For real!
Hope all of your weekending is happy, healthy and hearty...Julie
friday favorites...10/11/13
Five of my favorite things this week from my Pinterest pinnings...
This picture...It's astronauts. It's a family. It's an astronaut family.
Is this what families are going to look like when we all migrate to the moon? Kinda cool.
We're waiting for a bit longer until we get ours still, but I've been thinking about decorating pumpkins lately.
I'm dying to paint some black and white ones this year. I really like how these ones are hipped up with all of the embellishments. Who knows? Maybe I'll decide to take it up a notch and do the same thing.
This room is just so bright and cheerful...I'm sure it could make anyone feel better after a long hard day out in the trenches.
For you. For me. For everyone. Just a not-so-subtle reminder that happiness is a choice.
The perfect taste of fall...Get in my belly!
Happy Friday, All...Julie
autumn reverie
Ah yes, Autumn is upon us. How are we feeling about that?
When I was a kid, I used to hate the Fall. As far as I was concerned, the whole season was damned because it meant the end of the happy carefree summer break and the beginning of a worry-laden new school year that was sure to be wrought with struggle and strife . And I was just never really down with that. With my school days long behind me, it's taken me all these years to finally get over that feeling. I'm finally beginning to see the season for all of the truly great things that it has to offer. Things like no more lawn-watering or gardening that I don't really have time to do, pumpkin spice flavored coffees to caffeinate our work days with, a cozy fire to lay beside while we veg out watching endless Netflix movies, big bowls of hot chili and sweet cornbread on the side to gain our winter weight with, and football games to go crazy over every weekend. Even though the temperatures will take a dive and the rain will probably never go away (boo!), there's a comforting return to routine and calmness. And I'm okay with that. How about you?
Welcome to Autumn, Julie
how to deal with stress
pic pinned here and edited by me
I'm stressed...as usual. But isn't that normal? I've got a business to run with money to be made (but mostly lost), a family to take care of, a relationship to tend to, a house to keep clean, a shit-ton of laundry to do, groceries to shop for and dinner to make. It's a lot. I do know a few saintly women who make all of this and more happen and make it all look as easy as putting a smile on their face and waving a magic wand. Not me. For me, it's a bit more difficult. Or I guess I should say, I'm a bit more difficult. I'm the type of gal that when feeling pressured makes everyone around me want to duck and run for cover. Sadly, it's just one of the perils of being a person who is a part of my life.
The way I typically deal with stress is admittedly not the healthiest. I'm most likely to just get pissed and frustrated, take it out on whoever's closest and then resort to burying my head in a roll of tp all right before heading outside to smoke a pack of cigarettes. It's obvious. I need to find other ways. My experience has shown me that it should be required to prepare a stress management plan as an integral component of every business plan. Or parenting plan. Or relationship plan. Don't you think? We all need to have a plan! One that is laid out ahead of time that we can refer to whenever we forget how to healthily manage the pressure that we put ourselves under.
I've come up with a list of things that I think I should remember to do when times get tough. It all seems pretty obvious, but I always seem to forget this stuff when I need it the most.
I'm guessing I'm not the only one.
So without further ado, here's what I shall do to manage my stress better from here on out:
Take a deep breath.
Go for a walk, run, hike or bike ride outside.
Do some yoga.
Meditate.
Hang out with my family.
Hang out with a friend.
Schedule a therapy session.
Read a book or magazine.
Go to a movie.
Listen to either some calming or uplifting music.
Work on an art or craft project.
Have a hot, steaming bowl of pho. (Pho makes everything better.)
Get a massage.
Have a mini home spa day.
Take a long bath.
Indulge in some lavender aromatherapy.
Ask for a hug.
Steal a kiss.
Drink a glass of wine.
Bake or cook something yummy and satisfying.
The point of it all is to stop and smell the roses on occasion. Take a break from the things and situations that make life hard and make room again in your life for what's really important. Work to live! Don't live to work. Take pleasure in the small things. I'm sure there are a million more ways to handle the pressures of daily life. Please help me add some of them to my list!
Cheers to it being Tuesday (Hey, at least it's not Monday), Julie
geometric excellence
Fact about me: I'm a civil engineer. So it should not come as any shock to you that I'm particularly fond of math and science. It's really the certainty of it all that attracts me to these things. They are subjects that involve analysis, interpretation, and proof. No doubt, often times there is a lot of disproving of things that have previously been proven, too. But for the most part, there is no ambiguity to math and science. They just are.
Besides math and science, I am also drawn to creativity and design. Many people see a divide between creativity/design and math/science. There are tech geeks and design geeks. I guess I see it a little differently. Math and science are everything...the universe. Creativity and design are what the universe uses to make things that are vital and necessary to happiness in life. So really, the two go hand in hand. In my mind anyways. Creativity/design can't live in a world without math/science and vice versa. It's the juxtaposition of the two that maintains the balance. Good example: where would Apple be without either math/science or creativity/design?
The latest geometric design trends are the perfect illustrations of how the two schools of thinking can combine and coexist peacefully together. Here are a few etsy items that have recently made it to my favorites list.
Hope your week is shaping up nicely, Julie
friday favorites...9/6/13
Here's just a few of the things that I'm finding myself into this week...
This magazine...Domino is my all-time favorite. As many of you other design geeks out there know, it was sadly put to rest a few years ago. But the word on the street (according to the domino magazine instagram feed a couple of days ago) is that it's coming back for good as a quarterly mag. Stay tuned.
This magazine...Domino is my all-time favorite. As many of you other design geeks out there know, it was sadly put to rest a few years ago. But the word on the street (according to the domino magazine instagram feed a couple of days ago) is that it's coming back for good as a quarterly mag. Stay tuned.
This book...Yes, I've already seen the film. And, yes, I loved it. That's why I decided to immerse myself in the story long-term. The book is turning out to be a bit different than the flick, too, so it's well worth the read. You should read it, too.
pinned here
The rain...There, I said it. The rain is actually kind of one of my favorite things this week. That might sound kind of odd coming from a girl who lives in the perpetually rainy state of Washington. But guess what. It's been a long gorgeous sunny summer here. And summer is always busy. I'm ready to snuggle in and relax indoors while the rain gently pitter patters outdoors. The thunder and lightning that we experienced last night is actually kind of cool, too. I'm sure I will be singing a completely different tune in a couple of months, though. Be prepared for my inevitable future moanings and groanings of how the rain never quits. It will most definitely happen.
The rain...There, I said it. The rain is actually kind of one of my favorite things this week. That might sound kind of odd coming from a girl who lives in the perpetually rainy state of Washington. But guess what. It's been a long gorgeous sunny summer here. And summer is always busy. I'm ready to snuggle in and relax indoors while the rain gently pitter patters outdoors. The thunder and lightning that we experienced last night is actually kind of cool, too. I'm sure I will be singing a completely different tune in a couple of months, though. Be prepared for my inevitable future moanings and groanings of how the rain never quits. It will most definitely happen.
pumpkin magic bars
This recipe...It's got the words "pumpkin" and "magic" in it. What could be better? As the afore-mentioned rain has begun to set in around these parts, it's got me thinking about Autumn and Autumn means the Fall harvest and the Fall Harvest means pumpkin. This recipe looks like it has pumpkin AND coconut in it. PUMPKIN AND COCONUT. Enough said. Must try it.
This recipe...It's got the words "pumpkin" and "magic" in it. What could be better? As the afore-mentioned rain has begun to set in around these parts, it's got me thinking about Autumn and Autumn means the Fall harvest and the Fall Harvest means pumpkin. This recipe looks like it has pumpkin AND coconut in it. PUMPKIN AND COCONUT. Enough said. Must try it.
These ladies and their Instagram feeds...Brandi (@BuenoBrandi) and Kelly (@Iheartbueno) of Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno. Besides having a great blog and their own jewelry line, they both have quite the knack for cool photography and always seem to capture some of the most innovative shots. Their approach to life is fresh, young, fun and adventurous and I totally dig the amazing way they manage to portray that through their instagram photos. These girls really know how to live.
That's about it for now. What are you into this week?
TGIF, Julie
TGIF, Julie
currently coveting...brass accents
Can we talk about brass for a minute? For a long time, brass and anything having to do with the goldish tone was totally out. I myself was completely grossed out by all of those brassy goldish door knobs and drawer pulls that came with my 1996 constructed condo. I hated the pretty brass bed that I grew up with. I secretly loathed every brass light fixture that was installed in my parents' big beautiful new construction home.
But that was then. And this is now. Now I'm craving that tiny of touch of glamour in my own home.
Here's the thing about brass: It must be used in small doses. Just a smidge too much and you're headed into brass overload. The way to keep it classy is to add an accent piece here and there. Perhaps it is best to think of it as jewelry for a room. Maybe add a bowl here, a light fixture there, an occasional table there. Then to be on the safe side, take one piece away.
Emily Henderson knows how to do it right. All of the interior design inspirations shown in this post are all hers. Want success with brass in your abode? Follow Emily's example and you're in.
Shopping for some hits of brass to add to your place? Here are a few pieces that shouldn't be hard to find:
Just click the links below to purchase your own.
three: martini side table by west elm // four: walker sconce by pottery barn //
Here's a not-so-secret secret about finding super budget-friendly brass pieces: Hit up the Goodwill store nearby. The home goods section usually always has a whole aisle devoted to some of those long ago shunned little gems of glamour that I'm currently coveting. And that's one place that you will most likely find me in the near future, too.
How do you feel about brass? Are you in or still on the fence about it?
cheers, Julie
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