{DownEast Home Blog: DIY Jewelry Display}

Happy hump day!

I'm featured over on the DownEast Home Blog, sharing a fun DIY project to hold all of your beautiful accessories. My jewelry pieces used to be stuffed in the bottom of a drawer, and I would spend so much time untangling and digging through the heap that I'd typically opt out of accessorizing my outfit. If you hop on over the their blog, I'll show you how to make this:

From something I'm sure you have stuffed away in storage...this:

Have you done any fun home improvement projects lately? I'd love to know what!

...

{Weekend Shots & Chocolate Chip Cookies}

This past Friday night, Saturday & Sunday I mastered the art of the perfect weekend ratio. I ran errands, stayed out late, caught up on sleep, cleaned, worked on the apartment & had a lot of fun!

Some snaps:

 I am a hot coffee drinker. I've hated iced coffee for as long as I can remember. After suffering through last summer in Arizona drinking hot drip coffee & americanos and trying to smile through the beads of sweat, I've decided to make the jump. Starting over the weekend. 

Fruit & more fruit. 

Strawberries in my oatmeal & sliced fresh pineapple for easy lunch assembly.

Also, I'm totally a sucker for baking requests. Chris & Brandon asked me to make chocolate chip cookies, and even offered to buy the ingredients! I just couldn't refuse. PLUS this gave me the opportunity to try the cookies with powdered pudding, instead of the pudding cups. I used this recipe.

Mmm. It also gave me an opportunity to test out my new handy cookie scooper! Every cookie was perfect sized. Seriously, I've never been so impressed. No wonder Martha uses one too. 

To settle the powdered pudding vs. pudding pudding debate... my vote goes with powdered!

The cookies were fluffy and chewy, even more so than the oatmeal chocolate chip ones. 

Now I'll just have to try it out on the oatmeal version to make sure that it actually is the best way to go. 

Finally, the BEST part of my weekend - 

Chris & I hung up my painting!

Now I just need to figure out how to dispel the constant anxiety over it ripping out of my wall/falling/wire snapping/ruining. 

It is scaring the crap out of me.

{Dining Room Mirrors}

Long long ago I bought these mirrors from Ikea.

I got a brilliant idea of what to do with them, and blog teased my genius project here.

Mostly because I thought I would get them done in a timely fashion...

5 months later, the project is finished!

I started with a romance novel that I picked up from the Arizona State Fair for free, and ripped it to shreds. I attempted to remove most of the white space, to leave behind just the pretty print. It didn't matter the size or shape of the pieces, I made it work.

With the addition of an oh so handy bottle of modge podge, I glued & painted & stuck & waited patiently for each side of the mirrors to dry before starting the next side. It was tedious. 5 months worth of tedious. (No, not really. I tend to start & stop projects often since I always loose interest. Not my favorite personality quirk.)

When the mirrors were finally finished, it was time to figure out how the heck I was going to attach them to the wall. Not a surprise that these cheap Ikea mirrors didn't come with any sort of backing, wires or ANY help with actually mounting them. Perfect. 

Two trips to Home Depot and a trip to Lowe's later, I had found enough confidence to hack at them myself. A knowledgeable employee told me I should use a staple gun & wire, instead of the eye hooks I had originally purchased. So I bought some. Of course they were the wrong ones. So I had to go back again to swap them out. Hurray for gas wastage.

Three harmed Trader Joe's bags and a half of a roll of masking tape was all it took to measure out where I wanted to place the mirrors. I have to admit that this method worked wonders, I only hammered ONE hole per mirror into my wall! Then ripped off the paper bags from underneath, leaving only the nails. Somehow I managed to not sustain a single injury which was amazing. But then again this whole process took about 2 hours. Guh.

The detail!

My dining room is starting to look more & more finished every day. Woo!

{Someone call HGTV}

Just in case they're looking for the next design star. 

BINGO. Here I am!

I have many skills that qualify me for next design star status. 

a. I can stare at the Ikea website for MANY hours without getting tired.

b. I can use two screws, three nails, a pencil, two screwdrivers, a chair, a barstool and a lady hammer to put up a pole to hang my curtains, WITHOUT losing a finger. 

c. I don't have a level to check but I can squint and things look straight.

d. Once I've narrowed down a purchase for 2-3 weeks, I can get to Ikea to buy it immediately and get home in less than three hours. (After carefully perusing the showrooms of course...just in case I missed something on the website.)

e. I can hang curtains! By myself! 

An absolute miracle, people.

{iPhone picture. Of course I forgot to take a finished product picture on my camera}

And then I can call it a day even though the rest of my living room needs some serious decorating love.

Meh. I'll get there eventually.

(Such drive, such passion. I'm totally who they're looking for.)

{Tour Day: 2}

Meet my elephants. 

My pride and joy. 

My first and only piece of real artwork I own.

I haven't named them yet, but I am leaning more and more towards George & Martha. They are in love. Can't you tell? (Do you officially think I'm crazy yet?) I purchased this beautiful piece from a boutique design and art shop when I was still living in Seattle. After oogling through the window at it for the past two years, I was in shock to find out the store was going out of business and the painting was still available. 

 I had just learned I got the job, was about to head home to move all my belongings to Arizona, was feeling proud of myself for graduating college, and the whim to call the store  crept up on me. The store owner and I bartered what I though would be a fair price, gave her my credit card number over the phone....and POOF! George and Martha were mine. 

Moving on. Some new things happening over here on the blog. 

Drum roll.....

Fashion posts? Me?

Perhaps. 

For now there is at least this one.  Extreme amateur photography and editing skills, mostly blamed on the fact that after the one picture I had taken (see above), my camera died. Blast. I had just walked in from work, it was getting late, the sweatpants were calling and waiting for my camera to charge was not really in the cards! AND I edited it while half asleep. My art minor self is screaming at me for even showing anyone this... overexposure, low color levels and faded, oh my!

Nonetheless, one picture made it through.

My workwear Wednesday:

Sweater: Banana Republic

White collared shirt: Anne Taylor 

Skirt: Forever 21

Patterned tights: Forever 21

Shoes: Target

Watch: Michael Kors

{Tour Day: 1}

Since I have moved away from the vast majority of my family and friends, I thought I would dedicate the next couple of blog posts to my surroundings. My mom and my dad have both paid me visits to this hot city, but since the last time I updated about my new living situation there have been many new additions & changes for everyone else to see! (Hint: I have furniture now! Much better than here.)

The tour begins inside my home away from home, my cube in the agency. Oh cube, how I love you and your mini window out into the street:) Natural light, definite plus. But somehow I still need three separate lamps on my desk in addition to the overhead fluorescents. I really like it bright! Anyway, I spend 40+ hours a week here, so you better believe I made it homey and gave it my personal touch!

Snapshots:

{mantra}

{the only way I remember to drink water & my stress ball/rubberband ball}

{Paris souvenir & laptop} 

{good advice}

{Penelope}

Penelope has to be my favorite addition to my desk, a present from Santa in my Christmas stocking.  She came with an adorable note that reads:

"With her head-strong determination and good fortune, Penelope is the perfect depiction of overcoming impossible odds! Her personal wager against anyone using the phrase "When pigs fly!" has brought much abundance and prosperity indeed!"

I hope she brings me abundance, prosperity & a maybe little luck as well.

(Especially today, it's 1.11.11!)

{lightbulb!}

I had the most unreal lightbulb moment last night while sitting on my couch.

Not that any of you care, but I have figured what I want to do on the wall in my dining room!

HURRAY!

sneak peek:

{mirrors, I bought three}

 Ikea, Ram, $9.99 each

+

{trashy romance novel}

+

{Ralph Lauren, Studio Purple paint}

I'm curious to know what you think I'm doing! Mostly with the book.

That's about as much as I can give you, considering the idea is still in my head. 

Well, truthfully, I sketched it out to.

Here it is:

Notice the accurately spaced & measured lines.

I used a ruler. It's also perfectly to scale.

(I should have been an interior design major.)

{Christmas Cheer}

{Christmas tree & stockings}

I have always been one to go all out for the holidays. The day after Thanksgiving I pull out all of my green & red glittery decorations, blast Christmas music and kickoff the season full of baking (proof).

This year I am in my new apartment, in a new city, and had to start from complete scratch. My mom gifted me a throw pillow for my couch, which was all I started with. Scouring for some cheap but nice Christmas decorations over the last month, I managed to fill my apartment with some great finds. 

{dining table decor}

Christmas on a budget:

Holiday glasses - Ikea, $4.99

Tree - Target, $40

Table runner - Target, $20

Ornaments - Target, $1 per tube

Red chargers - Target, $9.99

Snowman Candles - Gifted

Tons of twinkle lights - Target

Stockings - Michaels

{presents}

{glittery mini-ornaments}

Christmas countdown: 5 days!

{Yo Side of the Bed}

Woohoo!

I FINALLY have a bed to sleep in,

to watch movies in,

 to fight over covers & space hogging,

to wrestle to get the 'good' pillow in

& to spend the weekends in slothing.

Set up was a bit of an adventure.
Even with my trusty assistant.

I love Ikea. REALLY really love Ikea. I like that things are cheap and somewhat easy to set up. I like roaming its aisles looking for inspiration and $1.99 kitchen items. Between the staged rooms and the marketplace, I can't seem to find a favorite. The rooms give me great ideas, help narrow down which items I need, where to put them, and make the warehouse MUCH easier to navigate at the end of my trip.

Then again, the marketplace is equally amazing. For a brand new apartment renter and first time bachelorette pad dweller, Ikea is my muse. 5qt. pot for boiling pasta? $14.99. Picture frames to display all my cheesy college pictures and amateur photography excursions? It ranges, but basically free. Not to mention my lovely new dining table, sideboard and bed (craigslist finds, but they were born from Ikea), priceless. The list goes on and on.

Back to building.

Sorting. Quite the task.

I wish I could explain the level of patience this took.

Accomplishment is a complete understatement.

See my lady hammer in the shot?

That was the ONLY tool we had. 

One screwdriver the size of my pinky and a hammer that I wouldn't let him use 

because I was nervous it might scratch the wood...

Shock & awe. 

It's also still standing! 

Amazing. 

Want one of your own, buy here. 

Or listen to the title inspiration beat, here.

Have a lovely day:)

{new - phase 1}

I'm feeling overwhelmingly grown up.

The first week in my new apartment has started,

I picked it out all on my own.

{new home}

I'm all moved in,

I have no furniture,

only the few things I brought with me from Seattle.

{HUGE closet. score.}

   {kitchen}

{bedroom}

This new adventure I am on is a bit stressful,
who knew there were so many things you need to buy to be functioning in a home? 

So many questions. 

For instance:

• Why is toilet paper so expensive? Don't they know I need it?
• Why are there so many gadgets in the kitchen section of Bed, Bath and Beyond? How on earth do you narrow it down to the necessities?
• Could you pick one type of laundry detergent, and stick to it? Tide, cool your jets.
• Why do people think it is acceptable to sell their ugly, stained, 15 year old couch on Craigslist listed as GORGUS*****VINTAGE****MUST SEE****COUCH $1. Then you click on it thinking you have found the unicorn of used furniture, only to find out it is lumpy, slanted on one side, dingy, and they are actually attempting to sell it for $300. 
• Drives me crazy. And yes, person who thinks they're so clever, I noticed your typos.

I love it anyway.

{&}

Some ampersand lovin' for your Monday morning. I am semi-addicted to the fun and whimsical symbol, and can't help but to want it all over my new apartment. I could find a place for each and every one of these pieces.

{amazing handmade work from ninaribena makes...}

{Christopher Jagmin ampersand soup bowls - $80}

{ampersand felt applique pillow from Alexandra Ferguson on etsy - $69.00} 

{epershand necklace from isette on etsy - $26.00}

{ampersand print on old dictionary page from lunaclaydesign - $8.00}