Showing posts with label anthropologie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anthropologie. Show all posts
The inevitable post-semester, post-graduation bubble burst. Big time. Family left, Kiddo is still in school, and Mario has been out of town all week. My serious lack of sleep caught up with me and, for the first time in months, I had no idea what to do with myself. Mentally or physically. I found this is a common epidemic, as my favorite professor expressed the same woes, verbatim, as I did when I caught up with her yesterday.

So when the professor I'm doing research with this summer told me I could take a few more days off before starting, I was tempted to take her up on her offer. But I didn't. Instead, I focused on sleeping well and eating healthy; working to ease myself into the limbo I'll be in for the next 10-12 months until we decide to put our house on the market (and more importantly, sell it) and my grad school plans are solidified.

It would be easy to get caught up in the exhaustion and what now? feelings, but I refuse. There is too much to be happy about. The landscape has come alive. I have amazing family that rallies around me. I can call myself a college graduate.

I'm joining Lauren for one of my favorite link-ups: High Five for Friday. Participating every week reminds me to photograph (and really, truly embrace) the lovely things around me. To stop and take notice of even the little moments that make life so good. Because it is. I just have to get out of my head and look at the big picture.


1// My brother-in-law and his girlfriend gave me this candle from Anthropologie for graduation. Hands down this is the best candle I've ever smelled. The glass jar is my favorite color and will definitely get upcycled. I haven't lit it yet and my whole living room smells divine.
2// I'm getting paid to do research! I'm totally in awe. First up? Finding the counter tops. In just a few hours yesterday, I made a huge dent in the mess. If only I could apply those organizational skills to my own home.
3//  I live with two boys which means I see a lot of action films. For once I may actually be more excited to see this film than they are. Can't. Wait.
4// Could I love this kid more? Impossible. And now that my evenings are free, I can take him to swim lessons and actually stay to watch.
5// A graduation present from my sister-in-law. She saw these yellow crochet Toms in one of my blog posts and got them for me. They are beyond cute. Love, love, love.

Happy Friday!!

I hate to burst your bubble...

Friday, May 17, 2013

Shopping for anything but food and tp simply hasn't happened much this semester. My cup runneth over at Christmastime, so I wanted for nothing, then things got busy. I also resolved to lighten our load in the "things" department.

I simply couldn't resist, however, when Manda was offering a shop special. I ordered one of her wrap bracelets and a single bracelet (the yellow one). They arrived on Friday, just hours before my honors convocation. It was love at first sight and I wore them to the ceremony. I have man wrists (i.e. thick), so I was a bit concerned, but they fit perfectly and relaxed a bit with subsequent wearings. These will be my go-to accessories for summer.


Note: I ordered and paid for these on my own. Manda didn't even know I had a blog until I asked if I could feature them. I simply love her jewelry. And her blog. I've read it since I started this here blog.


Last Thursday, my aunts, grandma and I hit up a great new outlet mall. My lovely Aunt Pam bought me a Fossil watch (my favorite!) but thought it was too similar to my current watch. Instead, she gave me some graduation money and told me to buy something fun and just for me. I believe it sounded something like "no buying groceries with this!". She's awesome.

I sprung for this bag which instantly caught my eye. It was marked at $98, but on a sale rack (I'm way too frugal for full price Fossil bags)... and it rang up at $30. Score! It has that shiny finish on the outside that keeps the material from staining and the cross-body strap makes it perfect for this summer's travels.


Aunt Pam did gift me with this watch . I'm a big fan of Bungalow 360 and other eco friendly accessory companies, but had never heard of iSprout. Darling! I've worn it every day since.

Mario's family was still in town on Monday, so I suggested we take them out for a bit of shopping. I had a Sephora gift card burning a hole in my pocket courtesy of my lovely friend Molly, so the trip was a bit self serving.


I received a deluxe sample of this powder foundation with a Sephora order a couple months ago and finally got around to trying it. I love it! I have fairly light skin and was so surprised that the sample color matched my skin tone perfectly. I have never been one for powder-based products, but this is the exception. It has physical sunscreens (a MUST for me), glides over my base products (serum, sunscreen) without balling up, and lasts all day. My skin looks natural and retains moisture like crazy. It literally takes seconds to apply to my whole face. Good stuff.


Although I love Anthropologie and want to live in their stores, I don't get there often. I decided to stop in and scored some sweet swag. I'm a fan of this type of super soft headband and had to scoop up these pretty colors. They are the perfect shades for me... and they won't dent my fine hair.

I also couldn't walk away from this bronze owl doorstop. Our bedroom has a sliding glass door which creates a cross-breeze that  leads to loud door slams as our bedroom door is blown shut. This little (but heavy) guy is the perfect remedy.

If I'm honest, I have no idea where to put this rabbit hook. Jared saw it and was instantly smitten (as he is with most animal-themed things) and the $7 price tag convinced me to take it home. He was just too funky and cute to pass up. I'm sure we will find the perfect place for him.

I received so many sweet gifts from family. Although I'm certainly not a traditional college student, they rallied around me and showed so much love. All those wonderful treasures were unexpected but appreciated. So much.

My other aunt, Cindy, is an amazing photographer. She and my grandma gave me a tripod and remote system for my camera. I can't wait to put them to use!

The most profound gift, perhaps, was this:



A brand new stethoscope. I hadn't even thought about the fact that I will need one for PA school and it reminded me how close I am to my dream career. It is an acknowledgement of the hard work I've done. In the moment I opened that box, I realized how much the people around me believe in me. Mario's mom, dad, and grandma came together to give this to me. My eyes well up just thinking about it. I have so much to be grateful for!

Now it's back to frugality until our month-long summer vacation. I am fortunate to have been sought out for summer research. Not only is it exciting, and will look great on my grad school applications, but it will keep me busy during the post-semester period that usually leaves me prone to restlessness. And it's paid. I will have my own paycheck for the first time in years! It won't cover our mortgage, sure, but isn't intended to. It's about the feeling that comes from doing. Plus, the few extra nickels will leave us feeling less squeezed come vacation time.

Update (3/17/14): It bums me out to do this, but I can no longer, in good conscience, recommend the above jewelry shop. While I still love those bracelets, and will continue to wear them, I had a terrible experience with my second order; an ordeal that dragged on for over 8 months and resulted in no product. (I'm still disappointed, after everything, that I didn't get them. I'm hoping to find another person that makes a similar style. I'll let you know if I do.) You can read my account here. I would never want anyone else to go through that, and based on my experience, I'm guessing others have.

Pretty Little Things

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

This may be a well-known fact by now: I love owls. For as long as I can remember. Not just any owl, though. I don't dig the ones printed on those black fuzzy blankets sold at state fairs. They have to be quirky and cute and unique. I know it when I see it. Which is why my house isn't overrun with owl figurines. I'd rather have a few amazing pieces that a ton of okay ones.

Last week, while searching Pinterest for birthday-related pics for a post, I came across an owl cake. Which turned into a search for more owl cakes. Which turned into a search for all things owl. You know how it goes. If I'm not careful, I can get trapped in the Pinterest vortex and lose hours at a time.

Source: flickr.com via Sarah on Pinterest




These amazing owl cakes got me thinking about some other favorites and an internet search was born. Besides, I haven't bought anything owl themed in at least a week. Although I could have an entire blog dedicated to nothing but owl thingies (great idea!), I'll try and keep the owl-related posts under control.

Anthropologie Ceramic Owl Stamper

I'd go back to snail mail for the opportunity to use this stamp more often. Homemade stationary? Yes, please! Love.

Owl Earrings by laonato

I own these! They are cute and the perfect size. They go with everything. Double love.

Wise Owl T-shirt by CalligramORama

This shirt is darling. I am always amazed by what Etsy artists come up with. It's actually formed from script using descriptive words (wise, etc.). It must be mine.


Owl jewelry tree

I saw this owl tree in my local Target months ago, but I didn't pull the trigger fast enough and it sold out. I found it on their website! I won't let it get away a second time.

Source: vk.com via Sarah on Pinterest


I couldn't resist these Pinterest finds. How cute are their little faces? Although I don't usually fall for photos of owls as opposed to funky graphics/prints, these are definitely the exception.

P.S. I had to turn word verification back on for comments. I'm sorry. I hated to do it...but I've been getting too many Viagra comments. Not that I don't appreciate their concern for my relationship. Blogger is great about filtering them out, but I get an email notification each time and it was getting cumbersome. Hopefully it's just temporary!

Give a Hoot

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

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