Get your skeleton...

Image via Design Crush

See you in November....as if that isn't scary sounding enough!

Taking Notes

Image via TV Fanatic

Does anyone else watch Glee? I resisted last season, claiming that it was too over the top for my liking (and that coming from a musical lover) but I've since given in. And I'm in love with Emma's high-waisted skirt and cardigan pairings. It's like she's stepped out of the pages of an Anthro catalog.

Knit & Purl

The afternoon finished off with a quick but rumbly storm. The gray clouds moved in and the sky got a bit darker. I plopped onto the couch and mindlessly twirled some mustard yellow yarn into a ball while I watched reruns of Gilmore Girls. 

I almost thought I was back in Seattle.

Takes Me Back

If you ask my mom, she might say that I ate a lot of weird things as a kid. Frozen bread slices. Mustard sandwiches (to clarify,  just mustard on bread). But one of my elementary school lunch staples has made a comeback: applesauce and yogurt.

Okay, people made fun of me for it back then. Husby makes fun of me for it now. It's weird looking, I'll admit. There's just something about it that intrigued me after all these years of abstaining.

This time around I make the grown up version....TJ's unsweetened Gravenstein applesauce, TJ's nonfat plain greek yogurt, and a sophisticated dusting of cinnamon. 

For beginners I'd go heavy on the applesauce; for a protein-packed snack, give the yogurt an even chance. Swirl it around until it looks like cottage cheese. 

Now if I just had some leggings and braces, I'd be right back at the cafeteria lunch table at Durham Elementary.

Beach Day

Everyone said it would be too cold, but 75 degrees sounded like a perfect day for it. Especially to an Oregonian. We drove out to Norfolk and met some old friends from college for brunch. Then we spent a few hours on the beach, soaking up the sun and enjoying the last days of October. I still can't get over the fact that it was warm at the beach in October...

There was also wave running.

Frisbee throwing.

Bird watching.

Sun setting.

I hope we can go again soon. I don't mind bundling up next time.

It Gets Better

President Obama joined Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" campaign today.  Let's spread the word. 

"Because we want you to know that we care, and that you mean something, and that you are person who is loved, who is valued, and deserves to shine bright."

Music to My Ears

Image via The Sound of Music FB page

I've noticed a lot of hooplah about The Sound of Music lately. First I heard about a sing-along at 500 movie theaters across the nation---one happened a few days ago in Richmond, but unfortunately I had no takers for tag-alongs. 

And then yesterday I found out that Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, and ALL of the Von Trapp children are going to make an appearance on Oprah next week on the 28th. It's the first reunion since the movie debuted 45 years ago. Gahhhhhhhh!!!!

I should have mentioned at the beginning of all this that The Sound of Music has been my favorite movie since the age of four two and a half (my mom just called to correct me on this). When I went to Salzburg three years ago, my friend and I biked to each spot where any filming took place. The Sound of Music---to me---is a pretty big deal.

Now about Oprah. Since my job is very, very part-time at the moment, there exists the slim possibility of falling into the daytime television trap. But I wouldn't. Ever. Soaps, talk shows, and cheesy court trials just aren't my thing. However, I should admit that I did watch an episode of Oprah the other week. She was featuring the family of TLC's Sister Wives. An interview with a man who just married his fourth wife and has 16 kids and they all live together as one happy family.....well you can't NOT watch something like that.

Regardless of any judgment out there, I'll be tuning in next week. I'm eyeing my curtains right now in case I need something new to wear....


Update: Find 'then and now' photos, a quiz, little known facts and more post-show fun here.

Dress Up

Our Halloween deco from college...very bibbity-bobbity-boo, don't you think?

I don't think I've ever seen so much outdoor Halloween decor. Ever. On my run (read: walk/jog) the other day, I saw neon webs, warty pumpkins, electronically programmed blow-up spiders that glare in your direction when they sense movement, gravestones, orange lights, and detailed jack-o-lanterns that looked like they'd been carved with an exacto knife. This holiday is taken seriously around here.

Which brings up the subject of costumes. I've got something in mind, but I need a few more days to figure out details. Chris wants to go with last year's idea, which we also did the year before. That's one of the perks of spending three consecutive Octobers in three different states.

This time of year makes me want to track down a copy of Hocus Pocus. That movie was scary when I was a kid---it always seemed to take forever (max 96 minutes) for the sun to come up and the witches to go away. I also remember watching Double Double Toil and Trouble with my sister (1993 must have been a big year for kid-targeted Halloween movies). Though it seems that the Olsen twins are a bit scarier nowadays...

Pumpkins on Parade

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate...

The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"

The second one said, "There are witches in the air."

The third one said, "Well we don't care!"

The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run."

The fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun."

And woooooooooo went the wind

And OUT! went the light

Then the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Fast Food

I'd been wanting to get a picture of the ENORMOUS Arby's signs along Broad Street and was able to snap this one last month on my phone (ignore the fact that it was raining and I was driving---I was entirely careful). Welcome to the South, hungry eaters.

Merry Happy Monday

To start the week off right, I put on some tunes at work this morning. When Peggy Lee and Ella just weren't doing it for me, I switched my Pandora to the Lily Allen station where I heard the likes of Lily, Regina Spektor, and Kate Nash. 

This is an interview with Kate at a knitting store (hello pumpkin, can I adopt you?) followed by a music video 1960s flight attendant style.

Chilly weather calls for...

Late afternoon phone call.

Me: It got pretty rainy and cold* today, so I'm making some of Kelsey's famous chili tonight.

Mom: You are?! I love Kelsey's famous chili...I made it earlier this week!

I'm simmering some in the crock pot right now and consulting Joy (of Cooking) for a cornbread recipe. As for the rest of the weekend, I'm hoping that after a day of college football tomorrow I can steal Chris away from the NFL on Sunday for a day trip to the beach.

*Relatively. I know all you Pacific Northwest people are shaking your heads in shame. Would it be cruel to mention that it's supposed to be 74 degrees at the beach this weekend?

Forecast

Image via Etsy

Today I woke up to apartment-rattling thunder and flashes of lightning. And buckets of rain. So I think this Etsy find just fits. 

I thought this happy little notebook would be a good place to jot down all of the creative jumble in my head (like the lunch bag pattern, in case I ever wanted to make it again) complete with hand sketched diagrams and maybe even evidence (say, a swatch of fabric). 

There are just too many things to love on Etsy, in blog-land, and in the Anthropologie sale section. Is Mr. Claus accepting wish lists yet?

Three Cheers for Chilean Miners

"The second miner to reach the surface, Mario Sepúlveda, left the rescue capsule in a kind of victory dance, hugging family members and officials. He embraced the Chilean president, Sebastián Piñera, three times and presented people with gifts: rocks from the mine. He punched fists with the crowd and led a cheer: “Chi, Chi, Chi, le, le, le,” they shouted. “Miners of Chile!” The refrain echoed as subsequent miners reached the surface."

Such exciting news. Image and quote via The New York Times.

Finger Painting

Image via American Apparel

Yesterday was my first venture into American Apparel. Previously I'd only known this brand in the context of a concert when you want to buy the t-shirt and the guy behind the table selling the merch says, "It's American Apparel. Runs small."

I walk in and notice golden leotards as very strange (dare I say intimate? sounding) music is playing. I feel a little out of my element and maybe a little bit like I'm back in the 80s. Nevertheless I picked up some pretty nice nail polish, which by the way, they let you test before you buy. My nails were a rainbow of colors before I decided on mouse, berry, and pinto. Hey, they were a better deal when you bought three.

Bling Bling

These shiny, metallic silver fire hydrants are all around our neighborhood. I wonder if dogs think twice before messing with something as fancy as this.

In other weekend news: I spent most of Saturday reading (and finishing) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. On Sunday we went to the Richmond Folk Festival and heard some sweet Siberian music and drank delicious Jamaican hibiscus ginger iced tea. To finish off the weekend, last night we enjoyed a warm evening sitting outside around a fire with friends feasting on bratwurst with honey mustard beer sauce and celebrating a belated birthday. Thank you to Sam for making all of the delicious food!

FALL-ing

Happy Friday! Here's hoping that the fall weather comes back and my book lasts me a few more days. Though at the rate I'm reading it, I'll have to pick up another one soon. Any suggestions?

 Image via Hilda Grahnat

Untimely

My posts are like the mail. Untimely. I will wait and wait and wait all day for the mail to come, and sometimes 5:00 will come and go, and no mail. (It's usually here by 5:30, but I mean c'mon mail person!) So I apologize that I'm not like other blogs that have something waiting for you when you roll out of bed in the morning (I'm very thankful for those people, and feel disappointed when they've been lazy like me too). But I've been trying really REALLY hard to post something almost everyday, and if we ignore yesterday, then I've been doing pretty awesome. And as a bribe for forgetting my forgetfulness, I offer you two posts today.

Remember that sewing project I was working on?

Done and done!

I love back to school time so very, very much. I wish I had a budget and a purpose to buy dozens of notebooks, pencils, Sharpies and post-its. As a kid I couldn't wait to get the supplies list in the mail and head to the store to make sure I had every last thing. So when I saw this DIY lunchbag idea, I jumped on it. The dimensions on the front come out to give you an 8.5x11 notebook size, and it's much more practical for this stage in my life than actual school supplies are. I took my lunch to work in it just the other day.

A word about the original pattern: I ended up cutting the stripes the wrong way, but regardless of that mishap the bag turned out to to be pretty large and shapeless. I ended up making more of a rectangular bag with handles (very much like a mini paper grocery bag), lined it with cream colored canvas, and stitched red bias tape along the top inside edge. I wrote down my own pattern (for once), so just let me know if you'd like the dimensions of the fabric to cut. Or play around with a pattern yourself! Here is the link to the fabric (enter HKFEMAILSIGNUP for free shipping on your first purchase)---I got two yards and it was enough to make 3-4 bags (sent one to my sis a few weeks ago!).

Looks similar to the original post, right? I'm pretty darn proud.

Sigh of Relief

Finally done. This piece of furniture has given me a bit of trouble (I heard a huge THUMP outside yesterday and found that the wind had blown the hutch over, hence the large crack at the top), but I'm happy to have it put back together and filled with books! In person the color is an olive-y avocado and looks really nice with the other colors (not seen here) in the room. I even placed the cheerful little orange pumpkin on the shelf to ward off any UofO vibes this green hutch might give off (but truthfully it's more likely to encourage guacamole eating than visions of a rival football team).

Tights

Today it actually felt like fall! I headed out in a cozy jacket and scarf to get an iced Thai coffee this morning. I guess my brain hasn't fully converted to hot drinks yet. If the temperature continues to drop, I'm sure my single pane windows will convince me to change that habit.

On my way back, I saw a girl rocking a pair of yellow tights. I wish I could do that. 

Image via The Clothes Horse

Repurposed

I stayed busy today with a few hours of work, a typical 45-minute browse through Trader Joe's, a stop into Borders to pick up a novel for book club this month, a trip to drop off of our bottles/cans/paper to the recycling center, and a brisk walk to the library to return my nearly overdue items.

Bookcase/hutch is not quite done, so I thought I'd share these clever book clocks in the meantime. Love this blog and her brilliant pictures. She is a genius when it comes to thrifting.

What the ____ was I thinking.

A common thought after almost any creative project I take on.

Yesterday was a gorgeous introduction to the month of October, so I took my bike Trudy out to Lowe's and starting going down the list of things I needed for this weekend's big project. It's amazing how things can add up---two quarts of different colored paint, brushes, rollers, a drop cloth, gloves, TSP, one of those little paint can opener things (well, that was only 35 cents).  But still. I knew I would have to do some convincing to husby that all of the items were absolutely necessary.

Unfortunately Lowe's didn't have the paint stripper I needed, so I pedaled a few blocks down to Pleasants Hardware. An older employee helped me get it down off the top shelf when I asked him if he liked the product. To make a long story a bit shorter, he started explaining that I shouldn't strip the paint like I had originally intended.

Fine. I'm flexible.

Then he started cautioning me about my window sash project: the potential for lead paint, old contractors dying of lead poisoning because they weren't careful, how I should get paint thinner, why I should buy a $45 sanding tool, exactly how to make my simple projects WAY more complex than I ever imagined, etc etc etc. Overwhelmed! I just wanted to copy what someone did on a blog post, not become a professional handywoman with one trip to the hardware store!

I left with only some primer and sand paper. And a DIY lead test kit, so I wouldn't end up dead like those old contractors. Let's hope the rest of the project is smoother from here on out.

Time for Fall

Happy Friday! Can you even believe it's October?? It started cooling off here in the Confederate capital, and yesterday there was so much gray and rain that I thought for sure I was back in Portland.

Some good news I'd like to share....I'm officially employed! I start a part-time position at a local non-profit this Monday. I'm so excited to meet new people and get to know more about what's going on in Richmond (other than what I can take in on my daily bicycle rides....).

Have a lovely weekend!