I've decided to move it up from dead last to somewhere slightly-higher than middle-of-the pack on Sara's Official List of Priorities.

It's OK, I'll wait until the roaring applause dies down.

Allow me to go off course from the original topic for a little bit. I've spent the past couple of months really assessing where I'm at in life. Needless to say, I haven't been thrilled about what I've found. Yes, I do alright for myself: I have an education, a good job, an amazing circle of family and friends, a loving boyfriend ... but there's this constant feeling that something is missing. OK, there's a lot missing, but I know that I've been quite fortunate and don't have a lot of room to complain.

During these recent bouts of introspection, however, I've noticed a common theme in my life: I've always taken the safest route. Now, there's nothing wrong with playing it safe, and for some people, it works out fine. Naturally, I couldn't help but wonder what my life would be like if I had taken just one big risk. That lead to me wondering if it's too late for me to finally try something big, something new... something potentially stupid. I know 28 isn't old by any stretch of the imagination, but it's an age where a lot of people are really starting to figure out their place in life. Is it a good idea to take such big risks, and basically start all over? What if I fail? What if I end up just as unhappy as I am now? Then again, what if taking a huge chance is the best decision I've ever made? I hope I'm about to find out.

How's that for cheesy?

(At the risk of totally chickening out and deciding that playing it safe works just fine for me, I'm not going to divulge my plans just yet. Just know that they're big. Hooray for vagueness!)

So all of this brings me back to the blog (I can hear the collective outbursts of "Freaking finally!"). I'm ready to start fresh here, too. Well, not really here, because my first big change is starting from scratch. I'm taking the first steps toward building myself a brand new home on the web, which means bringing a bittersweet end to Arvonia. I really loved this blog for a long time, but it's time for me to move on in another direction. The first step? Going to Wordpress. The second step? Building something that is really, truly me. I want my new 'net digs to be somewhere I can share and document these (supposed) big changes, and make it more personal than what I usually made this site. Hopefully in the process, I can rediscover my love of writing and photography, and sharing them with friends, family, and the blogging community I have grown to love.

Once I have the new site up and running, I'll let you all know. I might post here in the meantime, but don't hold me to that. I hope you'll all be interested enough to come on these new journeys with me, and I certainly appreciate those of you who have stuck around for this long.


Sara

The Faves // Tunes

Whew.

I think I may finally be over my creative slump. Maybe. I'm just really hoping to once again make this the little corner of the 'net that I used to love. Thanks for sticking with me.

I've had the idea in my head for a long time to sit down and try and come up with a list of my very favorite songs. Not just songs I like right now, or my favorite songs of the year, but my favorite songs of all time. I don't really know why I've felt compelled to take on such an arduous task, but I think it boils down to two things: (1) I really love music, and (2) I really love making lists.

Over the past few days, I've narrowed this list down to 50 songs that I truly love. It's an interesting reflection of my past musical tastes, and how certain people and experiences have influenced what I listen to. I've gone through a number of musical phases in my life, from SoCal punk to girl-powered folk (or what I like to call "lesbian coffeeshop music"), from hip-hop to alternative, and from bluegrass to 80s classics, my tastes have definitely run the gamut. And to be honest, these 50 songs were pretty much the best of the first 75 or so that came to mind, so I know there are a lot that are missing and will come to me in the middle of the night some random day in the future. But right now, this is what I've got. I hope to keep adding to this list and re-sharing in the future.

For now, please enjoy.

Note: I just thought that I should point out that Guttermouth's "Lipstick" is in no way the way I feel about my own mother. It's just a song from my high school days that I've always thought was kind of hilarious.

/////

RESOURCES
Bokeh Textures - Regular Jane
Fonts - Futura Condensed Medium and Josefin Sans
Playlist Widget - Grooveshark

2012

Yes, I know it's January 2. I spent most of January 1 on our couch recovering from New Year's Eve. It happens.

Happy New Year, everyone! May 2012 bring you everything you hope for and more.

Here's to having the best year yet! xo

Enjoy your pancakes

I can't stop watching this video. Mac Lethal kills it. KILLS. IT. Also, he's from KC, which may make me a little biased ... but only a little.

Time Out

This image has nothing to do with the post, but I wanted to share in the juicy deliciousness that was my kobe beef burger from The Burger Stand earlier this evening. Pair it with their truffle fries and it might just be the key to my heart.

I need a break.

I'm sure you're asking yourself "A break from what, the grueling schedule of one or two posts a week?".

Well ... yes.

With the craziness of the holidays ahead, I really want to take time to make these next couple of months special. My loved ones and I have had some trying times this year, and I'd much rather be celebrating the people and traditions that we love, instead of sitting behind a computer trying to force myself to write something for a few extra page views. It will also give me some time to reassess my "brand" and place on the interweb. That shop link up in the navbar still leads to a Coming Soon image on Etsy, and it has done so for far too long. I'm ready for something more ... but what exactly "more" is escapes me.

So November and December, you're all about loving, celebrating, creating, reorganizing, refreshing, and reloading.

And that's not to say I won't post at all for the next two months, but I'm certainly not going to stress over doing so with any sense of regularity. And if you're still asking yourself "Stressing over what, the grueling schedule of one or two posts a week?", I envy your free time and/or endless energy.

See y'all soon!

QuickClicks : 11|1|11

I had the chance to try my hand at decorating sugar skulls for the first time on Friday. It's certainly not perfect, but I thought it turned out alright. I wish I would have gotten a photo from a better angle, since it had some hearts and a sweet flower on top. Ah well. This will be on display and for sale this week at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center during their week-long Dia de los Muertos celebration.

♥ If someone wanted to buy me this lovely Latin-themed 2012 calendar from Peachy Cheek, I certainly wouldn't object! Be sure to check out the Peachy Cheek blog as well, Kim's a pretty swell lady!

♥ Another swell lady? My friend Brie, who's undertaking a personal challenge to do 30 random acts of kindness in 30 days. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to join in! Check it out on Tumblr, Twitter, or Facebook.

♥ I've vowed to do mostly-handmade holiday gifts this year, and I'm getting an early start (famous last words). You can imagine my joy when Caiti posted her Handmade Holiday Gift Guide! She's got several posts with some great DIY gift ideas ... I'm already planning on making a couple of the gifts listed!

♥ Too early to be talking about the holiday season? Chic Steals posted a number of ideas found in Elle Magazine of how to turn used Halloween costumes into super on-trend looks. The Cleopatra transformation is pretty stunning (although admittedly, so is the original costume!)

♥ And if you didn't get enough candy over the Halloween weekend, you might try whipping up a batch (or three) of these Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars from Deliciously Organic. Oh, pardon me, I was just drooling on my keyboard.

♥ These 3D works by Yuki Matsueda speak for themselves. Mind = blown.

Happy November, everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your week.

For all you boys and ghouls ...

Photo of yours truly by my dad