I liked writing the last Random Thursday so much that I thought I’d do it again. There always seem to be little things going on around here throughout the week that are fun to share, but aren’t deserving of a whole separate post. These are those things.
We bought a bowl for our vegetables. I was so tired of having various veggies laying all over our counters (the ones that don’t need refrigeration) that I decided to corral them in a bowl. Yup, no fruit bowl in this house, just a big bowl of veggies.
Neil’s mom sent us a deck of Boston Terrier cards she found. LOVE!
I absolutely love Mother Earth News, but it makes me feel like the biggest failure ever.
We’re having plumbing issues this week — and of course, with an old house, nothing is easily fixed. The project involves rerouting a pipe for better drainage. This after another $600 emergency project last month. Why? Because f*ck us, that’s why! No seriously, that’s our motto. Sometimes it’s like The Money Pit up in here.
I saw this at the library and had to give it a look. I’ve read Healthy Tipping Point on and off for a few years, and thought it’d be cool to read a book by someone I’ve actually talked to. So far, it’s pretty good, though I’m not exactly suffering from lack of motivation or a plan of attack when it comes to my fitness.
Tea that tastes like sugar cookies? Sign me up! I didn’t know Celestial Seasonings had holiday flavors?
I know I’m several years late to Bondi Bands, but they are amazing! They don’t slide off my head during running or CrossFit.
A graphic novel by Anthony Bourdain about a renegade sushi chef. What else is there to say? I can’t wait to read Get Jiro! Felix is excited too.
Have any random thoughts this week?
It’s Labor Day weekend! I hope you all have awesome plans for this last weekend of summer — we’re just hanging out indoors enjoying the much-needed rain. Since we’re just hanging around the house, we thought we’d share a few things we’re currently loving around here…
Fire Tees: Neil surprised me with a Fire Tee when I came home from my business trip last week. They were designed and printed by Colorado artists to raise money for those affected by the fires in Colorado this summer. After our trip was cancelled, we came across their site via a friend while looking for ways to contribute. We deeply love that area and hope to get back there soon! In case you’re wondering, Neil got this one.
Yesterday’s News: I love my cats, but I hate traditional cat litter. Those little rocks get EVERYWHERE, and it sends my OCD into overdrive. I came across this cat litter a few months ago, and we’ve been hooked ever since. Not only is it easier to clean up after, but it’s made from recycled materials and is a much more sustainable approach in the area of cat “loo management” as we like to call it around here. And yes, I did just blog about cat litter.
Poang chair covers by J Caroline Home!: A year ago, I stumbled upon two Ikea Poang chairs on Craigslist for $125. Despite being from Ikea, I love how comfortable these chairs are, so they have a place in our living room. The covers were pretty worn out, but I held off on replacing them because Ikea had limited color options. Earlier this summer, I came across J Caroline Home! and she had tons of awesome patterns for the Poang, as well as several other Ikea models. We ordered, and 6 weeks later our chairs have a new, fresh look. Love!
Infuse Your Mood Tea: A few weeks ago, we received two boxes of this tea to try, and they are almost gone! I’m a green tea addict, and this eleuthero-infused green tea is delicious. I can’t tell if it’s boosting my mood or energy levels as it claims, but I feel pretty awesome.
Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues: Completely random paperback that I came across at the library the other week. Breezed through it in about two days and it was actually pretty good. Not in a “change my world outlook” sort of way so much as a “you know I feel happy I ran across this book, it is deceptively well-written” kind of way. What I failed to notice until after I read it was that it was the second book in a series. I guess I have some more white trash zombie reading in my future. (BTW – Follow my reads on GoodReads!)
So that’s what’s going on around here, what’s going on in your neck of the woods?
…or alternatively titled, “putting my BFA to good use.”
I resisted calling this a “how-to” because I completely failed to take any process shots and only pulled out my camera at the end as we were packing it for transport. Yesterday, my friend Christina “Chris” came over and we made a rehearsal bouquet for Ashley’s upcoming nuptials to Chris (different Chris) next week. I couldn’t wait to share it, and I figured it was such a “lesser” detail of her wedding that she probably wouldn’t mind me sharing with all of you.
Neither Chris or I have ever made one of these, but it ended up being surprisingly simple. We threaded three white plastic appetizer plates together with some thick black bunting from her shower decorations (her colors are black + grey + yellow), which not only held the plates together in a pyramid-like shape but gave us enough leftover for the “stem.” I like the dimensional effect three plates created versus piling all the decorations onto one plate like you typically see.
I then wrapped a long strand of English Netting around the plates and glued the ends with a hot glue gun. Chris then made dozens of tissue paper flowers in the various colors, which we glued straight to the plates, much like you would with say a piñata.
Woops…I did not mean to obscure Chris’s face with the bouquet.
Once it was filled with all the paper and ornaments it could handle, we fed the bunting through a toilet paper roll, snipped the excess (leaving about 3-4 inches), and filled the gaps in the toilet paper roll with paper and lots of glue to hold it in place. We then covered the toilet paper roll with Crate and Barrel ribbon (glued on either end), much like you would a real bouquet and tied additional wire-framed ribbon around it for decoration. The structure of the plates and ribbon also created a bonus little hiding spot for a surprise for Ashley on her rehearsal day!
We are pretty happy with the way it turned out. When you hold it, it really feels like a bouquet! Congratulations Ashley and Chris!
