This is...

the. 

most.

AMAZING.

notepad.

EVER.

image courtesty of Anthropologie

I Juuuuust...

bought THIS!

and I love it tremendously. 

It's just soft and flowy, and fits super cute,
and oh! it's way comfy on the little tailbone nerve that's driving me batty.

  I actually got it in black...this color is cute, but the black is even cuter ;)

image courtesy of Nordstroms

I Heart Color

I was just introduced to THIS today.

Pretty Pics + Color Schemes = True Love!

Oh how my life is forever changed.

images courtesy of Design Seeds

Craft Projects I WILL Complete...

one day...

I have an ever growing list of saved links to tutorials and craft projects that I simply MUST do.  Yet I never get around to doing them.  This is because I am either missing just one tiny yet completely essential element of the supply list, or an important tool is stealthily hidden in some box somewhere (I am constantly moving so I am never completely unpacked), or I am just plain lazy...one or all of the above is generally the case.

Well I saw this today and yup, added it to the list.  How cool are they?!  I totally gotta make them!  Of course...ummm...I don't have paint swatches, but ya know, one day when I do, I'll totally make them.

image credits: How About Orange, paint swatch boxes

Another thing I HAVE to make is this...for my neice.  She loves pink more than I do, which is saying a lot.  And she loves frills and sparkles and all things fancy.  It's perfect.

image credits: Prudent Baby

Then I also want to make these.  I can use them to compile more lists.  Yay!

image credits: DaisyJanie, mini pocket notebooks

Secret Crush

So one of my dreams is to quit teaching and do graphic design and digital art all day every day.  I therefore read many blogs and websites to learn and practice new skills and to just learn the ins and outs of the design field.

One of my favorite blog/websites is Just Creative Design.  The site itself is an awesome resource, but not gonna lie, I am totally crushing on the little 23 year old Aussie who owns the site.  Not only is Jacob Cass an awesome designer, excellent writer, extremely knowledgeable about the craft, and just all around cool...he is just SO stinkin' adorable too! ;)

image credits: screenshot of Just Creative Design website

I Am Liking...

this...

and this...

and these...

Now realistically I am probably not going to purchase the $700 Coach purse or the $80 Urban Outfitters coat rack, but the Toms???  

Well...the thing about the Toms, 

like the reason why it would be totally justifiable to actually purchase them for reals...

even though yes, I already have three pairs....

is that ever since the "pain in the bum" started, I can only wear flat shoes.  

However, my wardrobe is greatly lacking flat shoes, therefore it is only necessary I augment the areas in which I am weak.

Self improvement is always a good thing, right?? ;)

LuciusArt

It's Not My Fault

It's so not my fault that my postings are so totally sporadic of late.  I still don't have cable functioning at 100% in my new apartment...still...

This means I have to find better things to do with my time than spend my evenings watching the Bachelorette or the Kardashians.  As if.

But, this brought a smile to my face in the midst of the cable crisis so I thought I'd share.

Also, Snapfish is doing a buy 1 photobook get TWO FREE deal right now.  Hello amazing. That makes me smile too.

*not sure who the doxie image belongs to so if you know please let me know :)

Barely Survived.

I moved into a new apartment this week.

And I love it.

It's super cute.

But the thing about moving is that it is not only the biggest pain in the butt (well, next to my real pain in the butt), but it means that you are inevitably without internet access for at least two days as your cable subscription transitions...hence my lack of posts for the past few days.  Living without the internet is practically impossible.  Seriously, how did we ever do it before??  I mean, there was a time, not that long ago, when I, and people in general, rarely used the internet, if at all.  

I know.  

Crazy talk.

But we survived just fine during those days.  So in theory we should be able to survive today without immediate access to the web.  However, after a few days in my apartment sans internet, you'd be convinced that theory was boloney.  I barely made it.  I was starting to get physical reactions due to my lack of cyber connectivity.

Well, finally today, after much anticipation, the cable guy arrived to set up my TV and internet. However...

as per usual...

because nothing in my life is ever simple...

it seems my sparkling fancy new apartment has faulty cable wiring and does NOT receive a cable signal and therefore canNOT get cable.  

OF COURSE it can't.  

of course.  

So it seems I will be without cable for a bit longer than expected.  Like several weeks longer than expected.  Lordy.  They have to rewire my apartment or something complicated and technical like that.

Sweet.

I am stoked as you can imagine.

(and by stoked I mean not. stoked.).

But ya know, this is just another ordinary day in my world ;) 

On a sort of related note but not quite, here is an adorable side table and chair I think I may need to purchase for my new apartment.  

 Gigi Nightstand, Urban Outfitters

 Madeline Chair, Urban Outfitters

It would be awesome to watch some cable TV or view the internet from this darling chair, but...oh right, I DON'T HAVE CABLE. 

Happy Fourth of July!

photo: independence day beads by me

Snapped that the other day and thought it was a fun shot.

I love the red, white, and blue color combo...not just because it's my home colors, though admittedly that probably has a bit to do with it.  I mean, I've grown up pledging allegiance to those colors every single day of my life...and I do mean every day.  Being a teacher, leading the flag salute is part of my job description.  Ha!  Anyways,  back to the colors...red, white, and blue...a bold, bright color combo...clean and crisp...even kinda fun you could say...but despite how much I love it, I just can't wear those colors any other day but July 4th.  

None.  

Never.  

Not any of the other 364 days of the year.

Only July 4th or I feel silly...

like I'm having my own 4th of July celebration on a completely unrelated day. 

And I really like these colors...like hello, denim looks so cute with red and white!

Oh darn you Independence Day...totally cramping wardrobe options.

A Real Pain in the Bum...

Literally.

I've had a literal, real life pain in my bum (and back) for the past two months-ish and well, it completely knocked me off my feet for a bit there.  No pun intended, although it totally did literally knock me off my feet.  

I've pretty much been on my couch all day every day.*

I am still not quite 100%...

I'd say maybe 72ish%...

some days I'm dancing around the 35% mark which is rather undesirable....

But other days I'm almost 83% which is awesome.  I can go to the grocery store on those days ;)  

Geez.  

This has been quite the test of patience, peace, and faith.

 

For me, little miss jets-to-the-gym-daily-loves-to-run-do-yoga-kill-it-in-spin-class-hop-from-this-activity-to-the-next, sitting all day on my bumsky, for weeks on end has been difficult to say the least. 

Due to what seems to be some sort of sciatic nerve issue, I've definitely done a 180 degree lifestyle change...which in the grand scheme of things, hasn't been bad really.  I almost wonder if the universe was just trying to slow me down so I could take a look at my life,  recenter myself, remember what makes me happy and what doesn't, and reprioritize.  

While I most certainly had (still have) hard, completely non-positive days when I thought I would be debilitated forever and that my fate in life was to lie on a couch watching movies all day every day (I'm super overly dramatic at times...my family loves it), I would say overall, during this time, I have definitely become a more peaceful, centered person.  I might have been a bit of stress case prior to this, running at 120 mph, not eating well, or sleeping well, totally unfocused creatively cuz I had too much zipping through my head at any given time...but now, after slowing my life to a mere 5 mph pace, reading many healing through meditation books, soaking daily in warm baths, having much time to sit in peace and creative contemplation, work on my crafts, visit with family and friends...I'm feeling pretty good.

I am a big fan of Angel Cards and Positivity Cards.  I do them everyday and find them to be so uplifting and positive.  They have certainly helped me through this time.  Every card I pull seems to be EXACTLY what I need to hear.  And they are pretty too. 

These are the ones I like if you wanna give them a try.  They truly are beautiful and the words they speak are so encouraging even if you don't believe in this kind of thing at all :)

Mermaid and Dolphin Oracle Cards
(I believe your purchase supports ocean/marine life causes...awesome)

Power Thought Cards

This is my very favorite Mermaid and Dolphin card...

awww...*warm fuzzy*

I have so missed blogging!  Well now that I really think I am in the healing phase...I still have some doctors to see and whatnot, but I really think I am on the up and up...I will be here much more regularly!  I may even have some artsy downloads for you since I 've been doing a lot of creative crafting lately.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend those of you in the grand ol'
US of A!

*on my couch all day every day = catching up on lots and lots of movies! reviews to come in a later post perhaps...