and this is only the beginning

Oh hello there.  Been a while?  Tell me about it.  Just a quick update:

- it snowed yesterday
- it snowed today
- it's sleeting, wintery mixing, and snowing through the night
- snow is on the forecast for tomorrow
- snow is on the forecast for Friday
- snow is on the forecast for Saturday

Plus side: when I'm sitting in my cube, it feels like I'm in a snow globe.  Down side: skidding through stop lights.

Real down side?  We're moving on Saturday.  And right now the path from our apartment to our cars is not a wide one, and there's at least a foot and half of snow on either side of said path (because the snow from the Christmas blizzard never ever got a chance to melt and it's just been piling on since then). 

Annnnnyways, packing is going so well!  I've filled one Goodwill bag full of clothes and am working on a second.  For those keeping track, that's a total of 4 trash bags plus one big Gap bag that have been/will be donated to Goodwill since November (and let's not forget all those clothes that went to Dress for Success).  The sad thing?  My closet is still a wee bit too full.  Eeks.  But I'm loving all this de-cluttering, trashing, and donating that's going on because clearly I needed it.

However, I have a problem and that problem is a shower curtain. Ever since last February, we haven't needed a shower curtain because we had a glass door at Belmont and now at Newfield we have weird glass "European" style doors (read: door only covers one half of the shower) so we have a basic liner covering the other half.  But now my friends we will need a shower curtain.  Fact: I was up until past 1 am on Monday night because I was afraid I'd never be able to find a shower curtain I liked.  After online searching for about 2 hours, I had found just 2 that were options and I was far from sold on either of them.  Two anxious days later and we might have just found something that will help me sleep pretty tonight:

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Hey there subtle yet pretty pattern in a color palette that doesn't scream "OMG I love Justin Bieber" or "I'm ready for my hip replacement guys!"  Let me tell you, it's not pretty out there in shower curtain land, but this one has the potential to be something special.  It's out of stock online, but it's supposedly in stock at my local Target so you can expect to find me there very soon. 

Want to see the rug I've been eyeing for far too long?  Okay!!

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Sorry that Anthro put a white rug on a white background, but I do love this dainty thing oh so much.  Good news: Will does too.  Because yes, his opinion matters.  And when I show him all potential shower curtain/rug options and he doesn't like one that I do and I pout he makes sure to remind me that his opinion matters.  Right.  This rug is a little pricey, but considering we don't need much else for the bathroom (and because I'll want this rug no matter what rug I get), I'm a-okay with it.

Thanks for listening to my troubles.  Maybe it's the snow, maybe it's the boxes, maybe it's all the plans running around and tripping into one another in my head, but I'm a little loopy tonight.  Okay, off to pack up my jewelry box, sewing box, and a random vase.

map me

Update: So in that dream bedroom I told you about, scratch the orange.  I want rust color accents.  Much like the ones in this beautiful map.

I felt like my one-day bedroom was missing something and I definitely just found that something.  You can find me dreaming about this pretty thing tonight.

Man, blue carpet is going to be way harder to deal with than I thought.

PS: Will just asked me where the green blue and plaid comforter is going?  "Is it going to the dry cleaners?"  "Are you turning it over to the stripe side?"  "Where is it going, Allison?"  Don't worry Will, all comforters go to heaven.

goodbye green and blue plaid comforter

One of things that I miss most since moving up to CT with Will is my awesome Queen size mattress that I bought at the beginning of my senior year of college.  Not only does it have a pillow top plus an extra memory foam pad, but I also got a sweet deal on it because, well, the man ringing me up wasn't the best at math and he was doing it by hand and... yeah.  Before you think I'm a terrible person, just know that my dad was sitting right beside me while this math went on and he didn't speak up either.  Okay maybe just a little bit terrible.

Anyways, getting to enjoy that bed for 7 nights - and plotting how to get it up here - combined with all this moving stuff (good news: we picked a place for January - July!), has made me think about how I would decorate the bedroom from almost scratch - if I could.  Then I remember the new place has faded royal-blue carpet in our bedroom so yeah, I won't be rushing on this because a) we'll be moving again in July and b) um, weird carpet. 

However, if I were to decorate the way I like, it would probably have this comforter



With a tufted headboard like this (but maybe in a darker taupe color?)

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And with decorative pillows out of this fabric (which lucky me, I already own!) and maybe other fabrics with punches of orange?

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And there would be a lamp similar to this, but made with the brown bulb vase I bought at TJ Maxx and maybe a tweed or burlap shade

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With this clock on my bed side table

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And a copper elephant that my dad is going to make will of course be found somewhere amongst all of this.

I will definitely be looking for that comforter to go on sale one day soon.  And now that I have a new work space to play in, I can totally make the vase lamp so it will be ready to go.  Another plus to moving is that it makes me want to go through everything and get rid of tons of clutter so I'm actually looking forward to moving this time.  Hopefully I can keep this positive attitude going strong.

let's start a fire

Up until recently, I have had a strong aversion to candles.  Sure I think they're pretty when they're lit and sometimes they're even pretty when they aren't lit, but the candle experience was ruined for me when I was younger. One year my mom decided to tell people that I really liked candles and people just couldn't stop themselves from giving me more and more candles.  I hand candles on my dresser, on my bed side table, on my desk, lined on the shelves in my closet - SO many candles.  I even turned a little pyro for a while and burned candles for 10 hours a day just to try and get rid of them (so what if I also melted pen lids and other plastic things in the baby flames?).  So since 10th grade or so, I have not wanted candles in my bedroom/dorm room/kitchen/living room/any room.  Well, there was the summer and winter I worked at Bath and Body Works and got sucked back into candles, but that was just one weak moment.

But ever since I did a little extra Christmas shopping at Target and walked away with not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, but 6 whole candles, I have been a candle-burning fiend.  I have already gone through 2 votives and just about one whole pillar candle.  I just can't stop myself.  So in the spirit of candles, here are some snazzy ones I wouldn't mind having around:

First up, pretty candles in pretty glass holders.  I want lots of these Sydney Hale Co. candles because there are so many scents that sound just delightful.  And the holder on the right is meant to be hung, so just picture how pretty that could be.

1) Terrain: Vintage Cordial Candle

2) Sydney Hale Company: Mint + Geranium

3) CB2: Whirly Hanging Chandelier

Next, we have pretty candles in tins/ceramic/mercury glass "jars."  I love all of these a whole lot.  In fact, I'll probably be driving to Anthropologie this weekend to check and see if the collared candle is there because it's backordered online - and it's on sale, which is always my favorite.  PS: that first candle is just a candle that someone melted into an old jello mold.  I wish I was cool enough to come up with things like that.

1) Etsy: Vintage Jello Mold Candle in Lemon Verbena

2) Anthropologie: Days Gone By Candles

3) Anthropologie: Haberdasher's Collar Candle, Two Sons

4) Anthropologie: Scintillating Basin Candle

If you thought you were getting out of this without a mention of an elephant, clearly you haven't been following along.  But also, a candle that has a beautiful vintage feeling print combined with a scent called "tea leaf" pretty much screams my name.  And this set of three Oceanic pillar candles are so darn sassy I can't help but smile when I look at them.

1) Skeem: 3-Wick, Migration, Tea Leaf

2) CSN: Blissliving Home Elephant Candle in Metallic Silver

3) Skeem: Pillars, Oceanic

Is there a part of me that hopes I get a candle or two for Christmas?  Maybe.  Is there a part of me that's terrified of getting seven candles for Christmas?  Definitely.  But I think I'm ready to face that fear head on.  Next fear on the list: the dark (which oddly enough, I just realized candles would really help that one out!  Funny how things work out).

obsessed

Okay you might not know this yet but it's probably time I share it: I have a slight obsession with elephants.  Let me tell you, Will is super excited about it.  First it started with the salt and pepper shakers I wanted.  Then came the 2 elephant "statues" I got at Ross while I was there with my parents a few months ago - they totally thought they were cool.  Even stuffed animals are getting my attention and that has happened since I was like 12 years old.  Everytime I see an elephant these days I point, smile giddily, maybe jump up and down, and squeal "Look Will!!! An elephant!"  Like I said, he loves this new development.

But last night I hit the mother load.  While perusing the print shop I discovered on Urban Outfitters, I found this guy:

Even Will likes this one!!  Those colors, those flowers, those lines, those bubbles, those swirls - it is exactly what I would do if I had only thought of it first.

So yes I'm in love.  I'm also in love with this print shop I discovered.  There are so many good pieces and they are so reasonably priced.  I would love to put this collection on my wall, in this way:

Clockwise from left: buffalo, rhino, elephant, and black sheep.  Picture frames.  Picture maybe switching the elephant with the rhino.  Picture my smiling face everytime I would see this. 

Before I go crazy and order all of them go, I'm going to challenge myself to try and draw something similar to the elephant print.  Sure I might have to trace an elephant since real life was never really my thing - I'm an abstract and random design kinda girl - but I actually think I could do something pretty close.  So while I'm sitting around watching football and desperately cheering on my fantasy team, picture me drawing an elephant.

All images from Urban Outfitters Print Shop

Update: I just found this image on Sugarboo Designs:

I want to sit on the ground on a table cloth and paint this immediately.  Come on weekend!

autumn blues

Not to be a drag and all, but I’ve been feeling a little down recently.  This usually happens when the weather turns colder and it gets dark so early outside, but this year it’s been especially frustrating.  I think I’m maybe a little too excited for Thanksgiving break and spending time with family, so it’s making each day even that much harder to get through.  Add to that the move and the fact that a) our previous landlord is a sucky person (LC always was my favorite) and b) our apartment still isn’t totally put together, and I’m just a wee bit burnt out.  Okay just had to get that out there.

I’ve started working on a couple crafting/diy projects but have hit a few snags along the way ie I need glue, a ½ inch drill bit, and a place to spray paint.  But if I did have all proper equipment and all the space in the world to work, this is what I would do:

1)  Paint a rug.  Yeah, when I first saw this tutorial by Sarah on how to do it I thought “Eeeks, I don't want to walk on paint.”  But she convinced me that if you do it right, your rug will stay nice and pleasant.  Besides, we aren’t talking about painting a shag rug here so really how much coziness is there to lose?

These are rugs that I think would be fun to imitate:

Rug images from Anthropologie and Surya - and although some have a metallic sheen don't worry, that was just my computer's idea of a funny joke

2) Paint paintings.  I’ve always been crazy over paintings and prints that incorporate letters and words.  Maybe it’s because I used to consider that one of the things I did best in art class – tell me to take my initials or favorite letter and make it interesting and I was one happy happy girl.  I also like flowers though too, but not in the still life flowers-in-a-vase-on-a-table way but more in the add-flowers-but-don’t-make-it-a-painting-of-flowers way.

These are "word" prints that have caught my eye:

All images from Sugarboo Designs

And these guys have flowers:

From left to right: Urban Outfitter's Print Shop, Anthropologie, Anthropologie, Sugarboo (I'm pretty sure I could do something simliar to those Anthro ones, and therefore not pay the combined $1,198 for them)

3) Build furniture.  This is probably years down the line but seriously, how cool would it be to see a piece of a furniture in a store, look at the price tag and think “I could make that.”  It would be so cool!  I just love the idea of building from scratch.  It’s kind of like when I cook: even if it doesn’t turn out perfect, I’m pretty pleased with myself.  And I think since furniture stays around way longer than food does that satisfied feeling would be even better.

Here are some pieces I like:

From left to right: Unknown and unknown (I got both images from RueLaLa), Urban Outfitters

So that’s how I’ve been spending my time recently: dreaming of non-cold, non-Connecticut days when I can paint and sand and drill to my heart’s delight.  While that sounds fine and dandy, I think I need to try and live a little more in the present.

stupid connecticut

Yesterday I had a Stupid Connecticut day.  This is the term I give days when things happen that I just can't fathom.  Or it's just an overall annoying type of day.  I know I've complained about the driving before, but yall, it's serious.  Who turns right from the middle lane at a red light?  Who tails you in a 30 mph zone that's both residential and filled with shops and businesses and has cars parked on both sides of the street and then passes you even though it's a double yellow line?  But enough about the driving.  I had to share those little details, but I won't bore you with the others from the day.  Just know that when I find myself exclaiming "Stupid Connecticut!," I know it's a Stupid Connecticut day. 
When I'm having a day much like that, I dream about putting this on my wall:

Ebay map - I'm only putting the link because there are 7 available

DREAM about this I tell ya.  This beautiful thing belongs on my wall and in my life so that I can feel just a little bit closer to the mother land.  Consider this guy officially on my Christmas list.

A friend of mine at work came over to my desk and asked if I would move back to North Carolina because he wants to move to Charlotte but hopes to have more friends there.  I laughed.  Would I?  You know it.

But just to show that there actually are a few things I like about Connecticut:  I have no idea what I'll do without this radio station when I'm no longer in range, this place makes working out enjoyable and has a super pilates instructor, and being able to jump on a train and be in NYC in 50 minutes is pretty nice to have as an option.  After all, it's not all the time that I get to hang out in Central Park, is it?



You guessed it - photo taken in Central Park.

updates part III

I promise that I don't sit around all day and dream about what I want for Christmas.  Seriously.  But when you're stressed because you unexpectedly have to move in 3 short weeks, you pack a lot, go through a lot, clean a lot, and realize all the fun projects you've desperately been wanting to do are simply going to have to wait, you try to occupy your mind with other things.  And that leads me to a few necessary updates to my Christmas list.*

Say hello aka goodbye to the crossed off items:

Anthropologie Wire Hook

Jessica Simpson Infinity Scarf

Uggs

See I don't need that hook anymore because I am going to make my own fun key/hat/jacket hook thing with hooks and knobs I bought on super sale and an old kitchen cabinet door.  I also don't need the infinity scarf because as I mentioned before, I hope to make my own!  And although I love the idea of my feet being warm and comfy, I'm really having a hard time imagining myself actually wearing - and liking - Uggs.  Since they are a very pricey item, I definitely don't want to be wishy-washy.

I also added the sewing machine (so I can make all those scarves of course) and told my Dad that he is more than welcome to surprise me with any power tools he sees fit.  Two years ago when I told him I wanted a tool box for Christmas he had as much fun putting one together as I did receiving it, so I'm sure anything he adds to my collection this year will be perfect. 

Oh and ps: I've already come up with at least 3 presents for others - no worries :)

*I say necessary updates because 2 people I know cough cough Will and my dad are reading this and taking notes.

christmas list part II

Now I'm not saying I've forgotten all those things I mentioned before, but let's just say there are some other items that have definitely made their way onto my Christmas list.  I'm sure a few will be crossed off in a few weeks because I'll either have broken down and bought them myself or I'll realize that I don't want them as much as I thought I did, but it's always better to have too many options than too few, right?

79 days til Christmas everyone!

Top row from left:

1) Ugg slippers:  I never ever thought that a) two Ugg items would be on my Christmas list and b) that I would ever consider spending/asking someone else to spend this amount of money on slippers.  But so far this year I have ordered - and sent back - 3 different pair of slippers and I'm ready for a winner.  My cold feet are just begging for a good pair of slippers.

2) The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life:  My roommate Rachel has this cookbook and since I know I won't be living with her forever, I'm going to need a copy of my own.  The zucchini snaps are just so good.

3) Cuisinart Classic Round Waffle Maker:  I usually don't like sweet breakfast foods, but it's really sad on the mornings I wake up wanting waffles and realize my sandwich grill just won't cut it.

Middle row from left:

4) Atlanta Braves Replica Bobby Cox Home Jersey: Because this is most likely the only baseball jersey I will ever want.

5) Majestic Atlanta Braves Navy Blue The Liberation Pullover Hoody Sweatshirt: Because I want to have a game-appropriate jacket.  And because I'm in Phillies/Yankees/Mets country.  Yuck.

Bottom row from left:

6) Hunter Original Tall Rain Boots: I've liked these for about 2 years now and being in the north somehow makes me think it's finally worth getting a pair. 

7) Jessica Simpson Dip Dye Infinity Scarf: I'm not 100% attached to this particular scarf, but I love infinity/eternity scarves.  Any bright color, jazzed-up neutral, or muted pattern will do.  Or maybe this one!

8) So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week: I really like cookbooks that a) have healthy recipes, b) have fast recipes for every meal, and c) have easy recipes.  Seems like a good fit.

And just so you can see that I don't have to be quite so detailed, here are a few things that I'm willing to let other people control:

- a pretty spoon holder

- a spice grinder

- a "fun" watch

- a plaid flannel robe

Can we please just skip Halloween and move on to Thanksgiving/Christmas?

i would keep this desk clean

So there I was scanning through a Crate&Barrel catalog that randomly came to the house, when all of a sudden I stopped and said out loud "OH wow."  Yes - I actually exclaimed over furniture.  A desk and bookcase to be exact.  Then I sat there and questioned if that moment in time had just aged me 10 years, but got over it because this desk is just that good. 

Now, I'm usually one who likes lots of drawers (not because I can throw things in them without organizing it of course...) but I could easily get over that if it meant I could have this pretty piece instead.

{crate&barrel sloane desk with 2 bookcases}

One day.  And maybe by that one day my wood-working/furniture building skills (which yes, are nonexistant now) will be out in full force and I can build my own perfect desk.  That's the dream.

too early?

Over Labor Day weekend - which was a perfect weekend that will soon get it's own blog entry in itself - I realized that I already have one joint Christmas present for my parents picked out and another present for my Dad picked out.  Dad if you're reading this 1 - don't worry I'm not spending tons of money and 2 - yes I do have to get you something.  Anyhoo, that got me thinking about my own Christmas list.  I realize that Christmas is still 3 and a half months away, but if I don't start writing things down, won't I just forget them?  So as of today, September 19, this is my Christmas list:

If you know me, you might be a little shocked to see Uggs on here.  Well, that's what living in Connecticut can do a person - I will do/wear anything to keep myself warm and toasty.  Side note: I wore a scarf last week.  In mid-September.  I'm still coming to terms with that.

So basically, I want more stylish unbelievably comfortable and perfect workout pants, a food scale so I can stop guessing how many ounces of cheese I just ate, adorable salt and pepper shakers to go in my "one day when I don't live with 5 other people these are items I will use to decorate my kitchen" box, an A hook to hopefully break the looking-for-my-keys-everytime-I-leave-the-house cycle, and a little guilty pleasure otherwise known as Greek Chapter 5 (which technically isn't out yet, but there's still 3 and a half months to go!).

Top row from left:

1) Lucy Distance Knee Pant

2) Boden Basket Weave Scarf

3) Anthropologie Wire Initial Hook

Middle row from left:

4) Boden Favorite V-neck Cardigan

5) Martha Stewart Collection Digital Scale

6) Anthropologie Trumpeting Twosome Shakers

Bottom row from left:

7) Greek Chapter 5 (when it's finally out)

8) Chocolate Brown Uggs

9) Lululemon Groove Crop II pants