Ta-Da!

I finally got around to trying a little project that I found here several weeks ago. I love it! It was so easy and makes my apartment smell so good from the melted candle. If you have a friend or relative that travels a lot, this is the perfect homemade gift. Mom, I know you're going to read this, so sorry for spoiling your Mother's Day gift, but I had to share!

Introducing... my travel candle! {Well, Mom's travel candle :) }

Thanks to design*sponge, I have many new projects to try out with an Altoids tin. Perhaps it's because I'm petite, but I'm drawn to pocket-sized items!

I Would Like To...

On a bleak day, like today, I would wear a flower in my hair...Or a red dress...To remind everyone that color still exists in the world.

{image links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

Love + Photography

I was introduced to photographer Max Wanger a few months ago and continually fall more in love with his talent on a weekly basis.. I kid you not! I mostly pay attention to his engagement and wedding photos, because let's face it: we all love Love.
Each time he posts something new, I'm always excited to see what prop he's chosen to incorporate into the day.
His most recent engagement photo shoot was in Los Angeles with couple Melissa + Matt and a rustic bouquet of pink flowers.
There isn't a couple that he has shot that I haven't loved, but I think this is my favorite set so far! I'm a huge fan of the casual atomsphere and a sucker for pretty flowers at dusk...
Now we must wait anxiously until he posts the entire set -- soon!!
You can also check out his blog to keep track of his work and funny inklings :)

I Dream of Jewelry

Doesn't this make you want to run out and scour antique stores? These lovely images are are by Polly Wreford for Sarah Kaye. Together they're able to capture design, people, and still lives impeccably. I love pretty things, and luckily this is something easily attainable! While I'm in Lexington Saturday I'll have to find an antique store... nothing is better than sunshine, grass between your toes, and and a little antiquing :)

Earth Day, Every Day

Happy Earth Day!

I was inspired by design*sponge guest blogger Jess Chamberlain this morning. Her post was all about how to live Earth Day every day by making 3 simple changes: reusable bags (CHECK), a reusable coffee mug (check..), and a reusable water bottle (CHECK). These are items that we can buy almost anywhere these days and won't get lost in the black hole of resolutions past.

I'm proud to say that I use my reusable bags and water bottles religiously, but it's hit or miss with the coffee mug. The thing is that if I have a heated drink it's going to be tea, not coffee, and I usually have my tea at home. The 'miss' part comes into play when I'm out and about campus and stop by the cafe... I don't usually anticipate these trips so I rarely have my mug with me. I guess I need to be more intentional of my actions in this department!

As I mentioned, I was inspired by her post and suggested products, which included Baggu Bags, Thermos, and Earthlust water bottles. Where has Earthlust been all my life?! I'm in love. I immediately made the tough decision between these two bottles...

And ended up buying the purple dandelion bottle! No need to be sad if you preferred the green parsley bottle; it's officially on my wish list :) Speaking of wish lists, here is a list of things I would do today if I could:

Start a vegetable garden...Create a terrarium...
Spend time in an outdoor living room...Talk a walk outdoors...

At least the sun is shining today and we're half way through the week! I discovered that my schedule is completely free this weekend, so I'm thinking a trip into Lexington is due, where I'll take a delayed nature walk through the Arboretum... maybe even barefoot :)

"Monday, Monday...

...appears again. Where was the weekend? I lost it again."

Mondays are tiring, and I'm more tired of wearing my pea coat in April.
Tomorrow will be better!

{via Anna Wolf}

Carnival!

It's that time of the year again!
Every April we host Carnival for the Centre community and it's my favorite!

Think less this...
and more this...

{link}

I love being outside with all of the students and seeing the faculty/staff children running around. The weather couldn't be any more perfect if we had custom-ordered the day from Mother Nature! The booths are a lot of fun, the inflatables always make for a good time, and of course the concert is exciting -- this year it's the Avett Brothers (I don't know them well, but it's been a big hit with the students!). Working the event has left me really exhausted, so I'm passing on the concert to clean the apartment for my guests tomorrow (!!!). I'm so very excited to be hosting my friends this weekend :)

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Up and Coming

I've had the pleasure of watching one of Centre's students develop his photographic skills over the last couple of years. Jamey Price is only a junior and is really growing into a good photographer. I love his emphasis on perspective in his pictures. I was looking through some of his recent pictures on Facebook today and thought I'd give him a little plug. His website is here, and below is a small sample of his work.

{love this picture from a basketball game!}

I think my favorites are his black and white portraits!

Sticks and Stones Will Break My Bones...

But words can never hurt me.

Someone should have mentioned this to the people who write passive aggressive notes!

My friend J linked me to this hilarious website that is devoted to the PA note-writers of the world. This note makes me want to invite Peter the Professional Tattoo Artist to dinner. He surely would make for an interesting evening.

The story: Marta says, “the guy who lives in one of the basement suites in our house left this on our front door after we stomped on the floor the night before when he was blasting “hotel california” at 11 p.m.” oh, and just so you get a clear picture in your head, marta says, “this is a guy who hangs out in the backyard with a katana wearing full-on samurai robes.”

{sorry for the small image -- click to make bigger!}

Adds marta: “never have any of the people in the basement complained about us ‘running down the stairs.’ in fact, they’ve all told us they can never hear us. sorry for walking, guy, we’ll try to levitate from now on.”

Oh, Peter. I'm sure there are many people out there that can lament with your frustration from "loud giggles and heavy footsteps," but I am not one of them. If you invite me to your next jam session (I'd prefer the 20-song session versus the 50) we can still be friends!

Tweenbots!

What would happen if a tiny cardboard robot crossed your path in Central Park? This cute little android has a destination to reach...And must only rely on the goodwill and altruism of strangers to point it in the right direction.

What if it's headed toward the road, or gets stuck under a park bench? Can the Tweenbot successfully arrive at its destination unharmed?

Let's find out...


Here's the rest of the story on this social experiment -- so clever!
I think I want one of my own :)

When life gets tough...

look at shoes!!!

Spring on a college campus means the never-ending supply of activities at all hours of the day (and night) takes up most of your available time. The 'hour-here-hour-there' that's left is spent cleaning dishes, job searching, writing cover letters, grocery shopping, and, uh, showering. Not much time left to blog! I did happen to stumble across an ad for Christian Louboutin and allowed myself to divulge in 10 minutes of shoe heaven. Here's a taste of my Everyday-, Girly-, and Fierce-Louboutin picks, respectively:
Someone once said that when you wear a great pair of shoes, life feels OK -- that person was genius! Here's to dreaming of a great pair of shoes..........

{via Neiman Marcus}

Tuesday Blues

Some days, the work day feels long and tedious...
And with the crazy weather (think sunshine, then snow, then sunny snow all in the same day...) outside my window, my mind is effectively somewhere else. These past couple of days I've been in a fog, finding it hard to focus or feel motivated. Perhaps if my office and desk looked like any of these I'd find it easier to get my work done...
Because cluttered symmetry is right up my alley...
And my computer would keep me focused on the task at hand...And my clipboards are organized art...And I have a great view...And my loft office makes the space open and inviting...
And the simplicity keeps my mind from being cluttered...And the bright colors are brain candy...And I feel elegant and sophisticated all day long...And then at night I can take a break to do some star-gazing...But for now I'll stick to staring out of my window, waiting for the sun to peek out of the clouds, and putting my nose back to the proverbial grindstone... oh, happy day!

{all images via weheartit}

You know it's Spring when...

... a beautiful day means that a storm is coming!

{Rosiehardy via flickr}

This weekend was wonderful in every way conceivable: gorgeous weather, amazing conversation, and new friends. It's exhausting tackling tough questions and the intensity of the weekend wiped me out. Now as I sit in a tired stupor, I'm wondering if being indoors is really going to protect me from this vicious wind -- it's window rattling! I hope your weekend was equally as wonderful :)

Welcome, Weekend!

(via flickr)

Well, I certainly welcome the weekend back into my life, but it will be a busy one as I'm heading off to a retreat through one of our campus programs. I graduated without ever attending, and now I find myself getting to take part in the much-talked about event -- finally!

Friends, I'm off to learn, share, and explore with my fellow colleagues and students about life, love, and education! Happy Weekend!

Guilty Pleasure

Though, it's a guilty pleasure, my Gossip Girl addiction is not one I'm ashamed of. Honestly? My life is so tragically drama-free that I love to revel in the absurd high school drama of the Upper East Side. Yesterday Apartment #34 linked an episode recap of Gossip Girl by NY Mag's blog, Daily Intel, which I found pretty entertaining. Today, my friend J asked if I follow Intel. Two mentions in two days? That's a sign.

{Spoiler Alert}

Here's a snippet of this week's Intel's Gossip Girl Recap -- They saved the best line for last:

When Dan calls his superfan we find out that "Scott" is actually Rufus and Lily's adopted son, which means he must have figured that out somehow, despite the fact that his adopted parents told Rufus and Lily he was dead. But wait: Why do Scott's parents pick up his cell phone? Does Scott still live at home? Wouldn't he have been conceived way before Dan and Jenny and therefore be too old? **OR: Did all of the drugs Lily consumed in the eighties mean he was born with flippers and therefore lives in a special pressurized tank upstairs? We can only hope.** Until then, Minus 5.

**I literally LOLd :)

Thanks E and J for the new blog find!

A Change is Coming

Like choosing a paint color, it's best to live with your choices for a while before making a final decision. I really do like my blog and it's colors, but the features need some work. During my tour de Seattle, I stumbled across an amazingly pithy book called Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak. I've always been drawn to simple and straightforwardness, so I immediately purchased this little gem. I will now be changing the "Quote of the Moment" feature to showcase these lovely memoirs.

Of course, there are more changes to come... :){Don't you think this picture captures both love and heartbreak quite well? via Le Love, one of my favorites}

I'm getting ready to jump puddles...

...because it's going to be a stormy night!
{via weheartit}