Tour de Bedroom

I've finally got my bedroom to an organized enough state that it can now be proclaimed: Good Enough

Moved in June 1st, so it has been 2 months! Anyways, this is the green room now (plus a little 60s effect; couldn't resist!):

My $20 craigslist find of a dresser, which really needs a coat of paint. And some better knobs. I forgot it had knobs AND pulls when I bought the green flower knobs, so it looks a bit weird. Oh well, good enough!

And the cute summer quilt, made by my momma!

No, I do not have a bedskirt but I am accepting donations. Grin.

The closet corner of my room. And an old sled. And some art of me, raindrops and a black and white postcard.

Then you can see my drawers on top of my "Razzberry" table.It works, since I didn't have enough drawer space in the dresser. Stack of magazines are a perfect alternative to hanging the mirror! haha ... or the lazy man's way...

The shelf of doooom! But everything has a place and its all very find-able! From Halloween decorations to textbooks to greeting cards, flooring samples, my passport and highschool diploma - its ALL there!

The stack of books I'm reading:

 

Cradle to Cradle McDonough/Braungart:

You MUST read this book if you are even remotely interested in our efforts to 'greenify' the way we live. This gives a fresh perspective, written by an Architect and a Chemist who have been researching and studying this field for the past 20 or 30 years. Its very interesting, and I have to read it for school this Fall, and it was recommended to read it and take notes over the summer. It talks about remaking the way we make things. And how being 'less bad' is 'no good'. Excellent stuff, seriously, you will be surprised. (can't wait for the class we're reading this for!)

"Things that have come to pass" Me:

This is actually just a diary that my best friend Nicki gave me when I turned 8. There are things written in it from that age until now. I plan to keep it up until I die! Its my only "real" diary.

Oh Ye Jigs & Juleps! Virginia Cary Hudson:

I came accross this book at a thrift store, and had to have it: It was written by a 10 year old girl in the early 1900s and is just like her daily essays of her view on life. Super cute and fun to read but I haven't read it all yet!

Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life Karen Rauch Carter:

Pretty much the best book I've encountered about Feng Shui. If you're curious about the ancient Chinese practice, read this book, she makes it very easy to understand for us westerners! I love learning about Feng Shui, and I can tell you it hasn't been practiced for hundreds of years because it doesn't work!

Simple Abudance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy Sarah Ban Breathnach:

I was in the habit of reading this everyday but haven't been so good at it lately. I always looked forward to reading the page or two dedicated to each day. It makes you notice and love the simple things a bit more I guess, and makes me want to cook, clean, garden, decorate and do everything with simplicity and, well, abundance! Truly a worthwhile book, every woman should read it for a year, or even continually would probably be cool.

Sorry, were you expecting fiction?! I can't remember the last one I read. Used to love them, but really, I just don't even bother trying anymore... Meh, I enjoy me some learning material anyways.

happy day!

Inside my Purse

I've looked at lots of people's versions of this and enjoyed. So what the heck, why not?

I think this is a sign I need to simplify a little.

1. little bag that holds tide to go, perfume, hair elastics, tissues, feminine stuff, nail file etc., 2. sun glasses, 3. headset for phone talking in car, which is never in my purse when I actually need it, 4. purse hanger, 5. bunch of stuff to mail to Susie - just put that in there yesterday!, 6.  Pen Again, 7. 1 chuppachup, 1 eaten chuppachup (oops), 8. change purse, 9. Shell Receipt for gas, 10. bobby pins and hair elastics, 11. daytime cold relief tablets that worked their magic the other week, 12. nice little map of vancouver that was handed out downtown openning ceremonies day, 13. Value Village receipt, 14. Used transit tickets, 15. Notebook from Korea that feels like a passport :) love it, thanks Sin Hye,16. Gum, 17. Paperwork to be filled out for healthcare benefits at work, 18. burts bees lip balm, 19. chapstick cherry lipbalm, 20. paper clip, 21. hair clippy, 22. Aveeno Intense Relief Therapy Lip Balm (BUY IT!), 23. pen, 24. Reese Peanut Butter cup wrapper. woops, how did that get in there?!, 25. Thing that smells like my mom because it has Sunflower perfume sprayed on it :) , 26. address written on post-it for last etsy thing I mailed out, 27. receipt - Salvation Army, 28. Shoppers Drug Mart receipt for trail mix and juice, 29. a work schedule written down from a few weeks back, 30. reusable shopping bag, 31. Burts Bees hand cream. Smells like icky play dough. So do not like. But I like the little container. (fyi I don't like their lip balm either, why am I the only one?), 32. vintage pouch that holds cards I rarely need to get out, 33. wallet, 34. bandaid wrapper

Congratulations if you got through that list! If you did, you should get a prize! Like some used transit tickets or something!

Care to share yours? I would love to see!
Next up: a list of other fun things to do other than what you really should do :)

to-do list

This week's to-do list:

1. sign up for march/april class
2. job in Langley (wednesday)
3. name approval request for R
4. post more etsy items
5. finish logo
6. finish portfolio and submit to school
7. at least 3 work outs
8. a day downtown/olympics
9. craft project (gift)
10. clean up R's place
11. start brainstorming concepts for directed studies and collecting materials!

I feel a little like I've got a lot to think about and do in the next couple of weeks. . . but it's all good, it's all stuff I love (other than working out) and it will all mean I'm better off in the end!

In other news, yesterday I found the duvet cover I've always loved from Ikea at Value Village!!! It looks like this:

And even though it is not the softest (it is still Ikea) it looks so fun and crisp with the perfect shade of orange with white, it just brightens up the room and makes me smile! And it's clean. Am I weird because I am not bothered by the idea of buying bedding used? Yeah, I thought so. But I only paid $8.

[ i just wanted a place to put that to-do list so that it would get done, thanks for bearing with me! ]

21 before 22

So, Here is what didn't get done by the time I turned 21. I'm actually Surprised that I did that much! Well, I suppose some got scratched off after I turned 21, but still, this is what's left:

1. Go to a farmer's market on a Saturday morning
4. Make a big batch of home made bread
6. Host a nice dinner party with nice food
8. Make my inspiration board an actual inspiration to me; collect the things that inspire me better
9. Make a mix CD of all the songs that remind the boy and I of each other. In a good way.
10. Get weight down to 130 (this means keeping up the early am workouts)
14. Watch the rest of Audrey Hepburn's films
15. Find or make a rubber stamp that I love - for stationary, 'business card' and anything else I want to brand! Something custom/original would be best so I might have to learn to make one.
18. Tell the boy the story of my life. Start to finish. No details missed. Everything I can remember. And ask the same of him (that will take a while longer though!).
20. Learn to take better photos. Get my hands on my old 35mm maybe? Because my digital is seriously lacking functionality these days.

#20 is actually sort of done because I did get a new camera that is greaaat but I do still need to study up on F-stops and Apertures etc because I haven't yet sat down for more than a half hour to flip through my camera's settings and try stuff and I most definetly didn't memorize what did what so I need to really LEARN it. So I leave it there. Anyways, here we go with the new list of 21 things to do before I turn 22 (?!?!! GASP!!?)

1. Shop at a farmer's market on a Saturday morning
2. Make a big batch of bread
3. Host a nice dinner party with nice food
4. Make inspiration board that's an actual inspiration to me; collect the things that inspire me better
5. Make a mix CD of all the songs that remind the boy and I of each other. In a good way.
6. Get weight back to 130
7. Watch the rest of Audrey Hepburn's films
8. Find or make a rubber stamp that I love - for stationary, 'business card' and anything else I want to brand! Something custom/original would be best so I might have to learn to make one.
9. Tell the boy the story of my life. Start to finish. No details missed. Everything I can remember. And ask the same of him (that will take a while longer though!).
10. Learn to take better photos.
11. See my boy at least 4 times a week
12. Take better care of my skin (no sugar!)
13. Perfect a cupcake and icing recipe. Like perfect enough that people would pay money for them. (Crave can't be the best on earth can it?!)
14. Complete my 'Management Certificate' in Interior Design (1st year) - to be accomplished August 2009
15. Develop a greater sense of romanticism
16. Live more in the present & use my time wisely. Be content.
17. sew myself a duvet cover
18. get new glasses that are totally different and unusual for me
19. get photos taken of me and Ron... somehow (must think of bribe for this one)
20. Learn to cook and master 5 new meals - develop a signature meal
21. try a new sport/activity

Things

I want:
1. a clear, organized space for creativity-only purposes
2. a house big enough for all my stuff and lost of makeover projects
3. a dog
4. a blog that equates the nieniedialogues .... some day, some day...
5. a passion for the work I do (or work that I have passion for)
6. an Etsy Shop selling whatever I can come up with!
7. a clean keyboard... g2g now I need to attend to that one

Yes, I'm a self-proclaimed spurt-blogger

And a spurt-exerciser. But I am not a spurt water-drinker. I'm good at consistency with that.
I was just thinking of how much I love the sun when it's cold outside. And I love that whenever I look to the North... I see mountains and they are positively glimmering right now. I love that the boy I love can ALWAYS always set me straight even when my brain gets away from me entirely. I love the way my days get filled up with reading blogs and feeling inspired by other people (imaginary internet people!). I love thinking about what I'll someday do and trying to figure it all out. I love projects like dying clothes and seeing how they turn out.
Other things I'd LOVE to have done before this time next week:
- 2 little tu-tus made for boy's nieces
- a simple calendar design made (drafted and painted and then photo-copied to gift perhaps?)
- Mom's 3 paintings done that will hopefully make her cry - in the blurry distance will be me, her, moxie and lucy walking - used to be a sometimes dreaded task but of course now I miss it like the dickens.
- A painting for the boy of what he wants for christmas. A Gramaphone/phonograph. I'll get him a record player with the painting to hang above it which adds on the horn. :P
- notebooks with sayings on outside... and a doodle or 2.... x 20 or so
- IF I have time I'd like to do a painting (small) for Brother and something for Dad too
- .... I'm sure there is plenty more
Feels like I've got all these creative juices, but instead of flowing they are becoming murky pools that nobody would ever want to step foot in... if perhaps it was like a swimming pool situation.

Anyways I might do a post after lunch of some recent inspiration I don't want to forget.

20 things to do Before I turn 21:

1. Go to a farmer's market on a Saturday morning
2. Organize, sort through, throw out, etc. all my school projects, notes and junk!
3. Write letters to people I owe letters to!
4. Make a big batch of home made bread
5. Fix my blog so it's more welcoming and interesting - new header
6. Host a nice dinner party with nice food
7. Give 1 great, thoughtful gift to each person on my Christmas list (family and close friends)
8. Make my inspiration board an actual inspiration to me; collect the things that inspire me better
9. Make a mix CD of all the songs that remind the boy and I of each other. In a good way. :D
10. Get weight down to 130 (this means keeping up the early am workouts)
11. Make a painting to give as a gift ( # 7 maybe?)
12. Make a Photobook that includes pictures and old quotes/texts from the boy that I love (these are all written down in a notebook right now and I've been wanting to do this for him for ages) this also means: get a credit card! - Nov 18th makes it 3 months of working here so I can safely apply!
13. figure out a perrfect layout for my room (this may mean purging some things)
14. Watch the rest of Audrey Hepburn's films
15. Find or make a rubber stamp that I love - for stationary, 'business card' and anything else I want to brand! Something custom/original would be best so I might have to learn to make one.
16. Learn to knit!
17. Start collection of neat old dishes; I've got the 1st one
18. Tell the boy the story of my life. Start to finish. No details missed. Everything I can remember. And ask the same of him (that will take a while longer though!).
19. Buy bright flowers on a gloomy day
20. Learn to take better photos. Get my hands on my old 35mm maybe? Because my digital is seriously lacking functionality these days.


I have until January 17th! Thank goodness I'm not turning 60.

:D

Updating this - orange means done! Well I got the easy ones covered...