One Fine Day

Friday, June 13, 2014

LURVE LOAVE LUFF

Let's get right to it, shall we?

Here's what made me feel all twitterpated, smile contagiously, giggle uncontrollably, etc.

Streamers Imprintable Note Cards // Yippee! Fridays should be festive, just like your growing stationery collection.
Pintuck Cami in Garment Dye // Remember those 100+ degree temps I mentioned yesterday. Well, I think this lightweight top might be the answer to all of my preggo summer problems. I think I'll take one in each color, please.
Flores Beaded Coin Purse // No, I don't need it. Yes, it would be an adorable place to store lip balm and loose change.
Ice Cream Sandwich // I have an unhealthy relationship with ice cream sandwiches, and I really want to make some this weekend. Somebody stop me! Perhaps adding one to this week's Love List will satisfy my sweet tooth. Probably not.
Domino Magazine: Summer 2014 Issue // It's safe to say I won't find this gem on the newsstands in Swell Rio, so I planned ahead and ordered a copy online. Here's hoping it's chock-full of inspiration and design candy.
Cotton Pom-Pom Dinner Napkins // A simple design with a fun twist. They would look darling on our new dining table.
Citrus Fruit Melamine Salad Plate // I've been consuming an overwhelming amount of fruit lately. I can't keep enough in the house; it's ridiculous. My obsession has gone so far that I find it scrumptious and adorable in any capacity, even in the form of a salad plate. Hey, I guess it's better than devouring packages of Oreos or ice cream sandwiches...
Jeweled Sandals // A slightly cheaper version of the sold-out J.Crew sandals, I've got my eye on these snazzy shoes.
NARS 'Adult Swim' Lip Gloss // Now this is precisely the kind of pink shade I can get down with.
Fruit Ice Cubes // You see what I mean about fruit?! I want it in everything. In fact, I might have to whip up a batch of these lovely ice cubes and toss them into my lemonade. Surely it will make the rising temperature more pleasant.

Welp, there you have it. Cheers to a snazzy weekend. Make it count, m' dears.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

I can finally put an end to my Peony pity party this season. Yay! I was elated to find these beauties waiting for me at the HEB.

THANKFUL FOR: This is going to sound dramatic, but Amazon Prime has completely revolutionized the Swell Rio experience for us. Don't get me wrong, I'd still warmly welcome a Target (or any other snazzy amenities), but I think you catch my drift. When we lived here a few years ago, it didn't exist, and we were happy to receive packages in the usual five to seven business days. Upon finding out that we'd return to Laughlin AFB, we knew we needed to sign up and stat. Now I can get just about anything my heart desires thanks to Amazon's complimentary two-day shipping. Have you used it?! It's crazy cakes good and incredibly convenient! Though this is starting to come across as a silly sponsored post, I can assure you it's not. I guess I just marvel at the fact that I received a crib mattress, some pregnancy cream, and Glucosamine for the pups last week—all in ONE shipment. Amaze balls!

EATING: Mama knows best, and my mom has never steered me wrong. Last weekend, she told me about her most recent find at Trader Joe's and I feel like it's my duty to pass this lil' nugget of info along. Have you ever tried their It's A Grand Slam Snack? According to my mom, it's the MOST delicious caramel corn ever. Oh yeah, and there are also peanuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans involved in this bag of sweet madness. Holy deliciousness! Is it crazy that I want to make the 2.5 hour trek to San Antone just to stock up and I've NEVER even tried it?! My mom doesn't rave about much, but when she does she means business.

WATCHING: What I've been doing is probably more like staring, but for the sake of NOT sounding like a creeper—we'll just call it people watching. Yes, I've DEFINITELY been people watching. These days, I find myself closely examining parents and the ways in which they handle their little ones and interact with them. I've found you can learn a lot about parenting at the base pool on a weekend afternoon (um, yikes!), or at your local supermarket checkout lane. I can assure you this latest "hobby" doesn't come from a judgmental place, I'm just really curious about what life will be like when I'm in their shoes. I like to feel prepared and as nutty as it sounds, my social experiment allows me to run through the scenario and consider how I might handle things. Mind you, I'm aware that I'll probably throw all of this out the window when he actually arrives, but for the sake of feeling at ease now, it helps.

FEELING: I was bummed to find out Flyboy would be out of town again this weekend. I know I don't have much room to complain and I should cherish what time we DO have together, but I'm really looking forward to our next weekend together. The long hours he puts in during the work week makes Saturdays and Sundays that much sweeter. Sometimes I feel like I only see him at breakfast and when we meet again at the dinner table around 8:30 pm. In fact, it doesn't feel all that different from Hawaii, except this time I don't have the beach or J.Crew to frequent whenever he's away. Ha! I'm trying to make the most out of the options available, but it's nice to break up the monotony whenever we get a chance. I sometimes question how I survived this madness the first time around, and I can't help but think I was spoiled with endless options and amenities in HI. I wonder if I'm any good at this military spouse gig and how I'll last three years here. That's when I channel the Little Engine That Could, "I think I can. I think I can."

THINKING ABOUT: In an effort to focus on the positive, I'm planning weekend getaways to Marfa and Austin. I'm still not sure when they're going to happen, but my tentative itineraries are going to come in SUPER handy. Type-A(shley) strikes again! When we visited Austin in April, I picked up this handbook and it's just as helpful as it is adorable. I hope to put it to work and stat!

LISTENING TO: My mazel of the week goes to our air conditioner. I hear the whirring sound of it working overtime, and I tip my hat. Yesterday's high was 106 degrees and today we're looking at 111 degrees. I can't even believe it. I checked a few different weather sources just to see if my iPhone was going bonkers, but I think it was really just wishful thinking on my end.

READING: Let's be honest, there's a lot of crafty crap out there. I don't know about you, but I've wasted too much time sorting through eons of blogs and tutorials. I truly thought I'd seen it all. Much to my surprise, Domino Magazine recently shared 17 of the BEST DIY blogs out there. Wasn't it sweet of them to do the dirty work for us?! Out of the 17 listed, I ended up adding three of them to my blogroll—Vintage Revivals, Almost Makes Perfect, and House Tweaking. Be sure to check them out!

LOVING: I bought my first pair of cycling shorts a little over six years ago. It's not something I'm proud to own, but it was necessary for the sake of m' bum. Because spinning helps keep me sane and I've got the energy to workout right now, I try to fit in a sesh at least three to five times a week. It wasn't until I recently started to feel pain near my tail bone that I realized the padding on my old shorts was non-existent. You guys, I feel SO legit! I'm not athletic, and I would have never guessed in a gazillion years that I could wear out workout gear or equipment. I felt so proud of myself, but I also needed to put an end to my aching caboose. Naturally, I put ol' Amazon Prime to work once again, and I ordered a new pair of cycling shorts. Y'all, the padding is HEAVENLY!

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

ART I HEART: JOANNE MATTERA

Confession: I spent the better part of Tuesday hanging out with a few other wives, and it was really refreshing. After a few hours of mindless chitchat and delicious cinnamon rolls, I looked at my watch only to realize most of the day was gone. These days, I've usually cleaned the house, watered the plants, walked the pups, finished spinning, replied to emails, and completed most of the next day's blog post by 2 pm. I got home yesterday around 2:30 pm and I hadn't done ANY of that. I know what you're thinking, "What a rebel!" Welp, you're exactly right, because that's how it felt. As introverted as I can be, it was nice to shake things up and take a break from the weekly monotony. It doesn't take long before things start to feel like a scene from the movie Groundhog's Day around here. While I feel kinda sorta guilty for not preparing a fancy-schmancy blog post for you today, I'm sure you'll give me a pass just this once. Slowly, I'm learning that I'm going to have to let go of my "norm" as we near the arrival of our fly little guy.

Until then, I'm going to relish the routine as it is now. And in an effort to make up for all the to-dos I failed to accomplish yesterday (rebels unite), I'll leave you with these tremendous patterns by artist Joanne Mattera. Aren't they fabulous?! Joss is an ongoing series of gouache paintings on paper; there are currently 60 paintings in Mattera's series. Read more about the technique used and the meaning behind the series name here. There's something about the grid-like pattern and bold colors that makes me think of madras—a classic plaid print near and dear to my heart. In my eyes, it's synonymous with summer and that's probably because I spent a good chunk of the 90s with my nose in a J.Crew catalog. Hey, we all have our vices.

I hope your day is brimming with color, just like Joanne's work. Oh, and here's to being a rebel some days—however you define it.