A lesson for life

I subscribe to a daily e-mail news letter called Daily Challenge. Everyday a reminder to better myself and the world around me arrives in my inbox. Things like "smile at 3 people today", "pick up a piece of litter", "set an alarm to remind you to march in place for 1 minute..." may sound simple and maybe a little silly (what if you're waiting in line at Starbucks when that reminder to march sounds?) but it's surprising what completing an easy little task can do for your mood when you know it's bettering your life even in the simplest way. Also, I'm the sort of person who adds tasks I've already done to my to-do list just so I can cross them off, so getting to check that little "done" box is one of my favorite things. Today the challenge was, "Recall your favorite subject in high school, and list 3 reasons why you liked it." For me that subject was AP Psychology. Now, I know I've already written about psychology, so this may not come as a surprise, but when I thought about the top reasons I loved it so much none of them were subject matter.

The very top reason was my teacher. She was intelligent, funny, a little crazy, but most of all she was easy to relate to. She let her students into her life and get to know her, which isn't something many teachers do. Her antics (she got up on her desk the first day of class and sang "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield to prove to us how much she loved him) made going to class interesting. She always came up with tricky ways to teach us, so that most of the time we didn't even realize we were learning something.
One way she earned our respect was that she treated us as responsible (almost)adults. She expected us to do our best, gave us help when we needed it, and was interested in our lives outside of the classroom. She knew about the things high-schoolers do outside of school (the phrase "I didn't hear that" came out of her mouth frequently) but didn't judge, and so gained our trust. It's been six years since my senior year of high-school but I'm still friends with my teacher on Facebook. I frequently check out her page to see what she's up to, as do many of her former students (as evidenced by the numerous comments on her wall). Although I may have forgotten some of the academic lessons learned in her class I'll always remember how an open-mind, a respectful attitude, and a little bit of understanding can get you a long way.

And just incase you're wondering, the other two reasons this was my favorite class weren't nearly as lofty: it was the last class of the day, and my closest friends sat next to me.

What would you write about your favorite high-school class? How about your favorite teacher?

Falling for Fall

I went on a window shopping spree last week and am a little embarrassed to admit how giddy all of the fall lines made me. Don't get me wrong I love eating on the patio, lazing on the beach, and sunset at 9:00pm, but when summer ends there's nothing (and I mean NOTHING) more exciting than sweaters, boots, scarves, and the day I can finally order a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Seriously, I drink at least 4-5 of these a week once they appear on coffee shop menus.

Last year, I tried my hand at baking these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.

I made them intending to bring them to a party, but liked them so much that my boyfriend and I ate the whole batch ourselves (my friends got some homemade cookies, don't worry I didn't show up empty handed).

Needless to say, I'll be making those again. I'll also be making pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread, and anything else I can mix a can of pumpkin puree into. But until I get to indulge in my favorite flavor, I'll keep on enjoying the Mojitos and salads of summer.

Is there a particular season you love simply because you get to eat your favorite foods?

The To-Do list!

As soon as my camera cord finds it's way out of hiding, I will share pictures of the new place. The unpacking is almost completely done, furniture is in place (although I have a feeling I'm going to be playing with layouts a bit), even pictures have been hung. As I said in my previous post, this place is feeling quite homey already but there's still quite a ways to go until I'll consider it a finished product. So here's my to-do list:

1. To start with I'll need one of these pretty pretty chalkboards to write my list on.

This one belongs to Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere, but I'm hoping to make one for myself in the near future.

2. Separate Rooms- even though this place is still technically a studio apartment, there's a bunch more space (way more than anything I've had since before college) and even separate living and bedrooms. The one problem being that there is an open archway between the two and not an actual door. I'd like to get a screen or even a patterned curtain to separate the rooms.

3. Window treatments- I always put off dressing my windows until eventually I just forget about it and live with plain old venetian blinds. This year, hopefully I find something that strikes my fancy enough to make me spring for something a little prettier. I tend to get overwhelmed when looking at window treatments, however, so I may just end up with floor length white Ikea panels.

4. A new coffee table. Enter Craigslist, the search will be on. I bought most of my current furniture off of a college housemate when she moved off to work for Google, and I moved into my first solo place. The table is from Ikea, and probably the smallest coffee table they have. It was great when I had one room to fit everything in, but looks a little awkward in the now larger living room.

5. Craigslist search numero deux- a new couch. The current loveseat is also a hand-me-down and it has definitely seen better days. I'm also considering a slipcover, but it seems likely that I'll find a decent couch on craigslist for less money than buying a slipcover that won't look sloppy.

6. Artwork! Artwork! Artwork! With more rooms comes more wall space. I need more things to hang on walls. Again, I've got some ideas but they're going to take some searching.

The good thing about starting this blog is that "researching" has led me to a dozen really, truly, amazing blogs that have some pretty great ideas for decorating/renovating/DIY projects on the cheap. I've never been very good at finding things at flea markets or antique shops, but I'm inspired to give it a go!

New digs

For the past week I've been packing, cleaning, and moving boxes into my new apartment. I have to say it's much less stressful to move over a period of a week instead of a day. Also, much less organized.
If you went to the University of Minnesota, then you know that Sept 1st is moving day for pretty much anyone living in a mile radius of campus. The problem with this is that everyone moving into a new apartment on September 1st had to move OUT of their previous apartment on Aug 31st. This leaves much of the the student population "homeless" for a day. A lot of students have family living nearby so, luckily, they have a place to store their stuff short term. Others rent a U-haul truck for the day and leave their stuff inside overnight, or end up having to put some of their belongings in storage. Luckily I have an aunt and uncle who live in The Cities, which means I stayed with them for a week in between apartments one year. The next year, my housemates and I literally moved into the house directly next door to us. We emptied all of our belongings into the shared parking lot and basically hung out until we were allowed to move our stuff into our new rooms.
This year, having 2 whole weeks in which to move was extremely helpful. I didn't have to take vacation from work, or recruit 20 of my closest friends to help me empty boxes before noon. My boyfriend is oddly excited about packing, cleaning, and unpacking and since moving is probably in the bottom 10 of my favorite activities, I was beyond thrilled to learn of his enthusiasm. In fact, he was so anxious to help that he actually unpacked 90% of the boxes while I was at work tonight. He made what was basically a jungle-gym of cardboard this afternoon look like an inhabitable space by 10pm!
Tonight will be the first night of sleeping here and I have to admit it feels like home already!

Where the sidewalk ends.

Listen to the MUSTN'TS child
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me-
ANYTHING can happen child
ANYTHING can be
-Shel Silverstein

Chances are you've seen this poem somewhere before, and probably more than once. As a kid I believed this whole heartedly, and literally. If I wanted it bad enough, I could learn to fly, be a princess, or become an international pop star (despite my awful singing voice). As I got a little older I realized that no matter how badly I wanted it, I was simply not going to be able to sprout wings and fly away. I set my sights on more practical things such convincing my mom I was old enough to go to the mall without supervision, and planning my wedding to one of the Backstreet Boys.

Somewhere in middle school, around 7th grade I believe, I had a guidance councilor who rewarded students who earned high enough grades with something called a "goals group." We would get to skip one class a month to attend, and basically it was happy hour for middle schoolers. We'd order pizza and soda and talk about our current problems, goals, and plans. The groups were set up by gender so I spent them with about 5 other girls, and I remember feeling truly accepted for the first time of my young life. We all had the same worries about our bodies, boys and school for the most part.

That's where my interest in psychology started. From that point on I've pretty much been on the psychology track, with minor detours around interior design (hence the increasing number of design aspects in this blog) and small business ownership (I dreamed about owning a bookstore/coffee shop for a short while). Now it's time for me to figure out what comes next. The problem is is that college was sort of the end of my sidewalk. Now I'm sort of floating, and trying to decide which sidewalk is next. The exciting part is that anything can happen child, anything can be.

Are you on your dream sidewalk? Or on your way?

Pretty for Pennies

If I owned this dress, I don't think I'd ever take it off.

I instantly fell in love with this Rachel Gilbert dress, but even if it wasn't sold out that $700 price tag would have made it impossible for me to afford.

This forever 21 dress has the same romantic, flowy style for much, much less.

The sparkle can be added with accessories, like this sequined belt and headband, which can be purchased from here and here.

I've seen quite a few fashion blogs that use high end pieces for inspiration, then try to imitate the look without creating sticker shock. I've come to realize this is an amazing idea because it allows you to start with pieces that you truly love regardless of budget. This is my first shot at using this idea, so what do you think? Did I get it, or did I miss my mark completely?

Stripped Down

I have always preferred live versions of songs over their studio produced counterparts, but lately the stripped down acoustic versions have really been drawing me in. Podcasts like NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts and KEXP's Live Performances podcast are loaded on my ipod to form the soundtrack for my drive to and from work. Something about the setting of these mini concerts really makes me happy. It's sort of like seeing your favorite artists as they were before they hit it big: just hanging out, playing music.

This got me thinking, are all things better stripped down? I've been packing up all my odd and ends and things around my apartment that aren't essential, and I realized... I have a lot of junk. I have drawers and piles of papers that I'm pretty sure I don't need. I keep way too much including old birthday cards, happy meal toys (yes, I still buy happy meals, albeit very rarely), old magazines, old school notebooks and papers, the list goes on. I just have a hard time throwing things away, it feels so wasteful. I know I'm probably never going to need my pay stub from last January, but it makes me nervous to throw it out. How do you pare down what gets put into drawers or filed away, and what to toss?

I have this problem with little knick-knacks and decorations too. I have a ton of candles, photo frames, and little momentos. Most have meaning to me, some I think are just plain pretty, and some I just haven't bothered to throw away (like the incense burner I purchased in college and haven't used for at least 3 years). I've done some purging of unnecessary things while packing but probably I'm going to have to do some more as I unpack as well.

I'm going to have to find a way to hit a happy medium so I don't end up with an apartment that looks like this

or this

Eggplanted.

My last trip to the St. Paul farmer's market was simply an excuse to get together with my aunt for a morning of catching up and enjoying the splendid Minnesota weather while it lasts. My purchases included another fresh bouquet (sadly, this one didn't last more than a couple of days and a lone perky sunflower is all that is left on my windowsill) a baguette, and some sweet corn. My crown jewel purchase, however, was an eggplant. Mind you I had absolutely no idea what to do with an eggplant, but the perfectly shaped, perfectly purple little vegetable wouldn't let me walk away without it.
I spent some time sorting through all of the grilled eggplant, roasted eggplant, eggplant parmigiana recipes until I found this little gem: Stuffed Eggplant with Shrimp and Basil. Seeing as I have a basil plant threatening to outgrow it's second pot, this was absolutely perfect. It was flavorful and simple to prepare. Even though I have to admit that I will definitely cut the amount of breadcrumbs next time, there will be a next time for this dish.

And now, some more eggplant flavored treats currently asking me to bring them home.
I'm convinced I would be uber productive if this were my work space.

Room lust

I'm moving to a new apartment in a few weeks and as a result I have found myself obsessively reading design blogs and magazines searching for inspiration to make my new apartment feel a bit more "grown-up." I came across this image on Avant Garde. Have you ever seen a room more me????

I think not.

You're going where?

I work in the healthcare field and as a result I rarely get entire weekends off of work. A couple of weekends ago I ended up having Saturday AND Sunday off so the boy, his brother, and I decided that a trip was in order. We contemplated Chicago, but 12 hours round trip would give us little time to enjoy the city. Instead we decided on Des Moines, Iowa. Upon telling almost anyone where we were headed they promptly asked "You're going where? What's in Des Moines?" As it happens, it's quite a lovely midwestern city.

Every Saturday, they have an absolutely wonderful farmer's market. More than four blocks long, and 2 blocks wide, they have everything from fresh picked produce to hand made hats. I sipped on the most delicious mint iced tea as we browsed. There were plenty of things I would have purchased, but ended up walking away with only a bottle of wine from these guys. The wine has since been consumed and the bottle will make a splendid vase.
The rest of the weekend was spent casually strolling the sweet little shops, eating some fantastic food (if you find yourself in Des Moines, don't miss Dos Rios or Fong's crab rangoon pizza) swimming. It ended up being a great choice for such a short trip; with just enough to do to keep ourselves occupied and no feeling like we had to be running around every minute of those two days to fit it all in.

Pear-ed Up.

I've never really been a rule follower. Not to say that I'm a rule breaker either. I'd say I'm a rule bender. I usually try to follow the rules in my own way.


That is until it comes to fashion. For some reason, I tend to follow the few rules of fashion I know: Don't pair black and brown, don't wear socks with sandals, ect. I've never really thought of myself as a particularly stylish or trendy person so the rules give me some guidance when I would otherwise feel lost. When I decided to focus on finding my personal style as part of this project, naturally, the first thing I did was turn to the internet to look up the current rules.

I am a classic pear shape. I definitely have a larger bottom and fuller legs compared to my waist. Here are the rules I've found to be pretty standard across the board for someone with my body shape:

- Wear darker bottoms, whether it be jeans, skirts, or a swim suit bottom. Darker shades are more effective at camouflaging fuller areas.

- Wear brighter colors or patterns on top. This brings the eyes up and in conjunction with the dark bottoms  will have a slimming effect

- A-line skirts are best. They sit close the waist and skim the areas I'd like to keep the focus off of.

- Nude shoes will make your legs look leaner and longer. Add a little heel and the effect is intensified.

- Jeans should be bootcut or wide-legged to balance out a full set of hips.

Armed with these tips I've scoured a few of my favorite stores for pieces that fit the bill and here are a few of my favorites.

Steve Madden Unifyy shoes. I've never been a heels wearer but I have these in black and they are wonderfully easy to walk in and stay comfortable for hours.

I love the neck detail, the sash, and the playful elephant print on this dress, it's a little out of my price range, but maybe it will go on sale soon :)

I've never purchased anything from Anthropologie, but have always loved the sweet, vintage inspired clothing.

Since this is not a fashion blog I will stop with those 3 things, but promise to share any exciting purchases with you.

Farmer's market fare

Monday morning, on my way home from work, I decided to make a quick pit stop at the farmer's market. I wish it was possible for me to buy all organic food at the store, but it is simply too expensive. The farmer's market is a great way to get my favorite fresh produce for a decent price.

The raspberries will hopefully be turned into these . The mini summer squash are wonderful simply grilled with a little bit of salt and butter, and the flowers add insta-cheer to my little studio apartment.

It was the first time I've made it there this season, but the wide variety of veggies and fresh cut flowers are sure to see me back again next week!