THE YEAR OF FRUGAL LIVING

more crochet for the bebe

2011-06-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

If anyone out there crochets and is looking for a *very* fast and cute project for a little boy, look no further! In just a few short hours (like....2, maybe) I was able to hook up this little crocheted baseball cap!

ADORABLE!

Here's the link to the original pattern and pattern creator (who has much better photos than mine.....even if they are on a kind of creepy doll!) Now I'm off to make another in dark grey!

CROCHET BABY BASEBALL CAP

(very small) home improvements

2011-06-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

I wish I had remembered to take a "before" pic for this post but I am a bit too scattered for that these days! Nonetheless, in our hall we have a strange and useful cubby of sorts built into the wall just above the air intake for the HVAC. The man who first built this house and who lived here for about 40 years (!) was kind of a nutcase and also really cool. He was a handyman with OCD and we find little lists and odd things hiding in drawers and cabinets - reminders of Mr. Nelson. Anyway, the space is pretty cool because the inside of the door holds a ton of useful things on hooks: screw drivers, tape, a shoe horn, an extra air filter, lint rollers (a *must* with three dogs), nails, screws, a hammer........ this keeps us from having to run down to the basement where all of the "real" tools are kept every time we want to do something small like hang a picture.

Anyway, the front of this thing was super ugly - basically just a big piece of wood panelling inside a frame... so I painted it with chalkboard paint and left a love letter to my hubby! (Now, I know that chalkboard paint has had it's run on design websites and everyone is completely over it and all, but I love black and white more than just about anything and therefore with my white walls I will heart the matte black of chalkboard paint - AND it's functionality- forever!)

(much improved!)

Next, I embraced another love of mine - succulents! Every year at the beginning of summer I head out to buy a few more of these guys - because it's likely I killed quite a few from the last year by leaving them outside past first frost! I think my dollar store dinosaurs add that little touch of "quirk" that make these extra fun:

I love any small project that brightens up the space with a sense of humor and bring some life to your home - don't you?

bump!

2011-06-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

here's just a little update of my bump's growth :)

have a happy weekend!

finished baby blankie

2011-06-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

I finished the blankie last night and I am quite proud of it! I added a round of double crochet to the outer border to make it more substantial. I think Isci likes it too!

tshirt FAIL

2011-06-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

I wanted SO badly to make this amazing shirt to mark the progress of my pregnancy like the original creator did over at One Little Minute. I mean, seriously, how cute is that?!

So I gathered up my supplies and got all giddy...

I began marking my numbers with the center column so the overall design would be centered on the shirt:

And I went to town drawing on my numbers while watching tv. BIG MISTAKE! I wasn't paying attention and as I went down the next column of numbers I went in consecutive fashion rather than adding five to each previous number.

That shirt is now a dust rag.

BUT.... I bought more supplies and I hope to attempt it again soon (without the tv to distract me) and that way I'll post a pic of my finished product and my growing (and boy is it growing!) baby bump.

blankie update

2011-06-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

I got distracted with other sewing projects for a while this week so the blankie went on hold. I've finally got it pieced together and now all I have to do is the border and threading in the ends! Hopefully by early next week I'll have it all finished :)

HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND!

travel bibs

2011-06-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

I came across this pattern over at B Is For Boy and I just had to make some... and now I'm addicted! They are made with a pocket on the back to hold both utensils and wet wipes to clean up messy baby faces and fingers! They were super easy to make - by the time I got to the third one I had it down to 40mins start to finish... but I think I could do it in 30mins now. I can't wait to give the girly one to my friend that just had a wee girl last week and I think I'll take one of the more boyish ones to my cousin and her 6 month old this weekend.

fronts of bibs:

backs of bibs (with wet wipes and utensils):

all folded up and ready to travel:

baby blanket in progress

2011-05-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here is an amazing baby blanket I found on Ravelry.com that I am currently in the process of making:

I am using Stitch Nation yarns by Debbie Stoller (available at JoAnn's) in the following colors:

(left to right: Clementine, Little Lamb, Espresso Bean, Honeycomb, Aquamarine, Meadow & Mediterranean)

I love these yarns! The colors are so vibrant and they are a nice quality but aren't too expensive. I hope to finish the "Meadow" (green) stripe this evening and begin joining and finishing the edges soon. Hopefully in a few days I'll have it finished and ready to show off!

recovered cot

2011-05-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I came across a project someone had done where they recovered a cot with cute fabric (now I can't find the blog to save my life - grrr) and I wished that I had an old cot I could do the same with. Well, lo and behold if I didn't go to the thrift store and there sat 3 vintage nursery cots just dying for a makeover :) yippie! I am not as impressed with mine as I was with the one I saw online but here it is.

The cot before:

It was a steal... and in the end I bought all three... why?! I don't know.

I decided that I wouldn't waste "good" fabric seeing if this endeavor would work so instead I used an old IKEA beadspread that our dog Scout had nervously chewed holes in when she was a puppy (that's Scouty and the fabric there).

First I ripped the seams of the existing (n-a-s-t-y) fabric and laid it out flat on some butcher paper to trace my template. Then I traced my template onto the new fabric and cut it out and sewed it up.

The hardest part of the whole thing was taking apart the cot to put the new fabric on. The screws were old and tough and it wasn't an easy job to do by myself (there may have been cursing involved. I may have scared Scouty.) but in the end I got it done.

Voila!

BIG NEWS and tiny shoes

2011-05-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to get back to blogging now that I have a new reason for crafting and being thrifty.... I'M PREGNANT and we are due to meet our little boy in early October! YAY!

(yes, all of these say positive... and no, this isn't even the tip of the iceberg of how many tests I actually took!)

I'll be honest and say that crafting/sewing for a wee boy seems harder to me than doing the same for a little girl... maybe it's all those vintage flowered sheets that I dreamed of making into crib sheets and dresses for so long. But now I get to search for and buy *new* boyish fabrics and that is fun on a whole new level. :)

Today I've spent the entire day sewing little shoes and a bib to match:

The pattern for the shoes can be found here and I just traced around a bib I already had and free-styled this one by adding a pocket. There will be many more crafts and money savers for this mama-to-be... let's just see if I can keep up the blogging until the wee one comes!

sewing the seeds of love

2010-05-15T18:15:00.001-07:00

Instead of making a million excuses about my lack of blogging, I'm going to try to get back on track and show you what I've been up to.
I was lucky enough to know a wonderful woman and inspirational fiber artist named Toni who made a huge impression on me and my own creative process before she recently lost her battle with cervical cancer. She encouraged my sewing and was always eager to see my progress.
You might remember a certain 70's romper pattern I thrifted several months back:

It looks bizarre to put on but looked super easy to sew and perfect for sweltering Alabama summer days. So with Toni on my mind, I took to sewing through my grief... AND my joy in having known such a vibrant, stylish, and loving woman.
I made two of these rompers and one I wore for my birthday:

Here's my hubs and I singing karaoke!

And in this pic of my friend and I acting silly you can see the open back.

And finally, one of me and my bestie- love!

I plan on sewing several more of these rompers in different fabrics and wearing them to many summer picnics and cookouts to come!

-- Post From My iPhone

no toes

2010-02-21T10:16:00.001-08:00

i want to cut my toes off and wear these all summer long!

(available HERE if you are filthy rich)

quick hat = cuuuuute!

2010-02-06T09:21:00.001-08:00

here's a quick post to show off the hat i made from miss elsie cake's blog post:

it was quick and easy and F.U.N! i made a small modification to the pattern:

instead of braiding the ties, i started by chaining to make one tie, then joined it with a slip stitch to one side of the hat. then i slipstitched around the back edge of the hat around to the other side where i then chained down to make the other tie. then i slip stitched back up that tie (to make it extra strong and wide) and then slip stitched around the front edge of the hat and down the other tie and finished off.

this tightened up the back edge and the face edge and gave the hat an overall more fitted look and also make the ties just a bit sturdier i think... but it takes a while longer so if you are looking for quick then elsie's way is best.

THANKS ELSIE FOR THE IDEA AND PATTERN

AND FOR ALL OF YOUR INSPIRATION

- love your blog!

you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to...

2010-01-12T11:14:00.001-08:00

CROCHET!
I have had the luxury of a lot of time lately, which is good for my crafting and creativity but seriously bad for my checking account. I am very proud to say that I have taught myself basic crochet form a kids' crochet book and am now majorly addicted to it! I made this little "hipster headscarf" and am currently working on a hat. (I like to make stuff to wear and when I learned to knit I made more scarves than any one person should ever have need for! especially when that person lives in the deep south!)

when I was in the grocery store I saw an amazingly cute girl and noticed she had on an adorable crocheted flower headband. I asked her if she made it and she said that her friend had and that she sold them in her etsy store but she couldn't remember the name. long story short she reached into her bag and pulled out another headband that was too small for her and just gave it to me! SO NICE! I love meeting adorable, kind strangers! sadly though, it was too small for me as well... but it did prompt me to learn to make my own!

my resolution of sorts for the new year is to make something (or at least work on the process of making something) every single day... even if it's only for 15 minutes. so far so good!
yesterday I threw together this carry case for my knitting and crochet supplies. it's definately not my best sewing - I was in a hurry and my machine is acting totally crazy... need to have it serviced asap!

don't you just love that pink & red doggie fabric?! speaking of, here's my sweet baby lounging in the sunshine.

she curled up with my project and stole my spot. it's ok though cause I've got it back and she's asleep in my lap and I'm about to crochet while listening to Simon & Garfunkle on vinyl... all is good!

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

perfect knit hat

2009-12-28T13:46:00.001-08:00

I wanted this hat from a local holiday craft bazaar but the seller only accepted cash and we didn't have any on us. p said he'd go back and get it for me but when he tried it was already sold... or so he said! it ended up in my stocking and I couldn't have been happier- LURVE IT!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

grinchy

2009-12-23T20:15:00.001-08:00

i haven't been feeling the season, so-to-speak. sad but true. i figure instead of being grinchy, i'll just post some pretty pics of recent thrift finds and hope that you enjoy!

counting chicks before they hatch

2009-12-20T15:16:00.001-08:00

no pics yet, but I just rinsed out my second round of tie-dye attempts and they look like they not only worked but are actually very cool! so excited! I hope everyone had a great weekend -check back for photographic evidence tomorrow!!!
until then, here's my holiday banner cut from the pages of an old anthro catalog:

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

wicked witch of the south

2009-12-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

the other day i wore these over the knee socks i got in italy over a decade ago!

i have always thought the "rule" that one should wear a longer hemline with a lower neckline and a higher neckline with a shorter hemline was a good one to follow. and as an extension, i think that if you are wearing an item that tends to be interpreted as very sexy you should pair it with less sexy things.

it's just me. i fear looking like i'm vying for too much attention with an outfit.

so the day i decided to wear a very short skirt with thigh high stockings, i also decided to wear "ugly" shoes to even things out a bit.

i ended up looking a bit like the wicked witch trapped under that house!

oh well, la di dah!

tartan

2009-12-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

here's an older outfit post featuring my new tartan skirt.

everything's thrifted with the exception of my nine west boots!

not quite as easy as pie...

2009-12-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

the incomparable "miss james" over at bleubird vintage (my new fav blog) made a post about these adorable pies in a jar and i just had to give them a shot. i needed something special for my clients that would be personal and yet easy on the wallet.

for the record, i am terrible in the kitchen. terrible. but i gave it my best shot:

i decided to make mine a mixture of pear and cherries. they didn't turn out as pretty as miss james' so i decided my packaging needed to make up for it. i've been on a pompom kick (as has every other crafty gal on the internet it would appear!) and used some of them to add a special something to my jars:

i also have been using my pompoms to spruce up my gifts! pompoms are the BEST!

i can't figure out why my pics are all going in sideways - ??? any clue? they are normal in the folder i upload them from....

want a good laugh?

2009-12-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

well, here are my tie-dyed tights:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

yes, I disregarded the instructions that I should/could dye only natural materials and just went for it on those thrift store tights thinking "they've *got* to be mostly cotton with maybe some Lycra thrown it... eh, it'll be fiiiiiiine." I even gave them an extra 12 hours or so to cure so that they'd really soak up the dye.
FAIL.
as I rinsed them literally ALL of the color came out of them. (note: the ones on the left started off a yellowy/ivory color, not white)
sooooo, I'm off to look for inexpensive light colored 100% COTTON tights or leggings. I'm hoping to find some somewhere that are less than those at American Apparel so let me know if you've got a tip!
I haven't given up!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

adventureland

2009-12-12T14:16:00.001-08:00

I have a funny feeling this isn't going to work... but it will be a fun adventure either way. I went to my local art supply store this afternoon and got dye to tie-dye some thrift store tights. I'll report back!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

holy cowl!

2009-12-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

i have not set foot into a GAP in soooo long. that was, until yesterday. i guess it is those commercials they are airing with the models in all of those cool flannel and plaid shirts layered just right... i dunno. i'm a sucker for advertising. donald draper would own me with his brilliance and i wouldn't mind one bit :)

they actually had a lot of good stuff. i ended up spending money i don't really have but i got some really great things on sale - i've kept everything in the bag with the tags on except this big ole sweater that i have already found perfect for a cold day when you just don't feel like messing with a coat. the major plus for me is that it's long enough to cover my butt in my yoga pants - which is important because as a yoga instructor i wear them all day everyday, everywhere. i hate it when dudes stare at my butt in the grocery or home depot so long shirts are my friend. plus, it kind of makes me look more "dressed" than i am when i am running all over town to my clients' homes.

i usually don't like any kind of turtle-neck either but the cowl on this thing is just too major to ignore - i could hide small children in here... like a papoose!

i've noticed that many bloggers enjoy seeing other people's homes and stuff. while my house is beginning to come together - slowly but surely - i am not ready to do any kind of house tour so instead i figure i'll just do small bits and pieces that i like. vignettes i suppose!

here is my camera collection (housed in my bedroom):

and here is a bit of the guest bedroom:

this weekend i am going to work on a few DIY projects and hopefully some christmas presents too! i actually thrifted a few gifts yesterday. i know that may seem cheap to some folks but if you are in a second hand store and you find something in great condition at an unbelievable price that you just *know* that certain someone on your list is going to love, who CARES if someone loved it before they did?! my family is pretty used to my thrift addiction and they don't take offense. i think if anything they've been a bit impressed!

here's to a thrifty, merry holiday season - don't sweat the small stuff folks!

sequins all day

2009-12-10T12:25:00.001-08:00

I just bought waaaaay too much at the thrift. way.
but here's why:
there were all of these awesome things like this black sequined bolero jacket slash cardigan!
(I'm trying to hide my face with my hair cause I'm having a bad face day)

it's short enough to be flattering and has these great almost bell-like sleeves that can either snap at the wrist or not

and it's open weave so it's not TOO blingy.
(that's my Whitsun shirt showing through making it look like a checker board)

my point is: I think I want to wear it everyday with everything.

what do we think: daytime sequins? too much? discuss.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

getting back on the horse

2009-12-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

i haven't sewn anything in quite some time and decided i better get back to it... only to discover i'd lost my touch. sad. i know i'll get it back after i sew a bit more but this incredibly easy jumper was way more trouble to sew than it should've been!

here's the 80's looking pattern (which is actually from the late 70's):

i thought that if i shortened it and wore it with a tie-neck blouse, white tights and little black mary jane heels it would look less 80's and more 60's.... we'll see!

all hail the "junk drawer organizer"!

2009-12-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

i found one of those "junk drawer organizers" at the thrift store and snatched it up to organize.... well, our junk drawer, of course! it's the kind with all of the little compartments and a smaller tray that sits on top of the larger tray and slides back and forth so you can get to all of the junk below. i have always loved any kind of office supply or storage system, cubby, pocket, or box meant to make my life appear more "together" than it really is. well, this guy proved so useful that the next time i was in the thrift and spotted another one i bought it too.

it sat and sat just awaiting it's drawer and when i began to organize my dressing room it's time finally came! i have now gone and purchased another (as well as some smaller organizing "cups" that click together in any arrangement your drawer needs) to organize

my (everyday) makeup drawer:

my hair do-dads:

baby bobbie pins are hidden in the mini-altoids tin and great for throwing in your purse for 'dos on the go!

and my jewelry:

sorry this one's sideways!

lois is, as always, a great necklace holder and the hand my grandma gave me (okay, i spotted it on her dresser and asked if i could have it -!) is great for my rings.

i used to work as a makeup artist for MAC so i have a LOT of cosmetics. all of the makeup and hair products i don't use all that often are found in the drawer system lois sits on and my hair dryer, straightener and brushes and combs just sit in a basket on the floor by the outlets for easy use.

please excuse the mess of headbands, bows, perfume, and miscellany on the vanity - there's still more to organize!

i know this post isn't thrilling in any way, but the moral of the story is: junk drawer organizers aren't just for junk - they'll do wonders for your treasures too! go get one now. meg says so.

bad blogger

2009-11-29T13:00:00.001-08:00

well guys, I guess I told a small fib when I said I'd show you the "innards" of my dressing room- oopse! time got away from me over the holiday and I never got around to it. I am aiming for tomorrow... but for now here's an outfit post of what I've worn on my last day of holiday to brunch and chill out. see you tomorrow when I'm back to "regular programming"!

this is my TJ Maxx necklace I like to pretend is a J.Crew baubble!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

welcome to my lair

2009-11-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

last post you got a look at my (previously) UGLY downstairs/basement room and today is the mini reveal of the work in progress to the half of the room designated to my dressing area and clothes storage. though it's not magazine worthy yet... (or ever) it is my pride and joy. for the first time i can *see* and readily retrieve all of my clothing and accessories! for the first time ever i got ready quickly and arrived somewhere ON TIME! it's a miracle i tell ya!

here's what i have to thank for it:

TA- DAHHHH!

my "dressing room"

my vintage vanity with huge mirror provides quick and easy outfit critiques - now i can just hold things up and put together an outfit without having to run into the living room to check in the mirror there - this saves lots of time but doesn't burn as many calories running around like a chicken with my head cut off (that's such a gross saying) -it's a sacrifice i'll make!

*note - i'm not showing you the whole vanity because the mirror was super smudgy and gross and i didn't want you to see me in the reflection cause i was in my jammies*

yes, lois made the move and instead of sitting in the window of the guest room scaring off potential burglars -and my friends and neighbors- she is back to her rightful job of holding my necklaces (and sporting a new "blair waldorf inspired headband i just got at target!)

in this interesting nook by the vanity i keep my little deer collection.

i'm going to paint the inside a nice bright color - any suggestions? comment below!

the shoe closet which you saw in the previous post is seen in the bottom right corner of this pic

here is one of the compartments that i took the majority of the shelves out and instead installed a rod to hang my nicer shirts and vests (i have lots of vests for some reason!)

sweatshirts are stored on top

nice shirts hang

tees, tanks, sweaters, and cardigans are folded and stored in drawers below

in the compartment beside that are:

some bags (the kind you throw magazines in to go to the beach, or produce in at the market, or a blanket in for the park) and my "painting clothes"

skirts hang

yoga tops and bottoms, as well as jeans, pants and leggings

are folded and stored in drawers below

here is a view of those two compartments as well as the drawers i mentioned below them to give you a broader view and an idea of how the built-ins are... well, built.

there is a very small closet that is technically in the office side of the room

i can say "very small closet" now that i have an entire room dedicated to my clothes... but yes, this is the NORMAL sized closet that up until this point i lived with for years.

there i store my travelling bags, hang my dresses and put shoes that aren't pretty enough to go in the shoe closet (ie: tennis shoes, vans, and bummin' around oxfords)

in the two last compartments i kept the shelves in order to store my bags (purses).

i only photographed one side but you get the point....

oh, and in the basket on top are belts that don't hang well and in the drawers below are undies, bras, socks, tights and winter hats & scarves.

finally (whew!) we get to the rolling rack which divides the space and holds my jackets, blazers and hanging belts

i have stored my magazines (most of them anyway) in baskets under the rolling rack for easy reference. i should do a "tear book" so i don't have to keep all of the mags -just the pics i love- but i just love magazines as objects. i love flipping through them and seeing things in the context of the issue, of the month, and the year and time of year... not just isolated images.

i know i am completely spoiled here and i'm sure that once we start a family this whole thing will have to be re-done to make room for kids and their things but until then... i'm going to be selfish and indulge in having all of this space!

** tomorrow i'll show you how i've stored and organized my jewelry and makeup thus far (there's still more to do)

so STAY TUNED!**

I'm high as a kite right now!

2009-11-24T13:45:00.001-08:00

high on the incredible joy of getting TONS of free beauty products from your generous and amazing best friend! my anonymous friend has worked VERY hard at her job this year and has earned every bit of the perks she gets in return... me? I'm just damn lucky she likes me so much and I therefore get to enjoy those perks as well!

bask in the glory of the "perks" I brought home after lunching at her work:

ROC products I currently use and love but was running low on.

a freakin' ZENO!!! I've been breaking out a lot lately and have been dying to try this baby out! neck cream (my mom will understand this) and "oxygen" eye masks.

ELNET! every beauty blogger on earth raves about this stuff but I didn't buy it because it was $16 a bottle. and morrocan oil that my hairdresser had previously given me to try -and I loved- but I couldn't justify the cost!

two perfumes- we'll see how they go with my odd body chemistry.....

and a beautiful Dior eyeshadow quad, two nail polishes, and a lovely shimmer powder that's perfect for the holidays!
PLUS a secret eye cream that's not out on the market yet (and therefore I have been told not to name) that my friend has tried and says will apparently change my life! or at least my developing crow's feet and dark circles ;)

THANK YOU ANONYMOUS BFF! xoxoxo!

lastly, here's a shoddy pic of my outfit today

and what I wore yesterday

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

truth serum.

2009-11-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

tonight i went to a surprise birthday party for one of my clients and there may or may not have been an open bar. i'm just sayin'...

regardless of the above statement i am about to tell you THE TRUTH.

it does not matter if you are a "looker".

it does not matter if he is a "looker".

it does not matter what you wear.

it does not matter what he wears.

it does not matter if everyone else has on jewels that maybe add up to the cost of your house... and you have on thrift store clothes.

it does not matter if you are "high society" (or just rich enough that you think you are).

it does not matter if you can dance.

it does not matter if he can dance.

THE BEST accessory to any outfit is confidence.

and beyond that, i HIGHLY recommend finding a man that will be willing to be the first one to dance a slow song when everyone else in the room is just looking on.

cause the truth is, all of those rich bitches will just *wish* they had a husband who looks at them the way yours looks at you and is willing to dance just because it makes you smile.

(and truth be told, all of those husbands will just *wish* they had a smiling happy, dancing, laughing wife like you instead of that ninny in the corner wishing she could have a bite of birthday cake but abstaining cause it might go to her hips!)

cheers!

come on now, show me what cha workin' with

2009-11-23T09:47:00.000-08:00

so.... last post i gave you a sneak peek at my shoe closet. it's but a drop in the bucket as far as the makeover i'm DIYing on my downstairs basement room. A LOUSY DROP!

my hubs has been nice enough to give me full use of that nice big room to make half my dressing room and half my office/work room - SO NICE! well, i think before you can fully appreciate my hard work and compliment me on it (*wink*) you need to see the starting point.

please note three things:
1) these pics were taken with my iphone and are of sucky quality - forgive!
2) after our DIY wedding extravaganza i dumped anything and everything in this room and shut.the.door. until i had time to deal with it again... it's very messy but just look past all of my crap to see what i'm really trying to show you here.
3) i do not currently have photoshop or other cool tools that let you write on pics (that i know how to use... dumb) at my disposal so i'm going to get a bit wordy explaining things to you... feel free to just look at the pics.

alrighty! here we go!

so, i keep referring to the room in halves but that's not accurate. when you enter the room from unstairs there is a smaller side to the room on your left -this is the "half" i am turning into my dressing area - and a larger portion of the room lies to the right - this is the "half" i am turning into my office/work area. since i plan on using this post as a teaser for the mini reveal of my dressing room as the week goes on, i'll be focusing on that "half".

just so you can see it for now, this is the larger portion of the room which will be my office.

while it is larger, it only has the one wall of built-ins while my dressing area has two.

here you see it as if you were standing in the smaller portion of the room

THIS is the side i've made into my dressing area.

here you see it as if you were walking into the room after coming from the upstairs slash main living area of the house

here you see it as if you were standing in the larger (office) portion of the room

the door from the upstairs is to the left and the door into the garage/laundry room is to the right

**please note that behind that big chalk board leaning against the wall are the two doors that open into what is now my shoe closet - you can kind of see the doors if you look closely. the shoe closet is about chest height and about 3.5 feet deep. **

and this is just to show you the paint color and the fulgy outlets and outlet covers i've been working on replacing!

the man who had this house built in 1955 was a handy-man kind of guy himself and he apparently built this room in the basement himself... AND all of the awesome built-in shelves and drawers which now house my clothes. in all of the upper storage areas there were adjustable shelves and then below that super deep drawers... that smelled and looked like someone had been raising ferrets in them since the 1950's - vomit.

the first thing on my agenda was to clear out all of my crap and paint the walls white so that the room would be lighter and more airy... and to match the upstairs which i've painted white as well. (i'm having a prolonged scandinavian moment.)

then, i got to work on cleaning out those storage areas. i scrubbed and cursed and held my breath, but i finally got the drawers aired out and clean enough that i felt i could safely store my folding clothes in them without smelling like a homeless person. my jeans, pants, sweaters, tees, tights, socks and undergarments live there now!

in order to have hanging space for my other clothes i took out the shelves in two of the upper compartments and hung clothes rails. these now hold my shirts and skirts.

lastly, i cleaned and painted the inside of the small closet to hold my dresses and purchased a rolling rack to divide the space (dressing room designated from office) and to give me a bit more privacy when dressing.... although i'm the only one down there and no one can see in, it still feels weird to strip down in the middle of a (pretty much) big empty room. the rolling rack now holds my jackets and belts. (real coats are stored in the coat closet upstairs.... yes, i have enough jackets to fill a rolling rack... yes, it's crazy.)

i was unable to change out the sockets for white ones seeing as how i do not do electrical work but i plan on doing that sometime soon. until then, i just replaced all of the outlet covers with white ones to match the walls and blend in.

i've already drafted the post with the mini reveal of the dressing room so check back tomorrow to see :)

husband of the millenium

2009-11-19T19:54:00.001-08:00

my husband (still so odd to say!) is a saint. he is giving and patient and just all around wonderful!
case in point: this last weekend he helped me MAKE A HOME FOR MY SHOES!!!!
behold the glory but don't stare too long or you might go blind with jealousy.

and not only that, but said shoe closet is in the downstairs basement room that he has so graciously given me full use of to make half my personal dressing room (!!!!!!! I'm so posh- expect the tour to be in In Style soon! okay maybe not...) and the other half will be my office.
I'm a lucky lucky wife!
sorry to rub it in.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

downtown girl... gossip girl

2009-11-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

another outfit post to bore you with ;)
this one features a dress i made from a 70's pattern... it's HUGE and perfect for fat days and/or a brunch where you fully expect your belly to need mucho room to hold all of the goodness you are about to consume. (that was me) i'm ready for the weekend. how about you?

and on a TOE.TALL.EEE different note: how disappointed are we in serena van der woodsen?! i mean, 1: he's MARRIED and 2: he's not even cute.

let's take a look, shall we?

trip and his "congressman style" don't excite me.... serena's cleavage... well, maybe.

nate and his bed head? yes, please.

and dan in this get-up - I PAUSED IT ON MY DVR TO LAUGH OUT LOUD!

what do you think? if you *had* to choose one which would it be?

random outfit post

2009-11-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

i wore this casual get-up out for drinks (at a bar that is largely outdoors) last weekend. nothing special - just thought i'd share.

acid rain flowers

2009-11-13T21:09:00.001-08:00

so this is just a quick (and not so superb) outfit post featuring one of my new dresses from the vintage society etsy store (have you seen her Eddie Beale collection?!? brilliant!). this one has a crazy bright floral pattern and I chose to wear it with equally bright hot pink tights and my new shoes from F21. the lighting is poor but you get the idea ;) ... but believe me, the colors are much brighter than the pics would let on!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

reed books

2009-11-12T13:38:00.001-08:00

I shopped in my favorite used book store and den of vintage treasures today, reed books, and got some super fun treats:

VINTAGE PATTERNS

*it's hard to see but this one is my favorite cause it's a wacky romper one piece that you put on the shorts and then pull the top through your legs from the back to the front and wrap it around your neck like a halter - see the small pic on the bottom left*

THIS AMAZING OLD ADVERTISEMENT

sorry the pics are all turned around funny - taking pics with my iphone and then posting them from the blogger app always causes trouble!

(click to enlarge so you can read - sideways, unfortunately - how to put on weight quickly with ease!!! i suggest donuts but whatever!)

VINTAGE LIFE MAGAZINES

can't wait to scan in images from these to share with you all!

here's one sneak peek:

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

ida wanna go outside

2009-11-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

translation: "i don't want to go outside"

tropical storm ida is currently dumping rain all over my head.... hard, steady, cold, miserable rain ALL. DAY. LONG. and so i cancelled my afternoon classes and am staying home to paint. riiiiight after i browse the internet for an hour or so and make this post... i'll be productive today, it just may take me a while to get there.

i did however make it out to a "gratitude drum circle" at lunch time (yes, i'm a hippie freak who says that kind of thing like it's just totally normal because i think it is...) and it put me in a *much* improved mood... well, that and like i said just being a diva and canceling the rest of my day so i could come home and stay inside away from the horribleness raining down on me.

anyhow, i don't feel that my sad flat hair would do me any favors in an outfit post so i'll just give you a quick run down of my most recent purchases. i feel a bit bad about it but here's the honest truth: even after pledging my allegiance to the thrift and only shopping in second hand stores (for the most part) i still find that sometimes the mall calls my name. not just a store mind you, but THE MALL. so sunday, after leaving an outdoor art festival with the hubs, i casually asked if he'd like to stop at the mall for a bit - not long - just a bit. and he agreed saying "well, it closes in an hour so how much harm can you do?"

here's the harm i did:

JCREW

- one embellished tee

- two headbands
- four pair of socks
- one card holder thingy (some people call this a "magic wallet" but i think that's weird.)

FOREVER 21 (i know... i know... for shame!)

- a utility/rain jacket that has saved me today - i don't have a pic of it and can't find one on the site but it's kind of a cross between these two:

(shop it here)

- these shoes are so much more amazing than the pic shows. so much. they look GREAT with black tights and are surprisingly comfortable. the way they lace up makes them really hug your foot securely and the platform makes them not so torturous. love!

in the end it took me all of 20mins to shop and i didn't spend that much. every item i bought at jcrew was on super sale and F21 is always easy on the wallet. i guess in the end i have to agree with martinisordiapergenies (my new favorite blogger who speaks my language) and admit that sometimes a good trip to the mall is all you need :)

delivery day!

2009-11-09T12:28:00.001-08:00

to my delight there was a package awaiting me when I got home today. and what was in said package?... three lovely dresses from beth/the vintage society!!! I bought them from her etsy store late last week and they got here super fast... and she included helpful styling tips and a nice note- love her!
I know, I know.... outfit posts in the dresses soon! for now I'm off to sew ;)

THANKS BETH!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

down with love - up with fashion

2009-11-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

i'd forgotten how much i looooove watching this silly movie! it got awful reviews and i see why... it's so cheeky and obvious... but that's why i love it all the more. well, that and the gorgeous clothes and interiors! see what i mean:

these are from rottentomatoes.com

and these beauties are screen shots taken with my iphone :)

i so want to live in this world!
but for now my white walls and pops of color via my books will have to do:

you want this.

2009-11-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION ALL!

beth from the vintage society has this dress available in her etsy shop and someone needs to buy it immediately, if not soooona.

i want it sooo badly but unless i stop eating and loose a bra size, it's not gonna happen. so someone do me a favor and head over here and buy it now! then report back and show off how amazing you look in it for my enjoyment slash jealousy-fuel.

thankyouverymuch.

petite me.

2009-11-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

i think i'm tall. i'm not.

the proof is in the pudding folks... or in my case, the jeans. i found the perfect pair of j brand jeans on sale (but still expensive) at anthropologie a couple of weeks ago and tonight i went online to see if i could find more. i love these jeans so much that i want to buy enough pairs in enough sizes that i could possibly wear them for the rest of my life (even if i get fat and/or preggo). i don't care how much they cost.

as you can see from the image above these jeans are supposed to be cropped - almost capri style- on normal people... i did not know this until now. on me they hit right at the ankle, are the perfect length and i love them. guess the name "seven eighths" should've tipped me off huh?

i feel like a short fool.

i want! but don't need....

2009-11-04T13:27:00.001-08:00

first things first.

i want/need these shoes in the most urgent, desperate way... they are so ugly cool.

unfortunately for me, my pocketbook and i are not in agreement on this point... not yet anyway... i'm gonna see if i can convince it soon!

but before i do that i have a different expense to set my sights on (pun intended!):

i got these glasses at the thrift store several months ago and have been meaning to get my prescription in them but my busy "summer of life changing events" kinda got in the way... :)

well, coming across this photo of the lovely grace kelly made me pull my glasses out of hiding and wear them around the house til i got dizzy from the strong lenses that are in them currently!

isn't she just so perfectly geek-chic here?! i looove it! i am going to try to drop mine off by the end of the week so i can start wearing them headache-free asap!

(thrifted head to toe - click to enlarge)

PS- here's my few favorite thrift find. for some reason the weather here has decided it's not ready to be autumnal so it's gone back to feeling like summer... hmmmm.

good hair

2009-11-03T12:52:00.001-08:00

today i went to go see chris rock's "good hair" and i learned a lot. it's an awesome film about african-american women and their pursuit of their ideal (which usually means caucasian-like) hair. i personally have always thought that the natural look was super cool for black ladies to sport. i mean, who doesn't love an afro right?!

well.... apparently black women, that's who. there is a scene in the movie where chris interviews a few high school aged girls and asks them about their hair in light of their just graduating high school and getting ready to go out into the world. the general conclusion is that the girls think they wouldn't be taken seriously or get a good job if they didn't relax their hair..... it's CRAZY!

i can relate in some ways to what the women in the film are talking about even though i am caucasian. i have never thought i had good hair. i think it's thin. and the natural color is just a "nothing brown" and it's straight without much body. and it just kind of hangs there.

well now that i've done everything in the book to it: colored, permed, cut, bleached, tortured and even worn extensions... i realize that if i'd just stuck to what nature gave me i'd probably love it! i look at all of these photos from the 60's and 70's and see all of these gorgeous women with long straight hair down their backs and realize i could've had that all this while if i'd just had a little perspective and appreciation for what i had naturally. such a shame.

i've grown so used to the instant gratification of dying it drastically or cutting it off. that way everytime i feel a bit bad about myself there feels like there's something i can do to make it better - or at least different. i'm sure it's a very thin veil for my self esteem issues but it's also a lot of fun at times. i've enjoyed shocking people, playing dress up, trying on new looks and feeling the freedom of not being afraid to cut or change my hair. it has made me feel brave and daring.... but i've also used it as a bit of a crutch at times... a way to escape when i felt like just being "me" wasn't enough.

these days i'm back to brunette (it's actually a shade just a bit lighter than my natural shade) and i'm planning to stay there. i know it's going to be a long hard road, but i'm still going to try to grow it as long as possible too. i'm trying to do as little as possible to my hair for as long as i can... and it's SO HARD but i know it will be gratifying in a whole new way to stop worrying with it, spending money on it, and generally being dissatisfied with it.

today i played with wearing a long scarf and it was a nice way to change up the look and get a bit retro and it also made me feel like i had long hair with the ends of the scarf hanging down my back.

here's to the journey ahead and the hopes that i can stick with it!

last night's costume

2009-11-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

i was really distracted this year and didn't really feel like i was in the halloween spirit at all... which is totally unlike me. i was much later than usual putting up my decorations and then when i did, i did about half as much as i used to.

every halloween that p and i have been together i have planned and made our costumes to coordinate: zombie prom king & queen, the rhinestone cowboy & an indian girl, good & evil unicorns....

but this year i just didn't have the spirit :(

luckily, halloween is a time of miracles and mischief and magic! not only did p pull a great costume together all by himself (he went as his brother - which if you know them is much funnier than it reads) but i pulled together costumes for myself and miss lou too!

sadly, i was cameraless so i only have pics she sent me from our photo session of hilarity - none of p - but when i get some other folks' pics i'll be sure to post a pic of the two of them together just so you guys can see! he was a big hit!

i found a wig at the drug store on halloween day for $2.50 and decided i would go as marsha brady:

in an effort to save money, i decided i didn't want to buy anything much for a costume this year but just work with what i already had. lucky for me, i already own lots of great vintage i could pull from. i decided to wear a cute little outfit that i got last year off etsy because as much as i want it to fit, it's just too small to wear out as anything but a costume.

here are the results:

(click to enlarge)

we were under some florescent lights so everything looks all washed out, but my wig was more "marsha" colored and i think it worked out! what's funny is that i looked less like marsha and more like MY MOM in that wig... so funny! here's a link for you to see what i'm talking about!
ooohhhh, how it made me wish i had kept to the original plan of not cutting bangs and growing my hair out this way! **shakes fist** whyyyyyyy???? did i do that?!

ANYHOW.... for lou, we pulled together a very respectable peggy olsen look. again, everything is from my stash of vintage and everyday stuff:

she wears vintage so well!

we had such a good time goofing off in someone else's basement while everyone else was upstairs having a party that i think people thought we were up to no good down there. the process of getting this shot was enough to make both of us almost pee our pants :)

i don't know why, but it was the funniest thing ever last night!
oh well! i hope all of you had super fun halloweens... already looking forward to next year :)

"punkin" time!

2009-10-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

last night we had my best friend and her husband over to hang out and carve pumpkins. it was fun and a lot easier than i'd remembered! here are the results:

(in order L to R: mine, C&R's collaboration, and p's)

here's a close-up of mine:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!!!

water fell

2009-10-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

it's taken a few days but here are the pics from our visit to desoto falls this past sunday.

the day was GORGEOUS! crisp fall mountain air and warm sunshine make the heart smile... and being with my HUBBY makes me smile - isn't he just the cutest?!

i was worried that my thrifted oxfords would be too slick to climb around on the rocks and such safely (and they were) but there was a great trail along the top of the lookout so i got to enjoy the view too!

my grandma had a surgery today so she can begin dialysis immediately. i'm really going to try to get back into blogging but lately i've been in a stage where being a part of my day and not just reporting on it seems like the thing to do.

sunday funday (kinda)

2009-10-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

sunday snugglies with the puppies are the BEST!

now we're off to brunch and then to north alabama to see my grandma... it's a gorgeous day and the leaves will be changing in the mountains and i'm very excited! unfortunately, my grandma is very very sick and that's the main reason we are going. i hope our visit can cheer her up.

photos soon!

random musings after red wine consumption

2009-10-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

1- miss hathaway on the beverly hillbillies was way ahead of her time. that fur and those glasses?!

(yes, i took a photo of my tv with my phone... sorry for the blur)

um, hello mk olsen! (or maybe this is ashley... i'm confused. did i mention the red wine?!)

2- i colored my hair and cut bangs.

these days i wanna look like carey mulligan in "an education"

(this movie's going to be amaaing - i can't wait to see it!)

now, grow hair! grow! (and maybe i need to cut my bangs shorter as it grows longer... nes pas?)

3- i bought 3 amazing items at the thrift today: a(nother) faux fur, a sequined wiggle dress, and a totally cute 50's inspired dress that i am currently in l.o.v.e. with! i may just wear it while i paint the house tomorrow!

4- i lusted over these shoes for a week and tried to get p to buy them for me - and he almost did, as a belated wedding present... but i got online today and they were sold out in my size. i am heartbroken and pitiful in the worst way now. even after p kissed me on the head and told me i was "so pretty i didn't need shoes" (suck up.) i still grieve. they are still full price at victoria's secret... i'll keep and eye out.
psst: i got him this as my wedding present to him/us

it's H...U...G...E... and ohsobright and wonderful! now i just have to pay a butt load to have it professionally framed! i want to hang it in our entryway so that everytime we come home or leave home we are reminded of our wedding vows and our love... sweet :)

remember me?

2009-09-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

i'm sorry i haven't kept up the blog for the last few months. i thought i would blog about the process of planning the wedding and moving into the house and such but the stress of it all and the effort of just doing everything was too much and at the end of the day i just wanted and needed to turn my brain off... not rehash everything online. hope you understand and will welcome me back with open arms cause i can't wait to tell you about it all :)

okay, so here are a few updates:

WE GOT HITCHED!

the wedding was great, meaningful, fun and unique - i'll be sharing more details as i have time (and photos). i might even start a third blog dedicated to the wedding recap... we'll see!

here's a sneak peek at our AMAZING (if i do say so myself) engagement shoot

and here's one taken during our ceremony

(spoiler alert: i totally said "with this WING, i thee wed!)

promise, i will spill all the beans soon but until then i will assure you that i am staying true to my aim of not contributing to the landfills of the world by buying pre-worn! the outfit in the engagement pic, from head to toe including shoes, is totally thrifted and everything with the exception of shoes in the wedding photo is vintage! (i say "totally" but you know i don't include undies in that evaluation - i don't buy used undies! ewwww!)

our baby puppy is growing and growing and amusing me more and more every single day. she has such a feisty and funny personality and is totally different from her big sister. and since this is supposed to be a blog about being frugal i'll give you a tip: if you want to save money, don't adopt a "special needs" puppy. she's been very expensive - but totally worth it. here she is chillin' in the sun on the sofa today:

(please click to enlarge cause it's funnier when you can see it better)

we LOVE our house. sometimes i can't believe i get to live here! i never thought that my first house would be this nice or this perfect for us. i promised those who know me and love me that i would resist working myself up into a neverending manic episode by resisting the temptation to begin work on the house until after the wedding. this means that i basically unpacked (mostly) and just left stuff wherever it landed. so now the process begins. i will be sharing house renovations and little DIY projects as i take them on... it's gonna be a lot of work and a lot of fun.

life is good and the month of october is going to be packed with exciting things. i am SO ready for fall clothes and hats and boots, aren't you?! i'm going to try to get back on track with my frugality but in the meantime the blog may be a bit more scattered and random... not so much about saving money but how to spend it wisely to create an inspired, amazing, beautiful and enjoyable life.

remember: it's not how much you have but how you use it!

Sometimes you lose...

2009-06-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

So today i went thrifting for the fun of it - not for the wedding... which was a relief! Lo and behold i came across this awesome shiny red gumball machine just as they were putting it out and i snatched it up - for only $5! I was feeling so spiffy and went straight to target to buy a bunch of gumballs. After spending $15 on the candy i brought it home and filled it up to give it a go. NO GO. it steals my money and gives me no gumball in exchange.... boo.

my new defective, money thievin' gumball machine

at least it looks super cool.

PS- that's how many $15 buys you at target - not much.

eh, it'll do!

2009-06-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

so it's no great outfit or photo or revelation, but here is a little pic to break up the endless babble about houses and weddings and stress. this sweater/poncho thing was a recent thrift find. i threw it on over a tank top and jeans for a cookout in the courtyard of our apartments and got two interesting comments that night:

(from p) you look like a 70's kindergarten art teacher. (he meant this as a compliment.)
(from my too-honest friend, josh) i'm diggin your look tonight. your outfit is, like, groovy but you've got your hair pulled back like a mormon housewife... but it works. (i'm not sure if this was a compliment.)

i was tempted to belt it at first, but it looked super silly when i did. i was tired and ready for a beer and relaxation so i didn't work too hard at it... maybe next time i'll put in a little effort!

i'll be back with more insanity soon - we should deliver our "post inspection addendum" to the sellers today....

mush brain

2009-06-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

i know i need to post some pics soon because the words are just getting to be too much! i need a good "outfit post" asap!

til then, i will fill you in on the day's events:

we had the inspection on the house today and i think that overall it was what one would expect. there are things that need to be addressed but overall no "deal breakers" - WHEW! we will present them with a short list and then wait and see what happens. who knows! maybe they'll be totally obliging and everything will roll smoothly... see what i did there? turned that mental frown upside down - booyah!
i went to anthropologie for a little inspiration and visual treat after work. i wasn't intending to buy anything at all, i swear!... but then i spied a lace vest in the sale room that was $9.99! so, small treat for me to ease the stress :) outfit post to follow soon!

thanks for the thoughts and prayers - keep 'em coming! still a bit undecided about the wedding stuff. i reserved the park spaces for september 18th but p has been working such insane hours and i've been so preoccupied with the house stress that we haven't really sat down and decided if we are going to go for it or not. it's my bet that we will, but right now i can't even think about it - my brain is mush.

wanted: good thoughts

2009-06-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

hi everybody,

tomorrow we go to get the inspection on the house and we are very nervous. we learned tonight that the sellers have a "backup offer" on the house and we are worried that this means they will be unwilling to "play ball" with us on any repairs. at this point, we are really just praying that nothing major is wrong with the house and that we can follow through with our contract and buy it as we intended... and dreamed.

any and all good thoughts will be more than appreciated!

xoxo-

meg

was that the "start gun" i just heard?

2009-06-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

well, i called just a while ago and finally got in touch with minnie at parks and recreation and let me just say that she is not nearly as nice or as cheerful as amy poehler's character on the show of that same name!

she ONLY has friday, september 18th available.

p's not keen on rushing it (or necessarily having it on a friday) and i feel really anxious when thinking about moving at the beginning of august and then having 6 weeks til the wedding. on the plus side, it would mean i could just get down to the nitty gritty and make some decisions and stop thinking about it so damn much....

after getting the ground back under me (cindy is the BEST) i called back to see what it would take to reserve that date but wouldn't ya know it... minnie is out of the office for the next hour and a half. so, i am thinking i will phone stalk minnie and reserve the date just in case and try to talk to p about it tonight. already i've had 3 folks say with assurance "we can do this" so i'm beginning to drink the kool-aid and think we can.... i don't know. i feel like i can hear the crazy in that sentence....

whatever happens, you know i'll keep you posted!

still on hold but hangin' on

2009-06-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

so, i know you guys liked the farm, but it was feeling like a stretch making everything happen from such a distance... i mean, there's not even a grocery store within about 30mins of there if you ran out of ice and decided you needed a bag or two more at the last minute, you know?! we both agreed from the get-go that our wedding wouldn't be about the particulars but it really was just a time to celebrate with our family and friends... and we were worried that people wouldn't stick around or have as much fun if they knew a long drive would await them at the end of the day. plus, we love our city and really wanted to have our wedding here.

so yesterday a client of mine said "why don't you just get married in the park" and i said that we'd thought about it tons but that it really would be nice to have someplace to shelter the food and have better access to restrooms and such. and he informed me that the park we'd been thinking about but haven't used much (that is *right* by our new - knock on wood- house) actually has the outdoor pavillions and ampitheatre AND a "villa" higher up on the back side of the hill accessed by a side street that he'd been to and that it was WONDERFUL!

so last night after dinner with ellie and brad to celebrate our being under contract on the house, we all drove up there to check it out... and it IS wonderful!

today i called to get the info and found out that while it's not as dirt cheap as my client claimed, it's still a STEAL in comparison to other wedding venues. it will provide us with indoor and outdoor areas to eat and boogie. and we can have alcohol as long as we hire a city cop to keep watch. and it has everything we need as far as bathrooms and such go. and it has a fireplace!

the only hang-up is that the lady who books the place, minnie, is out of the office until monday... and the lady who i spoke with on the phone told me she thought minnie had mentioned that it was booked every weekend til december - boooooo! i'm hoping this lady doesn't know about a secret empty weekend that is just waiting for us to book it ;)

we have already decided that we'll do a friday afternoon/evening wedding if we can't get a saturday... but i know i'd really rather not do a sunday. like at all.

we had saturday, october 10th as our date mentally, but i just browsed online and found out that the birmingham folk festival will be there on sunday, october 11th and i bet they'll be setting up tents and trash cans and such around the park the day before and we really don't want all of that going on in the background of our outdoor ceremony so we will have to be open to alternate dates. no biggie.

for now, i will share with you the templates i've made for our invites. keep in mind that i am NOT a graphic designer and that i don't have fancy programs on my computer to design these with - not even photoshop! these are just ideas to give to our graphic designer friend so that he can then make them *magic* in ways i cannot! i've designed two: one for our fun friends and another for "grown ups" and i'm hoping that he will be able to add borders and color and more interest to both so that they look more professional even though we plan to just print them out on our inkjet printer at home :)

my mom is constantly worried about me putting up my info online so please DO NOT stalk us or our wedding - THANKS!

i've been reading up on making your wedding more environmentally friendly and i think that we might pass up the save the date cards and as much mailing and envelopes as we can in order to "do our part". i don't know how it will turn out but i am thinking i will roll these up and tie them with a piece of twine and have a little tag hanging off that is personally "addressed" (to: so and so, with love from meg and patrick) with driving directions and our website on the backside so they can find more info without wasting more paper. and we are going to hand deliver every one that we can - not driving around like fools, mind you... but organically as we see people- because our guest list is mainly the folks who are in our everyday lives. i'll cave and mail the ones i have to obviously.

and in house news, we have our inspection scheduled for this coming tuesday - so if you think about it, send us some really lucky good vibes that they don't find anything crazy and that we can proceed with ease from here!

i guess this means that i should take the weekend of from mental planning until i know more info about the wedding venue when i call minnie on monday and have our inspection on tuesday huh?..... i'll work on that.... we'll see!

Can't believe it!

2009-06-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's not over til it's over but we officially have the house "under contract" with a closing date set for July 15th!!!! I never thought when I started this blog it would happen this quickly!

-posted with help from my robot

Gratitude

2009-06-08T21:05:00.001-07:00

I'm stealing a friend's idea & posting gratitudes to keep my chin up & remind me what's really important.
1- spending time with Ellie going to lunch, the antique store, the farmers market, and grilling out!
2- her silly jokes to cheer me up & a hankerchief when I cried.
3- work. yoga saves me time after time after time. I am eternally grateful to my teachers and my students.
4- kind words from friends on facebook & this blog- some from people I don't even really know (elena-lu)- make my day so much better!
5- a moment with my client's daughter, hanging out in their backyard looking at fish in the pond & dangling our feet in the pool!
6- the beautiful picture she colored for me!
7- hugs from P even when I'm anxious & therefore an angry monster.
8- frosties!
9- clean sheets on the bed
10- a chance to be better tomorrow

** we are about to accept the counter-counter-counter-offer on the house!!! still holding my breath until all of the inspections & such are done but it's pretty tremendous we are this close so soon! we only first looked at it Friday :) I think I may need constant reminders to breathe until the day we close on this house- it's all so new & exciting but foreign and stress-inducing! Ack!!!**

-posted with help from my robot

Freaking out... Again!

2009-06-08T10:08:00.001-07:00

We put on offer on the house and they counter-offered and we countered back and now we are waiting....
It's only been since about 6pm yesterday but time is warping and I feel so anxious. I'm terrified that their agent is working overtime to get another offer in above ours and that's why we haven't heard back.
I spend all day everyday telling other people to breathe and to find their peace but right now the only place I'm finding mine is in crying on Ellie's couch while she plays me calming music and attempts to make me laugh... to my surprise, she is able. I feel like six months ago I didn't really want a wedding OR a house and then all of a sudden I'm clawing my way towards both just as tirelessly and unceasingly as any one person ever could. We've only been engaged 2 weeks and it feels like centuries. I keep saying aloud that I'm putting the wedding stuff on hold until the house stuff is settled and then I try desperately to pretend I am in fact doing that but inside my mind is still in constant motion... until eventually I can't contain it anymore and it all starts spilling from me and I'm embarrassed by my lack of restraint again.
Keep us in your thoughts. Pray I don't annoy everyone around me to the point that I don't have to worry about a wedding because everyone will disown me by then.

-posted with help from my robot

in the blackbelt

2009-06-06T16:52:00.001-07:00

today we travelled down to the blackbelt of alabama to check out the farm that we are hoping to use for our wedding. it was a GORGEOUS day in the south and the drive was so nice. first we went to the chapel - built in 1859.

i'm a total weirdo with an affinity for cemeteries so i just had to go over to check it out. the oldest grave we found was from the very early 1800's - i meant to remember the date but there was so much going on in my brain today i've now forgotten it. anyway, here it is:

inside the chapel. it had that "old" smell but it was very authentic feeling and the history is so rich i didn't mind at all.

next we went to the "white house" to check it out as a spot to hold our reception. we are thinking of throwing the front doors open and having tons of candles all over and putting up a tent with seating outside.

you can't really see it here, but we could use the back porch and the porch area of this little shed to set up the buffet and bar areas. and in between the main house and the shed is a little fire pit that would be great for s'mores :)

selfishly, i'd have to admit my favorite part of the day was stopping by the roadside to pick a wildflower bouquet! pretty, pretty!

and in other crazy exciting news...

we put an offer on the house and should know something by 6pm tomorrow.

any form of prayer, well wishes, or happy/lucky vibes sent our way will be greatly appreciated! wish us well - we really want this!

list of wishful thinking

2009-06-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

things i will look forward to when we have a house:

being able to let the dogs run around in the backyard as opposed to having to walk them around the park on leashes
a laundry room!!! i will cry the first time i can wash and dry in my own home again!
(hopefully) a dishwasher - i don't hate washing dishes but that's probably only because we never cook and thus don't have many dishes to wash. but once we have a house we'll be eating in all the time so i hope we have one.
a place for my vespa... that isn't my living room. i'm serious. there is currently a huge scooter in my living room.
painting, decorating and hanging light fixtures! i want light fixtures!
having people over - right now we don't because there's not room and we are embarrassed by how far we've let our place go since we have a mental exit date - it's pathetic.
(hopefully) a guest room. i have NO idea where my friend clare is going to sleep when she comes to visit because as it stands right now, we have no guest room and such a tiny living room that we don't even have a full size sofa for her to sleep on... and she's really tall!
starting a garden! this is a must!

back on track...

2009-06-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

oh yeah, this blog was supposed to be about buying our first house.... about that:

we really want/need to buy a house before we get married.

i know that sounds backwards from how most people would do it but we have a very good reason: if we spend a lot of money on the wedding (which we aren't planning to, but i'm finding it's a slippery slope) then our financial outlook won't look as nice to lenders. plus, on the super practical side it's nice to take care of the needs in life before you take care of the wants... and as big of a "want" as it is, a wedding isn't really as important as a home of our own. i think it will be a good thing if we can buy a house first because once that money is shelled out and we are officially homeowners, i think it will really make me count my pennies on the wedding front. i won't get to indulge or find myself going off budget because i simply won't be able to - ah, restraint without willpower required!

here is the house we are seeing this afternoon:

i looooove a good rancher and i have a pretty nice collection of mid-century modern home decor that would be perfect in a house like this! i'm trying not to get my hopes up though because i've learned that you can't really tell jack about a house until you are standing physically inside of it. photos lie. it looks great online and i've driven by it (about 5 times in less than 24 hours... slowly.) and the location is a dream for us. it's on the outskirts of a nice part of town so we get the cool address but a cheaper price. but best of all it's practically across the street from the elementary school and just down the street from the library and park! score!

i'll report back asap and let you know what we think after we see it this afternoon. p's ready to buy the thing today so i'm going to have to keep a lid on us both ;)

freaking out, part one (of a million more to come)

2009-06-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

so the madness has begun and i've started looking at other dresses and now my head is all turned around because there are a million different ways to go... country, mod, boho, hippie, classic, ethereal... who knows?!

the real kicker is that the dress i want most at this moment is this one from fleur wood:

and it's sold out.

so this morning i bought this dress from etsy (click to enlarge):

now if only i were a tall gorgeous dark skinned woman with an amazing fro....

i really wanted this one from shripton couture because it's daisy-like but dressier... but, wouldn't ya know it, it too is sold out:

(this one has amazing details so if you have time click the link to see the other pics of it)

i am thinking that i could do a bit more of a yellow color scheme and that the daisy dress can be both country AND mod if done right.... i'm thinking of super cute pics on my vespa and standing outside a barn... and if i don't wear it for the big day i know i'll wear it sometime cause it's just so damn cute! TOTALLY DIFFERENT from the first i know, but that's because i can be any kind of gal on any given day so i like all of these styles. how will i ever choose?!

i've been obessed with a mountain bride and snipet and ink these days. amazing sources of inspiration! it's like amazing stylish women did all the legwork for me and found all the best stuff on the internet :)

in good news:

last night p and i went to his mom's to begin making our invite list and it is not as bad as i originally thought. it looks like maybe we can invite everyone we really wanted to without going coo-coo-crazy. she was great about everything.

AND....

one of my clients has a farm about an hour and a half south of us that she has offered for us to use for free for the big day!!!! AND... it has a chapel built in 1890 on the property!!!! we are going to drive down there to check it out this saturday so cross your fingers that it is just what we are looking for so we can get the locale nailed down. once we do, it will then determine a lot more about the # of invites, the theme/feel of the day and even the food and decorating decisions. oh gee, i hope it's what i'm imagining... or at least workable!

and lastly, i have gone berzerk at the thrift.

this is just the very tip of a very large iceberg.

i stocked up on jars a plenty to make lanterns out of.

and glass canisters to serve vintage style candies in.

and an old school desk so i can totally rip off this idea:

and vintage sheets to use as the backdrops for photos or for tablecloths!

my sweet ellie was kind enough to soak all of the jars, peel off all the thrift store stickers, AND wash them all by hand!

she is a gift from the heavens i tell ya! :) THANKS E! YOU RULE BY MAKING MY LIFE SO MUCH EASIER!

just imagine it:

2009-05-29T16:15:00.001-07:00

what if we had a small -very intimate, family and close friends only- ceremony in the morning here:

**imagine me in that dress from the previous post standing in front looking like a wood nymph :) :) :)**

followed by a festive reception/party at my mom's with lots of friends?!... and drinks, and music, and sparklers, and dancing, and my puppies?!

quick like a band aid

2009-05-29T15:19:00.001-07:00

i've decided that less is more... as in: the less i look around and try to search out all the possibilities of how to get hitched, the more sane i will be.

in fact, i'm going to make a new nickname for myself concerning this whole shabang: the decider.

maybe i'll even get an awesome wrestler mask! no, too scary... and hot. i'll just stick with the name.... ok, and maybe i'll make myself a name tag to wear when i need to step into "decisive bride-to-be mode"! kind of like beyonce has her sassy stage alter ego, "sasha fierce"!!!

anyway, i'm going to try to be as decisive and quick as i can because if i give it too much thought i'll get completely overwhelmed.

so far i'm pretty set on:

outdoors
vintage/country/boho/hippie kind of vibes
DIY as much as possible

and invites like these from hatch show print:

(click the link above and browse awesomeness)

i saw this image posted on the indiebride.com and i knew immediately this is the look i had been searching for. i also felt it was kismet because the date on this invite is may 24, 2008 and we got engaged on may 24, 2009 - i'm one of those hippies who believes in "signs" ;)

if we end up having a very intimate ceremony with just a very limited number of invites going out followed by a larger party with more invites going out i will probably splurge for the ceremony invites from hatch and then see if i can do the save the date cards, RSVP cards, directions, and then the "big party" invites myself. i've seen these martha stewart stamps at michaels and i think that they will blend nicely with the hatch print ones and give the same vibe.

i just hope it doesn't turn out like most of my DIY efforts and end up costing more money and time than if i had just had them done professionally! i always want things to be so perfect that i end up overdoing it and missing the point....

i already have the clear stamp holder. so just getting the stamps and inks and paper is next. oh, and the hardest part: designing them. eeeks.

tonight my BFF and i are going to get together to browse some wedding etiquette books (but NOT bridal magazines - i won't go near them) at the book store. i think we are going to try to make some very preliminary invite lists just so i can get an idea of how many people i'm really looking at. oh this is gonna be tough... but fun.

now if only i can get p on board to start thinking about his invite list we'll really be on a roll :)

i thought we had a **PERFECT** location picked out last night but it's in a dry county (no alcohol allowed) and you can only do a champagne toast. p works in wine and we are drinkers so that nixed that locale! now we are exploring other ideas including the cheapest of all: my mom's new house with a few acres of land. it would just mean asking people to travel about an hour and a half. do you guys think that's too much?! **comments welcome**

Quickie update

2009-05-29T04:27:00.000-07:00

1) We got an email that we are indeed ore-approved for our loan so we can *really* hit the pavement looking for a house!
2) I have an appt. today to get my taxes done so when we DO find a house and we DO get down to the nitty-gritty of the loan I'm ready... This is big because like scheduling a root canal, it something that has to be done but the anxiety of it is enough to make you think irrationally that if you just ignore it maybe it will go away.... It won't.
3) the veggie shred muffins were excellent! the brie & cranberry were a horrible/bland disappointment- devastating.
4) I had a relapse. I was doing SO well with my budget & savings that when I got what *may* be my wedding dress for only $80 I rewarded myself for all my hard work with my first pair of designer jeans... tags are still on- I don't think my concience will let me keep them!

-posted with help from my robot

begin at the beginning...

2009-05-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

so, i have NO IDEA how i'm going to plan a wedding... or a party... or whatever it is that p and i decide to do but i do know that i have to start somewhere! i think a lovely place to start is in narrowing down things i *think* i want to be a part of this moment in our lives and things i know i do not.
sorry to be a negative nancy, but the truth is that the things i don't want are a lot easier for me to rattle off than the things i do - or think i do for right now anyway.

i know i don't want to spend a lot of money... period.

that pretty much acts as the guideline by which all other things much follow: renting an expensive place - no. buying an expensive gown - no. paying a ton for flowers or food - no. paying to transport people to a distant location -no.

i think most of what i do want is achievable with some ingenuity and lots of hands on DIY time (which lucky for me is something i have and i love) and the things that are not are things i think are worth splurging on: the fun stuff!

if i'm going to be honest (and i am to a fault sometimes) i would predict the things i will be most willing to dish the cash on will be:

photographs and.... dare i say it?...
hair.

the first makes sense when you know that i graduated with a BFA in photography from the Art Institute of Chicago and i worked for a great wedding photographer even before that. in fact, it kills me that i can't shoot my own wedding because, like most things, i am 100% sure i could do it to my liking far better than anyone else. i'm super picky about this.

the second makes sense when you know me. and my hair. and our torrid love affair that borders on masochism. i have colored my hair practically every conceivable color and had it a ba-zillion different styles and i'm not done yet. my latest vision is very long, very boho, and very very much what i do not currently have and will not have before expected wedding time.

i'm just gonna take a deep breath and type this (to no one's surprise i'm sure).... i'm seriously considering splurging on expensive professional extensions for the big day. it's totally silly, i know. but so am i. this is what i'm thinking:

(click to enlarge any of the above - photos taken from bohememusings.blogspot.com - thanks isabell! you are beautiful!)

unfortunately for me, my hair is only chin length at the very longest strand right now and we probably won't wait a year to "make it official" so there's no way it's going to grow as long as i'd like it in time. bummer. but my worry is that if i splurge on extensions and i don't like them or they don't feel like "me" then i will forever regret getting them for such an important occasion. (but, again, if i'm really honest, i will bet big money that if i were to get them my someday kids would look back on the pictures from that day and tell stories about how their crazy mom was always doing something wacky with her hair and it would totally become part of my life story... just sayin.)

at any rate, here is a daydream list of things i would love to incorporate into the big day:

mid-summer's night circus:

mosquito tents w/ blankets & pillows on "floor"

orange & white stripped tent

lanterns EVERYWHERE

bowls of fruit for centerpieces (cherries, green apples)

lemonade (spiked?) - koolaid

blueberry pie instead of cake

barefoot

circus flags of old linens

fireflies

pinata

magician/clown/balloon animals/caricature artist

wood cut out of bride & groom for photos

pony rides

popcorn stand

bottled cokes

beer in tin tubs

everyone bring a flower to comprise bouquet

picnic style ceremony

COLORS: orange, limon, yellow, aqua, kelly green,fuschia

hammocks

lawn games: badminton, croquet, frisbee

DIY photo booth

sparklers!!!

clearly, you can tell i'm thinking warm weather and outside as two main factors! p took the thought right out of my brain when he said something about a housewarming/wedding/celebration. i would love it if we bought a house with a backyard that would accommodate this idea... we are still looking!

so, with the starting points of not spending a lot of money, kind of going for something a little on the hippie side and definitely casual side, and tentatively planning for something outdoors in warm weather (which here in the deep south can sometimes mean as late as october or even- believe it or not- november) i bought this dress for $80 today:

please keep in mind this is a shoddy pic taken with my phone

and i just came from teaching a yoga class so i have on a sports bra under this and no real makeup on.

i like it because it is flowy without overwhelming my petite stature. it's comfy as all get out. it's not white but can be seen as falling into the typical wedding dress color scheme. and it's long but not so long that i couldn't wear it barefoot or with flats seeing as how i'll likely be standing in grass! don't you think it would look perfect with a wildflower bouquet on a warm summer(ish) afternoon?! i think it pretty much meets all of my requirements... and if i change my mind in a month and want to go with something fancier or in a different vein then i still love this one and can get lots of wear out of it. plus, it would feel good to have a real starting point to plan everything else around and it would feel *amazing* to have such a big piece of the puzzle already figured out... and for so little money :)

now here's my next question: do i show p?! or keep it a secret?!

all the sordid details... for your squealing pleasure

2009-05-26T08:24:00.001-07:00

sunday was a great day.

we slept in and then got up for brunch with ellie and brad at the pancake house. ate until i was full up to my sternum. then we all piled into the car and drove out to look at "the barn house"....a house shaped like a barn i was convinced would be crazy perfect. alas, it was not. not even the awesome jacuzzi on the back deck (for kitch factor) could not save this mess. sad.
then, we got lost driving into the ghetto to see an amazing but run-down spanish style house that is selling for only $12,000! now brad and ellie are laughing in the back seat because not only have i convinced everyone that driving into the ghetto to look at this house is a worthwhile pursuit (ok - there was not much to convincing e. i made the suggestion and she was like "YES!") but p and i were also in one of our infamous moods where we can get lost and aggrivated and say horrible things to one another like "i hate your face" all while smiling and not ever really being mad at one another... it's how we express our love..... ok, it's how i express my love and he is just easy going enough to know i don't mean any of it and to just sit back and play along.

brad claims to find this all very entertaining and we discussed the level of interest people would have in watching mine and p's relationship if it were a reality tv show. the consensus was that most people would find it horrifying and amusing... in other words, a huge success.

then we drove brad and ellie home and continued driving all over god's green earth in search of houses for sale we would actually consider living in. no success.

but on the way home we saw this awesome rainbow and that made everything feel a little better:

can you see it? behind the light poles?!

then we took the puppies out to the park for a little play time and vowed to go home and clean the apartment - it's an insane dog-hair disaster. disgusting.

so, we came home and made an awesome frittata:

and drank red wine and began watching Hitch on tv instead. productive, huh?!

i did attempt to at least decide where i was finally going to hang the stack of thrift store artworks that have been leaning against the wall in the record room since we moved in...but i didn't get any further than that before i was sucked back into the movie and sucking down red wine (i didn't have to work monday cause it was labor day so why not?!)

then p gets up to go to the bathroom and comes back and insists we go on a walk. i grumble and refuse and say i am very content sitting and drinking and watching the rest of a movie we have seen a million times and actually own on dvd. he persists. i give in but continue to grumble as he tries to turn us down the street that runs along the low side of the park. it's now 10 o'clock at night and i'm semi-drunk and it's a dark and uneven sidewalk. i proceed to accuse him of not caring if i fall down.

he asks "where is that house where we first met at that party" and i just point and say "down there about 3 or 4 houses. can we go home now?" and he says "we don't have to walk down there but can we just keep walking a bit longer?" i huff, but agree.

then he starts talking about when we first met (at a house party i wasn't even invited to and he stumbled into after his sister's wedding holding a bottle of wine in each hand and still wearing part of a tux... i think). i accuse him of being cheesy this time and proceed to tell him i have an aversion to all things cheesy so he better stop. besides, i don't like to look back or forward. i just want to enjoy our little walk - isn't that enough?.....

so then we are walking up to my old apartment where we had our first kiss. we had been friends for a few months and i wasn't sure we were actually going to survive being anything more than friends but i knew he really liked me and i like him and so as he was dropping me off one night i (apparently, i don't remember) said "are you sure you're ready for this?" and leaned over and kissed him..... and his foot slid off the brake and we rolled about 20 feet before we realized the car was moving! (here is where if i were as cheesy as he is i would say something along the lines of how it felt like the earth was moving but it was really just the car!)

so i reluctantly give into the cheese-factor and give him a little kiss and chide him for being a squishy romantic....

and all of a sudden he has this look on his face and he says "i just want to know if you are ready for this...." and he reaches for his pocket.

i totally think he's f*cking with me. i do! i begin saying "no! stop it!" but then i realize he is NOT kidding and HE'S PULLING A LITTLE BLACK BOX OUT OF HIS POCKET AND GETTING DOWN ON ONE KNEE! so i really start shreaking, "no! don't do this! are you serious?! oh, my god! really?!" get up! no! *instant tears flooding from my eyes out of nowhere*

and then it gets a little blurry cause he's saying all this sweet stuff and i realize it's not a joke. and so i feel so far away from him standing up that i begin kneeling too. i do know he asked me to marry him and i said yes.

but then there are two guys walking out of the apartments behind p (i still don't know if i was super loud when i was yelling at p to stop and they thought i was being attacked or what!) and he suggests we cross the street.

then we are standing there shaking and grinning like fools and i say "did that just happen for real? what do we do now?" and he says "yes" and "i don't know!" so i suggest that he actually gives me the ring (he still hadn't!) and we laugh and he produces the ring from the box and puts it on my finger and asks me if i like it.... but i can't even see it because it's 10:20pm and we are standing out on a dark sidewalk. so we walk under a street light and i get to see my ring for the first time and it's very pretty and he's very concerned that i won't like it because i had said previously that i didn't want a diamond. but he saw this one and thought it was perfect and wanted to get it for me... so it is.

then we walk around for a few more minutes like we are stoned out of our minds - just asking one another over and over again if it is real. and did it just happen? we finally formulate enough clarity to decide to go home and get my phone so that i can call my best friend. i was the first person she told when she got engaged and i wanted to share likewise.... but long story short, p had wanted it to be a total surprise so even though she had gone with him to get the ring and knew it was coming sometime she didn't know it was that night and she and her husband had gone to a 10:00pm movie.... so i finally got to tell her at 12:30am! we called and woke up our mom's and then went to the store to get some champagne! we were still all stunned and out of it and i'm sure the lady at the grocery store thought we were out of our minds because my makeup was all runny and we just kept looking at each other and giggling.

yesterday was a big day. we saw family and friends and shared the news. and now i'm sharing with my web-friends! i don't know yet what we will do for a wedding... since we are still looking to buy a house we have thrown around the idea of having a housewarming wedding. i picture it as a pot-luck casual wedding where people can bring food and drink and hang out and dance and party and have a good time. and if we do a registry i can be things we will need for the new house - and hopefully lots and lots of lowe's and home depot gift cards!

but we'll see! i know i won't have anything traditional but i am not quite sure what we will decide on... or when. p has been nice enough to say he'll do whatever i want to do :)

wish us luck! i'll keep you posted!

Hey good lookin' -Whatcha got cookin'?

2009-05-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

I may not have saved money up front by buying this book at TJMaxx last night:

($6 is still a great deal tho!)

but I am hoping that by making some tasty muffins I can have a healthy breakfast to-go in the mornings and I won't be tempted to pull through starbucks and get that awesome sugary low-fat cinnamon swirl coffee cake... Which I'm sure is only low fat when compared to the mcdonalds hashbrowns I kinds sorts wish I was eating....
I am not a cook. I am not a baker. I am not a candlestick maker. But I have tried my hand at all of these things and maybe this time I will actually make something edible in the kitchen.

The first batch are shredded veggie muffins made with whole wheat flour and included in the "healthy" section of the book.

The second batch are Brie & cranberry muffins listed in the "savory" section of the book.

I'll let you know how they taste!

-posted with help from my robot

rich like them

2009-05-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

part of the new frugality means revisiting what i guess was the old frugality... i've always loved going to the library and i love it even more now that i get to celebrate it as a money saving venture and pat myself on the back for it... i'm always happy for another reason to tell myself "good job"! i've been revisiting the movie section of the library and checking out movies for free instead of renting them AND i signed up for email reminders so that i won't forget when they are due back and accumulate those (unusually) hefty fees.

recent rentals:

a good funny time waster as always

my first time watching it. robert redford made me swoon despite

his passionless, stand-for-nothing character.

don't bother. i feel asleep.

haven't watched it yet... p and i have almost broken down and purchased this one on apple tv seeing as how it's not for rent but then i found it in the library - yay! probably watch this weekend.

and today i came across this book:

it's called Rich Like Them: My Door-To-Door Search for the Secrets of Wealth In America's Richest Neighborhoods by Ryan D'Agnostino

i almost laughed out loud when i saw it because i cannot tell you how many times p and i have driven round the rich neighborhoods that sit just over the hill and joked about knocking on one of the mansions' doors and asking "so, how did you get this rich?".... and i have a feeling this book is going to tell me that most of those people would respond by somehow saying that they too had a crazy idea like that one and just DID IT and got rich... like i'm sure this ryan guy did. i bet if we had actually knocked on those doors and asked those questions we could be collecting old ryan's checks!

another thing i find funny is that i work in some of these mansions and i know for sure that when ryan went and knocked on the doors the homeowners did not answer - their housekeepers did. And i also know that one of my more.... let's say "interesting"... clients once called the cops on a strange person knocking on their door! turns out it was a girl scout!

kiddding!

but just barely....

at any rate, i'll be reporting back next week on how we can all be tremendously wealthy and live in mansions - stay tuned!

oh, and i did splurge a bit on some online retail therapy at american apparel yesterday but i am still coming in under the clothing budget i set for myself. i got these things:

striped dress with pockets

grey athletic shirt

basic black mini

three good basics, i think.... AND i got free shipping and 15% off for signing up for the email newsletter. not so bad!

breaking new ground

2009-05-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

today i did something groundbreaking... i got a price adjustment!

i bought a dress at anthropologie to wear for my birthday and then went in today and saw it had been marked down 50%! whaaaa?! so i went back home and got my receipt and returned to the store for a price adjustment! money back! for nothing! amazing!

i didn't even turn around and spend that money in the store. i brought it home and put it in my piggy bank :)

(here, i'll admit that it wasn't because i didn't want to spend it or find anything i like - or because i have amazing willpower.... i just had a low-self-esteem day and didn't like how i looked in anything i tried on!)

lou is gonna be so proud of me! yay me!

i love my:

2009-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Nathan water bottle.

(the skyline one in the middle)

not only is it more environmentally friendly but it's more cost effective as well! i have been meaning to carry a water bottle for quite some time now - and i would be good about it for about a day or two - but it never stuck. well, that's because i didn't truly love my water bottle until now. most of the ones i've had in the past you have to screw/unscrew the top and it's a hassle. others, like the oggi one i'd been eyeing, have very small openings and are difficult to clean inside. and still some just weren't pretty enough to make me happy to see it and carry it around all day.

the Nathan one is the best i've found. it's got a flip up straw for quick and easy drinking, it has a large opening so it's easy to clean, it came with 3 straws so if one gets icky i can just swap it out, it has a built in clip and finger loop for super portability, it's lightweight and keeps water cold, and it's pretty so i like looking at it and carrying it around.

no more plastic bottles!

starbucks & racial profiling?

2009-05-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

well, I filled out the Starbucks online survey to get my free coffee code and I was totally okay with taking the survey and answering questions about my experience at their store but I was *not* okay with the personal questions about my age, gender and RACE?! i know they probably just use it do decide if they need more "ethnic" folks in their commercials and print ads and such but it just felt so wrong! Luckily, they did provide the option "prefer not to answer" for those questions and I was able to choose that.

Does anyone else think that it's a bit weird to ask that? I mean, hopefully their employees have had enough sensitivity training (along with some decent manners) not to exhibit racist, sexist, or ageist behaviors while slinging coffee, no? And what do my personal details have to do with whether my coffee was hot, how clean the store was, or how quickly I was served? Maybe alot - maybe S-bux is secretly besieged with human resources problems and racist, sexist, ageist employees... dunno.

Nonetheless, free drink for me Monday morning.... hopefully that nice girl at the drive-thru won't call me a "smokin' hot old honey with nice tits"...

or then again, maybe she will...

WOOT!

2009-05-01T16:09:00.001-07:00

*much* to my surprise we met with the mortgage broker today and things went swimmingly! nothing is set in stone, but it looks like (fingers crossed) we may indeed be approved for a loan that is larger than our expected budget!!!!

WHOOOO - HOOO!

now, that doesn't mean we are going to run out and buy something at the top of our budget... or maybe buy anything at all just yet... but it does mean that I can exhale knowing I am not an utter failure who will never be "grown up" enough to own my own home.... not that people who don't own their homes are failures or not grown up! geez, that sounded BAD. forgive!

Now a whole new kind of anxiety is washing over me:

- is the house we were originally interested in the right one for us?

- will it get sold out from under us?

- how in the heck do I deal with things like inspections, appraisals, closing costs, etc, etc?

and the biggest questions of all:

- how important is it (financially, emotionally, legally, even socially) that we be married before we take this HUGE step together?

- am I okay with buying a house together without marriage? what if we choose to never get married? will buying the house make him feel like we have to get married?

all i know, is that it feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders just by taking the first step and seeing the broker.

afterall, KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE:

Ways to save

2009-05-01T09:22:00.001-07:00

I just went to the pet store to pick up more puppy food for the little monster:

and the girl at the checkout informed me that if I buy 10 bags of Science Diet food and save my receipts then I get the 11th bag free. I usually pass these things up, thinking "who seriously has the time or the gumption to save ten receipts?" (lou!) but now that I am on a serious money-saving mission I figure I should step-up and take every offer that comes my way! Plus, she even gave me a nifty envelope to keep in my wallet to save my receipts!

I also got my usual Starbucks (which I know I should cut out if I intend to save $ but I don't have a coffee maker yet and little monster wakes me up waaaaay to early to function without it) and they gave me a receipt with a web address to go to for a survey that, if completed, gets you a free drink. Again, I would usually throw that receipt right in the trash but not today my friends, today I will rise to the challenge and go the extra mile for the love of money!
-posted with help from my robot

fat women, lean times?

2009-04-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

I found this article interesting and I wonder if there is any truth to the idea that in lean economic times, men prefer women with a little more meat on their bones. I've always heard that our current trend of "thinner is better" totally goes against what we as animals should desire. I mean, a healthy woman (ie- one that is not rail thin and appears fragile) would presumably be a better able to withstand childbirth and thus reproduce - which is the MO of the animal brain. And I don't find the connection between size and financial status a far fetched idea. I just think kate is growing into her womanhood and motherhood and maybe, just maybe, all that champagne is catching up with her....

kate moss is fat? and that indicates we are poor?

Talk amongst yourselves... I'm gonna go eat my lunch (which, BTW is keeping me on a roll of eating in and saving money - I almost gave in today but resisted. Quite pathetic how hard it has been to not eat out all week!)

is autopay your friend?

2009-04-29T15:29:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting topic my mom and I discussed over our lunch (my early bday lunch!) today: Does autopay help you or hurt you? She worked for a short time at a bank and processed information for people applying for mortgages. She remembers that back then (has been many years now) lenders didn't look fondly upon your payment history if your bills were paid with an autopay system because they viewed it as no real indication that you were paying your bills on time - you were just relying on a system and you yourself may not indeed be as trustworthy or responsible as said system. I think that totally stinks but she says that's just the way it was.

So is that true anymore? Now that everyone is paying bills online and autopay is so much more common is it still a bad idea?

I certainly hope not seeing as how I have now set up almost every single bill (with the exception of utilities that vary from month to month) for an autopay service.

I guess I can ask the mortgage guy we are meeting with Friday and if he says it's not such a good idea then I can always go back and opt out.... hmmm.

I AMOST FORGOT!!!

2009-04-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

I took the expensive pants back to Anthro and (at least for the time being) walked away without purchasing anything else in it's place! This is HUGE people - I'm making history here.

applause is welcome.

still on track

2009-04-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

here's a confession:

i do this all the time - the only difference is that *this time* i've got a blog.

i go through these spurts where i try to be all organized and strict with myself and my spending but i secretly use it as an excuse to buy new pens, calendars to write down payment dates and due dates of bills, buy magazines or books about money, etc, etc, etc.

i can usually keep it up for about 2 weeks tops and then i run out of steam. i know it's only been a few days but i really feel like this time it's going to stick... and honestly, i think it's because of the accountability the blog provides.

thanks for checking in on me and lending me support - it's gonna be tough but i know i can do it!

this evening i spent time on mint.com updating my categories and really setting my monthly budget. i LOVE that site. if you haven't checked it out then do it now. it's scary to see how much i spend on clothing and magazines.... speaking of magazines, one of my clients gave me two of her old issues of Money Magazine to look through and I was so disappointed and overwhelmed. It seems like all of the info in those magazines is geared towards people in a totally different situation than I find myself in. They talk incessantly about 401Ks and stock options - I currently have neither.

I've been thinking about hiring a financial planner but I want to see how it goes on my own first... see what headway I can make on saving a little money before I run off and spend said money for someone to tell me what to do with it - makes sense?

PROGRESS:

today i ate both meals at home. faux-turkey sandwich/grapes/nuts for lunch and a faux-philly cheese steak sandwich for dinner - YUM!

we have an appointment with the mortgage broker this friday and we'll see what that brings - fingers crossed.

Check on it

2009-04-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Things to do & think about:

-Can I set up Auto-Pay for the rent on my storage space? If so, do it.
-Should I return the obscenely expensive (for me anyway) pants from Anthro & then turn right back around and use the 15% off card they sent me for my bday to buy them back? Would save me almost $20. Or if I were going to do the totally responsible thing I supposed I'd make the return & not be lured into a purchase I don't *really* need to make. Hmmmm... Logic sucks for my wardrobe!
-Call morgage broker tom. to make appt.
-Call to get important tax document mailed so can do taxes & not pay more late fees than necessary.
-Pay power & cable bills
-Go to grocery & get more food to eat at home

-posted with help from my robot

i just realized:

2009-04-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

when you type in the address for this blog it could also read as:

they ear off rug al living

sorry, i am easily amused.

carry on!

one small step for womankind

2009-04-27T13:15:00.001-07:00

They say it's re little things that count and I'm counting on that.

One of the ways I think I'm going to try to save money (and probably the oldest and easiest in the book) is by eating out less and making meals at home. It's never to early or too late to start so today I made one of my favorite meals of all time:

the green plate special

It consists of a sandwhich made with toasted while grain bread, sliced avocado, sprouts, spinach, and lemon juice and a handful of grapes (instead of chips) on the side... who knows, maybe I'll lose weight on my money diet and end up rich AND thin!

Another stride I took today was an easy one: I set up Auto-Pay on two of my monthly bills. It's an easy way to insure you don't waste money on late fees but my biggest concern now is remembering when they will be autodrafted and making sure I don't accidentally overdraw my checking account- because those are some hefty fees!

Next, I went to myfico.com and I checked on my latest FICO score. I signed up for this service(as well as mint.com) quite a while back and I have found both to be very helpful. I have one remaining "Score Power Report" to view on myfico.com but for some reason it won't let me look at it - annoying. I need to see if an old credit card account has rolled off my credit history yet. I seem to remember that some old accounts will be removed from your credit history after 10 years and I am hoping this is one of them. If not, I probably need to just own up to the debt and pay it so that it will look better on my credit history when I attempt to get a morgage. Does anybody know the truth about that? Did I make it up? Does it only apply to certain debts?

I need to go look in my Suze Orman book and see if she mentions it. She's not my favorite, but it's the only (or shall I say first of many to come?!) financial book I own.

In other news, as I have been sitting around dreaming of ways to save money I got a call from a client who needs me to babysit this evening. I was really looking forward to a night in with my boyfriend but I think it was just too serendipitous that here I was thinking of ways to fatten up my savings account and a chance to make money landed in my lap - I couldn't pass it up. Normally I would've decided that my time was worth more than the little bit of money I would make in the few hours staying with someone else's kids but I guess it's time to rethink that whole scale.

Every penny counts. Something is better than nothing. If you are thinking "something's gotta change," chances are it's you.

in the beginning, i was broke.

2009-04-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

hi, my name is meg.
i am single - but in a long-term committed relationship that is "going somewhere" - whatever that means...
i am self-employed and love my job.
i make a decent amount of money but i am horrible at saving it.
i am resourceful - i can sew and craft up just about anything you can imagine. i like problem solving my own life.
i have a shopping addiction. mainly thrift stores, but shopping nonetheless.
i don't have great credit but have been working to rebuild it.
i turn 31 in 7 days...
and i want to buy a home.

this blog is my journey through saving money and making myself financially stable. i have a few ideas about how i'm going to do it but in reality i think i'm pretty naive. hopefully this journal will help me to look at my financial life with a discerning eye and by writing in a public forum, i will be held accountable for my choices and joined in the celebrations of my achievements towards this goal. i welcome advice or cheerleading of any kind. i can't promise entertainment, but hopefully i can promise honesty... wish me luck!