arvonia

2012

2012-01-02T11:57:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-08T07:45:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-09T20:44:00.000-06:00

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

2011-11-01T21:40:00.000-05:00

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 ...

2011-10-31T20:45:00.000-05:00

Photo of yours truly by my dad

Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Kate! I'll be sending your info on to the team at MyMemories so they can get you all set up with your new scrapbooking software. Yippee! And since I had only a whopping two entrants into the giveaway, I'll be sending a little something special to my other entrant as well (Brandi, be on the lookout for something to come your way soon!).

Thanks to Kate and Brandi, and especially the people at MyMemories for giving me AND one of my readers a copy of their cool software. If you didn't get a chance to enter and you want to pick up a copy of the program with a sweet discount, don't forget that you can use my coupon code (STMMMS99144) to get $10 off the price of the software AND $10 to use in their online store.

MyMemories Suite Giveaway - EXTENDED!

2011-10-18T16:10:00.000-05:00

Well, with all the excitement of my long Vegas weekend, the giveaway for the free copy of the MyMemories scrapbooking software totally slipped my mind. D'oh! What does that mean for you? I've extended the deadline to enter!

The giveaway is now closing at 11:59 p.m. (central time) on Wednesday, October 19.
That gives you over an extra day to enter! Follow this link to get back to the original post.

Can't wait for the giveaway to end? Just use this coupon code to get $10 off the price of the program (making it under $30) AND a $10 coupon code for the MyMemories store!

STMMMS99144

It's that time of year ...

2011-10-12T18:59:00.000-05:00

2011 has been the year of the wedding. Not for me, of course, but for a lot of Marcus' and my good friends and family. We've been to four since August (including one in San Diego, and another in Columbia, MO), and have two more before the month is over. Next up on the list? The nuptials of our good friends Aaron and Michelle ... in Las Vegas! Hey-ooooo!

In honor of all of these amazing weddings, here are a few favorites from my Someday Wedding board on Pinterest. Let it be said that I'm nothing if not prepared, especially for my wedding. Now just to get Marcus to work on that proposal ...

Also, I feel that I should note my lack of an actual wedding dress on this list (the Anna Sui would be the perfect rehearsal and/or reception dress) ... and the inclusion of three invitations. Go figure!

1 // Classic Rough Diamond Ring from Diamond in the Rough (pin)
2 // Viewmaster Invitation from Melangerie, NYC (pin)
3 // Personal CD Booklet Invitations from Hi-Fi Weddings & Dana Grant Photography (pin)
4 // Laura's Invitations from Oh, Hi (pin)
5 // Anna Sui Sequin Dress from Net-a-Porter (no longer available) (pin)
6 // Beautiful Cake from Design Sponge, Sweet & Saucy Shop, and Gabriel Ryan Photographers (pin)
7 // DIY Candy Gemstones from Intimate Weddings (pin)
8 // DIY Mini Piñata Favors from Ruffled (pin)

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And don't forget -- there's still time to enter the MyMemories Suite giveaway! If you want the discount code, you can now find it in the sidebar over on the right.

Additional Resources:
Background Image - Dreamy Bokeh Texture from Regular Jane
Title Font - Didot from MyFonts

R.I.P. Steve

2011-10-05T20:18:00.001-05:00

[source]

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. - Apple, Inc.

Thank you, Steve. And rest in peace.

MyMemories Suite Review & Giveaway

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

What's this? Another giveaway, you say? Believe it, kids!

I was recently contacted by the lovely people at MyMemories, asking if I would be interested in reviewing their MyMemories Suite digital scrapbooking software here on the blog. At first, I honestly wasn't sure it was something I'd be interested in. Yes, I've been getting more into digital scrapbooking lately, but I've been using Photoshop for all of my layouts. I quickly realized, however, that not everyone has access to programs like Photoshop. And since MyMemories has offered a free copy to one of my readers AND a coupon code to everyone else, it would mean I could offer a great, affordable alternative that lets users put together quick, professional-looking pages (and add a new program to my own arsenal). I couldn't say no!

I created a few pages yesterday afternoon, and I was really pleased with how quick and easy it was to put together some good looking layouts. I opted to use only the elements that are provided with the program just so you can see the program's potential on its own, but you can import and use any digital elements you've downloaded from the web (which is a HUGE plus for me!). You can also either use pre-made templates or start totally from scratch, and I chose to start from scratch on the three layouts here.

So as it turns out, I really love using the MyMemory Suite software. You can browse through your photos and elements with ease, and put together pages in a snap. And check out these pages from other MyMemories users. There are so many possibilities!

Want to win a copy for yourself?

Just visit the MyMemories website, and leave a comment with your favorite item from their shop (speaking of, did you see there's a whole bunch of freebies and dollar items?).

For extra entries (leave one comment for each):

Like My Memories on Facebook
Follow My Memories on Twitter
Blog or Tweet about this giveaway

The giveaway will close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, October 17. Get your entries in today!

Can't wait for the giveaway to end? Just use this coupon code to get $10 off the price of the program (making it under $30) AND a $10 coupon code for the MyMemories store!

STMMMS99144

DISCLAIMER: MyMemories Suite Version 2.0 was provided to me at no cost for review. This has had no bearing on the opinions in this post, and they are still my own.

QuickClicks : 10|3|11

2011-10-03T19:44:00.000-05:00

Marcus at Callaway Winery in Temecula, California. Obviously, I'm still going through my CA photos

♥ Lipgloss and Black's Halloween 2011 catalog is completely drool-worthy. So many women's costumes are just downright cheap and sleazy, but Syl and Sam turned Halloween into the chic-est holiday around. I honestly want one of everything!

♥ My latest Netflix obsession is A Bit of Fry and Laurie. We've always been big fans of British humor (humour, I guess) in my family, so I'm not sure how it took me so long to watch this. It's outrageously hilarious. Also, I may or may not have a teensy crush on Stephen Fry, based partially on the fact that he's the voice of the narrator in Little Big Planet. Nerd alert!

♥ I'm on the look out for a cheap denim shirt just so I can try out this Kanye-inspired project from I Spy DIY. I actually already own the perfect shirt for the project, but I wear it constantly (like, right now) and refuse to experiment with it. So the hunt continues.

♥ It's no secret that just about everyone under the sun read's Elsie's blog, so I'm sure most of you saw the post about Fancy Grilled Cheese 9 Ways. Just thinking about the pear, ricotta, and honey is making my mouth water. I expect to be trying some of these combos out very soon!

♥ Even if you don't have a 3D camera (seriously, who does??), these DIY galaxy photos are gorgeous, and shockingly easy. Supposedly. I haven't tried them yet. But it's on my to do list! If anyone tries this, please let me know ... I want to see how they turn out!

Do you have any favorite recent links from around the web? I'd love for you to share!

audioLOVE : September 2011

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Dear World,

I know it's a little early to be putting in my requests, but all I want for Christmas is a whole week with nothing to do. I'd even compromise and still drag my butt into work Tuesday thru Friday, so long as I could have free evenings and a totally empty Saturday thru Monday. If you could please find some way to make that happen, I would really, really appreciate it.

Love,
Sara

...

OK, but seriously, I feel like I've been so busy that I'm not really sure if I'm coming or going anymore. But at least I can say I've been enjoying myself! Between work, family commitments, traveling, weddings, camping, etc., these last few months have been a blast. Unfortunately, this poor little blog is being sorely neglected in the process. I'll return to you with my whole heart some day, my love!

But thankfully for your ears, I'm never too busy to post a playlist!

I think the eclectic nature of this playlist is a testament to everywhere my mind (and body) has been this month. From a crazy dance party in San Diego to a Kansas City day trip with my bestie to a bluegrass festival in Winfield, everywhere I've been this month has certainly influenced what I've listened to. So as schizophrenic as it might seem, this little list is my hectic month in a nutshell. Enjoy!

California by iPhone

2011-09-23T09:41:00.000-05:00

I know I got back from California a couple of weeks ago, but I still need to edit all of the photos I took on my cameras (yes, two). Shocking. I do, however, have a few photos I took on my iPhone, using either Instagram or PictureShow that I thought I'd share.

Now if I could just figure out how to get back to California permanently ...

By air

Overlooking Torrey Pines State Beach

Wind boarders at Tourmaline Surf Park Beach

Hennessey's famous Vodka Lemonade

Amazing salad at the wedding reception

Outside of Fred's in Old Town, where we spent two evenings in a row

Schooners all around at The Boardwalk in Mission Beach

Fab Coconut Porter at Sneak Joint in Mission Beach

Awards at South Coast Winery in Temecula

At South Coast Winery

Ana Tijoux at the House of Blues in downtown San Diego

Congrats! and What I Wore

2011-09-20T21:52:00.004-05:00

Congrats, Holly! I'll be contacting you shortly to get your info so I can send you your new bag. I hope you love it as much as I love mine! And thanks to everyone who entered or helped spread the word about my first giveaway ... I wish I could send something to everyone!

Now on to more sartorial matters ...

Jacket: Forever 21 // Top: Target // Belt: Charlotte Russe (??) // Pants: Target // Shoes: Steve Madden // Peridot Earrings and Necklace: Gifts from my dad // Faux Peridot Bracelet: Gift from Marcus' aunt // Faux Pearl Cluster Ring: F21

You'll have to pardon my slightly disheveled appearance, as these photos were taken after a 10 hour work day AND post-work drinks with my newly-retired dad (cue Napoleon Dynamite saying "Lucky!" in my head ...). But messy hair and well-worn makeup aside, this might be my new favorite office look. It's grown up and office-appropriate, but still a little funky. Just how I like it!

I decided recently that I really need to step up my fashion game at the office. I've started to rely too heavily on the casual side of business casual, which I just don't find acceptable for a woman of 27 trying to advance her career. Not that this outfit is going to get me a promotion, but it's at least a step up from my tired old khakis and leopard print flats (don't take it personally, flats, I still love you!). So if all goes according to plan, you may start to get more peeks into my work wardrobe. Hopefully.

Giveaway Time!

2011-09-18T23:59:00.000-05:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! I know I said I'd pick a winner today (Monday), but looks like it'll be tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Yes, that's right! It's time for my very first giveaway! Since I've hit over 100 followers on Google Friend Connect, I wanted to show my sincere thanks and appreciation for all of you that have decided I'm cool enough to be "followed". I know I haven't been very good lately at posting all that often, but I hope this helps make up for that, even if just a little bit.

This amazing canvas and leather backpack from NYC's HangaBag is one I own myself. Well, I actually own two of them -- I received two for my birthday several weeks ago (lucky me!). Instead of sending one back, I decided I wanted to share one of these beauties with one of you! The bag, which retails at $64, is extremely well crafted with high-quality materials, and is perfect for bike rides to the park, day trips, or every day use. I'm seriously in love, and I hope you will be, too!

THE GIVEAWAY IS OPEN FROM NOW UNTIL SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 AT 11:59 P.M.

But of course, there are a few rules ...

To enter, leave a comment on this post and tell me a little bit about your favorite bag.
You must be a follower of the blog, but it does not have to be via GFC. Just tell me how you follow (GFC, Blog Lovin', Google Reader, etc.) in your comment.
You can earn an extra entry by tweeting about the giveaway. Your tweet must contain a link back to this post, as well as mention @sarakate5 (my Twitter account), and then you will need to leave a second comment with your Twitter name to let me know.
You can also earn an extra entry by blogging about the giveaway. Your blog post must contain a link back to this post, and then you will need to leave a second (or third) comment with the link to your own blog post.
The giveaway is open to any reader around the world! Woo hoo!

And that's it! I'll be picking a winner on Monday, September 19. Tell all your friends, and good luck! :)

Side note -- This post will remain at the top of the page until the giveaway has closed. In the meantime, all new blogposts will be seen underneath this one.

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RESOURCES:
Bag Photos - HangaBag Etsy
Fabric Labels and Photo Template - Pugly Pixel
Patagonia Font - Font Squirrel

Tijuana Bass

2011-09-08T22:39:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably know that I spent the past week in sunny San Diego. I hope to get around to editing/posting pictures sometime soon, but in the meantime, I want to share a band we got to see on our last night in town. Tuesday evening, we wandered from our home-away-from-home in Pacific Beach into downtown San Diego for a Latin music show at the House of Blues. Marcus and I didn't know much about the bands that were playing, but we're always down for a fun Latin show, so we naturally jumped at the invite from his cousin.

The lineup for the night included Nortec Collective (or more specifically, Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich + Fussible), Ana Tijoux, and Los Amigos Invisibles. Marcus had listened to some of Ana Tijoux's stuff, and it would later turn out that I have a little bit of Los Amigos Invisibles on my iPod, so we were both at least vaguely familiar with their music, but Nortec Collective was a total surprise. And what a happy surprise they were! They're a crazy combination of Norteño and Techno (hence their name), and we didn't stop dancing the entire time they were on stage. The other two acts were great, but I think I would have happily paid the entrance fee just to see Nortec alone. Seeing a group of guys decked out in traditional Norteño gear (that isn't a photo of them, but you get the idea), playing along side a couple of iPad-playing DJs is definitely a trip. If they're in your area, you need to go see them. You won't regret it!

Quick Clicks : 09|05|11

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

I have no earthly idea what is going on with my eyebrows in this photo. I can assure you that I don't have one pointy one and one non-pointy one. Or at least I don't think I do ...

♥ This amazing amateur-built log cabin is just down the road from me at Lake Wabaunsee, Kansas. My family used to have a cabin at Lake Wabaunsee, too, but it didn't look anything like this. I'd be first in line if they turned this into a rental!

♥ Speaking of sights just down my road ... I'm pretty ashamed that I've never made a visit to Hammerpress in KC. I know exactly where it is, and have driven past numerous times, I've just never stopped to take a look. But luckily for those of you that don't live nearby, Hello!Lucky recently stopped in, and snapped a few photos of their trip.

♥ I know that Kreayshawn is ridiculous, but I can't stop singing this song.

♥ Daniel Kornfumpf embroidery skills blow everyone else's out of the water. The detail is unreal!

♥ I got a HUGE chuckle out of Sarah's traveling gnome photos. Aside from reminding me of Amelie, it also reminds me of a commercial from when I was a kid (Anyone remember what it would have been for? This was before Travelocity, mind you.) that inspired my neighbor friends and I to have a similarly-themed photo shoot ... with a pair of shoes. Hey, we were kids!

audioLOVE : August 2011

2011-08-31T23:34:00.000-05:00

Well now that I've recovered from all of the post-birthday delirium, it's time for this month's playlist (and just under my self-imposed midnight deadline)! This month's list is a combination of new releases and a few favorites from mixes I both gave and received in August. I actually made three mixes this month, but all three were packaged as a set and given to my BFF Aja as a birthday gift. Yes, we take our mixes very seriously. And my friend Mary gave me one of the best mix CDs I've ever been gifted. I knew when it started with RuPaul's "Supermodel", it was going to be pretty fantastic. I was correct.

Oh, and I finally rounded up a pretty sweet giveaway! I've got some travel plans in the very near future, so as soon as I get back home and settled, I'll be getting that posted. Tell your friends! It's going to be a good one.

Wishlist: Home Goodies

2011-08-22T10:00:00.005-05:00

Wishlist: Part 1 (All That Glitters ...)
Wishlist: Part 2 (Geek Chic)

Since my birthday is now just 2 days away, I figured I'd better start to get this prezzie parade wrapped up. I had to break my home stuff wishlist into two parts, since apparently that's what I really, really want for my birthday this year. I used to think that getting stuff for my home was boring, but I guess a sign of growing up is being excited about things like cutting boards and salt shakers. I'm also pretty certain that no one could call these cutting boards and salt shakers boring, but that's just my own opinion.

1. Grand Taxonomy of Rap Names - I'm a sucker for two things: great prints and hip-hop, and this illustrated beauty from Brooklyn's Pop Chart Lab does a bang-up job of combining the two. You have to look at the zoomed-in photo to really grasp its greatness, but trust me, it's pretty spectacular. It would also look pretty spectacular hanging on one of our walls!
2. Travel French Press - OK, truth time: I already know I'm getting this for my birthday. Marcus isn't very good at hiding things (although when it gets left in my Amazon shopping cart, I don't know how I wasn't supposed to find it), but that's alright. I bugged him incessantly at the grocery store one day to buy me one of these, so the fact that he got me one really isn't shocking I'm just excited that I'll be enjoying delicious french press coffee on the go, instead of that horrible stuff they try to pass as coffee at work. Blecch.
3. Lunch Box with Water Bobble - I LOVE BOBBLE. Let me just get that out there. My 32 oz.-er has gotten me in the habit of drinking almost 8 cups per day, which is something I've struggled with for, oh, about 27 years. Knowing that I'll always have clean water at the ready is pretty important, and I'm not tossing out countless plastic bottles anymore (I recycled them, don't worry!). I love the idea of having a more travel-friendly size for when I take my lunch to work, which is happening more and more these days.
4. Mr. & Mrs. Muse Salt and Pepper Shaker - I'm pretty much in love with anything Jonathan Adler makes. A lot of it is a bit out of my price range (unless it's on pretty hefty clearance), but these quirky salt and pepper shakers aren't too unreasonable. Plus they'd keep with my current theme of all-white shakers (current collection count: 1 set).
5. Kansas Cutting Board - I don't think I really need to explain why I want this. I love my home state, and I love collecting fun things for my kitchen. This would also match nicely with my Truche I Heart Kansas necklace, which is obviously necessary. Oh, and doesn't Kansas make the perfect cutting board shape? Look at all that workspace!

Wish List: Geek Chic

2011-08-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

Wishlist: Part 1 (All That Glitters ...)

I'm a total gadget nerd. I love my tech accessories, as well as accessories for my tech accessories. My gadgets have become so entwined in my every day life that I've got to have them looking just as good as the rest of my wardrobe (current outfit of tanktop and basketball shorts notwithstanding). I found so many other items to add to this list, but I didn't want to look greedy. Or too greedy, anyway. Ha!

1. ONA Any Bag Camera Bag Insert - I've been searching far and wide for the perfect camera bag, but have yet to find it. The bags I have found are either too expensive or don't fit my style. The ONA Insert offers the perfect solution -- turn any bag into a camera bag!
2. Canvas and Leather Backpack - This utilitarian beauty wouldn't hold my laptop, but it would hold my iPod, iPhone, point-and-shoot, Holga, and assorted other techie goodies on a bike ride to the park. Now to get my bike all fixed up and ready ...
3. MacBook Pro Felt Sleeve - Although I love my current laptop bag, I feel like this might be a little more age-appropriate. And honestly, this sleeve is just flat out gorgeous.
4. Chevron Laptop Decal - OK, so I'll never totally leave behind this youthful, funky look. I'm still in love with a good chevron, and in a bold color, it adds a perfect touch of sass to the otherwise-sleek MBP. I'll take one in pink and one in mint, please!

Wishlist: All that glitters ...

2011-08-15T02:20:00.002-05:00

We're gonna have a good time!

I'm just nine short days away from turning 27. I'm usually pretty excited about birthdays, but there's nothing too special about 27 (although to be fair, there was nothing special about 26, either, and that birthday turned out to be pretty fantastic). I'm actually already chalking this one up to being a "forgotten birthday". I keep joking with Marcus that because he and his brother turn 30 on the 23rd -- one day before my birthday, for those who haven't done the math yet -- people will be too partied out to remember that I have something to celebrate, too. But no pity party here! My family and friends always make me feel pretty special on my birthday ... and I'm pretty excited about all the old man jokes I get to make around Marcus. OK, I'm pretty excited about the old man jokes I get to continue to make around Marcus.

I've thrown together an Amazon birthday wishlist to share with my family, and I'll be sharing a few of the items throughout the week here, too. This first batch of goodies are probably the shiniest requests on my list. I've got a major crush on all things gold, be it on a ring or a lovely bottle of my favorite perfume. The best things about these goodies? They're all pretty affordable. I guess it's bling on a budget!

1. Disney Couture Shark Jaw Ring - I've been eyeing this baby for awhile. Karmaloop used to carry a matching bracelet, too, but I love how delicate the ring is.
2. Ariel Gordon Initial Pendant - I realize that the necklace shown isn't gold. And while I would love the gold version, at $300, it's out of the price range of what I would expect anyone to spend. And the silver one is just as lovely!
3. Betsey Johnson Viva la Betsey Piñata Ring - It wouldn't be a true wishlist of mine unless I asked for something that's a little quirky, and this ring certainly fits the bill. I used to have a piñata at almost every birthday as a kid, so this seems pretty appropriate.
4. Twirl by Kate Spade Perfume - This scent is amazing. It's girly and pretty, but still grown up. I've been trying to hold out on buying a bottle for myself, so fingers crossed this makes the cut!

I'll be back to share more birthday goodies soon!

On an unrelated note -- I noticed that I now have over 100 followers via GFC! Woo hoo! Since I'm a woman of my word, I'll be hosting a giveaway sometime soon. I've got to try and work it around some upcoming travel plans of ours, so just bear with me. I promise I'll make it a good one!

Four

2011-08-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

How someone who isn't forced to do so by blood relation could put up with me for four years is beyond me, but the handsome guy in the photos below has done the seemingly impossible. Marcus is pretty much everything I could ask for in a guy -- honest, patient, faithful, funny, caring, open-minded, etc., etc. I think part of the reason we work so well is because both of us know that our other half isn't perfect, but that what one of us lacks, the other makes up for. We're a good balance.

So thank you, Marcus, for bringing much needed balance to my life. I'm thrilled to see what the next four years and beyond have in store. ♥

For all you little listmakers ...

2011-08-01T18:22:00.001-05:00

Registration for 30 Days of Lists is OPEN!

Those of you that participated in the first round will already know how great it is. If you aren't familiar with #30Lists, it's a fun project hosted by Kam, Amy, and Justine that offers up journaling prompts once a day, for 30 days. Their new members-only blog also hosts a forum for #30Lists-ers, freebies (you may even see one from yours truly!), and tutorials. Registration is only $6, or $0.20 per day. Pretty awesome if you ask me!

And in case that wasn't enough, everyone that registers by August 13 gets a printable download of ALL of September's topics, as well as an entry to win a Holga. If they hit 100 registrants, those members will be entered to win a personal Metropol Filofax (sign me up!). And if they hit 300? All 300 will be entered to win a Diana Mini toy camera!

Now hurry up and get yourself registered! The fun starts September 1. You won't regret it.

200th Post + audioLOVE

2011-07-25T21:49:00.001-05:00

Happy 200th post to me! It's humbling to know that some of you have stuck around for all 200 -- through my ups and downs, a few (or maybe more) boring posts, and notorious blogging droughts. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And to those of you that are new, I hope you find a good reason to keep reading. May you all be with me for a million posts more!

I've been wanting to find a good excuse to post a new playlist, and this seems as good a time as any. I love the idea of a monthly playlist as a way of keeping track of my musical habits on a month-by-month basis, considering how wildly my tastes change (Julie at Mint and Mellow also posts an awesome playlist on her blog every month, BTW). So I present to you, the very first audioLOVE playlist!

Most of the songs on this month's playlist aren't by any means new, but instead are songs for which I have rediscovered my love. Or, in the case of "The Deathbridge in Lethbridge", I'm finally taking a friend's recommendation to heart, and falling head over heels for a band I should have been listening to a long time ago (Side note -- Dad, if you're reading this, is it just me, or does the singer from The Rural Alberta Advantage sound like Quinn from The KC Bear Fighters?). There are also a couple of new discoveries, and of course, an old favorite from an amazing talent gone too soon. Oh, and then there's LMFAO, because I'm not immune to the trappings of terrible pop music.

If you're in a reader, hop on out and take a listen!

This is me

2011-07-18T00:03:00.000-05:00

Alright alright, I'm not in The Lonely Island. Or chillin' with T-Pain. OR on a yacht. But I am spending (a lot of) my week on a boat! I'm taking a much-needed trip away with my family down in the Ozarks on Bull Shoals Lake, soaking up the sun, drinking a few brews, playing a ton of games ... all in my flippy-floppies.

I was going to try and be on the ball and have some posts ready for this week, but that didn't happen. Thankfully I get a (super weak) wifi signal from our resort's office, so I might be able to post a couple of more times during our vacation. But if not, see you when I get home!

QuickClicks : 7 | 12 | 11

2011-07-12T08:43:00.000-05:00

♥ I found this little illustration while digging through old files on my hard drive. I'm not certain when I would have done it ... my best guess is early- to mid-2000s. And for the record, I still have (and wear) that pink Gap cardigan.

♥ Have you noticed that I added a new "Love" in the sidebar? If you're in a reader, hop on out and take a look! Sandi is a sweet vintage-lovin' mama with an equally-sweet blog, AdaLou Vintage. And she's a Kansan, to boot! She's having an awesome handmade giveaway at her blog right now, and who doesn't love free stuff? Especially free handmade stuff??

♥ Speaking of Kansans ... I love finding real life pals on the interweb. Lowen and Chris (hi, guys!) are part of our camping family, and are also super-awesome and super-talented. Their blogs are definitely both testaments to their radical-ness. (side note - Why doesn't spell check recognize "Kansans"?)

♥ While we're on a midwestern streak, I have to mention The MidweSTYLE. These fellows have been around for a short while, but the fact that they're the only men's style blog I read should speak to how great I think they are. Yes, they may be Mizzou grads (dangerous words here in these parts), but they have a knack for style unlike most midwestern men. Also, they love thrifting. A total win!

♥ Did you happen to catch the sneak peek of Lisa Congdon's studio at My Love For You? I have no words for how much this woman is an inspiration, so I'll just let the post speak for itself.

♥ My love for Kanye really goes without saying. But love him or hate him, you have to admit that the man really knows how to dress himself. Or at least make a decent fashion statement. I think this post over at The Sartorialist shows how much he's really grown up style-wise. Classy.

Fashion Conundrum

2011-07-07T21:19:00.000-05:00

I have a problem.

(OK, I have a lot of problems, but for the sake of everyone's sanity, I'm choosing just to focus on one minor issue at this moment)

For the life of me, I can't figure out how to style these beauties:

[source]

I feel like it should be simple enough. They're the Kincade platform pumps by MICHAEL Michael Kors (I don't have a stutter, I swear); they're also gorgeous, and surprisingly comfortable. Sounds easy enough, so why can't I figure them out? I have worn the shoes once, when I volunteered at a wine- and food-tasting event here in town that required me to get pretty gussied up, but when it comes to making them work in a more casual or slightly-more-than-casual setting, I'm at a total loss. I've tried pairing them with office attire as well, but they're just on this side of too-skanky-for-the-office, so again, no dice.

If you have suggestions, please send them my way! I'd really love to wear these more than the two or three times a year I get super dressed up (and let's be honest, I already have several other pairs of shoes in rotation for those occasions). I'll be sure to post photos if someone can help me find a winning combo.

Thanks, friends!

Oh, and on a related note -- for you ladies (and gents) in the KC area: Have you heard they're opening a Michael Kors AND an H&M on the Plaza this year? I can already hear my wallet crying! (And how did I not know a Sur La Table had opened there, too? I'm so behind the times.).

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T19:20:00.000-05:00

Fountain of Color by sunsurfr on Flickr (CC)

Hope all of you here in the States are having a great Independence Day! I spent the long weekend having a Girls Day with my mom and sis and camping out at one of our favorite lakes with my dad, sis, and regular camping crew. Tomorrow's going to be a pretty long day, so I'm spending today being a total couch potato. Sounds like a great holiday weekend to me!

Bela : L'Homme Chat

2011-06-30T20:09:00.000-05:00

Alright, I think I'm prepared to get back to posting about non-depressing events. While I recognize that this is my place to speak freely, I'm not really interested in taking a dive into bummer blogging, nor do I want to spend post after post getting too personal. Not that I don't love you guys, but I'm sure you understand. I try to keep it pretty positive in my everyday life, which usually translates into my typical light-hearted posts. But sometimes, life just doesn't roll that way. I'm sure you understand that as well. ♥

//

I'm gonna be real honest. I don't fully understand the purpose of what the man in this video is doing. Yes, he's an entertainer, and he's an artist. I just don't get it. What I DO get, however, is that he seems pretty awesome. And he loves his kitties! Just take a look for yourself.

Bela: L'Homme Chat from Paul Trillo on Vimeo.
Thanks to the ever-amazing Michael K (my #1 source for the truly trashy and outrageous) for introducing me to this awesome crazy cat guy. It definitely was a bright spot in my otherwise-dull day.

Could you spare some good vibes?: Pt. 2

2011-06-29T21:11:00.001-05:00

If you still have some prayers and happy thoughts to give, we sure could use more of them around here.

Yesterday, my amazing mother -- who is the hardest-working woman I know, pushed me to try to be the best at everything I tried, showed us the importance of going green before there was such a thing as "going green", signed me up for a NOW membership when I was a young teen, never let me use my ethnicity or gender as a crutch or an excuse, and taught me to be a free-thinker even if our points-of-view didn't agree -- was diagnosed with breast cancer.

But, like my mama said, we're tough old broads, and we can get through anything. If her sense of humor is any indication (boob jokes, anyone?), she'll be just fine.

I'm not going to make it a habit of posting a lot about this, but I at least wanted to share the news. Thank you all so much for your sweet words of encouragement after my last post, it really did help during a very scary time of not knowing what was going to happen. The initial shock has worn off, and we're prepared to do whatever it takes to get through this. Especially my mom, she's the toughest old broad around.

Could you spare some good vibes?

2011-06-27T09:24:00.000-05:00

Prayer candles at the San Xavier Mission outside of Tucson, AZ

Hey ya'll.

My family could really use some prayers (and happy thoughts, if that's more your thing) these next couple of days. We're waiting on some news that could be pretty life-changing, and unfortunately, not the kind you want to hear. Hopefully we'll find out that we have nothing to worry about, but I'm preparing myself either way.

Fingers crossed for no bad news tomorrow!

ColorCoded : Neutrals + Neons

2011-06-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

It's finally summer! Although in these parts, it seems like summer came a month ago, and now we're getting Spring. Ahhh, Kansas!

I'm really excited about a lot of the big fashion trends this summer, but none more so than mixing neutrals and neons. For someone like me that normally sticks to blacks, grays, and blues, adding a splash or two of neon is a perfect way to add a super punch of color to a boring ol' wardrobe. So for the latest edition of ColorCoded, I used a room from Traditional Home that really spoke to my fave summery look. It's chic, modern, and a little bit funky. Perfect.

Inspiration photo: Dana and Steve Alpeter's Minneapolis home, from Traditional Home

1. H&M blouse, £6.99
2. Tarina Tarantino flower earrings, $25
3. Ted Baker leather belt, £35
4. Dorothy Perkins black capri pants, £28
5. MAC lipstick, $15
6. butter LONDON nail lacquer, $14
7. Zara clutch handbag, $36
8. ASOS high heels, $77
9. John Lewis Women striped hat, £38
10. Cutler & Gross glass shades, £298
11. Carrie Saxl chain pendant, $100
12. Proenza Schouler racerback tank, $199
13. Vitamin A bandeau bikini, $164
14. True Religion short shorts, $180
15. butter LONDON nail lacquer, $14
16. DV by Dolce Vita sandals, $25
17. Roberta Di Camerino clear printed bag, £324
18. Forrest Bob white tee, $17
19. Mod Cloth scarf, $24
20. H&M short shorts, £13
21. butter LONDON nail lacquer, $14
22. Carvela Pink And Nude Raffia Wedge Sandals, £100
23. Chan Luu leather wrap bracelet, £150
24. Maria Francesca Pepe brass ring, $85
25. Sorial handbag, $162

What's your favorite summer trend?

Buenos Dias!

2011-06-22T08:03:00.000-05:00

Hello! by Major Clanger (CC)

Hey friends! Just wanted to take a quick minute to say hello to all my new followers that have come here from Freckled Nest (thanks for being so rad, LA!). I'm in the midst of a sweet new post that I hope to have up sometime tonight, but in the meantime, feel free to say hello and tell me a little about yourself. Same goes for you, not-so-new followers!

Oh, and I'm inching ever so closely to 100 followers on GFC. I'm thinking maybe it's almost time for my first giveaway? I'm open to suggestions (and donations! ha!).

Tuned In : SBTRKT

2011-06-17T13:41:00.000-05:00

Crank this baby to 11. You can thank me later.

If you aren't instantly in love with this song, I'm not sure we can be friends. Yes, I'm only (half) kidding, but my love for this song knows no bounds. There may have been a time or two that I've pressed the repeat button upwards of five ... or ten ... times. May have been.

I don't know much about SBTRKT, but then again, not many do. He is an anonymous producer out of London (thanks, Last.fm!) that churns out killer beats and remixes. I suppose that's all we really need to know. But on the real, anyone that features Yukimi Nagano in a song is an automatic winner in my book, considering she's one of my major girl crushes (not to self: potential awesome post idea).

Consider this my official summer jam of 2011!

What I Wore: 06.15.2011

2011-06-15T19:25:00.001-05:00

Dress: Forever 21

Leggings: Wet Seal

Shoes: Lela Rose for Payless

Gold Pyramid Bracelet: Forever 21

Gold Ring: Premier Jewelry (aka ... Jewelry Party!)

Green Stone Ring: Vintage (gift from my ex-future-mother-in-law ... yup)

Sorry for the front door photo. Our little entry way is pretty much the only spot in our apartment that shouldn't be declared a national disaster area.

Anyhow, this dress was a score from last weekend's trip to Forever 21. I might be a little obsessed with it. I would probably wear it everyday, were wearing the same outfit over and over again socially acceptable. I'd like to say the same thing for the shoes, but they're pretty uncomfortable. I mean, they're rockin', but totally impractical. C'est la vie!

QuickClicks : Back in the Saddle

2011-06-14T19:56:00.000-05:00

How was that for an unexpected blog break?! Good Lord almighty. OK, let's give this whole thing another shot!

♥ In case you missed it ... I was Giant Dwarf's 4000th sale on Etsy, which meant I was gifted with my own Mini Starlette Crown and Starlette Sparkler! On a related note, Sue is totally awesome (thanks, Sue!).

♥ Have you guys checked out Bauble Bar yet? Their jewelry is to die for. Oh, and I got a gorgeous leather stud wrap bracelet for FREE (OK, free + shipping), just for signing up! I'm not sure if that promotion is still going on, but it's at least worth checking out.

♥ Oh, and have I mentioned BirchBox yet?? You pay $10 monthly and get a box of samples (some full-sized!) of high-end beauty products in the mail. This month, I received Archipelago's pomegranate soap, a small sample of Kate Spade's Twirl perfume, a compact of Laura Geller's Baked Blush n' Brighten (full size, worth $30!), Sircuit Cosmeceutical's Molecular Mist spray, and a couple of Deborah Lippmann's Stripper to Go Nail Lacquer Remover mitts. FOR $10. No, I'm not getting paid to talk about it, I just love it that much!

♥ Speaking of beauty products -- I'm OBSESSED with F21's Love & Beauty makeup line! I picked up the most beautiful bright pink lipstick and blush this weekend for little more than chump change. I'd be willing to bet that a good 1/3 of my makeup is L&B. Cheap and chic!

♥ Thanks to my blog title, I can't get this song out of my head. At least it's totally rockin'!

♥

2011-06-06T21:49:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of the kind words left here on the blog and on Twitter about Pistachio. He was such a special guy, and these first couple of days have been made a little easier knowing that people who had never met him could see that, too. I've known for a long time how supportive the blogging community could be, but it has definitely been proven multiple times over in a very short amount of time. Writing out the events from Saturday and Sunday was hugely therapeutic, and it's comforting to know I have a forum where I can freely share my thoughts.

Thank you, from me and my family, from the bottom of our hearts. You guys are the greatest.

Goodbye, little buddy

2011-06-05T23:23:00.002-05:00

I've gone back and forth about whether or not I want to publish such a lengthy personal post. I know that not everyone will relate to my amount of emotion over the situation, but I'm not doing this for everyone else. I'm doing this for me. We all deal how we deal.

We lost our little guy Pistachio this morning.

Yesterday had started off great. My sister and I accompanied several of my friends to a Royals game in Kansas City. We spent the day tailgating (or as I call it, sweltering in the heat radiating off of the asphalt in the parking lot) and taking in a ballgame. At some point in the day, Bailey mentioned that Stach had been sick earlier, but that Dad had chalked it up to him eating something he shouldn't have. I thought that sounded like a logical explanation, so I didn't think a whole lot about it. After the game, I drove my sis back to our Dad's house, and popped in for a bit to say hello.

As soon as Bailey and I saw Pistachio, we knew something was really, really wrong. His inner eyelids were constantly half closed, and the little bit that we could see of his once-vibrant green eyes were black. He could barely hold up his little head, and the few times he got up from the floor, it was just to move a few feet to a new spot. Bailey took it upon herself to call up the emergency vet's office to see if we could bring him in. Dad got Stach wrapped up in a blanket, and we hopped in my car and drove to the vet's. We got him all checked in and settled in a room, I thought he was looking a little better, or at least more alert. That's when I noticed he was starting to shake. At first I thought he was just cold, but as I pointed it out to Dad and B, the small tremors were progressing into fairly violent spasms. We yelled down the hallway for the assistant to get the doctor, and Dad ordered my sister and myself out of the room.

It was then I heard the panic in my dad's voice. My sister started to cry. As the vet's assistant raced past us, I hugged Bailey and walked her down the hall to the waiting room. I hugged her even tighter and tried to tell her everything was going to be OK, but I was having a hard time even convincing myself. What in the world was going on with our healthy, vivacious little guy? Could the cat who had been tearing down the hallway chasing birds through the open windows just days earlier really be all that sick? What could he have eaten to make him so violently ill? Bailey and I took our seats in the waiting room and sat in silence. A short time passed before we could hear the doctor talking to Dad. It sounded like the commotion had settled down, so we walked back to take a peek in the room. Pistachio's seizure had stopped, and he was sitting quietly on the examination table while Dad held him and the doctor looked him over. We figured everything was under control, so B and I made our way back to the waiting room.

After a few minutes, Dad walked in and asked if we wanted to come in and talk to Stach. He had actually started to ask if we wanted to come in and say goodbye, but stopped himself before he got the whole sentence out. I don't think Bailey noticed that part, and I was thankful. Pistachio was still sitting quietly on the table, so we stroked his head and told him how much we loved him, and that he would be better soon. Dad told us he didn't think it was going to be good, that maybe he had a brain tumor. Neither my sister or I responded.

When the doctor came back in, he informed us that he thought Stach had some sort of infection, and was definitely dehydrated from being sick. They were going to keep him overnight, and would put him on an IV, antibiotics, anti-seizure medicine, and painkillers, and they'd do bloodwork sometime the next day to see just what was wrong. My sister came right out and asked if he was going to live long enough for them to do any testing, and the doctor let us know that yes, once they got him full of fluids and meds, he should at least be stable enough for the testing. We were a little relieved, so we said our goodbyes to Pistachio and drove back home. It was after midnight when we got back to Dad's, so I decided just to stay the night there.

At about 8 this morning, I awoke to hear my dad walking around the living room (I had fallen asleep on the couch the night before). He sat down on the love seat for a bit, and then got up and sat on the end of the couch where I was laying. He put his hand on my knee, and patted it lightly. I opened my eyes, and he just sat there for a bit before he started to cry. I have only known my dad to cry three other times in my life.

"He ... he didn't make it."

I know my brain heard what he said, but it didn't quite register. I laid there for a second.

"I just spoke to the doctor, and Pistachio didn't make it through the night."

I immediately sat up and wrapped my arms around my dad's neck and hugged him tight.

"What?? Oh no. Oh no! It's OK, Dad. It's going to be OK."

Dad informed me that the vet thought that Stach contracted some sort of viral infection in his brain. He went very quickly, and he wasn't in any pain. There wasn't anything we could have done to save him. His little body gave out just a short while after we left him, and he went very peacefully. I wished we could have been with him, but I took solace in knowing that the three of us happened to be together to take him to the vet, and he was getting the care he deserved until the end.

We sat on the couch hugging and crying for a few minutes before Dad said he needed to wake Bailey up and tell her. I agreed to go in with him and help break the news. That scene played out pretty much like my own had just a moment before. Bailey sat in stunned silence before it hit her. There were more tears and hugging. Pistachio was gone. There would be no more happy kitty greetings whenever anyone came in the door. No more snuggling on the couch or shared nap times. No more bird hunting from the window, catching lizards that had snuck into the house, or peeing on whole baskets of clean laundry.

Our little buddy was gone.

The vet gave us the option of having Pistachio cremated, but instead, we chose to bring him home and put him in a nice spot in the backyard he constantly watched over from his spot in the den. Once dad came back with him, we were able to see him one last time before saying goodbye for good. As tough as it was, I think it helped to see him; he just looked like he was sleeping. We stroked his little head and body and said our last goodbyes before we took him out back to his final resting place. We said a little prayer and placed some flowers that Bailey had brought outside. There is now a nice stone sitting over where he's buried, so we have a spot where we can go visit him whenever we want. It's not the same, but it's something.

The death of any beloved family pet is hard, but I think part of what made it so difficult was the shortness of our time with Stach. He had only joined our family as an older kitten in June of last year, but from the very beginning, he brought so much joy and laughter to our world. He is the only cat I know that instantly made friends with anyone that walked through the door. Pistachio had a huge heart, and spent his brief year on earth brightening the lives of everyone he met. I know I should feel blessed that we even had him for the short amount of time that we did, but I feel robbed. Stache was a constant source of unconditional cheer and love, and there's a little piece of our hearts that will never be filled. I suppose the amount of sorrow we feel just shows the amount of love we had for that little cat. He was definitely a special guy.

I love you, Pistachio. Thank you for being the best pet any of us could ever ask for.

Tuned In: Yeasayer

2011-06-02T10:00:00.003-05:00

While Yeasayer may not be a new band, nor have they released an album since last year, I still feel compelled to share them here on the blog today. Why, you ask? Oh, other than the fact that they're awesome, totally dancable, and more than a little "out there" ... this girl gets to see them tonight! OH YEAH. I had the pleasure of first seeing Yeasayer at last year's Coachella, and I instantly knew that I'd want to see them live again. This time around may or may not blow my face off, since I get to see them in a venue that holds about 1500 people, as opposed to, well, Coachella.

But the best part about tonight? I'm going with one of my very dearest friends, who moved back from her stint in NYC and Albuquerque earlier this year. It's the first time we get to see each other in what seems like forever, so I expect a boatload of cheap beers to be consumed, witty comments to be made, and funny photos to be snapped. (The BF is coming with us, too, but since I see him daily, that's not really news. Ha!) Thankfully, Marcus and I only have to work 6 hours tomorrow. Cheers for office Summer Hours! And cheers for Yeasayer!

O.N.E.

Ambling Alp - NSFW-ish

Madder Red

Tight Rope live

Any summer concerts you're looking forward to?

Bite-Sized Sara

2011-06-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

Have you visited Zoe's blog Pretty Zoo today? You just might see a familiar face in today's Bite-Sized Interview! You should stop by and check it out. :)

Long Weekend

2011-05-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

American Flag Bokeh by Mubina H on Flickr - (CC)

Fire up those grills, fellow Americans ... it's (almost) the unofficial start of summer! Unfortunately it's back to being semi-chilly and rainy here in my neck of the woods, but I think by Monday the temps are going to be in the 80s -- just how I like it!

Not that I've been around much this week, but I'm signing off for the long weekend. I'll be camped out with my family and friends at a nearby lake/state park for our annual Memorial Day shindig, in addition to running around town for a 30th birthday party and an engagement party. Talk about a busy weekend! And I usually don't get super patriotic (especially on the ol' blog), but don't forget to take time to remember our military men and women, past and present. They're one of the reasons our country is so awesome, and this weekend is for them!

Weather, Rings + Things

2011-05-23T21:47:00.001-05:00

First off, let me just say that my heart goes out to my neighbors to the east in Joplin and the surrounding communities. The city isn't all that far from the Kansas border, so I know it just as easily have been a town in my own state trying to dig out from the rubble. If you want to do anything to help, CNN has a list of different charities and organizations accepting donations. There are so many families in need of help right now, every little bit helps.

We had our own weather scare here at home on Saturday. A swath of storms that spawned tornadoes, large hail, and high winds ripped through 16 counties in northeast Kansas, and my own city took a bit of a hit. Thankfully, none of the funnel clouds that hovered over Topeka actually touched down within the city limits, so we just experienced some large hail (up to baseball-sized) and high winds. Just 30 or so minutes to the south, however, the tiny town of Reading (200 or so residents) sustained a hit from an F-3 tornado, damaging or destroying numerous structures and killing one.

iPhone photo taken by my BF Marcus of the tornado that hovered over our city on Saturday. We live about 1/2 mile from where he was standing.

I can't help but think how extremely fortunate we were that the tornado never touched down here. Topeka may not be a huge city, but with 120k+ residents, it could have been disastrous. In the end, my beloved little car only had a couple of extra dents from hail (which is shocking, considering I was driving like a madwoman through golfball-sized hail to get my friends and I to a safe place). Marcus' car had a bit of damage, and my sister's car apparently got banged up pretty bad. But my family and friends were all safe and sound, and I couldn't have been more relieved.

In much less depressing news ...

I was finally able to snatch up one of Moorea's gorgeous gold quartz rings! Last time I tried to buy one, someone bought it in the time it took me to log into Etsy. I was pretty bummed, but I think it was definitely worth the wait! I also picked up a lovely silver ring from JewelMint for only $11 (I had a sweet coupon code!). I'm pretty pumped to add these two beauties to my jewelry rotation. The silver ring is the perfect representation of everything I strive for in my personal style -- clean, modern, and a little edgy. I also love adding natural elements to my wardrobe, which is what makes the gold quartz ring totally ideal. Is it weird to wear the two together? Because I kind of think that might happen.

Oh, and if you want to join JewelMint to see what it's all about, here's my referral link. It's a pretty great little site, if you haven't checked it out yet. And no, I'm not getting paid for this, I just really like what they have to offer!

Have you made any purchases lately that you just absolutely love? I'm always on the lookout for great shopping outlets!

Radio silence

2011-05-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

Sad Flower by Eric Hart - Attribution-NonCommercial

Anyone else hearing crickets around here? And just when I was getting back into the swing of things with blogging. I've been so, so busy these past few weeks, but my work schedule is getting ready to change next week, and I'm hoping it allows me a little more free time. I'm also hoping it allows me more time to visit all of your lovely blogs, too, since I feel like I'm neglecting them as well. Fingers crossed, everyone! I'm not a bad blog friend, I'm just overwhelmed.

Thanks for continuing to come back, even when I disappear from time to time. You all really do mean the world to me. :)

Mama's Day Book

2011-05-10T22:21:00.002-05:00

Early last week, I asked my mom what she wanted for Mother's Day. She informed me that there really wasn't anything she needed, unless I wanted to buy her and my stepdad the rest of the countertops for their kitchen redo. She then told me that I didn't need to get her anything at all, but it was Mother's Day, damn it, and she is one awesome mama. So since granite countertops were a little out of my budget, I decided to put my hands to work and make her something.

My first thought was to make her a traditional scrapbook like I had for my sis' high school graduation, but my studio space could currently be declared a federal disaster area. I was also a little short on time (hi, my name is Sara, and I'm a procrastinator), so I settled on going the digital route instead. Quicker, easier, and still pretty dang fabulous.

Oh, and I had to show up to my mom and stepdad's house while my mom was at home so I could pick up some old photo albums. I just told her not to ask me any questions. Real smooth.

And there you have it! I had the pages printed on photo paper at my local (i.e. across the street) Walgreens, and then cut them down to 8x8 and loaded them all into in a Martha Stewart album. Simple, but she really loved it. And it definitely reminded me how much I love giving handmade gifts over store-bought. It also reminded me how much I love scrapbooking ... I'll be working on more digital pages in the future, for sure.

I still need to gather up the info on all of the resources I used for these pages, but they included Pugly Pixel, Minitoko, Kitschy Digitals, Jessica Sprague freebies, Maybemej, and FreeDigitalScrapbooking.com.

Unparalleled joy

2011-05-06T23:39:00.001-05:00

Photo by my dad, taken in either 1991 or 1992

I was looking through old photos at my dad's house the other day, when I stumbled upon this picture of me and my little sister. I never realized how much joy I could get out of looking at one photo! My sis was one of the cutest kids around (and still is, although she's not a kid anymore!). I think what I love the most is the perfect timing -- my obvious up-to-no-good face, Bailey's expression, and her little baby hairs blowing in the breeze. Well done, Dad. Well done.

Also, this picture reminds me how much I loved growing up in that house on Arvonia. That back yard is just perfect!

¡Feliz día de Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-05T09:11:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned this several times on the blog, but in case you're new or need a refresher ... I am Mexican.

Well, Mexican-American, I suppose.

And while we're getting technical, I'm only half (the other half is a grab bag mix of Irish, German, French and Danish, if you were curious).

Nevertheless, I am a proud (half) Latina, and enjoy partaking in the rich traditions my culture has to offer. Like drinking on Cinco de Mayo! OK, OK, I'm obviously kidding, but the anniversary of the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla is a nice excuse to down a few Mexican brews with some of my closest friends. Which is exactly what I plan to do this evening! I had the forethought to take a day off of work tomorrow, so I'm fully prepared to do it up right tonight.

But to get back to my original point ...

My maternal grandfather's parents came here from Mexico sometime in the early 1900's, and my grandfather (or Uelito, as we call him) was born right here in Kansas. My grandmother (Uelita) was born in San Francisco del Rincon, Guanajuato, Mexico, and immigrated here with her family when she was young. They returned to Mexico for some time, only to come back to the US to settle for good.

Like a lot of Mexicans at the time, the family came to work for the railroad. My uelita started working in the Santa Fe Railroad shop here in Topeka, cleaning and doing laundry, when she met my uelito, who worked in the train yards. They got married, had three kids, and the rest, as they say, is history. (Sidenote about my uelito ... if you ask him how long he's been married, he'll answer "60 years ... to the same woman!". Cracks me up every time.)

I could ramble on and on about my family, but I'll keep it short and sweet. I will, however, leave you with a photo taken at our 1987 family reunion in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico. I've pointed out which one is me, my mom, and my dad, but since I just told you about my grandparents, my Uelita is the lovely lady to the left of and slightly above my mother, and my Uelito is above and to the left of me. I'm not sure why neither of my parents were holding me in the picture, but I am being held by one of my favorite cousins, Mark. ♥ ♥ ♥

Have a safe and happy Cinco de Mayo!

Muh Man

2011-05-03T23:08:00.000-05:00

I had to have the BF take my photo earlier today for a project, and I was using him as a stand-in to get the lighting squared up. Needless to say, I had some chuckle-inducing outtakes. ♥ ♥ ♥

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RESOURCES
Banner: Minitoko Free Sketches Mini Kit
Font: Lullaby
Photoshop Action: Paint the Moon - The Bee's Knees - Sea Delight

Quick Clicks - 5|02|11

2011-05-02T19:58:00.000-05:00

My little man. OK, he's not technically my little man, he's my dad's. But he's the best cat ever!

+ I am LOVING The Beauty Department. You know what else I love? Their super quick and cute tutorial for a knotted pony. I might try this tomorrow

+ For the past few weeks, I've been sticking to my low-cal diet (which seems to be paying off, athankyou). This ridiculously simple recipe should help satisfy my sweet tooth, which has been neglected since my diet started.

+ Have you been following the Urban Scarlet and Bliss! Party DIY Challenge? The ultra-inspiring finalists have been posted! Check 'em out.

+ I am obsessed with the Cocktail Hour posts at Jenna Sais Quois. Hey, I really like my adult beverages!

+ Another obsession? Grosgrain's Free Pattern Month. FREE PATTERNS. For a MONTH! What a great excuse for me to dust off the ol' sewing machine.

+ I'm not sure I can fully express how excited I was to see my name pop up over at Creature Comforts today! Ez picked one of my Pinterest pins as a recent favorite! Granted, it wasn't anything I created myself, but it was MY pin! ;)

As the day grows dim, I hear you sing a golden hymn

2011-04-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

I snapped a ton of photos (as well as several videos) at last week's Arcade Fire show, but since a large chunk are blurry and the rest look just like these, I've only posted a few. And the show? One of the best I've ever seen ... Top Five material, for sure. We didn't get to the venue until 20 minutes after doors opened, and we pre-gamed with a few free brews before we would be subjected to $8 beers. By the time we sat down, only seats in the upper half of the theater were left, but luckily for us there isn't a bad seat to be had at Starlight Theatre.

I honestly don't even know how long the show went on, but it was one of the best times I've had in a recent memory. We sang, danced, and sang some more, and were genuinely bummed when the show ended. Do yourself a favor and snag up some tickets to see the Arcade Fire at any expense, if you ever have the chance.

...

Oh, and the National was pretty awesome, too. :)

Tuned In - Arcade Fire + The National

2011-04-19T22:14:00.001-05:00

I am beyond excited for tomorrow evening. Why, you ask? (I know it's a lot to assume you're actually asking yourself this, but just entertain me). Because tomorrow is Arcade Fire day! They weren't only part of my 2010 Top Ten album list, they're also the number one band on my "Bands I Haven't Seen and Would Give My Right Arm to Do So" list. NUMBER. ONE. After tomorrow night, I'll be able to cross them off! (I haven't yet decided who's going to take their place on the list ... Kid Cudi, maybe?)

Oh, and the fact that The National is their opening act is pretty swell, too. I have seen them before, but I definitely won't object to a second time around. I hope to be back Thursday with some photos of the show! Meanwhile, enjoy a few YouTube faves from both bands.

That Can Be My Next Tweet!

2011-04-13T20:58:00.000-05:00

I'm officially addicted to this website, thanks to this one. TCBMNT takes all of your previous tweets, jumbles them up, and turns them into new (generally nonsensical) ones. The outcome is usually nothing short of hilarious. It has also made me realize that I tweet about the same things over and over (and over ...). So sorry, Twitter followers, if I've sounded redundant!

Anyway, here are few of my favorite TCBMNT-generated tweets. If you have a Twitter account (or even if you don't ... just plug in someone else's name!), you should kill some serious time on the site. You won't be disappointed!

ARRRRRRRGH! Hoorayyy! I'm on the end of Christ or anything. Let's hope I've developed an ulcer.

Wooo! Hopefully I'll make sure we beat ourselves for National & Bassnectar. It's hard to have had!

Suffering from bed? You are too sweet! I’m really excited to see the soda this month.

You are leaving KU, I suppose, but I’m in other states today. I wanted to Goodwill.

So sad, so pumped for April 20. They’ve been into Google. Never really been into Google.

Yeahhhh! Thanks again for $200 toward a great seat and wavy Lays like straight up for the next 7 hours.

In my new diet/workout plan … tons of Kansas, who called to get pushed?

Sis is salt in my new ride!

Fingers crossed it all that used to win. Worst Daughter of Christ or something. I can only think of one time I ever used "Christ" in a tweet (def in vain, sorry), yet it kept showing up. Weird.

Hmm … shopping, mama time, basketball, a trip to start shooting again, but still!

I’ll post some MLB-themed tees/hoodies/panties/etc. No thanks! I totally forgot my nonwork life.

It was rough. But yes, I looked like them. Wow, congrats! I’d say that makes me so you’ll get it get it.

Yeah I know. I probably will. Maybe with them! Love it! And yes I’m SO WEAK.

Thanks!! I’m 26 and Bump-Its aren’t necessary. I kind of think this should be my motto or something. Also, I totally agree!

Girl you whatevs? Yeah I know. I’m on Air’s Sexy Boy. Kinda hilarious. Aww …

Idole de vie

2011-04-07T21:46:00.000-05:00

One of my major "someday" goals is to learn to speak French. I've tried my hand at it off and on over the past few years, and thanks in part to this app, it's on again. Souhaitez moi bonne chance!

In honor of my new (and most likely short-lived) endeavor, I searched around the 'net and found some lovely photos of French actress/musician/model (and life idol/super girl crush of yours truly) Charlotte Gainsbourg. As the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, it was almost inevitable she would end up gorgeous, talented, and intelligent, and she certainly doesn't disappoint. Charlotte's so hip, it almost hurts. ♥ ♥ ♥

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

Do you have any big goals you're currently working toward?

Got my hurr did

2011-04-04T22:13:00.000-05:00

Yup. Probably my fave cut in recent memory. It's a lot like the 'do I've been wearing for awhile, just with more layers. Oh, and now it's without a ridiculous amount of dead and/or split ends. Hooray for haircuts!

(Sorry for the weird Photo Booth photo, I was too lazy to get out my camera. It happens.)

Pistachio

2011-03-31T21:56:00.000-05:00

I ♥ Pistachio. And PictureShow.

This does not get old.

2011-03-29T20:09:00.002-05:00

I'm serious. I've watched this video more times than any sane human should, and I crack up every. single. time.

from the incredible Very Serious Business
Now that the weather is (finally) warming up around here, I'm hoping to be out and about finding more blogging inspiration. To say it's been lacking lately is a major, major understatement. The winter doldrums struck in a bad way. Here's to a spring renewal!

Check Me Out!

2011-03-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

I'm guest blogging today over at LEXoxo! How's about you go check it out?

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Image by Alexander Berg, from Vtwonen

Quick Clicks - 3|20|11

2011-03-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that I'm 26 years old, and I had never been Cyber Bowling until last night. I've also discovered that I bowl WAY better while drinking beer, but I'm pretty sure that's probably true for a lot of people.

+ Meg and Tuesday's newly-launched site Studio Sweet Studio is chock full of beautiful workspace inspiration. I'm in love!

+ I mistakenly typed the above website incorrectly into my browser, and found myself at the web portfolio for Laura Alexander, an amazing paper and glass artist. Talk about a happy accident!

+ Have you visited Lex's new blog? It's pretty fantastic ... what are you waiting for?

+ Oh goodness. This Katy Perry/Chatroulette, uh, "tribute" video is too much for words. I'd say it's mildly-NSFW. No boobies, just straight hilarity.

+ These photos from Wired Magazine of agricultural landscapes taken from space are breathtaking. And that first image in the article? It's from Garden City, KS, just a few hours from my home. So lovely.

+ I need one of these Amish-made scooters in my life! They even have them in Martha Stewart blue!

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Tape strip clip art from Pugly Pixel

Tuned In: Girl Power!

2011-03-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

In case you didn't know, March is Women's History Month. Go us! So to commemorate this estrogen-powered month, I made up a massive playlist of my very favorite women artists. Obviously this isn't an ultra-comprehensive list, but I've tried to include women from a number of different genres, from old to new. I've even included some of my beautiful mama's very favorite artists as well! See if you can't tell which ones I chose for her (in case it wasn't painfully obvious). My mom has always had a pretty fantastic taste in music, and got me into female singers from a very young age. Thanks, Mom!

Anyone you'd like to see added to the list?

Japan

2011-03-14T16:16:00.001-05:00

My heart is breaking over the devastation and loss of life in Japan in the aftermath of Friday's earthquake and subsequent tsunami. I can't imagine the kind of horrors these people are enduring, and I can only wish them the best. It's sad that sometimes it takes this kind of tragic event to remind us of the triviality of most of our problems.

If you're interested in helping out monetarily, here are a few links to reputable charities.:

American Red Cross
Salvation Army
Oxfam USA
World Vision
Network for Good

Google has also set up a Person Finder, where you can either search for or give information about someone who's missing.

Please pray for Japan.

So Behind

2011-03-10T20:00:00.000-06:00

[source - Dazed Digital]

I am feeling so behind right now. In everything. Outside of work and family, I feel like every other aspect of my life is being pretty neglected. Granted, there have been forces beyond my control (funerals, illness, etc.) keeping me from doing the things I want to do, but I just hate the feeling. I'm not going to go on and on about it, but I thought I'd just put that out there. I'm hoping I can use the next few days to really catch up on things, like this poor blog, Indie Biz 3, and 30 Days of Lists.

Speaking of 30 Days of Lists, I have had the chance to complete a few more pages. I'm doing well at keeping up with the list-making, it's the part where I turn it into something aesthetically pleasing I'm struggling to find time for. Here are the few more pages I've had the chance to finish (first pages blogged here).

Day 3 - I'm Looking Forward to ...
♥ Summer
♥ Moving?
♥ Vegas!
♥ Getting a cute pup
♥ Marcus' 30th
♥ Opening my Etsy
♥ San Diego/LA
♥ Fall weddings
♥ More tattoos
♥ Being my own boss
♥ Someday wedding

Day 4 - Today's Playlist
♥ DJ Cool - Let Me Clear My Throat
♥ Jaydiohead - Ignorant Swan
♥ Tiesto - Feel It In My Bones (ft. Tegan & Sara)
♥ Vitreous Humor - Tough Women
♥ Little Dragon - Runabout
♥ Local Natives - Sticky Thread
♥ Major Lazer & La Roux - Bulletproof
♥ Ryan Adams - Call Me On Your Way Back Home

Day 5 - Weekend Goals
♥ Do NOTHING at all!

Day 6 - Least Favorite Words
♥ Chores
♥ Dollop
♥ Moist
♥ No
♥ Druthers

Anyone have any major weekend plans?

30 Days of Lists - Days 1 and 2

2011-03-02T22:14:00.000-06:00

First off, I just want to give a big hello to my new followers! Don't be shy, feel free to say hello, too!

Now that that's settled ...

In case you haven't heard, Kam, Amy, and Justine are running a 30 day challenge called 30 Days of Lists. Being a compulsive list-maker, I couldn't pass it up! The lists take just a few minutes to write up (I do mine at work in between busy times), and then I make 'em fancy once I get home in the evening. Here is my cover, as well as my first two lists.

DAY 1 - A Few Things About Myself
♥ daughter
♥ sister
♥ gf
♥ friend
♥ artist
♥ music lover
♥ foodie
♥ shopaholic
♥ blogger
♥ photographer
♥ brainiac
♥ corporate-lackey

DAY 2 - Things I'm Good At
♥ being honest
♥ making my friends laugh
♥ being creative
♥ my job
♥ listening
♥ spending time by myself
note -- I'm not a lonely girl! This is a positive!
♥ trying new food
♥ making a mess
♥ overanalyzing
♥ scrabble

I'm really enjoying making these lists so far! Thanks, ladies, for putting this fun challenge together! Is anyone else out there participating?

Red Velvet Spring 2011 Dress Line

2011-02-28T22:27:00.000-06:00

Eeep ... it's almost here!

[source]

I am so excited for Red Velvet's brand new line of gorgeous spring dresses to go on sale tomorrow! I've got my eye on the Wedding Cake Dress (second from top right), the Vanilla Lace Dress (second from bottom left), and the Record Store Jumper (bottom right). Honestly, I'd love one of each, but thankfully for my bank account, I'm only planning on snatching up one of these beauties tomorrow.

I am seriously so happy for Elsie and her team. They've created a beautiful collection, and should be immensely proud of their work. I'm already awaiting next season's collection. Great job, gals!

Try to avoid The Noid

2011-02-23T20:17:00.001-06:00

I had every intention of being productive this evening, but after watching a Family Guy episode where they make reference to The Noid (see below), I had to take a trip down memory lane by pulling up a bunch of videos of 80s and early 90s commercials about which I had nearly forgotten. YouTube, if you weren't such a great source of entertainment, I would curse you for being such a time-waster! Excuse me while I indulge my pop culture obsession ...

Dominos - The Noid

I loved The Noid! I had the bendable Noid figure and everything. I vaguely remember them coming out with a video game, but I never had it. I was too busy playing Cool Spot instead.

Honeycomb

I specifically remember this commercial coming on during Pee-Wee's Playhouse, also known as the best kids show of ALL TIME.

The California Raisins

I had all of the California Raisins figures as a kid (we apparently were big on buying toys based on ad campaigns). Probably still do, buried somewhere in my dad's basement.

Crossfire

This was, for whatever reason, my sister's and my favorite commercial when we were kids. We used to reenact the whole thing at random intervals throughout our childhood. And by "used to", I mean we still do.

Micro Machines

I think this might have been where my problem of super-fast speech may have started. Also, I was really into "Boy Toys" as a kid, and loved Micro Machines!

Coke - Max Headroom

Ahh Max Headroom. So creepy, and so memorable. Did you know they made a movie about him? It was terrible.

I could go on and on with these, but I'll spare everyone. What were your favorite commercials as a kid? I wanna know!

Tuned In: I'm armed with the past and the will and a brick

2011-02-22T10:00:00.001-06:00

I really have no good reasoning behind posting this song today, it's just one of my very favorites. All of Frightened Rabbit's music is so wonderful. And I'm sure my love for the vocals has nothing to do with my borderline-obsession with UK accents. Nope, nothing to do with it at all.

Frightened Rabbit - Good Arms vs Bad Arms

ColorCoded: Wardrobe - Inspired by a dream nursery

2011-02-21T13:03:00.004-06:00

OK, let me start off by saying that no, I am not pregnant. I am not close to being pregnant, nor do I don't have any desire to be pregnant (right now). I just happen to love this beautiful nursery from Joni at Lay Baby Lay. Heck, take out the crib, put in a bed, and I'd live there without a second thought! So, I decided that this beautiful room would serve as the first inspiration piece in my new ColorCoded series (side note -- you'll be seeing a number of new series around here in the coming days. I hope you enjoy!). The room is feminine without being overly-saccharine, and whimsical while still being pretty grown-up. Honestly, they're two traits I aspire for, so why not use a room that embodies both and turn it into a mini-wardrobe?

(1) Diane von Furstenberg chevron cardigan
(2) 3.1 Phillip Lim leather and silk chiffon dress
(3) Louche belted trench
(4) Stella McCartney sequin sweatshirt
(5) Nina Ricci tiered dress
(6) Aquilano + Rimondi striped bow top
(7) D&G high waisted cropped satin skinny trousers
(8) Almodo jersey tulip skirt
(9) Chloé high waisted cropped pants
(10) Givenchy Antigona duffle
(11) Miu Miu Vitello lux bow bag
(12) Marc by Marc Jacobs classic Q Natasha bag
(13) Jeffrey Campbell wingtip flat
(14) Christian Louboutin lady glitter slingback
(15) Opening Ceremony Stefania wedges
(16) House of Harlow enameled tribal drop earrings
(17) Max & Chloe Jolie B Ray oval cabochon cocktail ring
(18) Kate Spade double bow hinged bangle
(19) House of Harlow Carey sunglasses

Inspired by: D.C.

2011-02-09T21:20:00.000-06:00

I suppose the inspiration for my latest Polyvore creation should come as no surprise, seeing as how I just flew back from the nation's capital yesterday. These three looks aren't necessarily based on the fashions I saw in D.C., but more on the city itself. From the city's ever-looming military presence to our time spent in Chinatown, from the modern urban trends to the old world luxury apparent throughout much of the city, D.C. is a huge inspiration. I can't wait until my next trip!

D.C. Chillin' by sarakate5

LOOK ONE:
Oatmeal military button cape, 65 GBP
Chelsea Flower Kimono Top, $218
Leon Army Pants
Louis Vuitton Speedy 35, $750
SteveMadden taupe women's bootie high wedge
Prototype 18 CLAW Sunglasses, $390
Pin Ball Stud Earrings - Gold, $425
Diamond Flower Ring in 14K Yellow Gold, $179
H&M Nagella Nail Polish

LOOK TWO:
Knitted Navy Chunky Stripe Jumper, $80
TIBI Feminin Short Skirt, 229 EUR
Emilio Cavallini Leopard Print Tights, Camel, 12 GBP
COACH Leather Madison SABRINA Tote
Dakota Lace-Up Terracotta, 604 EUR
Gucci Leather-frame aviator sunglasses, $495
MARC BY MARC JACOBS "Fluro" Turnlock Bracelet, $98
H&M Black Nail Polish

LOOK THREE:
Cable-knit cotton-blend cardigan, $800
Old Navy Womens NCAA Team Graphic Tees, $20
Jeans von DIESEL, 229 EUR
Rebecca Minkoff Linear Stud Rocker Shoulder Bag, $295
See by Chloé Lace-up leather and suede wedge ankle boots, $345
House of Harlow 1960 Marie Square Sunglasses in Black, $125
Crystal Rabbit Ring, $88
H&M Grey Nail Polish

Are there any cities that inspire your wardrobe?

DC Chillin' // PG Chillin'

2011-02-09T12:05:00.000-06:00

I know I didn't mention it on the blog, but I've just spent five glorious days in one of my favorite US cities, Washington, D.C. While I recover a bit from the long travel day yesterday (flight delays and driving thru near-blizzard conditions to make it back home are pretty exhausting), here's a video from two artists I really love, D.C.-native Wale and the inimitable Ms. Lady Gaga. Word.

Vlog-zilla!

2011-02-02T22:47:00.001-06:00

Oh God. Don't laugh too hard at my nerdiness. Please and thanks! And shout out to Moorea for posting her regional dialect vlog and giving me an excuse to post my own.

Things I have learned about myself from doing this video:
(1) I roll my eyes. A LOT.
(2) I say "I guess" and "I don't know" ... a lot.
(3) I really like to carry out my "s"'s.

PLAY ALONG
All you have to do is make a video of yourself saying the words listed below and answering a few questions. That way, everyone can hear how people in your neck of the woods pronounces certain words, and the rest of us can all make fun of you! Just kidding, we're really laughing with you, not at you. Promise!

Say these words:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

Now answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Now get goin' and make your own vid ... I'd love to see it!

Tune In Tuesday: Hot Songs for Cold Weather

2011-02-01T20:31:00.000-06:00

In case you've been living under a rock, the midwest is currently getting pummeled by a pretty nasty winter storm. It's not that bad where I live compared to a lot of other cities, but we're still getting a decent amount of snow, high winds, and sub-zero wind chills. Awesome. So to take my mind off the miserable conditions outdoors, I'm bundled up on the couch with the sweet sounds of summer pumping through my headphones. Each of these songs either reminds me of a specific summer or somewhere warmer than my current surroundings, so here's to hoping they do the trick.

And to my friends enjoying the same wintery mess -- be safe out there!

Bloglovin'

2011-01-31T13:15:00.001-06:00

Follow my blog with bloglovin!

Pay Heed All Who Enter

2011-01-31T11:57:00.000-06:00

I realize that this video won't interest a good 90% of my readers, but I'm pretty obsessed with it. There is no other experience on earth quite like catching a Jayhawk basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse. Even the experts agree. Don't believe me? I'll let the video do the talking.

from YouTube user Hawkmarket

Oh, and in case you were wondering ... the Hawks beat their in-state rivals 90-66. Happy Birthday Kansas, indeed!

Happy Sesquicentennial, Kansas!

2011-01-29T14:27:00.002-06:00

flickr

Happy 150th Birthday to my beloved home state! As much as people may think you're only worthy of a fly-over, those of us that know you well know differently. You're full of friendly, hardworking people with big ideas and bigger hearts, and you're the kind of place I'm proud to call home.

Here's to the next 150 years!

Mmm Mmm Monday: Pita Pizza

2011-01-24T22:42:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon this recipe for pita pizza from Martha Stewart Whole Living. It sounded both pretty easy and totally delicious, so I decided to whip it up for dinner one night. It definitely lived up to my expectations ... we loved it! So give it a shot. You won't be sorry.

Pita Pizza
adapted from Martha Stewart Whole Living | Makes 48 slices

INGREDIENTS
For the Tomato Sauce
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
One half 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
For the Pizza
4 whole-wheat pita breads (each 7 1/2 inches)
1 yelllow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks
For the Garnish
Fresh basil, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic are browned, about 4 minutes. Add the dried oregano, fresh basil, crushed red pepper flakes, bay leaf, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick, about 35 minutes.
2. Assemble the pizzas: Arrange pita breads on two baking sheets. Spread about 6 tablespoons tomato sauce on each. Scatter strips of yellow bell pepper and mushrooms on top, and then evenly distribute pieces of mozzarella cheese. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven, and bake the pizzas until the peppers begin to wilt and the mozzarella has melted, about 20 minutes. Remove the pizzas from the oven, and transfer to a cutting board.

365: Jan. 1 thru 19

2011-01-19T21:54:00.000-06:00

It should come as no surprise that I've fallen behind on my 365 project. It happens. Here are the
majority of my shots so far (and I say majority, because after I made the graphic, I realized that I left one off. Whoops!). Follow my progress right here!

Who's That?

2011-01-19T19:01:00.000-06:00

Hey! Guess who's finally working on some new blog posts??

While I get some new posts done, I wanted share what I'm rockin' in my headphones as I work away. It's just so, so good.

"Who's That? Brooown!" - Das Racist

In hibernation

2011-01-12T08:26:00.000-06:00

From my 2007 sketchbook

Once again, I've been MIA for awhile. This time, it's because I'm hunkered down in the apartment (when I'm not at work), scrambling to finish my entry for the Sketchbook Project. I'm the consummate procrastinator.

See ya in a few days!

Love Drop: Jill

2011-01-06T21:16:00.001-06:00

In case you hadn't heard, there are a lot of people (like Jill) going through some rough times right now. I've always been a big advocate of lending a helping hand, either through volunteering in the community or donating to charity. It's good for the soul. So I'm pretty stoked that Love Drop has launched, since it's a really easy and really awesome way to give back to people who need help the most.

Love Drop is a micro-giving network of people who unite as a community to help one person or family a month. By subscribing to the team for as low as $1, they make it easy for their members to change lives in a fun and tangible way. Each month Love Drop delivers a unique combination of unexpected financial gifts, personal encouragement and the support of local and online communities.

Every month the Love Drop community comes together to raise as much support and awareness as we possibly can. It starts on the website - LoveDrop.us, gets spread across our entire network of blogs, continues through the forums where all our members are brainstorming, and finally lands on the front steps of our recipients. Literally.

At the end of every month, Nate and J$ show up in the town the people live in to deliver this pile of goodness. The money, the gifts, the services, everything! It's all on film, and it all ends with an amazing outpouring of love. And then it starts all over again the next month. Help them, and their flagship partner, Kona Grill, make this drop in Chicago amazing!

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This project is all about coming up with creative and fun ways to make a difference for someone. Here's what you can do to make our first Love Drop special for Jill and her family:

Join the team - Become a member by paying whatever you want. Even $1.00.
Join our blogger network - Blog about our Love Drops once a month! It's easy, it's rewarding, and it REALLY helps spread the word (which in turn helps the families!). Love Drop will give you all the content you need.
Give a gift - Gift cards, household goods, bikes, homemade scarves, etc.
Provide a service - Web design services, tax help, legal advice, etc.

(email all ideas/questions to team {at} lovedrop.us, and we'll make it happen)

It's really that simple, guys. And trust me, I wouldn't mention a word about it if I didn't feel it was a worthy cause. You don't even have to donate money -- join the blogger network, do one post a month, and voila! You help families in need.

Oh, and don't forget about their Drop a Love Bomb program, which sends support to fellow bloggers via a mass of positive comments. It can take just a few minutes to make a difference in someone's life.

Tune in Tuesday: The Day the Music Died

2011-01-04T20:54:00.001-06:00

Alright, "The Day the Music Died" might be a little hyperbolic. The music really didn't die, but it might as well have. Those of you that follow me on Twitter already heard the news, but for the rest of you, my iPod went missing sometime between New Years Eve night and New Years Day morning. Cripes. I've checked everywhere possible, but have finally resigned myself to the fact that it's never coming back. In honor of my lost iPod (her name was Luscious ... I name pretty much everything. Nerd.), I've compiled a little playlist of my most-listened-to songs over the past year. Little Silver, this one's for you!

And before I forget ...

2011-01-02T17:49:00.000-06:00

I got myself a dot com! Tell your friends!

Goals, goals, goals!

2011-01-02T17:34:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again ... a time when people are making fresh starts, life changes, and resolutions that will be ignored by February. This year instead of setting resolutions, I decided to make a list of goals that fall under three different categories: Personal, Creative, and Arvonia. I have a pretty miserable track record for sticking with my goals, but this post from Elsie really got me motivated to make a concerted effort this time around. I know that sharing them publicly hasn't held me accountable in the past, but maybe this time will be different. Maybe. Wish me luck!

Lose 15 pounds -- I'm by no means overweight, but I've built up a layer of pudge over the last few years I'd seriously like to lose (thanks, office job!). I even started a new workout regiment last week, so I'm starting the year off on the right track.
Find a house to rent -- I love our apartment. It's got hardwood floors, high ceilings, sweet 1920s detailing, and loads of charm and character. What I don't love, however, is living in 700-ish square ft. or the sketch neighborhood. We need somewhere with more space and no bums eating out of our back dumpster!
Cook at home more / eat out less -- Pretty self-explanitory. Eating out less should help with the "lose 15 pounds" goal, too.
Stick to a budget -- I was pretty good at this last year, but I want to restructure the budget a bit, and really stay within my limits.
Find a decent clothing storage system -- The closet in our bedroom is barely big enough to hold my hanging garments, so poor Marcus' clothes are relegated to a crappy rolling rack we bought at Target some time back. We attempt to split the dresser, but that isn't big enough for the rest of our clothes, either. So it's back to the drawing board!
Organize computer files (on laptop & iMac) and BACK EVERYTHING UP -- I've got files randomly saved in various files between my laptop and iMac, so I really just want to go through and clean everything up. The backing up part is a no brainer. Most of my photos are backed up already, but most of the rest of my files are not. Not a smart idea.

Take a photo for Project 365 every day -- This will be my second attempt. It's not going to be easy, but I know I can do it. So far, so good!
Organize studio space -- This is really hampered by my lack of space, but I have ideas on how to make it work. Now to actually put my plans into action.
Sketch weekly (at least) -- I haven't drawn regularly since I graduated college, but I really miss it. Even just one sketch a week will help me brush up on my skills and get me back in the loop.
Set up a mini studio light tent -- I've seen several tutorials online for these, and it's high time I make one. It'll really come in handy for lovely blog photos (and when I get my shop up and running!).
Gift more handmade goods -- I set this goal for myself before Christmas, and well ... let's just say I didn't do a very good job. I made one thing for my sister, and bought the rest. Whoops. So maybe if I do it year-round, doing it at Christmas will be no sweat.

Brainstorm loads of amazing product ideas -- This step has proven to be the hardest. Coming up with ideas that are solely my own and unlike products that already flood the market is more difficult than I thought it could be. I keep hoping for that "A-ha!" moment, but it hasn't hit me yet.
Nail down branding -- Moorea got me off to a good start with the blog makeover, but I still need to figure out the overall look and feel of the shop.
Keep an eye out for stellar vintage goods -- I still haven't decided if I want to sell vintage in the shop, but I have picked up some pretty sweet finds lately. I'd love to share them with everyone else!
Open the shop! -- Fingers crossed!
Have biz cards printed -- I can't wait for the day I have built my business up enough to feel proud to hand over my very own business card!
Advertise on some awesome blogs -- I've already got a few in mind! I might do this before I get the shop up and running, but I don't know how I feel about it before I have much to offer.

Any suggestions on how to keep myself motivated throughout the year would be much appreciated!

#001

2011-01-01T23:37:00.000-06:00

Project 365 - #001 - 1/1/2011

Happy 2011! One of my goals for this year is to actually make it more than a few days through Project 365. I've attempted it a couple of times before, but this time, I mean business. The above shot was my first photo of the new year, so it seemed like the perfect choice for today's entry. Also, I love how genuinely happy my girl Jamie is here. Here's to hoping the 2011 provides you with this same kind of lust for life!

2010 Top Ten: Albums

2010-12-31T09:00:00.017-06:00

OK, so I probably should have started my Best of 2010 lists a little sooner than the day before 2011 begins. But that's kind of how I like to operate. Behind the times. I had a really, really hard time narrowing this list down to just ten, so I picked ten ... and then a few more as honorable mentions. So here are my Top Ten Albums of 2010, in their alphabetically-ordered glory.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
This one seems obvious. I don't think I'm alone in saying everything this Canadian group makes is absolute gold, and The Suburbs is no exception. I was sold after the HTML5-powered online short film "The Wilderness Downtown", but the whole vibe of the album really sealed the deal. As weird as it might sound, it just seems so full of hope. These days, I think we can take all we can get.

"Modern Man"

Beach House - Teen Dream
For a large chunk of this year, I was bordering on obsession with this album. It encapsulates so many things I love in a great record: sweeping melodies, beautifully simple female vocals, and singable (over and over and over again) lyrics. And live? These guys are out of this world. Oh, and can I let you in on a little secret? This was probably my overall favorite album of the year. Definitely. Maybe.

"Zebra"

Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Today's easiest recipe for musical success? Add Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Danger Doom, and The Grey Album, anyone?). And even though my love for the Shins has cooled since all the clamor after the release of Wincing the Night Away died down, my love for James Mercer's voice is still burning bright. Together, the two create one of the most awesomely-mellow, yet highly-listenable, musical pairings in recent memory.

"Mongrel Heart"

Girl Talk - All Day
I haven't met anyone that has listened to this album that doesn't like it. Hell, even my dad loves this album (he recently told me he puts it on to get him pumped to clean the house). Admittedly, I do have one of the coolest dads on the face of the earth, but I think All Day is an album a lot of different kinds of music lovers can get into. With the hundreds of different artists sampled, people are going to find at least something about the record they love. And how many times do I need to mention that it's FREE?

"That's Right"

The Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Truth be told, I really mulled over the decision on whether or not to add this one to the list. I love The Gorillaz, but it took me awhile to get into this album. And after being disappointed with their live show at Coachella (despite a whole bevy of guest performers), I more or less wrote this one off as a decent album I just wasn't all that into. And then suddenly, something changed. I dig this album. A lot. Any album that features Little Dragon (not once, but twice!) is a winner in my book!

"Empire Ants" (ft. Little Dragon)

Kanye West - My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy
I'm pretty sure I don't need to explain myself any further on this one. Just read this if you want to know my feelings about the incomparable Mr. West. MBDTF gets better with every listen, and I've got a whole lot of listens left in me.

"Lost in the World"

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
I cheated a little with this pick. The album was technically released in 2009, but not in the US until 2010. But I doubt anyone is paying that close of attention on this list, so I digress. I'm a big fan of African beats mixed with more modern rock/pop melodies (I loved listening to Paul Simon's Graceland as a kid), and Local Natives would definitely qualify as a band that successfully pulls off this combination. The Afrorock mix, paired with gorgeous soaring harmonies, has firmly planted Gorilla Manor on this list.

"Sun Hands"

Mumford + Sons - Sigh No More
I don't think anything I could say about Sigh No More would really do justice to my feelings toward the album. It is without a doubt one of the most stunning works my little ears have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Something about this album was so familiar from the very first listen ... I think it's because it reminds me of the folk and bluegrass music I grew up with, but on a totally grandiose scale. I honestly don't see myself ever tiring of this Sigh No More. In fact, I might just throw it on right now.

"Sigh No More"

Sleigh Bells - Treats
I just want to shake my ass and move to Brooklyn when I listen to this album. I know that probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's really what it does to me. Sleigh Bells was one of my biggest must-sees of Coachella (and the first show we saw at the festival), and for being a duo with an iPod for a backup band, they seriously rocked the hell out of that tent. Treats is one of those albums I can throw on no matter my mood and instantly feel like I'm queen of the world.

"Kids"

Vampire Weekend - Contra
I was worried that Vampire Weekend was going to be one of those bands that fell victim to the dreaded sophomore slump, but they proved me wrong with Contra. It is enough like their first album to be familiar, but different enough to not be tiresome. And remember that whole Afropop thing I loved so much with Local Natives? VW is doing it better than almost anyone else these days.

"Giving Up the Gun"

Just missing the cut ...
The Black Keys - Brothers
LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
The National - High Violet
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
Warpaint - The Fool
Yeasayer - Odd Blood

----------

Are there any albums that didn't make my list that would make yours? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-12-30T20:00:00.002-06:00

It's no secret: when it comes to getting awesome gifts, I'm pretty spoiled. My family LOVES giving gifts, and it shows. Every year I wake up to find a boatload of prezzies for the family under the tree is another year I know just how good we've got it. And we're forever grateful.

So here, in no particular order, are my very favorite gifts from this year. (And yes, I realize we're now almost a week past Christmas. I can be a little slow-moving sometimes.)

Multi-stone tennis bracelet, from Marcus
Zak confetti mixing bowls, from Dad
Michael Kors iPhone wallet, from Jerry (stepdad)
Vintage Royal typewriter with case, from Dad
Just Dance 2, from Dad
FujiFilm Instax Mini, from Mom
Lady Gaga Remix Album, from Marcus
It's Always Sunny seasons, from Shayna (stepsis) and Bailey (sis)
Hello Kitty fisheye camera, from Dad

What were some of your favorite gifts this year?

Credits
Bunting image from Pugly Pixel
Images found via Google Image and Etsy

Home for the Holidays

2010-12-29T20:49:00.000-06:00

Dad's house on Christmas morning

I really hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or whatever it might be that you celebrate). My family's Christmas traditions haven't changed much in my 26 years of celebrating, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Marcus and I don't even spend much of the holidays together, since neither of us are willing to give up these times with our families. Thankfully, we're both pretty flexible. Here's a quick wrap-up of my extended weekend:

♥ Thursday night (or Christmas Eve Eve, as I like to call it) was spent with two of my best girlfriends. We had originally planned on spending the night in with a movie and a few bottles of wine (yes a few ... don't judge us!), but after we were done with those, we ended up at our favorite bar. Shocker.

♥ Seeing old boyfriends while out at the bar on Christmas Eve Eve can be a pretty uncomfortable situation. Unless you're with my girls, then it's just hilarious.

♥ Tamales with my mom's family is my favorite holiday tradition. I seriously love being Mexican (although admittedly, this tradition could be enjoyed by people of all races and ethnicities!).

♥ Squirt and Wellers bourbon happens to be my abuelito's drink of choice, and all of the grandkids of age follow his lead on Christmas Eve. Yum yum!

♥ Late-night viewings of Pee Wee's Christmas Special is probably my second-favorite holiday tradition. How can you lose with a Christmas show that includes Grace Jones, Charo, kd Lang, and Little Richard (and loads of other random celebs)? You can't. It's impossible.

♥ Waking up on Christmas morning at the same time as my little sis (another tradition: we share a bed on Christmas Eve, since I lost my bedroom when I moved out) and watching stupid cat videos on YouTube instead of waking our mom and stepdad turns into a massive early morning giggle-fest.

♥ Stockings first, then everyone opens up presents one at a time. There is no compromise on this.

♥ Bailey and I hit Dad's house for a second Christmas morning around 10. We proceed to dance like Peanuts characters to the Charlie Brown Christmas music. Then it's onto stockings and one-at-a-time presents. Again, no compromise.

♥ Just Dance 2 might be the best thing to EVER happen to the Wii. I can't believe we never tried our hands at the original Just Dance. Also, I obviously get my dancing skills from Dad. This is not a good thing.

♥ Finally getting a chance to exchange presents with Marcus after 11:30 p.m. on Christmas made the gifts all the more special, since the excitement had a chance to build. And he's really good at picking out jewelry. Now if I could just get him to use that skill to pick out a ring ...

♥ I was pretty Christmas'ed out by Sunday, but that feeling quickly dissipated once the annual Meier Family Dollar Gift Exchange commenced. I gifted a small wooden statue of King Kamehameha, and ended up with a Turner (KC) School District stapler. Always a classic.

♥ Chess custard pie might be one of the most delectable goodies I've ever had the pleasure of eating. How have I not heard of it before this year??

♥ Sunday night with my girls (the two mentioned above, plus the rest of the gang) to celebrate a birthday was a perfect way to unwind after the weekend. And I am once again thankful I have Mondays off of work.

And there it is. My Christmas in a nutshell. I'll be sharing some of my favorite gifts very soon!

What I Wore: 12.23.2010

2010-12-23T15:59:00.001-06:00

Sweater - Forever 21
Shirtdress - Gap
Tights - Forever 21
Boots - Forever 21

Can you tell where I like to shop? I got these tights and boots on my last trip to the local F21. The sweater was a purchase from last year, and a favorite from my closet. And anyone that knows me in real life has seen this shirtdress on more than several occasions. I've been inspired to try a little pattern mixing lately. This is a pretty mild leap into multi-pattern outfits (in addition to the tights and sweater patterns, there's a tiny herringbone pattern on the dress you can't see in the photos), but it's a start.

In blog news, I'll probably take a few days off to celebrate Christmas with my family. I hope everyone has a magical holiday, and I hope you get everything you asked for!

Crawlin' our way to Christmas

2010-12-21T22:37:00.001-06:00

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have caught wind of how busy I was last week. Without boring everyone with the details, I was busy. Preparing for 20 people to invade our tiny apartment is hard work! But our annual Christmas Crawl went off without a hitch, and a great time was had by all. The last guests didn't leave our place until almost 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, so getting up at 8 to go make tamales with my family was a little rough. Probably why I got up at 9 instead. Thankfully I had a little time to rest up before my company's holiday party that same evening, otherwise I probably would have fallen asleep on the dance floor. Whew! Here are some of my favorite shots from the weekend. (side note -- I am loving my new point-and-shoot. You should be seeing a lot more of my own photos around here from now on!)

A break in the silence

2010-12-17T15:54:00.000-06:00

from Regular Jane at DeviantArt

I know I just said yesterday that I was on a short hiatus, but I had to stop in to leave a quick note.

If you've found your way here from this post at Freckled Nest, then welcome! I hope you decide you like me enough to stick around awhile, and maybe come back and visit me again!

Hiatus

2010-12-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

from Boopsie.Daisy on Flickr

In case you couldn't tell, I've been on a bit of a hiatus 'round these parts. These past few weeks have been nothing but go go go (as I'm sure it has been with everyone else)! Anyone want to support me financially so I can quit my job and have some free time?

Anyone?

No?

...

Hey, it was worth a shot.

I'll be back soon with some holiday-related posts!

Scenes from a weekend

2010-12-12T18:05:00.000-06:00

A little basketball ...

A little of these guys (I have NO idea who they are, they just cracked me up) ...

A little bit of heat in the cold ...

And a little bit of beauty in the snow ...

Hanging out in Kansas City this weekend was a pretty great way to help my dad celebrate his 55th birthday. Then again, any time spent with my two favorite guys is bound to be pretty great. Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you!

Tune in Tuesday: Ugly Sweater Dance Party!

2010-12-07T20:42:00.001-06:00

For the sake of not embarrassing my friends by posting our hilarious photos of this past Saturday's Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, I'm going to give you just this one (unless you're on FB, where I will be posting the rest!). It was (very) early in the evening, and they were doing what we like to call The Poopy Diaper Dance. Oh yeah. These are my friends, ladies and gentlemen.

What I will share with you, dear friends, is the sweet, sweet dance party mix I made for the evening. The songs range from the classic to the ridiculous to the downright humiliating, but it kept us grooving for three solid hours of booty-shaking, boozin' (sangria, anyone?), and all-out shenanigans. And this was before we even made it to the bar! This year definitely topped last year's event, so I can't wait to see what next year has in store.

Are there any holiday traditions with friends that you look forward to this time of year?

It's a sweaterrrr!

2010-12-04T16:21:00.000-06:00

(If you don't get my title reference, watch this)

Right now, I'm prepping for a little bit of this:

Our annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party! Actually, it's a considerably different and larger group than last year, and I couldn't be more excited! So I've got to finish my awesome dance party mix and getting myself ready. I'll see you all soon (with ridiculous photos, I'm sure!).

Tune in Tuesday: This is Happening

2010-11-30T20:56:00.001-06:00

I realized this morning that I never gave an update of my long weekend yesterday, as promised. So here it is, summed up in one photo of my sister ...

Yep. It was that kind of weekend.

Anyway, back to the main matter at hand: Music. I've been on another one of my infamous downloading sprees (it's all legal, don't call the RIAA!) . Amazon offered a BUNCH of sweet albums for $1.99 to $3.99 all last week, so naturally, I had to hop on more than a few of those offers. One of the albums I snatched up? LCD Soundsystem's This is Happening. I'm not sure how I'd been sleeping on this one, considering their last two albums have been in heavy rotation on my iPod at some point or another. I'm just finishing my first listen-thru, and I can already guarantee this one will follow suit.

Funny story ... I first stumbled upon LCD Soundsystem purely by accident. Back in 2005, a couple of friends and I showed up at a club in Lawrence for their (semi) weekly dance party. None of us apparently knew what we were in for, because I think we were all a little shocked to see a stage full of people, and the rest of the place packed with sweaty, dancing bodies from wall to wall. I don't think we knew what to make of it at first, but we ordered our drinks and promptly got to shaking our asses with the rest of the crowd. And that band? You guessed it. It still stands as one of the most raucous dance parties I've been a part of. It might just be the best $5 I've ever spent.

And no, I guess that story wasn't all that "funny", per se. Sue me. Just enjoy the tunes.

Someone's got a case of the Mondays!

2010-11-28T20:47:00.000-06:00

I'm still winding down from a great holiday weekend. I have tomorrow off, and then it's back to work for me on Tuesday, after five glorious days of vacation. Here's a little gem I found on Flickr (by Baskervillain) that was inspired my favorite "don't wanna go back to work" movie. Enjoy! I'll be back tomorrow with a recap of the weekend.

Fashion Fantasy: She's Thrifty

2010-11-24T10:00:00.013-06:00

December is right around the corner (I know, right?). Around here, that usually means one thing -- ugly Christmas sweater party time! So after work yesterday, I trekked on over to my favorite local thrift store to check out their cheesy holiday threads. I struck Christmas sweater pay dirt the second I walked through the door: two full racks of Santa, snowman, and jingle bell-adorned goodies beckoned from the front display. I made my decision (which I'll share at a later date), and decided to browse the shoe selection.

I found a gorgeous pair of brown Colin Stuart clogs and a sweet pair of grey suede oxfords in my size, but both were a bit beat up. Nothing else really caught my eye, so I moved on to the "behind the counter" bags (aka: the nicer stuff they don't want people to steal). There was a little Dior bag that was totally not my style, and a Louis Vuitton bag that would have been cute, had it not been missing the strap. Fail.

So since I didn't actually come home with anything other than my ridiculous Christmas shirt (and an old type tray, but that doesn't really fit into my story), I decided to play a little virtual dress-up on Polyvore using similar versions of my thrift store finds and items from my own closet (I think the only thing on here I actually have is the black Michael Kors bag, but everything else is nearly identical to a piece I own). And who knows, I might go back for those clogs today. I could make them work!

Thrift Magic by sarakate5 featuring ankle boots

Western Shirt Dress, 45 GBP
Donna Karan Oversized cashmere cardigan, $2,495
A.L.C. Leather paillette tank, $595
Keep Me Nikki tank, $55
Womens Crafted Boyfriend Blazer, 35 GBP
GUCCI AW10/249791X2435 4010 COTTON/ELASTANE JEANS, 354 GBP
The Boyfriend 1957 loved jeans, 225 GBP
STEVEN by Steve Madden Women's Masen Ankle Boot, $136
Jeffrey Campbell CHARLI C, $125
Gentle Souls Sure Bet, $93
Stellar GM, $3,550
Alma, $1,030
Python Embossed Leather Tote, $198
Oval Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Ring with Granulations, $2,270
Chan Luu 14-karat gold-plated wrap bracelet, $220
London Road Gold Peridot Pendant Necklace, 210 GBP
Alex Monroe Big Peacock Gold Feather Necklace, 156 GBP
Disney Couture 'The Little Mermaid' 14ct Gold Plated Crystal Hinged..., $95
Marc by Marc Jacobs - Enamel Bangles Script Hinge Bangle (Bright Pea..., $69
CHANEL LE VERNIS NAIL COLOUR | Nordstrom.com, $23

Tune in Tuesday: Kanye West

2010-11-23T09:00:00.005-06:00

It's no secret that I am a huge (HUGE) fan of Kanye West. Since the moment I first saw the video for "Through the Wire" back in early 2004, I've been hooked. I'd even go so far to say that getting to see him perform up close and personal on the last night of Lollapalooza 2008, with 50,000 of my closest friends, was one of the highlights of my life. Sure, he's had his less-than-stellar moments in the spotlight, but it would be hard for anyone to argue against his sensational artistic talents as both a rapper and producer. Yesterday, Yeezy released what might just be his magnum opus: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. To commemorate the release of my most-anticipated album of the year, here are some of my favorite Kanye videos. An interesting progression over those six short years, no?

As a side note, even if you're not interested in buying the whole album, you should at least check out "Lost in the World". Kanye and Bon Iver is a combination that almost anyone could love.

"Through the Wire"

"The New Workout Plan"

"Gold Digger" ft. Jamie Foxx

"Touch the Sky" ft. Lupe Fiasco

"Good Morning"

"Good Life" ft. T-Pain

"Homecoming" ft. Chris Martin

"Welcome to Heartbreak" ft. Kid Cudi

"Love Lockdown"

"Paranoid" ft. Mr. Hudson

"Runaway"

Sarita

2010-11-21T17:29:00.001-06:00

Three generations of women in my family ... my abuelita Esperanza (she goes by Hope ... and is 80+!), my lovely mama Gloria (50+!), myself (26) and my little sis Bailey (20). I love these women, and find them so inspiring.

I realized today that the overwhelming majority of my readers don't know me in real life. I show up here somewhat regularly and ramble on about a lot of things, but I've never really offered a lot of insight or information on myself. So without further ado ...

♥ For most of my life, people have called me Sarita ("Little Sara"). From what I've been told, my father started calling me that when I was little, and it caught on with everyone else. Once I got a little older, my great aunt Jenny was the only person to call me that, but the nickname never went away. Several years ago, it made a sudden resurgence in my friends' and family's vernacular, and I've been called Sarita by a lot of people ever since. I also answer to Sara Kate and SK, but those are both fairly recent pseudonyms.

♥ My family is everything. I think this is true for most people, but I really used to take them for granted. The older I get, the more I realize that they're the only ones I can rely on, 100%.

♥ I received my BFA in art back in 2006, and have yet to hold a job since graduation that allows me to utilize my education. My biggest concern out of college was finding a full-time job with decent pay and great benefits, which is why I've had the same job in the financial industry for the past 3.5 years. Woo woo.

♥ There are few things I dislike more than the sound of fingers rubbing against balloons or paper, or the feeling of my fingernails scratching against newspaper. Just the thought of either makes me shudder.

♥ I've always prided myself on being a smart chick. It never made much sense to me why other kids made fun of me for being a nerd. It was almost like they thought I should have been sorry I actually understood what we were learning in class? Nah. Also, I don't like Star Trek/Star Wars/Harry Potter (yeah, sorry)/other trendy "nerd" things, so I don't really consider myself to be one. I just know how to use my brain.

♥ I used to be a huge tomboy. I pretty much lived outdoors, played sports up until high school (basketball, soccer, softball, cheerleading, and even flag football) and dressed with very few hints of femininity until my junior and senior year of high school.

♥ My biggest inspiration in life is my father. He is the wittiest, most intelligent, compassionate, and creatively talented person I've ever met, and I'm lucky enough to call him Dad. I don't know anyone that has met Big K and doesn't immediately love him.

♥ Music is my soul. My fondest memories of being a kid usually involve waking up on a sunny weekend morning and hearing the sounds of my dad's records playing from the living room. There was a lot of Allman Brothers, Cat Stevens, Jackson Browne, Santana and Peter Gabriel played in our house while I was growing up. I keep trying to come up with my top five favorite artists, but it's almost always changing.

♥ I'm most comfortable making art depicting the people closest to me. I apparently subscribed to the Lucien Freud school of thought back in college, because I don't think you can really capture someone's spirit unless you know them.

♥ I love my semi-reticent boyfriend with every bit of my heart (as I should after 3+ years), but there's nothing sexier than an eloquent man. Suh-woon!

♥ If I could pick a last meal, it would consist of my family's homemade tamales, my dad's fried chicken and "world famous" baked beans, my mom's Out-of-This-World mashed potatoes (that's what they're called, but they do live up to the name!), burnt ends from the original Arthur Bryant's, the freshest uni (sea urchin) and unagi (eel) sushi, Alaskan king crab legs, oysters on the half shell, green olives, my grandmother's Springerle cookies, churros and chocolate from Extra Virgin, several bags of M&Ms (plain, pretzel, and coconut), and a bottle each of riesling and sauvignon blanc. Yes, I love food.

♥ In person, I am painfully shy. I'm a fairly confident woman, but being in a group of people I don't know scares the crap out of me. I try to push myself out of my comfort zone by putting myself into unfamiliar situations, but I still hate it. Shyness notwithstanding, I love making new friends. Being surrounded by fun and interesting people is when I'm happiest.

♥ My biggest fear in life? Failure. I still haven't learned how to handle not being good at something, even though there are a lot of things in life for which I possess little to no talent.

Thanks for letting me share! If there's anything I should know about you, please feel free to share!

Tune in Tuesday: Girl Talk

2010-11-16T21:49:00.001-06:00

If you've been away from the internet the past couple of days, you may not have heard that mashup king Greg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) released his new album yesterday. Fo' FREE. Get on it!

Oh, and remember this post? Yup, same guy. Love him.

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Bittersweet

2010-11-15T20:06:00.000-06:00

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I spent the most wonderful day with my grandmother. She's 86 and still full of life, full of stories, and full of laughs. She's also getting ready to move this upcoming weekend from the home where she's lived for the past 30 years. It's the house she and my late grandfather, along with two of their eight children, moved to in 1980, and is the only home most of their 21 grandchildren (myself included) have ever known as our grandparents' house. But, since she's been alone in the sizable house since my grandfather died 14 years ago, she's downsizing to a much-smaller apartment in a retirement community, and is excited not to have to take care of that much house anymore.

Since I have Mondays off of work, I called her up and asked if she wanted any help getting ready for the move. She happily obliged my offer of help. I got to her house shortly before noon, and we chatted and finished up the coffees we were both drinking. She made me lunch (grilled cheese ... totally delish!), and then we promptly got to work.

We headed to the bedroom us grandkids have always dubbed the "playroom". Really it's just a spare bedroom that housed the toys, games, and puzzles, but it was always our playroom whenever we visited Grandma and Grandpa. As soon as I walked in the room, I noticed that all 21 senior photos of her grandchildren had come down, as had a majority of the other photos that filled almost all of the west wall. There were neat stacks of games, photo frames, and other miscellanea stacked under the large picture window, and things that had long been stored away were now sitting out, waiting to be sorted.

Grandma and I grabbed a couple of chairs and got down to work pulling things from the built-in bookshelves and decided what she would keep, what she would give away to the family, and what she would toss. Everything we took off the shelf had a memory. We'd stop and laugh or tell a story we had been reminded of by whatever item we pulled: the Mad-Libs books, the Wooly Willy board, puzzle after puzzle, the vintage Fisher-Price record player ... everything had a story. Over the course of the afternoon, we only ended up getting that one shelf cleaned off and then sorted through an old file box. I guess we kept getting a little sidetracked reminiscing.

I think that's why this whole move is bittersweet for me. On one hand, I love seeing my grandma so excited for the next step in her life. She's already made friends at her new complex, and she'll be able to spend more time for her, and less time taking care of the house. On the other hand, her current home is where I've bonded with my family, where we spend almost all of our holidays, and holds some of the last memories of my grandfather. It sounds so selfish, but I don't know if I'm ready for her to move. Obviously I want nothing more than for my grandma to be happy, but it'll be hard to let this place go. I just need to keep reminding myself that as long as we have the memories, there's not much else we need.

La joie de vous!

2010-11-11T21:47:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to pop in for a quick hello. It's been one busy week for me, so I've been neglecting the blog a bit. Ces't la vie! Earlier tonight, I spent some time at Potwin Pottery with several of the girls from work, painting up some ceramic pieces. It's something we get together and do every now and then, and we always enjoy ourselves WAY too much. Like my martini tray? It'll look even better once it's all fired up and you can't see my pen lines anymore. Expect a follow-up photo in another week or so!

An Illustrated Life

2010-11-08T20:06:00.001-06:00

I have got to GET. MOVING. on my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project. It's kind of my thing to procrastinate until I have a mental breakdown and force myself to churn something out. Thankfully, I do my best artwork under pressure!

But, since I really can't wait much longer, I wanted to share some illustration inspiration, for my own benefit, as well as yours. Illustration is one of my favorite mediums, so I really hope you enjoy. These are all included in my illustration board on Pinterest. Check it out!

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