New Apartment

I am so so behind on posting and I blame it all on my forgetting to get internet set up in my apartment before I moved in. It's been interesting.

Before I rush off and leave you completely post-less I just want to say that my apartment is awesome, I am so stoked to have my own place, I am motivated to eat at home more, I got a couch and a table for $40 which the people I bought them from delivered to me (oh great deals are awesome) and I'm just overall really stoked on life.

I have so many things to post about and while I do have a lot of time the internet connection I am stealing from someone else is shaky (haha duh) and so I have stayed away from the internet and therefore read a lot and also slept a lot. The latter being necessary as my body seems to be fighting another cold as hard as it can.

All in all I'm so very stoked and to all who came over from Kyla's blog, Hello, welcome and I promise I'll be up and running in my normal scatterbrain routine as soon as possible. If you are here from before and haven't checked out Kyla's blog you should definitely do so!

I know it's small in this screen grab but my ad is the 4th down! How cute is that button?! Kyla's amazing.

xoxo

Diana film success!

It's late (or early depending on how you look at it) and I'm quite tired but I just wanted to take a quick second and share with you one of my pictures off of a roll of Diana film! I'm really stoked, it came out better than I anticipated. 

The first roll I shot with the Diana is a bit blurry (left the switches in the wrong places) but I will be sharing some of those as well here soon.

Also, never taking my 35mm film to a drugstore developer again! N-e-v-e-r. My Holga rolls came out SO GOOD this time and I just have to figure it's how they were developed. Maybe drugstore developing tries to auto correct too much. I dunno, all I know is I'm stoked which is good because I paid waaay too much to get them all put to cd. I don't blame the place I went, I blame my lack of understanding.

Well, tomorrow (today) should be the day I get my apartment. I couldn't get a hold of the landlord though so we shall see. Cross your fingers for me!

I'll be having to do either connection stealing or coffee time for internet for the next couple of days when I move because I forgot to get in touch with a provider. oops! More time to decorate with what I have!

xoxo

Books of March

Wow how months fly by so fast. I thought this month was going to end with me only reading one and a half, maaaaybe two books. But I pulled through in the end (again) and added a couple more to the list!

Finished up:

I found it at the bins and just couldn't help buy it even though paperbacks are now $1 instead of fiddy cent... I mean $.50, my bad. I knew it was going to be a fast read. It looked like chick lit and by golly it was a whole lot like the Shopaholic book series (I haven't seen the movie and hear it's nothing like the books so even though I love Amy I'm staying away from it). Should you buy it for more than $1, probably not. Was it worth the $1 I paid, maybe. I did enjoy it  but I could have spent that time reading other books too. Eh.

Started and finished in March:

Stephen King's The Dark Tower Series Book IV

Glorious book. Made me want to cry in some parts because there was a bit of romance. I'm definitely a softy. Seriously though, good good read. Took me forever but I finally finished it half way through March!

Yes this series has come to an end. I was so sad to see it go. Totally bubblegum chick lit at its finest. I read every word! :) Many I love me some Lauren Conrad. P.S. paid about $3 for the book at Urban Outfitter! SCORE!

How Starbucks Saved My Life

This man's story of how he went from hero to 0 and then got offered a job at Starbucks and how it changed his life. I have a lot of friends who have worked for Starbucks in the past and their reviews of the place were no where near as happy and lighthearted but I guess it depends on where you are at in your life... and, I'm a sucker for a happy reawakening story. It was definitely that!

This is a very short book. It's actually a speech (address) that she gave to a graduating class. It was a good read (from the first page to the last) and definitely had a couple of different parts that are really good to remember as I go forward, now and forever. Technically it probably doesn't count by official 52 by 52 rules but I'm counting it anyway. Yeah, how do you like dem apples?!

Official Book Club Selection

Kathy Griffin's memoir is quite funny. I read it in 2 days! I saw this at Goodwill (sorry Kathy, if you're reading this, someone did give it up BUT, good news, I then purchased it and read it) and for some reason couldn't leave it behind. Probably because she's a female comedian and a redhead... best part, I bought the book and the next day I was watching a roast of Joan Rivers and Kathy was hosting it. So then I dove into the book.

This months reading has inspired me to pick up a couple of Ernest Hemingway's books and I want to get a bio or even autobio of Joan Rivers as well as Barbara Walters. More to look for at the Goodwill along with my continuing search for Miles to Go for under $2.

52 in 52 count: 19/52

What have you read this month?

xoxo

*all images are google search of the title

dreaming of a wonderful workspace

As you know I am excited beyond belief about getting my own place and taking time to make it pretty pretty (or even just less ugly). My first plan of action is to create a dream workspace where I can sit my bottom down on a chair and have my computer on a screen so I don't sit in bed and get lazy. There's so much I want to do and I want to have things all together so it's easy to remember my projects as well as easy to work on them and put everything back in a place where it belongs. 

Here's some of my inspiration today:

Love the little desk and the cabinet full of books... not sure I like just how small the desk is, looks cute in theory but won't work for me.

Love the simple desk style (basically just a table) and how everything is organized. I will need more pictures above or around my workspace however.

Getting closer, I love love love that inspiration board and would die if I could make my own that size for cheap. I looked online for different materials via office depot and ikea but I think something like that has to be a little more diy.

Another small desk but this one isn't as small. Love that it has a view out the window. Don't know if I'm going to be able to do that. My front windows look into a parking lot.

Simple, good length... I was leaning toward a white desk at first but this one is real pretty and making me think there might be other options.

Again, simplicity. A little too simplistic though. There's no way my workspace will be that empty. Good thinking on the two lights though, I really love bright lighting.

Last I will present my two favorites...

I love the wood, the desk's dimensions look great, there's room at the back for things to be stacked (maybe a couple of books or magazines) and instead of that little shelf I would have two inspiration boards, one in cork to pin pictures and the other a magnetic chalk board to take pictures of and list projects that I can work on.

I love how uniform the pictures are above this desk. All uniform and such. I could do this with some of my favorite things and then have my two boards on the other side of the wall (if I have my desk in a corner) so I can stand and pin things in/write things without having to lean over the desk. Hmmmm decisions!

What do your favorite workspaces look like?

xoxo

Monday Mayhem: Apartment Fever

Moving day is coming soon and all I can think about are things to get/do for the new place! Here's my inspiration:

While I am almost 100% sure I can't paint I can get a pretty headboard, maybe in that sea foam green color instead of white!

I'll need a great workspace. I like one where my actual desk is clear but inspiring things are around, this looks absolutely perfect!

A bookshelf with a pretty backdrop. (I Love Yellow!)

A colorful set of drawers.

Framed art, some polaroids and some paint by numbers.

A bright and fun furniture piece.

Pretty fabric baskets for keeping things organized.

A big piece of art for one wall in the living room.

What are you excited about this week?

xoxo

I've found my future pet...

taking over

I was talking to a guy recently that owns a salt water aquarium store (or something of the sort) and he mentioned having octopuses in his inventory (that sounds weird when they are live animals to call them inventory... I didn't know what else it would be though). 

A lightbulb went off in my head when he said he had some octopuses. I thought.. wow, I thought I wanted a cat but maybe this will be better. Yes expensive, but considering cats can last many many years and have to get all kinds of shots a octopus can be quite a bit cheaper!

aweeee

I did some research while looking for pictures to share here and found out a lot of good info. A pet octopus would be expensive and quite a bit of work, but he'd be my buddy! Octopuses are very smart and I think it would just be absolutely fascinating to be able to watch one move all around. 

Plus, how many people can say they successfully have owned octopuses? Better than importing a monkey that's gonna bite me! (I won't get the blue ring octopus that can kill humans...)

I wanted a cat but then I realized I also want to go to Argentina in the semi near future and then where would that leave my poor kitty? Asking someone to take care of him or her for six months to a year would be crazy talk. Octopuses live only one to two years, some only 6 months... I won't be able to go to Argentina in the next 6 months (unless a money miracle happens haha) and I probably won't make it in the next year (I'm shooting for August 2012). My pet Octopus, Atlas, and I would bond and have a great time, then his time would come and I would morn in Argentina.

Perfect right?

And maybe we could cuddle like this...

then again maybe not but I would buy that print if it were at least a tad less than $150!

What exotic pet would you get if you could?

xoxo

To Make You Think! (Hidden announcement!)

My favorite picture from Hearst Castle. I what I call "I am here" shots!

Today Elizabeth Haley posted 5 questions to make you think and I decide to answer them myself! Go visit her blog, it's quite cute and fun!

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Either Argentina or Spain. Not forever but for at least 6 months. I'm in love with Argentina and need to get back as soon as possible! I want to fully experience it and finally, finally become fluent in Spanish. 

2. Are you happy with where you live?

I am very happy with the fact that I live in Portland, OR right now. I just moved almost two months ago (gosh time flies) and have been loving just about every minute of being here. On April 1st I will be moving into my very own one bedroom apartment!!!!! I'm so excited. I feel like I can actually do the things I want to do here. There are still nagging worries at the back of my mind but I'm really inspired to become the best me I can. 

3. How often do you go on vacation?

At least once a year since I started college. I count moving as vacations too because when I move I take the time to see everything I want to on the way. I did a mini vacation (weekend getaway) to Palm Springs last spring and hit up San Francisco a couple of times, I even came up to Portland about a year ago to see everyone. Little did I know... :)

I love vacations and even if they are just a day or two they make me happy. 

4. If you could change your profession & start all over, what would you do?

I'm not sure I would change anything. I loved my classes, I loved my Major, I met great, great people through college and I'm a little confused as to what's next but I'm living and I don't regret my past so I guess that's better than nothing. I don't have one set dream of what I want to "be." That makes it hard sometimes (okay a lot of the time) because I mentally go through different options that would be cut and dry to go after but it just doesn't feel right. I am really big on things feeling right when I do them. 

5. Are you honestly happy right now?

Yes! 100%. It's amazing. The best part, I would have answered this question in the same way the past 2 months. I've been a tad melancholy on days but nothing that I would consider unhappy. I'm really and truly loving life right now. It's an adventure and I'm starting to really learn about myself and accept myself for who I am. How many people can really, honestly say that at 25?

If you decide to answer these in your blog send me a link!

xoxo