Friday loves!

Sherry's DIY Christmas ornaments that she revealed through their Fall Pinterest Challenge. 

I'm definitely going to make my own ornaments this year, along with holiday cards. 

I also love the idea of using bright colors... weeeeeee! 

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this little kitten that I added to my 2011 wishlist has found a forever home. 

cheers to that! 

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discovering illustrator Sujean Rim. 

I love watercolor more than any other form of art, and it's probably because I wish I could be successful at it. this lady is seriously talented. 

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this roundup of paint chip related projects. 

that green calendar at the end? yes please! 

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my tattooer and his shop were featured in this article on BuzzFeed. 

they are great artists and deserve the recognition and exposure. Mike has tattooed all but one of my pieces, and I can easily say that I would never have a reason to go to anyone else for tattoo work. he's one of best guys I know! 

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Martha Stewart tutorials for homemade holiday cards. 

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how to make the perfect snowflake. 

can you tell I'm on a holiday decor kick lately? 

I love Christmas. 

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Jimmy Kimmel & moms who tell their kids they ate all their Halloween candy. 

specifically, this one. 

"YOU SNEAKY MOM!"

hysterical. I can't wait to do this to my kids one day.

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we're going to see Louis CK for the billionth 4th time this evening. 

we're dragging Kaycie & Adam to Baltimore with us tonight and I am SO EXCITED!

I'll be spending the ENTIRE day tomorrow prepping and cleaning house because I'm hosting a Scentsy party with Kathy on Sunday. I've never really had a big group of people at my house before, so I'm a little nervous, haha. lots to do and as usual, not enough time! ;)

Happy Friday ya'll! 

what I've been pinning lately...

since not everyone is on Pinterest (although, really... what are you waiting for? you should be there), I decided to share what I've been pinning lately here on the ol' blog. I've been feeling particularly inspired lately... probably has something to do with the change in weather, which further feeds my need to reinvent. 

I'll be decorating for fall this weekend, so be on the lookout for that next week! I'm hoping to gather some supplies for a few cheap DIY home decor projects (and will document the process, if my pending homework allows) at Michael's... so fingers crossed those ideas work out. 

anyhoodle. here's a look at what's caught my eye recently... 

gorgeous black & grey nature sleeve
[originally from here]

printable gift tags
[originally from here]
and on a similar note, I'm totally DIYing Christmas gifts this year.
details to come in a later post. 

these boots are fucking hot (and reasonably priced)
[originally from here] 

I heart this drawing and I think it would look rad in my bedroom
[originally from here]

I truly believe I would be a happier person with this bag
[originally from here]

the Gibson tuck... haven't tried it yet, but it looks SO easy and fancy
[originally from here]

I'd never want to live in a studio apt, but if I had to, I'd want it to look like this
[originally from here]

Emerald Gorge, in Oregon
[originally from here]

what have you been pinning lately? 

anyone else taking the homemade route for gifts this year?

Happy Wednesday!

tidbits fo-fidbits

just a warning: I am going to be extremely busy this week, and therefore, blogging will suffer. I'll probably have time for Wee Bits and Fill in the Blank, but Friday Loves will return next week. 

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I'm trucking through The Book Thief now. I'm finally adjusting to the weird narration and the story is picking up and getting pretty exciting. I can't wait to review it when I'm finished. 

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baby shower update: most of the decorations are made (banner, cupcake toppers - see below, favor tags, game sheets, clothespins a la YHL, and the signs for the onesie decorating table and the game instructions). I went to the grocery store last night and got most of the food, so I can start on the cookies and the marshmallow pops tonight. 

cupcake toppers - all 40 of those little onesies were cut out by hand! :)

thankfully, a bunch of folks have offered to help out, and I've graciously accepted. I've got someone making pasta salad & chocolate covered pretzels, another friend making meatballs, another making deviled eggs, and someone else getting drinks and ice. all of those things being done by others takes a HUGE weight off my shoulders! 

all in all, everything is working out perfectly, and I'm loving all the crafts I get to take part in! I can't wait to put it all together and give Kaley a great shower. 

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exercise update: pretty much non-existent, outside of house work and chasing kittens. been eating very healthy though - summer is great, because we have tons of local farmers who set up road-side stands in our area. we've been chowing down on lots of fresh produce! 

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kitty update: Skillet is the only kitten we have left, and I got a call yesterday from a woman who is interested in adopting him. she's coming to meet him on Friday. I'm excited to have my bedroom/sanity back, but I sure am going to miss that little guy. how could I not be a little sad to say goodbye? look at this face!

Buckwheat went to his forever home a few weeks ago, and luckily, his Mama lives literally right down the street from me. we plan on having kitty play dates in the future... I'm so happy I'll be able to watch Buckwheat grow up! one of the hardest parts of fostering kittens (besides all the hard work that goes into it, haha) is that you rarely get to see the kitties when they find their new homes. 

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we officially have less than 2 weeks until we leave for the beach for vacation. 

I'm almost certain that it will be the longest two weeks of my LIFE. I'm so ready to just lay on the beach for a week and relax. 

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I'm already planning my next tattoo idea. I really want to pay tribute to both sides of my family, my mom's and my dad's. every male on my mom's side of the family (grandfather, uncles, etc) has served in the military, most of them enlisting and serving in the US Coast Guard, so naturally, I'm leaning towards something to represent that. I'd also like something to portray the American Indian heritage on my dad's side. 

so I think I've got it - I'm going to get traditional style pin-up girls on the back of each of my calves - one will be a sailor girl, and one will be a Native American girl. I'll add some other things like an anchor and a dream catcher or something, but that's the main idea I have so far. I'm pretty stoked about it! 

inspiration:

source

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all our favorite TV shows are back on right now and it's seriously making me feel like a couch potato. on a weekly basis, we/I watch: 

- Big Brother

- True Blood

- Breaking Bad

- Hell's Kitchen

- Master Chef

- Design Star

- Deadliest Catch

anyone feeling like a lazy bum thanks to the awesome 

TV selections that air this time of year?

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Happy Tuesday!

around the house & random tidbits

- I finished our gallery wall in the entryway! thanks to 3M Command Strips and these guys from Amazon, it was a piece of cake. the most time consuming part was the planning process - figuring out where to put each frame. and then my OCD kicking in, which meant I had to map everything out and then measure between each frame and break out the mini level to make sure everything was perfect. and it was. 

this picture sucks (ever since I dropped/plunged my cell phone into the river, the camera is wonky), but you get the idea. most of the frames are still empty, and I will be working this week to find permanent art prints for them! 

paint color: Sparrow by Behr. 

- because I've discovered the awesomeness that is the 3M Strip, I also have these prints (scroll to the bottom) ready to hang in the kitchen. will photograph when complete. 

- our new curtains arrived and they are AMAZING. the quality is just so much nicer than the cheapos we bought from JC Penny a few years back. they are a silk/rayon blend, are lined in the back, and have sewn in weights to keep them hanging correctly. 

the only problem is that they're a smidge too long... an inch and a half, maybe two inches too long. I'm debating on whether to have them dry cleaned in the hopes that they shrink juuuust enough (and risk them being too short or never hanging right again and paying a pretty penny) or to just buy an iron hem kit and bring them up an inch or so. 

thoughts? does anyone know how much rayon/silk shrinks up when washed? 

- we still haven't put together the dining room table yet. slackin' big time, I know, but hopefully this weekend, it'll get done. 

- remember back when I started that wee little ink project? well, you probably don't remember the start, since I wasn't blogging back then, but you probably remember the beginning if you've been here a while. 

well, it's finished. I went up to Black Anchor on Saturday for my last sleeve session EVER, and I am honestly so happy it's finally complete. I sat for another 3.5 hours, which was rough, considering the longest I've sat under the needle previously was 4 hours. total chair time for this piece was about 14 hours! 

again, horrible cell phone pictures, but my camera has been in Sean's truck for weeks and I keep forgetting to grab it! I am so, so, so excited that it's finished, and now I can move onto the next! ha! I'm thinking I'll move onto the lower half for my next tattoo(s)... I really want to put something on my calves next. 

- I suck at reading lately. I'm still making my way through The Book Thief and while it is definitely getting better, it's still kind of a slow read. in my defense though, little kitty Skillet has been taking up a lot of my time in the evenings too. 

- I'm on the hunt for a local CSA to deliver organic fruits & veggies (and possibly farm fresh eggs) to us. there are a lot in the state of Maryland and even in DC, but none that deliver to the city where we live OR where I work. super bummed about it, but I'm still searching! 

Friday loves

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this blog post by Danielle @ Sometimes Sweet. short version? stop comparing yourself to other bloggers in a competitive sort of way. blogging is not a contest, and there is no winner. blog for YOU and support others who do so. the end. 


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this tattoo that I discovered here. it is the perfect representation of my heritage, tying together my family's devotion to the USCG and my American Indian roots. 

if I were brave enough to tattoo my other rib cage, I would definitely get it there, but I'm thinking the side of my leg would be a good spot too. 

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two of my Nestie friends gave birth to baby boys this week! 

congratulations to Adriane & Laura (and their husbands, too)! 

and welcome to the world Darian & Noah!

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while this isn't a new discovery on my part, I'm just now actually getting around using Vintage Printable for the first time. I'm finally putting together our gallery wall in the entryway and headed over to VP for free artwork to hang up.

I must say, I am impressed with the collection of art they have there! this little guy will definitely be making his way to my wall.

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Google+. I don't know if it'll actually be the next big social networking site, but it's getting tons of great reviews from techie gurus out there (according to my nerdy husband, at least), so I figured, "hey, why not?" still trying to figure everything out on there, but it's kind of confusing at the moment. then again, all sites are generally confusing at first, so it shouldn't take long to get the hang of things. 

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this anchor pillow would look great on my bed. but I think I need to take a break from pillow shopping. I decided to go ahead and buy ALL the pillows I talked about this post. eeks. 

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speaking of baby boys, I am totally making this blue punch for Kaley's baby sprinkle and I can't wait to see how it turns out. I've got the menu all figured out... now I just need to get my ass in gear and start shopping/DIYing decorations! 

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I got an email this morning informing me that our new living room curtains have shipped. because they're a little more expensive at $70 a pop, we've decided to buy two panels at a time every couple weeks. so yes, we will have mis-matched curtains possibly, but they are chevron and they are amazing. 

AND I AM SO EXCITED. 

Teramo Curtain Panel

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Happy Friday, ya'll! 

Friday loves

• this tattoo that I stumbled upon via Pinterest. I've been thinking of getting something that represents the American Indian part of me, and I love this dreamcatcher. it's simple but beautiful. 

if you know the original source of this image, let me know so I can credit it properly!

• the ever so addicting Words With Friends game that I downloaded on my phone. I'm a word game fiend and so naturally, I'm hooked on it. I've been playing with friends as well as random opponents. if you want to play, shoot me an email!

• Mrs. Biscuit's kitty mugs. I need to find them, and soon. I don't know if I can live without them.

• Michael Scott's last episode of The Office. I have no words, other than I AM SO SAD.

image

• this pasta sauce recipe that we cooked last night. we used a lot more cheese than the recipe call for, and it turned out pretty well. if we make it again (which I'm sure we will, cause I get sick of eating red sauce), I'll probably only use half of the pasta. either way, it was delicious! I will have pictures soon! 

• Cole's roundup of rain boots. I've been wanting a pair of rain boots for what seems like forever, and Target chevron pretties are a callin' my name! 

• the whole navy blue/nautical thing that West Elm's got goin' on right now. more specifically, these napkins and these pillows, and this shower curtain. I would like them all in my home now, please and thank you.

• Clara's birth story. holy hell, there were a lot a terrified moments leading up to this girl's arrival, and you would have never known it if not for Sherry's heart wrenching post this week.

• Erika's kitchen makeover - specifically, the after pictures. I especially love the old gym locker in the pantry and the open shelves! oh, and the green cabinets don't hurt either.

• this bathtub. HUBBA HUBBA. 

Emily Henson Interiors via Lauren @ the little things we do

Happy Friday! <3

Sleeve progress!

Sat for about 2 1/2 hours today. I did pretty well for the first half but started to get antsy around the 2 hour mark. But happy to report that it's starting to look like an actual sleeve!

design ADD & tidbits

I changed my header again. and my button. I'm sticking with the argyle background though, cause I loves it. I wanted something cleaner and not so busy, so voila. even made a matching button, cause I'm fancy and shit. sike. 

had a busy weekend - got this done on Saturday. it's the only picture I have so far, and it's on my cell phone, of course. I got the two flowers and the crab colored... I only have one more session to go until my sleeve is complete, and I can't wait. it's disgusting looking right now with the peeling and the flaking, so I'll wait til it's healed to take better pictures. 

spent Sunday with my best friend at her house for a Tastefully Simple party. pretty sure I'm hooked on their products now... especially the strawberry cheeseball. holy crap, that thing was delicious. I ordered $66.61 worth of stuff from the consultant. 666... fitting, no?

I had the day off yesterday, which was wonderful considering it was about 80 degrees and beautiful outside. I went to my first ever dermatologist appointment in the morning... I needed to have my moles checked out (I'm moley, ha), and to find out what the hell is going on with my skin. as I suspected, my recent breakouts are due to my crazy ass hormones going bonkers since getting off birth control. and my moles are A-okay. 

the rest of the day went as follows: 

-drop off prescribed antibiotic lotion at pharmacy

-stop to see a friend at her work

-get nails done (color= jade is the new black. it's gorgeous)

-pick up prescribed antibiotic from pharmacy

-go home and take a quick nap

-head BACK out to the dentist, have teeth cleaned and told I need to floss more (what else is new?)

-go home and change

-go to the gym and start C25K program (awesome, by the way)

-home again... shower, dinner, TV, bed

WHEW!

wish I could have relaxed more on my day off, but it just wasn't in the cards for me I guess, haha. I'll write a better post about the Couch to 5K program when I get some time, but I'm sure you've all heard of it. I definitely want to elaborate on my experience with it, because I'm not a runner... but I'm only on Week 1, so I'll see how I feel about it in a few weeks and update you!

oh. one more thing. who has two thumbs and has been a non-smoker for 6 months today? 
this girl!  :)

Happy Tuesday, readers!

listomania

• my next tattoo appointment for my sleeve is this weekend! I can't wait to get some work done now that I have some birthday money to spend. I plan on at least getting the rest of the color done, and hopefully will be able to start on the background as well. ideally, I'd like to get it finished, but I don't know how long I'll be able to sit. we shall see! 

photo taken after my last tattoo session in October.

•  we have been total rockstars when it comes to gymin' it up. we've successfully worked out at least 3 days a week for 4 weeks now, and it feels amazing! I took spin class last Wednesday and had a serious case of the DOMS until Sunday, so I spent a few days doing upper body exercises. I downloaded an app on my phone to track my workout routine, and it's really helped to make sure I'm working all of my muscles and I can even check to see that my form is spot on. I've noticed a huge difference in my strength and I can tell that I'm slimming down again after my month long hiatus during the winter. 

• regular season hockey is almost over! I'm counting on my Caps to bring home the Stanley Cup this year... that is, as long as we can make it out of the first round. we're hoping to score tickets for at least ONE playoff game this season... if they're in our budget, of course.

photo taken from last season's game 7 of round 1 against Montreal, which we lost.

• I'm walking on May 1st for our local March of Dimes, and I could NOT be more proud of our team. so far, we've succeeded in becoming the largest team in our area and one of our members is currently in 4th place for most money raised by an individual. we are walking in honor and support of our friend's baby Gianna, as well as others babies who were born too soon. so far, we've raised almost $2,000! if you'd like to help us out and donate (or if you're local and would like to walk with us), you can check out my personal page. go to the homepage for our team (appropriately named Gianna & The Baby Steppers) to read more about Gianna's story! 

photo belongs to Gianna's mama, Stephanie. don't steal, or I will CUT YOU.

• speaking of participation, I decided to sign up for the April Photo Hunt Challenge - you can find the link over on my sidebar under "Current Projects." I've been a huge slacker when it comes to taking photographs on a regular basis, so I'm hoping that the challenge will give me a little more motivation to get my camera out more often. I think now that the weather is nicer, I'll have more interest in getting out and about with my camera. 

• I need a vacation. badly. or I might kill someone. I have 4 weeks left of classes, which includes 3 more discussion posts, 1 more essay (600-700 words), 1 research paper (1200 words), and the final exam, which is in essay format. I am SO ready to be done. 

Happy Tuesday! 

my mother-in-law got her first tattoo

I took my MIL to get her very first tattoo over the weekend. she knows how much I love tattoos, and how much I trust and respect my tattooer, so it was only natural for her to want him to tattoo her for the first time. she was specific about her design - she wanted a trinity knot with her husband, son, and daughter's initials inside. she also wanted to incorporate a Q into the design - she wanted it to be strong, yet feminine.

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of course, I took plenty of pictures to share with you all. my tattoo artist (Keelhauled Mike) specializes in Coleman Style tattooing, which I love, so it's always a pleasure to search through the wall to wall flash designs they have up. I love the bold outlines, the deep shading, and the vibrant color of traditional tattoos.

 

I love going to visit my tattoo artist, if only for the visit to the quaint town of Denton, which is only about 20 minutes outside of Delaware. it's such a cute little old town, and I really enjoy being in the quiet. Hanging out in the tattoo shop with Mike and Ken is always a fun time - lots of laughs and bullshitting.

took this for all my fellow Irishmen (and women!)

I wish I could have gotten tattooed as well, but unfortunately, we are super duper broke right now, and it's not really a possibility. I'm hoping to accumulate enough birthday money that I'll be able to get my sleeve worked on sometime in the near future.

Happy Wednesday!

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oh, and PS - my birthday is in exactly one week. thumbs up!