this fall

9.13.12

It happens every year. I see a leaf drop and immediately want to wear sweaters and have everything smell or taste like pumpkin. I’m trying to take it a little easier this year and let summer play out until it’s good and ready to go, but I still can’t help getting in the autumn spirit. This season I’m being drawn to some unusal things, though, and decided to put together a little mood board of what fall looks like in my current heart. Here’s what I love.

This Fall

Knit. Buffalo. Pumpkins. Fox. Donuts. Paris. Rug. Basket.

This fall I want simplicity, unexpected colors, gentle music, quality over quantity, delicious small bites, nature at its best, comfort, and quiet. That’s what my fall’s going to look like. How about yours? xoxo

agreed?

8.29.12

I came across this awesome Calvin Coolidge quote on darling Bekka’s blog and it stopped me in my tracks.

Persistence

Bold, right?! That Calvin Coolidge was really laying it out there. I just have to say, though, I’m not sure if I agree. I’ve seen (and been one of!) millions of persistent people, completely determined to achieve their dreams, slogging away day after day while people who just happened to be at the right place at the right time zoom past them. I’ve witnessed that it’s sometimes more about who you  know and what you’re willing to do that gets you ahead.

To be fair, I’ve also seen persistent and determined people finally have their day — and those are the most rewarding moments to see! One of our closest friends just booked his first Broadway show, and getting the call from him with the news, hearing his voice shaking and the disbelief in it, was so incredible. And he is one of the ones who’s been persistent, who’s been working at it and chipping away at it. And it’s 100% deserved.

So I don’t know! What do you think? Is there a magic combination of factors that lead to success? Do you think persistence is key? Or do you think the world has changed and there are too many other deciding factors to be able to come to a definitive conclusion? What I do know is that when I find something I love, I go at it wholeheartedly just for the love of it. And maybe that’s enough. xoxo

oh, i plan on it

7.27.12

Go Do

Image by Julian Bialowas.

I have a friend who has been on a cross-country road trip this summer. She bought a camper for her car, hitched her bike to the back, and just went. I mean, I’m sure she had a plan, but it was so awesome to see her get so pumped about this great adventure, and then to see her documenting her trip along the way via Facebook, Instagram, etc.

So inspiring, right? She is going and doing. I love goers and doers. The folks who say “I wanna do that,” and so they do. I strive to be one of them, but sometimes going and doing can be scary. The other day my dad was talking about taking a quick trip to see me and Mr. Lovely, and then said how he’s becoming more and more of a homebody the older he gets. How he really likes just being home and puttering, but how most of the time after he gets himself out the door on a trip he has a great time.

I think that when I’m retired, I might be a little bit the same way. I’m a homebody at heart — if it’s after 10 pm, you can bet that my most preferred location is at home in my excellent sweatpants. But I kind of want to preserve a sense of adventure! The willingness to go and do and find out what’s out there. It’s led me to so many crazy, amazing things. So I’m gonna see how long I can get that to last.

Anyway! I really just meant this post to be about what everyone’s doing this weekend! Geez — talk about waxing philosophical. So! This weekend Mr. Lovely and I are going to the Renegade Craft Fair! I’m pretty pumped. Anybody been? Anybody going? I’m also considering planning a super secret outing for Mr. Lovely to experience a new bit of LA that we haven’t seen yet. Don’t tell. If it works out, I’ll give you a full rundown on return.

What are you going and doing this weekend? xoxo

diy glitter thumbtacks

6.19.12

I’ve been craving a real-life inspiration board.  I mean, Pinterest is great.  But sometimes I come across scraps of ephemera in the real world that I want to be able to pin up right in front of me, so I can be inspired by them all the time.  We’ll get to the actual board next time around, but we’re gonna start with the pins.  Let’s do it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Stick all of the tacks into a porous surface that will hold them while you work.  I used a scrap of corkboard.  Cover the head of each tack with Elmer’s.  Sprinkle the glue generously with glitter.

Glue and glitter all of the tacks.  Let the glue dry for about an hour, and gently dust off the excess glitter.  Then cover each tack with the Dimensional Magic.  You may have to experiment with the right amount to get it to stay on the head of the tack without overflowing.

Let the Dimensional Magic dry, and add another coat if you like.  A second coat will add a little shine and volume to the top of your tacks.  Let them dry overnight and you’ll have the sparkliest tacks in town!  I’m also pretty stoked to show you the full inspiration board, so check it out next week to see the tacks in action.  xoxo

happy times

6.9.12

There’s kind of a ton of stuff going on right now! We’re in the middle of the move, so I’m kind of away from the blog a bit and I miss it! Besides that, some of our best friends are getting married today and we’re so happy to be celebrating. And on top of it all, the only thing I want to do is daydream about getting our new apartment together, so I’m pinning up a storm. If you want to see some of the fun stuff we’re looking at, you can spy on all of my pins here.  These are such happy times! xoxo

Jump. Hearts.