dirty thirty

it just kinda hit me recently... i'm going to be thirty someday. and it's going to happen sooner than i meant for it to. just one year, six months and 29 short days... or 576 days to be exact.

i don't feel 28 yet. i don't even feel 25 yet. i still feel like i'm getting away with something when they let me into a bar without checking my ID. so after doing a little research i compiled a list of a few somewhat ideal accomplishments to theoretically be completed by the time i blow out my 30th candle.

1. complete a marriage counseling course (we skipped pre-marital)
2. buy a house with my husband
3. officially take z’s last name
4. get another computer (we are currently a one laptop household)
5. wear more hats (figurative and literally)
6. find a new hobby Zac and I can enjoy together
7. come up with a regular cleaning schedule
8. host a girl’s night
9. host a family holiday
10. find a signature scent and wear it daily (body mist doesn't count)
11. get a new stamp in my passport (canada for our first wedding anniversary?)
12. go on an impromptu weekend trip (camping or staying with friends/family won't count)
13. find the perfect shade of red lipstick
14. determine my personal style and purge everything else from my wardrobe
15. get my hair done (by a professional, in a salon)
16. create a wedding scrapbook or memory box
17. print and display wedding photo(s) in our home
18. pay off my (one and only) credit card
19. grow vegetables and use them in a meal
20. make a painting
21. make a new meaningful friendship
22. have a true, dedicated guest room
23. write a letter to myself to read on my 30th birthday
24. have my own creative space
25. sell a piece of artwork i created
26. grow the emergency savings account
27. eat less fast food and more real meals
28. take a class
29. further develop my blog
30. make us a household notebook
31. try more new recipes
32. clean up and update all my iphoto albums
33. organize our filing and important documents
34. go to the dentist
35. send handmade Christmas cards
36. use my own grocery bags
37. get on some form of health insurance

its a race against time!

xo, pearl

pumpkin patching

my take on: tulle flowers

in the spirit of, lets say "fall cleaning", i've been going through some of my less stumbled upon drawers and boxes and came across these little gems. i made these about a year ago with the intention of using them in my wedding bouquet (which never happened).

let me show you how i made them...

here's what you will need:

two tulle strips (roughly 10"x 2" but i rarely measure and it won't matter too much)

a needle and thread (i used embroidery thread and separated the 6 strands)

small pearl beads or other beads, sequins or similar...

separate the embroidery thread and use one strand to thread the needle

lay out one 10"x 2" strip of tule and roll up the second piece and place it on top then fold the first piece around the middle piece almost like a hot dog.

thread the needle through the folded corner, making sure to catch both pieces of tulle and tie a knot to anchor the thread.

now, using either a loose basting stitch or whip stitch, sew along the short edge and around the corner. basically you're sewing a tube of tulle around the other piece of tulle. bunch as you go and make sure the bunching goes in a spiral pattern. that's how the flower shape is formed.

once you reach the far corner of the long side, poke the needle up through the center of the flower to the top and string a bead onto the thread. bring your needle back down through the center of the flower to the bottom of the flower.

tie a series of two or three knots to finish it off and keep everything in pace.

you're pretty much done. you can either trim the loose thread or not, depending on what you're going to use the flowers for. if i were going to tie them onto something i would leave the thread for that.

try different variations. this one was made with a length of lace in place if the inner strip of tulle.

admire your work and decide how you will use these adorable little tulle flowers!

 

i strung mine up with some gold thread

for now they're stung inside an empty frame on the mantle above my wood stove.

although they never made it much farther than my dining room table (which is also my craft desk and sewing room) i still love how they turned out and wanted to share how i made them. i ended up getting my actual wedding flowers at Safeway the day before my wedding and wrapped the stems with ribbon, akin to how a real florist would. a bouquet for me and a slightly smaller one for each of my back-up-dancers. maybe i could be a florist.

xo, pearl

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get out of town: packing up for a last minute road trip

the husband and i are really good at getting out of town. sometimes we're so good that we're already on the road before we've decided where we're going. i thought i'd let you in on a few things i've learned about packing up in a hurry but still having exactly what you need. this time i was packing for a weekend road trip to Seattle (about 6+ hours away).

this is how i pack for quick weekend excursions where we have a place to stay and i'm not flying.
one backpack, one bag...

i keep a backpack that's pretty much ready to go when i need it with a few basics pre-loaded like my flat iron, body wash, face wash, lotion shampoo and conditioner. i keep a spare make-up bag packed with minis of my regulars and smaller items that i can use as well and toss that in to the backpack too.

you'll have to actually put some thought into what you're going to wear and what the weather is going to be like. i bring clothes that are versatile and can be easily matched up with each other. light layers and basics work best for me. i'm never too fancy. the weather for this trip was going to range from 60s to 90s over the four days. this is what i brought as far as clothing:

• DRESS: 1 light dress (for the hottest day)
• TOPS: 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 button up, 1 t-shirt, 2 layering/undershirts, a tank and a sweater.
• BOTTOMS: 1 pair of skinny jeans, 1 pair of shorts, 1 skirt and 1 pair of leggings
• UNDER: 2 bras (one strapless for the dress), 3 socks, 5 panties
• EXTRAS: jacket, hat, scarf, bandana, swimsuit, pajamas
• SHOES: 1 pair of sneakers and 1 pair of sandals

folded and stacked, everything fits perfectly inside the backpack. i left a few things out to wear.

next i pack all of my little essentials in the bag. its a decent sized shoulder bag and it has a padded pocket for my laptop and enough room for all my things i'd have a hard time living without.

in the bag is: my laptop & case, writing utensils, lotion & sunscreen, a carabiner, hair tie, computer and phone charger, a waterproof wallet (just in case), iPod, iPhone, keys, candy, notebook, sketch pad, markers, glasses, lip gloss, mascara, lip balm, compact, aspirin, my wallet, a headlamp and hand sanitizer.

also, last minute i added a little draw string bag for laundry because the last thing i need is for my dirty socks to fall out while i'm digging around and a small zip bag to keep my clean panties together.

i always bring a bandana or two... i lay one over a pillow so i have my own surface to put my face on, use one for hiding a bad hair day, an emergency belt, wrapping up fragile souvenirs. lots of stuff.

and, last thing, i did bring a small cross-body purse so i didn't have to lug around my giant shoulder bag around while sight-seeing, eating out and shopping. it fit into the big bag and i just threw my wallet and lip gloss in when i used it.

Z and i will be flying to California in November and i will try and write about how to pack without checking any luggage. for now, this is how i pack for a weekender.

xo, pearl

road trip: Seattle

last weekend we did a quick road trip up to Seattle with my husband and his sis and bro-in-law. we packed up the night before and left before the sun came up on thursday morning. it was my grandma's 76th birthday so i wanted to surprise her on our way through the town where she lives (and i grew up).

after passing through we headed to the town where huzbo grew up to pick up the rest of the crew, his sister and her husband. Seattle is such a cool place. the scale is just so huge compared to where we live and there is so much to see and do. even without spending much money we were more than entertained.

fremont bridge

gas works park

the daily donut

pike place market

xo, pearl