Thursday, March 27, 2014

KC Snaps

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Just a few iPhone snaps from our Kansas City trip a couple weeks ago. I love this city more and more every time we visit.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

March Wishlist

Just another roundup of things from the internet that would be right at home here with me. ;)

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(Sources: 1//2//3//4//5//6//7)

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Floral and Rusty Metal

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I'm a dreamer, a wanderer. I can't remember a time I wasn't thinking of traveling to far-off places, meeting new people, and soaking in other cultures and languages. Adventures in exotic locations probably consume more of my daydreams than anything else. I mean, I live in Missouri; we aren't exactly known for our variety in topography or abundance of culture.

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Missouri does have its charm, though. There may not be breathtaking landscapes around every turn, but that just means we have to look a little bit harder to see the beauty around us. I think that's why we Midwesterners love our sunsets--we appreciate those dramatic displays of nature so much because they're a little harder to come by around here.
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 I don't know about most Missourians, but it also means that I find beauty in slightly unconventional places, too--like the lines of rusty old metal just laying around on the side of a highway. And if a person can find beauty in that, well, I suppose beauty can be found just about anywhere if you just look hard enough.


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(Outfit details: shirt-thrifted // kimono-f21 //  pants-f21 // shoes-Target // hat-f21 // watch: Urban Outfitters)

Monday, March 24, 2014

Planet Comicon

If you asked me a couple years ago to list the things I'd never do, I'm pretty sure that going to a comicon would be up there in the top ten somewhere. Being surrounded by huge crowds of people who are waaaay too into dressing up as fictional characters and mouth-breathing? Pass. So it might surprise you, then, that a couple weeks ago, I found myself on the road to Planet Comicon in Kansas City.

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It really shouldn't surprise you that much, honestly--I think it's well-established at this point that I married a video-game-playin', comic-book-collectin', superhero-lovin' nerd, and I wouldn't change him a bit. I've racked up more than a few nerd points in my time, too, if we're being honest. I mean, Harry Potter will forever be one of my favorite things on earth, I'm currently borderline obsessed with Game of Thrones, and I've been known to read a few comic books myself. (We won't even get into my childhood obsession with Power Rangers--other than to mention that the original blue ranger was at PCC!--and the fact that I definitely had a Ghost Busters themed birthday party as a youngster....) Still, though, I wasn't particularly excited to take my moderate level of nerdery up about ten notches by going to a comic convention.

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You guys, it was so much fun. I can't even tell you. SO. MUCH. FUN.

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Yes, there were costumes (lots and lots of costumes! Please tell me ya'll recognize the Yip Yips up there!), but significantly less mouth-breathing than I imagined. I honestly didn't run into anyone who was rude, or who even took themselves (or their favorite characters) that seriously. Everyone was just having a blast, letting their freak flags fly...or at least enjoying watching other people do it. :)



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We also met and hung out with some amazing folks. One of Tyler's favorite authors (Scott Snyder, for all you fellow nerds) sat down with us an chatted for nearly half an hour while we were eating a late lunch on Friday. Tyler was a little in shock after he left to go sign autographs. :)

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We also spent quite a bit of time with this fine fellow--Rick Stasi. He was the highlight of the whole weekend for me. He did a sketch cover for Tyler, and while he was drawing, invited me back into the booth to watch while we all chatted about everything from psychology to Downton Abbey (right up my alley, I tell ya!). We ended up coming back on Sunday to chat before the show was over, and left with an invitation to get coffee and barbeque whenever we're back in KC.

Needless to say, all of my preconceived notions about comicons went out the window on day one. Everyone we met was friendly and accepting, even of a newbie like me. I thought I would be surrounded by people who were waaay too intense and possessive of their "characters", but who I met was a community of folks who just love to tell stories and make art. I may have found my people, you guys. ;)


And yes, we're already making plans to go back next year. :)

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Well, Hey There, Spring.

Spring has officially--finally!--arrived! Here in Missouri, that doesn't necessarily mean much (last year we had a snowstorm in May!), but here's hoping to more warmer days and blooming flowers in the coming days. To celebrate, I put together a little spring playlist. Enjoy!

Spring 2014 by Jess on Grooveshark

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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"That is one good thing about this world...there are always sure to be more springs.”  -L.M. Montgomery 

Friday, March 7, 2014

Project Life Storage

My scrapbooking stuff is taking over my life (and my living room). Yikes. At first, I just kept it all in an oversized wire basket, but it took no time at all for that to start overflowing. I had a couple empty kraft photo boxes laying around, so I started stuffing extra cards and embellishments into those....and then I ended up buying a couple more photo boxes. The problem was, they were a little boring. So I took a couple hours, some paints, and a roll of painter's tape, and spruced them up a bit.

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I first painted the whole lid white so that the colored paints would be true to color, and when it dried (thoroughly!), taped off some geometric shapes.

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Then I painted each of the areas (a couple of coats did it in most cases) , waited for them to dry (again, thoroughly!) and very very very gently removed the tape. I had to repeat the tape/paint process a couple of times to get rid of the white lines between the shapes from where the tape had been previously been.

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I did a few touch-ups with a small brush, and that was that! Perfect afternoon project....and my supplies have much prettier homes. Now if I can just find a cart so I can get all these boxes off the living room floor.

Baby steps.

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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

We Do Love the Thrifts

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That Layne is sure a kindred spirit. We met up at London Calling for lunch on Saturday and then spent several hours scouring flea markets (with a couple pit stops at a local record shop and Elle's for some tasty treats). I just have such a blast with this gal! The company was grand, and the finds weren't too shabby either! My back seat was packed with treasures that we found (literally--Layne bought a framed print that barely fit across the width of my car! It was pretty amazing). Here's a bit of what I came away with:

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That picnic basket--that came with all those cups, trays, and some not-pictured legit silverware!--has me full-on cursing winter and longing for some warm spring days. I need a picnic in the park, stat! I even snagged the thermos just in case we have some freakishly warm weather really soon and have a good opportunity. (For the record, as I'm typing this, it's pouring snow outside. AGAIN.)


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Yes, I'm overly excited about this book.

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This vase might be one of my favorite finds of the day--it's just so quirky and unique! Tyler said we needed some flowers so she wouldn't be bald anymore; I told him he was more than welcome to bring me home some blooms to fix that. :)

I also snagged some records that didn't make it into the photos, but I'll totally admit to having bought some Bob Seger and Loggins & Messina. No shame. There are also a couple of gems that I'm regretting having left behind, so I see another trip in my immediate future! 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

IG Lately

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1. ANOTHER winter storm. Spring, where ya at?
2. Adding a little color to some crafting projects. 
3. Living outside of the city does have it's advantages. 
4. Project Life all weekend long.
5. I could have strawberries and tea for breakfast every morning.
6. I want to snatch this clock from Aviary. So precious!
7. Made-from-scratch potato soup. 
8. Trying to eat more fresh fruits and veggies. Ignore the bacon.
9. Winter, you are pretty, but GAH.
10. Rotten day? Retail therapy and coffee. Problem solved. 
11. I am SO ready for spring.
12. Those days when I have to go to work in the snow = lots and lots of coffee.
13. Volcano Choir is the best soundtrack to a snowy day.
14. Snow days mean I stay in my pajamas, drink Italian sodas, and read magazines all day.
15. Sleepy at 6:30. No shame in granny bedtimes. 
16. Dreary, foggy weather is my favorite weather. 

Monday, March 3, 2014

Currently.

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Watching: Snow plows (finally) moving up and down our street. Is it spring yet? Spring is coming, right? We're not stuck in an eternal winter, are we?

Eating: some blueberry muffins I made for breakfast. They might be lunch and dinner, too. Yum.

Drinking: PG Tips. There's no better drink for a snowy day than hot tea. I'll fight ya if you say otherwise. ;) 

Reading: some Sylvia Plath, off and on. She's the break I take in between all the bouts of productivity I've been forcing this morning. 

Working on: dishes, laundry, mending, blogging, and England/Ireland-trip-planning. The wanderlust has kicked in again.

Excited about: Getting out of town in a couple of weeks. It's just Kansas City, but like I said, the wanderlust is upon me.

Dreading: Scraping all the ice of my car. Mother Nature, you are a vile creature sometimes.

Wishing: I could have a Game of Thrones marathon with the mister, but alas, he's working from home today, so he actually has to do stuff. Psh. Who does stuff on a snow day?

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