End of October

  Happy November everyone!  November may be my favorite month ever, fall is upon us, football season is in full swing, my birthday is near, and Christmas is approaching.  Before I concentrate on the wonder that is November though I though I would catch you up on what my last days of October have entailed.

  Last weekend my friends came down to visit me in San Diego for a couple of days.  Saturday day night we went out for pizza then stayed in with some cheap Whiskey and reruns of "The OC" which was relaxing.  The next day we had breakfast at my favorite breakfast place near my house, The Living Room Cafe.  Just about the best part of my day was discovering that The Living Room already had their peppermint mocha's out, so naturally I had to get one.

  Later we met up with my friend who lives nearby and got ice cream at a cozy little place in South Park that makes their own ice cream and walked around a couple shops down there, including a shop that only sells things made by locals in San Diego and Tijuana.

The place is called Make Good and I would definitely recommend going there if you're every in the San Diego area.

  My Halloween was pretty good too.  I haven't done something for Halloween in a few years so I felt like it was time to dress up again.  Of course I waited till the last minute to find a costume so I just ended up buying cat ears at the last store in the mall that had them the day of Halloween and wore those, all black, and a fur vest.  Easy costume.  

  After finally getting my costume together I spent the first half of the night with my friend Sam's family in San Ysidro taking her little cousin's trick-or-treating and playing a few games with them.  Later in the night we went to pick up another friend from her work in downtown San Diego and walked around down there.  This is my first year living in a big city for Halloween and it was crazy.  Bars were packed, the streets were filled, and everyone was in costume.  Halloween is the only time of year you can see Santa Claus, a Telly-Tubby, and Freddy Krueger having a beer together, which is kind of cool.

  Here's me and my friend Sam dressed up at Barley Mash, a local bar downtown that she and my friend work at.  And as you can see the street behind us is packed with people.  If you chose to drive downtown that night, you were screwed.

  This weekend I drove up to my parent's house for my sister's final football game!  Her and I were both cheerleaders in high school and junior high so after years and years of football games, it's kind of sad that it all came to an end last night.  Especially since my sister's school and my alma mater didn't win a single league game this year.  At least it was fun right?

Homemade Granola Bars

A couple of weekends I had some free time on my hands and I figured what better way to use it than baking.  I have been wanting to make this homemade granola bar recipe that I found on pinterest for a while now.  The recipe can be found here.  It's pretty easy, not much more too it than mixing all your ingredients together, pressing into a pan, and baking.

You can put whatever add-ins your heart desires into your granola bars. I decided on these:

• chocolate chips
• coconut
• peanuts

You will also need:

• oats
• peanut butter
• honey

I added a little extra honey and peanut butter because I had heard these tend to crumble if you do not add enough.  While they fell apart a little on the bottom they stayed together pretty well.

What would you add in your granola bars?

Have a Happy Autumn

We all know what a magical time autumn is and because I want you all to have a successful and cozy fall I have come up with some of my favorite things, essential to fall.

1.  Festive fall lights.  No house is complete during fall without some cozy twinkle lights or fun halloween lights.  These can be found at Target.

2.  I think this one is self explanatory, what's fall without pumpkins.  My advice? Have a pumpkin carving party with some friends.  Carve your pumpkins, bake the pumpkin seeds and enjoy some coffee and pumpkin muffins.

3.  In my opinion the BEST thing about fall are cozy blankets.  Save yourself a few lazy fall days, curl up in a cozy blanket on the couch with some tea and watch your favorite movie and/or TV show.

4.  If you include a cute mug into this cozy day on the couch I promise it will make you like 89% happier.  Happy mugs make a happy life, fact.  You can find this owl mug at modcloth.com.

5.  Wreaths aren't just for Christmas, there are also tons of autumn wreaths out there just waiting to hang on your door and say, "Welcome, this is a happy home."  Don't want to buy a wreath? Make your own, there are tons of tutorials on pinterest of DIY wreaths and you can get most of the items at the dollar store!

6.  Something I desperately loved about my youth were the Halloween cookie cutters my mom had.  Sugar cookies cut out with some of these festive cookie cutters are an easy gift for friends or favor to bring to a Halloween party.  These cookie cutters shown are from Crate and Barrel.

7 & 8.  Of course the easiest way to make your house smell like happy are candles.  Lucky for us we live in a world with Bath and Body Works and can buy just about any smell in jar.  Bath and Body Works has tons of holiday smells perfect for the season such as "Autumn" and "Apple Crumble."  

Hope you all have a successful holiday season and a safe Halloween this week! What are you favorite ways to make your home fall-like?

In My Opinion...

Happy Friday bloggers.  Hope you all have had a better week than I have; it's been tough since I had to put Roxy to sleep last weekend.  But i'm trying to keep myself busy and think of our happy memories to make myself feel better.  So, on a lighter note I'm linking up with the fabulous Rachel from lala Lists for "In My Opinion."  Here are some of my opinions...

1.  Yogurtland is the best thing in the world.  If I'm ever rich I want one in my house.

2.  This hot Southern California weather needs to go away, I need real fall weather.

3.  Coffee and tea taste better in a giant mug with leaves on it.

4.  The more pillows on my bed the more comfortable it is.

5.  My room should be big enough for a nice comfy chair.  Not so I could sit in it, but so I could throw       my clothes and purse on it when I get home.

6.  My design class should be later in the day, 8 am is too early to feel creative.

7.  Big quilts are one of the best things in the world.

8.  Sufjan Stevens is having a Christmas concert in Hollywood and the tickets should be free just because it's Christmas.

9.  The iphone should have a teleport app so I don't have to drive for an hour and half back to my parent's house every time I want to see them.

10.  Gilmore Girls should be on Netflix so I could sit in my room and watch it this entire weekend instead of doing my homework.

What are some of your oh so important opinions lately?

Loss

   Today was one of the hardest days of my life, I had to put my eleven year old Australian Shepherd to sleep this morning.  I'm sure that all of you that have dogs understand that a dog isn't just a pet, they become a member of the family and losing them is like losing a part of the family.  Roxy was my dog; I had been told by my parents on my 11th birthday that I could finally get my own dog.  So long story short, a few months later we rescued her from an Australian Shepherd rescue.  She was about a year old when we got her and although we didn't know much about her past, we suspected that she had been abused.  She was wary of strangers, hated loud noises, and was terrified of water.  She became extremely trusting of our family and loved us unconditionally.

  Over the next ten years Roxy was a member of our family.  When she was younger she was full of energy, as most Aussie's are.  She could play for hours.  She loved fetch, and would catch frisbee's in the air like a pro, although if we ever left a frisbee outside over night, the next morning it would be in little pieces all over the yard.  She would go running with my dad and would herd our smaller dog around the yard.  As she got a little older she slowed down a little and loved to snuggle and be pet, but she still LOVED to fetch.

  I know I'm a bit biased but she really was the best dog in the world.  If you have never rescued an animal I suggest you do it.  It is one of the best things you can do with your life.  You'll have someone in your life that is forever grateful to you, and will love you unconditionally no matter what.

  Of course that all made today that much harder.  Making that decision is probably the most difficult thing I've ever had to do but she was in pain and it wouldn't have been right to keep her here.  She had a good life and I have to remember that.  I'm sure all of you who have lost a pet know how hard it is.

High Five for Friday!

As you could probably tell from my last post my week has been a bit stressful so hopefully you all have had a better week then me, My week did however have a good start so let's concentrate on that for a second.

1.  I went to my parent's house last weekend which was great because I got to see my dogs!  That's a terrible thing about moving out, not seeing your pets.  Thank god I've got three dog's in my new house to keep me company but it's still nice to go home and cuddle with my own dogs.

2.  Another great part about going home was going to my favorite frozen yogurt place and getting a giant cup of yogurt.  Tart and strawberry yogurt with strawberries, nuts, and chocolate chips; nothing can beat it.

3.  I found my old map of Paris I got when I was in Europe in high school and hung it up in my new place.  Now I sleep below Paris.  Hopefully it'll help inspire me to return soon and to do my French homework.

4.  Finally used my brand new paints for design class.  Although  I've had a love hate relationship with my design class lately using my new paints was a love.

5.  Tuesday night this week my roomies and some of our friends went out for sushi.  I spent way too much money and ate way to much sushi but it was so worth it.  Best sushi I've had in a while and I'm already craving it again.

Another high of my week was when two of my best friends Samantha and Alissa came over last night to bake pumpkin muffins and watch scary movies.  Aren't autumn inspired activities the best?  Today has been the first day it's felt like fall here in San Diego so naturally I got close to none of my chores done and instead slept in and curled up with some tea and my laptop.  Well I take that back, I did sanitize and clean our kitchen which was a lot of work so I should give myself credit.

Tomorrow parents are coming down to SD to go to our football game and next week I'm heading to my parents to go to the UCLA game with them. Another amazing thing about fall, FOOTBALL!

Why Upper Division Classes Suck

  Alright, so in case you all didn't know, I'm a college student.  Like most college students I have days where I want to tear apart all of my text books that I spent hundreds of dollars on and spend my thousands of tuition dollars on something important, like a really nice house or my own zoo; anything but this tortuous thing I put myself through called an education.  Well my friends, this week is one of those weeks.

 I have shared with you all in the past few months about the changes in my life but if you haven't been keeping up I just moved and transferred from a city college to a four year university, which means three years later (thanks state of California and your budget issues) I am finally starting my upper division.  Upper division is a terrible thing, it makes you question everything you have chosen to be and everything you think you want to become.  Your lower division classes, especially in your major are pretty cool because they make you think, "okay, I can handle this."  Then all of the sudden guess what, you can't.
 
  Take me for example, after a whopping single semester living in Monterey Bay and tons of soul searching (one semester of art) I decided to throw aside my versatile major of communications and trade it in for one in  art history.  This came about after getting a 98% on my first art exam and 100% on my second.  I walked out of class after getting back the second exam thinking I did it, I found my calling.  So much to my family's dismay I changed my major with no plan for my future whatsoever.  I spent the next three semesters in all the art history classes I could take at city college getting all A's.  It was love, the only time I have ever even remotely liked school.
 
  But now I have moved on to my upper division and I am taking a studio class and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about giving up on school and becoming that creepy lady at the bus stop that talks to her hand.  I guess it makes sense for your upper division to be tougher but this week it has just made me feel like a loser.  I know I am just having a bad week and the feeling will pass, it always does, it's just that this is my blog and I can vent here about my stupid week and my stupid upper division classes if I want.  It's just been one of those weeks where you wonder, "what the hell am I doing with my life?"  I don't have a clear answer for you but for now i'll enjoy the fact that i'm taking out loans to go to a school that has a division 1 football team and a Juice it Up on campus. Worth it.

Me, Myself, and I #3

Am I the only one who cannot believe how fast September is blowing by?!  Guys, it's already the 18th, where is the time going?!  But, because it is the 18th of September I would like to give a big happy birthday shout out to my mommy who's birthday is today.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!  Now, the second thing the 18th of September means is that it is time for the third installment of "Me, Myself, and I."

1.  When you're feeling down, what do you do to pick yourself up?

When I'm feeling down I need a little me time.  If I'm in a really bad mood I'll usually watch "Friends" and have some coffee or ice cream.  No matter what, even on my worst days old episodes of "Friends" always makes me feel happy and at home.  Of course a little retail therapy doesn't hurt either ;).

2. If you had to live in a different time period which would you prefer?  

I'm going to give a fairly boring and slightly political answer to this and say none.  I'm good where I am right now.  As glamorous as it seems to live in a time period of pretty dresses and old Hollywood I don't think I could live in a time period where women had few rights.  Even though there are still plenty of issues regarding woman's rights today I'd rather live in the present where I can vote, have a career, and be independent. 

3.  What is the most creative Halloween costume you have ever worn?

I actually don't think i've ever had a creative Halloween costume.  This is depressing...

4.  Five weird things about me that you wouldn't know without being told.

     1.  I have a birthmark the shape of a high heel on my lower back.  It's the source of all my power...

     2.  When I was in 1st grade I peed on the floor because my teacher wouldn't call on me.

     3.  I have to scoot my seat up all the way when driving to reach the pedals.

     4.  My nostrils are crooked 

     5.  My feet are a whole half size different from one another.

5.  What would you tell your 16 year old self?

Don't sweat the little stuff, in a few years all of the things that seem like a big deal now won't even matter.  Just be happy and savor this no responsibility thing while it lasts because when it's gone it's gone!

Fall is Coming!

Anyone who knows me well knows I am obsessed with fall and winter.  Basically the time from the start of fall to Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  After this terrible heat wave here in SoCal boy am I ready for fall and fall weather.  Lately there have been a ton of fall inspired pins on Pinterest and it has been making me more excited for the season than ever.  Here are some of my favorite fall inspired pins as of lately.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 

Reasons Why I Love Fall:

• My birthday is in fall.
• The smell of cinnamon and pumpkin spice.
• Fall Starbucks drinks.
• Big scarves and boots.
• Cold weather when you're at home with a cup of coffee.
• Thanksgiving food.
• Baking Thanksgiving cupcakes and cookies.
• FOOTBALL SEASON!
• Starting to shop for Christmas!

Reasons Why I Don't Love Fall:

• Finals.

What are you favorite things about fall? Are you all as excited as I am for the changing seasons?

Let's Catch Up: The Two Year Plan

  It is safe to say that school is back in full swing my friends!  I've got a pile of books on my floor and a major migraine.  Although life has been busy it has still been pretty good.  I have been getting to see my oldest friends the Birds quite a bit since I've moved to San Diego.  While catching up with them and talking about our life plans I have come to the decision that in two years, after I graduate I need to move to Seattle.  I have always wanted to live there for at least some period of time and in two years I will still be young, I won't have a career or a family of my own so why not?  If I never go I will always wonder what if.  There is something about those scary things like moving to a new place that builds character and helps you grow.

  I may not have much else past the Seattle move planned but it's a start.  I get a lot of criticism for, 1. being an art major and 2. not knowing what I want to do with my life yet but I would rather live without regrets then be rich.  Working odd jobs and not having a consistent career doesn't scare me nearly as much as living my life with a ton of regrets.

  It has taken me a while to realize that I need to live my life with no regrets.  It is a lot harder then it sounds to not just breeze through your days and get comfortable in just one place.  I challenge you all to start appreciating your days a little bit more and plan to do something you have always wanted to do within the next couple of years.  Whether it is move to a new place or travel aboard.  So let's start this! Here's to the two year plan.

Let's Catch Up: San Diego So Far

Since I have been slightly absent trying to get started with school and adjusting to living in a new city I thought I would catch you up in pictures of San Diego so far.

Room Tour

So as most of you know I moved into my new house about two weeks ago and I had promised a room tour. So excuse the shitty photos via my iphone and terrible lighting in my new room but here it goes!

To see my tutorial on making a knob necklace hanger go here.

Check out how I made the vintage jewelry box to the left here.

Interested in how I made the fabric magnet board above my bed? Go here.

So there is a very small room tour showing some of my pervious DIY projects finally up in my new place! School is back in full swing so I have been busy with that and getting to know SD. I'm really loving in down here though. Hope all is well with you fellow bloggers!

DIY Fabric Magnet Board

So, I have been meaning to post this tutorial for a while but because I just moved this week, I just finally got to hang up my magnet board.  Now that it's completely finished and up I though I would share with you how I did it. So stay tuned to figure out how to make this...

What you'll need:

• Metal board of any size (got mine at Home Depot)
• Spray Adhesive
• 1 yard of fabric
• Buttons
• Extra strong magnets

1.  I laid the fabric face down on the floor and laid the metal board on top of it.  There was quite a bit of extra fabric surrounding the edges so I cut some off still leaving enough to fold over the board. I made sure I had enough fabric to folder over the board, act just like you are wrapping a gift, make sure to pull the corners tight.  

2.  Once I knew how I was going to wrap it I picked up the metal board and sprayed one side all over with the spray adhesive and put that face down onto the fabric again.  I let sit for about thirty minutes so the front could start to dry.

3.  Next I came back and started spraying the edges of the board and the fabric where I would be folding it over.  I folded the fabric for real this time, use extra adhesive spray where you think you need it.  Again be sure you all pulling the fabric tight especially around the corners.  I then let the board sit for a few hours while I moved on to the buttons

4.  Choosing buttons without backs makes this easier, however I couple of mine did have nubs on the back and I just sawed them off.  You can buy individual or bags of buttons at most craft stores.  Then, I used a hot glue gun to glue a magnet to the back of each button.  When letting these dry make sure to space them apart liberally so they do not stick to each other like magnets do.

5.  After everything is dry you are pretty much finished!  Hang it up and put pictures, reminders, art, anything you want on it!