Top Secret

My parent's room has been in desperate need of a makeover/facelift/TLC/any kind of new decoration for a long time now. Mom is too worried about the rest of the house to bother with her own room, so I've taken it upon myself (and my handyman aka boyfriend) to help her out in the form of an upholstered headboard. The project is going very well so far, and I'll give a more detailed post later, but I'm currently sitting out by the lake as I watch someone in particular use a jigsaw to cut plywood into the desired shape.

Grand inspiration:

Grace from Design Sponge made this headboard about a year ago and it's been floating around the world wide web ever since. I've watched her video at least three times now.

[from]: design*sponge

Trick or (Frozen) Treats

Things have been getting pretty crafty around our household. Some say it's that time of year while others simply have taken on way too many projects than they can handle. Either way, we embrace each one with our creative minds and get right to work. With Halloween quickly approaching, these stationary cards were fun and easy to make. Oh, and the "I scream!" was penned by yours truly.

Skulls & Bones

After eight weeks of nonstop studying of Anatomy & Physiology, I am more than relieved to be finished with finals and beginning my two week break. Unfortunately I just can't get away from the skeletal system. I recently perused Z Gallerie's website where, low and behold, the home page had a framed picture of the human body. I instantly zoomed in on the skeleton and clicked to "Shop Look". If only I had this picture to study from when I was learning all the bones in the body.

Upon further browsing, I came across a more taxidermist piece. I can't say that the moose is an animal that I am very familiar with (nor is taxidermy), but this mounted head would be so much fun to have in any room of a house! The white makes this a simplistic piece that would not be too overpowering or intimidating.

[from]: Z Gallerie

Hiatus

In the past few weeks that I have been MIA, I have been studying about these things...

...in lots of less-colorful books than these...

...when all I really want to be doing is...

...so I'm sorry, but I didn't think you'd be interested in what my life is currently consumed with: Anatomy & Physiology and Biology.

peace, love, and scientific thoughts :)

My Tears for Ms. Spears

Who put this picture on the cover of Cosmopolitan?! This unfortunate display of my favorite Mouseketeer has watched me for weeks every time I check-out at the store. I just shake my head and look away from the discoloration in the extensions, the lazy eye (or the stink eye, as my sisters and I call it), and the bags under her eyes. Whoever was in charge of this photo shoot should be fired! The least they could do is photoshop it a little more, or choose a picture where her eyes are opened equally. I am very well aware that we all have our off days where we are less than photogenic, but help a girl out - she's been through enough - and let the public see the Britney who is not a train wreck. I haven't been able to bear opening the magazine due to the cover, but I hope Britney is redeemed by the spread of photos in her article.

NJSE (New Jersey Stock Exchange)

Of all the people they have booked to ring the opening bell, the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore may be the most bizarre. On Tuesday, I watched Snooki stand right smack in the middle of the rest of her roommates and ring in the financial day. Word on the (Wall) Street is that MTV would not allow the cast to give an interview after...hmm, 'stand and look pretty' much?

Can't stop listening to...

I listen to this on repeat, and I am only semi-ashamed.

Food, Blah

I may be the furthest thing from a foodie (n; a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment, especially good food and drink) as you can get. Sure, I like to eat, but the only enjoyment I get from food is knowing that I will be able to climb the stairs thanks to the energy it provides me. Basically as long as I can stomach what I'm eating, I'm good. In college, I lived off of a salt-and-peppered piece of grilled chicken, a scoop of white rice, and a can of vegetables for every dinner. Bland and...healthy, I think.

I also have a meal that I always fall back on in case I'm not in the mood to put ANY effort into food prep: Kraft Easy Mac cups. Macaroni and Cheese is my 7th food group and I require at least one serving a week. There's just enough in these Easy Mac cups that fills me up which makes me a happy girl.

PS. Don't worry, I believe in healthy foods for any other meals.

[from] flickr

Vaca Remix

Vacation: it's what summer is designed for. You find a few days, go to the beach, and relax. This year, my family's schedules have been less than cooperative, so we are resorting to an extended weekend trip. We leave Friday morning to...I don't know where. My parents have planned a surprise vacation for my sisters and I.

Now my parents are fairly normal people. On a scale of LAME to COOL they would be tipping ever-so-slightly towards the COOL side for most things. My dad was embarrassing in middle school (ie. putting on a hideous mask to pick up my sister and I from a Halloween dance), but now I usually just team up with him to humiliate my youngest sister. Mom is not always up to date with our generation's culture, but she really went the extra mile to search for Zombie Chips (a la Nickelodeon's "Doug" April 19, 1992 episode) for us at Kroger. We're pretty sure that Mom & Dad mean well, so at least we know this vacation is well thought out.

My sisters and I are just hoping we're not going anywhere that requires costumes...or bagpipes...

[from] Awkward Family Photos

Kissing Enrique

Wasn't it Jennifer Love Hewitt that Enrique Iglesias was loving on in his 2001 "Hero" music video? Oh how the times have changed. This morning I caught a glimpse of Enrique's performance of "Hero" on the Today Show. It appeared that one lucky member of the audience had been chosen to be on stage with the Latin singer, but as the song progressed, I was aware of some heavy PDA for 9:30 am TV (and a singer and his fan aka people that don't know each other). The shocking part came at the very end so here's the video...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So Melissa from the Bronx admits she is thinking dirty thoughts and I am totes weirded out. Head on over to The Today Show website and check out the beginning part of the song if you can stomach it.

PS. If you do watch the first half of "Hero," don't miss Meredith Vieira who is laughing it up when the camera pans her way during the performance.

[from] The Today Show

All Things White

I get lost for hours at a time on Etsy just looking at the thousands of results in one search. My favorite thing is when I find a seller with an entire store that I fall in love with. I recently came across allthingswhite and continue going back to look at all of their white trinkets they have to offer.

Naturally I am biased because of my affinity for everything white when it comes to decor, but what a fun shop idea! They should contact White House | Black Market.

[from] allthingswhite

Pam & Jim Off the Market

Most of 2008 for me was spent anticipating when and how Pam and Jim were going to get married. I never really thought about the individuals outside of their characters on "The Office", until I saw Pam on the cover of Shape magazine in a bikini. This was the moment I realized they were Jenna Fischer and John Krasinksi, not Pam and Jim. This was also the moment I silently weeped because I realized that they were not in fact having a lavish Hollywood wedding together.

Thankfully two years have given me time to recover, and it has also given these two actors a chance to find romance apart from each other. Fischer started dating Lee Kirk, a writer, in 2008, and were married last week in Malibu on Saturday, July 3rd.

Krasinksi began seeing the gorgeous British actress Emily Blunt also in 2008, and they were coincidently wed in Italy yesterday, just a week after Beesly...I mean, Fischer.

[from] here and here

Pretty Pets

Sharon Montrose's website it beyond captivating. She is a photographer of furry friends with most of them being set against a white backdrop. Each picture enhances the beauty in animals and portrays them as calm, graceful, and curious creatures. Montrose is also the talented photographer behind this spring's bunnies and sheep that Target and Liberty of London teamed together to created!

If you are looking to buy Montrose's art, her prints are available on her etsy shop.

[from] Sharon Montrose

She Said...

"I really love to clean. It's not anything compulsive, it's just that you can see a difference when you're through. Not like raising kids or something that you're not sure how it's going to turn out for a couple of decades."

-Jill Churchill, "A Farewell to Yarns"

V. Important

This unfortunate incident occurred two days ago on the golf cart path in between Kedron Aquatic Center and the Kedron Chick-fil-a. As of yet, no one has been a good samaritan and returned his tennis ball.

And so the search continues...

Pretty Little Liars

When I think ABC Family, I can't help but think 7th Heaven. Sure, it was fun to watch in middle school when everyone would talk about the episodes at school, but as I entered high school I realized that the plot line was still struggling back in its middle school produced fashion. Plus, there was no way David Gallagher could have been related to any of those people.

Alright, let's forget about Lucy, Simon, Happy, and all the other Camdens and flash forward to present day where ABC Family has finally shaken their unrealistic, bland, and (sorry to say it) goody-two-shoes reputation by creating Pretty Little Liars.

At first I refused to watch their new show because I was convinced it would consist of but-my-dog-ate-my-homework fabrications, but my sister insisted this was better than anything ABC Family had ever put on air. Sidenote: my sister defines all things cool. So I watched an episode and now I can't get enough.

The series is based off of the teen books by Sara Shephard and is a cross between Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives, complete with a Queen Bee, a dead friend, and 4 female lead roles.

Unfortunately ABC Family does not have all of the episodes up online for our viewing pleasure, but even if you start watching now, it doesn't take long to read the episode recaps that started at the beginning of June. Or I'm sure the books wouldn't take long either. Pretty Little Liars airs on Tuesdays at 8pm on ABC Family.

[from] here and Eonline

America the Beautiful

Happy 4th of July!

[from] Martha Stewart

Look! Book!

Regardless of neighborhood, continent, or family background, I think it is a universally accepted truth that we all have books in our home. What has always interested me is the different way that everyone organizes their reading collection.

Candace Bushnell's magnificent bookshelf with an appropriate majority of pink covers.

Yes, yes, yes! Organizing any and all books by color makes everything look so much more organized!

If only all my books were uniform like this, I would have the most beautiful collection!

One day I will have my own ladder along my library bookshelf, and I will swing along like Belle in "Beauty & the Beast".

Another idea that I have heard of is wrapping your own cover around a book in whatever color of paper you want and then putting a tag on the spine or writing the title in your own handwriting.

[from] Habitually Chic, Audrey Hepburn Complex, & Southern Living.

3 Amigos: Harry, Hermione, & Ron

I'll admit that I have not read all 7 of the Harry Potter books, but I still go year after year to see the movies. And yes, the wizardry aspect if fascinating and everything, but I am a total sucker for the character development and romance that goes on between Harry, Hermione, Ron, & co. And just in case you haven't seen the trailer for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," here it is for your enjoyment!

Gary Spain

I have been seeing rooms decorated like these for a while now, and I just found out who is the wonderful decorator behind them: Gary Spain. The collaboration of patterns, colors, and quirky items makes for an interesting and eye-catching room.

Love this bedroom with the picture of who-knows-who as a focal point.

With all of these colors, Spain is still able to make the white pop.

Please excuse the (tasteful) naked sculpture. The wallpaper and half of the chair you can see is what I LOVE in this hallway.

[from] Gary Spain's website

Team USA! (part II)

In the spirit of USA making it as far as they did in the World Cup and the 4th of July coming up, it seems appropriate to make this post. As promised, the final product!

Buttons and beads hot glued.

The bow is from a girl's headband I found at Target.

Rhinestones and buttons glued on.

Tah dah! Happy 4th!

I can't stop watching...

"The Girls With Glasses Show".

As of now there aren't too many videos or posts by these girls (one some may recognize as an American Idol alum), but their song, "I Am A Girl" that they have as their theme song is so catchy! The best part about it is the music video they made. It is shot in the style of the Amazon Kindle commercials (still frame something or other...) and is absolutely adorable with all of the without-a-doubt, influential women who we all are familiar with.

I hope these two women continue to make more videos so I can slip on my own glasses and rock along with them!

[from] The Girls With Glasses facebook page

A B C D E F G...

Everytime I think to take a picture of the USA letters that I made, it's always too dark outside, so I'm sorry! I'll get to them soon, but let me assure you they look presh on our red front door.

I won't disappoint in this post though because I have made another set of letters for the Breast Cancer Survivors' Network. Here's how they turned out!

I can't stop watching...

...everything on www.verymarykate.com.

Elaine Carroll is the mastermind behind this website and she is hilarious! I would put this girl on SNL if it was up to me. Anyway, verymarykate.com includes 19 short episodes of Carroll's portrayal of Mary-Kate Olsen's lavish and obscure lifestyle. I personally grew up watching every Olsen production ever put onto my TV screen, so needless to say I have a soft spot for these girls, but whether you love or hate Mary-Kate, the comedic dialogue has made me laugh out loud even when no one else is around.

I'm just EXHAUSTED after this post...a nap sounds great about now.

Team USA! (part I)

Memorial Day left me feeling patriotic and a little nostalgic for the crafts that I did in LJAMS (aka my college apartment I lived in for 2 years). So after a trip today to the trifecta of craft stores - JoAnn's, Michael's, and Hobby Lobby - I made an impromptu decision to make a little patriotic decor for our front door.

Since this is Part I of this post, I'm going to walk you through what I have completed today and then have you wait until another day to see the finished product.

I picked up these 3 letters from Hobby Lobby that were about $2 per letter.

I took white acrylic paint that I had and painted the edges.

I bought 3 different scrapbook sheets of paper at Michael's for maybe 89 cents each and traced the letters onto the pieces of paper and cut them out.

I glued the paper letters onto the cardboard letters and then the fun part started!

My craft box is pretty much overflowing with supplies that I haven't touched in months so I picked out things to bedazzle the letters.

And you'll have to wait to see the finished product! I am not completely satisfied with how they have turned out so I'm adding final touches.

Happy National Running Day!

Now, please don't get me confused with that girl you know who is in shape and running 5 days a week. That's not me.

But it used to be, and it is also what I am working towards again. Anyway, I heard early on today that it was National Running Day, and although I dismissed the idea that I would even get out on the paths, it must have brought me some good luck because I ran further than I expected. Not to mention I was totally inspired by all of the other people that I saw getting their cardio on.

Whether you run, walk, crawl, or saunter to get keep your heart healthy, I hope you enjoyed National Running Day, and let's make it a promise that we'll get out there and exercise more. I mean, even the penguins are doing it...

[for more information (because I didn't just make this up):]

www.runningday.org

Whitewhitewhite.

At home, we are in the process of redoing my sister's bedroom. Since she'll be turning 15 at the end of the summer, she figured there was no better time to get rid of the bubblegum pink walls that have plagued her walls since 2002.

So far she is saying that she only wants white. White walls, white desk, white bed set, whitewhitewhite. I'm having a difficult convincing her that no one decorates with ONLY white. I've found a few inspiration pictures that I hope will lead her in the right direction of choosing an accent color that doesn't have to be pink.









Suggestions are welcome, because sometimes sisters don't listen to each other :)

[from] luxe + lillies, xJavierx on flickr