Check me out

I know-it's been quiet here lately, and i'm not ready to blog about why.  I'm not ready to blog at all, or think creatively, or be funny.  I'm not ready to do more than reply to comments and scroll through my reader, grateful for any distraction.  I hope you understand.

Should you be fixing for my usual humor and sarcasm, i encourage you to check out my feature today on Jill's blog, Creating My Way to Success.  Jill is graciously highlighting a different blog each week, and focusing on "providing interesting insight into other people's journeys towards their own personal success."  Nice, right?  And while i wouldn't exactly call myself successful....i realized that it might actually apply!  Check it out!

of course

 Thanks Jill, for encouraging me to participate.  You rock!

Happy Blogiversary to me

One year ago today i started this little blog, and of course i had to save this image for this very occasion. 

I do, I give a shit about my blog's birthday.  You give a shit about my blog's birthday because you're reading it.  No matter when you've started reading, no matter if you follow or don't, i'm glad you're out there.

I'd love to know what made you start reading this blog, if you remember.  And sorry for the cursing this go round, it was too hysterical not to share. 

No hand wiping here

A huge thank you for your pillow suggestions, you guys, that was awesome.  Seriously the reason i started blogging-i just can't do these things without you! 

Since it was so gorgeous here this week, combined with working in a very pedestrian friendly town and a coupon for Ten Thousand Villages, a little jaunt was in order.  These napkins reminded me of the printed pillows i returned, but better, and you all suggested flowers, so...whadya think?   My great friend Maggie (remember her house/neighborhood tour) offered to turn these napkins into pillow covers for me.  No brainer, i accepted.

They don't match per se, but they definitely somewhat go.  The blue in the floral border is absolutely perfect for the chevron stripe, so i will be layering those guys together!  The allover pattern will be one cushion on the loveseat. 

I am super excited, and i bid them farewell today.  Farewell and godspeed-I'm not sure exactly what the ETA return time is...Maggie marches to the beat of her own drum.  I'm hoping it's a relatively fast beat, if you know what i mean.  Hopefully the blog will hold her to it- i have to have them back, see, for the blog. 



Why has it never occurred to me to look at napkins or placemats for this purpose before?  I could kick myself for how many fab ones i must have passed on...just what i need. Another reason to go to mecca.  I shall fight that urge...oh wait, i'll be out that way tomorrow.  Curses.  What's once around gonna do....don't answer that!

What the heck is this?  Red?  Seriously?  You send a boyfriend out for one thing, and he comes back with a random red pillow, mumbling about lumbar support.  I'll have to see if Maggie wants to take a crack at covering this one...but i think i'm pushing my luck!

How was everyone's weekend?  I could definitely use an extra day, don't know about you...

I'll Melt with you

Saw this on Man Vs. Food-a place called Melt in Cleveland, Ohio makes this humongous grilled cheese sandwich. Fancy cheese style.  I love me some grilled cheese sandwiches, as basic a food as that is.  However, i feel like i can never order out something that i can make (and i can't make much!)  so therefore i only order "fancy" grilled cheese.  Fancy to me means more than just American or Cheddar cheese.  And bacon.  Bacon makes all things fancy, don't you think?  The cape on the corner's no fail strategy:  When in doubt, wrap it in bacon.

Maybe Melt has already thought of that...if not, they very well should!

That's 5 pounds of cheese right there! 

Directly from their site:

"The Parmageddon-2 potato & cheese pierogi, fresh napa vodka kraut, grilled onions, sharp cheddar"-ok, i could do without the kraut, but pierogi!  

"Big Popper-fresh jalapeno peppers, cheddar & herbed cream cheese, beer battered, mixed berry preserves"

"The Cheeses-american, sharp cheddar, provolone, pepper-jack, havarti, swiss, muenster, smoked gouda, blue cheese, feta, herbed cream cheese, goat cheese"-this is the one featured on the show. see, fancy!

Have any of you guys eaten there?  Know someone who has?  Seen the episode on TV at least?  Repulsed at the number of calories that must be in that behemoth of a sandwich?

Um, yeah, i have no association with this place, i am merely daydreaming of big ass fancy grilled cheese sandwiches.  Image from Melt Bar & Grilled.



De-brownification, yes that's a word...possibly

No matter what i do in the living room-and despite a huge blue wall opposite this couch-it always feels like the blue accent isn't quite obvious enough.  There be lots of brown up in this space.  Wood frames.  Brown ottomans.  Brown couch.  Like a good little indie art supporter, off to Etsy i went. 

Have you embraced chevron?  We're seeing it all over blogland, but like most things, it took me a while to jump on board.   I only just got an ipod and started wearing scarves as accessories.  What can i say, i'm a late bloomer in this aspect.

I like the two pillow look, but that second one is way too poofy. It's hard to tell, but little chevron's practically in the middle of the couch.

Definitely not happening on its own, not with that pattern.  This is actually the back of the pillows-the front is a bit more country.

So sorry about the flash, but it is really hard to get a good picture here.  On a side note, i promise all the winter items are put away now, and the wood frames have been changed to silver. 

So here's where i need your help, friends.  Loveseat--matching chevron or something similar?  Keep looking for a second pillow a little less poofy for behind chevron?  Do you have a bevvy of pillows on your couches?  This room is small, so bevvy of pillows could be a bit much.  Advice, please, oh wise ones!

Blogging Barbies-Guest Post

My creative and crafty friend Jill, er...Barbie... has made some fun and funky pillows for her girls' bedroom.  Check out how these gals in Australia roll...and they don't seem to break a sweat!  Take it away, blogging dolls!

"Have you ever seen so much BLUE in a girls room?  It's just not right I tell you - something needs to be done!"

"Come on Bratz - time for some more sewing"

"Ok, I've found the pink box - and look what mum's put in the scraps! I mean this is totally OUR fabric isn't it?"

"And here's more pink - my gosh mum is a bit messy isn't she?"

"A BIT? You call this heap a BIT of a mess? 

Honestly, if she actually took the time to sort through this, who knows what she might find?

Anyway, I need to iron MY fabric since it's been all crumpled and stuffed in the box. No respect....."

"There! Now let's just snip through these booties here.."

"NOOOO don't you dare - they're my favourite, you go play with your Barbie fabric and leave us to the Bratz stuff!"

"What Barbie fabric? Ohh... erm...."

"Right, I think we're ready to go onto the machine now girls."

"OK, I'm all set - push the pedal!"

"Easier said than done! Er, it's rather large and heavy..and I just painted my nails.."

"There!  all done, and not a broken nail in sight - go Barbies!"

"Hmpf!  Patchwork, smatchwork, let's get some bling happenin' ladies!"

"What's this bargain shiny stuff? Let's use it!"

"Right you are - press that pedal to the metal! Let's go girls!"

"I'm on it honey! (don't say a word Mickey - you are such a darlin,  He he he!)"

"Gimme five!  Whoo hoo! You just have to have ruffles, they're so chic!"

"Not bad girls!"

"And so much better pink than blue!"

"Time for a well earned rest I think! My these cushions are comfy!"

"And don't forget stylish girlfriend!"

By the blogging dolls

From Creating my way to Success

(to see any of our previous adventures, click here)

Thanks so much, Jill!  Now i feel like putting on a fancy dress and doing some sewing-bet those were words you never thought i'd utter!  Hey, if a Barbie can do it...?  The pic where she's "actually" sewing cracks me up!  If you'd like to see what other shenanigans those gals get into, please go visit Creating my way to Success!

Scrapbook paper equals cheap art

Reason number 254 as to why a person like me (read: not a scrapbooker) should always have an assortment on hand anyway, especially when one got it on clearance.  Even if one did not really know what one was going to do with it when one bought it....

My upstairs bathroom has yet to be addressed on the ol' blog here.  Mostly because it was "done" when we moved in, and we didn't do much but paint it.  I always felt like it wasn't really us with the white vanity and counter top, but we weren't changing what wasn't broken.  To just slap something up on the wall, i found a pack of white ikea frames and some boring floral artwork.  I'm not really a floral person, but, it was the right color, and it was cheap.  This actually makes me upset-how many times do we settle because of this? 

Since i wasn't hugely happy with it, i always seem to be on the lookout for something else for this bathroom, something to make it more us.  I'm in a constant state of tweaking, and i'm not alone, right?  After looking on etsy for small prints and greeting cards, i went to my scrapbook stash to see if there was something a little different there.  The scrapbook stash had already proved helpful on previous occasions:

coasters

board game covering

The bathroom has greens and browns, and i didn't want floral.  But then i saw this paper that was a much more funky floral, reminiscent even of something tribal, definitely something one would purposefully buy for framing.

Just slightly different from each other, yet definitely the look of a set.  One piece of paper snipped in two different pieces. Total cost: 0 dollars.  Satisfaction over interesting and cheap solution:  Hugeness.  So yes, this was the right color, and it was cheap-but this time it doesn't feel like settling.  I think i may even be done tweaking this space!

Do you have a collection of scrapbook paper for no real reason?  Have you ever used it for a different than usual purpose? 

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