Wednesday Wisdom: be courageous

A little over four years ago I was at one of those critical points in my life where I had two paths I could take. I could go to college and earn my Bachelor’s degree or I could not go to school and do something else like run away and live on a beach somewhere. I don’t remember what my other choice was because I think that I knew in my heart that school was the only real option for me at that point. So I started college. It was the scariest and most exciting decision I had made up to that point. I knew that I would be putting everything else on hold for the next few years to achieve this massive goal but that was okay because I knew it would be worth it. Monday I start my last year of school and I’m just as excited and scared as I was four years ago. There have been times I thought I would never finish and now I’m only six classes from graduation. Even with all the sleepless nights and stressful days I wouldn’t take any of it back. If I have learned anything during college it’s that I have a pretty good sense of intuition, it told me to go to school and it’s kept me in there every day since.

Listen to your gut people, it knows what’s up.

 

#projectgarage

Sometimes I do this thing where I decide on a project I want to do and get all excited, I think I’ll put it up here on the good ol’ blog with pictures and everything. Then somewhere along the way it doesn’t happen like I think it should so I just abandon all hope of sharing with you and just…don’t. It probably has something to do with this nasty habit of wanting to make everything perfect. It’s not going to be perfect because life is not perfect. I know that all I can do is my best…but sometimes that just doesn’t seem like enough even though I’m sure none of you would know the difference. That’s not a snide comment at you, how would you know I messed up the pictures or started three times? You don’t right? Well now you do. This perfectionist complex is something I’m working on. Daily.

Anyway! For the last, oh, three years mister and I have been saying that we’re going to organize the garage. Get rid of stuff we don’t need or want and put the rest into nice storage tubs all lined up on shelves. That hasn’t happened. At all. Probably because we never really had a reason to actually clean the garage. I mean we would shuffle stuff around and stack the boxes nicely when it got out of control, but we never actually got rid of anything. Well, now we have a reason to clean the garage. It looks like we may be getting a boat! That’s a story for another time, but we’re hoping the new boat will fit in the garage if the garage is cleaned out. And thus, #projectgarage was born!

Cleaning and organizing a space that size is a huge project that is easily overwhelming. Where do you even start? In the corner? With the boxes? What about the Christmas stuff? It’s enough to give you a headache and want to quit before you’ve even started. So how do you eat a giant cheeseburger? One bite at a time! Starting this weekend I began spending 30 minutes a day in the garage solely working on small projects. I set a timer, put on some music or a podcast and just work for 30 solid minutes. The time flies and it is so much less intimidating!

The first day I focused on the laundry area. Our washer and dryer are in the corner so I cleaned up the shelves above and organized our cleaning products. Then I cleaned off all the surfaces and organized the garden stuff into a little bookshelf next to the dryer. I designated an area at the front of the garage for larger items that need to be taken away.

The second day I decided I wanted all my craft supplies to be stored in the cabinet that used to store all our extra goods from Costco and house decorations that we’re not using at this moment. I put my fabric in one clear storage bin and my yarn in another and made room for both of them. I will need to find somewhere to put the decorations that were in there but I think I can make room for them in my linen closet. There are still some craft supplies around the garage so I will definitely need more storage solutions here, but I think this is a good start.

Day three we hung a shelf above an old desk that has been a dumping ground for all sorts of miscellaneous junk. All the spray paint and tools went on the shelf along with some other random things. Eventually I want to add some peg board to this area for easier access to our tools.

So there are no before pictures, only after, I hope that doesn’t matter. From here on out I’ll try to be more diligent at taking a picture before I start working. What household projects have you been putting off? Would working on them a little bit at a time help you accomplish them? It really is amazing what you can accomplish in only 30 minutes.

Fall Fashion Wish List

Now that fall is here we can put our sundresses and shorts away. It’s time for boots and jeans in dark rich colors, this is my favorite season to dress for, all the layers just make me so happy. I went through my closet the other day and made a short wish list of what I think would help round-out my closet for the season.

1. Buckle Booties:

one|two|three

I wasn’t convinced of this look until I saw my bestie Coll in a pair this week. They looked so cute, so of course I need some now too!

2. A Chunky Drapey Cardigan:

one|two|three

How comfy do these look? All three would look cute with skinny jeans and simple top underneath. I love the color of the first one!

3. Military Green Jacket:

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My favorite is #3…and I may or may not have ordered it already. I needed to use my JCP rewards!

4 & 5. There seem to be two colors this fall that are the “it” colors. Garnet and Emerald. Or Green and Red, Maroon and Forest Green…whatever you want to call them.

one|two|three

I think red can be hard to pull off, it takes a lot of confidence to pull off a red dress. I love the one here, it could be paired with black tights and cute flats or boots and a denim jacket. It could also be dressed up for a Holiday party.

one|two|three

I die for that green purse!

Hello Fall!

I think we can officially say that summer has gracefully left us and fall is here for here for her colorful yearly visit. How do I know that summer is over? Well…let’s see:

1. Big Brother is officially over. I wish Spencer would have won but I’m happy to have the good tv shows back.

2. I ordered my first Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks last night. It was also the first decaf latte I’ve ever ordered…I guess I can no longer make fun of the people who order decaf lattes.

3. I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a downpour of rain…and woke up this morning to a gentle pitter patter. It was glorious.

4. Red and yellow leaves are starting to peak through the green.

5. Football is here. I don’t feel like it’s really football season yet since we’ve only been home for one Oregon game…but it’s here.

6. School starts in 8 days. I’m still in denial.

7. According to the calendar it really is the first day of fall today. So there’s that…

It’s hard to say goodbye to summer when it never really felt like I had one. This summer was measured in time between weddings where last summer was measured in time between family gatherings and Chemistry tests.  I guess they’re kind of the same thing, the gatherings…not the tests. It just seems like I did more  summer activities last year than I did this year. This summer I didn’t go home to Idaho in June to see my mom and aunts and I didn’t get to spend a week in Washington with my dad hanging on the boat and drinking beers. Real talk: this summer was a giant test of patience and faith for mister and I. Like most college kids, our budget is pretty tight. But it seems like this summer we were always running on the last pennies in the bank. I had to pull out some old budget tricks that I didn’t think I would have to use after I left my early twenties, but I did and somehow our rent has always been paid and the lights have always stayed on.

It’s easy to stay in the lazy days of summer, but I’m excited for fall. This is my last fall term at the University of Oregon and I’m looking forward to watching the leaves turn and experience the transformation the campus goes through. With only two terms left before I graduate I’m equal parts excited and scared. For five years I’ve had the schedule of starting school in September and this is the last first day back to school. It’s a strange feeling indeed. I’m also ready for sweaters and jeans, boots and scarves. Obviously I live my seasons through my closet.

This week I’m getting ready for school to start. Finishing up some home projects I put off during the summer and making sure that everything is in order before the chaos begins. I also need to get my books, find my backpack and map out my schedule. So much to do in a short amount of time.

Happy Fall!

Wednesday Wisdom: Thank your people

Ms. Streisand had it right when she sang about people who need people. We all have people, right? Our mom’s and dad’s, best friends and aunties. People are important and let me humble brag…my people are pretty amazing. I’m lucky to have all the people that I have in my life, from friends that will always bring wine to family who will laugh at my bad jokes and support my crazy ideas no matter how harebrained they get.

Thank you people!

Thank you Mom for raising me with values and morals.

Thank you Dad for teaching me the value of a good story.

Thank you Aunts, Grandparents and Uncles, related or not, for being second parents.

Thank you Mom and Dad in-love for always treating me like family.

Thank you friends for always being able to make me smile.

A million thank you’s to all the people in my little world that make me very, very happy.

I am truly blessed.

The ‘Burgh! Part Two: Back to the Pitt

Last night I went to Target and ran into my friends Sarah and Michelle. Apparently Target is where all the cool ladies hang out on Fridays, we know what’s up. Sarah shared with me that she was sad I didn’t take any selfies during my trip. I’m sad too Sarah, I’m sad too. Sarah won’t like this post, there are no pictures of people. Just pictures of buildings. The architecture of downtown Pittsburgh is pretty amazing. Right next to a steel skyscraper you’ll find a gothic church with a hot dog restaurant in it.  The ‘Burgh was full of surprises and I can’t wait to go back and explore when there’s more time.

Friday night mister and I got lost with one of our friends in downtown. It took us over an hour to walk about 5 blocks because we couldn’t find our hotel. We may have walked past it a few times and we may or may not have been slightly intoxicated. On Saturday the groomsmen decided to get ready in our hotel room which meant I needed to vacate the premises for a few minutes. I retraced our drunken* walk from the night before and took pictures of everything. Here are some of my favorites.                                                                                                                *allegedly

^This was our hotel. The Omni William Penn. Gorgeous. ^

^There were 13 weddings at the hotel on Saturday including this traditional Indian one. I just happened to catch the grooms procession. So much joy and celebration. ^

^Best pedicure of the weekend goes to this horse. ^

^Across from the hotel was a park with this fountain. A peaceful spot in the middle of all the hub-bub.^

^Love the color and textures in this flower patch.^

^The old Allegheny County Prison was just blocks from our hotel. We actually walked around the entire thing on our adventure.^

^Fancy wording in Pittsburgh.^

^This gate was barely open so I snuck in. Little did I know that it was still the old prison…which was closed. Had to sweet talk a police officer to let me take some pictures. ^

^Sometimes playing the dumb tourist pays off. ^

^A good hair flip works too. ^

^The Pirates (Pittsburgh’s Baseball team) are actually pretty good this season. The  excitement was infectious. ^

^Did you know?^

^This is just a regular old door, no big deal.^

^This building reminded us of The Gargoyles movie. Remember that 80’s classic? ^

Have a great Saturday!

GOOOOO DUCKS!!!

The ‘Burgh: Part One!

Have you seen the movie “Contagion” with Matt Damon and Gwenyth Paltrow? Where she cheats on her husband, gets on a plane then unleashes a massive worldwide pandemic that wipes out 2/3 of the population? Okay, so maybe it doesn’t happen like that exactly…but all those things do happen. It’s good, you should watch it, but go stock up on antibacterial gel and hand soap first. Trust me.

Why do I bring up that movie? Well because that happened to me! No, I didn’t cheat on my husband and unleash a worldwide pandemic. And no, mister and I did not get married (calm yourselves!). But I did get on a plane and I did get sick when I got home. CONTAGION!!

Last weekend mister and I took a little trip to Pittsburgh, PA to see one of our dearest friends get married. Mister was also in the wedding which was fun for me because that meant that I got to go to all the fun parties AND I got to see him all dressed up in a tux. Winner, winner chicken dinner!

This was our third and last wedding of the summer and as much fun as we had at all of them this one probably takes the cake (sorry, Sarah!). First of all the rehearsal dinner was at The National Aviary which is a bird zoo. A really awesome Bird Zoo! They even brought out a penguin to meet the couple during dinner. It was beyond awesome.

^Toucans know how to pose.^

^This is a Stellar’s Sea Eagle^

^I’m pretty sure he could eat Gypsy^

^Flamingos! I didn’t go through all the exhibits until after dark. I spent to much time with the…PENGUINS!!!^

^No, those were the appetizers. Cute, right? ^

^This was Simon and he was a total flirt!^

^I. LOVE. PENGUINS. But really, who doesn’t? ^

^Just adorable^

^They even brought one out for the couple to meet.^

^The couple- Joe and Mary. There is so much love between the two of them it’s inspiring.^

^They also brought out this guy, a one-eyed Bard Owl. I call him Winky. ^

^Obligatory family photo. That’s mister, me, his dad, mom and twin brother. Good looking family right!^

Even though we were only there for the weekend I feel like we saw a lot of stuff. Or at least my camera says we did. Tomorrow I’ll share some pics of the city that I took while walking around. Sidenote: I have 394 pictures of various buildings and 0 pictures of mister and I on this trip. I guess after this long you forget? I mean how does that even happen? I hope someone has one somewhere…and if so will you send it to me?

Wednesday Wisdom: Life is wonderful

Sorry it’s been pretty quiet around here lately. Do you ever have those weeks where you look back and can’t remember how you got to the end of the month and you’re pretty sure that you just time traveled? Yeah, that’s been the last few weeks around here. We’re getting ready for a little family trip to Pittsburgh this weekend for a wedding of a dear friend. I guess that means it’s going to be quiet around here for a little bit longer.

So stay tuned, I’ll be back next week!

Wednesday Wisdom: Be happy

Make the most out of today.

Do something new.

Cross something off your to-do list.

Participate in some shenanigans.

Happy Wednesday!

Case of the Mondays

We’ve all had those days right? Yesterday was one of those days. A straight up case of the Mondays.

Even though I woke up early, I still was late for work. I have no explanation.

I checked the wrong bank account and then sent mister on a wild goose chase for a deposit that was already in the account…the other account.

I had to stop by the store after work and picked up a few more things than I thought, then had to buy a bag because I forgot mine and I live in a town that has banned plastic bags at the grocery stores.

We took a walk around our neighborhood and Princess Gypsy decided to use the fancy neighbors pristinely manicured lawn as a bathroom. We of course, forgot a bag. Staying on theme as always.

And the most annoying….

I was about 3/4 through a new blog post and WordPress crashed. It was not this post, this is the replacement post.

Hopefully this was my monthly Case of the Monday’s. Here’s some pictures from the last few weeks:

 

^ I cleaned/purged our bedroom and marked the time in Rum and Harry Potter. It was 2 1/2 Harry Potters, 2 Rum and Cokes.^

^Gypsy clearly approved of the room when it was done.^

^ More peeks of our wedding venue. I can’t wait for my friends and family to see this place! ^

^ Part of the aisle, cute right? ^

^ I started a new diet I’m changing the way I’m eating. This means massive food prep. ^

^ I think these were my last berries of summer. Sad, sad, times. ^

^ This is what happens when I go to the farm for produce. I spend all our money on fresh vegetables. ^

^ Cheat day!! Pizza no cheese, you’re jealous I know.^

^More cleaning. This time we both tackled the house. Inside and out. Only took 5 hours, 1 1/2 pots of coffee and leftover pizza. ^

^ I love this table! It’s at one of my favorite Eugene restaurants, Holy Cow, and dinner with Colleen is always a fun time. ^

^ First outing of my new favorite vintage find. First girls night with Sarah, Michelle and Nicki. Fun times girls, fun times indeed. ^

Hopefully Tuesday will make Monday a drink and she’ll calm down a bit for next week.

All I know is I’m already having a case of the Fridays.