Sunday Morning Finds: Antiques

Happy weekend folks! Earlier this week I was speaking with one of my customers who happened to be WWII vet and I thought it would be awesome to do a vintage military theme this week. I have some of my Grampa's stuff (he was in the USAF) and I find old pieces like these fascinating. 

You can find more details here and the rest of the Sunday Morning Finds here.

May Book Report

I've finally started reading again on a fairly decent basis, which is great. Most of these books come from recommendations from other blogs I read. So I figured hey, share! Spread the book love around. Here's what I read this past month.

1. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes - I read You Before Me in April and fell in love with her writing. I enjoy how this one flip flops between past and present characters throughout the book. 

2. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides - Kelly had recommended this book in one of her book report posts so I figured I'd give it a try. It took me a bit to get into it but once I did, I was hooked. 

3. Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris - If you're a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse series, I think you'll like this series as well. It's a bit mysterious and has some supernatural elements to it. This is the first book in the series, followed by Day Shift which I plan on reading in June.

4. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight - (Currently reading) I'm about half way through this book and love it. It's a mash up of blog posts, texts and also the first person perspective of the major characters. It's about a young girl who commits suicide (or did she?) and follows along as her mom tries to find out what really happened.

5. The Dinner by Herman Koch - Not gonna lie, I almost gave up on this book about half of the way in. I kinda figured out the plot and was a little bored with it. But in my push to start reading more (and actually finish books), I worked my way through the rest of it. Without giving too much away, it's about two couples that meet over dinner to discuss their sons. While it was well written, it definitely was different. I'm still not sure I liked it.

I only have 2 books on my 'to read' list for June and need some more suggestions. What have you guys been reading lately?

Click on the images below to download for your Kindle
 

Tech: Favorite Apps

I'm not sure how I survived without my phone. Seriously y'all. I love how it helps me connect with people (text, social media) and how it helps me disconnect (games, reading). This is my home screen and I use pretty much all of these on a daily basis. Here's the breakdown (leaving out the obvious - camera, music, etc.)

VSCOcam - I don't know too many people who haven't heard of this app. I love the variety of filters they have and use this quite a bit to edit my photos.

Clue - This nifty little app tracks your period. Pretty basic, I know, but it will also alert you when you are about you begin your next cycle. As if we didn't already know! It also tracks your flow, ovulation, cramps, mood, etc. 

iDream - I have chronic insomnia and have tried many (read: many) sound apps to help me fall asleep. iDream is so far my absolute favorite. I set the 'brown noise' to run for an hour and I'm usually asleep within that time. (Funny name but it's a low frequency static.)

Timehop - Sync up all of your social media to this app and Timehop shows you what you were doing one, two, three, four (etc.) years ago on this day. 

OverDrive - My local library participates with OverDrive, which lets me download books to my Kindle. I get one week to read them before they 'expire' and disappear from my list of books. I love this app because let's face it, sometimes I'm too lazy to pop down to the library.

Speed Anatomy Lite - Yes, it is kinda weird to have a skinless head staring at me every time I look at my phone but this app helps keep my anatomy game sharp. 

SmartPay - If you live anywhere on the East coast, download this app and you can save $0.10 per gallon at Cumberland Farms. And if you have a Jeep with big ass tires who guzzles gas like there's no tomorrow, you can end up saving quite a few bucks by the end of the year.

WW - I started Weight Watchers again about 2 weeks ago (down 6 pounds for the win!). Their app is super user friendly. It also has a barcode scanner so if you're out at the store you can simply scan and see how many points an item is. It also tracks exercise, water consumption and a host of other things.

Fitbit - I love my little Fitbit Flex and wear it every day. This app syncs via Bluetooth and tracks your daily steps. You can set up challenges with friends who also have a Fitbit

What apps are you guys using? Anything new and interesting? Any fun new games?

Blurb Book: Washington

This past week I started working on my Washington photo book. I mean, it's only been a year since I went. (Get your shit together, Latini!) Anyways, I decided to use Blurb again. A few years ago I made a small 7x7 Instagram softcover with some photos from my summer in Alaska and it came out really great. Blurb has their very own software that you can download and basically drag and drop your photos in. It's very user friendly, which you can see by the photos. You can even add text in AND sell your book, should you so wish.

My only problem now is going through 2,000+ photos and try to decide which ones make it into the book. Baby steps. I'll keep you guys posted on the progress and hope to do a video walk through once it's completed. 

Check out the staff favorites here and the best sellers here.

Sunday Morning Finds: Phone Accessories

Celebrating the phone over here, folks. This weekend, I want ALL THE THINGS!

Want more item details? Head over to the treasury here.

Happy, happy weekend!

Week In The Life Preorder

You guys! It's here! We'll, it's now available for preorder anyways. I received an email yesterday saying that the Week in the Life kit is ready for preorder and immediately went over and reserved mine. (No deposit required. You pay when it ships!)

This year you have the option of two different covers. While I like the grey, I think the black and white text album just nails it. I wish that I could order additional ones. It would be nice to use these for future years and to have a stack of matching Week in the Life albums. 

The kit also comes with 3x4 cards, a 3x8 paper stack, a stamp set, transparent numbers, wood veneers and a geotag that you can see in the top photo.

Out of everything in the kit, the one thing I'm looking forward to the most is the transparent page dividers, WHICH YOU GET FOR FREE IF YOU PREORDER BY MAY 31st! It's all about the little things, people. Exclamation points all around.

 

 

Click here to learn more or preorder yours!



/all photos by Ali Edwards/

Sunday Morning Finds: Beer

It's everything beer weekend y'all! And really, who doesn't like beer?

Check out the treasury here! Go leave some love.

And have a happy weekend!

35 Things

Last month, Ali did a post on 39 things that she was thankful for right now (She turns 40 this year). So seeing as tomorrow is my 36th birthday, I thought I'd sit down and reflect on some things I'm thankful for as well. This list has big things and some little things that other people might find trivial. But whatevs, this is my list. I do what I want.

1. I am thankful for the opportunity to go back to school in the fall.

2. I am thankful for Netflix.

3. I am thankful for Sunday breakfasts with my dad.

4. I am thankful for my library card.

5. I am thankful for my new home.

6. I am thankful for nights out with the girls.

7. I am thankful for new planners.

8. I am thankful for the produce section at Whole Foods.

9. I am thankful for hydrangeas, tulips, day lilies and the lone hosta.

10. I am thankful for caramel macchiatos.

11. I am thankful for new sneakers.

12. I am thankful for fire pits.

13. I am thankful for windows thrown wide open.

14. I am thankful for Elise, Kelly, Ann-Marie & Ali. These ladies inspire me on the daily.

15. I am thankful for FaceTime chats with my mom.

16. I am thankful for #olympicnationalpark on Instagram.

17. I am thankful for washi tape. 

18. I am thankful for a good hot cup of tea.

19. I am thankful for afternoon weekend naps.

20. I am thankful for bacon. Because, hello, bacon.

21. I am thankful for Better Homes & Garden wax tarts.

22. I am thankful for Wayward Pines (Thursdays, Fox, 9pm)

23. I am thankful for spicy pickled green beans.

24. I am thankful for to do lists.

25. I am thankful for impromptu trips to Boston.

26. I am thankful for slow drives up 6a.

27. I am thankful for Trader Joe's Firework bar.

28. I am thankful for freshly mown lawns.

29. I am thankful for Origins charcoal masks.

30. I am thankful for snail mail.

31. I am thankful for new iPhone games.

32. I am thankful for pep talks via Facebook Messenger.

33. I am thankful for Burt's Bees chapstick.

34. I am thankful for Harry Potter marathons.

35. I am thankful for those of you who have stumbled across my blog.

I wish everyone a happy weekend! What are you thankful for?

101 List: #62 - The Books

Number 62 on my 101 List is reading 15 new books. Which is perfect since my 'to read' list now stretches across 4 pages (front and back). Here's what I've been reading lately:

1. Gray Mountain by John Grisham

2. Eva Moves the Furniture by Margot Livesey

3. What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman

4. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

5. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

6. Still Alice by Lisa Genova

7. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

8. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

9. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

10. Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

11. The Dinner by Herman Koch

12. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

13. Day Shift by Charlaine Harris

14. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes 

15. Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell

16. Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell

17. All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell

18. Cruel & Unusual by Patricia Cornwell (are you guys seeing a pattern here?)

19. The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell

20. From Potter's Field by Patricia Cornwell

21. Fetching Raymond: A Ford County Story by John Grisham

22. Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell

23. Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell

24. Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell

25. Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell

26. The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell

27. Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell

28. Trace by Patricia Cornwell

29. Predator by Patricia Cornwell

30. Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell

31. Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

32. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

33. Night Shift by Charlaine Harris

34. Disconnected by Jennifer Weiner

35. Breathless by Dean Koontz

36. The Bat: A Harry Hole Novel by Jo Nesbo (currently reading)

37. Harry Potter & The Cursed Child by JK Rowling (currently reading)

38. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

39. Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

40. This Is Where They Found Her by Amy Zhang

41. The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

42. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Sunday Morning Finds: Birthday Week!

It's birthday week over here! That means a treasury filled with my favorite things and quite possibly a giveaway by the end of the week. Yay giveaways!

Stay tuned and have a happy week!

Also, Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there. 

101 List: # 10 - The Movies

One of my goals from the 101 Project is to watch 100 new movies (new to me, not recently released). Once you start making a list of movies you want to see, it can get kind of out of hand. Apparently I'll be quite a busy girl. Here is my list so far. I'm gladly taking suggestions!

1. Odd Thomas (05/30/14)

2. Karla (06/02/14)

3. Inside: Chipotle (06/03/14)

4. The Lesser Blessed (06/03/14)

5. Mile, Mile and a Half (06/04/14)

6. Malecifent (06/17/14)

7. Devil's Knot (07/03/14)

8. The Woman Who Wasn't There (07/13/14)

9. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (07/16/14)

10. Drinking Buddies (07/18/14)

11. Tiger Eyes (07/19/14)

12. World War Z (07/22/14)

13. Transformers: Age of Extinction (07/27/14)

14. Frozen Ground (08/23/14)

15. Gone Girl

16. Nightcrawler 

17. Silver Linings Playbook (10/06/14)

18. How I Live Now (11/22/14)

19. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (11/26/14, 11/30/14)

20. Wolf of Wall Street (12/17/14)

21. Wild (12/20/14)

22. Cropsey (12/22/14)

23. The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (12/24/14)

24. Hick (12/25/14)

25. My Week With Marilyn (12/26/14)

26. Into the Woods (12/27/14)

27. Burt's Buzz (12/27/14)

28. Stuck (01/01/15)

29. American Sniper (01/24/15)

30. Horns (02/07/15)

31. Closure (03/08/15)

32. Bridget Jones's Diary (03/08/15)

33. The Virgin Suicides (03/21/15)

34. Life Partners (04/03/15)

35. Frankie & Alice (04/03/15)

36. Going Clear (04/08/15)

37. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her (04/09/15)
38. Pitch Perfect 2 (05/31/15)
39. Hot Girls Wanted (05/31/15)
40. Becoming Chaz (06/02/15)
41. The Good Lie (07/04/15)
42. Grey Gardens (07/05/15)
43. The Book of Life (07/05/15)
44. The Fault in Our Stars (07/06/15)
45. Lee Daniel's The Butler (08/14/15)
46. Let's Be Cops (08/28/15)
47. The Book Thief (08/29/15)
48. Everest (10/03/15)
49. Philomena (10/11/15)
50. Earth to Echo (10/17/2015)
51. Madame Bovary (11/01/2015)
52. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (11/26/15) 
53. Secret In Their Eyes (12/05/15)
54. Moonrise Kingdom (12/14/15)
55. India's Daughter (12/15/15)
56. King of Devil's Island (12/16/15)
57. The Best Offer (12/19/15)
58. The Revenant (1/18/16)
59. Edge of Tomorrow (1/23/16)
60. Spotlight (1/24/16)
61. The Intern (01/26/16)
62. Extract (01/28/16)
63. Audrie & Daisy (10/1/16)
64. The Witness (10/04/16)
65. Amanda Knox (10/09/16)
66. Brooklyn (10/18/16)
67. The Girl on the Train (10/19/16)
68. Drop Zone (10/30/16)
69. The Accountant (11/10/16)
70. Jurassic World (11/11/16)
71. The Imitation Game (11/15/16)

Sunday Morning Finds: Mother's Day

This year I'll be creating weekly Etsy treasuries featuring handmade products with each week having a different theme. Since Mother's Day is right around the corner, I decided to focus on the perfect gifts for our moms (and nanas & grammas too!).

Click on the photo for the link or check out the rest of my treasuries here.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

The 101 Project

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (i.e., no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e., represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive . Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how to plan to achieve it.
2. Stay focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Start Date: May 30, 2014

End Date: February 24, 2017

Number of Items Completed: 7/101

Number of Items In Progress: 3/101

1. Try stand up paddle boarding

2. Watch the sun rise.

3. Make homemade popsicles (Completed 1/9/15)

4. Have a day-long Netflix marathon

5. Hike the Wonderland Trail (or at least a good portion of it)

6. Take a glass blowing class

7. Eat no sweets for a week

8. Visit 5 national parks

9. Go to a drive-in

10. Watch 100 movies I've never seen (See the list here.) (In progress)

11. Go camping.

12. Complete a 30-day yoga challenge

13. Take a dance class.

14. Move into my own apartment (Completed 3/13/15, 03/10/16)

15. Get a massage (Completed 8/9/16)

16. Design/get another tattoo.

17. Go electronic free for a weekend

18. Visit Niagra Falls

19. Make another quilt

20. Donate blood

21. Go to a concert (Completed 07/02/14 - The Counting Crows)

22. Learn how to make granny squares

23. Fill a sketchbook

24. Go horseback riding

25. Take a hike in the woods

26. Go skinny dipping

27. Adopt a dog

28. Wear a 'free hugs' sign for a day

29. Go to a Red Sox game (Completed 06/16/14, 08/20/14)

30. Participate in a polar plunge

31. Build a gingerbread house

32. Visit Time's Square on New Year's Eve

33. Redesign my blog (In progress)

34. Go to Bonnaroo

35. Visit Mystic Aquarium

36. Explore Nantucket

37. See a play on Broadway

38. Go on a brewery tour (Completed 08/16/14, 05/02/15 - Sam Adams)

39. Organize my iTunes collection

40. Attend the Boston Marathon

41. Go see The Black Keys in concert

42. Find the perfect little black dress

43. Blog at least once a week (In progress)

44. Spend a night star gazing

45. Achieve a healthy BMI

46. Create an emergency fund

47. Swim with sharks

48. Take a belly dance class

49. Go to a planetarium

50. Volunteer at a shelter

51. Visit a lighthouse.

52. Buy a DSLR

53. Hike to the top of a mountain

54. Visit 3 new cities

55. Go snorkeling

56. Explore the Outer Banks

57. Go to a wine festival

58. Spend a relaxing day at the beach

59. Go tubing down a river

60. Fly first class

61. Complete the 30 day squat challenge

62. Read 15 new books (See the list here or find me on Goodreads) (Completed)

63. Have breakfast in bed

64. Get my LTC permit.

65. Complete the December Daily project

66. Go zip-lining again

67. Get a stamp on my passport

68. Buy a stranger coffee

69. Take a shot with a bartender

70. Ride in a limo

71. Buy Cards Against Humanity sets

72. Create a memory box

73. Visit an orchard

74. Start a business

75. Pay off my debt

76. Go to a costume party

77. Visit a dermatologist

78. Go meatless for one month

79. Finish my Alaskan Blurb book

80. Eat breakfast every day for one month

81. Find a smoothie recipe I actually enjoy

82. Go paintballing

83. Complete five 5k races

84. Take a cooking class

85. Log at least 15 miles a week (In progress)

86. Hike the Appalachian Trail (or sections of it)

87. Design a set of PL cards

88. Go to a Patriots game

89. Visit the Grand Canyon

90. Take a self-defense class

91. Go sledding

92. Fly in a helicopter

93. Spend a day at the spa

94. Hang out in Newport, RI for a weekend

95. Go on a whale watch

96. Make homemade pickles

97. Stand in a waterfall

98. Go sailing

99. Complete another Color Run

100. Make 10 scarves to donate to the homeless

And finally...

101. On day 1001, publish a new 101 list


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