It's Friday!

1.  I had a hair appointment yesterday! This isn't the best quality picture but I did get it ombréd. It is pretty subtle but that is what I wanted. I will take a better quality picture and post it soon. 

2. I got some Converse All-Stars in Peach. My first choice was mint but they didn't have them in my size. Word of advice, they run big (like a size or more than a half size). I thought these would be perfect and comfy for walking around DC. Speaking of which. I am super excited. I leave tomorrow!

3. So...I went for a run for the first time in...lets just say a VERY long time this week. It was bad, very bad. I should say that it was more of a walk than a run. Also, if you don't have Nike+ for your phone (Android, iPhone) or iPod, I highly suggest it. 

4. I made these gold dipped feathers this week after I had seen them on Pinterest and something similar on From My Grey Desk Blog. They turned out differently than I expected but I love them. 

If you noticed last week I featured a of some gold dipped feathers that I pinned on Pinterest. I've decided that I needed them in my life and went on a mission to craft them. Here is my take/step my step instructions on how to do just that:

As pictured above you will need: gold craft paint, glitter, a paint brush, and most importantly some feathers. Note: I didn't use the best quality feathers for this. They did have better feathers at Michaels but they were 3.79 for 3 feathers!! I refused to pay that, so, I used these ones instead and I think it turned out alright. 

Step 1: Apply a drop of gold paint to the end of the feather.
Step 2: Use your paint brush to paint upward. I noticed that the top of the feathers take paint much better than the bottom. I also found that all of my feathers stuck together. There wasn't really anything I found that prevented this. The best thing I could do was wait until the paint was almost dry following step 3 and slowly fan out the feathers again. 

Step 3: Before the paint dries sprinkle glitter on the area that you have painted. 

Step 4: Lay the feathers out to dry. You can see that I did pull apart some of the painted feathers here and didn't with others. In my opinion the ones that have been pulled apart look a bit better. 

Final result! I'm pretty pleased with how it looks. I've been trying to find something for a while to fill my apothecary jar with and I think its a good fit. 


Overall it was extremely easy. I would give it a 2/10 on the difficulty scale. Also, it doesn't hurt when you have a cute little helper. 

                                                                         

Pinterest Wednesday!

What have you been pinning this week? I'm getting ready for my vacation/trip to D.C. and could not be more excited. It's been kind of difficult deciding what to pack because the weather there looks like it could be anywhere between 18C (64F) and 1C (33F) degrees. The forecast calls for snow one day and bright sunny skies the next...so I guess I will just pack a lot of clothes...a lot. These pins serve as some inspiration for what I'll pack:

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I think this scarf/bow is super cute. I am someone who will just wear a scarf the same way every day. I will definitely try this. 

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This shirt looks super comfy. I think it would be perfect for a day of sightseeing and walking around. I would pair it with a pair of dark jeans and leather boots or keds.  

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Pretty belted dress! I think that this would be perfect for dinner.

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Perfect spring outfit

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  I really like the detailing on this sleeveless top. 

I think the most important thing I need to remember when packing is comfort. I know that we're planning to walk around for the majority of at least 3 days while I am there and I want to be comfortable. Do you have any recommendations for what I should bring?

I'm linking up with the The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday. 

Are You Watching: House of Cards?

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Have you been watching House of Cards? It is my new favourite "TV Show" and I'll use that term loosely because it's not really on TV. It's only available streaming on Netflix which means you can watch it at your leisure. You want to watch all 13 episodes in one sitting? Go ahead. You want to wait and watch one episode per month? You can do that too but I doubt you'll be able to wait that long to finish the series. 

If you don't know, the show is a U.S. political drama (which isn't something that would normally pique my interest) with an amazing cast. The lead is Kevin Spacey, who does an ah-ma-zing job playing Congressman Frank Underwood. He has an great supporting cast too that includes Robin Wright (Penn) as Claire Underwood, Kate Mara as Zoe Barnes, Corey Stoll as Peter Russo, and Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper, among others.  It has gotten great reviews, and comes highly recommended by me (if that counts for anything). 

Have you been watching House of Cards? What are your favourite shows right now?

What I Have My Eye On: Etsy Edition

I could spend hours browsing Etsy.com. If you aren't familiar with the website, I would describe it as a collection of the most unique, homemade/handmade items you could imagine. Hundreds of thousands of them. If you could imagine it, chances are it is on Etsy, and if its not, often chance there is someone willing to make it or build it for you. Here are a few of my favourite things that I've come across recently:

Chevron cutting board by WoodInk -$45

WoodInk has some of the most amazing cutting boards I've ever seen. The boards are constructed entirely from scratch when you order. You are able to choose from 4 different types of wood. I think this would be a great wedding, mothers day, or housewarming gift. I wouldn't mind buying one for myself. 

Play like a Pirate Tee- $26

Monorail is a store that features some pretty cool/unique screen prints. I fell in love with this tee when it I first saw it featured on Lauren from My Grey Desk Blog recently. It is printed on a super comfy American Apparel t-shirt and are made to order. This is definitely on my favourites/to-order-in-the-near-future list. 

Gold hammered stacking ring set- $69

One of my most first and most favourite purchases to date from Etsy are my gold stacking rings (very similar to those pictured). I have gotten more compliments than I can count on them. These ones are from forkwhisperer. They are made to order in your ring size and are made from 12 karat gold filled bands. 

Washington DC city map print- $20

I recently purchased this as a gift and think it's pretty awesome (also I may or may not have a soft spot for map art in general). This print is from joebstudio and is a limited edition. The store features a bunch more city maps as well as some state maps (all hand drawn). I can tell you from first hand experience it makes a great gift :)

I hope that this post didn't come off as being too sale's pitchy because that's definitely not what I'm going for. I wasn't compensated in any way from any of these sellers nor am I affiliated with them. I just wanted to share with you some of my favourite things that I've found recently on Etsy. 

Do you have any favourite Etsy stores or have you made any great Etsy finds lately?

It's Friday!

1. I've come to the realization that my cat Mewmew just isn't very social...or friendly. The outdoor neighborhood cats come to visit and she hisses and her tail puffs up and she scratches at the door. I wish she could just play nice. 

2. I spent last weekend working (I put in about 36 hours of overtime through the weekend including Friday) which wasn't all that bad because this was my view. Mind you, it was freezing cold but it could have been worse. 

3. It's audit month at work which makes for a very stressful workplace. Rex, this little guy on the window to my cubicle/pod at work cheers me up and helps me get through the day. 

4. I can almost taste the sweet sweet DC air. My vacation is only 8 days away! I can hardly wait. DC has to be one of my favorite places ever and I can't wait to go back :)

Oh, How Pinteresting

I should start off by saying I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. On one hand, I love it, for a bunch of reasons. I find hundreds and hundreds (literally) of great DIY tips, makeup and hair ideas, and amazing recipes. On the other hand...I can easily spend hours and hours pinning without realizing. It has become one of my go-to ways to procrastinate.  

Zucchini Brownies

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At work we've been on a "healthy" kick and have been taking turns bringing in a healthy snack each day to share with our co-workers. I made these last week and they were actually a big hit. I will admit they had a bit of a funky smell to them but they were extremely moist and delicious as far as a zucchini, applesauce, banana brownie would go.  

Dodecahedron Pendant Light

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I've had my eye on this dodecahedron light for a while now.  A DIY version has been posted by View Along the Way which I would love to try and make...although it seems like there's a lot of math and angels involved.

Subtle Ombre Hair

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So, I'm thinking of jumping on the ombre bandwagon. I realize that I'm about a year and a half late...and it may or may not be on its way out (or completely out) but I think I need a change. I think it's safe to say I'm afraid of commitment when it comes to my hair..but that's a whole post on its own. Lets just leave it at...I found these two really nice subtle ombre pins.  

Gold Dipped Feathers

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I love these gold dipped feathers. I think they would look pretty in a clear vase. I have also seen them hung on a string like a garland. 


I'm linking up with the The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday.