TGIF

Whew, busy week at work. It was better than past ones though.
With the exception of being bounced back and forth between
managers (I'm on my 5th one and I've only been there
four months) I do finally feel like I'm making some headway.

I can hardly believe it's Memorial Day weekend already.
The unofficial start to the summer season.

Wishing everyone a wonderful long weekend!

Etsy Thursday

It's Thursday, and you know what that means. Time for
another peak at my favorites list from Etsy. Today I'm
taking a look at paper goods. You might have noticed from
previous posts that I enjoy making cards. I went to a
Stampin' Up party many years ago, and have been hooked
ever since. I think I like paper in general. I could spend
hours looking at 12x12 scrapbook paper. But I digress.

So here are a few of the many lovely paper items I've got
my eye on.

Who doesn't love rubypress.



I'm always on the lookout for new and unique items for
cardmaking. I think these little tags would be perfect...

elles

Same for these little thank you tags. And even better, it's
a digital file so you can print it as many times as you want!

The Parchment Place

And well, it wouldn't be a post from me unless I included some
variation on the Keep Calm saying now, would it? These collage
sheets are great for so many things. And again, digital!

Zarou

Well, my lunch break is almost over. Back to the grind. I'm
definitely looking forward to the three day weekend.
How about you?

It Wasn't Meant To Be...

A couple of weeks ago, I was running through the Target out
by my parents home and spotted this little table out of the
corner of my eye.



Thinking it would be perfect in my bedroom, I made a mental note
to stop and check it out on our way back up the aisle. But fate
intervened, we ran into an old acquaintance who wanted to chat,
and then we ended up on the other side of the store, and long story
short, I forgot to go back and check out the table. I sent my Mom
back days later, but no luck, they were all gone, and I haven't had
any luck at other Targets. I did find something similar on
Overstock.com but it's always nice to see something in person.
And I think Overstock's version is more expensive.

Oh well. Guess it wasn't meant to be.

Image courtesy of Isabella and Max Rooms

- popbar - NYC

Just checking out the forecast and it's supposed to be on the
hot side here in Virginia tomorrow and Thursday. Which
means I'll likely be craving ice cream. If I were in New York,
I think I'd be swinging by popbar. Check out their site and
menu. So cute!

I think I'd go for the mypop... gelato, double dipped with dark
and white chocolate, biscotti crumbles, almonds, and would
a little coconut be too much?

Nahhh

New Twist On An Old Favorite - The Bus Roll

Happy to report I finally got around to testing out a
craft idea I've had for awhile now. Like many others
out there in the blogging universe and beyond, I'm a
fan of those vintage bus roll signs. I've been playing
around with making my own in various sizes and such.
I came up with the idea of a bookmark, both for a small
way to test my designs and well, I needed a bookmark.

And here are my first attempts...




I had to reverse the color scheme for now from the usual black
background because my printer was almost out of ink, but I'm
going to try the black on white again. Also need to try some other
paper options (I used a glossy paper here) and possibly check out
laminating. And also work on my brad placement as London was
a little off center ;-). But overall, I really liked how they came out.

Wishing everyone a great Monday!

PS. Any Lost fans out there still recovering from last nights
finale? I laughed, I cried (a lot), and I had more than a few I'm
so confused moments. But alas, we all must "move on".

TGIF

Just a few minutes before 5pm here on the East Coast, and then
the weekend will be upon us. I purposefully made no plans this
weekend. I just wanted to take the time to get a few things done
around the house and relax. Bonus, this months House
Beautiful AND Better Homes and Gardens both arrived today!
Can't wait to peruse all the lovely pages.

Wishing everyone a great weekend!

Etsy Thursday

Hi All. It's time for another peek at some of my favorites
on Etsy. I'm gravitating towards the jewelry this week.
So much lovely stuff.

I absolutely love this vintage typewriter key necklace.
So "in" with all the monogram stuff that's the rage right now.

Gwendelicious

And of course, I love this Keep Calm necklace. I tell ya, ever since
I discovered all the great products featuring that saying awhile
back, I can't get enough of them.

asilomarworks

And this lariat is just beautiful.

Briguysgirls

And changing gears away from necklaces, check out this adorable
little ring. Not sure if anyone else out there has any of these
"stretchy" rings, but I for one love them. They are
so comfortable.

Kims Bling

How about you. Any favorite jewelry sites on Etsy?

Master Suite...The Saga Continues

I'm getting quite close to putting the finishing touches on
my master bedroom changes. I have a handful of tasks left,
including accessorizing my nightstands. I really love the look
of pictures or a mirror hung over a beside table.

I took a ton of inspiration for my room from this photo. I just
love the mirrored nightstand.

Decorpad

I also like the idea of simply leaning a large picture again the
wall vs. hanging it, like here...


And this room is just stunning, period. But I especially love
the matching mirrors hung over the side tables.


And as much as I love the "assymetrical" quality of hanging
different sizes of pics like in the first photo, I also like the idea
of using the same size pic, and I love the mirror over the bed here.


So many choices.
I think this is going to take awhile.

Finale Season... Oh the Drama...

It's the season of finales on TV right now. Always makes me a
little sad. Even more so this year as a couple of my favorites are
ending.



The time has finally come to say goodbye to our favorite
time traveling plane crash survivors on Lost. To make
it even worse, they killed off two of my favorite characters
a couple of weeks ago. When Sun and Jin finally lost the
bid to be Jacob's successor, and drowned in that sub, oh the
tears began to flow. I agree with finishing up the show vs.
keeping it going, but still, I will miss it. Anyone else a fan?




And the clock will finally tick down for the last time on our dear
ill-fated hero Jack Bauer on 24. Although it seems chances are
pretty good we'll see a feature film version coming to a theater
near us sometime in the future. But still, I'll miss Jack saving
the world week after week with the help of trusted sidekick
Chloe. You know, everyone, including me, despised Chloe
when she was first introduced. But I think she was the best
thing to come out of the not-so-stellar Season 3. Alas though
I think it is time for Jack to hang up his bag of tricks and call
it a day.

*SPOILER ALERT*
And last night was the season finale for Brothers & Sisters. We
knew Rob Lowe was leaving the show, and I'm sad to report he
didn't make it out alive. That was just plain awful watching his
piercing blue eyes go still and fixed. SO Sad. But we'll look ahead
to a brand new start for the Walker family when they return in
the fall.

Premiere season will be here before you know it though, and
we'll start the cycle all over again. What shows will you miss
most over the summer?

TGIF

SO glad it's Friday. With all the work around the house and
deliveries and inspections I'm just plain knackered. And on
top of dealing with that, my new job is driving me nuts. I
know, as I've said before, I should be very grateful to have a
job. And I am. It's just that I guess I wish I would have had
a little say in my placement in said job. Backstory, my company
was acquired by another, and I'm struggling with the group they
placed me in. Actually, I think it's the whole corporate world. I'm
just getting tired of it. Note to self, start looking for something
that's more creative vs. corporate.

Anyway, after such a long and crazy couple of weeks I'm feeling
like I need a vacation. Maybe here...


Or how about here...


But alas, my vacation money was sucked up by all the
home repairs. So perhaps I'll settle for a soak in the tub.
This looks like a great bath for a soak no?


And throw in one of these...


Ok, better make it two.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Series - Etsy Finds

I think we would all agree that you could spend hours
scrolling through all the fabulous things on Etsy, no?
Recently, I noticed how huge my Favorite Items list had
become. So I decided to start a weekly post to feature my
favorite Etsy finds. So this weeks list is in honor of my slight
obsession with all things British.

Printing a photo on a map. So cool!

Little Bluebird Studios

Another fabulous cushion from Helkatdesigns.
I think I want one of everything at this shop.


And I absolutely ADORE the digital images from OliveRue.
I've got two and plan to get more, including this one.



And here is a neat new way to enjoy our favorite
Keep Calm and Carry On motif...

Tickle Me Pink Boutique

One day, I'd really love to get a dog. And when I do, I want this
tag for him or her...

Bow Wowzer Zs

And one of these days I hope to get myself organized enough
and find the nerve to try out my own Etsy Shop. Until then
I'll enjoy all the gorgeous goods from everyone else.

Calm, Cool and Collected

I'm thrilled to report that my new HVAC system was installed
yesterday. It's nice and quiet compared to my old system which
sounded a bit like a 747 taking off in a strong headwind.

Luckily the weather has been beautifully cool and dry here
for the past few days, so I hadn't needed A/C. Bright blue
skies and cool crisp breezes. But it is comforting to know
that A/C is now an option should I need it. And also nice
to be able to close up the windows as the pollen was choking
me. Anyway, in honor of my new found "coolness", I thought
I'd share a few pics of rooms and such that I thought were
really, well, cool. Enjoy...

This San Francisco loft that I ran across on a real estate
site is beyond cool, don't you think?

pacunion.com

And I don't think you could ask for anything cooler
than these cookie "shots". I so want to have a party
so I can serve these...


And I ran across this Paris cake at bhg.com.
It's truly inspiring what they can do with cakes these days...

And how could you not love this room. Cool grays, and that
chandelier! De-vine...

homesandgardens.com

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall...

My ever growing fixation of all things shiny and sparkly
definitely extends to mirrors. Except for maybe those
giant full wall ones of the 80's and before, I'd say just
about everyone loves a good mirror. And there are so
many good ones out there these days.

Here are a few that have caught my eye recently.

We'll start with the Audrey Mirror from Ballard Design.
Gorgeous!



Then there is the Elise from Pottery Barn. I so want this
mirror in my house.


I was looking for a small venetian style mirror to
hang behind the nightstands in my master bedroom,
and I ran across this one.

And I just love this mirror featured in Homes and Gardens.
So lovely!


Well, I'm sure hoping for a nice quiet weekend after all
the problems that popped up over the past week.
The a/c was not the only one.

So I wish us all a lovely weekend!

H-V-A-C

Sorry for my hiatus there for a few days. I was dealing with the
a/c issues and work has been pretty crazy this week. It was 90
degrees IN THE HOUSE all weekend and into Monday. I'm
sorry to whine about it as there were people in the South who
didn't even have houses after this weekend courtesy of tornadoes.
But it really was miserable. When the a/c guy came to give me
an estimate on the new system on Monday, he walked in and
said my place was one of the worst he'd ever seen, or felt actually.
It just wouldn't cool. Everything was hot to the touch. It was
really kind of freaky. But thankfully the weather has cooled a bit,
and with some good cross ventilation and fans, I've managed to
get it down to the low 80s during the day, and about 75 at night.

So after an inspection of my system, a series of questions,
and several thousand dollars later, I'm replacing my entire
HVAC system. Not looking forward to watching my savings
take a nosedive, but I do qualify for the maximum tax credit back.
And quite honestly, I opted to replace the entire system because
I didn't want to face the flipside of my current situation and
have the furnace die in the middle of January when it's 10 below
outside. So the "peace of mind" factor played a big part in my
decision.

And speaking of decisions. I must admit, I don't often complain
about being single. But it's during situations like this when I
really wish there was someone else around to help with those
choices.

So anyway, the new system should be installed next Monday. And
thankfully the weather is actually supposed to be cooler
as the week progresses.

So my motto for the week...