Quindome Eats Cake

Happy Birthday, Raven!

2012-03-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Even as kids, he would always be the one to pose in the picture. I still have a lot to learn!

Today is my brother Raven's birthday. He's an amazing artist, convinced kids at school into thinking his middle name was Pizza, rode bikes with me every summer, would skip classes to go see movies with me, and is one of my very favorite people in the whole wide world. Happy Birthday, bro!

Gotta Get a Grip

2012-03-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Yeah, this photo is in no way staged, I'm really that obsessive.

Last week R. told me he read an article that said people should really only use Vaseline for their lips because it seals in the moisture you naturally have, while other chapsticks just make you feel that your mouth has more moisture. I already sort of knew this, but then I walked into my bathroom and saw my Chapstick bowl and realized I needed to get a grip. I've been working on breaking my habit since Saturday and you have no idea how many times a day I have to smack my hand away from diving into my purse for a chapstick. Here's an article I found online after some obsessive googling on how to keep your lips moist minus chapstick. In the grand scheme I guess this isn't the worst habit, but I'm curious if I can break this small, silly habit.

Netflixin' It

2012-03-05T10:55:00.000-05:00

Since finishing my thesis, R. and I have been making a point to get our $8 dollars a month out of Netflix. Both of us really love movies, but for so long my thesis guilt wouldn't let me sit down to watch one. Since I've been done, we've been working through our giant queue. Here are a few we've watched recently, that I give two thumbs up to. Do you use Netflix? Any good suggestions?

From Top Left: Charade, The Parking Lot Movie, The Odd Couple, Vertigo

(Charade Image via Minimal Movie Posters)

Friday At Five: Confessional Edition

2012-03-02T15:02:00.000-05:00

Image via me on Flickr

On Fridays, I always think back on my week. Usually though, instead of thinking of fun things I did, I end up thinking of lame, random things I did. This time, I said, "Let's put it all out there:
1. Eat cereal for dinner. Twice.
2. Watch 30 minutes of the E! True Hollywood Story: Lindsey Lohan. Yeah, at the end I was rooting for her too.
3. Think mean thoughts about a guy I met who had smarmy sort of smile. I also didn't like his blazer.
4. Stare so hard at squirrels with my little green binoculars that my contact popped out.
5. And just today, I got irrationally anxious about my new camera, which I thought wasn't working.... Then I realized I hadn't put the battery in. Genius!

Happy Weekend!

Girl Crush: Diane Kruger

2012-03-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

Image via Just Jared

I have been a serious Diane Kruger fan since Inglorious Bastards, but even more so when I read that she doesn't have a stylist. Whenever I see her on the red carpet, I always think she makes great choices. Normally, I like a fairly modest fashion choice, so this look goes outside of what I normally like. From the hair to the jewelry though, I call this look a winner.

P.S. I almost called this post "I See Your Bra and I Like It", but that sounded too pervy, even if it did make me laugh.

Happy Birthday Breena!

2012-02-29T13:17:00.002-05:00

Isn't she cute and teeny-tiny in her big red boots!? This is her walking to her garden.

Today is my sister Breena's birthday. Her official birthday, because she's a leap year baby. She reads faster than anyone I know, grew a two pound carrot in her garden, thinks feta is the best cheese, and has always been a wonderful big* sister.
* By big I mean older. I'm 5"1 and compared to her I'm like this.

Rest Your Little Head

2012-02-28T13:52:00.001-05:00

Image via Fine Little Day Shop

In the market for some new bedding and this pillow is glorious. I'd take naps on it, like a kitty in the sunshine.

Ch-ch-Changes

2012-02-28T09:53:00.001-05:00

It is always a struggle for me to talk about personal items. I'm naturally a private person, but in order to present a fuller, authentic version of myself, I'm working on talking a little more realistically here. I love shiny, happy blogging, but the truth is those aren't the blogs I like best and I'm working to make my blog the best version it can be. Don't worry, we're still going to talk about lipstick, cake, and pretty stuff, it's just that sometimes we'll also acknowledge, you know, life and stuff.
So here goes....

I didn't post anything yesterday because, to tell you the truth, I was sort of sad. I'm a very fortunate person to not only like the people I work with, but to really like them. I think this is a nice thing, but it also means when one of them leaves, I feel sad. My friend is leaving the office today and we had her going away party yesterday. While I'm excited for her and everything, the truth is that I got pretty bummed. It was a confluence of so many things going on right now that equaled me tearing up in my office. In the grander scheme, I know there are so many things that will change for me over the next year or so and I'm sort of struggling with it. As if to put an exclamation point on all the changes happening, my diploma for my Master's was sitting on my kitchen table when I got home from working late last night. It was strange to see it sitting there, making me feel for the first time that something so big is officially behind me. I mean they don't give you a diploma if you're not really done, right? This wasn't some cruel joke, right? I know being done is a good thing, I know people leaving your day to day doesn't mean their leaving your life, I know that I've dealt with big changes before, but just right now I feel a little heavy with all of it. I'm working on my struggle with changes daily, but it is hard when there are so many uncertainties. I consider myself a fortunate person whose had a lot of her hard work pay off, (See: Earning Master's Degree while working full-time), but sometimes I think this also makes me think I can control everything and I can't. Anyway, that's all I really know how to say on that. I'm still working through so much of this in my mind, that it felt strange, but good to be honest about this struggle.

Music to Your Ears/Friday at Five

2012-02-24T13:45:00.002-05:00

This week has been a good one for me and scoring tickets to see bands I love. Fiona Apple in March and Afghan Whigs in September... I'm crazy pumped! Was I the only moody, eighth grader who listened to Fiona on repeat? I think not! I thought I'd leave you for the week with this little jam from a much younger Greg Dulli on a much younger Conan O'Brien. Sorry for the bleeped out dirty words. But, come on, it's like when you were younger and your mom told you she said "Fudge"... You knew better. Drink some french press, read the paper, and eat some type of egg dish. This is the prescription for fun. Happy weekend!

Breaking in my Sanita Clogs

2012-02-23T14:46:00.000-05:00


Image via The Sartorialist

A Short Play regarding Shoes:

You (my dear readers): "Where has Quindome gone? Two days without a post... She must have been kidnapped."
(distant sound...growing closer... getting more distinct...)
CLACK, CLACK, CLOP, CLOP! ARRIVAL!
Quindome: "Kidnapped! Me!? No way, holmes... I've just been breaking in my new Sanita clogs."

Hey, look, if they were cool enough to be on The Sartorialist, they are cool enough for me. Bonus? They really are as comfortable as people say.

Finger Snap, Foot Tap

2012-02-20T12:59:00.000-05:00


Image via Jersey Ice Cream Company

Just bought this cute little card to frame. From Design*Sponge to Etsy in two minutes flat... What a sucker for e-commerce. Small little paper goods are such a fun way to cheaply spruce your house so I don't feel too bad!

Prada and Film Collide

2012-02-20T10:47:00.000-05:00

Images via The Sartorialist

Just caught up on some of the coverage from Fashion Week and these were by far my favorite. Willem Dafoe, Adrian Brody, and Gary Oldman... If I were a dude, this would make me want to buy Prada. Such quirky and wonderful choices. Did you know that Gary Oldman was married to Uma Thurman? Random facts for your Monday!

P.S. Speaking of Gary Oldman, if you didn't see Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, you really missed out. One of my favorites from last year!

Random Thoughts For Your Friday Delight

2012-02-17T10:02:00.003-05:00

Still sick, but not so sick I don't want to have a weekend adventure with R. Maybe just brunch, since it was soooo good last time.
Hair's in a bun today. Remember when this was how women wore their hair all the time? Me either, but with my bangs, it looks more presentable than how my hair would have looked given my still-Nyquill addled brain this morning.
Wish I had gotten R. a better Valentine's gift than these, but I couldn't figure out which Windows he needed. Romance, right here, kids.
My new lip butter is a disappointment. Another $9 dollar mistake.
If my house looked like this, I'd probably have company all the time. They'd always ask where I got that clock in the kitchen and I'd smugly say "It was a gift from the designer". This would be a lie, but would sound better than "I buy things based on blog shopping".
Definitely going to Target on my lunch break. That new ladle isn't gonna buy itself.
Really should take some pictures this weekend. New camera anxiety has caused me to stop using my perfectly fine old one. Lame.

Happy Weekend. My brain is too spacey from flu medicine and the copious amounts of caffeine needed to prop me up today. Clearly.

P.S. Yeah, I use Yankee Candles and not Diptyque. I know all proper bloggers use them, but I can't justify a $60 candle. Am I alone in this? And if you have used Diptyque, are they really worth it? I.E. Do they last a loooooong time?

Words of Wisdom: The Kitchen Edition

2012-02-16T12:00:00.000-05:00


Image via Hungry Prints on Etsy

We all know I love four things*: 1. Letterpress 2. Good Design 3. Coffee 4. R. (my boyfriend)

I love them all. I especially like when some of them are combined and this new print from Hungry Prints may just be showing up in my kitchen soon. I count this as a win-win purchase since it would then combine all four if I hung it in my kitchen, where R. can be found sometimes too because he lives with me! This may also be sick person logic, but who cares. The print is rad.

*In no particular order. Don't want R. to feel like I love coffee more than him, though I do probably say the word coffee more times in a day than his name. Gotta work on that.

(Found via Abbey Goes Design Scouting)

You Rock A Lot of Brights

2012-02-16T09:12:00.000-05:00


Image via J. Crew

Yesterday, while feeling extra crummy and sick, I decided to wear my new, cheery orangeish-red sweater from J. Crew. The exact one above, if you need a mental picture. Yesterday, while feeling extra crummy and sick, two people said to me "Wow, Quindome, that is a bright sweater". I will choose to believe that was a compliment because Orangeish-Red Sweater, I love you.

Quiet Continental Charm School

2012-02-15T09:11:00.000-05:00


Image via still got legs on Flickr

Recently I was accused of a certain amount of snobbery after remarking that those who travel don't need to look like bums or athletes leaving a very rough game. Seriously, why do people think that travel equates the right to leave your house in pajamas? Judge if you want, but I'm just a person who like things to look nice and that includes people too.I was pleased to fine the Quiet Continental Charm School agrees with me. For tips on how to travel comfortably, but still elegantly and so much more, head on over to see some of their other tips.

P.S. This does not mean I don't love flip flops. Flip Flops- I can't quit you.

(Found via Wit and Delight)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T14:19:00.000-05:00

A little flu has invaded our house and this is a sniffle-y holiday. Either way, I hope your heart dances and prances with delight, whether with your special someone or your special self. Eat chocolate and be merry!

Friday at Five

2012-02-10T15:08:00.002-05:00

Friday at last. In a week where I spent my time wondering when I'd get some free time, this is not that weekend. Work to be done. Groceries to be bought. Hair to be washed. Even with this, I'm glad the weekend is here. It is supposed be chilly and rainy here in DC, so I don't know what the weekend will be. I wish it was riding bikes. Have a lovely one!

Dance as Art

2012-02-10T09:14:00.000-05:00


Images via Niege Borges at Dancing Plague of 1518

I don't particularly love musicals, nor do I really love films or TV shows that have singing and dancing. I do like pared down art around hilarious dances we all know. I love all of these. Elaine from Seinfeld is my favorite because that dance is an all-time hilarious classic. You can purchase these prints on Society Six.

Viva La French Press

2012-02-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

A French Press Method from hufort

For Christmas I got R. a French Press. Yeah, it was a bit like the time Homer got Marge a bowling ball. (If you had to look that up, you clearly need to watch more Simpsons. Just sayin'.) He and I have both really enjoyed it, but really the process is what adds to it. It is really fun to watch the color change and feel so in charge of my delicious beverage by oh-so-carefully pushing down that fun little plunger thingie. And yes, the coffee does taste better. Of all the video's I've watched on how to do it, this one is the prettiest by far. (Found via Gathered Heart)

A Strange Thing to Be Nervous About

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I like New Girl on Fox. This is my confession for today. Confession, you ask? Yeah, I heard you ask that. I am a feminist. I do my best to be thoughtful on issues regarding sex and gender everyday. Seriously, folks, I do.My Master's in Sociology was focused on gender and women's issues. This means I am sometimes overly aware of what liking certain media items means in terms of gendered stereotypes.
So where am I going with this....

I was raised by a feminist, someone who told me that it was okay that I wanted to listen to The Chronic, but bitches weren't just hos and tricks. Pardon my language, but you know... Dr. Dre made me say it. Anyway, maybe because of my leftie, feminist upbringing and my own scholarly pursuits, sometimes I worry that I'm too sensitive. I won't lie to ya' kids. When I saw the first commercials for New Girl, I think I cringed. Maybe it was use of that awful phrase adorkable, maybe it was the fact that she was presented as a crying, Dirty-Dancing watching mess... Worse? Maybe I'm overly sensitive because I want women on television to be presented as smart, multi-faceted, intellectuals who can also be funny leads in comedic roles. Worse? Maybe I was being judgemental. (Don't get me started on my thoughts on women in comedy)
Anyway, it wasn't until my sister B. and niece Munchie said that it was funny that I was willing to give the show a chance. Low and behold? It was actually pretty funny. Yes, there were cringeworthy moments. There were even enough that I don't mind the Vanity Fair break down each week where they determine if Jess' antics are adorkable or tweepulsive. Even after watching it and laughing, I was embarrassed to let R. catch me watching it. "What will I say?" "Is he going to make fun of me?"- These are things I wondered because he is also, lucky for me, a person who wants to see women portrayed as smart and funny, rather than as adorable objects. He is, after all, my favorite 30 Rock partner. Anyway, I guess what this long-winded diatribe is to say is this:
I think New Girl is funny. If you are willing to acknowledge that sometimes Jess/Zoey can be a bit twee, there is something funny about the show that I think is surprisingly enjoyable. I hope they can start to cool it on some of the too-cute-for words, she's so quirky that she brings fake teeth to a wedding type nonsense (By Far the WORST episode). In this past week's episode though I think there was some interesting meta writing where they acknowledged not just issues people might have with Jess, but also Deschanel herself. So a show that is willing to do that is enough to make this feminist pause and re-evaluate.

For Carrying Your Love Letters

2012-02-07T09:21:00.000-05:00

Bag from ShopBando

Tuesday Cakes

2012-02-06T09:18:00.000-05:00

Yes, the title of this post is Tuesday Cakes and, yes, it is Monday, but I like to be super obvious in my titles. Can you tell? This weekend was a much needed rest from last week, which ended up being insanely busy at work and, frankly, pretty emotionally draining. I don't get too personal, but last week, I really got overwhelmed by a lot of changes in my work and feelings of "WHAT AM I DOING?". Anyway, to help my emotional stress and to celebrate an early National Chocolate Cake Day, I took a break and baked the Barefoot Contessa chocolate cake. I've baked a cake from scratch before and really enjoy the process, so this was the amount of work I expected, but if you haven't give yourself plenty of prep time. The inclusion of the coffee and buttermilk, make this a really chocolatey cake that I think most people would be over the moon for. The icing was riiiiiiiiiiiich and the cake was mooooooooooist, pluses for most people probably, but overall it was a tad too sweet for me. One half of a piece and I was a bowled , but if you don't mind a rich cake, it was delicious. I took it to work the next day and it was gone in an hour, so I guess my fruity dessert loving-heart was in the minority. Do you like to bake?

P.S. If you are interested in starting to bake more from scratch, I really can't suggest Barefoot Contessa books enough. While she does use expensive ingredients sometimes, her directions are thorough and I've never had a baking failure with her directions, if I followed them exactly. My sister B. got me this book and I would suggest it for starters.

Quindome Reviews: Poppy King for Boots No7

2012-02-01T09:05:00.001-05:00


Image via Boots USA

Recently I ran upon a nearly empty display case for the highly blogged debut of the Poppy King collaboration lipsticks for Boots USA at Target.Yeah, I was pretty jazzed and gave fellow shoppers milling around dirty looks so they would let me browse in peace.
Let's talk some Pros and Cons:

Pros:
1. Price- $9.99 is cheaper than MAC for sure. Is may be more expensive than say your Revlon lipstick, but unless your rockin' a coupon, I don't really think so. For someone who likes to try out new makeup without killing my wallet, this was big.
2. Quality Name Attached- I know that Poppy King makes good lipsticks. Why? I've tried them before. I recently bought her collaboration with J.Crew and really love it. The color is good, the formula has rich pigment and it isn't drying. This meant I already felt comfortable that it was going to be good.
3. Cute Packaging- I like the color of the tube and her signature. Good packaging for items big and small goes a long way with me.
4. Excellent Range of Colors- They had lipsticks for gals with super fair skin, like me, and lipsticks for gals with dark skin too, along with those in the middle.
Cons:
1. Not a lot of pigmentation- This could fall either in the pros or cons, depending on what you are looking for. I do wear some heavy shades, but this is an everyday shade with a bit of color and shine. If you are looking for something that is long-wearing, this isn't it. On average, I'm reapplying every three or four hours. I drink a lot of water, so maybe I'm not the norm since I'm always smudging my lips on a glass, in full disclosure.
2. Wasteful outer Packaging- I already mentioned that I like nice packaging, but these lipsticks came in their own boxes with a little note too. Cute? Yes. Wasteful? For sure. I think the tube itself is cute enough to avoid this useless box.
Overall Review: If you're at Target and browsing for a nice everyday lipstick, whip out your ole debit card on these. Two debit cards up!

Letterpress at Fifteen Eleven

2012-01-30T10:01:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Another weekend behind me in 2012 and another busy week at work. I hope your weekend was lovely. The weather here in DC was a DELIGHT! On Saturday, I went to Alexandria for my letterpress class at Fifteen Eleven. I must say, I left even more in love with letterpress.The process was amazing to see, not least because the printing presses are so visually striking. Suann was lovely and such a nice teacher, going over not just the basics of the printing press, but also the history and her own story about getting into it. Pearl, the giant printing press above, was cool to see in action. I was sort of terrified that I would trip and break it, but upon further reflection, 4,000 pounds of cast iron would have done more damage to me most likely! We each printed our own blind impression(?) cards, sans ink, on a smaller tabletop press. I didn't want to fiddle with my digital while trying to focus on the class, so hopefully these instaxes give you a good impression of how pretty the space was. If you live in the DC area, I fully recommend taking one of their courses.

Friday at Five

2012-01-27T13:19:00.000-05:00

Source: google.com via quindome on Pinterest

So long suckahs! I'm leaving work early today because lately this is all I've done. I need some extra time, dang it. This weekend I'm going to take my letterpress class at 1511. I'm hoping to do some adventuring in Alexandria and maybe will go check out this new place for some fun food type browsing. Though we've been enjoying Sunday brunches at our apartment to save money and reduce our muffin tops, I'm going to try to convince R. that we should go to have dinner at Lyon Hall. It is supposed to be warm here in D.C. and though I'm usually a winter-lover, a good weather weekend means I can break out of my not-getting-out funk. What are your plans? Whatever they are, I hope you have a lovely weekend. Eat a donut and drink some coffee. Why? Because they are both glorious.

The World's Prettiest Polaroids

2012-01-27T09:33:00.000-05:00

Images via Amanda Marsalis

Have you seen this Tumblr by Amanda Marsalis? So, so beautiful. Like, really, woah.

Orange For All

2012-01-26T09:51:00.000-05:00

Source: convoy.tumblr.com via quindome on Pinterest

Sometimes do you see a color and get it stuck in your head? After seeing this image, I've been thinking on and looking for orange objects all around. Look out weekend shopping, you've got some orange coming your way!

P.S. This new love of orange could also be caused by the massive consumption of citrus at my house after a Costco induced impulse buy of 5 lbs of oranges.

Instaxy Delight

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of my two busiest months at work, so going out and about has been limited as of late. Here are a few Instax shots I've taken here and there since December. Enjoy!

1.Christmas Colored Flowers 2. Birthday Cupcake from Red Velvet 3.A quiet cup of coffee 4. Cheap, but pretty carnations 5. Donuts at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill 6. Thrifting Scene 7.More Cupcakes! 8.Giant Birthday Balloon 9.Easter Market main building 10. Practicing with my Holga Lens 11.My nephew Nugget celebrating his first Christmas 12. A wee bit of snow 13. Nugget loves his cereal 14. My niece A. being enthralled with her Christmas loot

Geronimo!

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Geronimo Balloons

If you read enough blogs, I'm sure you've run across Geronimo Balloons. I care not! Look how cute their Valentine's idea is, not to mention that their styling is always so spot on adorable. I love that even if you don't live in LA, they will deliver a big box of balloons to you. How fun would it be to open up a big box of these balloons?
(Spotted on DesignLoveFest)

Swap-O-Matic

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Fast Company via here

We're probably all familiar with Artomat machines, but I just spotted these new Swap-O-Matic machines online. All items are donated by different users. Each user who donates then gets credits to start swapping, with new users automatically getting 3 credits. I love their mission statement: "The goal of this project is to promote a shift in culture away from an emphasis on unconscious consumption towards a more sustainable way of life through reusing and trading." What an awesome idea!

Couples Crush

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes do you have friend crushes on celebrity couples*? Like, when you have these crushes you imagine how fun it would be to hang out and ask them to come over for Taco Night!(Yeah, you have to have the exclamation point for that type of fun) Anyway, maybe I've been watching Parks and Rec and Up All Night too much lately, but lately my couples crush is Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. They named their kid Archie, which I think takes moxie, so they must be fun.

* Gross, please don't say Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Stop. Gross.

Colored Denim

2012-01-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Kendi Everyday

Lately I've been seeing colored denim everywhere. I'm looking at you J. Crew. Can I really pull that off? I'm mostly a dark jeans type of gal, I thought. Then I saw how Kendi from Kendi Everyday was wearing them and thought, "Maybe, Just Maybe". I think if I'm going to try them though, I'll have to go H&M type cheap, because I don't know how frequently I'd really wear them. Would you and if so, how? Got any other good looks?

Immersive Ideal

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Artisphere

Good Morning! Another weekend came and went here in our nation's capital city. Blustery winds and light snow made us all panic and buy bread, in that order. I was, against my will, forced to work late on Friday night, which made my weekend seem shorter than usual. Saturday morning, R. and I braved the not-so-bad weather to go check out Beauty Pill's Immersive Ideal exhibit at Artisphere. You can read all about the gist of the exhibit here at the Washington Post. We were lucky and got to sit through most of the tracks alone with no one else around. Basically you sat alone in a giant darkened theatre, with the best surround sound you've ever heard, playing a pretty awesome and impressive set of tracks. See how that would have been creepy with strangers around? Anyway... As the music played, three separate screens showed photos from the recording of the album that had happened in that same theatre months before. It made me feel more in touch with what I was listening to in a weird way. I can't imagine how weird it must have been for the folks who came and watched them record it. I kicked myself for having missed out on that.
More Thoughts on Beauty Pill after the jump

I saw Beauty Pill a couple years ago when they opened for Dismemberment Plan at the Black Cat reunion shows. At the time, I have to be honest, I wasn't blown away. To be fair, I think I had a bad case of "Who are these guys, where is the band I came to see?", which was,admittedly, lame of me. R. has been a big fan and has tried to turn me on to them for a while now, but I have to say, hearing their new work on Saturday, really changed my mind. They seem to be a band working on carrying the traditions of the DC Music scene, which is near and dear to my heart. I'll be loading them on the ole' iPod for work this week and am going to give them another listen. And, for the record, no pun intended, how freaking awesome must it have been to record an album in a museum?

Friday at Five

2012-01-20T15:52:00.001-05:00

Image via Matthew Kavan Brooks on Society Six

So this past week, in an act of "I don't want to do all this work" rebellion, I watched a movie instead of working late. (R.-This is my public confession. The shame) I watched I Don't Know How She Does It. The movie was very "Meh", but one of the things I thought was hilarious was a scene in which she's making lists in her head. As a compulsive list maker, I could totally relate. In honor of my list making I thought I'd mix it up and tell you a few things I won't be doing:

Jazzercise- What is this? Has anyone ever actually seen anyone else doing it? Either way, won't be me.
Eating ranch dressing- Gross. I think it is the worst condiment/salad dressing ever. Once some got on my hand while loading the dishwasher and I gagged from the smell. That's dramatic and lame, but totally true.
Making a collage with my celebrity boyfriends on it- I have only one celebrity boyfriend, George Clooney, and he doesn't inspire this type of fandom.
Watching re-runs of Magnum PI- I prefer Golden Girls or Newhart.
Petting puppies- Lame. I should be. This sounds awesome, but alas I have no friends with dogs.

Now you know. I hope you have a fun weekend. What won't you be doing?

(Image found via Miss Moss)

Always Late to the Party

2012-01-20T09:58:00.002-05:00


Images via Our Paper Shop Blog

Boo! I've been soooo busy for the past two weeks, I feel like I've missed out on some internet awesomeness. (Suck it SOPA!)While I'm loving my new Rifle calendar for my office, at home I've been looking for something that is less Quindome and more Quindome and R. I like for our house to reflect both of our tastes and while I'm sure he thinks flowers are pretty, I don't think they are particularly his style. I wish I'd seen these awesome calendars from Our Paper Shop in time to order one, but this is my busy, busy time at work. How rad are those? As a lover of fine paper goods, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this shop.

P.S. How cute is the styling in their LookBook?

12 Bottle Basics

2012-01-18T09:25:00.001-05:00

Image via The Elegant Abode via The Kitchn

Today is Busy. (Notice the capital letter B) I'm working from 8:30 AM to well past 9:00 PM and when I get home, I may need to have a little cocktail. In honor of my sweet home bar cart, I thought I'd share this article I found on the 12 essential bottles needed for a proper home bar. I don't know about you, but when I go into a liquor store I usually just feel confused about what I would need to buy to make a particular drink. Maybe this weekend I'll try out a new cocktail recipe, which would surely be easier if I had a few of these.

(Found Via Design Crush)

Knock Knock Grocery Lists

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Knock Knock

I know I'm always talking about super sexy stuff, like cameras, cupcakes, and art, but let's talk about something super sensual this morning....grocery lists. Don't guffaw so hard, chum. Grocery lists are serious business at my house. I usually kept a running list anyway, but when R. spotted these pre-printed Knock Knock lists at Anthropologie during my birthday shopping a few weeks ago, we knew we had to try them. Good news? They work! There are magnets on the back that actually keep it stuck to your fridge and the items listed are pretty much things we buy. My only concern is if I needed a specific amount of an ingredient for cooking, but lately I've been so busy I haven't had the chance to try any new recipes I didn't already have ingredients for. Anyway, so far so good. Not revolutionizing grocery list making, but definitely making it easier!

Music To Your Ears/Fridays At Five

2012-01-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd combine these two normal features to make one ROCKIN' feature. Go ahead embrace your inner 90's riot grrrl and dance on this Friday afternoon.Work has been a bummer this week as it was my first five day week since mid December and somehow, though that's my usual schedule, it was rough. One day I really did think of banging my head on my desk, but then realized I couldn't work up the courage to actually knock myself out, thus ending the pain of work, and so I just gave up and went back to work. I know... Quitter. This long weekend has not yet been planned at all and truthfully that sounds pretty grand. I didn't make the grilled cheese from last weekend, but that's about as far as my plans go.
Anyway, got any fun plans? Happy Weekend!

P.S. Gosh I love That Dog! The comments on this YouTube video are hilarious. Who gets all lathered up over a 90's girl-band? Those guys, I guess.

Spin-Off Necklaces

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Images via Emily Rothschild

While I'm not normally a gold gal, I love these necklaces by Emily Rothschild for their old-fashioned charm.With one image on one side and one on another, when you spin them fast enough the two images seem to interact. Cool! Plus? You can get the dancers on Fab.com for a super sale, which is where I originally spotted this. Wouldn't you obsess over spinning it all day?

Quindome Reviews: DODOcase

2012-01-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

Image via DODOcase

My family was AWESOME and got me a new Kindle Fire for Christmas! I'm pretty much in love with it. Since I didn't buy the actual Kindle, I figured I could justify getting a snazzy case for it. After some research, I found DODOcase. I just got mine yesterday and thought I'd tell you what I think in a new feature for products called "Quindome Reviews". This will be a feature for items I actually own, rather than items I'm longing for.

Now let's talk DODOcase!

Image via DODOcase

Pros:

Looks awesome!- Yeah, I know this is supposed to be all about protection and stuff, but c'mon, I don't like my electronics to look ugly. It actually looks and feels like a book. Not to dissimilar in size from a large Moleskin notebook. They use actual book binding techniques and you can tell.
Quality materials- This goes along with looks I suppose, but I see a lot of cute covers that are made of pleather and cheap materials. The cloth cover and sweet bamboo holding case seem like they will hold up well over time. I'm a person who doesn't always rush to buy new electronics to make sure I'm getting my moneys worth and so this really matters when it comes to my covers too. (I still have this iPod and love it).
Good protection- I'm usually really careful with my electronics, but am also a bit of a spaz so this is super important. No it isn't waterproof (Gross. Please don't use your stuff in the bathroom, folks) or fireproof, but seems like it would protect it from a reasonable drop.
Discreet-If my family loves me enough to get me such a sweet gift, I should protect it, no? This really does look like a little notebook. I think I would be fine to use it on the Metro and not bring attention to myself, like "HEY, COME STEAL MY KINDLE".

Cons:

Price- This is definitely not the cheapest cover. I got mine on Amazon for $50, with free shipping since I have Amazon Prime. However, all of my pros are most likely due to the fact that this is not a cheaply produced item.
Elastic strap-I don't know yet really if this is a con, but I worry about it, so I'm putting it here. My concern is that the elastic will lose its stretch over time.
Not the best stand- This was something I knew going in, but still have to mention. Unless the surface you are trying to stand it on has some sort of traction, this is not going to work well. This was fine for me since I mostly plan to use it for couch web-browsing, tweeting, and reading, but if you want to use it to watch movies I guess this would be a bigger deal.

Overall, I'm incredibly pleased with this choice and give this two debit cards up! I think this is a worthwhile investment for your Kindle and something you definitely won't mind looking at for a few years.

American Masters

2012-01-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to watching the PBS American Masters special on Ray and Charles Eames that had been sitting on my DVR since early December. Wow! I was blown away by all of the amazing projects they had their hands in, like the giant IBM display in the early 1970's. As someone who has only in the past few years begun to get interested in Mid-Century design, it was incredible to see just how much these two people had such a big part in shaping post-war American design. I fully recommend it if this is something your interested in. You can try to catch it again on tv or watch it here for free online.

P.S. Funny truth? I felt incredibly nerdy for being so into a PBS special. Does this mean I'm officially a grown-up?

Natural Art

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-05:00


Images via doubleyou_em on Flickr

Artist Walter Mason creates these temporary images of land art through found items in nature. He put them together then lets nature take them apart. I thought these were lovely and imagined how nice it would be to stumble upon one without knowing where it came from.

(Found via Photojojo)

See As the Droid Does

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! Here's a glimpse into the past few weeks...

Friday at Five

2012-01-06T15:08:00.000-05:00

After my first official week back on the job and dude... I'm exhausted. Does this make me feel lame and like less than an adult? Yes. Is it true? Totally. My job allows for a long break for Christmas and New Year and while awesome it makes this first week back really hard. This weekend I'm going to:

Have dinner with some friends for a fellow early January birthday. Meats ahoy!
Do research for my upcoming DSLR purchase. Suggestions?
Write thank you notes for my Christmas and Birthday Gifts. I like nice paper goods and can always use a reason to use them up, besides being thankful and polite.
Eat a grilled Cheese Sandwich. Yes, I've been being good about what I eat, but these tips* and my own desire will allow for this cheat.
Continue my blogging work by prepping new and exciting posts for next week. I know... You'd high five me if you could. It's cool.

I hope you have some fun weekend plans!

*(Tips found via For Me, For You)

Pocketed Art

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:00


Images via Martin Azua

I love the idea behind this pocket-able gold cube. It reminded me of those big parachutes you played with in gym class during elementary school, but cooler and more chic. How fun wold this be to just pull out at a picnic?
(Found via Jessica Comingore)

Working Lunches

2012-01-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I forget that all bloggers aren't pros and I get self conscious posting about working, but then I realized that was an illogical thought. How many professional bloggers can there really be?!? So in honor of my not so miraculous epiphany I'm going to test the waters by talking about stuff for gals who work in offices where chilly AC sweaters are required (Shoulder pads are optional). I'm trying to improve my overall health after a few months of poor eating and stressful thesising/sitting on my duff. Let's talk about packing a healthy lunch!

Image via Laptop Lunches on Flickr

The thing that makes making my lunch for work healthy fairly easy is my beloved Laptop Lunch bento box. For some reason packing healthy items always requires me to have fifty different tupperware containers. Is this just me? While a bit pricey initially, the ease of putting everything into the easily packable box makes it easier for me. The second, most likely unadvertised motivator, is that it is much harder to stare at a bunch of unhealthy stuff jammed into such a cute little container. It just calls for fruits and veggies! I even like that there is a Flickr group for Laptop Lunches brand boxes, but also for any old kind of bento box. While some of the items are a bit beyond what I might ever pack, I think it gives you a pretty good idea of what you can put in there and some fun new ideas. Any good suggestions for healthy, but filling work lunches?

In Caffeine We Trust

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00


Images via Caffeine Five

Someone asked me the other day if I was a tea or coffee drinker. I knew instantly they didn't know me at all. Tea is well and good and has its place, but coffee is my heart. How rad is this coffee consumption chart? It includes two things I really love, tracking my habits (listening, eating, and blogging are a few I currently track) and coffee. To Buy click here.
(Found via Wit and Delight)

Just Pretty

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Found via DesignLoveFest

A Sticky Resolution

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

While getting my birthday cupcake yesterday, I spotted this sweet window where people had posted their New Year's Resolutions. Most were very sweet or funny, like the girl who said she was going to stop buying running clothes that looked cute and just start running or the guy who said he was going to win the lottery (I'd like to see the plan that went with that one).

Then I spotted this odd Post-It off to the side. "Hmmm, what does that say?", I wondered.

And then I realized and I almost busted a gut laughing so hard.

I think they are off to an awesome start, don't you agree? People are so random and I love it.

Happy New Year and Thoughts on A Birthday

2012-01-01T18:02:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year, sweet blog readers/my mom! I hope your holidays were jam packed full of fun, family, and whatever else fills your heart with joy. I was off to visit with my family for a few days, then visited with R.'s, then back to NoVA to hang out for a few days before heading off to work. Today is my birthday. I'm not a person who stresses that much about age, but there is something comforting about being in my twenties because that means when I make dumb mistakes other people can chalk them up to my age.

I think for this, my 28th year of living, here are some goals:

1. Do more blogging. I really like it. Now that I'm done with thesis, this is as good a time as any.
2. Take a fun class. Maybe a photography class or a calligraphy class. You know, none necessary skills, but ones that I'd like to have.
3. Be healthier. I'm actually not the worst eater in the world, but umm, I heard a rumor that physical activities are good for you. I should investigate that this year.
4. Take more pictures. Maybe even take a Photo A Day.
5. Spend more time with R. doing fun stuff like traveling, watching movies, and generally enjoying life. He is my love and this should be an easy goal.

Cheers to your 2012! I hope your 2012 is full to the brim and choc-full o' delight!

A Christmas Miracle

2011-12-20T12:41:00.001-05:00


Image via Maaco on Flickr

Sometimes I'm a really cynical person and I wish I wasn't. Normally these Associated Press heart warming stories make me feel silly if I find them inspirational, but this one made me so glad I thought I'd share. At K-Marts across America needy families are having their layaways paid off by anonymous donors. Though I'm hardly ever very personal on here, I remember some scant Christmas days as a kid where my lovely family was only able to have the small presents we did get because my mom was diligent with her lay away plans. While I know money is always scarce to for so many, I thought I'd share in case it encouraged even one more person to take part in this.
(Via Annilygreen)

A Christmas Pickle

2011-12-19T11:56:00.001-05:00

Well, no "Weekend Plans" because I accidentally left my camera at my friends' home on Saturday night. Ooops! In lieu of Weekend Plans, I bring you, ye' olde Christmas pickle. I took this picture with my phone luckily! Shwew! What did we ever do before smart phones? Anyway, back to the pickle. A few weeks ago, Grace from Design*Sponge mentioned on Twitter she was seeing pickle ornaments everywhere. This meant that I too, from that moment on, began to see them everywhere. "What is up with this pickle, shizz?", I wondered. Well on Saturday, R. returned from shopping with his brother and had this little pickle ornament from his beloved K. Mart. On the back of the box it said it was a German tradition to hide a pickle in the tree on Christmas Eve and whoever found it the next morning was going to have good luck for the next year. By placing the pickle in the tree, children were reminded to be grateful for the beautiful ornaments and the tree itself rather than just looking at their presents. This seems strange, but that ornament is hilarious. Happy Monday!

P.S. Woah, can you believe Christmas is this Sunday!? I still haven't finished everything, but luckily have a short week at work.

A Minimalist Christmas

2011-12-15T14:02:00.003-05:00


Image via Frames of Reading Road

Today I ventured out for my first foray into Christmas shopping and (YIKES!) I wasn't feeling it at all. I love my friends and family, I really do, but that type of madness does not bring warm feelings to my heart. I'm thankful that a few years ago my smart brother suggested that we stop giving adults presents and just gift children. I guess, luckily for my niece Munchie, who just finished her first semester of college (WOO HOO! Go Munchie!) we define you as a kid until you graduate college. Don't get me wrong, I'll be doing some online damage tomorrow for Free Shipping Day, but it is nice that I don't feel the tremendous pressure to go out and shop just to buy. I don't know at all what to get R., but I hope some Christmas inspiration will hit tonight. I'm also confused about what to get my younger nieces who are ages 11-7. I'm going to do some gift guide browsing tonight . Suggestions? Is anyone else a little overwhelmed by actual brick and mortar shopping this time of year too?

3 Little Nail Polishes

2011-12-14T11:00:00.004-05:00

Image via Quindome on Polyvore, Nail Polish via Nordstrom

I've been trying to decide if I should do a quickie gift-guide. Perhaps an all-what-you-can-buy-online-at-the-last-minute type thing... Maybe tonight. Either way, I spotted this adorable nail polish on Village and had to see more. I've read that Butter makes great polish, but I haven't been able to pull the trigger because it costs a little much for my cheap heart. Maybe I should treat myself!*
*If you haven't seen that episode of Parks and Rec, go treat yo' self.*

Reading Time

2011-12-13T10:42:00.001-05:00

Image via DougsWordClocks via Making It Lovely

A little flu has descended upon my post-thesis euphoria to bring me back to Earth. Taking the day off of everything to get some rest, but I spotted this cool clock on Making It Lovely and had to share. I'm a loser who never learned how to tell time like this (Ex. Quarter till 5) until a few years ago and then used it like it was going out of style. *cough, cough, sniffle, sniffle* Now back to bed/couch.

Weekend Plans

2011-12-12T09:42:00.002-05:00

Images 1, 3,4, 9, 10, 11 from top right courtesy of R., who used the digital while I busted out my Instax.

This was my first weekend in at least 2 years where I didn't have to feel guilty for doing fun things because I'm finally done with my thesis and it was wonderful. R. agreed to do anything I wanted on Saturday as part of our post-thesis celebration and I chose to go to Eastern Market in Capitol Hill. I've never actually been during the winter, so it was fun to see of the the Christmas stuff they had. We spent the whole day walking around, having snickey snacks, drinking coffee, browsing the flea market, looking for used books and taking pictures. We had brunch at Montmarte and finally got around to dinner at Ted's Bulletin, both of which I would recommend to anyone visiting DC. We've been to Montmarte many times, but Ted's Bulletin was something I'd wanted to do for at least a year, but had been too busy. I loved the decor and the old movies they played, not to mention the food was delicious! Sunday was filled with nothing really, so this is really only my Saturday. I just didn't think anyone would want to see my laundry or the giant blister I got from a pot of bubbling, hot butternut squash soup that we didn't like anyway because of too much sage. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are off to a happy Monday!

Friday At Five

2011-12-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

Image via Angela Hardison via Black*Eiffel

Happy, Happy Friday! I will be basking in the glow of post-thesis joy! I just spotted this free PDF, inspired by Emily's craft on Secrets from a Stylist. I do believe this sweet little number will be printed and put up, along with the rest of my Christmas decorations. This week has been all over the map, no pun intended, and I need to take some time to mellow out. Happy Friday!

I Wood Wear These Out!

2011-12-09T09:54:00.001-05:00

Image via Shwood via A Pair of Pears

These are obviously freaking amazing. Yes, please.

Finally- A Final Note on Thesis

2011-12-08T16:24:00.001-05:00

Today, 2:28 P.M. I turned over my thesis to the university library. It was 26,831 words and 100 pages long. As R. and I walked it to the library, I finally realized that I had finished this giant thing in my life. A natural at self deprecation, I was finally able to be proud of my hard work.
Now, bring on the champagne and roses suckahs' 'cause it is relaxy time!

Leisure Time

2011-12-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Oh Happy Day

As it slowly dawns on me that, for the first time since I was five years old, this weekend doesn't include any homework... I'm feeling a bit odd. No guilt over doing something fun when I could be thesising? You jest, sir! So when I saw this rad idea for a Leisure Time Reference Guide in Jordan's gift ideas, I thought what an awesome idea this was. I know there are 20 movies I've wanted to see over these past few months of intensive thesis work, 9 different books, and at least a million new albums to listen to, but.... uhhhhh.....What were they? Problem solved!R. better look out- We are about to be the most weekend loving couple this side of the Mississipp'...Or at least, you know, in NoVa.

The Great Necklace Exchange

2011-12-08T11:45:00.001-05:00


Image via Fashion Loves People

Just this morning I bemoaned the fact that my sweater didn't really allow for a necklace, but instead called for earrings. It is true. I love necklaces most of all jewelry. Earrings can get too heavy, rings are nice except that I'm a clean freak who washes my hands all day, and bracelets usually get in the way of my busy typing all day. A few weeks ago I took part in the Greedy Girl Calendar swap. I love good old fashioned mail and how blogs have opened up these new fun exchanges so when I saw this Necklace Swap, I knew I had to sign up. So much fun! I'm already thinking of what to make!

Weekend Plans

2011-12-06T12:24:00.001-05:00

Yeah, it is Tuesday and I'm just getting around to my Weekend Plans, but I feel okay with that. This weekend was rough! What? You don't believe me because it looks so relaxed and I made a frittata? Well then let me explain. I waited all weekend to find out if my thesis was finally approved and (cue mental drum roll)......... IT WAS! Finally my sweet, lovely advisor said I was ready to get all of my signatures and graduate. More drama to come about that, but the rest of the weekend was nice.
We saw Marc Maron at the Arlington Draft House. If you don't listen to his podcast, WTF, you are really missing out. He was hilarious and really did some amazing crowd work*. We started putting up our Christmas decorations, but to be honest didn't finish because due to said anticipation stress, I got overwhelmed. Yeah, I'm one of those nerds. It was a stressful weekend, but offically the last one I will ever to thesis edits in! YAHOO!

P.S. The drama? While I'm done and just need signatures to graduate, one of my committee members is unexpectedly unreachable in Japan. She has no proxy signer and I've gotten no e-mail. OH THE ANXIETY. Oh, well, I keep trying to tell myself that it is okay, cause I'm done with all my writing and now it is just a waiting game.

*Just a tip, ladies- Please don't take your entire drunken bachelorette/drunken birthday party to a comedy show. You will be made fun of or at least annoy the rest of the crowd. Take that stuff to a bar where it belongs and let the hardworking comedian do their job.*

Friday At Five

2011-12-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Image via This is Glamorous via Another

This weekend, aside from finding out what's happening withmy thesis (*Fingers Crossed*), I hope I can put up my Christmas tree. I need a littleholiday cheer. Earlier this week, I found myself being a holiday Grinch becauseof too much exposure to gift guides, already packed stores, and general earlyDecember overkill. I need a pick me up and I think white Christmas lights are justthe trick.

I hope you have a lovely weekend, filled with hot cocoa, punkChristmas songs, and general good times.

P.S. Lately all R. and I want to drink is Champagne, mostly as a joke, but also somewhat seriously, I'm embarrassed to admit. We usually buy cheap Prosecco or whatever is on sale, but I think for my graduation I'd like a nice fancy bottle *hint,hint*. It is always a delicious celebration!

(Holiday) Music to Your Ears

2011-12-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

As the holiday season approaches, I always find myself enjoying traditional songs with a nice mix of new punk classics. I love Dean Martin and Judy Garland Christmas songs, but they get played out in stores, so it is nice to have other Christmas jams. I really wanted to put up Face to Face's song, Merry Christmas, but the video was lame. I didn't think I would go wrong with the Ramones though.

Babys in the Modern World

2011-12-01T13:43:00.001-05:00

Image via The Hangover

When my sister was having my nephew last year we all tried to come up with names for him. Little did we know that we should have been using Google! I recently read that new babies have an online presence typically within 29 seconds of being born! For a fascinating read on how parents are using modern technology to choose baby names, read this New York Times article. I'm not even in the market for a baby, no siree, but I'm fascinated by how people pick names. Remember this awesome site from Cup of Jo a few years ago? So weird. I think I should ask my mom how she came up with my name... What about yours?

Pot Calling the Kettle Black

2011-11-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Behance, Found on Photojojo

I love my Vignette pictures from my 'Droid as much as the next Instagram user, but I have to agree with Grandma on this one. I don't think my pictures are fine art by any means, nor would I call myself an photographer because my phone has fun filters. Check this out for other tech savvy lessons from Granny.

Dedication Pages

2011-11-29T09:59:00.001-05:00


Image by Amelia-Jane on Flickr

I'm working really hard over here to get my final draft to my committee chair. This is the big one, the one that she say YOU'RE DONE for. EEEEP!
As I worked on my dedication page last night I thought of all the people I should thank and realized that it is tough to say something so big in so few words.

While googling dedications for inspiration, I spotted this and thought it was so nice, I'd share it:
My Dear Lucy,
I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be
Your Affectionate Godfather,
C.S. Lewis
From The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

Back to work. Rainy and cold here, which might be good because you know hot drinks help to motivate my writing.

Weekend Plans

2011-11-28T14:29:00.001-05:00

It was such a wonderful little break from work and life this past weekend. R.'s parents came to visit and we cooked up a storm. I made two new recipes, millionaires' shortbread and mocha chocolate icebox cake, along with my very favorite cranberry cornmeal cake. What a dumb-dumb though, who forgot to take very many pictures of our delicious dinner! Oh, well... We had a fun drive out to Middleburg, VA. Notice how I said drive? Yeah, it's because the town was so crowded and a lot of the folks were Miffy VonStuckUpInStocks who didn't mind to be pushy and rude, while all the restaurants were crazy crowded. I guess we forgot it was Black Friday. We did stop to do some thrifting along the way and even though I didn't buy anything, I can see myself going back at the thrift shops. Sunday was full of thesising as *FINGERS CROSSED*, I'll be done in the next two weeks. Happy Cyber Monday.

P.S. It was weird. I've never seen so many live Christmas tree places or people with real trees on their cars. Sort of made me sad my tree is fake, but then I remembered that it is pre-lit and doesn't make me sneeze or vacuum! Yippee! I can't wait to decorate, but thesis first!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T11:58:00.001-05:00

Image via Google

I'm signing of early this week. Thank goodness for the break! Two full days off is going to be GLORIOUS!

I'll be baking, eating, snoozing, thesising, and hanging out. I hope I get to go to the movies and you see from above one of my picks. I loved the Muppets and always will! On an adult with no kids note, who might be weird for seeing the Muppet movie alone, I'd also like to go see The Descendants. I will not be doing any shopping because a.) I'm a loser who is broke and b.) I'm a loser who knows better than to get between crazed ladies looking for deals.

Cheers to eating pies, taking little turkey naps, and being with the ones you are thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Origami Necklace

2011-11-22T09:26:00.001-05:00

Image via Design Sponge via Anthology

I popped on to Design*Sponge first thing this morning, as I am want to do, and this little beauty greeted me. My first thought was, "I could never afford that", then I realized it was part of a DIY necklace from the new Anthology Winter Gift Guide. How cool is that necklace? I suspect that it is a necklace that ladies would like, not men, but who cares!? It is a short work week due to the holiday and this might be a fun little distraction from all that turkey and thesis work, eh?

Nerd Confessions

2011-11-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

It is true that he wasn't the nicest guy in his personal life, but Bruce Lee was still the coolest in my book. I won't lie that if his movies come on TV, I am totally transfixed and I've probably seen some of them upwards of 10 times. I read a biography on him once and was incredibly amazed at both his work ethic and his seeming lack of concern to irritating martial arts traditionalists. HiiiiiiiYaaaah!

Weekend Plans

2011-11-21T13:01:00.001-05:00

Busy, busy weekend. With company, R's lovely parents, coming, we had to do some spruce goosing. Much thought and work was put into hanging up some lovely 20x200 art, along with some show posters. These pictures probably convey a more serene picture than it actually was, really. We did spot that fat squirrel eating a waffle near our apartment, which may be the best picture I've ever taken. A trip to IKEA for frames was actually low key and not so crowded, which was a delight to find. I'm pretty exhausted from all that work, plus thesising, but luckily it is a only a 2 1/2 day work week, WOOOO-HOOO! I hope your weekend was wonderful and your Monday too.

P.S. Just occurred to me how lame it was that I didn't take any pictures of our awesome framing jobs. Lameocablamo. Try again, Quindome.

Instaxy Delight

2011-11-18T12:08:00.001-05:00

From Top Left: Local Signage, Twilight, Pumpkin Patch, State Park, Balloons, Summer Flowers, Nephew, Walking Path, Fall Flowers, Delicious Drinks

Just a few glimpses of life through the lens of my sweet little Instax.

Beautiful Journeys

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-05:00


Image via My Modern Met via Honestly WTF

This train tunnel in the Ukraine is so beautiful. I always love Abbey's Daily Dose of Green so this is my ode to her and my best wishes for your Wednesday morning. I've taken long train rides a few times in my life and I'm sure I would have audibly gasped if I had ever gone through something so magical.

Flip Books

2011-11-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

Video via DispleasedEskimo on YouTube

I wanted to show you a video of my Dita Von Teese flip books, which I think are just rad, but have yet to figure out how to do it well. Rather than do such a disservice to Dita, I found this one that cracked me up. My brother used to do the best flip books when we were little and I was always jealous. Mine were always easy, like a ball bouncing, while his would be so detailed.

Wouldn't it be fun to make your own photo flip book?

Weekend Plans

2011-11-15T10:48:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delayed Weekend Plans, I was exhausted yesterday. For such a fun weekend, I actually didn't take that many pictures. Quindomesgiving was such fun! My family had such fun in our big rented cabin, even if the turkey we ordered was a tad dry. We did some thrifting, but mostly just hung out and chatted. Coming from my quiet little apartment, being around my noisy-as-three-drums family was a nice change of pace. The nature was lovely and it was a welcome break from my extreme thesis-ing as of late.I miss my family so much and it is always nice to be home to visit, even if I did drive 748.3 miles over three days!

Friday at Five

2011-11-11T15:43:00.001-05:00


Taken with my Droid

My family is lovely and have decided to have Quindomesgiving this weekend since I'm coming home. They even ordered a turkey! I'm so excited. On Saturday night we rented a big cabin and are having our big festivus. It is a long trip, but I'm so excited. It hope to do a wee bit of thrifting, so maybe on Monday, I'll have some finds to share. (*I am really wishing to find some nice milk glass*)

I hope you have a long, lovely, relaxing weekend! I hope it is filled with lots of magazines, hot chocolate, and you know, whatever makes you glad.

P.S. I think we all know my real name isn't Quindome, but my family is calling it Insertmyrealnameheresgiving, which was so funny to me, I couldn't leave out that detail. We are nerds.

Lego Love

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Images via My Modern Met

I know that these types of street drawings are all over the internet, but this is rad. Many a Lego man was played with by my brothers and I. Sadly, many a Lego man was also sentenced to a life down the bathtub drain, but that's another story all together. The best thing I can do with chalk on the street is write my name in cursive bubble letters, so yeah, color me impressed.

Sucker for Packaging

2011-11-09T12:08:00.001-05:00

Go Picnic Meal

As a person who often has to eat lunch at her desk, I am usually pretty good about packing a fairly healthy lunch. On days that I don't I find I make much worse choices for myself, like the fast food readily available where I work. In order to cool it, I try to keep some healthy snacks at my desk and thought I'd show you the cute Go Picnic Meal I found at Target. It was less than $2 and not the worst lunch I could ever eat. I'm gonna add some baby carrots stashed in the office fridge and call it a lunch hour. If this was middle school, I'm sure all the kids would be jealous. As it is, the lovely ladies I work with just want some for their kids.

P.S. I know there is a lot of packaging, but I'll recycle everything I can and normally don't eat in these single serving size. Come on, give a newly reformed semi-healthy eater a break.

Prettier Leftovers

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00


Image via Lena Corwin

Am I alone in wanting my fridge to look magazine perfect when I open it? I guess not! Look at what I spotted on Lena Corwin's blog! As a person who a.) Doesn't know how to cook for just two people b.) loves to pack a leftover for lunch and c.) hater of stained Tupperware, maybe these Weck jars would be perfect. Except, let's not front here, mine would be filled with pasta and soup and crowded by Pellegrino bottles.

Gambit

2011-11-08T13:51:00.003-05:00

Image via Eat Brie

At the suggestion of Drew McWeeney, R. and I watched Gambit over the weekend. Luckily for you it is streaming on Netflix. I love a fun sort of caper movie and this one didn't disappoint. I may, for record, now have a wee crush on young Michael Caine. It's a short fun romp of a movie and I would never have imagined that young Shirley Maclaine was such a little cutie!

P.S. Fun Trivia: Did you know that Shirley Maclaine is Warren Beatty's sister? Yeah, pull that out of your pocket the next time you hang out with your grandma. You know she'll be impressed!

Music to Your Ears

2011-11-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've really been loving this Horrible Crowes album lately. Seems like perfect music for Fall. Brian Fallon from The Gaslight anthem is the lead singer and he already has a special spot in my heart for his unabashed love of Bruce Springsteen. He further cemented it by making an album that is reminiscent of The Afghan Whigs. I also like that they made an actual video. Call me a fogey, but I still like a good video.

Anxious!? Buy a Book!

2011-11-03T13:58:00.000-04:00

I won't lie to ya' kids. Today I'm feeling incredibly anxious and nervous. My thesis buddy just got all her stuff approved and is almost done. I feel so incredibly happy for her, but so anxious while I wait on my committee. I know the logical answer is to chill, but when have I ever been logical about my worrying powers? In order to help chill out, I just ordered Mindy Kaling's new book, Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me. While I wait on R. to finish reading The Girl Who Played With Fire, I thought it would be a funny, lighthearted read to take my mind off this craziness. The title alone is hilarious and on this day where worrying seems to be taking over my life, I liked the title of her book was an honest ,to a nerd like me, concern.

Girl Crush

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-04:00


Image by Quindome on Polyvore I spotted this while reading the new Vogue this month. I had been waiting to see Emma Stone as a spokesperson and was pleased that an accessible to most people brand like Revlon grabbed her. Unlike some of their other spokesmodels who work my nerves (I'm talking to you Jessica Alba), she seems so funny and smart in interviews and let's not front, she is gorgeous. I still haven't seen Easy A, but now that I'm thinking of it, I should add it to my Netflix Queue. P.S. Speaking of the new Vogue, if you, like me, are looking forward to the David Fincher adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, you should read the article with Rooney Mara!

Seasonally appropriate

2011-11-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

Taken with my Droid using the Vignette App

I know that everyone else in the whole world is already looking forward to Black Friday and the new annoying holiday Black Thursday, also known as Thanksgiving. I feel like I'm along in loving Fall. I'll continue to drink hot drinks to my hearts content and wear lightweight sweaters until after Thanksgiving. I like that Nordstrom took a stand and said NO to the three months of Christmas decorations. Yay for Fall!

Etsy Love

2011-11-01T11:07:00.000-04:00


Image via bookhouathome on Etsy Lately it seems like the car industry has conspired against me with costs (Suck it faker check engine light and overpriced NoVA car registration!), but that won't stop me from doing some Windows* shopping on Etsy. I think I first saw this bag on Mo Pie Please. Is it perfect or what? The leather handles and the geometric shapes are pretty much the bee's knees. For someone who never loved math and struggled to do basic addition just yesterday, the geometric shapes are sucking me in lately. *Didja catch that? haha I'm such a nerd. Get it, Windows shopping, like from my computer. Okay, lame. I know.

Buttercream!

2011-10-31T15:30:00.000-04:00

I did lose all of my pictures from this weekend, which included baking delicious cupcakes. I used this buttercream recipe. It was too good not to show you, but unfortunately all you're gonna get is a travel cupcake I brought to work and my 'Droid picture. If you're needing a quick but delicious icing, I vote for this one!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:12:00.000-04:00

I guess I could be all mad that this morning I went to upload my Weekend Plans pictures to my computer and accidentally deleted them. Yeah, I guess I could be. Instead, since it is Halloween, I guess we should all just practice our Thriller Dance. Here's for happier blogging tomorrow!

Blogging from Bed

2011-10-28T10:40:00.001-04:00

Taking a much needed break from work today. Be back to blogging Monday. After much hard work, a break sounds glorious. Halfway through this book and really enjoying my weekend already! Happy Friday!

Thanks Sociology Degree

2011-10-26T15:12:00.000-04:00

Image via Feminist Ryan Gosling

As I work on finishing my thesis, I love that someone turned the hilarious idea of Hey Girl and made it all about gender theory. On this day, while I anxiously await my committee's response to my gender theory laden thesis, this is just the laugh I needed.

Weekend Plans

2011-10-25T11:43:00.000-04:00

So nice on this very busy Tuesday to think back on my weekend. I had to work on Saturday morning, but was able to spend Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning visiting with R's parents who were in town. We landed randomly at the Korean Festival happening across the street from our apartment, then went to get some delicious BBQ from Willards. I also found some time to do some quick browsing for Fall clothes. My favorite purchase was by far my new Poppy King lipstick from J. Crew. I've been searching for a color similar to this one since I saw it in the catalog a few years ago and I can't believe what a flattering color it really is. I'm looking forward to more relaxing next weekend than this past one, as I'll have sent my thesis stuff to my committee (shwew!), but enjoyed getting back into the swing of Weekend Plans. Happy Tuesday!

Paranormal Activity In More Ways than One

2011-10-24T15:05:00.000-04:00


I know Drew, I felt scared too!

No pictures until tomorrow. I swear I really did take them, but some paranormal forces conspired against me to hide the cord that uploads them to my computer. Lame! Rather than bore you with details from my weekend, sans pictures, I'll just tell you...

I'm so excited to see Paranormal Activity 3. I'm sure, just like after the last two, I'll be terrified for weeks afterward, but I love a good scary movie! Growing up, my brothers were masters at terrifying me, so maybe I'm too scared. After the first one, I was so scared I didn't stay home by myself for at least two weeks. It's Halloween soon though and I'm getting jazzed for some good old fashioned scares! If you haven't watched them, you really should, but take my word for it and don't watch them alone.

Friday at Five

2011-10-21T18:14:00.000-04:00


I feel you Bob.

Yet again, Quindome will be working on thesis. I'm feeling a little rundown from working full time and trying to complete this degree, so hopefully this last push is worth it. I'm sorry to everyone around me if I've been a little crazytown this week. Like Bob, I probably just needed a coffee and some carbs.

I hope you have a lovely weekend. I hope you party hard, while also getting lots of much needed rest. I don't know how you'll make those both happen, but have the utmost faith in your abilities. Party on good people. Till Monday.

DIY Fashion

2011-10-18T09:13:00.002-04:00

Images via Rag & Bone

This is not to say that all of the images are cute, but I love the little shots that Miranda Kerr took for the Rag & Bone DIY shot. They gave each of the models free reign to shoot their own images sans hair and makeup teams and she is still so lovely. I liked hers the best. I think it is funny to see how people whose lives are to look good in front of a camera must interpret their image on their own. I also really like Carolyn Murphy's shots.

Embrace Messy Hair

2011-10-17T14:28:00.002-04:00

Image via Funnelcloud on Etsy

I normally hate those signs that tell you to love or embrace something. Call me hateful (HATEFUL!-That was you screaming it), but they just irritate me. Usually the things that inspire me don't have to tell me to be inspired. This seems obvious, but hey, whatever, I also don't understand Pajama Jeans.

When I saw this cute little print on Etsy, I did like it. Maybe its because my hair is a hot mess most of the time, but what I'd rather believe is that as I get older, I feel more comfortable letting my hair be it's regular old Rosanna Rosanna Danna self. This would be cute maybe to have framed in my bathroom beside a picture of a straightening iron which has been X'd out.

Happy Monday.

P.S. As I get back into the swing of blogging again daily, I realized I had taken some Weekend Plans pictures and forgot to upload them. Tomorrow, buckaroos!

Friday at Five

2011-10-14T13:22:00.002-04:00

For my first "Friday at Five" post in a long time, this goes out to a few hilarious friends of mine who have decided, late in the game, to become full fledged WWE fans. I'm looking at you Hickman(s). For those of you who won't instantly think of CM Punk, this should still be a rocking little number. So go pull of your Body Glove Wet Suits, grab a Cross Colors jacket and have a rocking good weekend! I'm sending my final thesis draft to my committee this Sunday, so it will be a full weekend of working on that, but in a good light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel sort of way. I hope the leaves are pretty and the weather is crisp!

Calendars for All

2011-10-14T09:42:00.001-04:00

Image via Rifle Paper Co.- Adorable, no?

I love my Android Phone. I think about getting an IPad. You'd have to tear my DVR box from my hands. All these technological loves aside, I'm a pen and paper calendar keeper. I used to think I was weird, but I know a lot of other women who are the same way. Maybe it is the thrill of marking things off a to do list or just my minor obsession with quality paper goods, but please don't take away my paper planners and calendars. In light of this, I was excited to sign up for the Greedy Girl Calendar Swap. Combining two major loves of mine, Snail Mail and Surprises... Come on, who could resist! I'm thinking of sending out one of the Rifle Paper Co. calendars. I think they are so sweet and cheerful. My only concern is that everyone else will think the same thing and we'll all get the same calendar as these have been all over the blogosphere. Oh, well! That would mean we'd all come up winners!

May I tell you about not saying "Can I"?

2011-10-13T13:14:00.001-04:00


May I blow your mind with my smarts?-Einstein*

I like to give myself little projects. I'm perpetually busy and so frequently my little projects fall to the wayside... Hello Blog!... Regardless... My new small project is to use the words Can and May correctly. It is the little things in life that keep us learning sometimes. Can I get you to agree?
*I think Einstein probably said this at least once in his life, but I make no guarantees.

The Disappearance of Quindome

2011-10-12T20:38:00.004-04:00

Can I make a nerdy confession? Okay, sure I will. I was really busy in August and didn't get to blog for a few days. Those few days turned into a month. Was I busy during that whole time? Yes, siree I was. Was I so busy I couldn't have blogged? Probably not. In fact, I know I wasn't because I did keep up on some of my favorite blogs.

I got blog shy.

When the internet is filled with so many fun and wonderful blogs, it is easy to feel like yours is silly and unimportant. Well tonight, as I sit faced with my final thesis draft before going to committee, I say ENOUGH. I didn't start this blog to take over the world or become the coolest kid in the room, though those would both be super rad. I started it 'cause I've got something to say about stuff. For the record, said stuff might not be that important to many, but heck, if I don't make me laugh who will? So blogging, here we go again. Third times the charm*!

*This is not my third blog. It is my first, but this would be the third time my blogging shyness overtook me. Lame? True? Both.