why?

i woke up this morning feeling super lazy, and haven't been out of bed but once to pee. the only thing remotely interesting on tv (and i use that term loosely) is a marathon of this:

and i'm finding myself actually enjoying it. doubleyou tee eff?

it makes me wonder, am i channeling this gal?

holy geeze. i've never really watched it before today, and i'm already worried that i'll have to add it to my list of guilty pleasures...ick.

have a lovely sunday! :]

lovelove

m

day dreaming...

1. Snow Covered Benches, 2. Snow!, 3. Big Snow (down our street), 4. Cardinal in Snow - Part 2, 5. Snow in Winter, 6. snow fence, 7. Trees snow, 8. First Snow, 9. Paris under the snow, 10. A Snow Heart For You :) xoxox, 11. snow on my tail on Front Page :-), 12. king of hearts in snow ...

i wish i lived in a place where it snowed. of course if i lived in such a place, i might be singing a different tune. however, growing up in south louisiana, where we're lucky enough to get flurries once every ten years, i often find myself daydreaming about snowfall during the winter.

today, we're putting up the christmas tree at my mom and dad's house. my sister, takes after my mom...they get so excited to decorate and spend hours and hours making the mantle and the tree look just perfect. i, however, take after my father. we both enjoy the festivities, but i'd rather not take part. my favorite part of this time is sitting on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa and listening to christmas music. i enjoy that my sister and mother enjoy decorating, and i take pleasure in their excitement, but i really rather relax and just watch.

this afternoon, i am doing just that. i'm watching as layer up on layer of beads, lights, ribbons and ornaments are added and the tree starts to take that familiar shape. each ornament has a meaning, whether it be from my first christmas, my parents 25th wedding anniversary or our vacation to jamaica...each one means something special to one of us. that's one of the things i love about our tree.

so as i sit here, sipping on my hot cocoa and listening to mannheim steamroller on the surround sound stereo, i find my mind drifting off in to a winter wonderland...staring out the back windows of the living room and imaging the pool and palm trees covered in snow...i dream of being brave enough to uproot my comfortable life here and replanting it in a new place. a place with seasons. a place with snow. a place with fall colors. a place with real spring. a place where summer temperatures aren't regularly in the triple digits. i wonder how i would fit in such a place. a place to make new friends. a place to start over fresh, on my own. a place to start a new chapter in my life. would i enjoy it as much as i do in my daydreams? could i even be brave enough to try it? oh how i would love an adventure...but for now, i'll just day dream...and maybe one day i'll muster up the courage.

i hope you are all enjoying the final days of autumn. the temperatures here haven't reached above 70 all week, so that means winter is setting in for us! yesterday morning, there was frost on the cars in the driveway...first time this year. i think i am ready for the new season. more so than i usually am at this point in the year. there are a lot of exciting things in my future, i can feel it...and i'm ready for them to begin!

xoxo

m

photobooth friday

i decided to spend today away from the crazy people and stayed home spending time with my cat, roxie, and cleaning up a bit around my house. it was a morning well spent :] now i think i'll take a quick nap before going in to work tonight :]

happy friday to you all!

xoxo

emjay

merry christmas to me?

while watching the macy's day parade on tv with my parents and sister, i found myself distracted from this thanksgiving tradition by one of my favorite clothing websites, modcloth. over the 3 hours of giant balloons, highschool bands and collection of overplayed and/or washed up pop artists, i compiled my christmas list...and i only have one thing to say... "please, santa? please?"

this camera takes automatic diptychs. two photos per frame!

what a lovely ring!

i want these for my new bedroom. think i've decided on the aqua and green combo :]

why can't i find these at my eye doctor's?

what a lovely fall/winter bag

i've been on the hunt for a dainty necklace like this

paired with a wool mini skirt and heeled booties? yes please!

they had one with a snow owl too :]

everyone needs a great pair of black skinnies

i'm a sucker for plaid

belted with tights and a vest...ahhh, comfy AND cute!

i'm thinking this with some cognac colored boots...

i love the detail at the bottom of these leggings!

i don't think i need to explain why i'm in love with this dress...

remember what i said about plaid? yeah...

this would be lovely with some thigh-high tan boots

houndstooth-love. big buttons-love. put the two together, i'm one happy camper!

i love the asymmetrical neckline and button detail on this one

navy and plum make such an unexpectedly beautiful color combination :]

again with the plaid...i can't stop!

i have a thing for dresses...can you tell? pants are so overrated.

the skirt pattern has a little bit of an 80's throwback, but it looks so comfortable!

i want these to go with my newest dress from anthro (purchased on sale 2 weeks ago)

i should have been a teenager in the late 60's/early 70's. for serious.

and the piece de resistance! soooo dreamy. these are DEFINITELY making it under the tree this year. for sure.

i hope you all enjoyed the fashion eye candy! now it's off to get ready for family dinner tonight :]

lovelove and gobblegobble

emjay

today is a day for giving thanks...and i am thankful for:

-my family

-my bff

-the friends i've made through this wonderful online crafting world

-good food

-my savior, jesus christ

-my job and the wonderful people i work with

-the roof over my head, and the salary i have to pay for it

-my happiness (because there was a while there where i forgot what it felt like)

-my hands...even though they're damaged they still work hard to bring me countless hours of crafting joy

-my overall health.

-my kitty, roxie

-my mind

-the ability to think for myself

-music

what are you thankful for? if you've written and "thankful" post on your blog, link it up in the comments section. for those of you outside of the united states who do not celebrate thanksgiving, still feel free to share what you are thankful for in your comment :] we should all reflect on these things from time to time :]

off to go fry a turkey now :] hip hip hooray!

xo

em

meet me on monday adjustment

ms lindsay, who was featured in the meet me on monday post below, had to change her blogger url for personal reasons. to access her blog, please message here either on twitter or facebook (both links at the bottom of the meet me on monday post) and she will give you the link :]

all giddy inside...

this is how you all make me feel :] i love you all, i really do. thank you for making my days brighter and happier :] i love reading all of your comments and i love seeing my group of readers grow every day! thankyouthankyouthankyou!

lovelove

emjay

i can has?

i really really really really really really really really really want to participate in this class. i [insert just as many reallys here] hope that there are still slots left when payday comes around (not til december 2! augh!) i've taken a class with LA before and it was oh-so-much fun!

how many of you have signed up? and have you taken a class from either elsie or LA in the past? do share!

xo

emjay

oh, and ps...i apologize for the random font and photo sizes in the "meet me on monday" post below...blogger was being lame and it wouldn't let me adjust them. grrr.

meet me on monday

Lindsay Ellington

tell us all a little about yourself...

my name is Lindsay Ellington, people that are close to me call me Linds :) I'm 25 and starting this past year I began delving into my creative side. I have picked up photography, scrapbooking, painting, cooking and gardening all in the past 11 months! I love seeing where my creative mind will take me. I'm still just a beginner and have a lot of learning to do. I enjoy getting ideas from other crafty people and trying to put my own touch on things :) I have 2 amazing kids and a wonderful husband who is more then I could have ever hoped for.

Oh and a random fact about me is that I am utterly useless without coffee, I have to have at least 2 cups every morning or I get nothing accomplished. This is my most favorite mug, as you can tell I add lots of cream and sugar :)

what is your favorite color?

(source)

pink.. right now I'm going through a serious pink phase. Pink camera, pink laptop, pink clothes, pink toothbrush, pink pan, pink, pink, pink!!

what part of the world do you live in?

Right now North Dakota.. like an hour from Canada. I'm originally from Louisiana (only the best state ever) but currently my husband is stationed here in Minot, where the snow never ends and we get like 2 months of summer :( Hopefully in about 2 years we will be restationed in the south, I miss the food the people and most of all the weather! The picture is AFTER we shoveled for about 3 hours and had a bulldozer come by and help because he felt bad for us! This is after just 1 night of snowing!

what is your favorite crafting supply?

Ribbon, it seems I put it somewhere on just about every craft I make! There is so many to pick from, I can't get enough!

what's your favorite ice cream flavor?

hands down chocolate chip cookie dough!! Sometimes I even buy an extra roll of cookie dough to cut up and stick in there! I know, so healthy.

if you could be a character from any movie, who and why?

You stumped me! I have no idea. I can tell you who one of my favorite actresses is! Julia Roberts for sure! She is so beautiful and plays her roles perfectly. She seems very down to earth and classy, which I love.

describe your craft/work and why you do things the way you do.

handmade christmas cards with a nontraditional color story

a shelf for her daughter, kaylee's room

the pages of a handmade cookbook

Lots of the things I make are just for fun and usually for my kids or myself. So far they are relatively simple to do. The Tinkerbell shelf I made has been the most tedious so far and took about 2 days to complete. The cookbook scrapbook took the longest, about 3 months. I'm hoping to one day sell the things I make, but first I have lots to learn!

what inspires you?where are your go to places for your daily dose of inspiration?

The world inspires me, I can look at pretty much anything and find some sort of inspiration from it. Blogger is also a big one because I get the privilege of seeing amazing, talented people share their ideas and crafts. Never fails to inspire me :)

what is your top favorite blog?

oh no there are so many that are my favorites! Well, the one that got me started and inspired me to actually start my own blog is Michelle, http://aquafrolic.blogspot.com/ . I've known her since kindergarden when we were in Brownies (girlscouts) together :) Love Love

what is playing on your radio/itunes right now?

Aerosmith- Pink, like I said I'm in a Pink phase right now

describe the perfect day for you...

My perfect day would be waking up to my hubbies famous hashbrown burritos and coffee, then going to Margies(cute little pottery place) and unwinding with a coffee and some pottery painting. Then, going to Hobby Lobby and spending tons of money on cute paper, ribbon, buttons, paint and coming home to craft for a few hours. Enjoying a good book and then going out to eat with my family and then snuggling up on the couch to a romantic comedy with a glass of red wine! Simple huh?

do you collect anything?

Yes!! I LOVE Willow Trees! I have been collecting them for about 5ish years. My mom started the tradition and usually sends me one each holiday. Each one represents a time in my life and means a lot to me. This is just a small portion of them. I get the joy of looking at them every night at dinner since they are displayed in my living room.

what is your favorite condiment?

Ketchup!! I loveeeee it!!

lindsay and i have known each other since the tender age of 4. she's a fun gal to hang around with, and i am so excited to see that she has discovered her creative side :] we can now add that to the list of things we have in common! she's a great girl, a great mom, and a great friend! check her out at these locations and show her some love...

blog, twitter, and facebook

:]

hope everyone has a great holiday week! :]

lovelove, em

bedroom makeover...

i'm sitting here listening to a relaxing yet inspiring mix of the weepies, the watson twins and grizzly bear, watching the rain and dreaming up a new bedroom.

since the master bedroom became mine again, and i am no longer sharing it with someone, i've had the urge to really make it mine. it's been an interesting transition going from co-habitation to an empty bed, and while it hasn't necessarily been hard, it's hasn't really been easy either. i think part of my moving on process is to paint away the wall color that i settled on because he wanted a "rustic tuscany" feel...to replace the bedspread that i purchased, even though it wasn't even close to my favorite, because it was more traditional and masculine than my super modern-feminine taste...to finally be able add the vintage, thrifted, quirky and sometimes downright weird knicknacks and art pieces to my shelves and walls that used to curl is lip but make me smile. i really think this is important.

one color that i always turn to is aqua. it seems to be all the rage these days, but it really has been my favorite since childhood and will probably always be my go-to color. the color is calming yet invigorating. light and crisp but also rich and vibrant. the color itself is a contradiction, and i really think that's why it speaks to me and appeals to me so deeply.

my struggle these last few months has been choosing a secondary, or accent color. this color will still play a huge role in the room, being incorporated into bed linens, draperies, wall art, possible wall treatment, bathroom accessories, etc. i've spent countless hours flipping through home improvement magazines, looking through flickr for color inspiration and staring at the paint chip wall at lowes and i've narrowed it down to two choices, but i can't seem to make that final leap.

aqua and green:

1. FLoc of ..., 2. Aqua, 3. Above the camping ground, 4. wall with outlet and grass, 5. closer*look, 6. Barn

the shades of water against rich green hills in the rainforest...these colors are complimentary because they are adjacent on the color wheel. aqua and green will promote a cool, crisp and calming environment. light and airy, and uber relaxing.

aqua and orange:

1. Reasons to be cheerful (Part 158), 2. gerbera aqua, 3. New York - Brooklyn Bridge Sunset, 4. All Souls Giants and Ghouls, 5. Aqua Grace, 6. Drooping Grace, Aloe

a sunset...muted dirty aqua blues and greens with pops of a deep yet vibrant pumpkin orange...these colors pop well against each other because they are exactly opposite of each other on the color wheel. these colors would create a rich and cozy bedroom retreat.

can't you see why i am so torn?!?

here's what i think...one step at a time. i know that aqua will be the main color in the room, so maybe i should focus on choosing the perfect shade...because we all know how hard that can be! do i want a bright aqua? a muted aqua? clean? crisp? dirty? more to the blue side? more the the green? an aqua with a greyish tone? decisions, decisions...

for this decision, i'm turning to you, my fellow crafters...an artist at heart has a natural eye for color...the ability to fit the puzzle pieces together and create the perfect color palette. won't you help me decide? leave the name and brand of your favorite shade of aqua, green and orange and let me know which you prefer. i'm excited to see what you talented folks have to say!

xo

emjay

ps...on another note, i think i'm stealing jamie's idea for "meet me on monday" and will be back with that post later this evening :]