music monday.

today is the start of the holiday season at starbucks! to amp up for it [because i will be doing the floor set this afternoon], i have been listening to she & him's new christmas album :]

i love that their versions of the songs sound christmas-y, but not over the top - which is perfect, because it's only november 14th! 

are you listening to christmas music yet?

nostalgia.

for almost five years, my saturday nights either consisted of heels & booze, working, or heels, booze & working. i used to be able to drink until the wee hours of the morning, get a couple hours of sleep and then go straight back to work or homeworking. i used to be able to drink a lot of people under the table. and when a friend asked me to go out, i would never say no.

nowadays, i'm a completely different person.

my saturday nights now consist of movies and dinner, rather than crowded, over-priced bars. they might even consist of staying in and playing games. if i do drink, i cut myself off at two. my bed time is 10:30; 11:30 if i'm feeling daring.

i am not really sure how or when this transformation took place, but it's sometimes disheartening. most times i am content with this new life, but on occasion, i miss the old carefree, fun me.

this saturday consists of moccasins, green tea, laundry & harry potter.

lame or grown up?

pinterest finds.

another week has come and gone, leaving me to wonder where the time has gone. is it really the 12th of november? i just can't believe it. i have so much that needs to be done, but i must take a moment out of my day to show you some of my favorite pins - because, let's be honest, no matter how busy i am, i always have time for pinterest :]

the cutest teacups EVER!

i have no idea what kind of puppy this is, but i am so in love with him and must have him someday.

it's almost christmas season, so what better way to decorate than to use paint strips? such a great idea.

owlie handwarmers! these must be mine.

have a pinterest? follow my boards!

open studio project.

this morning i was lucky enough to visit the open studio project in evanston to take some pictures, meet some people & to get a feel of the organization. open studio is a non-profit, social service organization who's mission is to "utilize and bring the creative process to individuals of all ages and backgrounds, and to empower people to turn to art for personal growth". they encourage individual creative processes, as well as activities through collaborations with different community organizations. the studio offers various art classes for both adults and children and occasionally host events and exhibits. they're pretty much an amazing local studio, and i am so happy to announce that i will be planning their annual fundraiser for next year! i am starting the planning process now - choosing the venue, picking the theme, getting the budget finalized, etc. then once the new year hits, we will be in full planning mode until june when the event takes place. i'm so excited to be apart of putting together such a fun event to raise money for a great local investment :]

stay tuned in the upcoming months to learn more about this event!

music tuesday.

music... tuesday? wait, what?

yep!

today is the official release date of the breaking dawn [part one] soundtrack!

i am obsessed with the twilight saga - the books and music, not so much with the movies. the past soundtracks have been so deeply connected to the books and the music was outstanding. hence my excitement for the release of this soundtrack.

i have listened to the majority of it so far [yes, i know it's only 9am] and i find some of the songs a bit too pop-y for my taste. however, there are a couple songs that i thought i would hate because of who the artists are, but in fact i love them. christina perri's "a thousand years" is quite beautiful, and bruno mars' "it will rain" is so catchy that i want to listen to it over and over.

another thing i love about soundtracks in general, is that you get introduced to new artists. imperial mammoth is someone i had never heard of before, but i will be listening to them more because their song 'requiem on water' is breathtaking. as is aqualung and lucy schwartz's "cold".

so don't take my advice, listen to the soundtrack for free on spotify! after your done, let me know your thoughts & favorite songs :]

halloween inspiration.

halloween in our house was a bust this year.

i mean, we visited the pumpkin patch, ate donuts & drank cider - but the halloween day itself was a bust. we didn't dress up, didn't pass out candy, nor did we watch scary movies [which i wouldn't do anyway]. i didn't feel well at all yesterday and we didn't want to spend money on costumes, which quite frankly are crazy expensive. all in all, we were lame.

but next year will be different!

you know the day after halloween when you're browsing everyone's drunken facebook pictures and you see a ton of great ideas for costumes that you vow to remember - but you never do?

well i've decided to make a list of great ideas, so that next year i can look back at it for inspiration.

yesterday i was working at starbucks & i saw the cutest little girl ever dressed up like madeline. she looked JUST like her! and even seemed to have the accent! such a great costume for a little one [or for me... :)]

i love almost famous. i love penny lane. why wouldn't i be her for halloween? duh!

these might be the sweetest owlie cupcakes i have ever seen! i will definitely make these next year.

this is originally what i wanted a. and i to be. unfortunately, i had this idea a week before halloween, so i didn't have much time or money to focus on making the outfits. maybe next year? :]

what were you dressed as this year? i would love to see pictures!

music monday.

here are a couple of my favorite halloween-esqe songs to get you in the trick-or-treating mood!

happy halloween!

witchy woman ~ the eagles

monster ~ paramore

thriller ~ m.j.