Leap day is officially the most underrated holiday (in my opinion). It gets no love. I feel like it should be a huge deal. Why aren't we throwing a party or counting down like we do for New Year's? It only comes every four years and it gives everyone the impossible...extra time. An entire extra day!! Why is this not a day we have off work to go crazy, do something we would never think to do, or take risks. This year, 2012 has 366 days. Here are some thing you could do with the extra 24 hours.
1. Watch all of the Oscar-nominated best picture films in one day. This is doable, people. 2. Start a blog. With the extra time you could do something brilliant like this or this.
2. Learn the thriller dance (you know you have always wanted to).
3. Take a leap of faith: conquer a fear, sky dive, or cross something off your bucket list that you though you would never do.
4. Try all 76 flavors of gooey butter cake here. 5. Look up an old friend.
6. Dye your hair or get a pixie cut...something dramatic. 7. Commit to completing a pinterest project. For real, this time.
8. Write a note to someone out of the blue. I would suggest these fabulous cards from cheree berry paper.
The hubs and I have been on the lookout for a new coffee table for a while now. This weekend we were at our fave antique store and found the perfect piece. It is an old hand-made wooden trunk with wicked awesome metal hardware. It also has fancy rope handles on the side. I know trunks can be overdone, but this one is bad a$$. My husband and I have been known to be cheap, but we made this decision faster than you can say "dontbeanidotandbuythisalready."
(don't judge the hideous yellow/gold clashing going on between the wall and the couch. that is soon to be fixed.)
We got this wooden beast for just $135. Compare to trunks at Pottery Barn, Anthropologie and Restoration Hardware for $500-$1900. And, this one isn't fake old. It's legit.
I was at the gym the other day and caught a quick glimpse of the show hoarders. That show is pretty fascinating. As I was watching, I felt so sad for the people on the show. They just can't part with their belongings.
Then it hit me...am I a hoarder? No, surely not. Wait, could I be in twenty years? Maybe. Yikes.
It's a problem, but it isn't out of control yet. I have a habit of collecting things I think are great and then doing nothing with them. They sit in my basement and take up space. A basement, by the way, is a gateway drug to hoarding. It's true.
I also feel like I could help people with hoarding, but not in the traditional sense of helping. I could just help them to not get rid of it, but use if for aesthetic good. Jeremy just told me that was enabling and not helping.
Either way, this got me thinking. If I have time to find inspiration on the internet or go antiquing every other weekend, then I should have time to do something with the things I find. Seems logical. I can make time. Especially, if the projects are as fast and easy as these.
Have jars and photos just sitting around? Use the old mason jars and bottles you have been collecting to display old family photos.
At my grandmother's estate sale last fall, I picked up several vintage hankies/linens. You can frame them as art or make them into accent pillows (easy tutorial here).
I see one of these dang rusty rakes every time I go antiquing and I keep not buying one. Why? They are very inexpensive ($8-$10) and extremely useful for all your hanging needs.
For starters, I am not a facebook hater. I think facebook has a lot of positives: reconnecting with people, staying in touch with people I otherwise wouldn't, discovering everyone and your mom is pregnant, remembering people's birthdays, etc. But, it also has some negatives: knowing way too much information about people you never see, thinking everyone's life is perfect, finding out everyone and your mom is pregnant, etc.
I must confess this isn't a facebook problem, but a personal problem. I am a person that loves to compare myself to others (for better or worse). This is not something I am proud of. What that means is that I am constantly feeling like I don't measure up in a crowd of 500 "friends." I have nothing interesting going on in my life, I don't have anything witty to say, or I have nothing "worth" sharing. The reality is, most other people feel the same way, but we all fall into the trap of "showing off" on the interwebs. We all do it, just face it. Married people post about how awesome their husband is and what they just did to celebrate their anniversary, not about the fight they had last night. Moms post about their amazing children and the sweet/funny things they say, not about how they feel like they have to get out of the house or they will scream. We present a false sense of reality. Or, we are the awkward person who reveals too much personal information. Those are your choices. Sign me up.
So, all of this to say, that I have decided to give up facebook for Lent. I am not judging anyone who enjoys facebook and loves checking it everyday. I am not saying that I am better than people who spend time on facebook or twitter. I am only trying to say the opposite, which is that I am not mature enough to deal with facebook and if I were, I would be all about it. I'm realizing it is unhelpful for me at this season in my life, so I think it is wise to take a break. More power to the people that can handle social media with grace.
I would also like to point out that I do not always give up things for Lent. I don't always feel like it is something that is necessary or important to do. But, this year, I feel like it will be particularly helpful for me and a character-building sacrifice. So, again, please don't here judgement or guilt toward anyone that did not give up something for Lent. I do not want to make this another public forum for bragging. There are plenty of venues for that (ahem...facebook). I just wanted to share my thoughts and reasons behind my decision. Mostly, so I will actually have to do it, now that I am saying it on the internet.
Instead of a towel rack in our "new" bathroom, I thought it would be cool to hang a collage of random wall hooks. I dug out all of the hooks I have been collecting over the past several months and finally put this idea into action. Here is the breakdown.
1. Whale hook, Urban Outfitters, $3 (on sale) 2. Elephant Hook, Anthropologie, $20 (but kind of free with a gift card) 3. Recycled Anthropologie hook, $0 (it use to have an initial attached to it, but we removed it for another project, so we ended up with this simple and industrial metal hook) 4. Horse hook, Urban Outfitters, $4 (on sale) 5. Architectural salvage railing hardware, lemp brewery salvage yard, $2 6. Architectural salvage hook, lemp brewery salvage yard, $1
So, if you count my anthro gift card as making the elephant hook free (which I of course do), I now have a place to hang our towels for only $10. Victory!
I might keep adding to the collection because I have this awesome bull hook I found at an antique store in Illinois. He is large and in charge.
You know me...once the inspiration is there, it could take years to see any sort of progress. But, that is how I roll. Regardless, I am loving this odd combination of colors and patterns. I want our living room to be mainly neutral (light gray walls, gray couch) with pops of color and different patterns in the pillows and chairs. Oh yes, did I mention that I am recovering two chairs and a couch? I need to make an internal timeline for myself or this project will not be done until 2015. Productivity starts now.
Jeremy and I are planning our spring Eurocation and I have been searching for comfortable walking shoes that won't make me look like the goofy American tourist that I am. Am I kidding myself? Yes. But, like all Americans, I deceive myself into thinking that I could pass as a European if I just hide my ginormous camera and keep my Midwestern mouth closed.
Aware of my self-deception, here are a few shoes I have found that just might fit the bill.
5. One of these things is not like the other. I know, these are a little out of left field, but it will LITERALLY feel like you are wearing slippers around Europe. But, I would have to endure Jeremy calling me "Pocahontas" all trip.
6. Toms are so USA, but you have to admit they are awesome. Even the french can't deny it. blush suede lace-ups.
It's official. Jeremy and I have purchased our plane tickets and will be off to Paris and Italy for two weeks this spring. I am beyond excited, but overwhelmed by all of the research and planning that still needs to be done. But, if you have to do research, why not watch a fabulous film? These are just a few on my list. What are your favorite films that make you want to travel?
