Monday Musings: Getting Crafty

I usually see cute do-it-yourself craft projects on Pinterest and think, "I should make that!" I then pin it and save it for a rainy day. Rarely do I get around to actually making any of these adorable things. But this past weekend I decided to give a fairly simple looking idea a shot. It's a great way to store and display your favorite headbands. Mine usually get thrown in a box, and I loved this idea!

Source: makeitmyown.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

The source is Lyssa Beth blog. She has lots of fun DIY ideas!  

So,  here's my result - it was so easy. All you need is a large oatmeal canister, a candle holder, scrapbook paper and glue. My total cost was $3. And I made some delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with the oatmeal :) 

Apply glue to the back side of the scrapbook paper (a sponge paint brush works well) and then wrap around the canister. I used a hot glue gun to attach the candle holder ($0.05 at a rummage sale down the street) to the bottom of the canister. I had this cute vintage french themed scrapbook paper already. This took me all of 10 minutes to do, and voila!

New Keys and a New Address

After endless searching, I found my new home! A little more than three weeks ago I got the keys to my beautiful loft. I've been MIA in the blog world because of the move and my new job! Two months ago I started a new position in fundraising at another theatre in San Diego. So needless to say, life has been hectic! 

I'm finally unpacked (mostly) and am having fun decorating and reorganizing. Moving is always a great excuse to go through all your belongings and downsize. I took a car full of things to Goodwill on Sunday and it felt great to rid myself of some clutter. But if you know me, you know that I'm a pack rat and hang on to things FAR too long. So I still have a ways to go in that department.  My new place has little storage, so I'm having to be creative in hiding my clutter - not just shove it in a closet. Thank goodness for Pinterest which has given me some great ideas.  

Here are a few photos from the listing for the condo:

I love the windows in the living room, high ceilings, beautiful new hardwood floors and spiral staircase. Max and Millie wouldn't go past the second stair for a few days, but they have finally mastered the winding stairs. When the place is a bit more organized, I'll post the "after" pictures. Here's my favorite addition to my new pad - Kate Spade bedding!

Hope everyone is enjoying their summers and staying cool... especially my East Coast friends! Not to brag (okay, maybe a little) but it's a perfect 75 degrees here in San Diego today. Every time I start to miss my beloved Carolinas and Virginia, I remember what the summer weather is like ;) But I do miss sipping sweet tea on the porch in summertime.


xoxo,
Jess

Meet Millie

Ever since my dog Max spent a month with my parents' dog Ringo at the holidays, I've been considering the idea of getting another dog. You can see the pictures of Max and Ringo meeting at Thanksgiving here. Then I came across a group in San Diego called Holly's Garden Rescue. The non-profit resues small breed dogs (mostly Maltese, Shih Tzus and Lhasa Apso) from shelters to find them good homes.

I saw one dog's picture in particular (they named her Cupcake) and I knew I had to meet her. On Sunday I brought Max with me to the foster home she was staying at. They instantly got along, rolling and wrestling in the yard together. She was so sweet and jumped right into my lap. I knew that she was a great fit for Max and I. They told me that she was a stray picked up by an animal shelter in San Bernadino, CA. It is a high-kill shelter that euthanizes dogs after only 5 (not even full) days in the shelter. She was rescued just in time. I've read up about the shelter, and they have some horror stories about how the animals are treated. It just breaks my heart. I'm so grateful that she was found and put up for adoption. 

From Holly's Garden's 

From our first visit meeting Millie

I went home and thought about for a couple of days and then on Tuesday night I adopted her. Max and her instantly started playing. I knew then that it was the right decision. I spent most of yesterday thinking about dog names, because I knew Cupcake had to go! After lots of great suggestions from friends and co-workers, I settled on Millie. I think it fits her well. She loves to cuddle and is very active and energetic. She is a maltese mix, but I think she looks a lot like Max! What do you think?

They are already best buds. I never had a dog until I got Max 3 years ago. And now I couldn't imagine my life without dogs. Whenever you're having a bad day, it's impossible not to be cheered up by these faces!



Revenge is back!

Revenge was FINALLY back last night with a new episode and will be new each week for the rest of the season! It is hands down the best new show of this season. I jumped on the Revenge train late after a friend told me I'd love the show. So, one weekend I started watching the episodes online and couldn't stop! I watched 13 episodes in one weekend. It's that good.

The opening line of the show is "This is not a story about forgiveness… this is a story about revenge!" It is set in the Hamptons, New York where the characters live a very priviledged life of yacht rides and cocktail parties. The main character Emily Thorne has well concocted plans to bring down the people that destroyed her life. The Grayson family had her father accused of a crime he didn't commit when she was just a young girl. Something about aiding terrorists in bringing down a flight.

She returns to the house in the Hamptons where she lived the summer he was arrested and begins to exact her revenge on the Grayson family and other people who were involved in his arrest. And part of that plan is cozying up to the Grayson son Daniel, and getting him to propose to her. It doesn't hurt that he's ridiculously handsome. (Side note: the actor is British, which makes him significantly more attractive in real life with his accent.) So far, each episode has centered around bringing down a different player in her revenge plan.

The cast is led by Emily VanCamp as Emily Thorne, and man has she perfected the death stare. I was so happy to see her back on TV after Brothers and Sisters was cancelled. I'm still mourning the loss of that show. The rest of the cast includes Madeline Stowe as Victoria Grayson, Gabriel Mann as Nolan Ross, Josh Bowman as Daniel Grayson, Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter and Christa B. Allen as Charlotte Grayson.

Here's a great video of Emily VanCamp talking about Revenge on the Ellen Show. Ellen is a huge fan of Revenge and has recently brought most of the actors on her show.

If you haven't seen the show yet, I encourage you to watch! But the story lines are pretty complex, so make sure to catch up online first. Set your DVRs - it's on ABC at 10pm on Wednesdays.

Are you watching Revenge? Without giving away spoilers - do you think Daniel finds out Emily's secret in the next episode? (The preview sure led us to think that!)

Throwback Thursday: Childhood memories

I had some fun editing some old photos on Instagram, and thought I'd share them on my blog. Who knows, maybe I'll make this a regular weekly Thursday post to share some old photos. I was lucky that I had a very snap happy with the camera mother who documented my childhood in detail. There are stacks of baby albums at home, and I think my mom took me to the photographer monthly until about age two. What can I say, I was pretty cute ;) 

Well, I'm very thankful that she did because now I have tons of photos to remind me of my wonderful childhood. I grew up in a small Virginia city near Washington, D.C. It was the perfect blend of Southern hospitality and historic charm. I have amazing parents who I am still extremely close with. I was an only child until I was 6 when my awesome brother came along. And now 22 years later we are still really good friends. I am a really lucky girl to have such an amazing family. 

Here's a few pictures that I had fun editing with Instagram. First is my beautiful mother and I on the day of my baptism, circa 1984. (9 months old)

This was on Easter Sunday, circa 1986. (2 years old) It was taken at my grandparents house, who I'm sure weren't happy that I was picking their daffodils. 

Here's me chilling in a tire swing at around the same age. I have my Dad and Uncle cropped out, but they were in some seriously awesome 80's attire. 

And then fast forward a few years to 1990, and here's a picture of my brother and I on his first Christmas. I was a proud big sis! 

What do you miss most about being a kid? For me it's the nap times. Or maybe that it was acceptable to wear ruffled socks with patent leather shoes. My mom tells me that I insisted on wearing them all the time, and had to bring a purse everywhere. Now I know where my purse obsession started. 

What are some of your favorite childhood memories? I'd love to hear them! 

Monday Musings: A picture is worth a thousand words... or a billion dollars.

I was pretty shocked to read the news today that Mark Zuckerburg announced that Facebook purchased the photo sharing app Instagram for $1 billion. WOW! This is a small company with 13 employees that made no profit from the app that's available for iPhone and Android. It has quickly grown to 30 million users. I recently got an iPhone last month and had heard the buzz about Instagram. So I downloaded the app and instantly (no pun intended) loved it! It's a place to create beautiful photos with many choices of filters that turn an ordinary photo into something unique. Here's a few that I've taken around San Diego recently. 

My neighborhood - the Little Italy Farmer's Market

Sunset on La Jolla Shores after Happy Hour

View from lunch on La Jolla Shores

Seagull taking off - San Diego Harbor

A walk along the Harbor on Easter Sunday

So, Facebook proved once again that they are taking over the world... I just hope they don't change Instagram too much. It's a great place to get to look beautiful photos without all of the ads and clutter of Facebook. So not only are pictures worth a thousand words, they're worth a billion dollars. 

Follow me on Instagram at @jessabell23. 

~Jess

Words to Live By

I have to admit that I tend to get writer's block with what to write about on here. I have lots of ideas running around in my head most days, but then I think "will anyone actually want to read that?" I've always been a fan of collecting quotes. When you can't think of how to say something well, why not find a famous quote that says it better? I used to keep a journal of quotes that I liked so that I wouldn't forget them. But now I have Pinterest for that... ahhh the wonders of technology. 


So in lieu of my own words, here's some of my favorite quotes that I've found lately. 

Source: lindawagner.net via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: 28.media.tumblr.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: sarahbear9708.tumblr.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: handletteringcite.wordpress.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I hope these provide you encouragement as they have to me. What are some of your favorite quotes? Please share in the comments!


~Jess