Yeah um I want this

All hail Scout Holiday.

I liked it so I put a ring on it

Ya'll know I ain't crafty, but I did take Book Arts. My favorite was the envelope book (because it was the, er, easiest). For Panache Packages, I made this little diddy for Darcy.

I also gave her some magnet frames and a funky matchbox I got at an antique store. I regret not getting a photo of it; it was done up fancy like this.

Carrie drew my name, and sent me this journal of creative destruction! I don't have photos of her package to me because A) she gave me Reese's, which I promptly devoured, B) she gave me Hello Kitty stickers, which I put all over my bike (pictures later?) and C) she gave me nail polish, which I'll probably highlight in a future post where I discuss why nail polish has brought more meaning to my life, i.e. Why Glitter Matters. Or something like that. Thanks Carrie!

Little List: Snapshot

My life at this very moment:

-Listening to Yeasayer's Odd Blood (everyone click here)
-Reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Umbridge . . . Umbridge!)
-Wearing my new coat (remember?)
-Finding this song for Seve (HA! Middle school, right? Maybe elementary for you? Preschool? Am I old?)
-Watched Who's That Girl? last night. So silly.
-Loving Stina Persson, whose lovely art is responsible for my new header.

Oh, and visit Panache if you haven't already for a cool giveaway! Need.

My dear childhood

When I was in kindergarten, my mother was called in for a parent-teacher conference to discuss my lack of smarts. During an art activity, all the students had been given shapes to cut out and design a picture with. A few made ice cream cones, but almost everyone had turned their scene into a teepee on a hill. Except me.

My teepee was randomly flying high in the sky. My worried teacher showed this picture to my mother, telling her I clearly didn't understand the activity. My mother tearfully brought the picture home to ask me why my teepee was defying gravity, to which I replied that it wasn't a teepee, but a boomerang.

My kindergarten teacher can SUCK IT.

Om nom nom nom

So, I usually never bake - EVER. But last weekend Seve and I made apple cup pies! You know, cupcake, cup pie . . . haha. And they came out great!

We never got around to taking pictures, so the images below aren't of the ones I made, but of Amy's from Eggs on Sunday, where you can find her recipe.

ON UR WALL LOLZ

My new favorite print by Lilly Piri.

Little List: let the leaves fall

Fall is only the greatest season ever for fashion. This is our first fall to spend in Rexburg, and we're excited to experience an Idaho Autumn! We're hoping it's not a week-long phenomena that quickly transitions into snow. I love seeing the leaves change, love the rain and love the earthy smell. Mm hmm.

 So, images courtesy of UO, here's my Little Fall Fashion Wish List:

1 Surplus Jacket
2 Leather & Canvas Backpack
3 Square Neck Dress
4 Flannel Shirt
5 Khaki Nail Polish
6 Varsity Cardigan
7 Infinity Scarf
8 Tights, tights, tights
9 Wedge/Heel Boots

Also, everyone needs to dig Little Dragon for their fall playlists:

If Hunger Games Was My Boyfriend

I hope you've all read Mockingjay by now. Because we're gonna pretend for a second that the YA book series Hunger Games is my boyfriend and this blog is my 16-year-old self's journal.

Oh, and


SPOILER ALERT don't read this post if you like your books fresh and unspoiled SPOILER ALERT


Dear Diary (squiggly unicorn),

Today is my first day of school and I just met this totally sweet guy named Hunger Games! Oh gosh and he totally asked me out! (exclamation points with hearts)

   Date 1: OMG this guy is amazing. Hunger Games is so dark and mysterious. He’s so heroic and selfless and totally cares about his family and is super outdoorsy! He has a bow and arrow! Totally can’t wait for date 2.
   Date 2: Wow wow WOW! We had so much fun and let’s be serious, my heart was racing the whole time. He was romantic and clever and all activist in that politically charged way that doesn’t involve aggressive handshakes and campaigning, but like, really cares. And he can, like, drink water from trees. So cool. And at the end he was totally like “Just you WAIT for date 3.” AAAh!! Can’t wait!! (heart heart star kissy lips)
   Date 3: K, so, everything started great and I knew for sure this was going to be the best date evah of my LIFE. Hunger Games had so many great things planned and I was secretly hoping he'd ask me to prom. Then, uh, while we were at the restaurant, he was all “I know I planned this great dinner and movie, but Imma gonna leave now. How about I just vaguely describe the rest our date to you, and then end abruptly with infinite sadness and no hope? And give you NONE of the fun things we shared on our first dates?” Like, hUHH??

Totally reminds me of my BFF’s relationship with Lost, only that ended way worse and more confusing . . . yet I somehow feel more betrayed by Hunger Games. WTF? Now I wonder if those first two dates were even worth it at all ‘cause they just got me all geared up for the third! And now, NO PROM! Lame. (sad cat picture)

K BAi,

~*jules*~


Back to normal blogging self:
Mockingjay totally fell flat for me. It was well written, had intense action, and even started great - but at the end I realized the only thing this series had going for me was Katniss and Peeta. And Prim. And Finnick. And Gale. And District 13. You know, all the beautiful and hopeful things that turned out to be crazy, evil, flaky, or dead in the end. This book left me with nothing to root for, and by the last third I honestly wondered if I was reading some confusing dream sequence that would at some point return to the fast-paced war we were previously expereincing. In fact, when I was at that last third, I realized there weren’t possibly enough pages left to give me a satisfying ending and tie up all the loose ends. Which it didn’t. "But it's realistic," yadda yadda. "War isn’t pretty, war is bad," blah blah. You know what? So is this book.

I wonder what Harry Potter's up to this weekend.

These dreams are ours for the taking

I was previously working on a Little List of my "must-haves" for fall fashion, but decided to get a little more serious here and wax poetic about autumn-colored accessories later.

My husband and I have been discussing finances, like any married couple, and reevaluating our spending, savings, when to get a new car, etc. After reading an article about the ideal amount of money to make to achieve happiness, it all had me realize I made more than I thought.

I'm not Mrs. Money Bags by any means, but I'd like to express my gratitude for the salary I do make. I remember stressing in college over that concept: salary. Would I ever achieve it? Would I ever pass the class to get the degree to get the job to get the money to get the bread to put on the table? I'm here to tell my college-attending friends that the dream is attainable.

According to that article, I definitely have yet to achieve happiness, but after reading the comments it really put into perspective how much I make as a copywriter. Not only am I doing what I love (writing for a living) but I make a decent amount to take care of me and my own, and prepare for Seve's future doing what he loves. And for that I'm very grateful.

Time to put out a news release!

image via Liesl Pfeffer

Let the Right One In

Has anyone else seen this? Because it looks sooooo good to me. Trouble is, ever since The Ring I just don't see scary movies anymore. Horror is NOT my thing. I can't handle violence and gore and scary and dark and blah.

But this? It almost looks sweet and romantic. With a real plot, not random scary image sequences and blood for blood's sake. My gosh I want to see it yesterday I want to see it so bad.

It's on Netflix Instant Queue and my mouse keeps getting closer and closer to hitting that play button. But, you know, once these things are seen they cannot be unseen.