DIY 'TIL I DIE

Warm weather makes my heart melt. It makes me want to also spend more money oddly enough. Is it just me or does anyone else have an impulse during warm weather to go "run errands" and go out to eat for lunch instead of staying in? Warm weather also means painting weather. As a said I am working on a lot of projects and I'm hoping to be done with my living room/balcony make-over in May. It's good to have deadlines and expectations because if not then they aren't goals... they are dreams {I may or may not have seen a quote like that on Pinterest today. Embarrassing.}. Anywho. This weather is also telling my to go to Ikea today, because there a just a few pieces I need to finish up the apartment. But here are a few things I've been working on. 

 We got this mirror for our wedding. It seriously has sat above our fireplace and bugged the crap out of me. It really doesn't gel with the rest of the room. It's so dark and traditional/classic. My vision of the room is more bright and contemporary. So after months of deliberation, I've decided to hop on the chalkboard bandwagon and turn this baby into something else. I've still got to do one more coat, and then settle on a color or two for the frame. 

Since my living room was the "red rum" room, I have been in the process of spray painting everything red a different color. This vase was bright red so I spray painted it white, but afterwards I felt like it was just too plain and it blended in with the wall. So i got a little painters tape and spray painted the bottom half gold. I really love how it turned out. 

So on the bottom right there are a few of the colors of my new room. I've also added a darker blue since then, and I might be on the hunt for a different shade of coral because Spencer says it's too close to pink. The top right fabric is what inspired it all. I said to myself, "I'm going to find curtain fabric I like and base my color scheme off that." Although I am a big Joann's fabric fan, I bought this at Hobby Lobby because they have a lot more modern/contemporary fabric. Can't wait to start sewing them and get them hung! 

I've finally finished 2 of my throw pillows for the bedroom {picture not found}. I finished both the blue ones and I still need to work on the yellow. I really want to do a tutorial on how to make these. They were really easy. I did an envelope case so that I had the option of removing the pillow forms whenever I wanted, without messing with button/button holes, and hand sewing. 

I also can't wait to make a cushion for the crate bench I made. And I got a new cheveron rug for the balcony! This is where you will probably find me this summer.

Finally tried the Doritos taco. Haven't been to Taco Bell in over 15 years. What can I say, I prefer to get my cheese quesadilla at Del Taco. For a girl that doesn't eat meat, rice, or beans, Mexican food is not very appealing to me. So I ordered this with just sour cream, lettuce, cheese, pico, and hot sauce... and it was delicious. I'll need to try the cool ranch one after this. 

You older folks might not enjoy the humor in this and may find it just rude, but sometimes I like to leave a funny comment on celebrity Instagrams. Ok so I've only done it once before. If you dont' know what a top knot is, it's a hair style, similar to a bun. Kim's head got cut off so you can't see her hair but she spelled knot wrong. Anyway, I know that celebrities don't read their comments so I wasn't posting it for her to see it, I just wanted to give myself a little laugh. Needless to say she deleted the photo about 2 minutes later and reposted it with the correct spelling so I guess someone made her notice. haha. It's ok for me to do that to make me feel better about myself because I am a HORRIBLE speller! 

//H a p p y  F r i d a y//

HERE, LET MY IPHONE TELL YOU ABOUT MY WEEKEND

Sadly because of the weather I could not paint this last weekend. This weekend however is suppost to be beautiful so I'm hoping it will be full of some DIY-ing and then I can share some pictures of my living room makeover I am in the process of doing. That's it for today. May your Monday be over as fast as it started. 

 Put my old Rockstar hat to good use this weekend.

Had a girls night with waaaay to many carbs {but calories don't count when it's girls night right?}Definitely one of those girls nights where you think your waitress spiked your Dr. Pepper because you were way to silly {I'm watching you Danika}. Is 2 and 1/2 hours at Chilli's overkill? 

 Woke up to this Saturday. And then it all promptly melted. Oh Utah. You got me again! 

Went dress shopping with my smokin hot BFF Jessica. It's hard to choose a dress when you look good in all of them. 

And my wonderful brother-in-law proposed to his girlfriend of 8 years. I'm soooooo beyond happy for them! I can't wait to post the video. It's so cute and got me teary eyed. They are perfect for each other and they will both be in the musical Urine Town at the Hale Center Theater in May so go see them!

{And her gorgeous Aquamarine stone}

Sunday we had an early Easter shindig. Below is my ode to the Walking Dead.

 Spencer and his brother made super hero eggs. Below is Spiderman, Wolverine, Ironman, and Professor X. 

And my beloved Blue Ovary egg {don't ask} won the egg derby. It's basically when you roll two eggs into each other and see who's doesn't crack. 

And for anyone reading "The Host" before the movie comes out this weekend... better hurry! I'm soooooooooo freakin excited! 

I THINK I'M FUNNY

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I went to the gym and it felt great (but I only went once). Man I suck. But I was really diligent about tracking my calories. Oh well, it's another week to try again. But oh do I have a funny story for you...

So I posted my laptop on KSL the other day (someone buy it k?) and the next day I get a random text from a  random number that was way too long and funny and too overly-dramatic to be true. Of course I put 2 and 2 together and assumed this was a prank text from someone who got my number from KSL. So I went along with it and decided to mess with them. Oh and another obvious reason this was a hoax; notice the sweet girlfriend tone at the beginning and then the immediate switch to the "bro" dialogue. 

 

 I looked up their number on the internet and found this match; hence the Princess comment. 

All in all I'm only 98% sure this was a prank text but who cares, it made my day. I encourage all my readers to text that number something good and report back. And while I'm at it. Here are a few other texts I've snapped pictures of:

I like to find any excuse to use my unused emoticons.

 And lately I've been missing my BFF Alisha's Gossip Girl Text. I need something to fill that void. And sorry Alisha, I realize I still have your madden name in my phone.

Last but not least I found this online and me and Spencer love it because I am terrified of moths! Seriously I had a bad experience at girls camp that has haunted me all my life and I'm certain they are out to get me and all my loved ones. 

I'll get you for this moth! 

MY FIVE YEAR PLAN

Someone asked me the other day what my five year plan was and the only thing I came up with was "To get a puppy." Wow my obsession has gone too far. More specifically I want a bulldog. They are so cuuuuuuuuuuuuutee. I die! Too bad I can't get one until we move out of our apartment in 2 years {wah wah}. My life is so hard, right? Do people with "no dogs allowed" apartments feel the same way as those couples that have been trying to get pregnant for years while they watch their friends have honeymoon babies?? To over-dramatic? I can't help feeling that way as I watch everyone around me get a puppy. I guess I need to start a very very long paper chain counting down the days until I move. That is all.

And it's my dream to have a sloth. But I'm still figuring out the legality of it. 

Now get the freak outside and enjoy "Little Friday" {aka Thursday} with this beautiful weather! 72 degrees baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOWANDA!!! {a life makeover}

I think I'm having a mid-mid life crisis. I have been looking around lately and realizing I'm just not happy about a lot of chaos and laziness that has been plaguing my life. Mainly... gym, cleanliness, and productiveness. 

BODY

I use to be huge into working out. I also use to have a 4 pack {picture not found}. But when people say that marriage makes you fat, they are right. Listen to them. I've gotten out of my routine since trying to find a new one with Spencer. Plus I use to never cook. Now I have a husband that is always asking "What's for dinner?" and so therefore I actually have to eat dinner. Another hard part is that when you get home from a long day of work, all you want to do is be with your love... on the couch or in the bed. And lastly, I need motivation! It's been hard since I've started this sewing class in January  because on Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm gone from 9am to 9pm and the gym is the last thing I want. Plus even though Spencer has a gym membership... HE REFUSES TO GO WITH ME! Seriously people harass him. He hasn't been in like 3 months or more and I want a gym buddy! Laaaaaaaaaaaaaame.  

Anyway, I've put a few things in motion to help me with this area:

1. Set a gym schedule. I know it sounds easy, but if you have scheduled workouts that are as solid as plans with a hot date, then you are less likely to skip it. My minimum goal is go to the gym Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. If I feel motivated or have down time, I will do one of my work out videos at home either Tuesday or Thursday after my class. Another bonus option for me is that my work has treadmills in the basement. I haven't been down there yet, but I think I might try hopping on one during my lunch hour if I feel extra productive. 
2. Eating better is also in my plan. I have been planning meals out lately which help from eating things on impulse. I also decided to start tracking what I eat so that I am more aware of what goes in my body. Seriously if you have a smart phone get on it and download the LiveStrong food diary app, and if you don't have a smartphone, there are plenty of online versions of this as well. I started it yesterday and it helps me track my calories, water intake, and exercise each day. If you actually tally up your calories yourself you will have a more accurate reading, but I am fine with an approximate guess so I just use the pre-entered calorie chart in the app. Just find the food you ate, enter the amount, and voila, LiveStong tells you about how many calories it is. This way I don't have to bother with math and food labels. It also tells you how many calories you should be eating based on how many pounds you want to lose per week. 
3. Lastly I'm also making a goal to take my vitamins everyday and a supplements to help with my work-outs. My friend owns a company that makes a product called Thermo-Success. I was so excited to try it and throw it in with my daily routine. It helps speed up your metabolism and gives you more energy for a longer workout. I find it works really well as an appetite suppressant for me. One of my favorite bloggers {Amber Lynne} from barefootblonde.com tried it. Read here post about it here. They are having a promotion going on this month. If you enter the code MarchMadness at check out you get 15% off. Check out the website here.  

Now I know I'm not "fat" but I'm also not where I want to be and I see all these Pinterest pictures and I'm like "Why can't I look like that?" Oh wait, it's because I just ate an entire batch of brownies while sitting on the couch. 

CLEANLINESS

When your life is unorganized, and your house is a mess, so is your brain. I'm really trying hard this month {and for life} to put things away and hang things up. One thing that is good to evaluate is the root of your messiness. Besides the fact that I've been messy since I was little, I've found that my big problem is that I don't give myself enough time in the morning. Seriously I rush out the door and throw clothes on the floor and leave all my bathroom products out and all my breakfast stuff out. Then by the time I get home at night I'm too tired to clean it all up and therein lies the vicious cycle. So... my goal that parallels the cleanliness goal is to wake up with plenty of time. Besides, it's nice not to feel rushed. Hope my house looks as immaculate as these.

PRODUCTIVITY

Lastly, I find myself sitting on the couch a lot with Spencer watching TV at the end of the day. Now I'm not saying anything is wrong with a little Family Guy, but when one episode turns into four, then you start to evaluate your life. Technology can be a blessing and a curse some times {that's a whole other post} but often times it gets in the way of me enjoying life and being productive. There are so many things I want to start doing with my free time including: 

1. Read more books
2. Finish decorating my apartment
3. Finish reupholstering those dang chairs
4. Do more crafts on my list
5. Learn how to use Photoshop and Illustrator 
6. Redesign my blog
7. Go on more walks/hikes and enjoy the sun

Anyway those are just a few but I don't want to feel like I'm coming home from work everyday and just sitting. It makes me feel like I'm on a hamster wheel of sleep-work-couch that I just can't get off of. 

So what inspired this post? Have you ever seen the movie Fried Green Tomatoes? It's been one of my favorites since I was a kid {and oddly enough back then I never caught on to the subtle lesbian undertone it has}. But anyway, there is this part where this woman realizes her life isn't where she wants it to be. She doesn't like her job, she doesn't like her body, she doesn't like her marriage, and she doesn't like being such a push over. Long story short, she invents an alter ago names Towanda. And Towanda can do anything! She is fearless and empowered. That got me thinking that sometimes we all need a little Towanda in us. We need that inner voice that says you can do it. You can change your life in anyway imaginable. Run that extra mile, clean out your closet even though Sex and the City is on, and curl your hair because you deserve to look good even when no one is looking. So next time you don't want to go to the gym, or you don't think you can tackle that DIY Pinterest craft that you've always wanted to make, just yell TOWANDA {with fist raised in the air} and then go freaking do it! 

made in china

So let me tell you about bluelans.com. I discovered them through Pinterest. They are a company based in China and generally have very cheap clothes. I want to show you some things I recently got from them that I am extremely excited about, and I also wanted to share with you the tricks of the website, as well as other websites like it.

• First off, your package will take about a month to get to you. I know it seems like a long time, but it's a fun little surprise to order something, then forget you ordered it and then a month later there is a package for you! Woot woot! 
• Not everything is cheap. I mean it's all cheap, but some things may be about the same price of stuff at Forever21 and H&M. I mean it's free shipping so if I like something that's moderately priced, I'll still get it. However the jewelry is dang cheap. Yes it's not made of high quality stuff, but as long as someone is not examining it, it's not noticeable. I mean 99 cent earrings that are actually cute? Yes please. 
• You better make sure you like what you are getting, because you wont be returning it. Shipping something to China is going to cost you more than your package is probably worth. And frankly I wouldn't trust it even if it was cheap shipping. Or at least if you are going to be that brave, you better pay for a tracking number so you know if it arrived or not. 
• Sizes: This site and other Asian sites are weird, in the sense that a lot of their stuff is "one size." Always scroll down to the bottom of the page and see the items discription, and there it should tell you what that one size is. A lot of times it ends up being a Large or even a 1X (plus sized), but occasionally there are ones that are smalls and mediums as well. Other items will actually have the drop down bar where you can choose the size. Also be aware that these are Asian sizes! You mostly just need to know that for pants. I bought my pants in a Medium which surprised me but the small and x-small pants are made for little Asian bodies. I also have to wear a belt with them so my butt doesn't come out because Asian pants aren't made for ghetto booties. Most importantly, just always look at the measurements and measure yourself. Especially when it comes to pants. 
• When you get your shipment conformation {key word shipment, not immediate email receipt} ALWAYS check to make sure everything is there. On my last order my pants weren't in there. I emailed them right away, and they let me know that those pants in the size I wanted were out of stock. Now I don't know if they would have ever emailed me, or if they even noticed, but they were very good at least about finding me a replacement item. You have to remember the time difference though, so usually I wouldn't hear back from them until about 5am the next day. Their email is sales@bluelans.com. 

Although I said their jewelry quality is cheap, their clothes are not {at least not the ones I've received}. They are the same as H&M quality. So below are the items I got, and others that I have my eye on. I've also included the link to the items I got. 

These pants were a gamble that paid off. I always wanted Harem pants, but were afraid they would make by hips look big. I really love them! They even come in leopard here.

I've been searching for the perfect pair of fire engine red pants and they had the perfect pair. These come in 20 different colors! here

Shirts here and here. I love the studded shoulder detail on the second one. 

And here are some things that I have my eye on to buy on BlueLans:

Anywho they don't have a ton of clothes in each category so you should easily find all of these without the links but seriously the first dress (which comes in other colors) is my next victim. To die for!

But real quick I want to tell you about 2 other Chinese websites. One is called SheInside.com. They are an actually really well known company, have fast shipping, and I would trust returning something there, however their clothes are more average (American) prices, but really good quality and super cute. Like seriously adorable. I got this dress from there for about $30. Again (Asian sizes) so the dress is a little tight on me (I got a small) but I'm hoing to lose a couple lbs for the summer, plus I like tight dresses, so I'm not complaining. Seriously go there. Like now... or after you read the rest of this post. So the other website is Sammydress.com. Their stuff is slightly cheaper than Bluelans and they even have a lot of the same stuff (makes me wonder if it's owned by the same company) BUT I've read through their FB page and a lot of people never received their items and can never get a hold of anyone in customer service. I think I'm going to order something small and cheap from them and see what happens. I'll keep you updated on that. 

{And I told you I have a ghetto booty}

I also made a Target run recently and forgot how great their clothes were so I purchased a few things from there: 

 This skirt I actually got at CottonOn, but I'm totally obsessed with the tribal print. 

Oh and while I'm at it I'll buy these studded loafers on 6pm.com. Why not? I wanted the mint color but they were out of my size. Love!

Well that's it for now. If any of you have any questions about ordering things from China, or have had experience yourself with it, leave a comment. I'm off to the dentist (aka Satan). Pray for me!