Sum up Sundays // Lazy Life

This week I've been super lazy.  I've not been blogging, I've not been doing much of anything.  I had a small birthday dinner for one of my friends Saturday night & that was a great night for my new man to meet some people in my life.  Then today he made me a delicious lunch:

I gave him a few ingredients from a recipe on pinterest I wanted to try & he went at it.  He said "I can either follow the recipe or wing it." I let him wing it & it totally came out different yet delicious.  A take on this Chicken Marsala recipe.  We added linguini to make it more of a pasta type dish since there was a lot of liberal improvisation with the wine/chicken stock.  Add some of his wonderful green beans & onions, & our fave crescent rolls!

The only thing I was in charge of was making sure the crescent rolls didn't burn, pouring the milk, & loading the dishwasher.  Cooking is not my forte!

I am glad I finally got to (help) make something I've pinned on pinterest. Aided by this man.

Isn't he cute?  Knows how to cook & all!

How was your weekend?

Fan Fridays // Unexpected Turn of Events

I want to apologize for my blogging hiatus this past week or so.  You may remember the post about this delicious lunch someone cooked for me on Columbus day.  Well I am here to announce that the wonderful gentleman who made that meal for me is now my boyfriend.  He & I are now 'going steady'.  In fact, it was those words 'Do you want to go steady' that he asked me last Saturday night.  No one has ever been that sweet.  If it was 1953, I'd be wearing his ring, letter jacket, & we'd be going to prom. Which, thinking about it, would be nice. :)

He makes me dinner, he makes me laugh, he has beautiful silver-blue eyes & dark hair, he is taller than me, he is smart as anything, he is dreamy, he is old school, he loves Pixar & the history channel, he is camera shy, he makes me want to dance to groovy songs.  Pretty much I am smitten.

So, to think that three weeks ago I wasn't thinking of anyone else, there was no one in my life.  Now this man is here, holding my hand, making me dinner, & taking me to the movies.  Talk about an unexpected turn of events.  I hope to get a picture to introduce him here.

So, what else am I loving this Friday? I'll let you know:

this graphic is how I've felt forever & what I like to remind people of

These gorgeous bridesmaids dresses.  I love the style & the color!

these great boots! I wonder if I can DIY a pair?

I also love the boots/tights combo.  Man I am a sucker for Fall!

Other Faves:

My She & Him Pandora Radio station that also plays the Weepies, 

the Flaming Lips (which actually came to my home town recently), & other awesomeness!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dancing to songs that just sound a little bit better now that I am holding someones hand.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The fact that Halloween is just around the corner & next is Thanksgiving

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My What He Should Make Me For Dinner pinboard

I also have a wonderful movie + dinner date planned for tonight if he doesn't have to work too late.  We've got some weird schedules going on.  It's also weird to date as an adult.  When discussing our horrible schedules & that we don't see each other that much right now, he mentioned that 'seeing each other for only a few hours a night is not like going to the movies or loitering at the mall when you are 15.'

What are you loving this Friday?

Any plans for the weekend?

Dorm Dec Wednesday // Back Yard Theatre

When I went to college my parents bought a big projector for the living room.  Lame, right? I went off to college & now they can watch movies on a big screen? Any way, since they got it I've always wanted to set it up in the back yard, pop some pop-corn, & settle in to watch a movie.

I've only ever been to one drive in theater & I loved it! I love the idea of making a great big family movie night with blankets & lanterns in the back yard.  The weather has been perfect at night the past few weeks for this.  Perhaps I can convince them to let me borrow it for a little while & throw my own movie party!

I've been seeing a lot of these backyard movie ideas floating around on pinterest & I thought I'd share a few of my fave ideas!

source

I love the lantern idea in this one! Lights up the space just enough to see around but not too much to distract from the movie.  If you had a pretty flat house you wouldn't even need a sheet! My parents have a movie screen, but I think I'd get a sheet anyway...I like my movies big!

source

This one just screams lovely party.  Gathering up your friends to watch an old movie, perhaps even a double feature! I love the popcorn bowls & lounging cushions.  This would be a great birthday party, anniversary celebration, or family get together.  I remember ages ago when my grandfather brought out the old slide projector & we all gathered to look at slides from when my grandparents were stationed in Paris, France.  It was super cool to see my dad & aunts as kids...and even greater to realize how much I indeed look like my grandma!  This is one of my favorite memories!

source

When I saw this one I instantly thought of a wedding! How awesome would it be to have a little part of the reception where you & your guests watched video from loved one's weddings, childhood memories caught on film by proud parents, or even a slide show of how you & husband or wife grew up and grew to love each other.  Pair it with a romantic soundtrack & you will have everyone in tears! I think this is the perfect idea for a small, down home wedding!

Have you ever been to a drive in movie? 

Any late night double features?

Photo of the day // Camping

Another photo from our camping trip two weeks ago.  I really loved the view we had:

Also, I love the iPhone update & am playing around with some new features.  I thought I'd take a break and mess around with photos in my camera roll too.

Make it Monday // Fun Picnik

I love using picnik to edit photos.  Sometimes you can do more harm that good & I really used to think all it was good for was putting hearts & dates over pictures of you and your boyfriend on facebook.  While picnik can be used for evil, it can also be used for good.  With great power comes great responsibility.

Recently I've been playing with the posterize effect on the site.  It really turns your image into a cool design.  I first tried out this tutorial for making your own watercolor painting from pinterest. While I couldn't get it to work right, I did have fun turning photos into blobs of color.  Here's some of the end results:

This last one is from camping two weekends ago.  I love this effect because you can adjust the amount of colors used, how it fades, if it's really crisp, etc.  It's a great one to play around with.  I would love to print & frame some of these.  They just look too cool!

How do you experiment on Picnik?

What have you discovered?

Fan Fridays: From Our Sponsors

So I realized that it was the middle of the month already & I meant to do a better introduction of the lovely bloggers to the right there!  I can't believe October has slipped by me!

Any way, all of these bloggers are absolutely wonderful!

Lacey blogs about some amazing things like an awesome book paper bow, her (totally recent) fill in the blank, & her all around adorable life!

one   two    three

Shop // Blog

LDC from LDC Designs is currently a creative college student.  I love that she blogs about her hipstamtic adventures, her photography, & her lovely Hair Week!

Find all the DIY's on her DIY page here!

Blog // Pinterest

Maryam from Pamplemousse1983 is a doll.  She blogs about amazing recipes (1, 2, 3), her beautiful little babe (labeled 'the baby files'), & what she honestly wore.  She gives me inspiration to be oh so true to myself.

One   Two   Three

Shop // Blog // Twitter

So, I hope you have a happy Friday!  Have a great weekend!

Columbus Day & Last Week Wrap Up

This past Columbus Day I spent in a Naval History Museum.  It was pretty cool, kinda weird to be in an 'Age of Exploration' exhibit on Columbus Day.  We watched a little film about the recovery of the turret from the USS Monitor after it sank outside of the Outer Banks during the Civil War.  We saw a lot of maritime history things, what the inside of cabins looked like on the Monitor, learned more about the Titanic, etc.  A neat place to go.

I've also embarked on an endeavor that I don't want to mention just yet for fear of a jinx. But it involved eating a delicious meal:

Do you see this lunch here?

baked potato, green beans & onions, chicken & pasta.  Epic Lunch time!  It was so delicious but so large.  I didn't eat it all.  Oh, for the record...someone made this for me.  They. Made. This.  I was impressed.

Over the weekend before Columbus Day, we went camping.  It was really nice even though I think it stirred up my allergies which may or may not lead to a cold.  I've been taking Airborne, but we'll see what happens.

We headed out Saturday night & built a great campfire.  We cooked some weenies & some smores & played with the puppy.  He liked camping because he realized he could pee any where pretty much.  We made sure that #2 was done elsewhere though.

My room mate told me that the puppy dog didn't really get the concept that just cuz they were sleeping on the floor didn't mean the whole floor was the bed.  It was a bit chilly & I had one of those mummy sleeping bags which was great except I like to sleep sprawled everywhere.  That was not possible with that sleeping bag!  Our other friend who moved away was visiting so it was a great catch up with her.  We talked about dating, jobs, life, etc.  Commented on the fact that my room mates have been married for about two months.  It was a good friend session!

We improvised with pancakes (maybe I'll tell the story later) & then headed out that morning.  It was nice to get away for a little while.

What did you do this past weekend?

Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday!

Saturday Morning Post

I am going camping this weekend, so I will see you lovely people on Monday with a horrendous amount of pictures (hopefully).  But I'll leave you with this:

If I were cool & a great home maker, this is how I would serve my biscuits.  If I were a real southern belle, I'd know how to make biscuits.

Happy Weekend!

Fan Friday // Mani-Pedi

So if you've been following me on twitter or instagram you might have seen some pictures/tweets about the nail class I am currently taking. In fact, take a look at this one & how funny nail shapes are.  Shortly, in addition to my BFA in ceramics I will be a licensed Nail Tech.  That sounds really cool, right? To be able to manicures/pedicures all day long? (Well maybe the mani part, still very undecided about feet.....)

I did my first 'professional' manicure on my room mate who chose a great mud brick red color.  The whole process from start to finish is not as intense as I thought it would be.  There is a lot more than just painting your nails.  That's only part of it.  Massage is another big part (which as a person who types all day, I can appreciate).  While doing the manicure on my room mate I had a tough time with the massage part.  Not enough pressure is my deal.  But I have about 1 zillion more practicals to do, so the only thing to do is get better!

Since starting this class I've been thinking a lot about fun manicures I'd like to do.  Since it is my sisters birthday over the weekend, I am hoping she'll be able to come visit so I can practice & giver her something really cool.  Looking around on Pinterest I found some great Mani-Pedi inspiration.  I've added these to my Manicure Pin Board:

source // source // source // source

The one on the upper right was popular in the 1930s where a rosy red polish came on the market (so says my book).  

By the beginning of the 1930s, the US has over 85 factories manufacturing millions of gallons of lacquer for the automotive industry.  This development in quick drying lacquers & pigments carved the way for today's nail polishes.  Max Faktor (the name sake of Max Factor) developed a cream to buff into the nail creating a rosy hue.  Nail enamel was later developed by Charles Revson (behind the name Revlon), his brother, & a chemist.  This was the first opaque nail enamel that was produced in a variety of shades.  And by variety, I mean shades of red: red, dark red, crimson, & vermilion.  Max Factor followed closely behind with his nail enamel.

Excerpt adapted from Salon Fundamentals: Nails

My room mate just got a plain ol manicure but I am hoping to see if my sister is up for a glitter looking one because I really want to try it out.

My Current manicure: OPI & Apple pie & Lighten up, You're Two Pence!

Nail Technology was something I was totally interested in when I was in high school, but was taking too many classes to be able to go to the vocational school.  I really am excited to be able to have a skill that is fun & could be a fall back if I needed one.

Do you get your nails done regularly?

Do you try to manicure at home? Have any tips?

Thursday

I took my second ever nail class today: I took three quizzes (to catch up!), did an acrylic nail on a clothes pin, & did a polish (horribly because my powder & liquid didn't bond!). This class is turning out to be super fun.  I don't know if I mentioned this, but I've been wanting to do this type of class since High School! Who wants their nails done? :)

Also, a friend brought me these for taking her home yesterday after her car key stopped working.

then I ate two!

It was a wonderful Thursday?

How have you been?

Dorm Dec Wednesday // Halloween Haunt

I love to decorate for halloween on October 1st & I thought I'd share with you our Bone Yard!


All of these things wer bought at Wal-Mart & Dollar tree.  It all cost about $22 bucks.  The tombstones were from the $$ store.  They are styrofoam & painted gray.  You could totally DIY it by recycling old packing foam or even foam core.  Carve it away or add to it, then paint in black, gray, & white.

If you have a little flower bed like we do, then that is the perfect place to make a little 'excavated' grave.  The fence around the flower bed was about $3 from Wal-Mart & the bones were about $10 from Wal-Mart as well.  This has to be the best Halloween Decor I've ever arranged.  I love it!

Since this picture I've arranged the fence better so it curves around.  

It's preeeeettttyyyyyyy ssssccceeeeeeeeeeaaaaaarrrryyyy!! 

How do you decorate for Halloween?

What I Wore // 10-03-11

For the life of me I can not take outfit photos! They all stink! I think sometimes they come out slightly better on my iPhone than my DSLR.  I feel like an idiot when it comes to taking outfit photos because any other shot is gorgeous with my DSLR but self portraits? No way!

Anyway, here is the most adorable dress I've thrifted so far:

I mean look at that collar! The bottom corner shot are some pillow cases I thrifted for my October Bed

(which I haven't put together since some of the sheets are still hanging up to dry! Hopefully I'll get it made up soon!)

Details

Smock Dress :: Thrifted

Cardigan & Belt :: JCP Clearance

Tights :: I don't remember (whoops!)

Scarf :: Thrifted

Not seen :: My new fave & thrifted clogs!

(check out Susannabean's tutorial. Sponsor Maryam from Pamplemousse1983 styled her's on Instagram!)

It is a plain ol' denim jumper looking thing.  A cute little smock dress with the most lovely collar.  I fell in love when I found it at Good Will.  I am so happy that I am able to add functional pieces to my wardrobe.  I've always said I wanted a wardrobe that was 50% or higher thrifted items.

This was the first real day of Fall here in my little place.  I even wore a jacket this morning! I can't believe how chilly it's gotten & am so happy that it has because now I can bust out the slippers & hot cocoa.

It's the beginning of the three best months of the year!

What do you do to celebrate the coming of cooler months?

Any little dances or decor you get excited to break out?

Sum Up Sunday // Week in Review

I really like doing these week in review posts.  I like to see what I accomplished this week & it's a little bookmark for me!!!  September was a good month.  A load of things happend over here on Five Sixteenths including that it's now it's own .com. Isn't that pretty cool? www.fivesixteenthsblog.com  I am very proud of this.

Many of the September goals were met & October goals were posted.  This weekend was supposed to be about sewing by it got really cool (yay fall!) so I spent the weekend curled up in handmade blankets & sipping hot chocolate trying to watch Felicity.

- Thrifted some awesome leather shoes 'handmade' in Italy that are a half size too small for $4.  they are a 39.5 & my big ol feet need at 40.  But I can still wear them....a bit.  I wish they were bigger to wear with socks during the winter. Who knows, perhaps they'll go in shop my closet sometime.
- Had some lovely puppy cuddle time before the weekend.  He has to go to the vet because he got cherry eye (?) I've never seen a dog have it before.
- Spruced up the bar for the fall with a great little tray.  Read about my love of home bars here.
- Broke out a little bit of fall with mocassin booties & new (& fave) thrifted bag.

Other things:
- DIY fabric spine notebook on Make it Monday
- Welcoming October Sponsors
- October Blog goals.

Today I am doing laundry in a home with no dryer.  We haven't had a dryer since we moved in & our landlord's keep giving us the run around because they are getting it too (apparently).  So my house looks like this:

There is no more room to hang on door ways & door knobs, etc.  I have like 7 loads of laundry (gross right) because of this.  I refuse to spend money on a damn laundry mat since I signed a lease saying I'd have a dryer.  So, we shall see.

What did you do this week?

Welcome Sponsors!

Welcome October! I have some lovely sponsors this month who have oh so graciously swapped a button with me!! I love meeting some lovely bloggers & sharing them with you.  So if you have a chance...go check 'em out!

Check 'em out in the side bar there!!!