ellen electric

my sweet pea

2011-12-26T17:42:00.006-06:00

In the course of my work at the Humane Society I meet a lot of dogs. We take them in when people can't keep them anymore or when they are found as strays. We also do rescues - when a hoarder is discovered, or a puppy mill is shut down, the dogs are seized by the department of agriculture and then transferred to our custody. We rehabilitate them and adopt them out. We bond with all of our dogs, but some of them just steal your heart in a different way. I fell in love with a rescued dachshund a few months ago. Her name is Paige. I can't adopt a dog right now, no matter how much I wanted her. I'm still recovering from seeing her walk out the door with someone else. Someday I'll fall in love with another one, and the timing will be right, and I'll be able to take that dog home, but until then I'm going to miss my sweet pea.

heeere, kitschy kitschy

2011-10-20T22:23:00.006-05:00

We have finally found a true flea market in our area. It's the kind you can get lost in if you don't keep track of landmarks - like the paper mache boar for thirty-five dollars, or the antique clown shoes for fifty, or the zither for seventy-five. There was also a huge, magnificent colonial-style dollhouse which I forgot to check the price on because I was too busy taking pictures of it to send to my mother. She went through a dollhouse phase in college and I thought she would like it. They even had a human skull for just three hundred and sixty-five dollars. I asked my dear husband if we could get it, and he said no. "You're not David Sedaris," he said. Oh, how I wish I were David Sedaris, who in his many travels frequents the kinds of shops where you can find practically anything you can think of. In one of his essays from Me Talk Pretty One Day he describes a customs form he once filled out on a trip home from France, declaring the following items:

Two-headed-calf skull
Ashtray in the shape of a protracted molar
Somebody's gallstone, labeled and displayed on an elegant stand
A set of eight Limoges dessert plates custom made for a pharmacy and hand-painted with the names of various lethal drugs
Suede fetus complete with umbilical cord
French eye chart that unintentionally includes the word FAT
Illustrated guides to skin rashes and war wounds

"I ran out of room long before I could mention my outdated surgical instruments", he wrote.

If the theme of Mr. Sedaris's purchases is The Unfathomable Darkness of Human Anatomy, mine is undoubtedly The Wonders of the Ananimate Animal Kingdom. If I had been able to buy as much as I wanted today I would have come home with a chipped but hefty old statue of a cartoonish French bulldog, an owl figurine made of seashells and rocks, the paper mache boar, one ceramic planter in the shape of a dachshund and another in the shape of a schnauzer, and four tiny figurines of a cat, a panda, a brown bear and a dog - five ninety-five for the set! I favor man-made materials over organics, because I like to avoid purchases that might bring vengeful spirits with them into my home.

P.S. That being said, had Blake not objected to it so strongly, even I might have been unable to pass up that unbeatable bargain on the human skull.

how to be a lady

2011-10-09T21:41:00.004-05:00

Only say curse words when you’ve burned yourself on something, forgotten an appointment, or stepped on a Lego; in any case, try not to yell them. Don’t be afraid to make a mess while you’re cooking, but be able to set a beautiful table. Own an address book, a recipe book, several kinds of stationery and at least one photo album and/or scrapbook. Own at least one quilt made by a relative and at least one piece of furniture that you stained, painted, stenciled or lacquered yourself. Never, ever embarrass anyone on purpose. Go out of your way to preserve the dignity of every earthly creature. Extend compassion to every person no matter how different their beliefs, upbringing or circumstances. Treat every Sunday dinner as if it is the most special of occasions. Make sure your children know how to sew a button, scramble an egg and unclog a toilet. If you have a husband, make sure he has his own space in your house – more than just a corner! Keep calm and carry on. Do things for yourself. Send thank you notes. Love your mother. Love yourself.

cute tumblr

2011-09-02T13:53:00.007-05:00

kitschy living
here

New job = puppy love

2011-08-13T13:58:00.008-05:00

Can you imagine having this many pairs of shoes to choose from on a daily basis? It would be incredible. I mean, it's not like I need this many shoes - I work at an animal shelter. The shoes I wear most often are black sneakers covered in dog fur. I have one pair of Toms that I wear when I'm not at work (which is not very much). I have the obligatory pair of flats that go with all of my nice outfits. I have boots for winter. I have plenty of shoes. But I'm not going to lie, this picture gives me a twinge of envy, because the woman who owns all of these shoes obviously has a glamorous job that pays her a lot of money. And even though I love my job, I still wish - every once in a while - that it was the type of job that could accomodate lipstick and high heels. And then I remember that high heels hurt and lipstick smears, and looking nice takes a lot of work, and I'm glad I can go to work in a t-shirt with a messy ponytail and nobody cares at all.

I love my job so, so much. I've been here for about two months and I've experienced so much joy and so much heartache and lots of surprises. Every dog is unique and sweet and funny in its own way, and I love them all so much. The best part: I finally have a job I can be proud of.

what would they wear?

2011-07-07T15:18:00.002-05:00

Textbook is a whimsical little tumblr page i recently found. the author is a person who claims to be a college grad working in the fashion industry but mostly writes more like a twelve year old girl. can't figure that one out. thankfully, the writing isn't the emphasis of the site. the point is to answer the question, "What would ___ wear?". Fill in the blank with any character, fictional or actual, you can think of, and this blog will come up with what they'd probably wear if they had access to today's high fashion.

This one is Eleanor of Aquitane

This is Eloise

This is Scout Finch

and this is Luna Lovegood.

So fun.

closets.

2011-05-18T17:20:00.005-05:00

i'm fixated on closets lately. neat, organized closets, and the clothes within them.

here's my thinking: if my closet is well organized, maybe that will make me feel better about owning such a small amount of clothing. am i on to something?

dainty

2011-04-25T17:40:00.003-05:00

hello from the library

2011-04-13T17:01:00.002-05:00

brought my computer to the library in st. charles today. not the closest to our house, but it's the nicest and our favorite, and it has internet! it's also our only way to go CD shopping anymore.

i love this loft. it's so minimalistic, but the curtains hanging everywhere make it less severe. (i love the dogs, too). the only thing i would change is the concrete floor - i'm for wood floors all the way.

married!

2011-04-08T01:18:00.005-05:00

I am a wife. :D

Blake and I don't have internet access at our new home, so blog posts will be few and far between for quite a while. We live in St Louis now in a little place currently filled with boxes. One of these days we'll finish unpacking and I'll take a few pictures, but I hate to break it to you - not exactly high on our list of priorities. Number one is getting well from the monster cold we've both had for over a week. Number two is finding jobs. Pictures of the house fall lower on the list, somewhere between making a curtain for our tiny tiny window and selling some furniture on craigslist.

I'll get back to you when I can, blogging world.

last day

2011-03-04T20:56:00.005-06:00

today was my last day at petsmart. i worked there for almost a year and i'm going to miss parts of it a lot.

like the guinea pigs

and the tortoises

and the baby chameleons.

but not the parakeets.

well, maybe a tiny bit. the little brats could be charming sometimes.

hair.

2011-03-03T20:16:00.002-06:00

i'm thinking about coloring my hair after the wedding.

maybe not so very red red, but something like it.

clothes

2011-02-27T19:55:00.003-06:00

While packing up my room, I discovered that my entire wardrobe fits into one big black trash bag and one smallish suitcase. The suitcase contains the clothes I actually wear, and the trash bag is full of stuff I should probably just give away. I don't know if I'm proud of that or sad about it. A little of both, I think. I'm not planning on overhauling my wardrobe after I'm married. I don't have the money or the energy. Having trendy clothes is something that matters less and less to me as I get older, but that being said, I still think I will never stop wishing I could wear skirts.

forever 21

glasses + glee

2011-02-10T18:29:00.002-06:00

I will be twenty-one in exactly one month.

what I want most for my birthday is to be married, and guess what?

I will be, two days after, on march 12! yay!

the only other thing I want for my birthday...

ray-bans. I desperately need new glasses.

(it's reached the point of being unsafe for me to drive at night).

in other news...

i love glee.

that's all.

dream house

2011-02-05T10:54:00.004-06:00

one of the main goals blake and i have is to own land, probably somewhere in tennessee. we love trees. lately i have been daydreaming about my forest house non-stop. i want to plant a bunch of perennial lilies just so the deer will come and eat them all up.

a.t.

comfy & sweet

2011-01-02T23:30:00.003-06:00

the two words which best sum up what i want from the home - and the life - i'll be making with blake this year. happy 2011.

apartment therapy

braids

2010-12-27T21:36:00.002-06:00

via we heart it

the vows

2010-12-26T17:01:00.004-06:00

The other day I was visiting Kelley, Blake's mom, at her office and she told me she had a surprise. She very carefully, very gently pulled a delicate piece of paper out of her bag and showed it to me. It was the original copy of the vows that her dad - Blake's grandad, a pastor - always used when he performed wedding ceremonies. Blake and I have always known those were the only vows we wanted to use on our day, especially because Grandad himself can't be there. When I saw them I started to cry. I had been feeling stressed and scared about the planning - one, because I want to get it all done in time, and two, because I want everyone to think it's nice and have a good time. But when I started reading the beautiful words I could feel myself settling down. When I read those vows, everything was finally focused. Kelley made a copy of them for me and now they are propped up on my dresser where I can see them every day.

so.

2010-12-10T15:16:00.007-06:00

i have been engaged for less than one month and we've already chosen a dress, ordered it, and had my first fitting (which was supposed to be in february - my dress arrived two months early. score!) we've also picked a venue and we're going to book it soon. we are so on top of this.

p.s. i am 98% sure that these are my wedding flowers (centerpieces, bouquets, everything): pink ranunculus!

Guess what?

2010-11-22T20:51:00.005-06:00

I'm engaged! Blake proposed this past Saturday at Forest Park in St. Louis. It was perfect and I am incredibly happy.

Now that it's all official, I can finally share my wedding ideas with the blogosphere. I think this is as good a place to start as any:

I'm so excited.

fox.

2010-11-14T21:45:00.005-06:00

remember this painting? it's mine. (mine as in i own it, not painted it. i can't paint.) i've posted about this painting before, quite some time ago, because i had just gotten it and i was really proud of it and i was going to hang it up in my room. well, that was a long time ago, and it still hasn't been hung up. it is SO EASY to hang a painting and i still just can't get around to doing it. so shameful. another shameful thing - i collect apothecary jars. (that's not the shameful part, that part's coming up). i only have five so far, but i'm very proud of them, and i want to take pictures of them so i can show them off. (here's the shameful part). unfortunately the only time I ever remember to do that is at night, when the lighting in my room is terrible, so no pictures currently exist. i've had them for a long time and they would make really great blogging material because they meet my own personal Good Post criteria: a) pictures of b) a collection of c) something cute that is also d) not typically collected by typical people. but since i'm such a terrible blogger, i'm going to reuse an old picture, and on top of that i'm going to leave it sitting here for probably a month or so before i post something else to replace it. get used to it.

eeeee

2010-10-28T18:21:00.002-05:00

from style me pretty

magic

2010-10-27T20:52:00.006-05:00

one day i will probably get this image tattooed on my body, because i'm a huge nerd for hayao miyazaki. blake and i watched kiki's delivery service today and i started thinking about all the different age groups miyazaki's movies work for. totoro and ponyo are about the fantastic joy of being a child, especially a child who knows that the world is magic. kiki's delivery service is about the in-between age when sadness and loneliness threaten to take the magic away. spirited away and castle in the sky (the source of the image above) are about discovering the power you contain within yourself. and my personal favorite, howl's moving castle, is about a girl who puts everyone before herself, who has grown up and decided that nothing magical will ever happen to her - but it does anyway. the best thing about these movies is that they're all about empowerment. people who had previously believed themselves to be normal are capable of extraordinary bravery, perfect love, boundless perseverance and unfailing loyalty.

see? i told you. i totally just nerded all over my blog. there it is.

chintz

2010-10-24T17:34:00.009-05:00

this comforts me.

i find it interesting that when i'm reading a magazine or looking at a website, layouts with clean lines and good organization appeal to me most - as is made obvious by my own blog - but in terms of decorating i am exactly the opposite. i hate modern decorating. i'm not messy and i hate clutter, but i like my space soft, squashy, flowery, rounded, muted, plush, lush. this explains why i want this room so much.

i want.

2010-10-06T17:28:00.006-05:00

at the start of every new season i check forever 21's website and decide what kind of look i want to go for.

hopefully this winter i can look like a put-together young adult, as opposed to shlumping around in sweatpants like i did last year.

hello, october?

2010-10-01T20:02:00.004-05:00

that happened fast. all september i kept waiting for something to happen so I'd have something to write about, and then all of a sudden, the month was over and i had only posted once. september is over and i will never be able to add a second post to its pitiful little archive. i don't think that's ever happened before. it's a little unsettling. but i guess when you go to work at six AM five days a week, that's just how it goes.

it's okay. october is new and full of promise.

hello, september!

2010-09-07T21:07:00.003-05:00

i have a confession. i look at design blogs a lot, but i rarely view the actual house tours. i did for a while but now i've gotten tired of lofts and bachelor pads and places that look more like art galleries than homes. the only time i read the full article is when the house is inhabited by small children, because it seems like young families have the best appreciation for a) natural light, b) squashy, comfortable furniture, and c) nature, which is my decorating style in a nutshell.

bring it on, tiny apartments of my future.

2010-08-16T01:03:00.004-05:00

one of these days, hopefully soon, blake will be getting his own place. I will of course continue to live with my parents, but I am still way excited because he has already agreed to let me help decorate/furnish. yay! he says it will eventually become my place, too, so why not? what a wonderful boyfriend I have. this is a great thing because it means I can finally take my favorite flea market housewares (owl-shaped napkin holder, toothpick holder that is also owl-shaped, blue and white bathroom set, star wars glasses, these plates, etc) out of their protective newspaper and put them in a home that almost belongs to me. it also means I need to start preparing myself for the task at hand - organizing a small space. luckily for me, my favorite design blog (which i can't seem to stop posting about) has much to teach me. it is also lucky that i dearly love to organize. to a borderline obsessive compulsive person like me, the following images are pure poetry.

cute.

2010-08-10T18:11:00.001-05:00

i am a fan of

2010-08-09T01:30:00.008-05:00

beds with many different prints

and chairs that have been painted pretty colors

and elly jackson from la roux and her gravity-defying hair.

i myself recently got a haircut. i took off a good six inches and i'm very pleased.

images via apartment therapy

that's all

kristiana parn

2010-06-29T23:06:00.008-05:00

i fell in love with kristiana parn's lovely little prints several years back. eventually i will actually own one (she's on etsy and they're actually not too expensive, I just have no place to put it) but in the meantime i'll just keep telling everybody how adorable they are. check her out here.

new shoes

2010-06-27T21:41:00.005-05:00

you know what i love? my toms. my beautiful gray toms. i just got them last wednesday and it already feels like i've been wearing them for months. they love on my feet all day long at work and they never hurt, even at the end of an eight-hour shift. miracle shoes.

the imaginarium of doctor parnassus

2010-06-20T01:20:00.005-05:00

I was absolutely enchanted by this movie. I know I say that about a lot of movies, like Ponyo and Seven Years in Tibet and Where The Wild Things Are, and I really mean it about those and I still think they are all captivating and beautiful, but Imaginarium was just different. It was like when we saw Leonard Cohen at the Fox Theatre and we kept smelling incense and I had goose bumps the whole time. this movie was the same way.

i'm planning a party.

2010-05-23T14:53:00.003-05:00

my sister is coming home from new zealand in june, and i'm going to throw her a party. (yes, i know you're reading this, gracie... suprise!) it's going to be an awesome weetzie bat garden fiesta. these images are my inspiration. super excited.

i like doilies.

2010-05-11T21:26:00.001-05:00

adorable

2010-05-05T23:25:00.010-05:00

when i have a home of my own, it's going to be covered in little garlands like these. thank you for brightening my day, apartment therapy.

happy may day!

2010-05-01T00:38:00.012-05:00

today i am double happy, because not only is it may day, it is also my three-year anniversary. three years of loving and being loved by my best friend in the whole world. i love everything about this day! to celebrate the merry month, fake flowers at their cutest, courtesy of style me pretty.

200

2010-04-20T01:05:00.005-05:00

This past winter was a very long winter for me. I spent most of it in sweatpants and hoodies or t-shirts from the boys' section at JC Penney, which is depressing on several levels. I need a new leaf. This happens to be my 200th post on blogger, so I have decided to dedicate it to the hope that the Forever 21 gods will be kind to me this spring and make these nice, whimsical things available in my size.

If not, then I guess it will be time to start making my own clothes. I'm crafty and I know my way around a sewing machine, but I have very little experience with clothing, except for buttons and small mending issues. For instance, a while ago I bought a dress that had looked good in the dressing room but made my head look tiny once I saw it in the mirror at home. I finally got fed up with it the other day and cut the collar off. And it looked good after that! I think I could be good at sewing. I cut straight lines and I'm great at following directions. The biggest issue will probably be tracking down free time. Remember when I used to wish I didn't have so much time to devote to this blog? Well, I got my wish. I'm a grownup now.

cute.

2010-04-12T17:16:00.002-05:00

The prettiest front porch in the whole world.

2010-03-29T22:58:00.005-05:00

Wish it was mine.

I started training at Petsmart today. It's weird. I have to do all these worksheets, and the questions are all about products in the store, except the worksheets are so old that some of the products no longer exist, which makes it virtually impossible to answer the questions... sigh.

Tomorrow will be better.

platypus + hippo

2010-03-29T00:13:00.004-05:00

Thanks for existing, Married To The Sea. I love you a lot.

a nice day

2010-03-23T00:30:00.007-05:00

today was a beautiful day, but i didn't trust it. i'm scared it will get cold and ugly again. i've been absolutely appalled by the nasty weather we've had the past few days. an ice storm on the first day of spring! how awful. i want warm weather to be here to stay. changing the subject - i also want to bake pies as pretty as these, and have this many adorable cake stands. i am obsessed with cake stands. it's a problem.

good news - i now have a job at Petsmart! i'm really happy. it seems like such a fun place to work. i love animals and i have never minded getting my hands dirty. i'm also excited because i found out that if you are working for Petsmart and want to become a dog groomer - which i do, very much - they will pay for your school. dog grooming is pretty much the only thing i would consider going back to school for. i hope i get to do it.

Carnations

2010-03-16T22:36:00.005-05:00

Carnations get a really bad rap, and that makes me sad. They can be so whimsical if you arrange them the right way. Also, they last practically forever. I have loved them since I was a little girl, and I will always love them, even if everyone else in the world thinks they are tacky.

Happy day.

2010-03-10T22:44:00.007-06:00

Today was my birthday and it was lovely. My belly is happy from South Avenue pizza and strawberry cake with white frosting. And then it stormed this evening, the perfect ending to a great day. I love rain in the springtime. And it really is almost springtime! As a kid that was always my clue: when my birthday came around, that meant spring was close. I'm excited for warm weather.

You know, it's nice to be twenty. I had been feeling older than nineteen for a while anyway. It's good to have the number match the feeling.

Who knew?

2010-03-06T12:10:00.003-06:00

You can buy this at Wal-Mart for $299.

Seems like a fair price for something I would use for my entire life in every single place I live in, ever. I waaaaant this.

It's that time of year again -

2010-03-02T20:43:00.004-06:00

time to covet dresses from forever 21.

If I sound whiney, it's because I'm whining.

2010-02-28T01:58:00.006-06:00

First of all, I'm tired of winter. My hair is dry, my skin is dry. My hands are so chapped that the knuckles are splitting and bleeding. I feel wretched. Also, my hamster got sick and even though I gave him medicine and Pedialyte and did everything I could do, he still died this morning. I miss him so much. My room is so lonely without the little guy. And to top it all off, my multivitamin scratched up my throat and hurt me when I swallowed it. But then I decided to engage in some risk-taking behavior by listening to 96.5's live stream online and they are playing Lady Gaga, whom I love unashamedly. So I guess the whole world doesn't suck after all.

But winter does still suck.

Edit: now they are playing stupid Lady Antebellum, and I hate the world again.

Breakfast rooms.

2010-02-24T23:04:00.007-06:00

My first place will undoubtedly be either a townhome or an apartment, so the breakfast nook will look something like this

(except with beige walls, because it's too much to hope that I will be allowed to paint).

When we have a house, though, I want one that looks something like this

(either that or a built-in booth, which I can't find any good pictures of).

For some reason I want a romper.

2010-02-23T00:27:00.006-06:00

I don't know how it happened, but it did, and I can't undo it.

Normally I don't love the color green...

2010-02-17T20:30:00.004-06:00

but OH, this wonderful kitchen

and this couch

and this bench! oh, this wonderful bench!

i may have to reconsider my position on green.

I love this lamp.

2010-02-17T00:33:00.002-06:00

I wonder if it would be hard to make one like this? And also I wonder if it constitutes a fire hazard?

V-day, hamsters

2010-02-12T22:28:00.004-06:00

I really wanted to bake today, and I couldn't, because in two days I'll be making a Valentine's Day treat for Blake and it would have been silly to use valuable supplies. I'm having trouble waiting. I want to use my owl-shaped cookie cutter real bad.

But I wasn't too upset about it, because I have a new little friend to help pass the time. He's a hamster named Elvis. Blake got him for me as an early birthday present. He's gray with a blackish stripe down his back and he is very active. The last hamster I had, a fellow by the name of Oklahoma Pete, only lasted six days. He was sick. We bought him from Petland where the cages are open-top so anybody can reach in and grab whoever they want. Small animals like hamsters and gerbils are susceptible to some human illnesses. Needless to say we will never support Petland again.

This time around we went to Petsmart instead and I'm hoping for a better run. I check on Elvis way more often than is actually necessary because I'm so terrified that he's going to die. I know he'll die someday, of course, but I hope it's after at least a year because don't think I can handle another Pete situation. Elvis is very healthy and energetic, so for now we are optimistic as to his life expectancy.

I need to decide what to make for Valentine's Day dessert. Any suggestions?

Twenty!

2010-02-09T21:54:00.011-06:00

I will be twenty in one month and one day. That means it's time to make a birthday wish list!

I realized today that I have only one silver necklace. The rest are gold. This must change.

(forever 21)

These tote bags are both adorable and perfect for grocery shopping.

(forever 21)

Lovely dress. I don't have enough dresses.

(target)

Pink cake pan, pink muffin pan! I'm truly shocked by how much I love these.

The best part is that I am the baker, not Blake, so he can't say no.

(target)

I want spring.

2010-02-04T23:21:00.006-06:00

I want to see wildflowers.

Alley Springs

2010-02-01T22:58:00.007-06:00

Remember me?

2010-02-01T00:14:00.006-06:00

Hi! It's been a bit.

Blake and I just got back from a nice little vacation. We spent Wednesday through Sunday in Jackson, Tennessee visiting his grandparents. We had planned on coming home Saturday, but it snowed five inches, and Tennessee people don't do snow. They just don't. They are inadequately prepared for clearing roads and spreading rock salt and other such things. And who could blame them? It's western Tennessee, for Pete's sake. Some of the kids there have probably only seen snow on TV. (Okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but the point stands). Anyhow, in times like these the folks of Jackson pretty much refuse to leave their homes. So we talked, and looked at old family photos (I mean really old photos, folks, like roarin' twenties old), and Blake played a little music and his grandmomma just about burst with pride. Here's what I think: if you want to know about someone, look at how they treat their grandparents. Even if I didn't know anything else about Blake, I could be sure he is the best kind of person judging by the kindess and respect he shows them. And they are such wonderful people, how could he be anything else?

On the way home we took a little detour way back in the hills to Alley Springs. It was beautiful. I'll post pictures later, once the server has stopped acting up.

Blik!

2010-01-24T02:06:00.007-06:00

Blik makes wall decals. Click here.

Decals are a renter's best friend.

Nice things

2010-01-21T23:21:00.007-06:00

from this lovely home.

I have the same typewriter (seen here)

and I do a similar thing with my necklaces.

weird!

continued...

2010-01-18T22:20:00.005-06:00

Electrical tape! So simple!

Current fixation:

2010-01-18T00:08:00.008-06:00

Alternative headboards.

Plus, I love the dog.

It's Saturday!

2010-01-16T01:04:00.012-06:00

I love the little picture inside the big frame. Why didn't I ever think of that?

I've been forgetting to mention this - I have a job once again. I'm a nanny! It seems to be a very good job and I'm very happy to be working again. It does put me in dangerous territory, though, because I've taken to perusing the Urban Outfitters website when I can't sleep (which is sort of all the time, lately) and now that I have a steady source of income I'm much more tempted to buy things from the "Sale" section. 'Oh no' is right. Luckily, I have a very level-headed boyfriend who talks me out of purchasing bird-shaped wall hooks and other such things. Such a nice boy.

P.S. Like the new header? I think it's awesome, but then again, I'm the one who picked it.

Home improvement.

2010-01-14T22:50:00.010-06:00

I have a little project on my mind. I want new drawer pulls for my bedroom set. Currently the hardware is brushed silver and I'm not really loving it. I am, however, loving these. But the knobs (left) are $6.13 and I need nine of them, and the pulls (right) are $9.44 and I need twenty of them. That brings my total to $243.97, not including tax. It would be stupid to spend that much on drawer pulls, no matter how whimsical. Sigh.

Mason jars.

2010-01-10T00:03:00.002-06:00

I need new things to read.

2010-01-08T23:46:00.006-06:00

I pretty much read the same books over and over again. I learn new things from them every time - I've been reading Walk Two Moons since elementary school and I've never outgrown it - but I want some new things. Suggestions, please.

A few things

2010-01-04T23:44:00.008-06:00

My autoharp is here! Isn't she beautiful?

I have been hitting every flea market in town now that I have some Christmas money to spend, and here are just a few of the lovely things I've come home with. I also found a cute bathroom set - toothbrush holder, soap dish, tumbler and tissue box cover all for $10!

This room made me gasp out loud. I love everything about it.

Blake saw this picture over my shoulder when I was looking at once wed, and he asked me if it was "one of those blogs where people do crazy stuff just to get featured on the website". no! no! no!

2010

2010-01-02T23:07:00.010-06:00

At the start of a new decade, this is what's on my mind.

The flea markets have been good to me.

2009-12-24T12:52:00.006-06:00

I have so many treasures. The most recent is the fox painting, a Christmas present from Blake. Actually, pretty much everything on this list is a present from Blake, for one reason or another or maybe no reason at all. He spoils me a little.

No more job.

2009-12-21T22:35:00.005-06:00

My last day of work is tomorrow. I was hired on a seasonal basis, so I knew this was coming, but I'm still a little sad. For the rest of my life I'll probably never work with anyone as nice as the ladies I've worked with the past few weeks. Not to mention how much it sucks to be back on the job hunt.

To cheer me up... dishes.

Hrmph.

2009-12-18T00:26:00.004-06:00

Apparently, these people hacked into my brain and created my dream house for themselves.

Really nice chairs.

2009-12-16T23:41:00.005-06:00

I love these. To bad I'm messy and can't have nice things because I would just ruin them with Kool-Aid and Oreos. If I ever gain the ability to eat like a grown-up, I will have beautiful chairs like these. And don't say "Just don't eat in those chairs." Not possible. I eat everywhere.

Oh, to have free time.

2009-12-10T22:27:00.004-06:00

If I had all the time in the world, I would do adorable crafty projects like these.

Tea shelf. I love the idea of attaching jars to shelves that way.

Cookbook covers. Such a cute print.

Display jars. I have so many tiny things and so few places to keep them safe.

Felt rosette wreath. The most time-consuming of these projects - the girl who did this used over 200 felt circles. Gah.

Felt oak-leaf wreath. I looove the colors.

Best

2009-12-05T00:17:00.011-06:00

workspaces

entryways

bedrooms

I'm not actually a materialistic person. I know this blog could make it look like I am. But I'm actually very down-to-earth and I do not have expensive taste. At all. I just really like thinking about making a home for me and Blake when we reach that point. And even if we end up in a crap-hole apartment and it doesn't look one bit like any of the photos I post here, it will still be home because it's not about the stuff. It's about the person who helps me choose the stuff and tells me no, we will never have a pink entryway or a huge cherub statue, sorry. (No worries, folks -- didn't even like that cherub in the first place.)

Here's some good news...

2009-12-03T22:33:00.005-06:00

I have a job! I work at Sam's Club with a bunch of old biddies. I give out food samples and I have to wear a hair net and I LOVE it. I love my job so much. The ladies gossip about everybody behind their backs, and they tell me things about their kids, and I am the youngest person on the team. Today while it was slow I thought of something: I quit school to work at a job that requires me to wear a hair net. And that makes me SO HAPPY. I feel more like myself now, with this stupid, hideous hair net on my head, than I ever did in college. But it's not about the job itself. Believe me, I would much rather not wear ugly shoes and plastic gloves. But I would rather do that than be in school. It's the principle of the thing, you know? Not to mention - YAY for money!

Oh goodness.

2009-12-01T00:45:00.006-06:00

It's the first day of December. I have a lot to do this month. First and foremost is Christmas shopping and I don't even know what most of my people want. Here's my own list which I compiled, like, five seconds ago.

1. The Domino Book of Decorating. I was mildly devastated when the magazine went out of business, but this book should help.

2. I would love, love, love for my Christmas to include a rescued greyhound (see post below this). I need my parents' consent first because it would, after all, have to live in their house for a short time. I talked to my mom and she seems open to the idea but I am currently awaiting the official verdict. My sisters are both totally on board, so it's possible that part of the $175 adoption fee could be a present from them. I plan on covering most of it myself, but a little help in the spirit of the holiday would be great.

3. A job. Maybe that's against the rules of Christmas lists, but I don't care. Job hunting is hard. Things are looking up, though - at some point this week I will get in touch with a woman from my church who wants me to be a nanny for her kids. There are three of them, two girls and a boy. I think I'm going to say yes. I would be responsible for getting them to school/day care, as well as being there when they get home. They are very sweet children. I've had the girls in Sunday school before. I still need details, but I am leaning towards accepting the job.

4. Cash. Very, very useful because I'm getting pretty good at stretching a dollar, and I'm addicted to flea marketing.

5. Mukluks! Gosh, I love these things. Fairly inexpensive and found at Target.

Save these greyhounds!

2009-11-30T01:56:00.009-06:00

The Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha, Wisconsin is closing on December 31, 2009 and almost 900 greyhounds need homes. I am seriously, seriously considering adopting one. I'll be moving out of my parents' house sooner rather than later, so it wouldn't be so far-fetched. Anyone who is in the position to adopt a dog should keep this opportunity in mind. It's a bit of a drive, but if these dogs don't find homes, they will be euthanized. Go here for information on adopting a retired greyhound.

Cute house

2009-11-26T00:21:00.001-06:00

Found via apartment therapy.

Click image to view larger.

The dog's name is Bacon.

WANT

2009-11-19T19:43:00.003-06:00

Mamas know food.

2009-11-19T01:06:00.005-06:00

This Thanksgiving, while the rest of my family is running the Turkey Trot in the cold, wet streets of downtown Springfield, I will be in a warm kitchen with my grandmother learning how to make pumpkin pie. I am so excited. Making dessert is so much better than running a 5K, don't you think? Speaking of food - I'm feeling the need to start compiling recipes. List time!

From my mama -

owl cookies

chocolate chip cookies

no-bake cookies

brownies

Texas sheet cake

banana bread

pumpkin bread

sausage cheese balls

cornbread casserole

butternut squash

From my mama's mama -

sugar cookies

leaf cookies

pot roast

From my dad's mama -

peppermint dessert

Watergate salad

dinner rolls

pies pies pies

From Blake's mama -

peanut butter cookies

cherry crumble

mac & cheese

cornbread

It smells like winter.

2009-11-17T22:27:00.008-06:00

Therefore, I am thinking about scarves and tights.

Also, I am thinking about straight-across bangs and how I wish my cowlick would let me have them.

Desperately seeking new bag.

2009-11-16T01:36:00.004-06:00

Someday...

2009-11-15T01:12:00.003-06:00

...when I can get tattoos, this is what they will be.

First, the little tree from the headstock of Art & Lutherie guitars on the back of my right shoulder. I bought an Art & Lutherie parlor guitar for Blake on his twentieth birthday, and all of the music we write together is written on that guitar. A little corny, maybe, but very special.

Second, a dogwood branch on the back of my left shoulder, spreading down my arm a little ways. The dogwood is our state tree. I love where I live, but it's almost certain that I'll be moving away at some point. I like the idea of remembering my roots that way. (Never fear, mine would be black and gray, not pink.)

Boy with baby

2009-11-12T23:35:00.002-06:00

Blake and Joslynn, his cousin's baby, had fun playing together this past weekend.

So adorable.

Headbands

2009-11-11T01:44:00.004-06:00

Now that my hair is growing out, my little head is filled with visions of adorable headbands like these from Forever 21. But for some reason I feel like curly hair is required in order to wear one. I should reacquaint myself with the curling iron.

I love old front porches.

2009-11-09T00:35:00.003-06:00

Big news

2009-11-06T00:29:00.009-06:00

The most productive day I ever spent at MSU was this past Monday - the day I quit. I talked to professors, filled out forms, sold my textbooks, turned in my parking permit and watched as a secretary pushed one button and ended my career as a college student. It was the most liberating moment of my life. Before, I felt like I was drowning. Now I feel light as a feather. I'm not disappearing anymore. So there it is - I'm no longer in college. I'm looking for a full-time job. And I have never felt so free in my entire life.

Pretty.

2009-11-02T18:52:00.007-06:00

When I have a flower garden, this is what I'll put in it.

Peonies and hydrangeas...

...cone flowers and black-eyed Susans...

...and most of all, begonias.

November! How wonderful.

2009-11-01T01:41:00.003-05:00

When I was little, I very much disliked November. It meant no more leaves on the trees, and a lot of cold rain but probably no snow, and static in my hair. I even hated the name "November". It just sounded depressing to me. But now, I am very glad to see November. There are no hard feelings between us. Now that I am older, November is bringing me lots of good things.

1. Leonard Cohen in SIX DAYS

2. Babysitting Joslynn

3. A movie called The Men Who Stare At Goats

4. Thanksgiving

5. The chance to wear my leopard-print trenchcoat

6. Weather cold enough to justify the use of my flannel sheets with the clouds on them

7. Daylight Savings Time - extra hour!

Thanks, November!

Home

2009-10-31T00:49:00.005-05:00

I truly, dearly love where I live.

Photos by Mike Young, a local.

Another one!

2009-10-28T17:18:00.003-05:00

Meet Liam. He was born at 2:23 this morning. His parents are my cousin Robert and his wife Sara. Hooray!

Best baby ever.

2009-10-27T22:49:00.007-05:00

In eleven days I get to see this adorable child. This is Joslynn, Blake's cousin's baby. She lives up in St. Louis. She is the baby that made me love babies. The end-all, be-all of babies. Am I making myself clear? I adore her. And the best part is we get to babysit her, me and Blake and his aunt Sherry. I'm so excited. I don't even recognize myself, getting this excited over a baby. I'm insane.

Exciting things that have recently happened

2009-10-25T22:48:00.002-05:00

1. The Bob Dylan show was tonight! I just got home and it was wonderful. One of the best shows I've ever seen. He was smiling, and dancing on his skinny little legs, and he sang "Ballad of a Thin Man", and Blake and I were right up close to the stage almost the whole time. It was so, so marvelous.

2. The new season of the Venture Bros started on adultswim. I know, I know, not as exciting as Bob Dylan, but still pretty cool.

3. I decided what I'm going to be for Halloween - a lamb. I got a little hood with ears from the costume closet at church. It's adorable.

4. I came home tonight and we had a bunch of candy sitting out in the kitchen. So I took some.

That's all!

Hydrangeas are my favorite flower.

2009-10-24T22:33:00.006-05:00

I want a cabin in the forest.

2009-10-21T23:05:00.003-05:00

Wish List

2009-10-19T22:01:00.005-05:00

My housewares addiction is flaring up again. Target is my enabler.

Owl cookies!

2009-10-18T19:43:00.006-05:00

Fall cannot be officially here until my mom makes owl cookies.

She's made them every year since before I can remember, and now they are here, so happy fall!

Dresses

2009-10-16T11:48:00.002-05:00

Two small confessions

2009-10-15T23:49:00.004-05:00

1. I always thought Tinkerbell was kind of mean. Catty, like the popular girls in middle school. But now they've given her a whole movie and she's all sweet and has bug friends. I don't get it.

2. Sometimes, when I'm really bored, I go to Yahoo Answers and read all the stupid stuff people say. It makes me feel better about myself. The "Relationships" section is particularly wonderful.

Rainy Tuesday.

2009-10-13T18:07:00.007-05:00

Lots to talk about.

Blake and I are going to have a sensational winter, music-wise. We are seeing Bob Dylan, right here in our hometown, in a mere twelve days! I can't believe it! A few weeks later on Nov. 6 we are seeing Leonard Cohen in St. Louis. That's two legends - and two of our favorite people - in the space of a few weeks!

I hope I am not still sick when we see Dylan. I am currently snuggled in my bed trying to get some rest because I have a cold that won't quit and I'm feeling so dizzy I can hardly get around. This is very inconvenient because school is very, very busy and it feels like the days go too fast. Everything is getting away from me. I have a midterm tomorrow and a paper due in a week or so, and I keep forgetting to do my math homework - like I've regressed to middle school or something. When I was in sixth grade, I forgot my homework constantly and I always got detention for it. I was Detention Girl. Most people don't believe me when I tell them that.

In other world news, I have decided to start buying my clothes from the men's department at WalMart. I'm serious, look at this! Everything I need. There is no point in buying more expensive clothes when they aren't nearly as comfortable as this stuff probably is.

P.S. There's a really, really loud creature outside my window. I can't tell if it's a bird or a bug. If it's a bug, it's gotta be HUGE.

Beautiful.

2009-10-10T00:37:00.002-05:00

If you, like me, enjoy torturing yourself wishing you had a tiny waist, go here.

Unfair!

2009-10-04T14:20:00.007-05:00

If only it were the right timing, I would go into massive amounts of debt for one of these wedding dresses from Alberta Ferretti. I could just cry.