Pretty new loo.

I've got an uncanny knack for never finishing stories on this ol blog.

Like the time three months ago I told you we completely tore up my bathroom

Fear not... I haven't been squatting in a bucket throughout the winter. That project actually came to completion and I have a functioning full bathroom again. I just did some other cool stuff, like go to Australia, and forgot to mention the "after" on here!

Shockingly, I have very few "before" photos to show you... this is the only one I could find (what, like you regularly photograph your throne room?)

This was shortly after closing on my house, I picked up a quart of a darker teal and called it a day.

Fast forward a few years.... I love it a LITTLE bit more now!

It just so much more inviting (can a bathroom be inviting? I kinda wanna hang out in there, even if I'm not using the facilities, little weird - eh?)

I still have plans to swap out the mirror for something else, and add more art to the walls, although I have THE hardest time settling on artwork for bathrooms. It's just such a weird place in my mind. Having actual photographs of people in restrooms freaks me out, and I absolutely hate the cliche seashell, ocean, or bath themed imagery. (Yea, that's a paint-by-number panda I scored at a local antique mall... I kind of adore him, the whole color scheme of my bathroom came from him to be honest)

On a whim, my dad and I decided to lay the (bargain!) floor on a diagonal.... best.decision.ever. I LOVE the little quirk it adds.

[ sink: home depot // faucet: overstock // flooring: local outlet (remnant) // rug, stool: TJ Maxx // basket, stool: antique ]

A quirk... or just a really weird pastime.

I really don't know how it started... but somewhere along the way I developed a weird obsession with vacation planning. Not the whole nitty gritty, day planner kind of thing, scheduling has never really been my thing... but hunting for awesome deals on airfare, etc.

I'm always given the responsibility of scouting out our yearly family vacation to the islands, and last years Australia trip really flexed my muscles. 2014's Thailand trek is proving to be the same. I find a lot of my free time my mind begins to wander, and my browser tabs get filled with various airline booking pages and travel sites. Ask any of my friends, I guarantee they've all received random texts asking if they want to go to Norway in a month, or South Africa next week.

Imagine my excitement last week when I stumbled upon airfare to the South Pacific for nearly half of what it generally is. HALF. Gorgeous, gorgeous islands for so very cheap.

And then imagine my excitement dropping when I realized it was two weeks away, and apparently most people A) can't take time off that spur-of-the-moment and B) don't have a couple hundred dollars to drop at random to hop off to a random island with me.

So if you need me, I'll be over here in the -4degree Indiana weather, pouting, and contemplating how terrible a 10hour flight and week on a beach would be all alone.

(Side note: Skyscanner is handsdown the BEST app for trip-planning, IMO - not a sponsored post, just a huge fanatic) 

Mixer & Mingle Fridays: Pinnacle Cinnabon

 Really, what more is there to say?

Cinnabon flavored vodka.

I want this in every cup of coffee I drink from here on out

To my future mister, I promise...

I promise to take an obnoxious amount of photos of us. And of you. And of cute things you do/say. And occasionally I promise to exploit them on the blog, or other various forms of social media. FOR POSTERITY'S SAKE


I promise you anytime you're bummed, I'll be the first one cracking dumb jokes and making silly faces trying to get you to crack a smile.


I promise you that if a laugh isn't what you need, I'll be there to offer the biggest hug, a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a shoulder to cry on. And then I'll tell you that you owe me a new shirt due to snot stains.


I promise you will never be hungry. My love of cooking is only just beginning, and baking has always been my favorite pastime. I promise I'll occasionally make healthy food too, so we don't become lard-asses.


On that note I promise you'll never be thirsty. I have enough liquor in my house to allow a family of 10 to survive a decade long Prohibition.


I promise I won't whine about the action/drama flicks you pick up from Redbox for date night. It's hard to whine when I fall asleep 20 minutes into any movie.


I promise you will rarely have to see me in the same outfit twice. I can't help that I excel at shopping, I'm willing to bet you won't ever have to wear the same thing twice ever either.


I promise we will never be on time to anything. But you bet your ass you better be ready ahead of time. It's expected that you'll have to wait on me... but you turning the tables is just unacceptable.


I promise the house will never be completely spotless, the laundry will rarely ever be completely put away, and the sink will probably have dishes in it. I think it's important to share chores, I don't want to take any of the joy of a "achieving a clean home" away from you.


I promise I'll be your best partner in crime, egging you on whether it be karaoke, shots, or the Blackjack table. But don't worry... I'll make sure you don't get TOO out of control, and remind you when you're being a dumbass/brokeass/drunkass.


I promise you will never be bored. Whether I'm dragging you to a country concert, hanging on your arm at a sporting event, or snuggling on your shoulder on a long flight. We'll have adventures. I promise if you aren't already broke, we'll make a dent in that together. (Hey, can't take it with you when you go.)


I promise to argue every major world event with you, place all my best conspiracy theories on the table, and explain to you all the Googling I geekily did leading up to those viewpoints. I'll also remind why you're wrong, if/when I'm clearly right.


I promise to spoil you with surprises and gifts. Do onto others as you would like others to do onto you.


I promise to give you headaches, to piss you off, to wear you out, and probably give you no choice but to drive around aimlessly for hours on end to clear your head. I promise we'll make mistakes, together. And we'll learn. I promise there will be times we're so damn sure we hate each other but I promise I will make you break a smile.  I promise we'll get through the tough times, and we'll have the best of good times.  I promise I'll be your best right hand lady, and I promise to never hurt you and love you with all my heart.

I pinky promise. 

Going to Target for tennis balls: AKA the makings of a gallery wall

It started with an innocent trip to Target to pick up some new tennis balls so I could wash my pillows (I saw something on Pinterest and had been disgusted with myself that in my 26 years of living I've never once washed my pillows)

Naturally, in an effort to get the most cardio out of said trip, I HAD to push my cart around the entire perimeter of the store, and up and down every aisle.

Which is why I ended up in the picture frame aisle. The picture frame aisle full of little red signs from heaven. Known to most as clearance stickers.

And suddenly I HAD to touch them. And lay them out. And everyone walking past me that evening at Target was all 'what the hail is this weirdo doing sitting on the floor in aisle C7??'

Things got a LITTLE weird when people started asking me to point them in the direction of Draino and dog biscuits, but I realized I had a red shirt on and smiled and spouted off random aisles. I left Target with six or seven new frames, and headed around the corner to TJ Maxx to scope out their selection. Suddenly I was on a mission.  A mission that no longer involved tennis balls and clean bedding, since I completely forgot that at Target.

I used a few Christmas gift cards and walked out of the Maxx with two very full bags and headed home to play. Instead of going with all black frames, I picked up a mix of woods, metals, white ceramic and black frames to add a little more interest and make it look less catalog-y

I understand that some people are very organized and excellent planners and cut out templates and measure and use stud finders, yada yada yada. Meanwhile I grabbed a box of nails and a hammer and just started making holes.

Somehow it seemed to work out decently.

Now I have spent the past two weeks trying to decide what exactly I want to put INTO my frames.
(Does anyone else miss the days when they would put fake families in picture frames, at least that way my wall would LOOK like someone cared about me) 

It looks a little lot better than the ohsoboring bare wall that used to adorn my living room!

C and J Down Under: Surfers Paradise

When we planned to fly into Brisbane and hop a train to the Gold Coast we had never heard of the phenomenon aptly titled "Schoolies".

Boy, were we in for a treat. An hour or two after touching down in Brisbane we hopped off a public bus and drug our suitcases roughly three blocks (yes, uphill both ways, no snow though - sweltering heat actually) past hundreds of baby-faced kiddos.

Momentarily blinded by the abundance of high-waisted booty shorts, crop tops and Vans we checked into our hotel and asked what the HECK was going on.

You see, our silly friends down under graduate high school in November (as they enter their summer). And instead of going on "spring break" halfway through their last semester as us yanks do, they go to "Schoolies" after graduation.

Did I mention the legal drinking age is 18 down under? Cue two American 20somethin amidst a sea of fresh-faced, albeit shit-faced, Aussies. I will say, it was probably, hands down, the BEST people watching I've ever experienced in my life.

Just like American Spring Break, everyone had shirts made (singlets, in Aussie'ism). It took a lot of willpower not to get our own done. A LOT.

After being guests in friends' parents' home and then crashing at a hostel, it was nice to finally enjoy the luxuries of a hotel. Like room service, maids, and a balcony with a view.

We spent a lot of time drinking. People-watching and drinking. Getting hit on by 18 year olds. It was an experience for sure.  Got tipped off by a very not-ugly security guard that open-containers were frowned upon. Proceeded to drink wine out of Sprite bottles, filled up said Sprite bottles in port-o-potties outside the liquor store, made friends, drank Bundy with our new friends on the beach til the wee horus of the morning, burying every bottle we emptied.

Hey.... while at Schoolies, do as the Schoolies do - right!?

Have no fear, we didn't waste three days down under doing nothing but boozing. We also canoodling koalas.

Highly recommend Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Awesome experience! We saw kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, koalas, a ton of birds, wombats, and more.

(big snakes down under) 

I have to say we truly were sad when our third day in Surfer's arrived and it was time to leave. It was so hilarious being a part of their "schoolies" week, not to mention the gorgeous beach, and the all-around fun atmosphere of the Gold Coast.

We boarded a VERY crowded city bus to head back to the train station. There were a LOT of hungover kiddies on board, and we just sat giggling, glad it was them and not us!

Mixer & Mingle Friday: Looks Matter

I don't often buy wine (or liquor) from the store. I am able to bulk up my surplus from my work, thankfully. However I LOVE wandering the aisles at the grocery just checking everything out. Weird habit, I know.

One of my favorite wine bottles I always see are the Oh La La wines.

(No, this is not a sponsored post... it's simply an 'I Graduated from Art School and Love Pretty Things' post) 

Do you not want to have this at every party you host from here on out!? Maybe it's just me. I'm always a sucker for a good polka dot. And the taste isn't bad either, if you aren't as vain as I am.

Or how about Blanc de Blanc in personal sized cans? Also adorable. Anything mini is a one-way ticket to my heart. Coppola has got that arena locked down.

I remember learning about SOS in elementary school, and finding out an entire language exists around dots and beeps. It's no surprise Morse Code is one of my favorite wines I've ever been gifted.

Or maybe if you're looking for something slightly less girly, you can channel your inner rockstar with WinesThatRock

I always have been and always will be a sucker for that handwritten touch, just like The People's Wine

Maybe you've got a geek in your life, Educated Guess will hit the nail on the head if that's the case!

Thorny Rose just looks dang good. All of their wine bottles match my bedroom decor. I want every one of their varietals to sit on a shelf and admire.

Hailing from the middle coast, I know little to none about sailing, and couldn't tell you exactly what a knot measures, except I'm fairly certain it's speed. But if they look this pretty, I'm all for it. Bring on the Knots!



Are you sold by a pretty bottle, or do you actually judge a wine by the way it tastes?

*Images property of their respective owners

Again.

Losing count of how many times you've been to your FAVORITEPLACEINTHEWORLD is a pretty good problem to have. I'm pretty lucky. Pretty #Blessed if you want to put it that way.

(what's a proper blog post without a JumpPhoto fail?!)

 

 I just got the PTO approved to spend another week in my happy place, and I'll probably counting down the days before we even get a flight booked! Some families do weeks at the lake, or DisneyWorld, or ski trips together... my family has sort of taken on the tradition of "family" vacations to the Caribbean.

I can't wait to see who hops on board to commandeer this trip, I've already got my cousin and his wife, my parents, and a couple of my best girlfriends committed, so it's bound to be a good time no matter what!

 

january: currently

ignoring phone calls. I answer for three people: my mom, my dad, and my doctor. Anyone else... decline. I hate nothing more than talking on the phone.

listening to a playlist titled "Tan Lines and Tailgates"... ironic if you consider the 4" of snow and negative temperatures outside.

planning on going the entire month of January without shopping* (necessities not included, don't worry I'm not giving up toilet paper for the new year) 

scouring the internet for the perfect flight path to get from Indy to Thailand, with a fun stop or two in between

pretending I already finished posting about Australia on the blog. I just got bored of writing about it. Which sucks because it was the most amazing trip, I'm just struggling to put it into words

drinking the last of a green monster I made this morning. I missed how much more energy I had when I drank these regularly

smiling about the ampersand order I just received. I love doodling these little guys

anticipating tax season. Is that weird? I just love the perks (ahem refunds) of owning a home

struggling with this work week. The holidays have made my job VERY slow.