blogosophere round up

in lieu of a belated motivated monday (wednesday) post, i'm just going to throw together a super quick "round up" of things i've seen & liked on the blogosphere lately. i promise that next week i'll post not once, but twice! hopefully. (i was in pain all day yesterday with a ridiculous migraine, so this post didn't happen when it was supposed to. unfortunately the migraine is slowly creeping back in today, so this will be a bit of a random post)

perfect patio re-do!

before:

& after:

i love the colors, love the chalkboard, the brick walls and the comfy pillows.

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freeze black coffee as ice cubes and toss in a glass of bailey's. um, best idea ever, no?

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a pretty little ombre necklace DIY:

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and also from emily, a perfect list of summer eats with recipes:

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perfect summer hair. i'm going to try to do this in the bahamas:

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bourbon cream rootbeer floats?!

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good tips on packing light with your cosmetics:

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again - i promise i'll be back soon and will post a ridiculous amount of posts once work slows down in 5 weeks. promise.
i'm struggling a little bit and feeling more than a tiny bit burned out.
so if you have any motivating words (or alcoholic beverage recipes!) feel free to share.

#4: own an original art piece

in lieu of an already belated motivated monday (wednesday) post, i thought i'd share some art that i've been looking at.

#4 on my 30before30 list is to own an original art piece. now, we have several photographs hanging in our home that i've taken, but i don't want to own my original art work, i want someone else's.

have you ever tried to shop for art before?

it is hard.

especially when you're ruling out photography, which i am.

but one artist that i've found, michael cina, has kind of stuck out in my mind. it's definitely not something that i would've gone for in the past - i've never considered myself a huge fan of abstract art, i've usually preferred to be able to see clearly what it is that i'm looking at in an art piece. but there are some pieces on his site that i can easily picture hanging above a dove grey couch in a living room with white walls and pops of color here and there.

and this guy's work, gabriel moreno, is absolutely incredible. i think to own one of his pieces would probably cost something pretty ridiculous, so i'll just look and admire from afar.

even though some night not consider this "art" in the traditional sense of the word, sideshow sign co makes large, vistage-looking custom lettering that i think would fit in nicely in a breakfast nook or even in a perfect spot in a bedroom.

what kind of art do you typically go for?

would you spend the (large amount of) money for an original piece?

reading list update

I've finished another book (The Virgin Suicides), so I'm about to start book #7 of the year! 

I've been really, really excited to get started on Blood, Bones & Butter. I just bought it on my Kindle and am crossing my fingers that I can start it on my lunch break today instead of studying modules and working through lunch.
PS. I plan on replacing both the Stieg Larsson books on this list, I'm kind of over them.

So here is my list as it currently stands.

1. Not That Kind of Girl: A Memoir - Carlene Bauer

2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

3. The Same Kind of Different As Me - Ron Hall

4. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

5. Wild - Cheryl Strayed

6. Arcadia - Lauren Groft

7. Unorthodox - Deborah Feldman

8. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - Paul Torday

9. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson

10. Blood, Bones & Butter - Gabrielle Hamilton

11. Bringing Up Bebe - Pamela Druckerman

12. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides

motivated wednesday: travel edition

i'm a little bit in denial about the fact that today is june 6. i'm not quite sure that i really believe that, because i feel like it should still be april. but that just means i've got to work really hard to accomplish more on my list in the next 6 months. 

since my birthday trip is now officially less than a month away (we leave on july 5!) and one of my most favorite people in the world has decided to join in on the trip last minute (yes!!!!), i'm feeling like i should put together a travel post. so i've split this post in two:

1. romantic vacations that i'd love to take with the husband - you know, waking up late, coffee on the terrace, midnight dinners with lots of wine, etc etc.

& 2. vacations that i'd love to take with the husband + my other favorites - you know, packing your own liquor bottles in your luggage, waking up late for a very different reason, afternoon lunches with lots of wine, etc etc.

i subscribe to daily candy and every now & then i get an email from them that either leaves me super jealous or super motivated. recently, i got an email describing the dream vacations of the daily candy editors, and i gotta say - they're dead on. these editors picked some amazing places that i would certainly put on my dream list, too.

here are a few pictures + places that i'd deem perfect for those romantic, recreating the honeymoon type of trips. as usual click on the source link at the very bottom for the entire article. trust me, you'll want to look at it.

hoshinoya karuizawa, japan

nicaragua

palazzo margherita, italy

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as far as the vacations with friends, here's what i picture:

 

i have no idea where this picture was taken, but i'd love to do a camping trip to the redwood forest with several friends (also, starting a camping tradition is on my 30before30 list!)

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this crazy hotel has a glass roof in every room to allow you to see the northern lights (also on my 30before30 list!)

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nyc!

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what's your dream vacation?

solo, romantic or family trips?

 

(see my 30before30 list here)

as seen from my iphone

I decided that every now and then I'll be posting pictures of life, as seen from my iPhone.

First edition starts now! (I guess it's kind of the 2nd edition, since I did this with a Motivated Monday post a few weeks ago)

PS. This also counts as a happy list, because all of these make me very, very happy.

(see my 30before30 list here)

motivated wednesday

All day yesterday, I was thinking that it was a Monday instead of a Tuesday, since I had Memorial Day off from work. Isn't that the best surprise ever? When you realize (over & over again throughout the day) that you're one day closer to another weekend than you realized. 

I'm done training my eight week new hire class, and another eight week one starts this coming Monday, the 4th. So I'm trying to really enjoy this week of having a normal work schedule and not too many obligations at work - so far, so good. It helps that I had a fantastic weekend. It was filled with a little niece and a little nephew, basketball games, pulled pork sandwiches with friends I haven't seen in too long, and patio time. It didn't feel like 3 days, but that's ok. I'll take it.

I had a lot of fun putting together this Motivated Wednesday post...hope you enjoy it too!

starting a garden is #9 on my 30before30 list, but i don't want to start one in my current house since we're moving in a little over a year. so this DIY hanging basket garden seems like an easy, logical way to get some practice in before we're in our "forever home"...and it would count as a craft project, since becoming crafty is #17 on my list! it's a twofer.

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also, a handy "tutoring session" on gardening, seen here.

i love this cute compilation of "travel essentials"...as if i needed more motivation to cross off #1 (visit santorini, greece), #15 (visit barcelona and madrid, spain) & #19 (visit maui again).

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on my quickie summer to-do list, i said that i'd take more photos this summer. this is mostly so that i make sure that i accomplish #12: master taking photos the way i picture them in my brain. this is a really hard task, but shops like this encourage me to keep trying. i've been reading her blog for a couple of years now and love looking through her work. some examples:

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this isn't really aimed at any of my 30befo30 goals (except maybe hosting sunday night suppers?), but i'd like to make some flavored waters to have around the house when we have guests. since our backyard has been done (and finally has, you know, grass! and places to sit!), we've had a lot more guests over and it's been a blast. i want to keep enjoying our backyard this summer, so here are a few random motivators/ideas:

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backyard s'mores

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i mean, i could definitely handle adding this swing chair to our current or future backyard

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aaaand i would definitely not kick this chair out of bed either. oh, it's $500 you say? for a simple hanging chair? i'll just stare from afar.

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and lastly, for me.

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i'll be back on friday!
(see my full 30before30 list here)

guest post: pacific northwest inspirations

Hello! I'm Joanna, a writer for Arcadian Lighting, a terrific source for lighting fixtures of all styles. I love to write guest posts like this one to share interior design ideas and images on blogs such as 30 Before 30. My topic today is Pacific Northwest inspirations. This style would be perfect in a lodge-style home or a cabin deep in the woods. Hope you enjoy! The heart of Pacific Northwest style lies in a love of nature, which is a common element in spaces from lodges to urban lofts. Many of these homes feature diverse influences from Asian styles to early Modernism. Below are a few homes that embrace the Pacific Northwest style.

A gleaming honey-toned wood covers the walls and ceiling of a Zen bedroom. Of special note, are the logs used as beams at the ceiling. A sitting area provides a cozy space for conversation or reading.

An open plan space includes kitchen, dining, and living room. The ceiling treatment, which mimics the shape of a tipi, is phenomenal. The differing woods used add interest to the space. Strategically placed light fixtures add warmth.

Wood ceilings soar high above the spaces in another open plan living area. The pale blue gray color palette is soothing and calm.

A natural stone fireplace acts as a focal point in this rustic living room. Neutral furnishings add another natural element to the space.

An impressive example of early Modernism, this open floor plan features sweeping ceilings and an interesting circular architectural feature on the far wall. Track lights run the length of the space.

An ample use of windows brings nature indoors in this warm and cozy living space surrounded in wood.

A light filled bathroom features a Victorian soaking tub and painted wood on the walls and doors for extra brightness.

Another Pacific Northwest dÈcor with modern influences features an oversized sectional, light fixture and nature based artwork.†Images†1†|†2†|†3†|†4†|†5†|†6†| 7 | 8 Feeling inspired by this collection of Pacific Northwest interiors? Stop by Arcadian Lighting for more lighting ideas and affordable track lights, ceiling lights, and pendant lights!