Loves on a Thursday: Red-y for my first cohosting gig!

Source: weheartit.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I think the drab weather has me craving color. Bold color. Between that and all the lovely Valentines Day posts I have been seeing, red is really striking my fancy. There are so many interesting ways to experience this mood-brightening color.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that although I admire bold, bright reds, they are a little outside my comfort zone. I have come to realize that this wallflower tends to shy away from colors that draw attention to myself. I often find them beautiful on others, but usually admire them from afar. Besides, wearing a bold red lip to a class full of girls wearing Uggs and sweatpants might just be a skosh out of place.

Over the past year or so, I have been working to step away from 'safe' and take risks in the beauty/wardrobe department. Starting this fall, I hope to be a part of the working world for the next couple of years before grad school...and a career woman after that. Self confidence is a must! As is a professional (but contemporary) wardrobe that may just set me apart from other applicants/employees. Embrace color! is my new motto.

 

1. My brother-in-law told me years ago there is research showing people who wear red perform better on exams. I don't know if it is true, but I think about that every time I get dressed before a big test. It can't hurt, right? This Boden blouse has the cutest leaf pattern. [Boden Soho Blouse in Vermillion Leaves]  2. The second I saw these glasses, I was sold (but not on the $500 price tag...youch!). They are the perfect pop of color and have a fun shape I wouldn't normally choose for myself. [J. Crew cat-eye sunglasses]  3. I am not one for western wear, but these ankle boots are definitely the exception. Imagine how cute they would look with a skirt in the spring and fall! [Sundance Catalog Blooming Boots]  4. These earrings are darling and would add the perfect touch of red. [Red flower earrings by SharonClancyDesigns]  5. These dishes might just make eating veggies fun. [Pottery Barn Cambria Dinnerware]  6. My husband loves Marimekko designs. This sheet set is so vibrant, they may just help me get up on these dark winter mornings. [Marimekko Pieni Unikko Red sheet set]  7.  Red lips well done? Enviable. I bit the bullet and bought my first red lipstick last year. I really do love it! Its pencil form makes it a no brainer to apply. You can find it here. I love how Drew Barrymore paired the perfect red lipstick with minimal makeup in this photo. So pretty!

I am so jazzed to be co-hosting Loves on a Thursday with Lish and Colleen! This was one of the first link-ups I participated in and I absolutely love it. I learned how to create collages and embed Pinterest photos thanks to this link up. Needless to say, I am beyond honored to be included.

Are you a Pinner? Etsy stalker? Blog hopper? Photographer? Have cute kids? Loving life? Always looking for pretty things? I would love to see what your loving lately!

Grab a button and link up your pretty finds!

<a href="http://www.imprintalish.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Loves on a Thursday" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l607/Alicia_Hummel-Kettlewell/lovethursdaybutton.jpg"/></a>

PRIOR TO LINKING UP

Colleen, Sarah and I would love for you follow us :) If you could provide a link back or display our button in your post, we would love that! And please credit the original source when using others projects and photographs!

Loves on a Thursday: Red-y for my first cohosting gig!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

I am absolutely obsessed with my new camera. I've gone from auto mode pics of my cat to really experimenting with settings and exposures. I know what aperture is, yo! This little beauty is now my constant companion, and nothing is safe from my lens. Honestly, I think the boys (and pets) love all the extra attention. 

Last week Kristen over at KV's Confessions joined in on Scavenger Hunt Sunday, which is hosted by Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Ashley is a photographer who takes insanely beautiful photos. Each week she posts five random words, and interpreting them photographically is the name of the game. I can't think of a better way to stretch my camera's legs. 

I posted the words to my computer desktop with a virtual sticky note and thought about them all week. Some were snapped by Tuesday. Others were dreamed up yesterday. Here goes nothing.

1. Basket

Mr. Vista in a laundry basket. We laughed at some of the photos because he looked like a masked feline crusader when his eyes and nose matched up with the slots. He was indifferent to the whole thing, actually getting quite sleeping mid-shoot.

2. Park

Our local Starbucks backs up to a lovely river park. The water was so still that it was difficult to tell the reflections from the actual trees. I had a hard time choosing just one photo to post.

3. Auto

So...this one may have been a stretch. I had a few minutes until Kiddo's school let out, so I sat in the car and starting shooting things around me. Letting go of my old car last spring was tough, I'm very sentimental, and Jared made me this tissue paper flower the first week I owned it. I stuck it in the air vent where it will remain forever. The colors are fading, and I love it so. This lovely is in my car (auto) and I used the single-focus AF setting for the first time, so it was an 'auto' double whammy. Makes sense, right?

4. Recycle

Starbucks is doing a promotion where you buy this reusable cup for a buck and save 10 cents every time you use it. I can actually remember to bring this one with me. I was practicing with the AF settings and shot the cup. Again, I was in the car trying to get creative with my surroundings.

5. People Watching

Kiddo mimicking me taking a photo of him. Then I used my camera's black and white option. I wonder if I really look like this. I've been thinking that I should double up on eye cream on my squinting eye if I am going to have a camera in front of my face all day every day.

How did I do?

This is a really fun idea! I'm excited to start working on next week's words.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Sunday, January 20, 2013

High Five for Friday: Cat, Christmas decor and Coffee

This is my first time participating in the High Five for Friday link up. I've always been there in spirit, but not virtually. This week I've decided to mix things up around here. Getting caught up in followers, advertising, and page views made me lose sight in why I started this little guy: For the fun of it. To write. Self-expression. To connect with like-minded people. But it became about something else. 

The ego is officially gone. Abandoned. So are the link-ups/hops that require I follow a gazillion people, whether I want to or not. I'm rediscovering my blogging roots and I can't think of a better way to celebrate this perspective-altering week than giving a shout-out to those things that make me happy. Here goes.

1. Could I be more obsessed with this big guy? No. Obsessed. There's something about him curling up in my lap that makes everything else seem irrelevant. It's hard to stress in the presence of this face. 2. It's been said a million times, but I'm going to say it again: Starbucks+Target=Brilliance. I needed a mental break. It turns out that I don't care for the Creme Brûlée latte, but I didn't even care. I got to decompress, latte in hand, surrounded by happy things. 3. Mister Vista playing with his skunk toy. My husband and I sat on the floor and watched him for a long time. It was hilarious. We learned early on, after numerous instances of him stealing my son's black and white Webkins, that he favors skunk-like toys. 4. We've lived in our house 5 years, and this is the first time we've decorated these trees on either side of our front door. We've talked about it, but never actually followed through. We were seriously missing out. I drive up to our house and sit in the driveway, staring at them for several moments. Lovely and festive. 5. Our tree is decorated! I really do love the look and feel of a glittery, tree-adorned living room.

TGIF!

High Five for Friday: Cat, Christmas decor and Coffee

Friday, December 7, 2012

Sunday Social: Me, Myself and I (Week 2)

Another week has gone by. I survived! Because I really enjoyed participating in the Sunday Social link-up last week, I have decided to make it a regular part of my blog. It's nice to have set questions to answer...and I'm not sure I'd write about these things otherwise. Plus, who doesn't like hearing more about me? I'm riveting. 

Shall we begin?

1. Five items you can't live without on a daily basis?

Just a week ago, I would have answered "MY PHONE!" without hesitation. My iPhone basically keeps me connected to the world. But I forgot to take it with me recently and found that I survived just fine! I reached for it several times, but realized that I didn't really need to check it. It was more out of habit and boredom than anything else. This is not to say that I won't be carrying a phone anymore. I've just realized that I can, in fact, live without it. But this post isn't about what I don't need. I digress.

Now that I am a senior in college, my course demands have really been ramped up. So right now, I can't live without my laptop. It can be a pain to lug around, but I get twitchy if I have a few extra minutes and no laptop. That means wasted time. I can usually get by with just my iPad, but for ongoing writing assignments, I have to have my laptop.

The other four: Philosophy lip gloss (any flavor will do, but my first love is Toasted Marshmallow); dental floss (I'll lose my mind if something is stuck in my teeth and I can't get it out); my camera (I photograph everything now that I have a blog and feel naked if I don't have my little Nikon tucked away in my purse, or the bigger one for family outings); a hair tie (sometimes I just want my hair to get out of my face!).

2. All time favorite book? Why?

I have three all-time favorite books: 

No More Monsters for Me by Peggy Parish

Mister Dog by Margaret Wise Brown

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

I am a super nostalgic person, and each of these books is synonymous with my childhood. I must have read them hundreds of times. Then I reread them to my son, so they are attached to memories of his childhood as well. Fox in Socks runs through my head on a regular basis. 

As far as adult books go, I don't tend to have a single favorite, but rather, many favorites. Here are a few that immediately come to mind:

• The Testament by John Grisham  
• Wicked by Gregory Maguire
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• In the Woods by Tana French
• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
• Bossypants by Tina Fey

If I'm honest, and I am, I'll admit that I got into the Twilight series (but didn't love the movies), and have read all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. I started reading them long before they were acted out on HBO. I have also read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Then I analyzed them in a 10-page paper for my Human Sexuality class. Because I took the time to really think about them, I have too many issues to call them a favorite. I'm not sure why I included them...

  

3. Something you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2012?

I bought a thrift store coffee table two weekends ago with the intention of refinishing it. I want to learn how to refinish wood furniture and replace my tired Ikea coffee table.  My other goal is to find a chair that is simple to strip and has a fabric seat that can easily be recovered. I want to learn, but I don't want my first upholstery project to feel overwhelming or impossible. My goal is to have the coffee table finished and beautified, and to have a chair under my belt.

4. If you could go back and relive any year of your life which year would it be?

None. Nada. I choose not to live with regret. And that includes owning anything I've done...because it makes me who I am today. I made some mistakes when I was younger, but who would I be without them? I wouldn't have my son. Or my husband. Or be a college senior. 

Do I sometimes wish I had a career by now? Sure. But in my late twenties I was much more focused and prepared to go to college. I knew what I wanted to do and had the motivation to work really hard. As a result, I'm confident that I'll get into grad school. Would it have been easier to have a child later in life? Probably. But it wouldn't be Jared. So in the end, I wouldn't relive any of it. Good or bad.

5. What do you wish people knew about you without you having to tell them?

I'm a social butterfly that hasn't come out of her cocoon yet. Once I get to know someone, I'm a great friend. But new social situations can make me a little uncomfortable...which to some people comes across as snobby or uninterested. While I have shaken a lot of my childhood shyness, remnants still remain. I'm an introvert who tends to have a few great friends as opposed to a lot of casual acquaintances. But I like people and just need a chance to get a feel for a social dynamic. I'm fun! Just wait and see.

Have a great week, friends!

Sunday Social: Me, Myself and I (Week 2)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Sunday Social: A Little About Me, Myself, and Blogging

I'm putting myself out there A LOT this week. I looked like an idiot (more than once) to my new professor. My self esteem didn't end up totally shot! But my nerves did. I went to my first meet-and-greet at my son's new school. I didn't shrivel up and die! I met people!

In an attempt to resist my hermit ways and broaden my blogging horizons, I'm participating in the Sunday Social linkup for the first time. I want the chance to discover great blogs and hope that some like-minded individuals find mine. So here goes:

1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with it?

My blog is called "If You've Seen My Mind...I'd Love it Back." I suppose it's a mash-up of "losing my mind," and "I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached," among other sayings. I'm a mom, wife, and full-time student. It's hard and discouraging . . . but also rewarding. Sometimes it feels like my sanity is hanging by a thread. Many days I feel like I have too many balls in the air...and one could drop at any second. I doubt myself daily. I also pat myself on the back when I do something really well. Now if only I could pat myself on the back for a mediocre job, I'd be all set. In the end, I blog about everything: fashion, food, fun and frazzled-ness. 

2. What do you love the most about blogging?

I know a lot of people say this, but I blog for my own sanity! It is cheaper than therapy. And I've been to therapy. She would just stare at me for an hour and I'd talk it out. I can do that here! It is also an amazing outlet for those days when nothing earth-shattering has happened . . . I just want to share an amazing outfit I saw in the J. Crew catalog. During the semester I rarely get to read or write for fun, and this blog allows me to that. 

I also love finding a great new blog to read. I could spend hours jumping from blog to blog and the reward is usually finding someone I never would have found otherwise.

3. What are your 2 favorite posts you've written? 

The Tale of a Craft Market Fail (It was real, but funny. Only because I can laugh at myself.)

Welcome to My One Third Life Crisis (I'm still in it!)

4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in blog world?

I am just starting out. I am definitely not the Yoda of blogging. However, I have learned one thing: Put yourself out there! Join hops, walks, and link-ups. But don't lose your soul in the process. I've joined hops that required following 10+ people, many of which I would probably never read again. It was nothing personal, our interests just didn't jive. Then I'd look at my Blogger blog reel and think "I miss my old reel. The one that had a select few that I loved to read everyday. Now I can't even find them." There is definitely a balance. Although it is SO easy to get caught up in the numbers (been there, and still am!), don't forget who you are and what you set out to do. If you just wanted to reach the masses, awesome. If you are like me and wanted to get your thoughts out and find beautiful, interesting blogs in the process, let go of some of the ego that comes with following willy-nilly. It's hard and I struggle with it every day. There is nothing worse than spending hours writing a post that you consider your opus only to have exactly zero people read it. Stick with it!

5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had?

This kind of goes back to what I was saying before. I spent an entire week before the semester started joining every blog hop I could find. Because I write about anything and everything, I typically had a post that fit into the parameters if there was one. In the process of doing so, I started following dozens of blogs. And felt a great deal of remorse for the fact that I was following them because of the rules, not because I loved reading their blog everyday. It bummed me out because it wasn't fair to them and I wasn't being true to myself. I got caught up in the page views and G+ followers. Since then I've spent hours trying to get my blog reel down to a manageable size by going through and actually reading all the blogs I subscribe to while deciding if they are something I want to keep following. Now I try to only follow people I really like. And not because I'm a snob, but because I respect them and their work. They deserve to have followers who really appreciate what they are doing. I want others to follow me because they like what I have to say, too. I'm not going to have the same interests as everyone, nor will they have the same as me!

6. Give us 3 blogs we NEED to be following that you love.

The Minimalist Mom (I learn SO much from her on how to live simply. Or simpler than I do.)

Siriously Delicious (I've made so many of her recipes. Love.) 

I Wore Yoga Pants to Work (She makes me laugh. I love that.) 

This was fun! I can't wait to read what everyone else has to say. But hopefully not at the expense of my giant homework pile. Until next week . . . Happy Blogging! 

Sunday Social: A Little About Me, Myself, and Blogging

Sunday, September 9, 2012