Childlike Spirit + Forts, Jenga & Stargazing

When I graduated high school a friend of mine wrote in my yearbook, "never lose your childlike spirit". The fact that I still act goofy and take pleasure in simple things like cartwheeling and cartoons makes me really happy. I have noticed though that my spirit has dulled a bit with school back in session and spending every night finishing our little home project. I just wanted to take today to remember why it is so important for adults to act like kids every once in a while. I came up with a few things that I feel like needs to done this weekend, no matter what is on our schedule.

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1. Forts. First things first: I need to gather blankets, pillows, and stringed lights. I'm thinking that Saturday night should be spent tucked away in a fort while watching Moonrise Kingdom on my laptop.

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2. Board games. I am a huge fan of games. I have always loved playing cards, but I think it's time to pull out the big guns: Twister, Candyland, and Jenga.

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3. Bicycle rides. It has been such a hot summer, but the mornings aren't too terrible. I think one morning we will get up early and ride our bikes to a breakfast spot, grab it to go and eat it at the park near our home.

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4. Costumes. Halloween is my favorite holiday and dressing up in a costume once a year simply is not enough. I think a homemade, silly bear mask will do just the trick.

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5. Stargazing. In middle school I used to meet my friend Jessica at an open field near her house. We would lay in the grass, look up at the stars, and just talk. We never brought a blanket, or worried about whether or not we would get grass stains on our clothes. As complex as life is, it can be pretty simple.

It may sound silly, but I am pretty confident that this will put an end to my dull, overly focused mind. It's time to let loose, not care what other people think, and spend the weekend acting ridiculous in the best way possible.

♥ When was the last time you acted like a kid?

So Long Summer Break + Hello, Fall Semester

Summer break is officially over and this is the first week back to school. I always love the idea of getting new back-to-school items to start the semester off right. Here are a few goodies that I have my eye on.

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1. A backpack is a pretty classic move when buying things for school. I need one that can fit my laptop, and this line by Herschel is perfect.

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2. I need a quick breakfast in the morning. I have gone my whole life disliking toast until just recently. Since Jason and I have been making our toast in a pan, we decided it was time to invest in a toaster. This one has such a great, simple design.

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3. I used to wear Converse all the time in high school, and I just realized how much I missed them. I feel like a new pair needs to make way into my closet immediately.

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4. New music is always a must. I have been listening to Hugh Laurie's new album, "Didn't It Rain". I absolutely love this album cover.

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5. I need things to be organized and most importantly written down. I love the feeling of crossing things off my list.

♥ What are some of your favorite back-to-school items?

Friday Favorites + Weekend Links

I love the art of gift wrapping, and this farm animal wrapping paper has me swooning.

Jason and I want to make some wooden shelves, and have played around with the idea of triangles or honeycomb. I think this just helped me make my decision. We just need to right tools to get started.

For our five-year anniversary of being together, Jason surprised me with eleven bright red balloons. Ever since then I realized how underrated balloons are for special occasions. I saw these confetti balloons on Etsy and I felt like I had to share.

I have fallen back in love with vintage t's. I think I may dress up this D.A.R.E. shirt with a skirt, bright cardi, and some black mary-jane wedges.

I've heard so many things about Parks and Recreation, so I decided to give it a go and I absolutely love it. I just finished season one and I'm hooked.

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We have two cats. One grey Tabby named Baby, and one white Siamese named Farrah. I really like making our place look nice, and a big purple Booda cat dome doesn't quite fit in. I found a kitty washroom that looks like a crisp, white end table. You can find it here.

I absolutely love this blog about San Francisco street fashion. I am really looking forward to our trip there next month. If you have ever been, or know of any cool places to check out let me know.

I love visiting new local coffee shops, and yesterday Jason and I tried ChopShop. We shared a Beach Burn protein shake. If you live near the Tempe area you should definitely check this place out. I should mention that they have a life-size chess set, which could not be more awesome.

Oh IKEA, how I love you so. I found this rug, and it would go perfectly with our freshly painted concrete floors.

Ever since I took a psychology course a few semesters ago I have been fascinated by ink blot tests. Last time I was at UO I came across these cards and a book. This will definitely be on my bookcase in the near future.

Have a wonderful weekend lovelies! ♥ What are some of your current favorites? 

Pen Pals + 20 Things

Photo found here.

I have wanted a pen pal ever since I was little. When I first moved from Baltimore, Maryland to Scottsdale, Arizona I used to hand write my friends and family members on a regular basis. As time moved on, I made new friends and got involved in sports and other activities, and by the time I thought to sit down and write a letter it became antiquated. With my friends I would email or IM, and family members I would either call or wait for a family reunion to catch up. I have realized how meaningful writing can be, and how impersonal communication has gotten over the years. I love seeing people's handwriting, and finding fun stamps and stationary to add character to a simple note. This is my official call for a pen pal. If you are interested, please let me know. Though beware: I will try to make my letter as cute as possible. You've been warned.

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I was on IG and saw this idea floating around: twenty things you probably don't know about me. I realized that this little space of mine has a lot of my ideas or inspiration, but not necessarily a lot about who I am as a person. It's about time I share some lesser known facts about myself.

1. If I like a film or television show I can watch it over and over. I have probably watched The Goonies, The Office, and Hocus Pocus about a million times each.

2. When Jason and I got married, we entered the reception as husband and wife under lightsabers to the Star Wars theme song. It was epic.

3. I have kept a journal since I was five years old. My dad gave me composition notebooks and I started writing, and never stopped. Today I'm using one from Urban Outfitters that describes the benefits of coffee on the cover. For some reason, I prefer spiral notebooks.

4. When I was eleven my parents planned a trip to Hawaii. I skipped it and flew to Baltimore to spend time with my older brother Michael instead. If I could do it all over again I would make the same exact choice.

5. When I first started college I was going for a nursing degree. My mom had a brain aneurysm and the nurses kept commenting on my excellent bedside manner. Oddly enough I was not phased by all the intricate details of her procedures. Last minute I decided to go for my art degree, because nursing just didn't feel right. I should probably mention that my mom made a full recovery and is very happy and healthy.

6. In high school I was on the swim team and lacrosse team. I actually co-founded the lacrosse team at my school, and my older sister Michelle was the coach.

7. My husband Jason and I officially met at Guitar Center. He asked for my number so we could play Rock Band together. He is the best drummer ever.

8. I didn't start drinking coffee until I was in college. My first taste was illy espresso at a little cafe called Zinc Bistro at Kierland.

9. I have an impeccable memory of my childhood.

10. I read every ingredient list on the products I use, and the food I eat. I don't use anything with parabens, sulfates, or synthetic colors/fragrances. Most of the products I use are from Whole Foods, the ZuZu Luxe line.

11. I have a coffee date with my dad once a week when we can. We talk about history, literature, and sometimes politics. He still loves me even though I'm an Obama-loving, NPR listening, liberal. 

12. I am a licensed massage therapist in the state of Arizona. I graduated from Arizona School of Massage Therapy in January 2010. I worked at Massage Envy for a while, but it wasn't for me. So now I'm back at school and loving the education I'm getting.

13. Once a week I go to my acupuncturist Lea. She is helping me overcome anxiety and PTSD. Jason and I were attacked in Tempe, Arizona last year. We were just taking a walk, and a man came after us with a machete. A family in a truck sped over to us, and saved our lives. The father and son that were in the truck got the man to the ground and held him there until the police arrived. The man that attacked us is in jail, and thankfully cannot cause harm to anyone else. I am slowly getting over that event. If you are suffering from PTSD I urge you to go to this site. There is a lot of good articles and a meditation video.

14. My favorite memory from our honeymoon wasn't going to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris or seeing Big Ben in London, but it was when Jason and I went to the top of a hill in Chaumont-en-Vexin, France and stood in the rain and starred at the beautiful city below us. We were extremely lucky to have stayed with our French family, Christelle and Marion. 

15. Last year, at the age of 24, I got chickenpox. My dad had shingles, which caused me to catch the virus. Of course it was during finals week, but I still pulled off straight A's which I'm ridiculously proud of.

16. My parents used to own a condo in Ocean City, Maryland. It had a beautiful view, and we made so many amazing memories there with our family and friends.

17. I have a black and white Australian Shepherd named Joker. We named him after Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight as The Joker. He is the cutest dog ever, seriously. His nickname is "Little Fox" because that's what he looks like when he gets his haircut.

18. I have two tubs full of paintings. I started painting in high school, and have gone through phases of painting off and on since then. I recently realized that just because others, including family, don't think you have talent doesn't make it true. You should only have supportive people in your life.

19. Death Cab For Cutie is my favorite band. 

20. I have only read the seventh Harry Potter book, but I'm about to change that. My goal is to make time to read all of them before the end of the year. 

Well, there you go. This collection of twenty things is something I don't share with just anyone, but it belongs here in this beautiful blogging community. If you decide to share twenty things about yourself please leave a link in the comments. I would love to learn about each and every one of you. ♥ 

Currently + Pranks, Inspiration & Balloon Animals

Watching. The Office. I love this show, and it just makes me feel good to watch it. I am amped up to do some pranks. I am desperate to put a stapler in Jell-O and put it on someone's desk.

Playing with. I found a balloon animal kit from Michael's for a dollar or two. I haven't had a chance to try it out, but first on the agenda is a pink poodle. You can expect many IG pictures.

Working on. We are ripping out the stinky, old carpet in our place and treating the concrete. The photo above is from Elle Interiors, and was my inspiration for our renovation. Last night we officially finished our bedroom, and now we are moving on to the rest of our place. We planned on staining the floor, but ended up painting it because it was covered in fifty-year-old paint and glue that was especially stubborn. As soon as we finish I will post a "Before & After".

Reading. I am halfway through the new (no.4) issue of Darling magazine. In a nutshell: I'm obsessed. One of the articles discussed personality theories. I decided to take a free online version of the HumanMetrics Jung Typology Test created by Carl Jung. I feel like I learned a lot about myself, and have discovered a new insight into my thought patterns. If you are interested, you can find the same test I took here.

Thinking about. This quote really speaks to me. I feel like I'm in a stage in my life where I'm learning so much about myself, and actively trying to become the person I want to be.

Tasting. I hardly ever drink, but when someone suggested Lindeman's Peche Lambic I thought I would give it a go. After one sip I was hooked. 

Anticipating. Our next big adventure to San Francisco was originally going to be this month, but we pushed it back to the end of September. I'm still really excited, and actually it will be a nice break from school. I can not believe it's almost time for the fall semester, and summer break is coming to an end.

Listening to. Amy Winehouse's album Back To Black. I met my dad for a mid-morning coffee date, and on my favorite drive home, down Pima Road, I found myself blasting "Tears Dry On Their Own" and sipping my latte. Even if it was just for 3 minutes and 6 seconds, I felt infinite.

Inspired by. Elsie Larson from the widely popular blog, A Beautiful Mess. She really seems to have it together, and is following her dream. I can't wait to read her book about photo ideas coming out this month. I'm sure more inspiration will blossom.

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♥ Thank you to Danielle at Sometimes Sweet for the idea for this post. What are you currently into?