Something creative this way comes...

No kidding.. right? This week has felt a million miles long, and so has my to do list. Although amidst all of the crazy, I have had the gears in my head turning on several ideas... not only mulling over the whole Graphic Design/school idea, but entrepreneurial possibilities.. and I think I may have a blossoming idea. Not completely original, but I am original and that is all that matters. All I can say is it involves clothes, people and shopping... what more do you need right?!

On my ever-growing to do list this weekend is tackle my closets in my town house.. and I mean every closet.. the coat closet is pure crazy, the master closet is in disarray, the office closet looked like DVD cases, pictures, board games and vases with florals had a bangin' party and forgot to invite me... I am at my whits end about this. My problem (yes, I self-diagnosed): I found that I can't stand clutter,well.. I can't stand to see clutter, and I am generally in a hurry... so naturally the closet is the best place to shove your junk.

I should take a picture, but really I am too embarrassed.... sooo I am just channeling these beautiful photos for inspiration.

I am pretty excited... this weekend is really the last festival event in this region that is worth going to... Apple Pork Festival.. yeah sounds fun? lol probably not, but I assure you the food is amazing, but even better, there is a HUGE flea market! I am soooo excited for vintage finds.The thrill is in the hunt. I am just sad my mom is travelling this weekend and won't be able to go, she and I love parousing through vintage jewelry/prints/glassware/furniture.. you name it, we love it.

Have a super weekend!

xoxo

Good Things

This post.

I see myself as a creative person, a happy, loveable go-getter person. Lately I have been in  a slump, and I am the one to blame. I let myself. What I am talking about is the fact that I like my job, but I am not in love with it. I dread the work week... and I don't want to. I have my Bachelor's degree in Business Management. I learned a lot of valuable skills/lessons about the corporate world, but I don't necessarily think I want to spend my days pouring over accounting logs, IT desks, and fielding support questions. I got a Business degree because it was safe and the thing to do, not because I was in love with the idea. My main thought process was $$$$$$! Little did I know that everyone and their mother gets a degree in the same field for the very same reasoning, and are far more successful. Partly due to the fact they care about it, and partly because they have a drive and passion for it. That is something I apparently lack.

I don't want to be good at something, I want to be great at it. It is never going to be traditional business... it is never going to be for a company that I don't have interest in. My passions are reading, writing, clothes, beauty, design, art, dance, music. Question is, how do I make a career out of that... and why did I not just follow my heart 5 years ago? Why was I dead set on a rigid life? I don't have an answer, but I think I know how to fix it now.

I want to go back to school.. not for my MBA like everyone expects, or even as I had originally intended. I want to get a degree... any degree, in Graphic Design. I was just bored, frustrated and confused so I decided to take a look at the local community college's listings for classes, and I ran accross this..here are some of the classes that I could expect: drawing, computer graphics, art, multimedia design, photography, painting, small business development... yeah those are things I can roll with!

The only problem is I work and have to work a full time job. These classes are only during the day... I am stuck and I have no idea what to do or how to get what I want, but I will do it.

I just know that putting one step in front of the other towards this goal will ensure a future that I can live with and not dread... I could boost an online career, start my own design company, do free-lance work for local businesses and campaigns, event planning, interior design. The possibilities are endless and I want to pursue them.

All I know is I don't want to feel trapped anymore, and noone should feel like that. My advice: Don't stop, never underestimate yourself because that just allows others to, do what you love otherwise you will never be truly happy, and most of all work hard. No one ever got anywhere without determination... it may take you a while to find it, but when you do, never let go.

xoxo

Let's Talk...

Happy Friday!

LOVE

I have been seeing the most gorgeous pieces all over the internet...( I am kind of a color snob, and don't typically wear too much color- love me some neutrals.)... anyways, I have been seeing these beautiful clothes and thank you a million times over to Sequins & Stripes for posting about Emerson Fry. NAILED IT! Seriously though. I love J.Crew, that really isn't a secret, but this is beyond. The prices are a tad higher than I would typically spend on everyday clothes, but come on. How could I not now?  I mean take a peek at these beauties... really:



PINTEREST

Lately Pinterest for me has been like a train wreck that you can't peel your eyes off. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I feel like it is lacking oomph. It is the same stale things over and over, dumb e-cards, the same weird homemade crochet hat knick knack paddy wacks.. I don't know. I keep checking it and every once it awhile I will catch something fresh, or I will pin something, but I just think it needs a bit of new life breathed into it. I LOVE it... don't get me wrong, but I feel like it is lacking some serious originality when you see the same picture 800 times a day.

Well that is my two cents for the day... xoxo

My Crush...

I have a confession. I have a crush on Gwyneth Paltrow. I know I am showing up late to this rodeo, but I vaguely recall seeing her featured on one of the daytime talk shows for Goop, her weekly publication. Well by chance, I happened upon it this morning. Thank you! Super duper cute, informative, and oh my gosh good recipes that look stellar! I love her style and I am very impressed by how intelligent and grounded she seems. That definitely has grabbed my attention. You would expect celebrities to have everything catered to them, but from what I am seeing she is a family woman, and I respect that. So if you are looking for a good read, check it out! goop

I mean... how yummolicious does this look?

I was having a little lookey loo on piperlime this morning and I had a moment... over all of the beautiful blouses I was seeing.. not really a horrible price point either.. although now I am wishing my pockets were just a smidge deeper.

I just had to include some of my favorites that I think are super cute for fall and would look amazing for work, date night, or paired with a chic blazer!

Here you are:

Pim& Larkin

Daniel Rainn Rory BecaRory Beca

For some reason, I am loving this forest green color this fall. I think it would be perfect with dark denim skinnies, cognac colored riding boots (or a chocolate color), and maybe a nice cape coat for the cooler days.

Until next time...

xoxo

Under the Weather...

Not feeling so great.. I'll be back

xoxo

Eats and Reads...

Life happens. That about sums it up. Do you ever have those days when your "to do" list is 7 miles long and there just aren't enough hours in a day? Well that has been my last week and a half.
This is something that I love and have wanted to post about for a long while. BOOKS. yay!
Reading is my escape, my passion, and my hobby. My only regret is that I don't get to do it nearly as often as I used to.

My favorite books tend to be fantasy/fiction... and I have a soft spot for well written Young Adult fiction. Enter: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and The Uglies... if you have read any of these, I need not make any further point! :)

Here's my fall reading list so far:

1. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
2. The Selection by Kiera Cass
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Thirteen Hallows by Michael Scott (My Halloween Pick!)
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Those are just a few.. I know that there are more, but good reads are hard to come by.

Now a snack to snuggle up to those nice books with... Pumpkin Nut Muffins via skinny taste.

Pumpkin Nut Muffins
Skinnytaste.com 
Servings: 12 • Size: 1 regular sized muffin • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 162.5 • Fat: 7 g • Carbs: 23.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 3 g • Sugar: 14 g
Sodium: 170 mg 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (King Arthur)
• 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (King Arthur)
• 3/4 cup raw sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• baking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray liners with oil for easy removal.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix pumpkin puree, oil, egg whites and vanilla; beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, then blend at low speed until combined; do not over mix. Fold in chopped nuts.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tin and bake on the center rack for 24 - 26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let them cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 muffins.

Happy Belated Anniversary...

Yesterday was the first wedding anniversary for my husband and I.  I could not have picked a more lovely man to spend my years with, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I can't believe it has already been a year. Time sure does fly when you're having fun.. here are some pics from our big day.. Studio 21 did a fantastic job.