cute little life

Happy Birthday, Dickens!

2012-02-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

Did you get all the way through Tale of Two Cities? Or Great Expectations? If I'd realized it was his birthday earlier, I could've celebrated with a tale or two.

Thanks, Google, for the image!

The Day of Gifts

2012-01-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

Remember this little blue stand? Well, I arrived home on Thursday evening to find it waiting in our entryway, all assembled, ready to use, with a cute little tag hanging off the drawer. The hubs popped out while I was at happy hour with some friends and bought it as a surprise for me. So sweet!! Here it is, waiting to find a permanent space in our home.

Thursday turned out to be a day full of gifts, as I had received a lovely gift from a parent at work earlier in the day. She said it was for a Happy 2012. Two beautiful mugs and some chocolate peppermint tea.

In between work and happy hour, I splurged on a little gift to myself. Anyone following me on Instagram has already seen these. I had a little gift certificate - one of those groupon type deals - so I stopped into a shop real quick. I've been wanting these for quite some time! Aren't they cute? I love that the lining has elephants on it.

Le Weekend (so far)

2012-01-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

I'm reminiscing on the years when I had long weekends every weekend as I have one more day of weekend before we return to work. I love Mondays I don't have to work. Apart from the money part of it, I really didn't mind working part time. There's something about a 'short' week that is very nice.

So here are some scenes from my Saturday - mom and I finally made it to Disneyland where my dad and sister joined us later in the day. I love that place. I already miss it and am planning a trip back.

Beignets for lunch

Mom and Mickey ready for a rocket ride

Boardwalk Night Life

Beating dad at Toy Story

Fireworks

Why I Should Never Be Allowed to Browse World Market...

2012-01-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

Because I fall in love with cubbies like this...

And with consoles like this... (it really wants to come live in my entryway).

Grout.

2012-01-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

Last week I spent hours upon hours cleaning and sealing the grout on half of our kitchen counter. This weekend, I'm attacking the other (larger) half of the counter. I had no idea how gross the grout really was until it was fully cleaned and sealed with two coats of colorant and sealer. I'm a little embarrassed to even post these pictures but you can't appreciate the 'after' without the 'before.'
I'd also like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to anyone who has visited my house recently. I can only imagine what you were thinking as I prepared your food on these disgusting counters. I promise, it will never get this bad again!
(Keep in mind, these are just pictures from my phone so the brown of the grout looks worse than it really is. OK, not that much worse. Sigh.)
The left is the 'before' pictures for the side of the counter I'm still working on. The right picture is the 'after' for the counter that is done. A week later and it still looks just as good! And now I'm back to scrubbing...

Letter M Press

2012-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Nowhere near as good as the real thing, this awesome app lets you letterpress - from the start of your design all the way to the paper rack - all on your iPad. I may have to shell out the $5.99 for this app.
This great little video contrasts the real wood type experience to the app capabilities.
Check it out!

Instagram

2012-01-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

I got a new little toy at Christmastime and now I'm on Instagram.
Are you?

Come find me! I'm lilbikergirl.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve in Long Beach with my family, then dropped them at the airport on Christmas morning and headed up towards Hemet to spend a few days with The Hubs's parents in the mountains. It was relaxing and laid back in all locations and we thoroughly enjoyed having some much needed time off together. The Hubs goes back to work tomorrow but only works two days before a nice three day weekend. Not too shabby! I'm pretending I don't ever have to go back to work, which is why I still haven't cleaned the kitchen counter grout or vacuumed the sunroom. The dirt will be there tomorrow, right?

Here are a few photos from the past week - hope your holidays were just as swell as ours!

Our festivities, before we packed it all up and headed out:

Enjoying the sun and view in Long Beach:

The Hubs is so awesome, he unknowingly coordinated
his gift wrapping with my outfit!

Great gifts from mom - bicycle wine and homemade snickerdoodles.
My Christmas is complete.

Wrapping the cat, as much as she will allow.

Lumberjacking.

No, seriously. We brought in half a cord for The Hubs's parents!

Relaxing by the fire (with s'mores!).

Gorgeous Anthro

2011-12-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

Go here to see it even bigger.

Fighting for Sun

2011-12-23T14:40:00.001-08:00

As close as they'll ever get to 'snuggling' with each other...

It's almost Christmas!

2011-12-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hopefully you're not all scatterbrained trying to finish all those last minute errands! I'm just doing a bit of final wrapping before we pack up and head out to see family for a few days. Mom and I found the perfect Elf hat the other day (too bad it pinched behind the ears!)

Have a merry Christmas eve!

How to Wrap a Cat

2011-12-21T13:32:00.001-08:00

There's no way my cats would sit still for this... but I still want to try it!

Snuggly cat.

2011-12-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

Trying to finish hand writing Christmas cards but Earnest seems to need some attention. Or just a cozy headrest...

It's snowing!

2011-12-18T08:52:00.001-08:00

Go to www.google.com.
Type in "Let it snow" and watch the snowflakes gently fall!

Quotables

2011-12-16T22:49:00.001-08:00

"There will always be stupid people making awesome people feel stupid about being awesome."

Stolen from here. If it's ok with everyone, I'm going to just keep feeling awesome about being awesome. And you should, too.

Holiday Tradition #1

2011-12-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

We don't have a lot of holiday traditions but there is one that we can count on every year: Mom's Sugar Cookies. She makes them by the dozens and we spend hours at the dining room table decorating them for friends and family.
My younger sister is quite the artist. Can you tell which cookies are hers and which are mine?

Oh, Kate.

2011-12-03T23:16:00.000-08:00

Why do you do this to me?

Image from Kate Spade here. (I wear a size 9.5 in case you have a few hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket...)

Happy Birthday, to me!

2011-12-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

I still haven't decided if this is cool or creepy... but on my birthday, last Wednesday, the Google search bar wished me a Happy Birthday. When I hovered over the artwork with my mouse, a little box actually appeared that said, "Happy Birthday, Emily!"
The Hubs says it's because the information is in my Google+ profile. Regardless, it's nice that Google is thinking of me. Now, if they could just send me a cupcake, that would be perfect...

It's been quiet around here.

2011-12-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I should've warned you but since my readers are all probably family and Facebook friends, you all probably already knew that I was headed to Hawaii! On the random chance some of you didn't know, the Hubs and I just got back from a lovely week in Kauai. I'll have pictures posted very soon. I have about four loads of laundry to get going and the house is full of cat hair that needs to be vacuumed and Fall decor that needs to be boxed up. It was almost funny to see Christmas decorations up in Kauai - it just didn't feel like December. But now that we're home and we've changed all of our calendar pages, it's starting to feel a bit more, well, wintery. I'll be pulling the boxes of Christmas stuff out of the garage later today. After I start the downloads for my Hawaii pictures.
In the meantime, head on over and download or stream your very own copy of this year's Hey, It's Christmas! compilation right here.

What the heck...?

2011-11-20T18:29:00.001-08:00

Someone at either Groupon or Facebook needs to do a better job matching their ads with their photos.
What the heck is going on here? And where in Ventura county can I go to get my picture taken with one of the world's largest cats? I must've missed that Groupon promo...

Marcel: Second Time Around

2011-11-17T20:12:00.001-08:00

I still want a pet shell.

Colored Pencils

2011-11-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

I just love a cute little stop motion video. Especially when it's set to a great song.

Hudson - Against The Grain from Dropbear on Vimeo.

Spotted on Happiness Is....

Calendar Time

2011-11-09T21:33:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! The time when we start counting down to the next year and I start drooling over calendars.
Oh So Beautiful Paper does a marvelous calendar round-up every year and here are some of my favorites so far:

2012 Letterpress by Missing Q Press:

Into the Calm Letterpress by Ink & Wit:

Perfect for the kitchen, a letterpress desktop calendar full of fruits and vegetables from Kirtland:

2012 Desktop from Avie Designs:

Gorgeous Pollen Art Print from Smock:

Wall or desktop calendar that you can turn into notecards when the month is over!
From Paisley Tree Press:

I always love Linda & Harriett:

And Old School Stationers are always near the top of my list as well:

Images are from their respective shops/websites. Click on links in headings for sources.

I'd go eat dinner...

2011-11-09T18:30:00.001-08:00

but I'm kind of stuck. No one likes moving a snuggly cat!

Dear Hubs,

2011-11-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you for leaving pictures like this in my photobooth. When it's been a long couple of weeks, this is just what I need to find hidden away on my laptop. Now if you'll excuse me, I almost just peed my pants laughing...

I'm not digging google.

2011-11-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Google peeps, but your changes are making me crazy! I just ditched my Google Reader for Shrook (check it out if you're a mac person and need a new reader!) and I'm probably moving to wordpress once I get it figured out. I'm a super flexible person but the recent changes they made to the Reader layout are not going to work with the blogs I read. Lame-o.
Oh, and sorry I haven't updated this blog in forever. It's been a big busy around here. But I'm around... somewhere.

Hubs'NEm's Quote of the Day

2011-10-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

As I was about to call my mom last night, the hubs picked up her school picture from my dresser and said,
"Here, I'll hold this in front of your face while you talk. Then it'll be like video chat!"

It's not quite the same but he gets an "A" for effort.

Cusack as Poe.

2011-10-11T20:33:00.001-07:00

I generally stay away from these kinds of movies (mostly because I can't take the dog out to pee alone in the dark after watching them) but this may be an exception. We'll just keep the lights on.

I need a change in taste.

2011-10-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

My taste could run me broke so fast.
This hunting jacket really wants to come live with me.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will still be one in my size when it finally goes on sale.

October

2011-10-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

Late (as usual) but this art collaboration for your desktop is just beautiful.

From Shanna Murray.

I hate Comic Sans.

2011-10-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

There's a lady at work who has her email text set to Comic Sans. No, we don't work at an elementary school. And it drives me nuts. If there was a way to send her an email and know that she would never know it came from me, I'd send her a link to this little online game.
I recommend using a regular computer mouse for this one. My touchpad is crap for these.

Now this is a shooting game I can get behind!

Found via How About Orange.

No Longer on the Nightstand...

2011-10-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

I was going to add this book to the "On the Nightstand" sidebar but I read it so fast there wasn't time. Picked up on a whim at my public library, I literally didn't want to put this novel down. It was one of those "I need to stop reading because I have to work in the morning, but I could stay up until 2am to finish it..." kind of book. It's probably not going to win a Pulitzer but something in this book resonated with me in a beautiful way. I just might check it out and read it again very soon.

" "

2011-10-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

This is me today. Well, everyday actually. But especially today.
The Hubs is having motorcycle issues (we left it a few miles away from the house last night when the clutch cable went out) and then some punks broke into our garage overnight and stole three of our bikes. My grandpa is in the hospital recovering from pneumonia and a fractured hip. I've been feeling sick for a few days now.
It hasn't been the best week around here.
So I'm feeling a little extra fierce today. Don't underestimate my littleness.

What are you fierce about lately?

Found at Vale Design. Love her blog and her quotes! Check them out.

More Adele.

2011-09-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

Her voice gets me every time. Love this video. Gorgeous.

Thank you, Molly, for sharing.

Do not call list.

2011-09-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Talk about tugging at the heartstrings. A tele-marketer asked the hubs tonight, "You mean you don't want to support children in need?"
Yes, yes we do. In fact, I support about 380 children in need on a daily basis. I told the hubs to put that factoid in his coffer for the next time they call. He said he'd rather tell them that he makes his living off the backs of small children in need. Nice, hubs. Nice.

If I had a bazillion dollars laying around...

2011-09-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

I may have let an expletive fly when I saw this concept design. Then I wondered aloud if it would be ready by Spring Break. I think I need one for my next vacation.

Luxury Tropical Island Yacht

For more pictures and the rest of the story... Click here.

Dear Hubs,

2011-09-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you for cheering me up when I'm gloomy-like. For understanding that sometimes you just need to go back to bed, sleep for an hour longer, and try again.
Thank you for faux-hawks.
And flowers by the front door.

You're the best.

xoxo,
me.

The Walls are Done.

2011-09-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

We still haven't finished moving completely back in - the ceiling fan needs to be hung, we're using an ugly lamp, and there's nothing on the walls - but the painting is done and the bed is assembled and it looks oh so fresh and so clean!

You have to try a lot of greys before you find the perfect one:

Chris's favorite part was ripping through the plastic we put over the door while he was sanding the walls:

Finally back in (to a certain extent). It's hard to get good light in here for photographs and the grey changes from lighter to darker as the sun gets farther from the windows. It's really the perfect grey for this little room.
We're definitely going to add some curtains, a different lamp, and some other touches but for now it's nice and simple.

Don't mind Earnest flashing through the picture...

100 Years

2011-09-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Love this little dance through fashion! What's your era?

P.S. Those skinny jeans and platform heels are awesome. And I want to learn how to dance now.

Found via Happiness Is...

There is a bed in my living room.

2011-09-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

The bed has been in the living room since Saturday morning. The hubs is assembling our actual bed in the newly painted bedroom as I type, and it doesn't come a moment too soon! The last two nights have been full of restless sleep and I'm fairly sure that "the mess that is my house" has finally caught up to me.
So while the hubs gets intimate with the allen wrench, I'm browsing Banana Republic dot com and drooling over cardigans. Don't get me wrong, this little heat wave can stay as long as it wants (I'm not done with summer yet!) but in the meantime, I'll be watching for these to go on sale:

Short sleeved stripes!

This is most definitely my favorite length. Great color, too.

I might need some new two-tone pumps to go with the new cardies, yes? (Note: These actually are on sale!)

I hear loud thumping and crashing in the other room, so I better close down and see if the hubs needs me to hold something. It's hard to keep those large pieces of particle board at the right right-angle to screw them together.
I promise I'll post pics of the finished bedroom once we get the furniture back in!

Mastering the Master Bedroom.

2011-09-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

It just isn't a long weekend without a project at our cute little house. This weekend, we're taking on the Master Bedroom.
After testing at least six different grey colors, we finally decided on good 'ole Martha Stewart's Cement Gray for the walls:

And Heavy Goose on the ceiling:

Computer monitors are never accurate as far as colors go, so I'll let you know when we're all done and you can just come over and see for yourself. We also bought an actual bed frame about a month ago and I can't wait to finally set it up!
Pictures to come!

Sample pictures colors from Home Depot's Martha Stewart section here.

Last Saturday.

2011-09-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Late afternoon and I was getting tired - but then realized it was that strange time of day when it was too late to take a nap but much too early to go to bed. I had also started to get congested again, the effects of a cold/sore throat that had been lingering for a few days but wouldn't commit to either simply going away or intensifying itself into a full-blown sickness.
So I took some DayQuil.
And organized the linen cabinet.

Looking at these pictures, I'm tempted to arrange everything from dark to light. But that borders on OCD so I'll resist. For at least a week.

No, mom, I'm not putting my butt all over the nice clean sheets.

A Milestone.

2011-09-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

On the way home yesterday...

Click!!

My little red pepper is only four years old. I think it can safely be said that I drive a lot.
I love my car.

Darn you, Kate.

2011-08-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

You and your sample sale that is all sold out on the things I love in my size.
Don't these have my name written all over them?

Can you tell I've been feeling spendy lately? And desperately seeking new shoes? Sigh.
All from Kate Spade's Sample Sale Here.

LOVE.

2011-08-27T19:28:00.001-07:00

Aren't they perfect?

J. Crew here.

Things My Husband Says

2011-08-27T18:07:00.001-07:00

To the Dog:
"Too bad you don't have a USB port, Sammi. Then we could know what you're thinking."

Wow.

Tomorrow.

2011-08-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

I'm going to sleep until I wake up. With no alarm.

Did I mention I got a job as a counselor? At my school?
I am so incredibly happy and amazed at how things work out sometimes.
But I still look forward to the weekends.
Not working for 10-11 hours.
No flooded inboxes.

But I don't dread Mondays anymore.

Strong Bad.

2011-08-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

I'm totally like Strong Bad.

It's also hard not to fall over when you're so top heavy. The hubs wants to get me one of my own. I think we can wait a while... These white stripes are just a little too cool for me.

Vroom Vroom

2011-08-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

I just keep telling myself that he is a very cautious, safe, rational person and that he will be careful and nothing bad will happen. And then I pray. A lot.

Yep, that's his new (used) motorcycle. He got home safe (I followed him the entire way) and says he feels really comfortable (I guess that's a good thing...?) so we'll see how his work commute goes this week! I'm really glad it's only about five minutes from our house to his office. This is going to take a little while to get used to...

Little Treasures

2011-08-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

My sister and I spent yesterday helping my mom move furniture back into her classroom. When you're a teacher who gets laid off every summer, you get to move your entire classroom to your garage and store it while you wait to hear whether you got hired back... (minus only the desks and textbooks. Pretty much everything else was purchased by my mom because teachers spend an extraordinary amount of their own money every year buying the things that actually make learning fun for kids.).
While my mom was grateful to get hired back, moving your entire garage full of school supplies back up to school gets a bit old every year. Until you find treasures like this hiding in the filing cabinet:

Yes, that's a tiny bird skull. It fell out of the file cabinet as my sister and I were loading it into the truck. There's no way to tell how long it's been in the back of the file cabinet but I think we can safely say it's been A Long Time.
Just to prove that we didn't find a random picture of a bird skull on the internet and post it here, here's me with the skull:

Yep, kind of gross. But at least it wasn't a mouse head or something. Could've been a lot worse.

Intensity.

2011-08-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

Something on my mom's computer the other night was really interesting to Pantaloup. She sat and stared at it with wide, unblinking eyes for quite a while!
She can be a rather intense little kitty.

In other news, I went shoe-browsing (not shopping, just looking!) with my friend after work today and was totally underwhelmed. I didn't know that was possible. I saw only one pair I was even remotely interested in and they weren't in my size. Not to mention the shoe department at the Macy's in Santa Barbara was a mess, which made shopping there completely unappealing. I may have to hit DSW while I'm in Long Beach tomorrow. I'm headed south to help my mom move stuff into her classroom - can you believe school is starting?!? I've been at work for a week already!

What are you up to this weekend? Any adventures?

Fifteen-Hundred, Nine, and Five

2011-08-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

I've been gone. Did you notice? I didn't really warn you that I was leaving - it kind of crept up on me. In seven days, I traveled approximately 1500 miles, drove through nine states, and gained about five pounds. My brother just finished his time with the U.S. Navy and moved to Arkansas to work at a power plant so I hopped on a plane to keep him company while he packed up and drove halfway across the country. Feel free to settle in for a few minutes while I share some random thoughts and photos.

A Few Thoughts (I promise, I'll be brief):
- Random observation: The highways look pretty much the same from Connecticut to Arkansas. Two lanes in either direction with a good-sized, grassy (sometimes wooded) median between and trees on either side of the highway. Tennessee seemed to have more roadkill, and definitely had more billboards advertising "Adult" stores; Virginia's highways were narrower; Connecticut's were greener. They all had advertisements for Cracker Barrel and a plethora of hotels, many offering free wi-fi, hot breakfast, and indoor pools. You probably don't want to stay at the ones that don't... just sayin'.

- If you eat at restaurants for three meals a day while sitting on your butt driving 1500 miles, you're gonna gain a little weight. Especially when the weather is not conducive to jogging at rest stops. The dog and I will be going on some long walks in the next few weeks, mostly to get my blood flowing again. We ate a lot and sat a lot. 'Nough said.

- I didn't need nearly as much bug spray as I thought I would, and didn't need it at all until we got to Arkansas. The rainy weather probably helped with that. (Also, wearing any kind of shoe other than flip-flops on an airplane when you have mosquito bites on your feet is basically torture. You will have to choose between freezing feet (because it's always so cold on airplanes) or itchy torture.)

- Thunder claps can be worse than my brothers snoring. (But they still won't wake him up.) And lightening is awesome. Unless you're about to get on a plane. Then it's frickin' scary.

Ok, I'll shut up now and just post some pictures.

All packed up and ready to go! Bye-bye Connecticut!

Pennsylvania was very welcoming. It was also the only state line we actually stopped at (thank you, rest stop). The rest of my "Welcome To..." pictures are a complete blur.

Don't believe me? Here's Maryland at 70 miles per hour:

This is a dangerous place. I ate my weight in food. I can't believe I'd never eaten here before! You can't not eat the biscuits. The peach sweet tea tasted like candy. It's a store and a restaurant. It's probably a huge part of why Americans are fat. Why don't we have these in California???

Welcome to Virgina, where family dinning is served forever. That's a loooong time...
(I didn't take nearly enough photos of interesting signs. My other favorites were the "Diciples of Christ" (no, I didn't spell that wrong - they did) at a local church and the "Git 'Um! Git 'Um! Git 'Um!" on the advertisement for the taxidermy shop.)

Like true Southerners, we hit up the local Sonic for happy hour - where the sodas and slushes are half off from 2-4pm. I'd never been to Sonic before and this 44ounce slushy was a recipe for brain freeze.

My brother is renting the cutest little house (I'd totally live there!) - don't you agree?

To rouse ourselves from the food+driving induced coma, we checked out the local state park near where my brother will be living. We even went on a hike! Here's the view of the valley (his new home!) from the trailhead:

It was strange, and kind of sad, to get on a plane and fly home - just leaving my brother all alone in a new place. I know he's doing just fine - he's already been to a local range for a match and checked out the weekend rodeo - but there's still something forlorn about not knowing anyone (especially when there's no Target store to wander through for consolation. Yes, he moved to a place with no Target.). He starts his new job next week and I'm sure his social life will start to fill up pretty quick.
I head back to work at the same time, which means that summer vacation - all two weeks of it! - is basically over... Time to start looking forward to whatever is next!
What have you been up to while I've been gone?

All photos by me. Please don't use without asking first. Thanks!

I'm Stuck.

2011-08-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Vacation.

2011-08-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm finally on vacation. Yesterday was my first official day (weekends don't count) so of course I had to hit up Disneyland with my mom. It doesn't feel like real vacation until you've been to the Happiest Place on Earth! Pics from that later...

Today is the first day of vacation that I'm at home with no plans, which means I can do whatever I want! So far, this includes:
- Waking up when I felt like it
- Farting around on the internet in bed until about 9:30am
- Farting around on the internet while eating oatmeal in the dining room in my pajamas until about 10:30am
- A quick visit to the post office and library (need to get books for my next trip!)
- Lunch with the hubs
- A wander through the paint section of Home Depot with the Hubs, on a quest to find the best grey color for our bedroom.
- Paint samples of colors in our bedroom. Oh, was I supposed to wait to do that?

Did you know that you can get incredibly cute little sample jars of paint colors? I've seen them before but always felt like they were a waste of money - but I really don't want to end up with a color I hate in my bedroom. We narrowed our choices down to two colors and they quickly mixed up the sample jars for us. I got a free Valspar sample in the mail a while ago and it came with the cutest little paint tray and roller that are perfect for putting sample colors on the walls.

Here we have Behr Dark Granite and Suede Grey.

I'm not actually crazy about either color - the Dark Granite seems pretty dark and the Suede Grey has a tinge of purple to it that I'm not excited about. I'll let them dry and put on another coat and see how I feel.
Update to come!

Milky Way

2011-07-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

Amazing time lapse of the Milky Way across South Dakota in May.

Plains Milky Way from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.

By Randy Halverson.

(Thanks, Dad!)

Master Bedroom

2011-07-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

We just bought a new mattress set and now I want to do something new with the entire bedroom. It's one of the few rooms we haven't painted yet and I'm in the mood to gather ideas. We won't be buying new furniture (maybe a bed frame, eventually) and most of what we have is white so we'd be working with what we already have.
This montage by West Elm is pretty close to perfect for me (hello yellow and stripes!).
What are your favorites styles for the bedroom?

P.S. I don't usually shop at Sears but they are having serious sale on mattresses right now - might want to check it out if you're in the market for one!

Image from West Elm.

Fresh Squeezed

2011-07-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

I've been consuming quite a bit of fresh squeezed orange juice lately. It helps that the trees where I was house-sitting were full of ripe oranges, just begging to be picked.

I hear noises.

2011-07-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

This is why I don't house-sit by myself: Because I have a crazy imagination.
I hear things go bump in the night and then I'm too freaked out to go to sleep. And when it's not your own house, there are all sorts of strange noises. Especially when that house is on an acre of land up against a hillside and the dogs bark at every tumbling leaf.
Thankfully, this house is also in a pretty safe neighborhood and the noises I'm hearing are probably branches rustling against the tarp outside or the pool filter switching to a new gear.
And now it's time to try to turn off my imagination and make sure I have my husband on speed dial...

Weekend Recap: L.A.

2011-07-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Don't be so surprised to see a weekend recap so early in the week - every once in a while, I get my act together! Due to the closure of the 405 Freeway in LA, we had to slightly modify our Saturday plans. I was originally planning to visit my mom and sister in Long Beach and take the metro to Downtown Los Angeles but instead, my friend and I hopped on board the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and met them there! My mom and sister took the Metro and we met in the middle of LA Union Station (don't forget to look up if you find yourself there - the ceiling is beautiful).

Heading out

My friend is a real daredevil. Don't worry - I pulled her to safety at the last moment.

Comin' round the bend

We spent a little while browsing Olvera Street before walking up toward Chinatown for some shopping at Renegade. If you missed Renegade this month, there will probably be another one closer to the Christmas holidays.

Then we walked back up to Olvera Street to take our time browsing and find something to eat.
I love the old brick buildings and how festive the entire street is decorated. There are huge blooming bougainvillea all over and the papel picado waves so brightly. I couldn't resist buying a few for my office.

Don't worry, this wasn't all mine! My friend and I shared one of the world's largest (and weakest!) margaritas with dinner. This drink was literally larger than my entire head.

Did I mention my friend loves salsa? This isn't even half of the containers our waiter collected from our table when were were done. But they were also nice enough to give her a container full of salsa to go.

If you've never explored Olvera Street, Chinatown, or Renegade, be sure to keep your eye out for their winter craft fair and head on down to Los Angeles. It's easy to get there by Amtrak or local Metro if you don't want to drive in.
How was your weekend? Any adventures to share?

All photos by me. Please don't use without asking first. Thanks!

Sweet Hearts

2011-07-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

The hubs and I had a bit of a sweet tooth the other night so he suggested a few marshmallows to curb the craving. As I was already lazy in bed with my book, he offered to bring me some - and this is what I got. Marshmallows arranged on a plate, drizzled with a chocolate heart and dusted with powdered sugar.
Too sweet.

Weekend Recap: Mark me Tardy

2011-07-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's almost next weekend and I'm finally uploading pictures from last weekend. This seems to happen more often than not... So I'll keep it simple and just give you the photos. We had a little adventure along with lots of relaxation while we still had a pool! Now we're back in our cute little house and life is back to normal. Sometimes simple and familiar is just perfect.

Photos by me. Please don't use without asking first.

I love lamp.

2011-07-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

This lamp, specifically. I know her post isn't actually about the lamp but it caught my eye anyway.
If you want to find out how to make the cute felt craspedia (those cute little yellow balls on sticks) you should check out the post, too.
Now to email the blogger and see if she knows where it's from.

Seen on Going Home to Roost.

Dear Hubs,

2011-07-09T21:52:00.001-07:00

"Come, let's be a comfortable couple
and take care of each other!
How glad we shall be, that we have somebody
we are fond of always, to talk to and sit with."

- Charles Dickens

(First read on Moon Face, a cute new blog I stumbled upon. You should check it out.)

Build Your Bike

2011-07-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

Just discovered this great little build-your-bike shop, Republic. Starting at just $399, they are a great way to get a customized, one-of-a-kind bike that looks just like you want it to. The only downside I can find is that they don't have frames available in red on the cheaper Aristotle version - so I went with blue instead. I'd have to get rid of one of the bikes I already own before I got one from here but you can click here to see what I made anyway!

Spotted on frolic!.

Another favorite.

2011-07-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

A bit late - but worth the wait.
Shanna murray and salt water.

Click on the link or picture for image source and to set your own on your desktop.

Oh, Pooh.

2011-07-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my tummy wakes up feisty, too.

P.S. Is it just me or is the music just a wee bit melodramatic...? I always did like Eeyore best.

Spotted on Linda & Harriet.

Oh hi, July!

2011-07-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

Time for a new desktop!
Here are two of my regular favorites - click on the italicized links to download your own.
From Oh, Hello Friend:

By the lovely Christiane Engel:

Seeing Red.

2011-06-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

It's summertime and what goes better with summertime than some cute red sandals? Here are my top contenders - which ones do you like best?

BCBG Shipwreck Wedge

Blowfish Leena Sandal

Clark's Wellfleet TBar

Clark's Harwich Sailor Sandal

Hush Puppies Limon Thong Sandal

Miss Me Slingback

Oh! Mara Wedge

Weekend Recap: Patio Style

2011-06-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

It's done! The 550 brick patio is done!
Here is the Patio Creation in photos:

Before - grass, grass, grass:

The hubs raking the sand, making his own zen space:

Then we leveled it out to make everything even:

The outside edges are done!

Cutting bricks:

Start of the herringbone pattern:

Many hours later and we find the end of the herringbone pattern! I'm hammering in the last paver:

Chris made his own tamper to tamp down the bricks:

Almost done, we sweep paver sand between the bricks...

And mist the bricks for the paver sand to set them:

All done! I love the way it looks and Sammi has found a new spot to lay in the sun.

Blooming Blossoms

2011-06-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

The roses are blooming and they're rather magnificent. This one is having a bit of a growth spurt! The main bush is only about a foot high except for this one errant stem. It's taller than me! I'm 5'7" so this is over 6 feet tall completely stretched out. The other buds are starting to bloom and they smell wonderful! I'd have them all over the house if a certain cat didn't like to eat them and drag them into the hallway...
How is your garden doing this spring?

One to see.

2011-06-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Spotted this trailer over on The Goodie Life. I'll keep an eye on theaters near me for this one.

Picking berries.

2011-06-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for blackberries! Our blackberry bush is going crazy - I'm pretty sure it's on a mission to take over our sideyard...
It feels like childhood again to hunt through the prickly leaves for fresh, ripe berries. We got a nice (small) handful yesterday and there are more that should be ripe in another day or two.
I love that everything grown in our yard tastes so much better than what we could buy at the store!

Oh, hi! Oh!

2011-06-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

I've been kind of quiet this week but that's because the hubs and I have been in Ohio hanging out with his sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and niece. We got back late last night after switching flights and losing our bags... so much fun! It's so nice to be home - but I'm kind of missing this little guy. It was a hot and humid day so he was cooling off his chickens with his water bottle. Wasn't that nice?

Happy June!

2011-06-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

Time to update your desktop wallpaper (a few days late but better late than never, eh?)!
A few favorites:

* Shanna Murray has two choices for us in June - I've got the lights on my laptop.

* Danni at oh, hello friend always has such cute wallpapers! This one is on my desktop at work.

* Fresh choices from Fossil. Select "Love our Graphics" in the dropdown if they don't automatically load.

Enjoy your month! Got anything special in store for June?

Heading out and a Winner!

2011-06-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

We're about to get in the car and head to LA where we'll catch a flight bright and early tomorrow morning bound for Ohio! The hubs and I are spending four days with his sister, brother-in-law, and their two kids. I'm excited to get the heck out of CA for a few days and hang out with them - they're refreshing and fun and their kids are darling. There will be pictures! I promise!

And now for our winner of the Great Brick Guessing Contest... We had quite a range of guesses! From 179 to 1500! But our winning number is almost smack in the middle!
Congrats to Kristin G. who guessed 630 bricks! We currently have 550 bricks living in our garage and Kristin was closest at only 70 bricks off the total!

I'll be sure to post pictures when the patio is done, which will obviously be at least a few weeks since we're headed out of town...
Have a great weekend!

Being Happy

2011-06-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

What do you think? True?

Image/Quote via Design Crush here.

Weekend Recap: Patios, Pits and a Contest!

2011-05-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

There's something about a long weekend that gets me and the hubs all excited about projects! And this weekend was a big one. We've been talking about ripping up the grass in the back yard between the house and the garage to make a patio and this seemed like the perfect weekend to get started. Between the electric tiller, several shovels, and plain old man-power we were able to get the grass out and dig deep enough for our patio base.

Here's the space before - we've got a nice big piece of grassy space to the right of the back door, so we weren't concerned about getting rid of this square. It's just begging for a fire pit or some patio furniture.

I promise, I really did help. But we only have one electric tiller so while the hubs did some tilling, I did some research. Someone has to provide the brain power.

We started by using the de-thatching attachment on the tiller to thin out the grass. As it got thinner, we put the tiller attachments on and ripped it up. Once most of the grass was out, we attacked it with shovels. And more tilling. And more shoveling...
The hubs's parents came up on Sunday to celebrate the his birthday - and to help dig our hole. They were fantastic! We wouldn't have accomplished as much as we did without their help.

We found all sorts of treasures in the grass and dirt as we worked. My favorite is the little elephant. I know we found at least three more marbles in there, too. They were everywhere!

That's as far as we got with the hole this weekend but we also spent a considerable amount of time between Lowe's, Home Depot, and the internet deciding exactly what we wanted to put in the hole. I had no idea there were so many kinds of brick pavers and choices for patterns, or that I'd even care so much when the time came!
In the end, we decided on Harvard Pavers from Lowe's. They're a nice light red that will fade in the sun just a bit over time but won't be too dark against the light blue/grey of the house.
The fact that our pavers are still sitting in the garage didn't stop us from setting up the fire pit and roasting up some hot dogs for dinner. And a fire pit isn't a true fire pit without some mallows.

And now, on to the contest! I had no idea that this space would require quite so many pavers! So for those of you still reading, I've got a little prize for the person who can guess how many pavers we bought to make our patio! Here's a visual aid - my own little Mayan Ruin of bricks!

You have until Friday, June 3rd, at 7:00p.m. (PST) to place your guess by commenting on this post. The person with the guess closest to the number of bricks in the pile wins a $5 Target gift card! One guess per person, please.
I'll even throw in a brick if we have any extras. And you gets dibs on the first s'more next time we fire up the pit. How's that sound?
Happy guessing! Good luck!

Happy Birthday, Lamanda!

2011-05-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

My dear older sister! Wish you were here so we could eat cake and be festive. I think of you every day and can't wait to hug you again when you come home this Fall! We'll go to Crystal Cove and Farmer's Market and ride bikes together again! Love you so much!
- emster

Little Rock, Wisconsin, 1980

Crystal Cove, Fall 2009

Crystal Cove, Summer 2009

Happy Birthday, Hubs!

2011-05-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

I'm a day late posting but wow, we've been busy this weekend! I hope your birthday was as productive as you wanted it to be and as relaxing as you needed it to be! Sorry we didn't have party hats this year... but we did have BBQ!
I love you so much and I'm glad you were born!

May, 2010 (Birthday #30)

Cake, (for Birthday #31)

This is what happens...

2011-05-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

...when sister-in-law tells mother-in-law to send a picture of "all of you together" and I suggest using the mirror in the bathroom to capture our reflections. Yes, that's my father-in-law in the shower. And my mother-in-law taking a picture of my father-in-law in the shower taking a picture of all of us.
I love my in-laws.

P.S. We were working in the yard - starting our new patio! Hence the overalls and coveralls. More details on that to come soon!

Listening to...

2011-05-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

This duo is incredible. Just listen.
And then check out their website.
And buy their album.

Found via sabbespot.

May Days

2011-05-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a good month. I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front but there's a lot going on and I can't always keep up!
Here are a few snippets from the month:

Circle Bar-B Ranch

Backyard BBQ

Juleps and Stripey Straws

Strawberry Festival

Blackberries!

2011-05-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

Summer must be coming soon because we have blackberries! We just planted this bush last summer and didn't really get any so I'm really excited to see that our green berries are starting to turn red.
How do you like your berries? Straight from the plant? Smashed with mint in a mojito? Mixed up in a salad?

Party Cups

2011-05-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Stripes and dots. And ice cream. Add some sprinkles and you're good to go!
I love these Meri Meri ice cream cups from Sur la Table!

Image from Sur la Table.

A. Frickin. Mazing.

2011-05-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

The kid playing the banjo is eight years old. Eight.
I just spent 20 minutes watching banjo videos on YouTube. Incredible.
I love it!

First spotted on The Coterie Blog. Thanks, Heather!

Hubs'NEm's Quote of the Day

2011-05-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

While washing dishes a few days ago, I accidentally got a smaller glass stuck inside a slightly larger glass. I knew that heat or cold would make them expand or contract and could potentially solve my problem but I can never remember which does what and have a fear of broken glass... So I left them on the counter for the hubs to find and fix... eventually.

Tonight, the hubs simply placed the large glass in a pot of hot water and filled the smaller glass with ice.

Me: Wow. Neat. Did you google that?
Hubs: No. It's just physics.

Yeah, DUH.

"It's just physics."

Cute little pineberries.

2011-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of pineberries? I like my strawberries to taste like strawberries so the idea weirds me out a little. I'm intrigued...
But they sure are cute!

Spotted on Happiness Is....
Image via Geekologie.

Swinging

2011-05-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Something about swinging over a creek makes you feel like a kid in summertime again.

Playing with effects in Picnik with these two photos.
I love the sun coming through those gorgeous green tree branches.
The hubs was so relaxed against that rock, it was hard to pull him away from the creek - even with promises of lunch. If you're ever in the Ojai/Santa Paula area, head up Hwy 150 to Sisar Canyon.
Keep your eye out for the swing!

Listening to...

2011-05-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to purchasing Adele 21.
I have no idea what possessed me to wait so long. If you haven't already, check it out.
Worth every penny.

For more Adele: This Tiny Desk Concert is amazing.

P.S. I prefer to purchase my mp3 downloads from Amazon as opposed to iTunes so I can save them to our external hard-drive and listen to them in any media player. I'm sure this album is also available on iTunes and in stores all over the place.

Image from Amazon.

Waiting for a Windy Day

2011-05-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

How amazing is this pirate ship kite??
It would be so fun to make your own and then watch is soar at the beach on a beautiful windy day.

Photo and ship from Gray Label.
First spotted on Jeannie Jeannie.

It's been a week. And a weekend.

2011-05-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

You know it's been a long work-week in my world when I don't blog at all. And it's probably been a great weekend if I don't blog then, either!
I'm headed out of a fantastic weekend (swinging over streams, manicures, margaritas, and sunshine!) into what could be another long week, so here are some links from around the web to keep you going until I decide to upload my pictures and actually blog about life again. I will say that the hubs has been extra random lately - I've got some good quotes to share.

Sitting here all day could be heaven.

I'm pretty sure I need to make this shortcake (and a link to more links!).

Absolutely incredibly amazing astonishing toothpick sculpture.

I know I don't need another tote but I'd really love a new summer tote.

And a summer blouse.

Michael tells us 'How To' - I may need that 'How to Cook Breakfast' print for my kitchen.

Lots and lots of paper!

The Weather.

2011-04-29T22:59:00.001-07:00

YES.

Time-lapse

2011-04-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Amazing time-lapse video of the Milky Way, filmed from Spain's highest mountain.

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Spotted on Poppytalk.

Link Love

2011-04-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

To keep you busy on a rainy Sunday in between church and family gatherings:

Clever little map of the USA according to Californians. Spotted on Happiness Is....

I really really really need a pair of these. I tell myself this every Spring. Size 9.5 in Tomato, please.

Cute little backpacks. Stripes! Spotted on A Cup of Jo.

Sleeping in the air? Not sure how I'd feel suspended over my living room but I'll give it a try.

You know how I love anything mini. Can't resist these cakes.

Cheerful yellow for a rainy Sunday.

How cute would these plaid benches be in my living room?

Lazy Saturday

2011-04-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Apparently, when you order almost 400 photo prints, your local one-hour Costco photo center reserves the right to take several hours to process your order. Phooey. Guess I'll be picking up my prints tomorrow afternoon.
We've had a lazy Saturday around here - the hubs and I have both been working overtime for the last few weeks and needed to take things slow. Other than hitting my head on a bicycle (hanging from the garage ceiling) and getting my thumb caught in the dryer door, it's been a good day. Full of sunshine, sweet tea, and laundry on the line. I love days like these.

The roses are in their first bloom of the season and it's always the best bloom of the year. My yellow roses are huge and they smell amazing! There are at least 12 buds on each rose bush.

I also have little flowers on my blackberry bush! Does this mean we'll get berries this year...?

This is Sammi's favorite spot to sit while I'm in the yard - middle of the sidewalk that connects the house to the garage. If he gets too warm, he moves to the shade but he'll lay here for quite a while!

Call me crazy but I actually like doing laundry - especially when I can hang it on the line to dry. There's something relaxing about the process. Or maybe I just enjoy being out in the yard on a sunny day, regardless of the chore...? (It helps to have a little vintage clothespin holder, complete with vintage clothespins - a gift from a friend. Isn't it cute?)

Yep, it's definitely Spring around here! What's on tap for your weekend?

Just Google It.

2011-04-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Totally cute little video in honor of Charlie Chaplin on the Google home page today. Check it out!

Cheerful Favorites

2011-04-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of my all-time favorite blog posts over on Mixed Plate. I'm not the only one who loves stripes!
And who can resist a darling red striped bathing suit?
This yellow is pretty awesome, too. I could use more cheer in my life these days!
Love the chevron stripes in this blog header (the blog is great, too!).
Now I want to put up twinkly lights all over my house.
These customize-able mini cities are adorbs.
I really want to try this. Maybe in my alleyway?
Super amazing gorgeous stripes.
I really love the color on this ceiling.
Posts like this make me want to get out my bike and do a photo shoot. Or just go for a nice ride around the block. Maybe I'll do that this weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend? It's never too soon to start thinking about it! Let's hope for sunshine!

Weekend Recap: Ojai Style

2011-04-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday was full of errands and an impromptu invite to a Jafra party where we soaked our feet and played with make-up.
Sunday was full of playing with my sister and one of my favorite little towns: Ojai.

If you find yourself in the area, you must must must visit Bart's Books. Full of twists, turns, corners, and sunshine.

A trip to Ojai isn't complete without Strawberry Shortcake from Boccali's, to share.

Images by me. Please don't use without asking first.

Happiness is... Simple Pleasures.

2011-04-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

A snuggle with the cat, in her favorite place:

Flowers from the yard...

Flowers from the hubs...

And a cold coke on ice with a bendy straw.

Anchor Blues.

2011-04-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

I love everything about this gorgeous suite at Smock. Gift cards work, too.

Spotted on Paper Crave. Images from Smock.