Moving Up in the World

It's Mooonnndaaaay! I hope everyone had a great weekend despite it probably going by way too fast. I finally got to see Silver Linings Playbook and went to a new Portland bar called The Tannery which was really cool. I also had one of these. :) The biggest event for me, however, was purchasing my first TV ever!  Now I don't have to watch all of my Netflix shows (currently House of Cards) on my little laptop... very exciting. So, I flipped my bookcase on its side, reorganized my books and then put the new TV on top. And I found myself a little overwhelmed. 

It's kind of weird how a television, especially a large one, can become such a presence in a room; just a Giant Black Rectangle hangin' out and stealing the show. Maybe it's because I'm not used to having one and I'm not someone who fawns over the "beauty" of technology, but I just want to hang a pretty textile over it or something when I'm not using it. Am I crazy? Perhaps.

I spent Sunday using things I already have to decorate my bookcase in an attempt to soften up the Giant Black Rectangle. It is a work in progress considering the artwork is hung with no thought whatsoever (the hooks were in the wall when I moved in) and those green ginger jars in front of the screen aren't in a practical location. But that's what I've got so far, and I like it way better than when I started.

Another thing I'm excited about? My sofa is arriving this week! But more to come on that later...

How was your weekend? Did you work on any projects at home?

Australia Chat and Makeup Talk

Back in November, Kim from the fun lifestyle blog Northern California Style kindly gave me the "Liebster Award" and asked me to answer ten questions about myself and then share the award with two other "up and coming" bloggers. Well, here I am, finally answering her questions a whole three months later. Thanks Kim, sorry for the delay!

1. What's your favorite scent and how long have you been wearing it?

Dead Sexy by Tokyo Milk has been my favorite perfume for about 2 years now. It's different from anything I've smelled before and not very expensive, and supposedly smells a little different on everyone. Before that I wore Pink Sugar which I would describe as a complex cotton candy. It's still one of my favorite scents but always got totally mixed reactions so I'm more likely to spray it on my pillow than wear it to work. :)

Tokyo Milk on the vanity tray in my bedroom

2. Lipstick, lip gloss or chapstick?

Either lipstick or chapstick. If I feel like putting in effort or getting a little glammed up, I love YSL's Rouge Volupte in Peach Passion, but I most often have basic chapstick on.

3. If you could have a chef, a housekeeper, a driver or a masseuse at your service 24 hours a day, which would you choose?

Is it totally horrible that I live in a small apartment by myself and want to say housekeeper? Whatever, I'm going with that!

4. Do you prefer city living or the country life?

I have always lived in a city (grew up in Houston, went to college in San Diego, have lived in Portland since) but my mom lives on a farm in Texas and I absolutely love visiting. I must admit though, I get cabin fever pretty quickly so I'd have to say I prefer city living. Especially in Portland. There's just so much at your fingertips!

My mom's sweet little farm house in Chappell Hill, Texas

5. Where do you do most of your shopping for clothes: online, malls, discount stores (like Ross), boutiques, thrift and consignment shops, or outlets?

Even though I love vintage and antique decor, for some reason I am not very good at shopping for vintage clothes. So, Forever 21, H&M and Target are my go-tos. I do like places like Nordstrom Rack and Marshalls but for whatever reason I always forget to shop there.

6. What is one food that you can't stand the taste of?

Kimchee. I just can't, even though I really wish I could.

7. If you won a round-trip ticket for two to any destination in the world, where would you go and who would you take?

I never would have said this five years ago, but ever since I started reading Australian blogs, I've had a really strong desire to take a trip to that part of the world. It just seems like such a laid-back, naturally beautiful destination, and I love what I've seen of Aussie style. I would take my brother since he and I have a lot of similar interests and I think he would dig Australia more than anyone I know. Sorry Mom!

My brother and I on the zip-line course during a family vacation in Costa Rica

8. What's the last movie you saw in a theater?

Zero Dark Thirty. Hopefully I'll see another Oscar nom or two this weekend - it's kind of killing me that I have yet to see most of them! What was your favorite - which should I make sure to see!?

9. Drugstore or high-end designer makeup?

I went through a weird phase last summer where I got all kinds of designer makeup, but I'm really just a drugstore kind-of-makeup girl.

10. Real "old fashion" books made with paper or electronic reads?

Old fashion books. Please. ;) Just finished Gone Girl, now about to start The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Read 'em?

The entry table in my apartment with some books I read in book club, minus Design Sponge...

Thanks for asking me to participate, Kim, it was fun! I'd like to pass along this award to two bloggers who I've recently started reading and really enjoy...

Kim of See Kim Decorate

and 

Ashley of The Photogramps

Of course, this is totally optional but I do think it's pretty fun to learn more about the bloggers behind the blogs we read. I'm going to ask some questions that are pretty different from the ones I answered, so hear ya go ladies:

1. What are the weirdest/most unusual things we'd find in your fridge?

2. What is your favorite childhood movie?

3. Where is the best place you've ever slept?

4. What is your favorite book (and why)? 

5. How would you describe the style in your home?

6. What's your beverage of choice?

7. If you could have an all-expenses paid vacation for two anywhere in the world, where would you go and who would you bring along with you?

8. Would you rather float a river, layout at the beach or ski/snowboard down a mountain?

9. If you could learn to speak another language over night, which would you choose and why?

10. What's your favorite music of the week?

Well, that's a wrap! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend!!

~all photos in this post are my own~

Personal Project: Bookcase (Part 2)

Well I finally made some progress people! Who would have thought it would have taken me, what, 3 weeks to rearrange a friggin' bookcase!? Well I took some tips and tricks from my earlier post and organized my books into colors, mixed and matched the ways they were stacked, and added little touches of decor throughout. I'm pretty happy about how it turned out.

Even though it's not totally complete (I still need to fix up the top) I thought I'd share what the practically-finished bookcase looks like:

Before (Junky, Haphazard, Unintentional)

< < < < < and BAM!! > > > > > 


After (Sleek, Clean, Intentional)

And yes... the Christmas tree is finally put away. :)

Personal Project: Bookcase (Part 1)

I'm in a major home decor phase, again, particularly focused on my own home. So, I've decided to do the occasional post featuring a personal project in my studio apartment. Can you tell I've been reading my new Design Sponge book?? :)

This go round, it's all about fixing up my bookcase so it isn't only functional, but lookin good. What I have right now isn't totally awful, but there's none of that "I could just stare at this all day" factor that I adore so much. It's a black Ikea bookcase with 8 squarish compartments and I've simply stuffed all my books and movies into it without paying any attention to how it looks. I did set some heirloom Chinese figurines in front of some of the books, but only because they accidentally got left out of the "Too Good to Goodwill, but I Live in A Tiny Studio and There's Not Enough Room to Display" box in the closet.

On top of the bookcase I've set piles of mail I have yet to go through (ugh that should've been one of my New Year's Resolutions), my headphones and speakers that aren't plugged in, a pinwheel folk art thing my mom gave me, and an "Amberley Whiskey" (yes it's spelled wrong) metal sign hanging above it on the wall. Blah. It's been like that for 3 months and I'm totally over it.

For some inspiration, I collected a few examples of bookcases and bookshelves that I admire:

The cream colors are pretty and I love the picture frames attached in the front. Very unique.

This is rainbow effect is very similar to what I did with all of my books at my old apartment, and I really loved it at the time. 

I did a double take when I saw this because for some reason I feel like this is just SO me, as if I put it together in a dream or past life or something. Sorta creepy but awesome. 

This look I love, not because of the case but because of the colors and the randomness of everything. It also looks really fresh. We're getting closer to what I want....

Too bad my bookcase is black because this is my FAVORITE look and the same effect just wouldn't be achieved if I tried to copy. But I will take with me: it's not too organized, there is a color theme in place, and there are photos and art that grab your attention.

I also really like this idea for the top of my bookcase. Simplicity, Simplicty, Simplicity!

And if I had crazy amounts of time to waste 

(Can you imagine paper covering all of your books by hand? It does look good though, I have to admit. Very Anthropologie.)

Anyway, there are several things I'm noticing about these eye-catching bookshelves:

1. Purposeful color - grouped into colors, pops of bright color, color themes/families

2. Mixed stacking - horizontal and vertical

3. Other objects mixed in with the books - busts, photos, art, knick knacks

Now let the brainstorming begin... (to be continued in a future post)

...And just because this kind of book display is somewhat on trend for reasons I don't know:

I can barely look at it...I'm starting to feel suffocated! I'm guessing this is one of the ways it all begins for the people featured on that A&E show we all secretly love.

all photos via Pinterest

Merry Christmas!

I'm at my dad's house about to chow down on the second Christmas feast of the day, admittedly being the anti-social one by squeezing in a little bit of internet time before it's back to my mom's farmhouse where no such things exist.

So before I'm dragged away..... Merry Christmas!

And, one of my all-time favorite gifts of the day: Blogger Grace Bonney's gorgeous book, Design Sponge at Home. SO HAPPY. Another reason I've been a little bit in my own world today. ;)

I hope everyone has had a wonderful, warm holiday with family and friends. 'Tis the season to be merry!

A Treasury of Great Recipes

You know that especially startling scene in the The Ring, when they flashback to the face of the teenaged girl who died in the beginning, and it's all squished and distorted and really messed up looking? So freakin creepy! But I'll admit I've never actually seen it... I always cover my eyes during that part, but I think I know how horrifying it is based on what my friends have told me.

"Wait... I was covering my eyes! What happened?!

But what did it look like?

Just like her face was all twisted and weird?

So what did it look like happened to her?"

I love horror movies, but I can be really annoying to watch them with. I tend to hover my hand in front of my face the whole time or look down at the corner of the TV and then watch the screen using my peripheral vision. But I'll still sit through the whole movie.

The earlier horror films are fun because the images aren't as saturated with special effects and the scare factor is usually pretty simple - think Night of the Living Dead. That was the first scary movie I remember seeing as a kid, and that opening scene in the cemetery still enters my mind when I find myself walking alone in a park and there is nobody else around. Car keys in hand? Yep.

So, if you are wondering, where in the world is this going and what do scary movies have to do with "style in the home?" Well here you go: Vincent Price, the guy above, was the king of horror films during the 1950s (House of Wax, House on Haunted Hill), and he also happened to write a spectacular cookbook with his wife Mary called "A Treasury of Great Recipes," (god I love that title!) published in 1965.

See...? We are switching gears completely.

The cookbook is something I happened to snatch up at an estate sale after I overheard two older ladies going on about how much they loved their own copies (strategy!), and boy am I glad that I did. Once I got home and did a little googling I realized it wasn't just some random cookbook. A copy in good condition can go for over $100 on Amazon. I got mine for $7. Boo yah!

A Treasury of Great Recipes in all its glory... and yes, it does resemble a bible.

A well-traveled couple, the Prices share in great detail all of their favorite experiences from restaurants around the world, including reprints of original menus, gorgeous color photos and chef recipes with their own personal notes added in. It provides a very personal look into their glamorous lifestyle during the 1960s - it's all very Mad Men. In fact, Sardi's is one of the restaurants featured in the book that also happens to be frequented by Don Draper (and all of his lovely ladies) during the same era! 

The recipes range from ten-minutes-easy to all-day-involved, 5 ingredients to 15 ingredients, Baked Bananas to Stuffed Crown Roast of Veal. So you've got your options. The first dinner I made from the book was a Chicken Breast with Champagne Sauce that turned out "simply divine" as my grandmother would say. It was ridiculously easy to make and so good to eat: sautee a couple of chicken breasts in butter, add cream and simmer, add champagne and eat! Bonus: the recipe only called for 1/4 c of champagne, so there was practically a whole bottle left to drink. See, I think about these things...

a random photo in the cookbook that I like... Woburn Abbey, Buckinghamshire, UK

And just to give you further reason to believe in this cookbook, here is part of a user's review online. This is for real, just copied and pasted from Amazon:

"From the moment I was introduced to "Vinnie" (as my family refers to him today), my love for gourmet cooking has grown and expanded. When I'm looking for a recipe to really impress dinner guests, it's always Vinnie that I choose from. He & I have been together since December of 1971 when Santa bought him for me. I wouldn't trade that experience, the adventure in gourmet dining that we've enjoyed for all these years, for anything." - Pat, Katy, TX

I mean seriously, if someone is crushing this hard, it's gotta be good... right? If you see this book, get it. You won't be disappointed.

Top 5 Coffee Table Books, or Behind-The-Toilet Books, whatever

I am a huge fan of "coffee table books." The ones I enjoy most are original, funny and simple.

Here are some of my faves:

1. Graham Roumieu's In Me Own Words: The Autobiography of Bigfoot. Amazing. Finally the truth: the story of Bigfoot, from Bigfoot's perspective. Turns out he's much more vulnerable and relatable than you ever imagined.

"If you going to chase, please no spray with holy water. Ok. Listen. I not know where all you morons come from but holy water no hurt Bigfoot. Garlic and Crucifix also no. Fire, Pitchfork, Silver Bullet OK. Kryptonite do nothing. It not even real."

2. I Like You ~ Hospitality Under The Influence by Amy Sedaris. A tongue-in-cheek guide to entertaining by the insanely brilliant sister of David Sedaris. Enough said.

"The Guest List: The moment someone says, 'Hey everyone, listen to the words in this song,' your party is over. This is why the guest list is the most important aspect to a successful party ... If the party is going to be made up of mostly young pretty girls, then you might want to invite some old men. Nothing makes them feel more alive... If a guest you invite is a shy-type, balance that with a show-off, because all show-offs need an audience (we couldn't do it without you)."

3. This Book Will Change Your Life by Benrik. This clever Urban Outfittersesque book sparked the creation of way too many blogs dedicated to trying out its "365 Daily Instructions For Hysterical Living." I didn't actually try any of them after buying the book (like most people, I have more important things I think I should be doing), but I guess a lot of people have.

"Day 28: Choose your final meal on death row and make it."

4. Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz's The Daring Book for Girls. A gem of a book - it's simply adorable. Think of the classic childhood slumber party movie Now and Then, but in a useful book form. This book is the sentimental encyclopedia on everything from Caring for Your Softball Glove to Putting Your Hair Up With a Pencil to Telling Ghost Stories. Two words: warm & fuzzy. Am I revealing my super dorkiness for loving this book so much? Maybe. Or was that only insider information until I started a blog based on the interests of Martha Stewart?

A sampling of the over-100 subjects in the Table of Contents: Rules of the Game: Basketball, Pressing Flowers, Princesses Today, Knots and Stitches, Snowballs, Vinegar and Baking Soda, Joan of Arc, How To Be a Spy, Sleep Outs, Reading Tide Charts, Boys, Greek and Latin Root Words.

5. He's Just Not That Into You. Okay, okay, before you write me and my recommendations off completely - consider this: one of your guests may seriously need to realize! You'd be doing them a true favor by leaving this out for a little looksie. JK ... every girl has already read this or seen the movie. It's so 5 years ago. But, some people still need reminders. Myself included. Another reason to have it in easy reach: guys are totally entertained by this book. For reaaaal.

a random night back in college...




Photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 4,