Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Guest Post: Leanne the Aspiring Librarian

Women of Mad Men
Don Draper is overrated.  I'm currently harnessing my inner Joan, Peggy, and Betty.  All four seasons are streaming on Netflix.  I highly, highly recommend it.







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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Treasure Chest

I cannot believe how hard to it was for me to settle on a dresser!  I searched through thrift stores, vintage store and even a place called Furniture and Junk, but nothing!  I couldn't put a finger and exactly what my style was or what I would be willing to spend if I did find something I liked.  After weeks of disappointment I finally broke down and went to Ikea get the Aneboda 3 drawer chest.  It was a little plain for my taste, but I had a plan...



 A little bit of wrapping paper and....


Voila!  A one of a kind dresser! It was super simple too!

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Monday, August 29, 2011

Olivia Joule's Rules for Living

My mom sent this to me in an email not to long ago and I actually find it quite amazing.  I don't like the idea of living by a list, but there are some pretty good ones here.  Which do you already live by?  Which one do you think you should live by?  I personally love number 2 and 10.



1.  Never panic. Stop, breathe,think.
2.  No one is thinking about you.  They're thinking about themselves, just like you.
3.  Never change haircut or color before an important event.
4.  Nothing is either as bad or as good as it seems.
5.  Do as you would be done by, e.g.thou shalt not kill.
6.  It is better to buy one expensive thing that you really like than several cheap ones that you only quite like.
7.  Hardly anything matters: if you get upset, ask yourself, "Does it really matter?"
8.  The key to success lies in how you pick yourself up from failure.
9.  Be honest and be kind.
10.  Only buy clothes that make you feel like doing a small dance.
11.  Trust your instincts, not your overactive imagination.
12.  When overwhelmed by disaster, check if it's really a disaster by doing the following: (a) think, "Oh, fuck it", (b) look on the bright side and, if that doesn't work, look on the funny side.  If neither of the above works then maybe it is a disaster so turn to items 1 and 4.
13. Don't expect the world to be safe or life to be fair.
14.  Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

and then the new one from Elsie, added at the bottom:
15.  Don't regret anything.  Remember there wasn't anything else that could have happened, given who you were and the state of the world at that moment.   The only thing you can change is the present, so learn from the past.

and then Olivia's own practical application of this:

I6.   If you start regretting something and thinking "I should have done..." always add,"but then I might have been run over by a lorry or blown up by a Japanese-manned torpedo".



Hope this helps!
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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Saturday Morning Special

Over and Under


sleep is so overrated
this topic is always debated
it takes up half of your time
yet never repays you a dime
8 hours is considered the norm
but 6 is more true to form
just as 10 would be greatly accepted
much less is more commonly expected
see sleep is a simple luxury
fitting into your schedule structurally
effected on a daily basis
recognizable in each others faces
sometimes you just lay in bed
waiting for your eyes to roll back in your head
crazy thoughts floating through your mind
while you try to slowly unwind
relaxing as you drift off to sleep
but awoken by the slightest peep
which makes you start this all again
and as you think you can never win
your thoughts are clear and you begin to write
a poem about this one crazy night
where everything has become conclusive
the answer is no longer elusive
as the first line of this poem has stated
sleep is so underrated

Another great poem from my little brother, Alex.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Fun Video Friday

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Shop Update: Tote Bags

I know it's be forever since I've updated the shop, but I've got lots of ideas for new designs and I can't wait to get working on them so I can show you!

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

LaLaLa Loves it! The World in Red

Thanks to my darling friend Sarah, I am now a lover of Pinterest.  On my "Seeing Red" board I have collected pictures to show people what different objects look like in red.  I highly recommend jumping on the Pinterest bandwagon!


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Guest Post: Leanne the Aspiring Librarian

Kate Spade on a Dime
Years ago, while on vacation is Bisbee, Arizona, we came across an empty store front with deflated balloons in the windowsill. It turns out we had just missed a shoot for Kate Spade's spring line. Since then I've consider myself a Kate Spadigan, although I have yet to spend a dime on anything she's produced. Right now I have the "On the
Sunny Side" photo tiled as my laptop background and it's a wonderful greeting.

I highly recommend a simple "Kate Spade ad" google search to reveal lots of color, charm, and happiness.







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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Welcome to Dinosaur Valley

Feeling the need to get out of Austin for a bit and hit the open road, Robert and I drove the three hours to Dinosaur Valley State Park.  We weren't really sure what the expect, but we did know was that there were dinosaur statues and some real dinosaur footprints!
I had to wear one of my dinosaur t-shirts!


Robert running from the T-Rex!


The solemn stegosaurus.


It's hard to believe that dinosaurs were really here on one time, but here's proof!


Another footprint, a detective could easily find these guys.
Since it was so freakin' hot, we didn't spend a lot of time at the park, but we did make time for the gift shop!  I think it was worth the trip for the sweet dinosaur poster I got.  Maybe we'll go again when it's cooler and possibly camp!


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Monday, August 22, 2011

The Life Aquatic


Lovely neon jellyfish.

This shark had some messed up teeth!



He's coming for me!!!
Creepy eel!  This is what it will be doing for the rest of it's life...

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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Saturday Morning Special


Like Me and You (Live, Laugh, Love).  

so what I jumped the gun
got way ahead of myself
what did you want me to do
hide my feelings on the shelf?
you know thats not my style
I always speak the truth
no need to waste our time
or any of our youth
maybe it was not fair
for me to put it all on you
I had hoped for the best
things to start again brand new
but we weren't on the same page
at least not at first
it wasn't just one thing
though my timing was the worst
you didn't want what I did
but I needed that to change
I couldn't live like this
everything felt so strange
without you in my life
I lost the will to smile
but I cant just blame you
for my own failed trial

Live like there is no tomorrow 
Laugh like you cant help it
Love like there is nothing better
In this world like me and you

3 years later and I cant fight it
I wanted the best of this 
nothing short of pure amazing
I was in it for the bliss
you brought back so many things
I thought were lost inside
now back out in the open
they can never run and hide
yet do I know the real feelings
that were there so long ago
are they even the same ones
hidden so deep below
buried never to be found
maybe thats what's best
I just wont believe it
my love must be expressed
through these words I say to you
I know how this will end
what started as almost nothing 
and continued to transcend
into what we have now
I hope you can agree
with just one question I have for you
Will you Marry Me?

Another great poem from my little brother Alex.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Disappearing Act

You may be wondering why I suddenly fell off the edge of the planet.  Oh darlings there is too much to tell...


It started when I found out that my old roommate (of sorts) said that she was going to shut off the internet in our place.  Fair enough, she doesn't live here anymore and it's in her name.  I assumed that I could give AT&T a call and get the name switched.  Well, after a 30 minute call (for most of which I was on hold) I found out that they would have to turn her service off, then turn on ours.  Also they had to send me a new modem and router because our region had changed or something.  They gave me a big ole window of time (between 12 and 4) that a guy would stop by and switch it over.  That was on Monday.


Apparently the tech came over around 5:30 looking like he was on something, told Robert that the Sales department could have done this from their office and that they were lazy.  He said he had to go to the AT&T building (which is literally two minutes from our house) and switch it over and then he would call. We never heard from that guy again.  Robert called AT&T and got transferred 4 different times to 4 different departments before someone said that it would be fixed by noon the next day.  He got the direct number of the last person he talked to so he could call them back.  That's when they said they would upgrade our internet speed for the next six months for free.


Noon came and went without the little internet light lighting up on our modem.  Robert called again and was given the run around AGAIN.  Poor guy had spent a total of 3 hours on the phone with them already and every time he was transferred somewhere new he had to re-explain our situation. They apologized and said that they would send us a new modem that would get here in two business days (that wouldn't be until Monday!).  Luckily my dearest Robert took charge and demanded that someone come over tonight so they did!  A tech who wasn't high came over and fixed it all up and now here I am!


What I learned:
1. It's ok to get angry with people on the phone.  I'm usually very polite and too nice to say anything, but if Robert wouldn't have laid down the law and raised his voice a little, we still wouldn't have service.
2. Get the name, department and direct phone number of every person you talk to and any service tech that comes to your house.  They will bounce you all over the place and even send you to the same department twice.
3. Know when to walk away. Robert and I were ready to cancel service and switch to Time Warner if we didn't get internet that night.


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Guest Post: Leanne the Aspiring Librarian

Brautigan
I love books, but I'm not great with summaries or recommendations. I prefer to track my favorite quotes or excerpts. Here is a short poem from "The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster" by the brilliant Richard Brautigan.

Xerox Candy Bar

Ah
You're just a copy
of all the candy bars
I've ever eaten.



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Monday, August 15, 2011

The Dainty Librarian Studio!

I've still got loads to do in order to get my studio together, but I think I'm off to a good start.  I can't wait to make some amazing laser cat creations in here!  I managed to find some fantastic vintage cat fabric that I plan to use for limited edition sweatshirts this Fall.  It's going to be epic!




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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Saturday Morning Special

Little did I know that my darling brother, Alex, has been writing poetry!  Lucky for me, he has agreed to send me something to post here once a week.  So here it is, your first Saturday morning special:

"What I Would Give to Be a Kid Again"

Running down the street
not a care in the world
playing hide n seek
chasing all the little girls
worry never crossed our minds
fear didn't have meaning
our futures were so far away
your room still needs cleaning
cartoons ruled our saturday mornings
rugrats, bobby's world, and Doug
plus so many classic others
watching was better than any drug
family night was a daily thing
not IF we could make the effort
it was such a simple action
playing board games, eating dessert

What I Would Give to be a Kid Again
Laughing all day and night
Ruling the world by not caring at all
Never thinking of that end in sight

Now that we are getting older
happiness is harder to come by
the pressure is starting to build
we ask more about the "why"
looking back when did it leave
when did the joy become pain
it was such a subtle change
who are we all to blame
how do we get it back
the feeling that is missed
memories long forgotten
like our very own first kiss
by the time we hit the grave
get buried six feet under
we will look back on youth
and lose what we ever wondered

What I Would Give to be a Kid Again
Laughing all day and night
Ruling the world by not caring at all
Never thinking of that end in sight

Married with children is my fate
it happens to most of us
free time is no longer free
seeing old friends becomes a plus
keep those few never far away
for they know you like none
there's a reason they are "best"
when together it's always fun
we reminisce about the past
reflecting on the best of times
like when we were athletes
hittin' bombs and droppin' dimes
what would I give to go back?
there is no clear cut result
but there is one thing for sure
I never wanted to be an adult

Friday, August 12, 2011

Fun Video Friday




Click here for Quentin Tarantino's spot on analysis. 
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Thursday, August 11, 2011

LaLaLa Loves it!

A couple of months ago when I realized I would be moving soon, I started scouring the internet for DIY ideas.  I wanted my new place to really feel like me and homey.  My favorites folder has grown quite large now, looks like I need to get to work!
This house tour is quite amazing, I think the best style is one that's put together over years.
A painted kitchen mat, such a great way to get what you want.
How to make your own duvet cover.  You've already seen pictures of mine here.
How to cover lampshades with fabric & trim.

Book planters for succulents!  So lovely!

A salvaged sawhorse table, this looks too easy!
This is only half of the links I have in my folder...I better get started soon!

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Guest Post: Leanne the Aspiring Librarian

Bon Voyage Juno!

On August 5th, NASA launched the Juno spacecraft. It's headed for Jupiter, but won't arrive until approximately July 4, 2016. The mission will allow us to better understand our distant neighbor. A plaque dedicated to Galileo is on board, as well as three LEGO figurines of Galileo, the Roman God Jupiter, and his wife Juno.





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