A Striping Good Time

Chevron Stripes. 

They are super fun and cute. I kind of love them. The add some flair to the normal run of the mill stripe (I am still a huge fan of classic stripes). 

So, I decided to create some of my own. They couldn't be that hard, right? A couple hours, maybe. It is just a simple stripe. Well, I was wrong. Two days later: I am one happy stripe lovin' girl. 

Remember this picture:

They make those giant openings worlds different!

Aren't they great!? I am pretty happy with them. 

Here is how I did it: 

 Step one: created a template. I took two pieces of construction paper and taped them together and sketched it on my canvas. 

Step two: after each drawn line, I followed with painters tape. This takes absolutely FOREVER if you don't have 90 degree angles, just forewarning. It requires cutting each and every piece of tape to the angle of your stripe.

Step three: I carefully added the paint. This required a couple of coats. 

Step four: After the paint completely dries, I pulled up the tape. Eeek. The paint seeped beneath the tape (does anyone have a solution to this???). So I took a small flat paint brush and hand painted the edges. 

And what do you know? I killed two birds with one stone. 

30. Paint 15 canvases. I know I painted two, but they are counting as one since it is one project.

99. Make 20 things I see in Pinterest/Blogs. I definitely took this idea from the top picture.

I might be crazy

October 16, 2011. The date of my first triathlon. I might be slightly crazy for agreeing to do this. I've only just started training this past week. I have 9 weeks to get completely in shape. Can I complete all three tasks individually? Sure. Together? Now that will be very interesting.

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While I might be extremely crazy, I have to do this. 9 weeks puts the pressure on. In this amount of time I have to prepare. I like having goals. For the next 9 weeks I will be able to keep this goal. It is obtainable.

As a first time tri'er I had to sign up for a race that I could actually complete. Remember, I only have 9 weeks. So, a 300 yard swim, followed by a 10 mile bike ride and finished with a 3 mile run. Totally doable.

...Right?

And, if I manage to complete this, I will be able to check off Numero Tres on my lists of 100 things!

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Ribbon Organizer

Not all of my 100 things are extravagant. Some of them are rather simple.

I got this idea from Pinterest. 

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23. Organize my Big Bag O' Ribbon

These Dowel Rods are perfect because they give my ribbon collection room to grow (which I know it will). 

Before I just had all my ribbon in a Ziploc bag. It still holds all my loose ribbon, but it fits nicely in the middle of the two rows. It was the perfect solution. 

Cost: 

Basket: Already had

Bag of Dowel Rods: $2.00

And it really does make a difference in my efforts to tame the mess known as my craft area.

On a completely different note, my best friend Chelsea (mentioned here) is engaged!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how EXCITED I am!! 

An Awful Review of a Very Funny Book

Tina Fey. I like her. A lot. 

This weekend I finished reading her book, Bossypants. I could practically hear Tina Fey's sarcastic, humorous voice reading me her story (Yes, Tina, I did borrow your book). If I didn't know who she was, I don't think I would have realized how famous she is, or maybe I would, I don't know. Her honesty and view of life crack me up! At points, it felt like she was talking to me, which I truly appreciate.  She takes the awkwardness that absolutely every girl has faced at some point or later, and adds her snarky little twists. I literally laughed out loud throughout the whole book. She really is just like Liz Lemon. 

I can't even begin to pinpoint my favorite part of the book. I think I most enjoyed the way she told the story, including her readers (even the poor guys who pick it up). Her narrative explains her way of rising to be one of the most powerful women in comedy. 

This is an awful review. I'm sorry. It doesn't really give you a ton of info. But, after I read it, I wanted to watch SNL. I don't think that's what she was going for. But, Hey! 

On a completely different note, I can now begin to check off number 4 on my list. 

4. Read 20 new-to-me books. 

The Pinterest Challenge

I read (look at) a lot of blogs. Everyday. At least 100. Today, I just so happened to notice that 3 of my very favorite blogs decided to forgo a challenge. A Pinterest Challenge. To say I am interested is an understatement. I think it is a sign I need to participate. The idea is that I find something I love/obsess over/can’t live without/planning on doing anyway/great inspiration on Pinterest and make it within the next week.

Reasons why I love this challenge:

1. I love Emily, Sherry, and Katie. They are hilarious, super creative, and inspiring.
2. I spend way too many hours on Pinterest marveling at all the creative ideas.
3. If you read yesterday’s post, I love Pinterest.
4. If you actually went to see my boards, you might have noticed the growing “Make” Board I have going.
5. Having a deadline is always a good thing. Adds a little pressure to life.
6. Number 99 on my list: Make at least 20 things I see on Pinterest/random blogs.

What’s my project going to be? You will just have to wait for August 2^nd for the big reveal! Also, be sure to check out Katie’s, Sherry’s, Emily’s, and Lana’s blogs to see their projects!

Anyone feel like joining me in the challenge? Its going to be fun!!

Sweet, Sweet Tooth

Mondays are not my friend. They just aren't. I just want to curl up and hide...almost every Monday. Mondays mornings mean I have to wait a full 5 days before I can spend my days doing absolutely whatever I choose. The sad part is, I can wake up early just fine on Saturdays and Sundays. But Monday. Oh, Monday. Waking up early just does not happen. The very sad part about this is, I wake up at 7:30 in the morning. 7:30 is not early. Most people I know have to be at work by 7:30. So, I really can't complain. And, then I found this little gem. It makes my Monday a little better.

Because it is "my day," I am going to share with you number 37 on my list. Just this year I realized that it isn't that difficult to bake from scratch. If you don't want to go out and buy some break & bake cookies or a box of brownie mix, you can just as easily find some ingredients laying around your kitchen that will make a scrumptious comfort. Because let's face it. Desserts are definitely a comfort food. They really hit the spot.

37. Make 50 Desserts from scratch.

Don't you just want to devour these right here, right now?!

I've already made 4 new desserts. And, I am going to share this one with you first. The Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookie. Is there anything better? I submit that there is not. I found the recipe on Pinterest. If you haven't joined the Pinterest bandwagon yet, I highly encourage it. This website will change your life. Seriously. 

The recipe is super simple, and they are really good. Growing up there were always two things in our pantry. Oreos and Capri Suns. I have a special place in my heart for these black and white cookies.  And, anyone can make these. Just make some chocolate chip cookies using the recipe of your choosing. I find that refrigerating the cookie dough for an hour really helps when forming the "dough balls." Just take two of those balls and place them on each side of the Oreo. Make sure that the dough is completely covering the Oreo. A friend and I did some minor experimenting, and it is a much better idea to really mold the dough around the Oreo. Then just bake the cookies for about 13 minutes, and there you have it. A melt in your mouth, bursting with flavor (if those two things can go together) cookie!

pinterest

P.S. I am totally open to new dessert recipes to try out. 

Let the project begin!

O. M. G.  I am so excited! If you read my blog, you might have noticed I have mentioned armchairs a fair number of times. You might have noticed that I am a bit obsessive. I even dedicated Thursday's post to how much I love me a good armchair.

I have toyed with the idea of buying a chair like this one, but they are Super expensive, especially for my entry-level salary. So, instead, I have turned to Plan B. Which I am in love with. I think I like Plan B even better than Plan A! It will be my creation! Whatever I want it to be. My sweat and tears (and let me tell you, there will probably be tears). So, what is the plan?

To find a chair to reupholster! Craigslist has been my best friend the past couple of weeks. I have been to countless garage sales, picking up pieces like this one:

Isn't it so wonderfully ugly?! I couldn't help myself! It was only $2.00! And, it still has the auction tag on the back of it. I know that some people will do love this picture (cough, roommate, cough), and I think it has some good qualities, but I just wanted it for the frame. I can't bring myself to take off the price tag, because I don't want people to think that I am serious about keeping the picture.

But, back to my chair (sorry for the tangent, I just couldn't help but share!)! So, this Saturday I mapped my route. The plan was to hit 8 different garage sales in the Houston area. I only ended up going to three. Whoops.  I couldn't tempt myself with all of them though, because I managed to find the PERFECT chair at the very first garage I stopped at!!! You heard me! I found MY chair!!! After only my third weekend of casually perusing craigslist & a few garage sales. Ah! I am in love, in love, in love!

Isn't it AMAZING?!? 

The plan for now is to paint it gray  like one of these colors:

1.2.3.

1. Sherman Williams: Zeus 2. Sherman Williams: Balanced Beige 3. Sherman Williams: Comfort Gray

and ideally find a gray/yellow/blue/green ikat fabric. I don't know how picky I will be yet. Here are a couple fun fabrics I found online.

1.2. 

3. 4.

1. & 2. West Elm 3.&4. Ikea

Really, I'm all over the place. I wouldn't be surprised if the fabric turns out to be completely different than any of these. This will be very fun! Number 5 on my list is a go! 

Next Weekend: The sanding and painting commences. 

I ♥ Spray Paint!

This past Saturday, despite still being exhausted from Harry Potter the night (morning) before, I dragged myself out of bed at an ungodly Saturday hour of 7:30a.m. and went garage sale shopping. I even managed to come home with some treasures. Did I need anything in particular? No. I just was in the mood to create. Normally my Saturdays include lounging around and most likely laying out by the pool. Not this Saturday. Do you ever get the overwhelming desire just to make something? To get rid of the mess and start with something new? My spring cleaning bug might have come a little late this year, because it hit me like a 10 ton brick this past weekend...It didn't manage to make it to my closet though, sad :(

This Saturday I was feeling especially adventurous (I am going to blame it on the fact that bug I mentioned earlier). I ventured into the the world of Spray Paint. I have never met a paint I didn't love more! It is an instant transformation! From Drab to Fab in mere seconds! My roommates better watch out, because anything I can spray paint, is most likely to be spray painted in the near future. So, what did I make exactly?

Well, after carefully reading (and disregarding, oops!) the spray paint instructions, I quickly set forth to spray paint a nice little wooden basket I bought at a garage sale for $.75.  When I first bought it, it was this nasty brown color (Sorry! I didn't get any before pictures!). And, our entry way is mostly black...so I needed a quick solution. Never fear! Spray Paint is Here!!!

It looks great, right?! And it took me all of 5 minutes! I needed to find more projects, pronto!

Now, I also found this frame that was the perfect size for something cool. The lady asked $10.00, which I realize now was way too much, but I'm happy with it. My first hope was to possibly create something similar to this. But, I couldn't do that with this oval frame. So, ere go Plan B. Which I am ecstatic about!

Before:

Meet After (the coloring in my bathroom is awful, I apologize):

Again, so easy and simple. I just spray painted it a fun turquoise and then screwed in some picture hanging wire. Voila! Sweet and Simple Earring Holder! I have been dying for one of these for about 2 years now. If I would have known it was this easy, it could have been done ages ago. Well, maybe not. I tend to procrastinate. 

And the very best part is, it fulfills numero 51 on my list!!! Whoop!

Now, what will I spray paint next???

EpiCURIOUS Adventures

This is the era of trying new things, Of breaking out of the ordinary, veering away from…Velveeta Mac & Cheese.

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 Yea, so…about that. Cooking and I, we have never been much of friends. Sure, I can make some mean French toast and some killer brownies from a box, but as for that other stuff (you know, the Real food like meat & veggies) we have just never understood one another in the kitchen. It always ends in tears of frustration...usually only on my end. 

My friends love to laugh at my cooking abilities. Once, I wanted to make a baked sweet potato using the microwave. Bad Idea. Thankfully, I knew not to wrap it up in foil…but that was about all I knew. So I gently washed the potato and threw it in the microwave. This can’t be too hard, I thought to myself. People do this all the time. My roommates do this all the time. The microwave is even ready for me! It has this nice little button called “Potato.” Boy, was I wrong. Apparently, you are supposed to poke it a bunch of times and wrap it up in plastic wrap. Who knew? I still can’t say that I am comfortable with the idea of making a baked potato.

But, come on! I am 23 years old…the world is my oyster. I should be able to make Something. Anything. I need to know what the difference between mincing and chopping is! About six months ago I came across this absolutely hilarious blog How Sweet It Is. Now, this is right up my ally. I’m in love. She had me at tuna…without the mayo. 

yum!

 As I continued to read, I noticed something. All her recipes looked fairly simple (fairly being a relative term, remember the potato), delicious, and they are made from scratch. I could be the next Betty Crocker! So after marveling at her sheer genius in the kitchen for a couple of weeks, I decided. I should start making meals from scratch on a weekly basis. What other way am I going to learn how to cook? This decision came before my list, so it entered on to my 6-weekly goals. Make a meal from scratch once a week for 6 weeks. That can’t be too hard! But then my list came along. I had to include cooking on my list! It was practically a necessity. At first I thought I would be safe and only make 35 new meals. But, 35 out of 1001 days...kinda wimpy. So I am going bold. 100 new meals from scratch in the next 1001 days. It will be quite the adventure!

2. Make 100 new meals from scratch

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Any Good Ideas in what I should make in the next 998 days??

Cup of Joy

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Joy. The state of delight. A huge part of my list is growing closer to the Lord, which will be shown through a variety of ways in the next 999 days. I want to explore the joy that has been given to me through the Lord, Jesus Christ. Now, it is super easy for me to throw God by the wayside and get Wayyy too caught up in my own daily happenings. I am unbelievably self-absorbed. So I want to make it a point every Tuesday to delight in what the Lord is doing in my life in my "Cup of Joy". Because, really, it's not about me. It's not, as much as I might like to think it is. Without Christ, I wouldn't be where I am today. I have him to thank for, well, everything.

Here lately, I have been thinking a lot about prayer. I recently came across an old prayer journal from my junior year of college. Woah, what a year that was! My prayers in 2008 and 2009 are some of the same as my prayers are today. It is beyond crazy to see the way Jesus works, though. Crazy, I tell you! Two of my prayers in January 2009 were only just recently answered, this year. Over 2 years later! Those two years of waiting were tough to say the least. But, how can you Not find absolute joy in the Lord when you see the fruition of prayer!? He constantly amazes me. 

Sadly, I only kept that prayer journal for a few short months. Boo. School started, and I got caught up in the world. In myself. I threw my journal to the wayside because I didn't make time for it. Now, two years later, I am kicking myself. What other prayers has the Lord fulfilled that I am completely oblivious to? With that being said, #45 comes into play. My moleskin is ready is rearing to go. It is going to be a hard one. But, I am willing to take the challenge!

45. Keep a Prayer Journal. Actually keep one...for more than a month or two.

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All this to be said, I want to encourage everyone who reads this to join me in creating a prayer journal. You will be amazed by the results. The Big Guy Upstairs is doing some mighty and powerful things. Things we can't even dream about. Even when things get rough and tough out there, just remember, He has an ever loving plan. One to build us up, not destroy us. 

“Look at the nations and watch— 

   and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
   that you would not believe,
   even if you were told. 

-Habakkuk 1:5

My 100 in 1001

I don't know if you realize this, but 100 is a lot. It looks like this easy-peasy number. I mean, think of how simple it is to come across 100 pennies, or 100 rocks, 100 yards or even a 100 people. Easy, right? A 100 things to realistically complete in 2.75 years, that is a completely different story. Thankfully, with the help of some of my friends and fellow bloggers, my list is complete! It only took me four days. Four days to "easily" think up  100 things, wowza.

So, what are these 100 things that are brilliant enough to make my list you ask?  The first thing on my list was to create a blog to share it on of course. But, here are a few examples of some of my other goals....

5. Refurbish a chair

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29. Memorize 10 scriptures

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44. Run a 5k in under 30 minutes

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79. Learn Calligraphy

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100. Complete my list of 100 things to do in 1001 days. 

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How about you? Do you have any lists of things you are wanting to do?