target, how i love thee

Preface: this is not a post about my personal style (if you can even call it that.) If I was forced to categorize "my look" I guess I'd say it's Just-rolled-out-of-bed chic or yes-I-realize-it's-just-a-t-shirt-but-did-you-see-this-big-shiny-necklace-so-it-totally-passes-as-an-outfit (umm... InStyle magazine's words?) No, I'm not dishing out fashion advice. This post is rather about my love affair with a tiny mom n' pop retailer named Target and how fun it is to treat yourself to a little retail therapy every now and again. So...

Tomorrow after work I'm headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a lovely little four-day vacation. Jason's been up there since Sunday promoting local businesses in the area and as part of the sponsorships we have a ton of fun stuff planned around the city. As much as I was looking forward to my vacation being of the more relaxing type (ie. sleeping in and doing nothing... did I mention I like sleep?), I'm actually pretty glad it's going to be busy. You don't make memories laying on the beach people! (Well, depends on how you got there I suppose...) 

I'm also excited about it because we took the same trip this time last year (we had only been dating about a month at that point), so it's pretty cool to go back being in a completely different place in our relationship. Fun fact: last time while we were up there we rented a Jeep Wrangler and had a blast driving around everywhere in it. Wranglers inherently make driving feel like an adventure. (Now that I think about it, driving around with the top half of your car basically missing is in fact an adventure, so I guess that explains that.) Anyhooter, Jason sent me a text last night to show me he rented a Wrangler again for this year's trip. He can be quite the thoughtful fellow sometimes. Can't wait to get my Wrangle on!  

Before heading up there tomorrow I thought, what could possibly make vacation even more fun? And the answer clearly is: new clothes. Every girl knows that when it comes time to pack for a trip, you go over your wardrobe in your head and every last article of clothing you own suddenly seems "not quite right" for whatever occasions you have planned. And I'm no exception to these feminine mind games, hence the shopping trip. So off I went to the mall after having dinner with my mom (she's a doll by the way.)

First, let's get a few things squared away, I purchase new clothing like once every three months. And even then I buy maybe two things, one of which I will likely return due to buyer's remorse and the other of which I will wear until it has holes in it. (And even then I'll convince myself it's a part of the item's charm and will continue to rock it well beyond its recommended lifespan.) So, frankly, I feel as though I deserve to treat myself every now and again. This is one of those times. 

Now that my guilt is absolved, can I just say - I am so pleased with my purchases! Check them out below in all their glory. And the best part - I got it all for under $90! Target, how I love thee! Let's take inventory, shall we? 

- White summer scarf (I'm obsessed with scarves no matter the season and white is just so versatile.)

- Coral and white stripey cotton day dress (might get demoted to cover-up but cute nonetheless. You should know I also have an irresistible affinity for stripes.)

- White sleeveless light tank (turquoise necklace already purchased, but it's my favesies and I'm planning to wear it with the tank and some khaki shorts.)

- Teal drapey pocket tank (one of my favorite items - been trying to find one of these that actually looks good on me and so happy I finally found it. I was beginning to think you had to be skin and bones to pull this off, but alas you do not. Also looks good with a skinny black belt and black tank underneath, just sayin'.)

- One-shoulder black casual-ish dress (I decided I'm gonna be brave and try out the one-shoulder look. Not sure it's my thing but I think it's really cute and I want to at least try it. Likely that Jason will laugh at me, especially because there are ruffles involved, but whatever. It's was too cute not to give a chance.)

- And finally, the light-brown double-wrap-around skinny belt (I feel like I just described a figure-skating trick.) I love it. Thinking of really pulling a crazy move and wearing it WITH the black number. Black and brown? I don't even recognize myself anymore. I'm a new woman!)

So that's the loot. For under $90. What the heck are you Target people doing to me! (Sidenote: I'd also like to say that I appreciate that the Target I went to had excellent dressing room lighting. You know what I'm talking about when a store has the grossest, most harsh lighting ever and all the sudden trying on clothes becomes the most negatively emotional experience you've ever had. That was not the case here, so whoever carefully thought that out - congratulations, your self-esteem-boosting lighting led to the purchase of several items today.)

Today's shopping excursion also led to a few new discoveries about myself that I felt were amusing enough to share:

1. Apparently stepping on my tippy toes when I try clothes on makes them look better on me. Or so my brain thinks. Seriously, I have a habit of doing this whether the outfit requires heels or not. Without fail. I think I also slightly raise one eyebrow. Because apparently I have to see what the clothes will look like when I'm walking around in my daily life with flexed calves and one raised eyebrow (my standard posture, of course.)

2. Aviators make everything look more fashionable on me. Purchased a pair last week and in the dressing room whenever I felt as though I wasn't fashionable enough (ie trying on the one-shoulder dress), I just slid those puppies on and suddenly I felt like I could pull it off. Magic. 

3. I have an unhealthy obsession with the colors teal and coral. Check out my purchases and my current blog color scheme. I never get tired of these colors. Can't help it. 

Okay, that's all for now. Wish me luck on my travels tomorrow - I LOATHE flying so not looking forward to the transit part. Maybe I'll craft a post from the air to distract myself. The blog saves the day again! 

Good night folks, and happy shopping. 

put your crafty pants on: social media cork tiles

It's a miracle! I actually finished a project! Well...kind of.

I was beginning to think I made a mistake including "crafty" in the title of my blog. Yep, clumsy and happy probably would have covered it nicely. I was also starting to get worried that the "sissypants" comments were going to start popping up (if confused, see last paragraph of this post.) Thankfully though, I've had some ideas for a while now and this weekend I was determined to put my crafty pants on (As you'll notice, I wear a lot of pants.)

First, though, let me just say, today was a perfectly simple Sunday. Jason and I woke up around 8:30 to get an early start (and by Jason and I woke up, of course I mean Jason woke up on time and I propped myself up into a deceivingly alert posture while proceeding to shut my eyes for another 30 minutes. TOTALLY fooled him.) We then decided to head to an early movie (like 10:30 early, yes this showing actually exists) because we were both dying to see X-Men First Class but were too busy all weekend.

Quick tangent: Can I just say there are few things in life that make me as happy as Sunday morning movies. Kind of lame I know (ok fine! a lot lame) but there's just something about it that makes it feel like a treat. It's never packed, so it somehow manages to seem more special in a way. I guess my brain expects that when I exit a movie it should be dark outside, so when the bright warmth of the afternoon all-but-blinds me on the way out, it's such a pleasant surprise. Anyway, few people enjoy going to movies more than Jason and I do so it was a lovely little day-date for us.

On the way back from the movie I asked him to stop by the craft store with me because I really wanted to at least start a gosh-darn art project before the weekend was over. (I knew Jason was leaving for Michigan at 4ish and I was already pre-plotting my evening craft party.) We walked into Joann's and while I had a few staple items to pick up in my head, I thoroughly enjoy the process of wandering around a craft store and waiting to be inspired. You know, letting the unfinished bird houses 'speak to me' and what not. Normally this little exploration phase might last a good 20 minutes, but if you've been paying attention you may remember one important detail: the boy was in toe. Wish you all could have seen him following me around with a puzzled expression as I darted from aisle to aisle. Finally he asks, If you tell me what's on your list, maybe I can help you grab some things. Oh Jas. That's cute. You think I have a list.

Just as I was passing the beautiful assortment of craft papers I remembered I had four cork tiles at home that were collecting dust. I've been meaning to do something with them for my office ever since I started my latest job (oh ya know, just six months ago) but haven't thought of an idea quite inspired enough. (By the way, my cube and desk at work are painfully bare and I see you people that walk by giving it a quick scan and I just know you're thinking, How long have you been here, again? Okay people, I get it, my cube is boring!)

In an effort to add a little personality, I thought it would be fun to do something with social media icons. I am a "Social Media Manager" after all (ugh, sometimes I hate that title - it can have a thick air of self-importance to it, but I try to ignore it), and while it may seem cliche and predictable, there's something whimsical and alluring to me about social media icons. I love that they're different colors with different personalities but they have a common design aesthetic to them. And you can translate them to a million different mediums and styles. Just plain fun.

So instead of painting them on small square canvases (a series I thought of doing a while back) I decided to make something a bit more utilitarian and dust off the cork tiles. While walking past the scrapbooking section, I realized I really wanted to incorporate some fun patterns to add some visual interest (plus I'm always looking for an excuse to buy those darn craft papers. The way they're organized so neatly and by color just draws me in like an irresistibly intricate rainbow.)

So I did just that. And below is what I came up with! Doesn't quite do them justice not hanging on the wall with fun pictures and notes hanging all over them (fyi: strongly considered planting fake ones all Pottery-Barn-catalogue-style. You've seen them... "Bobby's Doc. Appt. @ 9:15!" written in suspiciously perfect handwriting. Almost went there for effect but refrained. You're welcome.)

So there are installments #1 and #2, Facebook and Twitter. Still have two tiles so may do two more but I'm pretty happy with the turn out. The camera/lighting/my terrible photography doesn't do them their justice, but I'll try to update the post with a before and after shot from the office.

Finally I can revel in the accomplishment of actually getting a craft post up. Hooray! Perhaps I'll be able to keep up with this whole "blog" thing after all.

I'm leaving for Grand Rapids, Michigan on Wednesday to meet up with Jason. That trip will no doubt provide some thoughtful fodder for me, so expect a post on that trip. And, as always, I appreciate anyone out there reading and continually supporting my ever-hopeless parenthetical addiction. Many thanks.

to my baby sister

Happy birthday.

Eighteen years ago today you came into this world and into my life. I have so many memories of your big baby blues looking up at me full of wonder, and while I knew you were a beautiful little girl back then, I had no idea what a beautiful person you would grow up to be.

Last night as we laughed and talked at your birthday dinner, I kept going back to a distinct memory I have of you from when we were young. We were on our family trip up to Stone Mountain and you were striking poses in your "baby suit" (aka bathing suit) as someone was snapping pictures of you. What a ham. You couldn't have been more than four but even then you had this fearless confidence about you. You were so full of life and personality, and years and years later you're still striking poses just as effortlessly.

As you sat across from me last night, it sounds cliche but for the first time I no longer saw you as just my little sister - I saw you first as a peer. An equal. A friend. It feels as if it happened in an instant, but I know truthfully it's been happening for some time. You have grown up to be such a strong, fun-loving, creative lady and someone I am glad to call family. Wish I could take credit for all that and say that I paved the way for you growing up, but we both know you've been forging your own path from the very beginning (and it's a good thing because lord knows if you followed my footsteps your fashion sense certainly wouldn't be as fabulous as it is now...)

I am so unbelievably excited to see where life takes you these next few years, and I'm looking forward to being there every step of the way.

One of the greatest gifts I feel I could give you as a sister is a five year head start to the new chapter you're about to enter in life - a compilation of foresight carefully curated by someone who has walked before you. Here's what I learned in the (almost) five years since my eighteenth birthday, and it's advice (whether good or bad) that you can take with you to college.

---------

First and foremost, have ridiculous amounts of fun. You will never have another time in your life when the balance between gaining independence and lacking responsibility is more favorable, so live it up. Do silly things and laugh until you think you're going to pee yourself. (But don't actually pee yourself 'cuz, let's be honest, that's awkward and leads to nicknames that won't be easily forgotten thanks to a little friend named Facebook.) Find friends that bring you happiness and joy and comfort, but build relationships that are based on more than drinking at a bar or laying out by the pool. Find people that you can be yourself around and hold on to them as tightly as you can.

Sleep in. Enjoy every second of glorious, gluttonous sleep you're able to soak up in college (dear god I miss it.) Apparently staying in bed until noon is frowned upon in the "adult world," so go ahead and get it out of your system now.

But not always. Somedays, wake up earlier than you ever thought you could for no reason at all because I promise, you'll be glad you taught yourself what it means to be self-disciplined.

Take roadtrips with your friends and make way-too-carefully crafted playlists. Years later you'll be driving home from work and one of those songs will find its way to your shuffle. You'll be instantly transported back to that simple time in your life and you'll smile because the comfort of the memory will make whatever frustrations you might have from work or bills or responsibility simply melt away.

Study hard. Develop a standard of excellence for yourself, but remember, ultimately it's just that - a standard for yourself. So do it for you and not for the rope at graduation. Do it because you take pride in your accomplishments and not because you take pride in doing better than others or in making Dad happy (sorry Lamar.)

Don't ever settle for less than you're capable of. And I know how much you're capable of.

I realize now that college is less about what you learn while you're there and more about what you're able to teach yourself, so whenever possible work on you. It is the greatest assignment you'll ever have, and it won't stop when you graduate. It will only really begin.

Head's up, this one is important. Learn what it really means to be independent. When you run out of money, work more hours. When your car breaks down, take it to the shop yourself. When you realize you have an assignment due the next morning and you haven't started yet, don't borrow a friend's or take the easy route - power through and do it right. I promise you that entering the working world will be a lot less painful if you're confident in your abilities and comfortable depending on yourself.

And for pete's sake, try to remember that drunk girls are not sexy. Really. They're not. Having fun is a part of being young and knowing your limits will be a lesson you have to learn, but know this: drinking too little will never lead to regret, while drinking too much will almost certainly lead to regret. And when your friend calls at 2am because she needs to be picked up from a bar, answer. Be the friend that always answers, mindful of the fact that you really could be saving someone's life.

And finally, regarding love. Don't go looking for love. Go looking for the things you love to do and develop those passions. The women that have a strong sense of themselves are the ones that attract the right men. There is no such thing as a man that completes you, only a man that complements the you that is already whole.

------

There are probably a million more "nuggets of wisdom" that I could impart on you, but we both know I'm not that wise. You'll figure out all of life's lessons in your own way, in your own time. And just know, when it comes to the tough ones, I mean the really hard lessons you'll have to learn (and I promise they'll happen), just know that I'll be there every step of the way. I love you, I'm proud of you, and I hope you celebrate your pants off for your birthday (not literally) because you deserve it.

All my love,

Caroline

i'm not a "go-together" kind of girl

My life has a habit of revealing its lessons to me in the most random of circumstances. It's a sneaky lil thang, that life, and it's at it again.

Last week it was Jason and I's one-year anniversary (of our first date of course... cue the snickers...) We promised each other not to do gifts BUT two weeks ago I was meandering through a bookshop by my office downtown, and a few prints tacked on the wall caught my eye. I recognized them because Jason had sent me the link to the local artist months and months before. (Anyone that knows me will understand what a miracle it is that I remembered this.) The prints are quirky, colorful and delightfully geeky (oh hey, stormtrooper) which is just perfect for Jason. When I saw them I knew I had to get them (mostly because I'm a terribly insecure gift-giver so when I'm confident somebody will like something, it's such a rare occurrence that I convince myself I HAVE to buy it.) I was beaming with pride as I purchased them, signed by the artist no less, and brought them home to Jason.

Now buying art can be tricky because in order for it to be worth it, you need to have somewhere to put it. The entire time I was picturing the pieces going in the "studio room"of our house. We have a bedroom that has been converted into a studio because Jason's business involves a daily live show on the web. Each wall is painted a different ridiculous color, there is a drawing wall covered in dry-erase paint, cameras/boxlights/cords everywhere, props strewn about...anyway, the point is that the room itself is a hodge-podge of fun, much like these art pieces. I thought, bottabing-bottaboom, they'll join the rest of the quirky wall art in the studio room, I'll be the best gift-giving girlfriend extraordinairre ever and Jason will gush for years to come about my incredibly thoughtful nature.

Well, as I probably should have known, the reaction I planned out in my head (my woman-brain loves to do this - curses!) was not at all what happened in reality. I hadn't explored the thought that Jas might like the paintings so much that he would want them displayed in a more prominent spot in our home, like oh, say, the DINING ROOM aka the first room you see when you enter our house. Now I now realize I should have taken this as the biggest compliment in the world because he loved them enough that he wanted every guest in our home to see them. However, instead of being excited all I could think about was how the bold colors of the paintings totally clashed with the color scheme I had already worked so hard to tie in from the living room. (SERIOUSLY? These are the times I step outside of myself and realize Okay, I kind of get how guys think girls are crazy. Emphasis on kind of, though.) 


Nevertheless, it's how I felt at the time and the back and forth that followed taught me an important lesson about myself and our relationship, a lesson I thought was worth sharing. Bear with me.

Over the past few months I've been very careful about the things I add to our house. I moved in with Jason about six months ago (hopefully you're not judging. I TOTALLY respect any couple that chooses to wait until marriage to live together, it's just my personal choice to test-drive a person's living habits before committing my eternal life to them.) Despite the fact that I love decorating and DIY, I wanted to hold off on waving my girly wand at his man-cave and taking the uber-masculine edge off the place, at least for a bit. I didn't want to scare him off with my throw pillows and my knick-knacks (do you know how scary these things are to a man that has never lived with a woman?) However, as I started to get more comfortable with the idea of a permanent coexistence (ie. I heard him say the phrase "our house" once and decided I could take my shoes off and stay a while), I decided that adding my flare to the place was not only important in the health of our relationship, but it was necessary for my own personal happiness.

So I did it. One weekend I added throw pillows and placemats and a great tray for the coffee table which accented the dark wood of "our" furniture (wink, wink.) All the while I went to great lengths to pick out things that were warm and cozy but still masculine. I tried so hard to make the haphazard bold colors he originally had (hi random red chairs, oh hey sage green rug) sing harmoniously in something remotely resembling a "palette." And I was happy with the outcome. Even though Jason still doesn't understand the purpose of a coffee table tray to this day (Okay, I know it's a tray, but what's it FOR...) he was accepting and surprisingly grateful for the work I put into the room.

So originally I thought my objection to the mis-matched paintings had to do with the hard work I put in to the whole process. Or I thought maybe it was overcoming the insecurity of turning "his space" into "our space." I thought the decor had all those things wrapped up in it and I was attached to it for those reasons. But I dug deeper (as I always do, for better or for worse) and I tried to be honest with myself about what was really going on.

Here's the thing. I was trying too hard to be perfect. I was trying to make everything "go together" when the truth is, I'm not a "go together" kind of girl. And he's not a "go together" kind of guy. In fact, I'm fairly certain that's what we love about each other. Subconsciously I thought that if our home looked more like something out of a magazine, it made some "statement" about us in a way - that we have it together or that I have it together. But guess what. I don't. Like, not even a little. I have sooo far to go before I have it together and that's the way I like it. I really want to enjoy this time of fun and spontaneity and discovery in my life. I don't want my house to be boring and matchy and perfect, and I certainly don't want our relationship to be that way. We have a mini basketball hoop hanging in our living room for pete's sake and I love it! Who do I think I am?

Anyway, the lesson is this: be authentic. Surround yourself with things that reflect your personality and that make you happy, and who cares if they fit into a "scheme" or a "palette." Life is simply too short to worry about making things match. And ladies, I'm here to tell you, pick your battles. When you find yourself in a back and forth think, Why am I making such a big deal about this? Is it because this is actually important to me, or is it because I think it should be important to me for some artificial reason.

When Jason gets back from traveling, we're ordering frames and those three prints will be hanging in our dining room. Do they go together? Not really. Do they match the decor? No. But do they remind me of the fun life that I get to have every day because of him? Absolutely. And I couldn't think of a better "statement" than that.