New Dinnerware Wish List

Am I allowed to add new dinnerware to the baby registry? What if the baby wants to throw a dinner party?

Lust List

While I decide what I want to eat for lunch (Pepperjax is in the lead), here are some links to things that I'm lusting over today.

An Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Tasty Kitchen. I think this might be my dinner. I'm all about sandwiches right now. I eat at least one a day, sometimes three. Give me a break, they're small. I like to eat cold chicken and turkey on dinner rolls. It reminds me of Thanksgiving leftovers.

Apartment Therapy - Fitting a Home Office in Your Small Space. I'm especially loving the first one with the desk in the closet. Matt and I are facing the task of cleaning out a lot of crap in our house to make room for another person. I love cute, easily DIY ideas like tucking an office into a closet. I could definitely reduce my entire office to a couple shelves, a filing cabinet and my Mac - leaving lots of play room for this child that I will eventually give birth to.

Also in that same vein, I'm looking into bedroom closet storage units like this sleek one from Lowe's.



And I'm IN LOVE with these two Victor dressers from Hayneedle. But at $1000+ they'll probably stay in the "lust" not "own" department of my life. Especially since, OH RIGHT, I'm having a baby and babies are expensive. Right, right. I keep forgetting that. I can't spend that $1000 on a dresser because I need that money to buy lots of diapers for my kid to poop in.

Movie Binge

Matt and I have been on a movie binge the last couple of weeks. Chalk it up to the weather, being completely bored, and completely tired of going out and spending money. We have watched:

(500) Days of Summer
Paranormal Activity
It Might Get Loud
Dexter Season 1 (about half way through)
March of the Penguins
Pan's Labyrinth


I would recommend all of the above, except maybe Paranormal Activity. It's a great movie if you love being so creeped out by your house that you force your husband to stand outside the bathroom door while you pee. But if that's not your style, I would suggest skipping it.

(500) Days of Summer is definitely one of my new favorite movies. Can we talk for a minute about how adorable Zooey Deschanel is? She is my style crush. Her wardrobes are worth committing crimes for. The blue coat she wore in Yes Man was ahhhhmazing.

This girl found a picture of it. She knows what I'm talking about. There's a really close one from Calvin Klein at Dillard's. Swap out the buttons with something flashier and you too could have a Zooey coat.

I wish I could have a focused sense of style like that. Jen and I were discussing the topic a couple of weeks ago. Most days I struggle to make it out of the house on time and I don't think about what I'm wearing. I also work in the basement of an office building with 40 IT guys, so I don't think any effort I make would be noticed. (Some chick from upstairs did call me "The Girl With The Cute Hair" one day so that made me feel good especially considering I'm seven weeks out from my last hair cut and dye job.)

But back to the movies... after looking at coats, everyone should go look up It Might Get Loud. Great movie. Technically, it's a documentary. But please, don't let that scare you.

Hello, Nice to Meet You

I found this designer, Sam Edelman, yesterday. I'm sort of in love with him right now. I would wear any of the above were it not for the fact that I can't handle 5 inch heels, and I don't have several hundred spare dollars to spend on ankle-breaking shoes. But wouldn't any of them look fantastic with my $700 DVF dress that I posted below?

I also really like these for some reason:



I would wear the shit out of those umm... snow shoes? Cosmonaut boots?

I warned Matt that if he ever makes us rich I'll probably blow all of our money on furniture and clothes.

In other news, by the end of the week I should be listed as a local vendor on The Knot. I'm not really a huge fan of the way they go about pushing the "dream wedding" on girls, but I do think that it's a really great place to start your search for wedding info. They've got crap tons of resources on there.

I'd also like to have a feature on Offbeat Bride since the kooky gals need love too, but those are a little pricier and the Omaha market is considerably smaller on there. And by "considerably smaller" I think we're talking maybe 10 people total. But I love them and they don't discriminate against any type of wedding. Most of my weddings so far have been pretty unique: a park, a hospital chapel, an old school Italian restaurant... so I'd like to make sure my bizz has exposure the non-traditional market too.

I Would Commit Grave Sins For...

This Dress.

Monday's Mission

Monday's Mission: Figure out where this dress comes from. Determine whether or not I can afford to buy it.

Fall Fashion Wist List

Are you ready for a completely pointless and self-indulgent post?

Good! Here are my fall wardrobe wants:



I dream of having a really chic, funky wardrobe full of black, white and denim clothing. Then I would funk it up with stripes, polka dots, and brightly colored accessories. It's kind of tough but girly, sophisticated but rockin. Plus, it feels like getting ready to leave the house in the morning would be so much simpler if everything in my closet matched everything else.

Anthropologie Shoes - These are the ultimate in girly hipness. They deserve to be purchased and then left in the box so they never get dirty. Then, 60 years from now my grandkids can bury me in them and I'll get to spend the rest of eternity wearing them. Is that weird?

Old Soul New Heart Necklace & Whiting and Davis Clutch - I saw Old Soul New Heart on a blog yesterday and I looooove it. I am a sucker for anything with a bow on it. It also perfectly matches the Whiting and Davis box clutch that I've been trying to justify buying. As of right now, I have yet to successfully do so but I'm working on it.

Forever XXI Shorts and Tunic - What's rock and roll fashion without (faux) leather? And what person doesn't want to be festooned with sequins every now and then? Both are pretty impractical in terms of "Where the eff would I ever wear that?" but at $23 apiece I will probably buy them anyway. I'm all about the cheap thrills.

OPI Nail Polish - I'm not a big fan of OPI, but they always have the perfect shades. I have some Cover Girl Boundless Color polish that I think lasts longer than OPI. The color selection isn't as big but it's half the price and lasts twice as long before chipping.

Matt and Nat Crossbody Tote - A big giant stylish bag. I can always find a use for one of these. I'm especially fond of Matt and Nat bags. They're made with fake leather but look and feel like the real thing. And it's the perfect size for carrying around my new box clutch for an easy day to evening transition. Not that I'm ever in need of easy day to evening transitions. This is Omaha after all.

Kate Spade Dress - The whole Kate Spade fall collection makes me cry. It is all so adorably perfect. This dress is my favorite though. I would commit serious crimes in exchange for it.

Well, hello!

Oh, hi there, Dottie Girl Tote!

How are you?

I'm well.

What's that? You want me to buy you?

Okay... If you insist... Just don't tell my husband, okay?

Easiest Freaking Homemade Ice Cream in the World

I cannot believe this. Sugar free, fat free, everything free, one ingredient homemade ice cream. I will be stopping at the store today to buy the ripest bananas I can find...

How To Make Creamy Ice Cream With Just One Ingredient

I Don't Need to Pay the Mortgage, Do I?

This morning I found the website www.shopstyle.com and my life was forever changed. It's like google for clothes. I've been looking for The Perfect Leather Jacket that will revolutionize my style, make me feel chic, get me back stage at a Kings Of Leon show, prove my status as a rock wife, and otherwise ooze awesomeness. I want something that is, in a word, rad.

And I found it on ShopStyle.



It's exactly what I want. Cropped, black, slim cut. I can wear it with dresses, skirts or jeans. I can wear it to work even.

A couple of problems though...

1. It is from Juicy Couture. I cannot knowingly contribute my money to a brand of clothing that popularized printing words like "JUICY" across a woman's ass. I simply can't. Juicy Couture is for rich girls who want to look kicky when they run for coffee on a Sunday morning. It's for Pussycat Dolls and lovers of Kathy Zealand bags. It is not for me... except I want it so bad right now.

2. This jacket costs $898. Yes, seriously. For that.

Drooling Over Real Estate

If I had half a million dollars, I would buy this house. The architecture is insane! Look at those widows! And the floor! And the fireplace! And the ceiling! Look at it in all of its 1950s glory:







And if half a bazillion dollars for a house seems like too much, I'd also settle for this one at only $250K. Peep the size of the refrigerator! This one is actually bank owned on a default so $250K is an absolute freaking deal. It's valued at $490K.

Awesome Kitchen Gadget!

This thing is amazing! It's a 2-in-1 measuring cup and scale, priced at $29.99. Some baking recipes measure dry ingredients like flour by weight not quantity because of settling, so this would come in handy. Click here for info on where to find it!

Prepare To Be Jealous

Go ahead and prep yourself for the most awesome thing ever.

My new vintage luggage set:



I bid on this at our monthly junk sale at work. Initially I lost the bid, which was shocking. My exact reaction was, "Who the hell would have outbid me on that ugly luggage?" But when I went to pick up a chair that I won (it spent a previous life in a doctor's office and is rad) the guy informed me that I could have it if I still wanted it.

Yes. Please.



Apparently the winning bidder thought she was bidding on something else. Or she bid on the luggage for someone else and they were completely horrified at their friend's evident lack of taste and declined to take it home... Something like that. All I know is that it belongs to me now.



The large case was still in the original box. I don't know if it's been used more than a couple times. All three pieces are in great condition. I almost don't want to use them, they're just too perfect.

Oh and P.S. I took those pictures in my freaky lit dining room at night and they turned out fantastic due to my newfangled ability at actually photograph things crisply without sticking them directly in sunlight.

Yes.

Revival Home and Garden

Yes, please. Yes to all of it. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth of yeses.

Whuuuuuuut?

Remember how I said I thought the living room needed more texture and maybe some more color? (You're probably thinking more color isn't the answer.) Well, I found what I was looking for...

I just mentally spent about $500 at French Bull. Where was this when I was registering for wedding gifts last year?

Among my favorites:

Delight Full / Queen Duvet Set
Mosaic Platter
Multidot Fellini Bowl
Robot Square Plate Set
Pink Paisley Runner



If I had my way, our house would be so triptastic by the time we moved out that the whole place would have to be power sprayed with white. I really admire people who can decorate their houses in whites and neutrals and make it look warm and inviting, but unfortunately I am not one of those people. I'm addicted to color. Ugly, nasty, burn your eyeballs, make you dizzy color.

Speaking of, the office has been put back together and I'm excited to take pictures of it.

Q&A: Tulip Table and Chairs

Question: Is stealing this furniture from my office building worth getting fired over?



Answer: Yes. Yes, it is.

Hello Beautiful...

Want to come home with me?




I need to go to rehab for pillow and linen addiction.

Running Your Own Race

Here it is. Month three already. Can you believe it?

I certainly can't.

You know what else I can't believe? How great that 50mm lens is. It's changed my life. My photos have improved tremendously without me actually learning anything new. I'm impressed...







I'm finally getting to the point where I like my shots straight out of the camera, and I don't feel the need to bury them in wild Photoshop actions. I definitely love me some actions. I do. But I use them as a crutch most of the time to hide the fact that my photos are sometimes flat. With this last batch though, I didn't even touch half of them. I'm so happy that I'm seeing improvement in my work. The learning curve is the hardest part of any process and it's easy to get frustrated with it. I love looking at other portrait photographers' work and I have a hard time not comparing myself to them. There are so many amazing photographers out there and it makes me feel like I have such a long ways to go.

That reminds me of something I read during marathon training a few years ago: Everyone has to run their own race. That's become my mantra in life. You can't compare yourself to everyone on the track. There's always going to be someone faster and in better shape than you are. You'll never make it to the finish line if you spend the entire race focusing on everyone else. You have to focus on yourself, your own training and your own motivations. Crossing the finish line is the ultimate goal. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get there.

That thought definitely applies to everyday life. Let's all try to remember that. Let's also remember that if you don't keep up with your cardio, those awesome calf muscles you built during marathon training will disappear about three months after you stop running, leaving you once again with chicken legs.

Whoops. Impulse Strikes.

I did something a little impulsive today. I bought this:



50mm / 1.4

I've been eyeing that lens for two months now. It's never in stock though. Anywhere. I finally found one here in Omaha so I bought it. Yikes. I was afraid of it selling out again.

It's a business investment, it's a business investment... I just have to keep repeating that to myself.

Solar Powered Fountain

How cool is this! I really want one of these... Our backyard needs some major help. It's large and fairly flat, so it's a perfect space. But visually it's pretty awful. It needs some TLC. It also needs a solar powered fountain now.



I did a very responsible thing last night and I started cleaning up the outside of the house. Whee! Yard work! There are still leaves, leaves, leaves everywhere. I plan to tackle the rest of it on Saturday.