Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Live in the Sunshine

Thanks to the lovely Colleen at Inspired to Share, I discovered these awesome letterpress cards from Studio on Fire. At this rate my future home is going to be filled with framings of artistic words to live by. I love it :)



If you haven't seen it already, check out Colleen's blog (it has polka dots and it's adorable), and Studio on Fire is filled with great prints!

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the Power of a Thought

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
-Norman Vincent Peale

A few months ago I found a calendar filled with beautifully eclectic photos and inspiring messages like this one. Needless to say I was counting down to the New Year just so I could bring life to my work cubicle! And the message couldn't have better timing. Never underestimate the power of positivity.

Most of these images will probably be framed and hung in my future apartment, I can't wait to share each month with you!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Puppy Love

Photos from the weekend, healed by puppies: Buddy, Eddie, Leo (and Michael too!)

No matter how cold and dreary Wisconsin winters may get, I wouldn't trade anything for crisp walks across the lake; bundled, cozy and hot from the sun.

His.

I heard this song for the first time yesterday while driving home, it was so out of the blue that I had to pull over. Hope it hits you like it hit me, or that it doesn't have to hit you at all!
(per usual, ignore the cheesy vid and just listen :) )


Friday, January 7, 2011

Thankfuls from the Land of Flu.

I've been blogging like a madwoman this week and I wish I could say it was in addition to my 8-5 and the rest of life, but in reality I've been home all week with the stomach flu. I'll spare you the details, just stay healthy please!

So on this Friday night as I sit by myself, with Michael in sunny Florida, my family out at dinner and my friends afraid of contracting my plague, this is what I'm thankful for:

1. the Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More album that I purchase today from iTunes. At Thanksgiving my younger cousins gave me the stink eye when I said I had only heard their main song. So even if this is "soo two months ago," their album is on repeat, and it's amazing. I can't even list a favorite song, it really is the album as a whole!

2. Philosophy's Grace products. This brand is new to me but popping up everywhere! I was recently gifted the Inner Grace bath soap (the purple one) - it's so relaxing and I love the messages on each bottle! Which is your favorite?
3. Bubble baths. The most wonderful remedy of all.


4. Jane Eyre. I'm halfway through and the book is at a time of such happiness but the foreshadowing gloom is overwhelming, so I get nervous to keep reading haha. Nerd alert. My book is not nearly as glam as this beauty, but I would love find such a copy!


5. Buddy, my 6 month yellow lab. This has been a very solitary week with the exception of my not-so-little-anymore buddy. The stomach flu is the new anti-friend, but he doesn't care :)


6. The lovely blogosphere. I've had so much fun exploring new blogs and sharing quite a few posts this week! Sick days from work aren't nearly as relaxing as sick days from school. Oh, the big kid life. Your posts and comments were definitely an escape from the icky flu cave I've been living in, but please go easy on me if I can't keep up the momentum as I rejoin the world!

Have a fun and healthy weekend everyone :)

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"My seatmate on the bus was a goat!"

The Peace Corps came out with a new public service announcement a few months ago, and as my sister slowly adapts to life in Ecuador, this video helps to paint the picture for us at home. Sometimes I get selfish and frustrated that she's not around, but it's so humbling to think of the selfless life she is living, where the highlight of her week can simply be bathing with a real shower instead of using a bucket (or riding a donkey to town..take your pick ;) ).


Count your blessings, homies.

xoxo

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Girl Crush

EmersonMade has been offering some crazy giveaways within the past few months and my fingers are crossed that one of these days I will be the winner! If you're unfamiliar with this company, it's a husband and wife pair run by the lovely Emerson pictured below. EmersonMade "is a company that believes in celebrating the uniqueness of the individual, the joy of being alive and all the smallness that makes up the Big Beautiful."
How awesome is that? She is full of life and energy, and her style is one to adore.
Click below to check out their site!

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What's Your Sign?

And no this is not some cheesy attempt to pick you up. (Has that ever happened to anyone?! If so, I would LOVE to hear about that wonderful experience!).
Anyway, since high school I've been wildly entertained by astrology. I love looking at the personality traits of each sign and analyzing how they match up with each individual. It's amazing how dead on they can be, and of course how far-fetched and wacky they seem! Since high school, my friends discovered a website the provides a monthly horoscope. It became tradition that on the first of each month we'd print out everyone's horoscope and compare notes. I've kept my eye on it throughout the years and often share it with my family and friends - the outcome is often hilarious.

Awkward Story: A few years ago I was kind of dating a guy that I wasn't too excited about - he was in my group of friends and in one of my classes, and we were just getting to know each other and hanging out. My friends had planned a ski trip for the weekend ahead that we would all be attending. One night while working on a project together, I took a break to read my monthly horoscope and suggested he'd check his out too.
The entire horoscope was about how he finally found his true love and how the weekend ahead would be a romantic one indeed. The situation quickly turned awkward as I was the one reading this aloud to him, as he got increasingly excited and I felt suddenly ill. Needless to say, the horoscope was wrong (due to my control), and the weekend was not the romantic one he had hoped for. Nice guy but..sorry buddy!

So even though we're already a week into January, check out AstrologyZone.com to see your astrological review of the month ahead! They're kind of lengthy and some months are definitely more exciting than others, but it's fun to get a sneak peek of what lies ahead...whether it happens or not. Be careful though, you might want to read it first before offering to read aloud to others!

and Holler if you're a Gemini!
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She's Done It Again

I'm a huge fan of Katie Armour from the Neo-Traditionalist, and without any surprise her desk has been published due to its innate way of being fantastic. Her desk is now a celebrity, and she is still wonderful too :)


Holy moly me oh my. You're the apple of my eye.

Please check out the most adorable cover yet. "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, the father-daughter remix.

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Currently Craving: Something Mustard!

Mustard is typically not a color you'd find in my wardrobe. As shocking as this may be, my closet is filled with shades of blue. But after seeing it on some of my favorite blogging ladies, I'm hooked and on the prowl for the perfect mustard cardigan. I love it paired with a crisp white blouse and red lipstick!



Perhaps I could pair it with this skirt, half off from Anthropologie? Dangerous!
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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Positive, Encouraging...

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

I've never been one for actual resolutions but I usually have a theme in mind to base my life around. 2010 was my year of simplicity - I essentially just had my hands in too many projects and needed to simplify. This year my focuses are Health, Faith, and Balance. Three elements that I'd like to improve upon and that tie together in every way.

I recently discovered K Love, an awesome radio station that plays "positive, encouraging" Christian music. Noww I know what you're thinking, "that's just for crazy religious people that want to sing 'I love Jesus I love Jesus' all day long and inflict their religion on you." No way Jose. It's contemporary music with an undertone of faith, usually promoting a positive, compassionate lifestyle. I listen to it sometimes while I'm driving to and from work, which is over an hour of my day through heavy traffic. Instead of this being a stressful time, I'm relaxed, I'm inspired and uplifted, and I feel closer to the Big Guy in the Sky :). I'll admit that some of the songs are too much for me, but they usually play some of my favorite bands, like The Fray, Needtobreathe, Brandon Heath, The Afters and MercyMe.

Their New Year's promotion is the Winter Jam Resolution, challenging you to listen to nothing but Christian music for an entire month and see how it affects your life. It's so amazing how a simple song can lighten your heart, and the ministry of K Love does this all day long! So I'm rising to the challenge for the month of January, not for the full program but starting with my drive to and from work listening solely to Christian music, namely, K Love. I'm not jumping in entirely because I like to think that God likes to have dance parties too, so I'm saving room for my other jams!
Here's a little taste of what K Love's about:


I want you to join me too! Even if you don't commit to an entire month, check out their website and find a radio station in your area. Give it a listen while you're in the car unwinding from a long day at work, and let me know what you think.

Good luck with your resolutions, let's make 2011 the best year yet!

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