cute and stylish search...still looking!

Just when I think I have it all narrowed down, and maybe able to make a decision in my search for a dslr camera bag...I am back at square one!

This search has been exhausting.  I like to try on and touch handbags.  See how the zippers work, make sure that it seems like it will work for me. Unfortunately this is not the reality for the "cute and stylish handbag style meets dslr bag" selection that resides exclusively online.

Her name was Lola....Lola remained top in my mind since my search became less intense around March.  Off and on, I would admire Lola and think about if I was ready to make a commitment.

{epiphanie bags Lola}

So the biggest reason why I did not just go ahead and purchase, was that I was hesitant about the price.  I know that the bag would need to last me a long while...and I just was not sure!

The I decide...okay, time to bite the bullet and just go ahead and do it.  I did one last search for "cute and stylish camera bags" and came across this post by Veralana Photography. This post opened my eyes to some new fabulous bags by Jo Totes.

{Jo Totes}

Instantly I was drawn to the Rose bag....ultimately I decided this was THE bag...I was going for it.  I was torn between the marigold and the teal.  

 {Jo Totes}

While popular opinion was to go with the marigold, I was unsure.  Shocking, I know. Look at that adorable houndstooth fabric inside! A perk that they both have it! Yesterday I decided to just go for it! Decided...then went to purchase....SOLD OUT!  So I thought maybe it was fate and I was meant to have the other color....guess what!? SOLD OUT too...so maybe it was just not meant to be at all.

I need a new laptop bag too, but I do not have the energy to search for that! 

Has it really been this long?

I am shocked that I have taken such a long hiatus from blogging.  It seemed so easy when talking about wedding planning, but now that has been over for a way long time.  I am working on starting a new blog or actually started it at the beginning of the year to chronicle all of my creative adventures, but have yet to post.  I always seem to be creating something....so that seems to be a good start.  Honestly, I do not seem to have the time that I used to have to devote to creating really good posts....with pictures!  A goal is to still post wedding pictures, but really, it has been over a year.  Another goal is to finally pick songs for our wedding film.  I also would love to get back to doing C25K, which I have not done since March...well, lets be honest, with barely week 1 complete, I never really started.  There is always something.  Blogging just has seem to lost its sparkle, which is why I started the new blog. Thinking that at least a focus would be better than nothing.  Hmm...too much to think about, but nothing really substantial or worthy to post about. 

Oh well...at least I am breaking the blogging dry spell. Let's hope it isn't another 3 months.

Way too long.

It has been way to long since my last post.

Life has been so busy.  I think back to this time last year...writing thank you notes for shower gifts, working with wedding vendors, finals for 2 classes I was taking...one was Statistics {yuck}, the list can go on and on...how did I do it? Minus the wedding stuff, the same things making life too busy are still present, but maybe I am putting more effort into what I have now, just as the wedding received all of my effort last year. I wish there was more time. One of my little art students made a "time machine" sculpture yesterday....he needs to get working on a "time freezing" machine. That sounds good.

{source}

With only 13.5 days left of school with kids....maybe I will finally get around to posting wedding pictures? get back to running? finally organize? have a garage sale? learn how to use my camera better? write my dissertation? hmmmm. huge "to do" list.

Couch to 5k Week 1 day 2

{source}

I am glad to have this workout behind me.  I worried about the weather forecast and if that would prevent me from working out.  Fortunately it was a gorgeous day.  I also bailed out on the first day of the new run/walk club at work because I did have time to get my gear together this morning.  So I kinda felt that I was looking for an excuse to not do it today.  So I made plan....a, b, C! Plan C was to go home and get it over with...then make dinner and do homework.  Who would have thought that I would rather learn to run that do homework?

So about the "run" today.  I felt really good about it!  I felt around interval 5 that I was getting worn out, but once I got to 6, I could see the end and before I knew it, I was FINISHED! Whew.  Looking forward to Friday and finishing week 1.  My quads have been sore since Monday.  I did stretch after Monday's workout, and again after today's, but I would rather they just stop aching.  I am very surprised that my feet are not giving me problems!  I plan to treat myself to new shoes over spring break if I keep it up...

I do need to find a 5k, so I keep myself motivated and have a purpose for doing this.  I found one on June 12th that benefits Haiti...and that is our 1st anniversary weekend! That would also give me several extra weeks if I needed it to get prepared.  I honestly cannot even imagine being able to run for 3 miles without stopping.  Any suggestions for 5k's in May or June?

Couch to 5K Week 1 day 1

 

{found here}

Well, the time has come. I have been so interested in the Couch to 5K program since reading about it on this blog.  I have always said that my body was not made to run, but then I read the book Mindset, and realized that you can really do anything that you set your mind to.  This book is amazing by the way as it relates to so may aspects of life. So anyway, it is time to challenge the fixed mindset I have had about my running abilities an actually get off the couch and do it.

I downloaded the podcast from Robert Ullrey, and set out on my first interval run/walk workout. The program is to briskly walk for a 5 minute warm-up, then do 8 intervals of 60 seconds running, 90 seconds walking recovery.  I was feeling towards the end on interval 6 and 7 that I could not do this, and I will admit that I did not run the entire time.  The last interval was very motivating and I finished it. Boy I did want to quit, and just walk though.  This was followed by a 5 minute cool down and then I did some stretching.

I am a little bummed that the weather is supposed to be rainy the rest of the week.  I thought, well maybe I would wait until March 18th when I am on spring break, but I was off work today and I was motivated.  So this is it.  Just day 1, I am committing to Wednesday and Friday of this week as well to complete the 3 sessions required for the program. Baby steps.

cute & stylish search continues

I blogged about my search for cute and stylish camera bags recently.  I have been receiving some slack from Chris about not using my DSLR enough, so it is time to search some more and make a decision.

I still love the Epiphanie bags. But through some communication with the company, found out that they will release new styles this summer.  If you know me, you know that I like to weigh all of my options and not make a decision until I am positive that I will be completely satisfied with my choice.  If you know me, then you also know that I can be incredibly indecisive.  So there you go.  Making a choice about where to go for dinner is usually equally difficult, let alone choose a bag for my camera. SO the prospect of potentially liking a new bag coming out this summer more, keeps me from committing at this moment. Also, I am concerned that Belle may be too bright and so am liking Lola more. Here is a review of  the Lola bag.  These bags will not ship until March probably...but I have waited this long!

Here are some new bags I found since my last search. 

 

{Kelly Moore}

So here is the Kelly Moore bag. Cute, right? Love that they come in 7 different colors. If you click this link, you can watch a video of the bag in action.  Kinda cool.  Actually made me realize that this is not what I am looking for though. More of a messenger style and less like what I am envisioning.

Some others to consider...

{The Joy Bag}

Another messenger, so it does not make it on the short list.

{Jo Totes}

Jo Totes are one of the lesser expensive bags that I have found, but a little too plain for what I am thinking I want.

 {*emera}

*emera now makes a quilted bag! Love that it can hold a laptop!!!  And that this one zips! The other *emera bags do not zip.

The search will continue...I am not completely satisfied....yet!

Happy Valentine's Day

It seems everyone sends out holiday or New Year cards their first married year, so I wanted to be different and send out Valentines. Okay, actually I did not have myself organized enough to send out holiday or New Year cards. But, I am actually glad.  I love the red balloons, red photobooth curtain with the bit of red for Valentines day. Perfect for Valentines. Working at the last minute, but not willing to make these Saint Patrick's Day, Easter or first day of spring cards, I had to work quick.  Even quicker I had to get them printed.  I settled on the printing.  Time was limited and I do not know where to get good printing done quickly. Kinko's offered the quickest solution. So to make up for the lack of fancy printing, I created cute wrap around address labels. Our return was wrapped to the back and written vertically.  

It was a fun project, and I am very critical of anything I create.  So while I like them, there is always room for improvement!  Happy Valentines Day 2010!

Soundtrack

Help! What songs did you pick for your wedding movie...heard any great timeless songs that really just scream "Time for a wedding montage!"???

I am horrible at making decisions which is why I decided to be very proactive and create a potential playlist for it in my itunes library.  I am just so not sure.  So here I am. Still have not made any decisions. 

 

{our rehearsal dinner ClaryPhoto}

See how indecisive I am.  AND how much my husband loves it!

12x12 paper lovelies...

After my last post about Paper-Source I decided to peruse the papers to see about that lovely damask print paper for fun liners and wrapping gifts.  While I was not able to find that paper, I did find many other lovelies that I have not seen before. 

I love the idea of creating inexpensive artwork by framing beautiful paper.  It creates an impact and as I mentioned can be very cheap!  Here are some 12x12 paper lovelies that are....well....just lovely!

{White Eyelet}

{Bird Cages Overlay}

{Frame Wallpaper Pink Overlay}

{Brocade Overlay}

{Darling Dear}

I love how affordable a single sheet can be!  Also think about how simple it could be to create your own pattern to frame by using a rubber stamp to repeat your design.

Damask Suite

{Vintage Marquis by Paper Source}

I love damask.  I have loved it for so many years before it was popular for weddings.  I remember doing a project in 2003 using some vintage red damask wallpaper.  Even after putting as many damask elements into my wedding last June, I still love it.  I even try to incorporate damask wrapping paper at almost any occasion that requires a gift {and even ones that do not}!

I am excited to see all of these great pieces from Paper-Source!

home office storage

{Timber Buffet from Target}

I have been wanting a piece of furniture to house our printer, laptops, mail, etc.  for a while now.  After much searching online and locally I finally decided that our best option was the Timber Buffet from Target.  The biggest downside is that I had to order online so it still has not arrived {I ordered it January 3rd}.  The space below is perfect, or at least the measurements seem perfect, for our printer and 2 laptops, our external hard drive and other items.  The space above will be perfect for some basket to organize the mail.

I am getting the space ready as it currently contains a super amazing antique travel trunk that I acquired from my grandparents who got it from another long ago relative. I love this trunk!  It just is not practical for anything other than putting things on...So the trunk was holding many, many magazines, mostly wedding magazines.

I love these magazines and am having a hard time parting with them, so I am going through and removing my most favorite pages and then will reuse the mags for an awesome project at work.

I cannot wait for the furniture to arrive, just another step in my quest to become organized!

Message in a cookie cutters

I have been resisting the temptation to peruse the catalogs that come weekly.  Today, I could not help but look through the Williams-Sonoma one.   I am so very glad that I did!  I stumbled upon the cutest cookie cutters I have ever seen! Message-in-a-cookie Cutters!

{Williams-Sonoma}

{Williams-Sonoma}

{Williams-Sonoma}

{Williams-Sonoma}

Apparently there was also a holiday version, that is of course sold out.

 

{Williams-Sonoma}

I really love the current set, my favorite is the scalloped edge cutter.  Too cute!  I still have some Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket...I just may have to get these!