Thursday, June 30, 2011

inspiration workshop: a "green" bathroom

Today, I'm linking up again with Maggie at Gussy Sews for her Inspiration Workshop post series.

This week's inspiration prompt is "Perfect Bathroom".

Oh man. I'm all over this one.

After a few hours of internet searching I realized that I couldn't find a picture that had EVERYTHING that I wanted in the perfect bathroom, so I'm making a short list of what would be inside my perfect, dream bathroom.

First of all and most importantly, my perfect bathroom would be as eco-friendly or "green" as possible.

An earth-friendly bathroom would have a bamboo or cork floor. Not only are these sustainable resources but they are naturally mold, mildew and water-resistant. Oh, and the floors are REALLY pretty too!

bamboofloorings.com

The next thing my perfect eco-friendly bathroom would have is a double-sink countertop made out of recycled glass bottles and aluminum cans. Something like this...

naturalhomeandgarden.com

Another essential in my perfect bathroom is a bathtub. I love my bubble baths and I want to be able to soak in them without feeling guilty about all the water I'm using. By having low flow faucets and fixtures and a bathtub/sink made out of reusable materials it makes it a bit better for the earth. Oh, and Whirlpool even makes this super-chic Eco-Silent Whirlpool Tub! :)

buildaroo.com

The last two things on my list are on there for more aesthetic reasons than for eco-friendly reasons...but there are ways to do each of these in an environmentally friendly way, so win WIN!

The first (of the last...you know) is for the bathroom to have the colors of blue and green or blue-green/aqua. It's so beautiful and soothing.


naturalhomeandgarden.com

The last (of the last!) is natural light. If I'm going to have an earth loving, perfect bathroom, then I want to be able to see the...well, the earth! The sunlight! I'm in love with these...

simplifiedbee.com


coastalliving.com

Well, that's my PERFECT BATHROOM in a nutshell. A big bathtub, natural light, the colors of the earth and most importantly, as sustainable and earth-friendly as possible.

What's your perfect bathroom? Are you inspired to research ways to go "green" in your space?

PS: Don't forget to enter my photo giveaway! Winner will be announced tomorrow!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

disney's classic ladies: a modern take 2

Well, I'm back for another installment in the modern Disney fashion series. Last week we looked at the Queen Mouse, Miss Minnie.

Today, we'll take a look at a few outfits inspired by her best friend, and fellow Disney classic character Daisy Duck.

Now, Miss Daisy (not unlike this Daisy and this Daisy) is a feisty gal. She tends to have a sort of retro pin-up style vibe with her clothes, so that's the hint we're aiming for here. A touch of pin-up class.

Here we go!


For Daisy's first modern inspired outfit...
...she's stuck with her classic colors of purple/lavender and pink. The dress accents that 50s vibe without going over-the-top. She chose to use a bow accent on the pumps and went with a bit more of a classic jewelry look. Like Minnie, Daisy absolutely must use Maybelline's Great Lash mascara (it's an icon!) and a bright fuschia on her lips.

And for Daisy's other modern outfit...
...a bit more of a casual look that incorporates the lavender top that you most often see her in. A nice, pleated white skirt hides her tail fashionably and shows off her curves! Daisy chose a golden orange bag as an accent color...to match her...um, bill. (beak?) Daisy is unsure of whether she calls her mouth a bill or a beak. She should probably have wikipedia'd it before she posted this blog. Oh well. She'll blame Donald if it's wrong anyway. ;)

So there you go, friends! I'm taking suggestions for the next subject of the Disney modern fashion series. Shall I do another creature/animal? Let me know! Oh, and don't forget to enter my photo giveaway! Winner announced on Friday!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

outfit of the day (OOTD)

After being inspired by a few other fashion/outfit blogs and some encouragement from a friend, I've decided to make a concentrated effort at posting more outfits. I follow a few blogs that participate in the What I Wore Wednesday post series, but to take pictures everyday seems a bit daunting. Maybe one day...

Also, problemo number two is that I don't have a tripod and asking non-photography people to take pictures of me usually is much more of a hassle than intended. DISCLAIMER- (because I live with one of these people) the hassle stems from my inability to communicate my vision and my inability to execute what I see in my head...not their lack of skill.

Enter, my clever, frugal (ghetto?) and hopefully temporary solution... tables and self-timer. Voila! Okay, so bear with me as I work this whole thing out. But for the inaugural outfit, I don't think it came out so bad.




I must tell you that this was done at work...before most of my coworkers got there. That's how I roll, y'all. I think this is also perfectly appropriate for my initial post as it is a cardigan, aka, my main wardrobe staple.

Creds: 
Cardigan- Mossimo via Target
Top- Bass via Bass Outlet
Pants- Old Navy
Shoes- Mossimo via Target
Necklace- My own creation from Michaels (posted about it here)
Hair- God help us. I apologize for how it looks here. My sister (and hairdresser) would be appalled.

 

top 5, eh 4 tuesday and a giveaway!


So, pretend today is a Top 4 Tuesday post, okay? Top 4 Tuesday and my VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

I've decided to combine this giveaway with my normal Top 5 Tuesday post and giveaway the top 4 selling prints from my Etsy shop. Did y'all know I have an Etsy shop? Though I haven't added a bunch of new stuff lately (I've been focusing a bit more on portrait photography recently) I have some new and purty stuff that will be added soon.

So, for my first giveaway, I'm offering up 1 4x6 print of each of my top 4 selling prints in the Cherry Blossom series.


I think they'd look pretty swell in white or black frames side-by-side or in a collage frame like this. Anywho, to enter the giveaway you must become a follower and leave me a comment telling me what your favorite flower/tree is. 1 entry per comment. For additional entries, you can tweet/blog/fb status update about this giveaway or visit my Etsy shop and tell me what your favorite print from my shop is. For each of these additional ways, leave a separate comment. You can get up to 3 entries!! Good luck!

I'll announce the winner on Friday in my Insta-Friday post!

Monday, June 27, 2011

shoes on sevens

For today's Shoes on Sevens post, I'm keeping it real.

Today is my day off (one of the advantages to working on Sunday) so I spent a few hours at the pool.

These are the shoes I wore today...


These are some OLD, Old Navy flip flops with the toe wrap thingy. These are great for the pool because they can get really wet and not slip off. They do leave a strange tan line though. But, what I am I concerned about...I don't tan. ;)

Happy Monday everyone!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

saturday snapshot link-up

It's been a long time since I linked up and did a Saturday snapshot post, so I thought I'd do one today.

I'm linking up with Kim @ Yellow Songbird's Saturday Snapshot link up party.



The theme for the picture is "Around the House". Well, here is a little pic I took a few months ago at my house. ;)


This is my dog Hewitt and one of his "babies" that we call Cappy. (It's a caterpillar.) I will admit that I think most pictures that I have of Hewitt are cute, but this is one of my favorites!

Friday, June 24, 2011

insta-Friday



Well, everyone it's FRIDAY (do a happy dance!) and time for another Insta-Friday post! Yay!!!

Insta-Friday is a quirky way to share the little moments from your week! Any cell phone pictures will work just fine…I just happen to use the Instagram app! (it's free!!)

So, I'm linking up with Jeannett over at Life Rearranged again this week for what could possibly be my most random and ridiculous Insta-Friday post yet!


This is basically what boredom at work results in. That stegosaurus is a pencil sharpener. ;)


My desktop wallpaper at work. It's of a location in Bora Bora and it just makes me sigh. Ahhh.


Spotted this at the grocery store this week. It looks absolutely disgusting. Thoughts?


I love all of the Crape Myrtle trees that are blooming around here. So pretty!


This was the pattern of the skirt I wore on Tuesday. I just really liked it so I snapped this pic.


Melons anyone? This is what was LEFT OVER after we served watermelon to the 500+ kids at our Vacation Bible School this year. Luckily these didn't go to waste...they were donated to a local urban rescue mission center.

Well, that's all for this week's edition of Insta-Friday. Have a great weekend y'all!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

disney's classic ladies: a modern take 1

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to continue the Disney modern inspiration series as I continue to run out of characters. So far, I've done princesses herehere, here and here and then some of Disney's villians here. The last one was an ode to the pink dress used so often by Disney.

The thought occurred to me that I shouldn't be leaving out the Queen Bee of all things Disney and her loyal friend from my modern Disney series. So, this will be part 1 of 2 posts dedicated to the lovely and classic Disney heroines...Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck.

First up is the Queen Bee...I mean Mouse herself.

Disney usually portrays her in her classicly iconic red and white polka dotted dress and then in a variation of a colored dress with fuschia heels and bow. Here is what I did for the iconic Minnie outfit.

With that bold of a dress and heels, Minnie opted to NOT do a bow headband or barrette on the head because that might seem too costumey. We're going for a hint of iconic Minnie here. Instead, the flirty boldness of the dress and heels are balanced out with a crisp white blazer and bows on the ears in the form of post earrings.

Next up is Minnie's variation outfit of a colored dress with fuschia heels and a bow. Here's the modern Minnie take...


Minnie is a fun and playful mouse/girl but she knows her classic looks and she sticks with it. Again, I opted for a bow on the dress and clutch instead of on the head. Modern Minnie sticks with a simple pearl necklace (again...classic) and opts for navy instead of black to balance out the bright colors. Going along with the classic idea, Miss Minnie swears by her Coco Chanel fragrance.

Stay tuned for the next installment, Miss Daisy Duck, very soon!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

dainty li'l things

Recently The B (my boyfriend) commented that I don't really wear a lot of jewelry. At first, this surprised me and I started to argue that statement but after I thought about it, I realized it is true. You see, back in "the day" (read: 5+ years ago) I was really into chunky, bold statement jewelry. I bought it and made it bright, large and colorful! It also became pretty synonomous with my look. April wears crazy jewelry. That was just a fact.

But the older I've gotten, I realize that my tastes in jewelry have changed. No longer do I swoon over a huge coral beaded triple strand necklace or a chunky blue resin bangle. I find myself leaning much more towards dainty, simple and classic jewelry designs like pearl stud earrings or a nice Pave pendant necklace.

I've even discovered a taste for unique jewelry...but just in a smaller scale than before.

This Etsy shop has a lot of unique but dainty designs.



This Etsy shop is dedicated to one of my favorite jewelry materials. ;)


One thing that is a bit surprising is that these dainty jewelry pieces don't really come with dainty price tags. I mean, if I'm going to buy something that's the size of my thumbnail I feel like it should cost less than my rent. So, with me being a bit of a cheapskate (and because I just KNEW I could make my own easily) I swung by Michael's today and picked up a sterling chain and a tiny charm and for under $8, I came out with this li'l number...


I tried to photoshop my red chest and freckles out but it didn't work. So you get the raw version. But the focus is on the necklace still, right? Right. (at least my NECK isn't red....) :)

Despite the fact that I still have a bunch of the chunky and bold jewelry that I used to love, I think I can start finding room for more like this.

What about you? Do you have a jewelry "style"? Do you even wear a lot of jewelry?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

top 5 tuesday: favorite guitar solos

I got the idea of doing this post from another blog that I follow where a Top 5 greatest guitar RIFFS post was done last week.

As a lover of music I felt the need to respond this week with my Top 5 favorite guitar solos. Most of these are from rock/blues music, and let me just say that it was VERY hard to get my list down to just the 5.

So, here they are!

5. Layla. (Eric Clapton) Watch it here. Solo starts at 2:58.

4. Shine. (Collective Soul) I'm sad to announce that I've only recently (in the last 3 years) become acquainted with this song. I like it. Once I heard the guitar solo, I was...well...transfixed. Solo starts at 2:47ish.

3. The Thrill Is Gone. (BB King) This guy sings through his guitar. Oh man. This whole song is practically a solo. Watch him and Eric Clapton in this sick video.

2. Freebird. (Lynard Skynard) I know it's overplayed, but holy cow, it's so good. Watch it here. Solo starts at 4:43.

1. Beat It. (Michael Jackson & Fall Out Boy) No matter who does this solo, I'm so totally in love with it. I found this amazing video that shows all of the musicians who've done the solo on this over the years. You must at least watch past the 3:00 mark to see Jennifer Batten's outfit.

Oh man. I think I need an outfit like that for the stage. It looks like fiberoptic wires. Thoughts?

Monday, June 20, 2011

weekend project update: spray paint

I posted on Thursday about my weekend project to do some spray painting. 

Well, though it wasn't my first experience with spray painting, it was my first experience with doing it for a home decor project...and thus really caring about the result.

Speaking of the results...well, I think they turned out pretty well.

I started with some pretty normal looking glass jars and vases.


And a pretty beat up red tray. (I'm not the biggest fan of red, so even cleaned up the color is not my style.)


I ended up with some cute opaque-y vases and a totally I-will-actually-use-it tray.



I really liked doing this project. I scored some really cute spray paint in light blue, pale yellow and teal. The lighter the color, the more coats I had to apply, and I learned a few lessons the hard way,  (hello PATIENCE!!) but I want to do more stuff like this. It was even worth the spray paint fume headache I got.

I'm now looking at different things in my house and wondering what they'd look like with spray paint. Might I say that I've got the spray paint fever?

More projects coming soon!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

pretty things Saturday

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday. Whether it's raining, snowing or hot and humid where you live, a few pretty things will make it an even better day!






Aren't those some pretty things? Take a deep breath....ahhh. Now, back to your regularly scheduled activities. Happy Saturday!


Friday, June 17, 2011

(lots of) shoes on sevens



Not only is today InstaFriday, but it's also a Shoes on Sevens post day!! Yippee!! Hooray!! Eeeek!!

Okay, enough of the celebrations. May I please complain for a second? TARGET! I'm mad that you keep coming out with really cute summer shoes. You're making me blow my budget. Instead of having one or two cute pairs, you have like 73 pairs. Shame on you!

How is a girl supposed to resist??


Thanks A LOT Target! Geez! ;)

On a more appropriate note, the shoes I'm wearing today are not quite as exciting. They were worn for their utilitarian-ness. (is that a word?)


Skinny Strap Double-Arch leather flip flops by Rainbow. Now, I do love my Rainbow sandals. I currently have 3 pairs. This one, a darker brown with thick straps and some pink ones. :) These are super comfortable and are perfect for days that you know you'll be running around like a chicken-with-its-head-cut-off.

Side note...has anyone ever SEEN a chicken with its head cut off? I just casually use this analogy without actually having witnessed said event before. Not that I'm complaining. I don't know if I'd WANT to see it.

Okay, congratulations if you're still reading at this point. You deserve an award. Maybe you should go to Target and buy yourself one of those cute pairs of shoes that I mentioned earlier. Buy one pair for yourself and one for me. Size 8.5. Thanks! Heeehee!







insta-friday!



Ahhh, it's Friday. Not only is today the start of the weekend, but it is indeed Insta-Friday! I'm linking up with Jeanette from over at Life Rearranged for my Insta-Friday post.

If you aren't familiar with Insta-Friday, it's where you post pictures that you've taken with your cell phone camera throughout the week. I use the Instagram app (it's free!!!) to make mine look all purty and stuff.

Now, for the pics... This week's round up includes not only one, but TWO dogs, flowers and food. Sadly, most of my Insta-Friday posts have included pictures with these subjects. Does that symbolize something? Anywho...on with the pictures!!

This is a happy Jada. I was dog sitting her and her sister Eve this past week.

It's also been VBS week at work. Oh man. The children. The snacks. The crafts. :)

On my trip to Wilmington we drove down to Carolina Beach. It was so pretty!

Even though Hewitt wasn't allowed on the beach, he still enjoyed soaking up the rays.

Mmmm, Qdoba. Part of a balanced lunch. HA!

These pretty blooms were on my car after I got off work today. Hmmm...I wonder who they're from??



Happy Friday, y'all!

SEARCH THIS BLOG