Pumpkin Bonfire

I found these great pics in Better Homes and Garden and absolutely wish I could copy this idea! This has been such a mild and beautiful fall. I've really enjoyed being outside and next year I would definitely love to host a pumpkin bonfire complete with yummy treats and fun outdoor games!

images: Better Homes and Garden

Insanely Creative Bathtub

This giant shoe is actually a bathtub designed by Massimiliano Della Monaca. They can be custom designed and are covered with precious glass. The purchase price begins around $17,000. This would be perfect for an eccentric and feminin bathroom.

image: Massimiliano Della Monaca

Teacup Cupcakes

I ran accross these super cute tea cup cupcakes on the TomKat Studio blog. I think I'm going to keep these in mind for my Birthday Brunch!

Lollipop Cookies!

Yesterday I made some great lollipop cookies that were very similar to the ones picture above. The only difference is each cookie had its own lollipop stick that was baked in. I still have to play around a little bit with the coloring but they're definitely an easy and fun cookie!

image: Bing

Reusable Produce Bags

I have to admit, I always feel guilty about using the plastic produce bags and this is a great solution! I found these profiled on a great blog. I can't wait to try them out!

Beautiful Dalias!

These dalias are from my parents backyard and were giving to me last night. The picture was taken on my sidekick and really does not do justice to the color and fullness of the flowers. My mom is like the plant whisperer. She finds plants that have been neglected and nurses them back to life. It's amazing how many flowers are still in bloom in her backyard! You would never guess it's almost November.

Recycled Drawers to Book Case

How innovative is this? One of my favorite blogs Pepper Design posted this fabulous idea from one of their readers. She found discarded drawers on freecycle and transformed them into this fabulous modular bookcase. I love the color and pattern she chose. This just shows what a can of paint and a weekend can create.

Here is the supply list and instructions courtesly of Pepper Design:

Supplies

• 2 coordinating paint colors
• primer
• decorative or wrapping paper (I would probably use shelving paper)
• découpage glue
• drywall screws
• wood filler
• paintbrush
• drop cloth
• scissors or craft knife, straight edge, and cutting mat
• tape measure or yardstick
• brayer (optional)
• drill
• sandpaper

1. Fill the drawer-pull holes with wood filler. Let dry. Sand the rough edges and vacuum off the dust, then paint one coat of primer.
2. Paint the outer sides one color. I used Ralph Lauren Aged Mint (IB25). When dry, paint the inner sides the other color. I used Infinity Edge of Wedgewood (no longer available). To achieve a clean edge where the two paint colors meet, pull your paintbrush toward the edge. No taping necessary. Let the paint dry for several hours.
3. Measure and cut the decorative paper to fit in the bottom of each drawer. Insert the paper to make sure it fits. Trim as necessary.
4. Paint a layer of glue onto the wood, then place the paper on top. I found it easier if I poured a thin line of glue onto the surface, then spread it with my paintbrush. Flatten the paper with a brayer or your hands. Smooth out the air bubbles before the glue sets. Let dry. Then spread another layer of glue over the top of the paper. Wipe off excess glue on the sides before it dries. Let dry.
5. Affix each drawer to the wall with a drywall screw. Pre-drill into studs or use a drywall anchor or molly bolt.

And now you have a refashioned modular bookcase!

Thankful Thursdays

I would like to say how thankful I am for the fabulous fall weather we are having. The leaves and trees have been so beautiful and the weather has been so lovely and brisk that it has allowed Boyfriend and I to explore our West Seattle neighborhood. We've really been enjoying runs and walks on Alki and walking through the classic West Seattle neighborhoods looking at beautiful homes. This has been a beautiful fall and I am so grateful for it!

image: Bing
Boyfriend and I after the alki 5k

Image: West Seattle Blog

Blog Inspiration

A few of my blogger friends have been inspiring me have a little more fun with my blog. My friend Miss Carol at Every Day Delights has such a cute blog and has introduced me to other fabulous blogs. She's like the Queen Bee of blogs and I'm just waiting for the day she becomes a Blog of Note.

I also have two new favorite blogs that I was introduced to from Miss Carol. The first one belongs to my friend Brynn. She's super stylish and chatty and just made her blog debut at the Simple, Sweet, and Silly Sophisticate. The other blog I've started reading is called the Seattle Smith's and it's about a couple from Dallas who adventerously moved to Seattle. It's a fun read and I reccommend it.

In an attempt to start having more fun with my blog I'm taking the bloggers thirty day challenge and I'm going to attempt one post everyday. To help with inspiration I'm going to do a few themes. In the spirit of Whishful Wednesdays I'm going to post Twitter Tuesdays where I post my favorite tweets from the week. This week my fave tweet is from John Mayer who said, "Why are we calling him Balloon Boy if he wasn't in the balloon at all? Isn't he just Attic Boy?"

Another theme is going to be Thankful Thursdays. I know that's cliche but I've been blessed with a lot of wonderful people and experiences and I need to spend more time being thankful and appreciative. If anyone has some tips on how I can improve my blog please let me know!

Thanks!

Justified Hypocrisy

I recently saw a Facebook post from someone I know that read: "Show your respect for your married friends and family and REJECT R71. Marriage is between a man and a woman ONLY!"

For some reason I had a really strong reaction to this statement. I was equally offended and angry at the same time and I really wished Facebook would come up with a dislike option. However, the first thought that came to mind was, "I have no tolerance for this type of intolerance." Is that not the most hypocritical statement ever made?

I strongly believe in human rights. I believe Gay rights will be the civil rights issue that helps define my generation. I don't understand why it is so divisive and I don't understand why people don't support civil rights for homosexuals. It's crazy and archaic and I don't think the world will be negatively impacted if we provide equal rights to everyone regardless of their race, religion, creed, gender, or sexual orientation.

Anyways, back to the comment: I think the reason I reacted so strongly to what was said had less to do with the author and I having differing opinions and more to do with the manipulative wording of the statements. "Show your respect for your married friends and family and REJECT R71. Marriage is between a man and a woman ONLY!" Could you find a more misleading argument? It's one thing to say, I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. So I'm voting no to Referrendum 71. To that I would say, "Sounds good. We'll agree to disagree." However to say that it is disrespectful to married people is deplorable.

Beautiful Story

A friend of mine directed me to this story recently published in the New York Times. It left my eyes a little wattery at work:-)

Compromise... the win/win or the lose/lose

Like most normal and rational people I believe in compromise. It's a key societal value and it's truly impossible to imagine a world without compromise. Commerce wouldn't work, relationships would be impossible, and families would not exist. As todlers were taught the lessons of sharing and it later becomes the platform for comprimise. With that being said I believe in the power of mutual understanding and accepting that conflicts are never one sided. Parties are always going to share responsibility in a dispute. They may not share equal responsibility but it will never be 100% one parties fault with 0% of the responsibility landing on the other party, excluding random crimes.

On Tuesday I went to court. It was small claims court and I was suing my former landlord. Without getting too deep into details she acted super sketch to avoid a move out inspection and then without communicating with me at all said I owed an exorbitant amount of money in damages. I questioned this and she sent me to collections. There was no communication or response until a lovely woman (sarcasm) called me from a super low budget sketch collection agency.

I quickly found out that sending someone to collections is a total bully move. It doesn't matter if the debt is valid or is being disputed once you're in collections the option are to pay within 30 days so it is not reported on your credit score or refuse to pay and take a heavy hit to your credit score and continue to be harrassed by the collection agents until you actually do pay. Either way you're totally bullied into paying. It's awful.

So I sued her for the amount I was unjustly forced into paying. It was a really interestin experience. The judge was a spitfire named Judge Judy and she forced all the litigants to leave the court room and discuss settlements. I hate direct confrontation and I was confronted by the owner and her property manager. Initially they did not want to discuss a settlement and tried to convince me that I had no case. They barely let me speak and dismissed everything I had to say. However, after seeing how prepared I was and the documentation I had they started to discuss settlement. I stated I would be willing to split the difference. At the time it felt fair and I felt like I was being the bigger person.

They accepted the agreement and we moved into mediation. Boyfriend joined me in the mediation room and I was really glad he was there. It was difficult for him because the owner had made some hideously untrue accusations directed toward him. During the mediation they were very disrespectful and it was difficult not to take some of what was said personally. I so badly wanted speak my mind and stand up for myself. It would not have been the appropriate time to do so but I think I would have felt better.

At the end of this experience I felt very conflicted. I didn't feel good or bad about the sitution. I value comprimise but I feel like I comprimised my values...

image: Bing Images

Falling in Love with West Seattle

When boyfriend and I first moved to West Seattle I was excited to move into our own home. I thought West Seattle was a nice area but to be honest it was really fourth or fifth on my list of desired neighborhoods. I viewed it as a good spot for us to live for a few years while we're starting out until we can afford to move to the Eastside or buy a home in the Queene Anne Area, but I actually have been pleasantly surprised by how much I love West Seattle.

Over the weekend I was on a mission to find a new coffee house to study in. I ended up trying out a few different locations and came across a great spot called C&P Coffee Company. It's super cute with really friendly down to earth staff. They also big tables where I can lay out all of my books which is a big plus!

I've been spending a lot of time walking and jogging. Most of the time I've been on Alki and I love it. It's so beautiful and it reminds me of the Kirkland waterfront which I loved. This last weekend I walked about 10 miles over the course of two days and found an undiscovered area of West Seattle. It's right where Beach Drive and Alki Point meet. There's beachy waterfront with gorgeous views and beautiful homes. While I was exploring my new neighborhood I can safely say I totally fell in love with West Seattle. It may not have been love at first sight but I'm very glad things worked out the way they did!

Boyfriend and I even found our "Lottery" house. That's the house we would buy if we won the lottery. It was super cute with gorgeous views. I heart West Seattle:-)