new blog.

I've moved blog locations. It you follow this one, please update your bookmarks and references to this one: http://kellieanne.wordpress.com/.

Thanks everyone!!! XOXO

san francisco trip

Heading to San Francisco today! It will be a quick trip- arrive there around noon today, head for home Saturday afternoon.

On the agenda:

• Ferry ride
• Semi-aimless walking around Chinatown, pier, Ghiradelli Square, flea markets, etc
• SF MoMA
• Aquarium
• Shopping
  
• Ciopinno
  
• 65 degree temps= boots/skirts
• Union Square
• Wine tasting
• Fish Eye camera fun
• Stationary stores

happy weekend & some inspiring things on the web

A great way to start a Saturday is spending an hour drinking coffee while lurking around new {to me} blogs for fun inspiration. It gets me in the mood to tidy up the house, put on some blush and brush my hair, make my to-do list {to include something random like "dye white skirt purple"}. Creative people inspire me to do just a few more things I wouldn't think of on my own and I love that.

Here are some particularly inspiring things I found while following a breadcrumb trail of pretty things on blogs I had never seen before. {It always amazes me how many great things are out there on the Web.}.

1. The most perfect living room {via Simplygrove}:


2. One broke but stylish gal's daily outfits for our viewing pleasure {Darling Dexter}:


3. Sewing room in a closet {olivetti studio}:


4. Another pretty gal's style {shoes, especially}, posted often {Some Girls Wander}:


5. Fantastic photographer series {Simply Hue}:

fall wishlist

The buying hiatus ends September 1, which means fall will be right around the corner. I love fall fashion. And maybe because it used to mean back-to-school season... that time of the year still signifies looking for new boots and hoodies. It also means piling on lots of funky layers, wearing just some smokey eye makeup, and drinking lots of lattes.

I typically only buy a few new things each season. Here's what's on my {MK Olsen-inspired??} wishlist for fall. I can't buy it all but I'm certainly considering many of these, especially that plaid shirt (and it's a bargain!) and those sweet boots (which will take some budgeting...)

Plaid tunic, Owl Face ring, Belt, Skinny jeans, Necklace, Grey slouchy tee, Boots, Dress, Bomber jacket

dining room re-do

Almost a year ago I posted about how I plan to incorporate a more neutral palette into my house; tone down all that color I initially thought I wanted. I put together a design board for my dining area, that was, at the time, sporting some lime-green chairs and orange pendant lights {see?}.

I switched the orange pendant light covers for white a while ago, but the lime green chairs have been there until I found the perfect replacement chairs. I was leaning toward the natural woven ones, or something black and metal like on my design board, but hesitant to spend the dough. Yesterday I decided to keep up with my "use what I've got" spirit and re-do the dining area on a tiny budget.

Here's what it looked like before I got started, for reference:



I spray painted the chairs an ivory color. I didn't want everything to be super white, and black just seems to need to be dusted every single day. I do enough of that. I switched out some accessories, too.



Now with a more blank canvas, it seemed a bit naked. I rearranged and added mostly* things I already had around the house to the table top and shelf.

*I ended up breaking my buying hiatus with more than a few cans of spray paint. I bought this bell jar at Pier 1 for a screaming deal. I've always wanted one so I broke down and splurged to complete my dining room makeover. I think it's the best thing since Elvis.



Finally, I needed some height and white up on that black shelf, so I added a framed piece of scrapbook paper. I used a frame and sheet of paper I already had on hand. I would have chosen something completely different had I bought something brand new, but working with what I had brought out something more creative and unexpected.



Here's the final result. I actually love how it turned out.



Total cost: $40.

sucks.

Late last week my desktop computer crashed. EFF EFF EFFitty EFF!

Saturday I took it to the geeks down the road to restore and *hopefully* recover some hard drive contents. Particularly my something like 10,000 mp3s. Over a year ago I went digital with all my music and sold every CD I owned. Luckily I backed up everything on an external hard drive the same day. But since? I've only downloaded my music, and (shamefully) never got around to backing up my music collection or photos. I suck.



Thank goodness for Flickr, and the fact that I actually have been pretty consistent about backing up all my photos. It'd be devastating to have lost all those pictures of jell-o shots.



Guess what I DIDN'T lose? Homework for my Econ class... this is the LAST WEEK of class and I've been working from my laptop since I got it in June. PURCHASE: VINDICATED! ♥ ♥ ♥ you, new laptop. But I am backing up my school shiz to a thumb drive right now just in case.

san francisco trip

I am itching to go somewhere, so... I am planning a short {budget-friendly} trip to San Francisco for September {and kidnapping my husband if I have to}.

{source}

I love planning trips!!!

First, I am planning to get the $59 city pass, which includes tickets to:

• Unlimited cable car 7 day pass
• California Academy of Sciences
• Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise {a one-hour cruise along historic waterfront}
  
• Aquarium of the Bay
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
• Exploratorium

I also want to:

• Visit Alameda Flea Market
• Walk around Fisherman's Warf, Union Square & Chinatown
• Shop at the cute little boutiques & eat at the cute bakeries

SFGirlByBay's "If you're going to San Francisco" tagged posts are giving me lots of ideas!

Anyone have any other good suggestions?

bright eyes - lua

I love this song. It reminds me of a great friend and coffee chats.

more boho

Man, I dig some of these shots.

what i'm wearing this week, too-much-black edition

I took a break from this last week, and could tell the difference each morning when I was standing in my closet in my pajamas... I am definitely someone who benefits from some prior planning. I was literally late for work every single day.

Nothing notable this week except Friday, hopefully a shirt from tonight's TOOL show at the ESA. Stoked!

I was inspired to do all black this week by The Uniform Project. This girl has committed to wearing the SAME DRESS every day for a year, or at least 7 of the same dress, just accessorized differently each day. Amazing, seriously, I am totally in awe. Donations through her website funds a project that gives kids living in the slums of India school uniforms and supplies. Read about it here.

She posts a picture of every outfit and is well in her 3rd month. Here are a few of my favorites:

{I kind of have a girl crush on her.}

"no retail" update

My "no retail" challenge is going pretty well so far, 19 days in. That's almost 1/3 of the way!

I haven't been perfect. I've made a few spending justifications, like:

• A thrifted pair of jeans, but they were a swanky name-brand pair for $11. Had to do it, right? They are this exact pair ($187 retail)- HA!!! This is the best thrift find I've ever had.
  
• A pretty fern for my house for $2 at a nursery
• New bag for my laptop... I got a good deal on Amazon.com and bought it the night before my no-retail challenge but it didn't show up on my debit card for a couple days... Grrrrrrrrrr

This whole thing really has me thinking about money, however. Like, those few things I did buy don't make me feel guilty because they weren't impulsive. This makes me really think through my purchases, which has stopped me from picking up a shirt here, sandals there.

Another thing I've noticed is, I don't put entertainment costs in the same category in the least. A few frames of bowling with friends, a movie with the hubby, having people over for dinner and a few pitchers of mojitos... I don't give it much thought, but I also don't feel much guilt over it. I think experience costs are worth it, in moderation. But I do need to put a bit more effort into slashing this bill, too.

Today I'm working on an official budget I'm going to try to stick to in August........

image via fffound

///cajun dinner club, plus more me on the internet...

Last night was cooking club, Cajun-style, at Steph's house. It was awesome! Seriously, people down south know how to eat, YUM. We had crawdad po' boy sandwiches, etouffe, jambalaya, candied sweet potatoes, grilled kabobs, red beans and rice, bread pudding... oh man.

Today I'm setting up a blog for the cooking club so we can swap recipes and photos. Check it out- Appetites Anonymous. Still rough, but it will be totally awesome.

I made mint juleps {posted the recipe here} and red beans and rice. I'm not a fan of the mint julep. It was too sugary for my liking. Apparently it's a Kentucky Derby staple beverage, so maybe I was just missing the giant hat.

{Photo source}

bohemian bedrooms

I am trying to pay better attention to what decor style suits me best. I am always drawn to interiors with a bohemian/global/eclectic vibe to them, even though in my own home I have a tendency to remove clutter constantly and keep things simple.

Still... some manage to get it perfectly right- just the right amount of color and pattern to be interesting but not chaotic, with lots of pretty old things mixed in. I am totally loving these bedrooms {and I'm inspired to play around in my own today and see what I come up with....}.


LoVe the pallets and old door as a bed! {via Design*Sponge}


Interesting patterns, and still really calm and zen-like. {via i Suwannee}


Lots of decades represented here, but it totally works. {via Remodelista}


Really colorful and pattern-y and makes me want to sew. {via Made By Girl}


Why don't I use more yellow? {Country Living via Made By Girl}


I like the black elements here and there. {Canadian House and Home via Made By Girl}


Low beds have an instant boho vibe. I like the neutrals. {via Apartment Therapy}


I could soooo live here. Perfect amount of color. {via Apartment Therapy}

And with that, I'm headed to the swap meet. {HAPPY WEEKEND!}

happy birthday, bro

Happy birthday, Kev! You're the best brother in the history of brothers.

a quote. just because.

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion
rather than boredom."

Angus Grossart

//what i'm wearing this week + new bag

Monday: black pants {Charlotte}, black blazer {Charlotte}, tank, chain belt {thrifted}, heeled sandals {Payless}, hoop earrings.

Tuesday: black cropped pants {Charlotte}, vest {Mossimo}, white tank, black sandals {Mossimo}, filigree earrings {Target}.

Wednesday: black dress {Old Navy}, brown belt {Xhileration}, gladiator sandals {Kimchi Blue}, doctor bag {Twisted Hardware}.

Thursday: skirt {Mossimo}, black tank, heeled sandals, necklace {made by me}.

Friday: jeans {Big Star}, striped tank {Old Navy}, yellow cardigan, book bag {Barnes and Noble}.

So... I ended up getting the brown version of the Twisted Hardware doctor bag, not the gray. I actually ordered it, and it should arrive tomorrow. And... by the way... I used a gift card on this purchase so, doesn't count on my "no retail" challenge, right? And I had to get it while it was on sale!!! I hope I love it as much in person. I didn't want to hit the Gateway mall while I'm trying to not spend money. ;)

"no retail" inspiration

Here's some really good inspiration from the Web on smashing the retail habit/using what you have:

• Monitor Your Impulse Spending {Zen Habits}
• The Spending Hiatus - all related posts {Simple Lovely}. This was my original inspiration for doing this- only she did it for 90 days!
• Use What I Have {Simple Sparrow}
• Ultimate Guide for Thrift Store Shopping
• Wardrobe Remix Flickr pool - inspiring ideas for wearing what you've got in creative ways
• CraftyStylish "Restyle" tagged posts - thanks Steph, for this link. Lots of great projects to re-purpose things you've already got.
• Junk Market Style - more re-purposing inspiration.
• The AT Cure Flickr pool: great inspiration for fixing it up on a shoestring.
  
• Host a Naked Lady Party {clothing swap} at Get Crafty - I plan to throw one this summer.

{Image source}

"no retail" revelations - day 1

I am feeling a little giddy right now, because I just unlocked the secret to the Universe. I know, this is kind of a big deal.

My "no retail" challenge has already taught me something, on day numero uno. My biggest pitfall with budgeting is not planning ahead. I always knew that was the case on my food budget {not packing a lunch because I slept in leads to the salad bar down the street, not setting up the coffee pot leads to Starbucks.

But there I was yesterday, after work, faced with a completely free evening and I decided to go running around the track on base instead of hitting the gym, since it was like 100 degrees outside and I don't know... I'M INSANE??? Half-way around the loop I am realizing my least-favorite, only-wear-it-because-everything-else-is-dirty "dri-weave" tank is NOT dry and NOT made for running outside on a hot day, and I am sweaty and gross. And already temporarily forgetting that I'm on a buying hiatus, I plan to stop at Target on the way home for new workout gear so I can attempt the run again the following day in more appropriate clothing. But wait... but why? I have oodles of workout clothes... most are just buried under mounds of other dirty clothing. Here was my revelation: I should do laundry more frequently rather than buy new stuff!!!

I know, you are totally thinking, this is what EVERYONE DOES, ARE YOU HIGH??? And ok, I don't do this all this constantly (I'm taking about avoiding laundry here, not getting high). Except. I've totally been known to go buy something because it's the more convenient option. Sometimes it's been easier to go buy another pair of yoga pants before class than drive home and get some I already own. I have 700 tubes of lipgloss because I don't remember to bring one with me and I have like... LIPGLOSS EMERGENCIES. Same with headphones for my iPod... why I can remember my iPod but forget the freaking headphones at home is beyond me, but I've got something like 8 pairs of those, too. 7 of which are lost.

So, there I was on day 1 of my challenge and I've already learned something may-juh about myself and my consumption problems. As many ways as I find to pinch pennies, I have these ridiculous moments of spending that are adding up. It's not my well-planned purchases that are getting me in the long-run. It's the $20 here, $6 here that I forget about immediately because they don't bring me any joy. And those purchases are a result of my lack of planning.

So. Here are some mini-goals I'll be trying to meet to keep me going here. They all involve planning ahead more effectively.

1. Plan for my activities better: Plan ahead at the start of the week for all my after-work activities... kickboxing/softball/grocery shopping or whatever, so I never have to run home for gear or reusable bags, or buy new. And... HELLO, throw some flip flops in my car so I don't end up buying another pair when I can't bear to run my after-work errands in heels.
2. Pack a better gym bag: I already do this, but rather than throwing in whatever's clean I will have a couple options {workout and yoga clothes; running shoes and flipflops}...& pack a grab-and-go makeup bag while I'm at it. I don't wear a lot but you know those days when you just feel ugly? Those are the worst ever because I decide I need lipstick LIKE IMMEDIATELY and run out on my lunch break to buy some.
3. Plan a better menu. I know, I know... I blogged about being awesome at this. And I am... when I set aside the time to do it. Weeks that I don't I'm left to my own bad habits and end up eating gummy bears so I'm too full for dinner when Jonathan gets home or I grab takeout. Not good alternatives.
4. Always keep a book in the car. So when I have time to kill here and there I can go park in some shade and read rather than kill time at the mall.

Let's hear it- anyone want to share how they plan ahead effectively, or ways they think they can save money through better planning?

{Image: Multi-Task notebook from See Jane Work}.

what i'm wearing this week + new hair-do

This week's plan is mostly recycled from a few weeks ago with the exception of Friday's outfit {and quite honestly I don't know what I'll be wearing Friday... I just know that it doesn't have to be office-appropriate because I have the day off for the holiday!}

Perhaps this week I will put some effort into my makeup to offset my new haircut. I'm not quite sure about it yet:



It's kind of... boring. If it's styled perfectly {by a professional}, it's kind of Russian spy/assassin {ie, it's good}. But left up to me I will leave the house at the last minute, as disheveled as always, only now I won't be able to shove it into a ponytail. And I feel like I need more eye makeup or something.

By the way, I am totally hooked on looking at what other people wear on a daily basis. On the weekends I check up on people who do it way better than me... here are some other bloggers who document their daily outfits for our voyeuristic pleasure:

• What I Wore {love her closet!}
• What I Wore Today
• The Coveted {not daily outfits, but AWESOME ones when she does... this blog is dangerous for the wallet.}
• Sea of Shoes {this girl is only 17 and has the BEST style and apparently an unlimited budget... and she's designed her own line of shoes for Urban Outfitters!!! Sigh. }