crochet inspiration: Authur Animated

As you know I have been collecting a lot of inspiration to begin brainstorming fall accessories and wears. Most of these inspiration pieces have been pulled from books, magazines, or ideas I brainstorm. However, I have also been stumbling upon some pretty cool video inspiration, too! Too bad you can't print out a video and stick it in a binder! ;)

This video posted on vimeo by Jo Hamilton Art called "Arthur Animated" is so inspiring when it comes to focusing on how colors contribute to an overall piece. I admire that the artist does not use a pattern or a plan, they just crochet based upon the color pallet in front of them. This video has really made me want to pay closer attention to the colors that are in nature and how they contribute to an overall piece (especially floral prints)!

I hope you love this video as much as I do!

Know of any cool crochet videos? Post a link in the comments!

Lately.

The last few weeks have been full of me trying to decompress, focus on quality time with Cory, and spend more time with myself. There haven't been too many social events or many short trips out of town, but in a way, it's nice being able to have the house to myself for a night or two and just do what I want to do (even if it means watching episodes of Gossip Girl back to back for hours ;)).

Now that PicMonkey has a collage feature (which is way better than picnik's, might I add) I decided to utilize it to let you take a peek into my life over the last few days! Here you go:

xo,

Simple Inspiration Photo Book DIY

Since school will be out for summer by this time next week (eek!), I have been day dreaming about all things summer: lunches downtown with Cory, lounging by the pool, and most importantly, dreaming of new crochet designs for the upcoming autumn season. Manipulating crochet isn't as easy as manipulating fabric or even knits, so I always need an extra amount of time to soak in some inspiration before I begin working with various yarns and textures. In order to get my inspiration organized before summer officially gets here next Friday, I needed to come up with a simple system that would be accessible and easy to alter.

During a recent trip to Target I picked up a pack of sheet protectors and a cheap 3-ring binder. I already had a huge stack of magazines at home, so without their individual costs, this DIY cost me less than $5.

I took an afternoon to sort through the magazines and rip out any spreads, articles, or color combinations that I found appealing and inspiring. I also noticed certain fabrics or accessories that could be easily transformed into crochet. After all, finding inspiration to transform into crochet was my main goal.

You'll notice that I included ads and articles from magazines ranging from Vogue to Urban Outfitters catalogs to Baltimore magazine. There was really no rhyme or reason as to how I found the inspiration--I just didn't want to limit myself to a certain style or certain brands.

I like this system because I can easily overlap inspiration photos within each page protector. I don't know if I'll ever empty them out, because I think it's important to keep tabs on your progress and trends in your inspiration over time. 

For now, this is the best way to keep myself organized and I love how simple it is, especially since I'm always looking for new ways to keep inspiration around me without creating more clutter!

How do you keep your inspiration organized?

Guilty Pleasure: Gossip Girl

As you know, Cory and I have been without any television service (no cable, no standard stations) since January. It's really working out well for us, plus we pinch a few pennies from not having to pay that $65+ bill a month. To help break the television silence, we do subscribe to Netflix, which is how I keep up with television shows that aren't available online.

To be honest, whenever Cory and I watch anything on the tube, he's usually the one to pick it out. Usually because I'm grading papers, cooking dinner, or crocheting on the couch, not giving the television my full attention. Now, when he's out of town, it's sort of like a free-for-all in Netflixland for me because I spend more time looking through what's available than what I would on any other time. After reading a few bloggers comment about Gossip Girl (Sometimes Sweet and Little Chief Honey Bee) and realizing that it's been a long time since I've submerged my brain into a cheesy sitcom about high schoolers who attend private prep schools in New York City. Oh wait. I've never submerged my brain into that place. But for some reason, that place just felt like the perfect way to spend my solo weekend.

Enter: Gossip Girl on Netflix. There are 87 episodes to feast upon throughout this transition from the end of the school year to summer bliss.

I've always been one for television shows that focus on high school. I have no idea why, but from Saved by the Bell, to Dawson's Creek, to One Tree Hill, to The OC, to Friday Night Lights, I'm the perfect fan. Gossip Girl is just the much more girly approach to the same format.

Other than the older-than-the-characters-they-play-so-they're-ridiculously-attractive cast, here are 4 reasons why I'm a smitten kitten when it comes to Gossip Girl.

1) It's fabulous. Everything about it is fabulous and over the top. To put it mildly, my life is anything but over the top or fabulous. So whenever I can see how the other side lives, I'm drawn into it. The clothes are great, the hair is great, the dialogue is beyond that of which most high school students are capable, and because of all those things, I love it.


2) The characters are mash-ups of my favorite characters.
Lyla Garrity (Friday Night Lights) + Summer Roberts (The O.C.) = Blair Waldorf

Joey Potter (Dawson's Creek) + Kelly Kapowski (Saved by the Bell) = Serena van der Woodsen

Matt Saracen (Friday Night Lights) + Luke Scott (One Tree Hill) = Dan Humphrey

3) Dan Humphrey's character is a dream boat. I should also add that throughout high school and college all I ever wanted in a guy was for him to be bookish and kind. I didn't date much in high school and I only dated one guy throughout college, but broke up with him in February of my senior year. So, my dating experience is pretty limited. After I graduated from school I only dated here and there, but nothing very serious. Fortunately, in the spring of my first year teaching I finally met the guy who was both bookish and kind: Cory!

4) It involves parent drama, too. This is my favorite element of this kind of series, and often allows for a little reality check for me, as I am probably far too old to be watching these shows (but so what!). The parents often contribute witty banter and otherwise smarter-than-teenager commentary that I have grown to appreciate.

It's been nice to have a go-to television show to watch while I'm busy working on odds and ends around the house. For example, I moved my laptop to the office so I could watch/listen while I cleaned and organized that space. It was really perfect. :)

Do you currently have any television obsessions or guilty pleasures?

Good Things.

It seems like the last two weeks have crawled by at a snails pace. The school days seem long and tedious and the weekends feel far too short and incomplete. We only have 2 more weeks of school remaining until summer (only 1 more full week!), and I'm pretty much counting down the days.

Since the sun is around a little later into the day, I've been making sure to drive more with the windows down, sleep with the windows up, and sit outside as much as possible. This transition into summer is my favorite time of year. There's something about the scent of fresh cut grass, the warmth of the air, and the longer sunset that feels rejuvenating. I've been feeling extremely inspired recently--to paint, to read, to write, to stitch--but have just been lacking on the time. I just keep telling myself that in 2 more weeks I'll have (mostly) all the time I'll need!

I've been working a lot on myself recently and am finally starting to see some change. It's nothing huge, but I've been trying to really adapt the "in the moment" mentality when handling stress, nervousness, and most importantly, when I've been feeling inadequate. It's pretty hard changing your frame of mind, there have been a few strategies and mantras I've gotten from this book that have really been working for me. For example, today I experienced a pretty excruciating situation at work that left me feeling pretty awful and negative about myself. Instead of over-analyzing it, I simply took a long walk back to my office and repeated the same phrase over and over again until I could find some kind of peace. I have control of my reactions and am not the owner of other people's behaviors or perceptions. I have no control over how they react or make themselves look. It sounds simple, but I have really had to work on this throughout the last year. I'm not sure if it's because I've been spending more time meditating or being by myself this school year, but for some reason I've been struggling disconnecting myself from the feelings of others.

Having this experience today, considering how horrible it felt in the moment, ended up being pretty positive because it showed me that I was growing as a person and truly adapting a lot of the material I had been studying. I'll take that feeling of success over anyone's cruel behavior any day.

In other news, with this summer coming up, I feel like I have finally found a balance between keeping busy/working and thorough relaxation. I have a lot planned for the week between the end of school and graduation; meetings and planning sessions with other teachers. To be honest, I'm even already looking forward to next school year. Even though this year has had it's ups and downs, I'm feeling more and more comfortable in my new school and am really looking forward to a lot of the changes that will be in place come August. We're switching to a new daily schedule that I'm really looking forward to trying out. We're hiring at least 2 new English teachers, which will freshen the environment and the vibes of the school.

Either way, I have come to the realization that things are good. I'm pretty lucky to be looking forward to some awesome summer plans and am fortunate that my husband not only has a job, but has the same work schedule as I. I'm looking forward to waking up tomorrow and soaking in more of that warm sunshine.

Graduation Outfit

Graduation Outfit 

I'm on the hunt for a cute graduation outfit to wear to graduation on June 8th. Dressing for graduation can be tricky. I will meet a lot of parents and siblings for the first time, plus give one last hug to all those special students who are going on to bigger and better things, so dressing on the conservative side is a must.  


I just opened an account over at polyvore.com and pretty much love it. It was really easy for me to play around with colors and textures, which is going to be key for any cute graduation outfit!

I have to admit, that tutu skirt is a little much for my everyday wear, but I would really love it to be my spring and summer go-to piece for fun occasions. 

Do you have an event coming up that requires a special outfit? 

 

Mad Men: Thoughts on Season 5 (spoilers)

I have an unabashed love affair every Monday when I get home from work. It's during those precious 10 minutes I watch iTunes download the newest episode of Mad Men for my viewing pleasure (reminder: we don't purchase any TV subscription, so we're forced to be creative).

When season 4 finished and we realized it would be nearly a year and a half until any glimpse of season 5 would hit our screens, I was nervous. Really nervous. How can a show with so much momentum take so much time off? Would they lose their spark? Lose their inspiration? Would the show pick up where it left off or fast forward in time to catch up to their audience? These are the things I truly lose sleep over when it comes down to things I love.

Season 5 hasn't disappointed me so far, but probably for a few unconventional reasons. Here we go.
**SPOILER WARNING: If you are waiting to watch season 5, please do not read below.

#1: Don's no longer a pig
Thank heavens! As much as Jon Hamm can pull off the sexy ad-man persona, I was getting a little sick of it. Seriously. Near the middle of season 4 when Don sleeps with his secretary (even though he's newly divorced), I had reached my moral limits. I just shouted at my television, "Okay! I get it! Don has mystical powers! He can attract ANY female on the planet!" I'm happy to see Don transform into more of a family man and less of macho miserable pig.

#2: Megan
I love her. She's such a strong, passionate character. There have been many moments, especially when she's working on the Heinz project where I just say, "Liz. That's who you want to be. Be her!" It's awesome and sad at the same time. I'm happy to see another strong female lead that we see both in the office and at home. There is no doubt that Peggy and Joan are strong female characters, but they're also not as developed since we don't see the inner nuances of many of their relationships.
 
#3: Lane FINALLY punching Pete Campbell
We've all been there. We want to punch Pete Campbell when he fulfills his class-A jerk role in the show, but we then realize that we can't punch our TVs on our computer screens. I have been building YEARS of angst regarding that character. I love how much I hate him. Seriously. Alas, Lane finally let him have it and everyone stood back to watch--amazing.

#4: Don's New Pad
I know I'm not the first person to claim affinity for mid-century mod furniture, but there is certainly something special when it all falls into line into a pitch-perfect design. I would probably do anything to take a tour and/or live in the new Draper residence. I mean, it is stunning.

#5: More Supporting Characters
I love the new characters. I love that the actress formerly known as Alex Mack is returning as Ken Cosgroves wife (or fiance?) and I really love how frequently we're seeing and hearing from these little guys.

#6: Peggy is FUNNY.
Elisabeth Moss has been on a roll this season and hasn't missed a beat. Peggy Olsen is now a funny lady who isn't afraid to talk back to Don Draper and let him know how she really feels. REJOICE! I have always loved Peggy, but I love her best in this season. She's really developing and I love every minute of it.

(All photos are from amctv.com except for the apartment photos; those were found here.)

Want more to read about Mad Men Season 5?

This NY Times article is pretty stellar and is where I got the photos of the Draper apartment. You can also see photos of the apartment and read discussion here.

Have you been watching season 5? What do you think of how the characters are evolving?