Things I currently love...

1. Yogurt covered Raisins. My sister used to eat this when we were younger and I recently picked up a bag. Oh man...so tasty. HOWEVER, I do NOT recommend the Sunkist Vanilla flavored yogurt raisins. Bleh...

2. Picking out and planting flowers with my five and three year old niece and nephew.

3. Going shopping with a wonderful, wonderful friend and finding the dress.

4. Finally losing that sense of anxiety and expectation that I have felt for the past year. I no longer feel guilty for sleeping in, reading for pleasure, watching a movie or any other non academic pursuit. Granted, it also helps that grades posted and I no longer have to think about that either.

5. An upcoming weekend full of pre-wedding goodness, graduations, family dinners, birthdays and mother's day. We like to pack it in..

6. Natural sunlight in my bedroom

7. Lots of extra space in my bedroom

8. Semi ridiculous conversations with my sister.

9. Having tough decisions taken out of my hands by circumstances

10. Words with Friends...seriously addicting.

11. This fabulous website and all the cute and fun dresses I am jonesing to purchase

12. This fun blog with lots of crafty ideas. Can't wait to do the yarn wreath! I think I'm going to do it next week when there's not quite so much going on...see #5

13. Having a school free summer, with literally no worries or school related obligations. I haven't been this relaxed in who knows how long!

14. Future swimming, zoo and other fun adventures with the sister and her little ones.

15. A girl's night out on Saturday to celebrate the big 2-7. Seriously, when did I get this old?

16. Mochi Ice Cream balls that I haven't been able to find anywhere in Utah, hence not eating them for nearly five years, and finding them at Costco last week.

17. Having a fun and zippy car to drive. I love Miss M!

18. I'm absolutely in LOVE with this etsy.com store.

19. All the blossoms on the trees and my nephew telling me it looked like popcorn.

My Wish List...

I have, very nearly, survived three straight semesters of grad school. I have moved into a new apartment, my birthday is coming up. Spring is trying desperately to take hold...I feel the need to celebrate. In the past several weeks I have spent the majority of my time not in class, on the computer. Whether it be working (like right now) or homeworking (that would be later), I am pretty tied to my computer as of late. That also means I've been doing some virtual window shopping...I'm not a homework machine, I need breaks... There is this website that my dear sister introduced me to and has resulted in hours of time well spent...aka, wasted/procrastinated. Go check it out and follow ME!

But all this window shopping and pinning has resulted in me wanting to buy...lots of buying. I have thus far refrained but with my celebratory frame of mind, it's proving difficult. What should I get? Cast your vote, my friends!

1. This dress, this dress, or this dress? or maybe this dress?

2. Or maybe this necklace?

3. or this gem?

4. Lisa calls these shoes ghetto...ghetto fabulous!

5. I have yet to find the perfect pair of yellow pumps but these just might tide me over until I do..

As you see...this is a very serious problem.

What do you think blogosphere? How should I celebrate the passing of another year?

My blue suede shoes...

So these aren't blue shoes and they're technically boots but...what do you think? You think I could pull off these purple suede boots?

See...it doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?

Blasphemous

Tell me, is it morally wrong of me to suddenly want a Nook? Not just want but really want? I know. I'm a literary purist snob. I love the smell of dusty book covers and old leather. I love the feel of a worn and loved book cover. There's something comforting about the weight of book. It's reassuring and exciting. They're old friends that can remind you of moments in the past. Whenever I look at my bookshelves that are crammed full, overflowing with delightful stories and old friends, I can't help but sigh in contentment.

And yet...I really want a Nook. I hang my head in shame....

I think the universe may be trying to tell me something...

...on my super cute new memo board I have three coupons for three different shoe stores. I have a $10 off at DSW, $10 off at Famous Footwear and 10% off at zooshoo.com. I have been searching said stores for something to use these discounts with but alas, I haven't found anything that just cries out...BUY ME!....

I'll wait while you all recover from shock....

.....



.................................

Fortunately, they don't expire for a while, so I've got some time to find something adorable!

Hobby Heaven

I'm a huge fan of craft stores...especially around the holidays. I get the craft bug. I can wander around Michaels and Roberts for quite a while, but I typically don't buy too much. I also LOVE home good stores. I love the kitchen/home decor section of Khols. I love Home Goods and the Ross kitchen/home decor section. I love IKEA, Tai Pan Trading and the upstairs at Smith's Market Place and all their decor. I love it. It's cheap...ish, it's cute...what's not to love.

Yesterday Lisa introduced me to the glory of Hobby Lobby. We were driving home from Tai Pan Trading (got ten water goblets for $20!) on our way to Cafe Rio. After a wrong turn and a slight detour we found a newish shopping center with a Cafe Rio and to Lisa's extreme excitement, a Hobby Lobby. Now, Lisa has talked about this store for a very long time. She talks about it the way a little kid talks about a toy store or a candy store. There is one in Layton and every year she goes home for Thanksgiving she comes back with an entire carload of various home decor/crafty items. Okay...maybe it's not an entire carload but it's a ton of stuff.

Let me just say...I have been converted to the wonder and amazingness of Hobby Lobby. Seriously. They were having a huge sale (which apparently is a pretty common occurrence). I got several boxes of Christmas ornaments for $4 and $3. I got a super cute memo/magnetic board for my desk area. I also got a light switch plate...random, perhaps but I have been wanting one since my last apartment. I've also been wanting decorative knobs for my dresser and desk. I love the ones at Anthropologie but I'm not about to pay $12 a knob when I need 11 plus a new handle for my nightstand. I'm not that rich. Hobby Lobby had a huge selection of knobs...however, I already spent quite a but so that'll be next time.

They had fabric, silk flowers, furniture, Christmas decor, sewing, knitting, crocheting supplies, wall art, hooks, clocks, mirrors, frames....seriously. It was amazing! I love Hobby Lobby!

Do you like Vintage stuff?

Do you like supporting good causes? If you do, this Saturday you should come check out the grand opening of "For Jake's Sake". I'm going...you should come too!

And Bows!

Oh how I love fall!!

Oh the Buttons!

You know how I love buttons!!!

Conundrum...

I decided it's time to buy a new personal laptop. I got my financial aid award and I'll have some left over so I'll actually be able to afford a new computer. Here's the rub...I know absolutely nothing about computers. Nothing. Nada. Zip. I've looked around on different websites but all the specifications are just gibberish. I have no idea what makes one computer better than another. This is where all you folks come in...I need your help. This is what I need from a computer:

1. basic word processing - I'm going to be a student again soon and the majority of what I'll do is papers and projects and such.

2. Music...lots of music.

3. Reliable - few - if any -problems. Like I said, I don't know anything about computers and I'm not exaggerating. So if something goes wrong I won't have any idea how to fix it.

I guess that's it. I don't need too much but I really, really, really, really don't want a computer that is going to crap out on me all the time. I go back and forth on the Mac. I know they're really great for designing, music, photos all that stuff and they're totally hip but are they worth the money for just basic computer processing? Thoughts? Suggestions?

Viva!

Let's take a vote...

I have been doing quite a bit of online window shopping lately. I have been working insane hours lately and have been racking up quite a bit of OT so I'm trying to decide what to buy myself as a reward. Not to blow it all but just a something pretty for myself. I think I have found several options but I need your help...let's take a vote!

And the candidates are...



1) This pretty thing. It's a little retro-y, vintage beauty. I love this website and all the fun, quirky jewelry, shoes and clothes. But when I saw this watch and just fell in love and the bonus is it's not that expensive but oh so pretty.


Option 2 - I don't particularly care for Ferggie's fashion choices in general but I love her shoes. Seems a bit odd, but she's got some pretty great shoes...for example:

Option 3- Or these beauties. I've been salivating over these for quite some time. Sassy, yes?

OR

I could just go to Barnes & Noble - enough said.

What do you think?

My Happy Place

As you all are well aware, I am a HUGE book lover. I love all things related to and pertaining to books. When having a bad day I can pick up a book or walk into a book store and immediately feel better. I've said this many times but growing up I always dreamed of having the library from Beauty and the Beast and I am well on my way. My mom joked that when I get my own place and/or get married, I'll need a two bedroom apartment just so I can fit all my books...tee-hee. It makes me giddy just thinking about it.

I have a friend from the ward, Heidi. She has a hilarious blog - check it out here - seriously. It's great. Anyway, she goes to this used book sale in Phoenix every year and it's next weekend. Can I just say how insanely jealous I am? If I had known about this sooner I definitely would have gone.

Well...there's always next year!

Oh What a day...

It's been a fairly productive day. I woke up at 7:45 this morning, thanks to the garbage truck outside my window, and decided to just get up. So I headed to the gym...the first time in who knows how long. Well, I know how long, but I'm not going to tell you - the point is, I put in a good hour at the gym this morning. I came home, made myself an omelet, i tried to make myself an omelet but it tasted pretty good. I then, with Lisa's help, started a project that would then take over the rest of my day.

I started school this month and I decided that I really need a desk. I also got my annual bonus last week and thought now would be a good time to purchase said desk. Seems like a fairly simple and straightforward venture. It is now 10:23 and Lisa is still working on putting my desk together. Yes, she's putting it together. I find it's easier to let her do it than help. She's good at it and just sort of takes charge and does it. Why are we still working on this so late? Why is my room in shambles, you ask? Well, in the process of moving my $15 Target bookshelf to the other side of my room, it broke. Books fell everywhere and the shelf was beyond repair. So we went to Ikea in search of a desk and possibly a bookshelf. I find a bookshelf, but not a desk and Lisa finds a really great Draft Table. HOWEVER, it will not under any circumstances fit into my small car. We call around to friends and family with larger vehicles and finally found someone that would/could let us borrow their car. We leave Ikea, without buying anything and stop to get some lunch on the way to University Hospital to trade cars with our dear friend, Megan.

We went to Zuppa's (so good!) but as I go to get my wallet from my purse to pay for my lunch, I realize that I don't have my wallet. It is buried under a mountain of books and odds and ends on my bed at home because I took it to the gym with me this morning. Lisa was kind enough to pay for my lunch. We drive all the way back to the apartment, get my wallet, double check measurements, go up to University Hospital, trade cars with Megan and head back out to Ikea. We had a slight detour to Target, Office Depot and Office Max before we actually made it back to Ikea. We purchase the bookshelf and drafting table and head back home. But before we get home we have to stop at Office Depot on 21st to pick up my desk because the location in Fort Union didn't have the desk I wanted in the store. Turns out this desk is approximately 150 lbs and it took Lisa and a store clerk to get it into the car.

We start calling around to guys we know to see if they'd be able to help us bring it into the apartment. We weren't having any luck until Lisa's friend responded and brought all his roommates. So almost four hours later...we're still not done and Lisa still hasn't put together her drafting table.

It's been a productive day but I need another day in my weekend.

So this is the dress that I'm wearing for my friend's wedding. I think it's pretty. It is so much better than all the other dresses we tried on. The other two bridesmaids are a size 4. I am not a size 4. Dresses they looked good in did not look good on me. I am a bigger girl. I need me some structure! I may or may not wear it again but it's not bad, as far as bridesmaid dresses are concerned.

It's a sad day...

I'm selling my piano. I've said this before and it hasn't happened but this time I mean it. I need the money. It's kind of ironic. The piano sat in my parent's basement for a little over a year and didn't get much playtime because of the gorgeous Petrof Grand piano upstairs. I didn't play it much in my other apartment because I was worried about the neighbors, even though they were loud and obnoxious. I didn't start playing it until I moved in with Lisa. She doesn't mind listening to me play and she likes to sing along. It's gotten quite a bit of use in the past 8 months or so. BUT bills must be paid and I'm tired of coming up short every month and worrying about whether or not my rent check is going to bounce. So I'm selling it. If you know of anyone that is in the market for a gently used and greatly loved piano, let me know.

Venus was stolen

This is "Venus and the Three Graces" by Alessandro Botticelli c. 1483. I bought this poster at the Louvre last summer when I was there but it was stolen on the train ride to Edinburgh. Why someone would steal a poster that was rolled up and that you wouldn't be able to tell what it is, I couldn't say, but they did. It made me sad. So my parents were in Paris a couple of weeks ago and they attempted to get this poster for me but I, of course, had no idea what the painting was called or who did it and I could only give them a rather vague description. "It was of a woman, maybe an angel. It was sort of cracked like a fresco..." yeah, very helpful, i know. Needless to say the poster that they did get for me wasn't the same poster. But they got a bunch of coasters and cards and this was one of them. SO now I know what the painting...rather fresco...is called and who did it.