This would look so good on my new apartment wall....

In the spirit of the Spring Cleaning Move I'm making to my new place (stay tuned I took pictures and am going to post later this week), I found this hot little idea shared by Design*Sponge.

http://shopruche.blogspot.com/2010/02/diy-wall-decor-from-ruches-lookbook.html

What if I made these

Is it wrong to assume I could make this?

Or this?


Because I want one of each for my new place, they'll be BFFs fo-eva!



What? Was it something I said??? Oh, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. I'm moving.



What? You want pictures of the new place? Oh, no problem, coming up next week.



Sit tight, it's gonna be worth it.


(hippottoman and rhinottoman credit to Jonathan Adler's junion collection. Love 'em, hate the price.)

Yeah, probably.

I may or may not have just ordered the following *HINT: I DID*

(Tall Saturday Pant in Shell) $19.99

(Herringbone field pant in Military green) $19.99

(Vintage Matchstick Cord in both Graphite - shown - and Eucalyptus) $19.99 each.

Why did I do this? Because I can, and because Spring is right around the corner, and in Seattle that means you can break out the vintage Burberry Trench she gave you, put away your Jcrew wool peacoat with Thinsulate, and start wearing colors other than denim and black.

Also, I deserve it.

Also, I'm losing weight from all the running prepping for the Seattle Rock n Roll half marathon, so I need some cute pants I can wear to work as we move towards Spring and Summer this year.

Plus, they were all on clearance. So whether or not they fit when I get them in the mail, I'll be busting ass in the gym (in the work out way - not the way where you don't want to stand next to me..... IF you know what I mean) to make it happen.

So unrelated and late, it's not even funny, but I'm still doing it

I just saw this company, Need Supply Co., on someone else's blog (that'd be you, Erin) and I started fantasy shopping (totally legit, trust).

I am excited to look at clothes again since I'm back in training (that's right, I didn't stutter), for a half marathon at the end of June. I'm really excited, and am training with this fabulous character:

I have seen the following items I now require:

Cropped Cadet coat: DUH

Plaid Blouse: for the rainy days I'm still feeling sunny

Twilight Jacket: is SO Seattle, and so Siiri

Tis the Season

I know, I really do know, how awful I've been about posting. It's not from lack of desire to post, trust.


I have about 10 things I would like to sit down and do lengthy posts about, and who knows, maybe I'll get a wild hair and do some this weekend. But I did want to tell you about something great that isn't being super promoted, but should be!



JCPenney's Angel Giving Tree Online



This is new for JCPenney I believe, at least I have never heard of it before.

Why am I telling you all about this?

Well, I'm SO glad you asked:

(shut up, you knew there was a list coming)

1. JCPenney is my dirty little secret. My grandpa Dick (my mom's dad) worked for Penney's for MANY years, in fact I think he retired from there. This gave my grandma Dot (my mom's mom) a lifetime discount to the store. Yes, a LIFETIME DISCOUNT. She had a credit card looking thing that seriously gave her some crazy lifer discount. I could barely contain myself when she took me there for my (belated) high school graduation present when I went to visit her my Freshman year of college. (She was in Eugene, OR, and I was going to Reed in Portland)

2. Even though I don't have her lifer discount (I know, sad it doesn't transfer down), I still go there because they have really sturdy clothes, that are both classic and trendy, that you can afford on ANY budget (just wait for my $.88 skinny jeans post later this month).

3. You are always going to hit a sale.

4. They just started a rewards program, and I already earned a $10 gift card that I promptly used to buy two cute sweaters (don't worry, post to come still).

5. They have awesome sales staff that are always helpful.

6. It's always empty so I feel like I have the whole store to myself.

7. They like to give back to local communities.

So, if you don't already have a charity in mind this year, you should really just check out the JCPenney's Angel Giving Tree Online and possibly consider donating. You can search for a certain area of the country or a type of person to give to.

It's a great cause, and you can be guaranteed they will receive something that is quality.

Doesn't giving feel GREAT?!

A Half Cup

Hello decor world, please buckle your seat belts, because I finally got my food blog up and running. That's right. It might not pertain to you, interest you, or tempt you in the least.....but on the off chance you eat, cook, or do dishs (does that cover everyone?) you might want to take a peek.

www.aHalfCup.com

In the coming weeks, months and (god willing) years, I hope to take the "WORK" out of being in the kitchen, and put the skip in the step of all those who don't feel like they know what they're doing in the kitchen.

My philosophy is that when I cook, I really don't need to do much - let the food speak for itself, use simple preperation, and follow my instinct. Recipes and 5 course meals are for special ocassions, and there will be some along the way.

But lets start talking about how we cook each day, how we avoid doing dishes, and how we make 1 hour on a Sunday last for 4 meals over a full week.

If something doesn't taste so good while cooking, I just get out my half cup measure, and add whatever seems right. What that is differs every day, so dust off your Chanel apron (the one you had custom made to match the Chanel linens you inherited from your Gran), and come on over to A Half Cup. Coffee's on.

WHAT is wrong with me?!?!?!?!

That is a REALLY good question, and frankly, one that would take wayyyyyyyyyy more time and energy than I think any of us really care to devote to answering.

However, there is, as my mother would say, "a reader's digest version."

Let me clarify: when I ask "What is wrong with me?" I mean "WHY have I not posted anything in a month and a half?"

The answer?

I have no idea. I think I got lazy reading everyone else's and was like "eh, that'll do." But I was so lazy I couldn't even point you here, here or even here....which is basically like oxygen to me.

I'm really sorry. Please forgive me. Also, I work, right? so there's that...... (you're not buying that excuse, are you?)

So here's a promise: I promise that I will post more frequently, unless something better, I mean, urgent (like watching everything I've Tivo'd in the past 6 months) comes up. Heh.

But really, there have been some great things going on out there that you should see. So in the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some awesome projects I've seen.

Also, I know I told you about all those projects I had started myself. Let's be honest: I have not started a single one of them. So sue me. Okay, please don't sue me. Now that the weather is getting craptastical, the "summer dining room" that was our carport is coming down, till next year, which means I'll have a work space to attempt doing some of this crap in, until the snow catches up with me (God willing, right?)

[NOTE TO SELF: go buy chains this weekend at Wal Mart while in Lake Chelan]

[QUESTION TO SELF: can I use chains with my Ford Explorer? I have 4 wheel drive, but we know what happened last year when I really depended on it: Sergio crapped out on me - Sergio is my black Ford Explorer. I will have to ask about using chains and 4 wheel drive]

Okay, right, so back to decorating stuff. Ummmmm, where were we? Right, I promise to work on my projects. I've got the following to do:

-strip and refinish that office chair I got for Paul, even though he told me he doesn't want it - even without seeing it, or letting me give a description

-strip and stain or paint cute entryway table I got on Freecycle (currently Barney purple with broken top)

-cover and fix elementary school cabinet that was supposed to be our china hutch that I've had for over a year, which houses a bunch of crap we don't want people to see. (yeah, cuz the sunshine yellow and orange doors and sides are totally camo)

-Store all my summer clothes (um, I didn't even take them out of storage, so why are they all over my bedroom floor?)

-Knit everything in sight:

-puff ball ottoman

-hat for Paul

-scarf I started 4 years ago, seriously, I'm not joking

-water bottle cover

-hat for little Jackson (our friends' newborn)

-Take a picture of Emily and I and put it in a damn frame once and for all (we have many empty frames all over the house, it's weird.)

-Buy a house.

Okay so that wraps it up!

WHAT?! Oh, you saw that last one? riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Well, I've been himming and hawing for a year or so now, and I think it's really time for me to get serious about it. I think I'm one of those people that is in a situation to be able to buy, and if the price is right and the project looks good......you know what I always say! "I'll start that this weekend"

Oh! Also, one last note: I'll try to take pictures of Chelan this weekend to show you and gush over when I return, AND I am attempting to start my long overdue food blog, so if you have any name suggestions, I'm all ears people!

hugs!

Siiri