linky link!

Happy Tuesday! Today I bring you my first ever link up..and it doesn't even have to do with crafts! Sometimes I surprise myself...

Today I'm linking up to Row House 14's Music Party. The theme: music the year you were born. Like the things I'm sure you've all seen on facebook already....but better! So sit back, relax, and enjoy some of my favorite picks from 1988, a great year for music and being born.

One of my FAVORITE songs and videos of all time: George Harrison, "I Got My Mind Set On You"



When you dont' have time to watch Dirty Dancing, just listen to this and imaging Patrick Swayze lifting you out of the water, works every time. Patrick Swayze, "She's Like The Wind"



This song is like instant party time. Def Leppard, "Pour Some Sugar on Me"



The list wouldn't be complete without a shoutout to my boy Elton, "Candle in the Wind"



And last, but definitely not least, I can't resist an opportunity to dance to some rickroll. Risk Astly "Never Gonna Give You Up"



So much fun. Hope you enjoyed some sweet eighty's tunes on this sunny Tuesday!

saturday run-down

let's pretend for a minute that that little time stamp up there doesn't say Sunday and that I didn't just spend an hour and a half messing with blogger page settings, thus missing the Saturday mark by mere minutes. on board? great! let's commence with this post.

happy saturday friends! thank goodness for the weekend. Id' like to introduce a new saturday post series that I'll be posting to chronicle the progress that my friend and co-work Courtney and I are making towards our goal of becoming successful race runners! We've begun this week training for our first 5k together, running at the ungodly hour of 3 am when we get off work. We set daily and long term goals, and each week I'd like to share the low down on how we did each day!

I should preface by sharing that neither of us are big fans of running. I've gone through spurts where I will run a lot, but it never seems to last and I rarely have had a goal or someone to go after it with (especially not someone who also happens to be available to workout in the middle of the night). So while to an experienced runner the times I'll be sharing might seem less-than-blog worthy...for us they are big accomplishments, and I'm pretty darn proud of us!

This week's breakdown: 

Tuesday: Gym workout

Wednesday: 2 miles; Time: somewhere around 30-40 minutes  (we forgot to time this first one)

Thursday: 3.1 miles; Time: 50 minutes, 15 seconds

Friday: 2 miles; Goal: 29 minutes; Time: 28 minutes 27 seconds!

Looking forward to sharing our progress with you each week!

what I made: part 1

Over the last several months I have finished several projects that I haven't yet shared. why? Partly because I forget to take pictures of every step of the way like I want, partly because I don't have a real camera so I'm a little iffy about my photos, but mostly because I just plain ole' forget until it's been several weeks. So, I'm starting a new series to share what I've made. At first, it will be in retrospect, sharing one or two projects a week that have long been completed, but the goal is to eventually get to the point where each week I can actually share a current project! SO, let's kick it off!

Last month Courtney and I went up to Portland to peruse Crafty Wonderland. Along with rows and rows of inspiration, I also picked up one of these little guys:

that's right, a DIY cross stitch phone case! This particular one is called the Neostitch, and when I saw it I had to have it. I think it took all of 2 minutes before it was happily tucked away in my bag. The one that I got is black, unlike what is shown above, but they also come in all sorts of cool neon colors!

I debated for a long time what to actually embroider on my case. It felt like such a big decision! Do I go the nerdy route and opt for one of my favorite Star Wars characters? Do I go classic embroider and make it a sampler? I couldn't commit to just one design, so I just started going, mixing patterns and colors as I went. 

I am so happy with how it turned out! Sometimes, I just stare at it and think "yeah, I made that!" Such a rewarding feeling. Here's a shot of the inside of it, to prove that it really is made of thread:

I'd love to know what you think! It feels almost cathartic to finally start sharing some of the things I've made :)

Next week: a skirt, a shirt, and.....well, that's all I got. 

Enjoy!

hopping aboard

I finally did. I took the plunge, hopped on board and got the Facebook timeline. Such a silly thing to blog about, but what I mostly want to tell you about is why I did it. Well, who really. Wait...that doesn't even make sense....moving on.

Facebook timeline has been one of those things that I've been leery of since it came out. I'll admit, I scoffed at it just a bit, knowing deep down that my profile would probably inevitably be switched to timeline without my consent, but gosh darn it I was going to hold on to the very end. Why? Who knows. Youthful rebellion, the fleeting feeling where you're back in high school and you're skirting the edge of some trend and think you're cooler for it. Whatever the reason, I just was having none of it. (note to past Brittinay--seriously?? It's just facebook...live a little!)

And then, I read today's post on The Bright Life. Blogger (and my dear friend of many, many years. We were easily the best streamer-hangers that Floyd Light Middle School has ever experienced) Katie knows how to make everything just a little more beautiful, including facebook timeline. How? By creating absolutely adorable cover photos. The best part? She shares! She is so nice that way. Once I saw her gorg designs, I was all over that timeline. I don't think they've had a quicker convert since. 

Not convinced? Hop on over to Katie's blog to grab your own free download! You'll be glad you did. 

Alright, enough gibber gabber. I have a timeline cover to oogle. 

spiffied up

Hello lovely friends! I just wanted to pop in to share the new look for this little bloggy.  I've gone back and forth on blog designs more times than I can count, but nothing has ever really stuck or felt like a true design. I recently read Sweet Verbena's Blog Design 101 Tutorial, and it inspired me to actually spend some time on making my space a little easier on the eyes. The photo in my header is from a trip A and I took to Seattle last summer, edited in Picasa. I've also added a new "about me" page, and links to where you can find me in out there in internet land! There will be more to come as I grow and develop more with this blog (and some upcoming areas outside this blog!), but for now I'd love to know what you think!

real quick....

our Disneyland tickets came today! woohooo!!

only 15 short excruciatingly long more days! at least only 8 of them are work days :)

there's an app for that!

FINALLY! A blogger app! I don't w how many times I have tried to use mobile blogger...and failed. But not any more, now I can post wherever, whenever I want! With pictures! Like this preview of a DIY I have coming up, including the not-so-subtle Sully, who makes a better fabric weight than helper. Thank goodness for technology!

ps...just go ahead and ignore my toes down there at the bottom of that picture. my bad. :)

motivation

there is nothing quite like getting in the car after a super intense workout just as your favorite version of one of your favorite songs starts. it's like instant affirmation.

Elton, George...nice work boys. 

beg, borrow, steal

ok, mostly steal. I love looking at my favorite store's new lineups for several reasons. a) to drool over things that things that I know aren't in my budget (budget = $0, btw); b) to feel more inspired to try new things with the wardrobe that I do have; and c) to find ideas that I can borrow steal and make for my own! for example

banana

how perfect is this leather tote bag! perfect size, love the color blocking and stitching details...but at $120 I have no delusions that this will be in my closet any time soon. But, how simple to make out of a less extravagant fabric? I'm thinking paint-your-own canvas style...

and what about this belt:

j.crew

I mean...it even says "wrapped threads" right in the description! I definitely have a couple skinny belts that could use some spiffy-ing up...and there is no short supply of embroidery thread in this tiny apartment. 

What retail finds inspire you to DIY your own? I'd love to hear!

6 things

1. I love that Portlandia is on for another season...and that it's On Demand! Makes me nostalgic for my crazy city.
2. Why can't my student loan forms just be here already! I want to get my tax on!
3. I really want to throw a Star Wars baby shower. To any prego ladies out there...I will throw you a shower, I already have a design for "gender guess" pins--is your baby a Luke or a Leia?
4. 21 days, and I will be here:

5. This video never doesn't make me laugh. It's so silly, but I just love it.

6. Forgetting your gym stuff is the pits. Especially when you realize it after you get to the gym....not the best way to start the week. Here's to a better Wednesday!

sitting, waiting, wishing..

no, this isn't a post exploring the lyrical stylings of Jack Johnson (though that would be an interesting glimpse back to the emotions of a high school sophomore...), but more about my lonely stack of projects just waiting to be done.

this is just a snapshot of the many, many projects that I have started but not finished. above we have some shorts waiting for a zipper (i'm scared!), a shirt waiting to be cut, some fat quarters waiting for assignment (i just had to have them--who can resist those adorable prints?!), a pillow waiting for stuffing,  an embroidery project waiting for completion, and a dress waiting for it's top (currently sitting in my mom's stack of projects to be done). whew! now if only i also had an abundance of responsibility-free days to finish them

life lately in 10 instagrams or less...

 

 

1. song lyric diy/ 2. refreshments/ 3. sleepy monsters

 4. embroidered projects/ 5. twinkle lights/ 6. new phone cover

7. brown paper packages tied up with string

8. pcg happy hour/ 9. new years eve snow/ 10. needles in space

follow me on instagram here!