oh, hopscotch

fitness journey part 1 :: getting started

2012-02-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

I’ve touched briefly here on Oh, Hopscotch! about my passion for fitness and nutrition. However, I haven’t taken the time to break down my journey and how I got to where I am today. Okay, I realize calling it a journey makes it sound a little like a testimonial in a trendy weight loss brochure, but it’s the best word I can conjure to describe the path I’ve taken over the past several years. Maybe if I provide a little background it’ll shine some credibility in my direction? Here I go…

Let’s rewind about 6 1/2 years. My husband (then fiancé), Rodger, and I had just moved into our beautiful home in a historic neighborhood that runs right along the river. In addition to the clawfoot tub, original 100 year old flooring, and Victorian charm, the bike path provides a serious allure to us. I’m absolutely convinced I’m going to make a serious go of this “working out” thing and hit that bike path hard.

This is me during my much heavier (though not heaviest) days. It looks like I'm trying unsuccessfully to hide myself behind that pole.

I am embarrassed to admit I was in horrible shape for a 22 year old. I hated the way I looked, and felt trapped in a body I was convinced was not my own. At 5’0” and 155 lbs, I was overweight and immensely unhappy. The other factor I had working against me was my health. I had started to get sick very, very often. I would fall ill to a cold, sinus infection, or flu once every 2-3 weeks. And more startlingly, I started to show symptoms of kidney disease. At this point, we didn’t have it nailed down, but I had done enough research to know something serious was wrong and that I had to turn my lifestyle around if I wanted to live the life I was meant to. I just had to figure out how.

I had flirted with an eating disorder in high school, but I was determined to do it right this time around. No nagging negative self talk. No deprivation. No wishing, just DOING. So one Saturday morning Rodger and I put on the closest outfits we had to workout clothes and headed to the bike path for a run.. It. Was. Devastating. I can remember the disgust and anger I had at myself as I fought lung burn and struggled to jog barely 400 meters. I went home that day feeling extraordinarily crestfallen, but for whatever reason, I did not give up. Thank goodness.

We went back to the bike path a couple of days later and ran that same distance. It sucked, but we did it. And then we went back again and ran a little farther. We repeated this pattern until we had built up to running at least a mile and a half. On the nutrition side, I began to scale back my portions, swap refined flours for whole grains, and work new fruits and vegetables into my diet. By the end of that summer, some of the weight had started to come off.

The weather was starting to turn cold, and pounding all that pavement on the bike path was starting to give me shin splints, so we decided it was time to become official gym-goers. We joined a local gym and I did what most women who are faced with an intimidating amount of unfamiliar fitness equipment do. I became a cardio junky. I quickly built my way up to running 6 miles in an hour (serious runners, keep in mind I have short little legs), and I could tear up that elliptical machine. Oh my god it was boring.

So eventually I went looking for more, and found it in the form of a Bootcamp Class. The most adorable figure model/bodybuilder couple led this class. They taught me the fundamentals of fitness, how to move, how to push myself, and how to have confidence in my own ability. LeDawn, the figure builder part of the duo, instilled in me a mantra that I still employ to this day. When we would have just seconds left in a workout segment, she would encouragingly chant “10 seconds! You can do anything for 10!”. It might sound corny, but that always kept me moving. She was right. It was only 10 seconds and I had the will to just keep on moving. I owe a lot to those two crazy, muscle-bound sweethearts!

In the meantime I had two major life events occur. We got married! I was pretty proud to head down the aisle after a 20 lb weight-loss, which put me down to 135lbs. However at about the same time I was finding out that my hunch about my kidneys was unfortunately accurate. I have a degenerative chronic kidney condition called Iga Nephropathy. I've been told I have about a 40 percent chance of going into renal failure and losing my kidneys one day. IgaN causes me to fall ill more often than most people, be more fatigued, have a tendency to be hypertensive, and also wreaks habit on my body through chronic inflammation. At this point I learned there’s not a lot medically that can be done to stop the progression of the disease. Because of that, I looked to other methods that most people dismiss. I learned can save myself through lifestyle changes, by making the right choices about exercise, stress management, what I consume, how much water I drink and most importantly, the things I choose not to put into my body! So my new-found passion became the thing that's saving my life!

It’s at this point in my “journey”—about a year in—that these new choices become lifestyle habits and my passion really starts to kick in. I’m going to impart to you one of the biggest secrets to my success; become obsessed. Seriously. I’m not saying you need to don a pair of polka dotted short-shorts and knee socks and sweat to the oldies like Richard Simmons. But I’m completely sincere in saying that wellness, weight-loss, and fitness will only come to you if it’s in the forefront of your mind. Become educated, read article after article. Don’t believe everything you read in SELF, but seek out additional information. Formulate your own opinion and practice it. Try new things, new foods, new forms of exercise, and don’t be afraid to fail at them. Whatever you do, keep focused on this new interest and more importantly, your goals.

I’ll end this part with that little nugget of wisdom. Be a little crazy about it. Walk that line between informed and zealot, but do it with grace, confidence and self-appreciation.

I'll be back soon with Part 2 for boredom, complacency and how to conquer them both!

matters of the art

2012-01-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

I have a pretty neat project coming around the bend. I mentioned before that I've been helping my mom put a fresh face on The Century Bar with her "Bourbon House" rebrand. As a part of these efforts, we're focusing on being a bigger part of the arts community. Enter this wonderful opportunity; Each month Dayton hosts a large First Friday event. It's essentially a massive art hop where all the galleries open up, bars and coffee shops feature great bands and the streets are filled with a buzzing energy.

For February's First Friday (say that five times fast), we're working with the holiday and bringing on a special event—Matters of the Art Show! I'm excited to say we'll be featuring a lot of newbies to the art scene, as well as some seasoned veterans, all working in a variety of mediums. The only rule being that the art should reflect the Valentine's theme. I can't wait to see what all these talented peeps come up with!

Local, but can't make it for the premiere night? No worries! Art will be displayed for the entire month of February.

Pantone Hotel

2012-01-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Design geeks hold on to your butts! This got me so excited, I created a Pinterest board specifically for it and other places that I simply MUST visit one day! This Pantone branded hotel is so pretty, so smart, and so stylish that I was asking myself it it was "real life"! But it is! It's in Brussels and it'll cost you a bit should you decide to stay there. One might argue that the brilliant use of color and white space (had to say it) makes it well worth the investment and trip.

Fotoshop by Adobé

2012-01-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

We all know that cover girls don't necessarily look quite as pristine in real life as they do on that highly polished, infinitely retouched glossy cover. It's easy to forget, though, when you're barraged with their perfect, shiny, all-too-white toothy grins when you're just trying to buy a tube of tooth-paste at your local Target. It's almost enough to make you reconsider whether or not you should have splurged for the Total Complete-Scope-plus-bacteria fighter-and-whitener-CrestCare, while you were at it.

Never fear! This hilarious "infauxmercial" is here to remind you of just how ludicrous the whole game is. Fotoshop by Adobé by Jesse Rosten is hopefully enough to snap you out of any body-image pity party. See the credits and behind the scenes photos here.

completely inspired by :: kickstarter

2012-01-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Anyone feeling generous these days? Maybe you made a New Years resolution to give more charitably in the upcoming year? In any case, Kickstarter.com is waiting for you with a bevy of worthy cases. Perhaps you have a soft spot for budding artists or people who love pugs (more on that in a moment), or peeps with a passion for making espresso machines? Step right up and find yourself a reason to give!

I first heard of Kickstarter when my husband and his bandmates (Me & Mountains) applied for a slot, and actually got in! The boys who grew up listening to their parent's music on record players (there were still a couple of those hanging around when we were little) had a dream to bring their sweet tunes to vinyl. So in an effort to share some of that nostalgic joy that is the sound of a real record, they decided to ask their fan base for help. Kickstarter gave them the platform to do so, and the response was amazing!

With this awesome website, you apply for a space on their site to make your pitch—be it through video, images or copy. You set a certain amount of money that you need to raise to accomplish your goal, and then offer backers sweet goods and incentives to pledge some money toward it. If at the end of your allotted time frame you've reached your monetary goal, the money is yours! If you fail to make it, you get a big ol' goose egg.

Does it sound kinda fishy to you? It did to me at first, too. However, the more I dove into the topic, the more I found to love. Some projects are a little off the wall, some endearing or funny, and some just plain old heartwarming! And most importantly, it works! Me & Mountains reached their $1000 goal in something like 6 DAYS. People continue to contribute to their cause and the boys couldn't be more tickled.

Here are a handful of my favorite causes. Check them out, or go find your own project to champion!

I am a pretty serious pug-lover. Not the crazy kind that refers to her pugs as her "kids" and totes them around with her everywhere she goes... But I do have a pretty healthy affection for the pudgy little mouth breathers. Amanda from Frolic Photography shares this love, times 1000. Check out her 1000 pugs photo project.

This might be a shameless plug the hubbs and his band, but I'm okay with that. They already hit their goal anyway. Check out their Kickstarter page for a preview of the new album, Feral, and to pre-order it on vinyl!

Oh, Expletive won me over with their hilarious little promotional video. It features a teddy bear and a boston terrier. Both of which talk. If that's not enough to get you reaching for your wallet, their beautifully simple (and funny) screen prints just might. (I'm leaning toward this unicorn print myself)

inspired by :: tara mcpherson

2012-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

These "Somewhere Under the Rainbow" art prints from Tara McPherson have got me imagining which little nooks in my house these will look the best in. They go on sale Thursday at 3pm EST on Tara's own Cotton Candy Machine website. They're printed in an edition of 100 each, so buy them up while they last! I know I just might have to.

modCloth :: just my type

2012-01-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love ModCloth. Their website is chock-full of more of the cutest apparel, accessories and home goods than a girl could possibly ask for. I could spend hours perusing their pages. I didn't need another reason to sing their praises, but I found one anyway!

To celebrate the fresh year ahead, they have outfitted a number of their staff members in their gorgeous goods for a feature called "Just My Type". The thing that makes this stand apart is that they didn't just pick their willowy, 20 year-old intern, who looks like a Forever21 model, to pose away. They chose real, stylish women and outfitted them in ways that are flattering and bring out their individuality. These girls run the gamut from petite to tall, slight to full, and sweet to tough. The one thing they all have in common is that they all appear confident and comfortable in their own skin. ModCloth even throws in their measurements and height so you can figure out how that awesome dress or cute cardigan might measure up on your own frame. BRAVO, ModCloth!

sunday snack :: ultimate paleo trail mix

2012-01-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

It doesn't exactly take a degree in the culinary arts to make trail mix. All you really have to do is to throw together some combination of crunchy/salty/sweet/gooey/chewy/yummy/you-get-the-idea, ingredients. I would go as far as to say that a trail mix composition is a highly personal endeavor. However, if you're looking for a guideline as to what that combination should be, look no further.

Last night, as I was rushing to create a snack for a New Year's Eve party, I think I found the optimal trail mix formula. It just happens to also be paleo (well, you can split hairs about the chocolate and whether that makes this un-paleo, if you want). With just the right amount of salty paired with sweet, this energizing snack is a satisfying treat. This recipe makes a lot, so plan on taking it to a party or splitting it up into individually portioned baggies to eat throughout the week (or month).

Ingredients:

yields several servings

1-1/2 cup roasted salted almonds

1 cup roasted salted macadamia nuts

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1 cup banana chips (go for the unsweetened to reduce sugar)

2/3 cup Enjoy Life dairy free Chocolate Mega Chunks

1/2 cup raw cashews

Method:

• I have one step for you, and that is to mix all the ingredients well! Oh, and try not to eat the whole bowl yourself :)

everything feels all new and shiny!

2012-01-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

I've been away from Oh, Hopscotch! for a minute. Things got crazy with our vacation, Christmas, work, and the training I've been doing with CrossFit. I made all sorts of fun crafty stuff for Christmas, but had no time to share it out, which makes my heart hurt. And I'm only being slightly dramatic here.

However, it's a new year, life has (somewhat) slowed down, and I have some fun new things to bring to this happy little corner of cyberspace. I'm so excited for 2012 and all the adventure it will bring!

Do you make resolutions? Have any doozies? I don't tend to make resolutions per se, but I do have a couple of goals for the upcoming year:

• Write, write, write more!
• Complete a muscle-up (this YouTube clip makes it look so epic, but it sort of is, so whatev).
• Work on a healthier me, with a sharper focus on elite fitness and clean eating—Paleo-style!
• Host or attend at least one craft night with my girlfriends a month.
• Go to a local climbing wall and conquer my fear of heights.
• Give it my all in the CrossFit Open. I figure I don't have a snowball's chance in Hell of going to the Games, but I'm learning, and it'll give me great experience to build on for next year!
• Host at least one solo and one collaborative art show.
• Travel! See some friends, some sites, and maybe another country.
• Be a better wife, daughter, friend, co-worker, sister... person.

Thank you to everyone for your love and support this year and always. I love you all and hope 2012 holds nothing but magic for you! Happy New Year!

majestic hawaii

2011-12-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

So I've been away for a minute. A long minute, actually. I've been in Hawaii on a cruise with that awesome husband of mine. I was gone so long—ten days—that I was starting to feel like I was in a blissful alternate universe in which I had no job, no responsibilities outside of figuring out fun things to do on each island we were encountering, and got to sleep for ten hours a day. It was the trip of a lifetime.

"Majestic" was a good word for it. Not "majestic" in the way the lady at the excursion desk described a $180 sunset cruise, or in the way the cruise director threw it out when explaining the Pina Colada Happy Hour. We're talking "oh-my-god-if-I-see-one-more-thing-that-is-more-beautiful-than-the-last-I-might-just-die". DIE, I tell you! Like, "Oh, wow, this Nepali Coastline sure is lovely, but throw in that double rainbow and jumping dolphins at the same time and you get pure majestic". BEHOLD. (I was not lucky enough to capture the dolphins in this image).

While I was in the Aloha state, I Instagramed like a madwoman. So much so that my facebook friends probably hate me because these posts go right into my facebook feed. Sorry, friends! Anyhoo, here's a roundup of some of my faves (I took SO many). If you want to see the rest of them, you can find them on my followgram.

rebranding the century

2011-11-29T20:00:00.001-08:00

I've been in pretty constant motion these past few weeks. Between Thanksgiving, work, work-outs, a complete rebrand and remodel of my Mom's business, and preparing for a vacation to HAWAII (!!!) I haven't had a whole lot of free time. However, I just finished up the last touches of a logo I am working on, and I thought I'd give you guys a peek.

My Mom has been working really hard to put a fresh face on her bar, The Century. While it's been operating at a happy hum for the past 16 or so years since my Mom purchased it, it's time to try some new things. We're attempting to carve out a unique niche by transitioning from an average (and awesome) late night haunt to something slightly more polished. This will be accomplished by focusing on bourbon—doubling the bourbon selection to be specific!

We've also decided to alter the name. "The Century Bar" will be transitioning over to "The Century; A Bourbon House". Classy, no? So in the branding, I've tried to convey the rich history of the bar itself, as well as pulling inspiration from bourbon labels and the rich colors of the brew.

Here's what I've come up with!

i clean up alright :: thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T13:55:00.001-08:00

You can totally tell me if I'm being a big narcissist here. It won't offend me. Much. I follow a number of stylish ladies in my blogroll and so many of them share regularly with their readers what they wear. People like Ally of One Pearl Button, or Elsie from A Beautiful Mess often post pictures of their adorable ensembles, and I don't ever think they're being narcissistic. I simply take inspiration from their rad fashion sense.

I've put a lot of thought into whether or not I should join the ranks of these hip, style-sharing bloggers. I'm creative and kind of stylish. I get lots of compliments on my outfits.... Why not, right? So without further ado (and no more waffling) here is what I wore to all three of my family Thanksgiving gatherings yesterday!

dress :: Converse for Target

top :: Anthropologie

arrow necklace :: Stella & Dot

sparkly button :: by me :)

large flower pin :: Purposely Paisley (my super talented pal, Anna)

shoes :: Steve Madden

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T11:12:00.001-08:00

Here's a brief list of some things I'm feeling a bit thankful for this year (in no particular order):

• Rodger—my incredible, attentive husband who would go to the ends of the Earth for me.

• this ever-growing circle of friends I have—from the oldest to the newest CrossFit bunch.

• the puggies

• the best, most supportive family a girl could ask for.

• a passion and gift for creativity that is always growing.

• a vacation to Hawaii in the very near future.

• my fitness and new lease on health and nutrition.

• a happy home!

• the job that is always pushing and challenging me to be a better designer and person.

• you! My online friends that occasionally pop in and give me a reason to stay inspired and keep posting.

What sort of things make you feel lucky this holiday season?

followgram for instagram

2011-11-15T18:53:00.001-08:00

if you've been hanging around me online for any amount of time, you may have noticed I have a certain affinity for Instagram. As much as I love it, I've been frustrated by the web limitations that come along with it. However—you'll want to listen up my Instagram friends—all that has changed with Followgram! Followgram allows you to view your entire image catalog on your computer and not just your tiny iPhone screen. You can also "like" photos, comment on them and follow new people. I hope this excites you as much as it does me!

You can click here to follow me, or find my link any time by clicking on the Instagram link on the right-hand column of this blog---------->

And just because it makes me happy, here are some of my favorite recent Instagrams!

marimekko for converse

2011-11-13T17:21:00.001-08:00

I'm loving these prints that design house, Marimekko, has brought to the Converse brand. It's the perfect marriage of classic American style with Scandinavian simplicity.

::All Star Marimekko::

::Jack Purcell Helen Marimekko::

::All Star Marimekko PJ::

::Jack Purcell Helen Marimekko::

sunday snack :: scrambled egg muffins

2011-11-12T19:29:00.001-08:00

I've been seeing a lot of egg muffin recipes these days as I peruse pinterest. The idea of an instant scrambled egg/omelet hybrid that is also portable really appeals to me. I finally found myself a spare 40 minutes or so yesterday morning to give them a try. This Sunday I'll share with you my own interpretation of this tasty breakfast sensation. I stuffed them with lots of veggies and cooked them in a way to optimize the flavor, but still lock in fresh textures. At 68 calories and five grams of protein per muffin, you'll get more than great taste out of these handy snacks!

Also, as is the my going trend these days, you'll find these are both gluten free and Paleo-approved.

My iPhone is making me lazy, These Instagram pics aren't cutting it!

Ingredients:
makes roughly 16 small muffins

10 eggs
1 small onion very finely diced (yellow or white)
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 large bell pepper (whatever color you prefer) finely diced
1/2 cup baby spinach chopped
1/2 medium tomato finely diced
3 oz organic salami, cooked bacon or pepperoni diced (I like this Applegate Farms stuff)
2 tbsp ghee (this is clarified butter. I use Purity Farms brand or you can make your own. or you can use olive oil)
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
tabasco to taste

method:

• Preheat oven to 350F & heat skillet to medium.
• saute onions & garlic in the ghee until they start to soften.
• add tomatoes, red pepper, salami, cumin, paprika, red pepper, & tabasco (make this as spicy as you prefer) to the skillet and heat until everything is nice and warm. Then transfer to a large bowl to cool.
• While that stuff is chilling out, crack the 10 eggs in a large bowl, sprinkle in some salt and pepper to your liking and whisk.
• Once your salami & veggies are cooled (just right above room temperature) add it to your eggs along with the spinach and mix until well combined.
• Spoon the mixture into cupcake cups about 2/3 of the way full. I highly recommend using cupcake liners here because eggs are hella-sticky, but if you don't have any, grease up each cup with ghee or the oil of your choosing.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until the eggs begin to rise, round up and just start to turn dark gold.
• Let them cool for about 10 minutes and enjoy, or transfer to an air tight container. Store for up to one week.

This is how they'll look once they're ready.

reheat instructions:
Wrap muffin loosely in a paper towel. Microwave for 10-30 seconds. Pat yourself on the back for being so well-prepared!

Even Rodg, the picky hubbs likes them, "except for the onions"... I guess you can't win them all.

approximate nutritional breakdown per serving:

calories - 68, fat - 4.7g, saturated fat - 1.8, sodium - 112.2mg, carbs - 1.1g, fiber - .2g, sugar - .7g, protein - 5.2g

traveling paleo

2011-11-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

the dry-erase board outside my cubicle :)

I'm gonna expand a little on my recent paleo post and share some ideas I've had about packing not just paleo foods on a trip, but healthy foods. I'm currently in Chicago for work. While it's a super exciting assignment, I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. How was I going to go to a city known for their amazing food—more specifically pizza—and not indulge? The answer is simple; lots of planning.

We are taking a bus to and from that has one brief stop at a gas station that houses a McDonalds & Subway. So the cleanest food sources are not available for the journey. Then once we got here I had to ensure I had enough snacks to keep me satiated and energized for all the walking we have been doing. So I packed A LOT of food. Better to have too much than too little, right?

This is what I brought with me, as snapped from my iPhone the morning I left for Chi-town.

1 >> Hard boiled eggs are easy fuel sources. They're very portable and contain lots of protein, so they'll keep you full for a long time. The downside? Peeling them!

2 >> Larabars! They have a high sugar count, so they shouldn't be eaten in mass quantities, but they're a great snack for when you're out and don't have the time or locale to secure fresh foods. I don't feel too bad about them because most varieties only contain a few ingredients.

3 >> Dates are my new jam. I pop one or two of the Medjool variety when I'm craving something sweet. They have a candy-like consistency.

4 >> Almond butter is great for spreading on fruit and vegetables. These little packets by Justin's are handy and easily transportable.

5 >> Have you tried Kombucha yet? It's a fermented tea. There are loads of debates about whether or not it's paleo, due to the fermentation process, but I'm not splitting hairs here. I like it. It has lots of nutrients and only 2 grams of sugar per serving (neither of those grams are added), and it's fizzy and tasty and curbs any cravings for soda that I encounter.

6 >> I packed cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds. What can I say? I like variety!

7 >> Cucumbers are my favorite vegetable. I could eat them every day. I just break them apart, roll them up in plastic wrap, and toss them in my bag.

8 >> Celery travels really well and tastes fantastic when topped with almond butter.

9 >> Salad dressings are traps for all sorts of things like sugar, dairy, high fructose corn syrup, etc. To prevent wrecking my diet, I packed my own salad dressing. I just picked up a travel bottle that is food safe from the toiletries section at the supermarket and filled it with a Paleo-safe dressing. The packaging assures me it is leak-proof, and so far, so good!

10 >> I try to avoid meat that has been processed, but when i need a quick protein-packed snack, I'll cut up a link of all-natural Applegate sausage. I'll also keep a pack in the fridge for nights when I'm short on time and need to whip up a quick dinner.

11 >> Apples are pretty self-explanatory. Yum.

12 >> Red peppers.

13 >> Bananas are quick energy, full of potassium, and another great accompaniment to the almond butter :)

Hopefully this helped with some ideas for your next trip or vacation. Even if you don't follow the paleo diet, I hope this aids you in coming up with some healthy alternatives to greasy fast food and gas station fare. Safe (and healthy) travels, my friends!

paleo

2011-11-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

I’m gonna veer slightly off topic with this one today. I’ve recently brought about a pretty drastic change in my lifestyle. It’s something I’m so excited about and has had such a profound impact on my life, that I think it’s almost unfair not to share it.

WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?
Perhaps you’re a friend of mine on Facebook and you’ve seencountless Instagram shots of the food I’ve been so proudly making lately. Ormaybe you caught my brief mention of this Paleo Diet on my Coconut Squares recipe the other day. In any case, you might be wondering what it is I’mgushing about all the time?

Okay, here goes. My interest was piqued quite some time agoabout a (somewhat radical) way of eating called the Paleo Diet—Paleo, as in Paleolithic. I did a whole lot of research and had started toconsider attempting it, when 4 weeks ago my CrossFit gym issued a 50 day “PaleoChallenge” to all of its members. It was just the push I needed to give thisthing a shot!

You may have also heard it referred to as “Primal” or “Caveman” Eating. It’s adiet that centrally focuses on the way our Paleolithic ancestors ate, beforethe advent of agriculture, or more recently, the industrialization of food. Itemphasizes eating the way we are evolved to eat, rather than filling up on thesorts of foods that cause inflammation, digestive issues or all around unrestin our bodies. This means removing all grains, dairy, legumes, most sugar and all refined sugars, certain oils, and alcohol (yes,alcohol). These foods are replaced with abundant vegetables, proteins frommeat, nuts and seeds some fruit and a decent amount of fat. Paleo alsoadvocates adequate rest every night. You should get regular exercise, as wellas remove excess stress from your life (yeah, still working on that one).

I have fun these days investigating new combinations of vegetables and spices.

IN SEARCH OF WELLNESS.
For a much more in-depth dive into the world of Paleo, checkout paleoplan.com. It’s a website that I’ve found very informative and I’m suredoes a much better job of explaining the Paleo lifestyle—it is very much a lifestyle and not just a diet. I can’tspeak to you too much about the science behind it, but what I can talk about ishow it makes me feel.

Despite being a very active person and a healthy eater, Itend to be a bit on the sickly side. I have a chronic kidney disease, constantback pain, gluten intolerance, mild hypertension (as a result said kidneyissues), and digestive problems. I had my gallbladder removed in May, but someof the upper abdominal pain that I had attributed to the gallbladder diseasepersisted, and was getting worse. Let me tell you, it was awful. I had painevery single day in my upper abdomen. An EGD the day before I started the Paleochallenge turned up nothing. But the pain was most definitely not nothing. Itwas very real and ever-present.

While I was still in an anesthesia stupor from my procedure,the Dr. handed my husband a prescription for a drug that would hopefullyalleviate some of the discomfort I was experiencing. I never filled it. InsteadI embarked on this “crazy” Paleo thing. To my complete surprise, the painceased from DAY ONE! A month in now, I have not experienced even a hint of the pain that had been plaguingme nearly every day for years! The first week was pretty brutal, as far asenergy goes, while my body learned to switch from using primarily carbohydratesfor fuel to also using glucose. Once I got over that hump, however, my energylevels skyrocketed! I’m not yawning throughout the day, and I have way moreenergy than I ever use to. It might be a little too early to tell for sure, butmy blood pressure seems to have dropped to an acceptable level, too. Even someof the aches and pains in my joints that I was just chalking up to everydayissues have started to fade. It’s uh-mazing.

Hard-boiled eggs have become my go-to for a quick, protein-rich snack.

WEIGHTY ISSUES.

Now, I would be lying if I didn’t have any weight lossmotives in mind when starting this whole thing. I’m not overweight by anymeans. I have a strong, solid, athletic frame that I’ve spent years sculpting.However, we all have those things we would like to change about ourselves. It’sonly human. My body has a very hard time letting go of weight. I actually useto be about 30 lbs and 4-5 jean sizes larger than I am now. A little bit ofthat has stuck around in the form of a larger lower half. I have drumsticklooking legs (large on top and smaller at the bottom). There I said it. Drumsticks,I tell you! I have agonized over this for a very long time. No amount ofworking out or eating “right” would drop those couple extra pounds from myframe.

The first 2 weeks after I started Paleo I lost 5 pounds!Seriously. I’m Five feet tall (even) and that is a lot of weight in a shortperiod of time. After that, my weight evened out, but my body composition hasbegun to change. It seems like I’m shriking by the day.

My hips are slighter, I can actually see muscle definitionin my legs, and OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I HAVE ABS! Me! Then, I slipped into myfirst ever size zero jeans. For reals. For the first time in my life, I canhonestly say that I am proud of what I look like.

WHERE I'M GOING FROM HERE.

So I have another 20-ish days left in my gym’s challenge,but have definite plans to continue eating this way. I love the way I look andfeel. Even though it’s a challenge to keep fresh foods stocked at all times andordering in a restaurant is like pulling teeth, it is SO worth it for thegains.

Why am I sharing this with everyone on a blog that has beendedicated mostly to fashion, crafting and artsy things? Mainly because mywellness journey has become so intertwined in who I am, that I want to begin toincorporate it more into my writing. I’m still a crafty, artsy girl, but I alsocare so much about fitness that I want to share it out with anyone who willlisten. I hope you don’t mind finding some additional content here that goesbeyond my artistic side. I plan to get more into the habit of includingpaleo-inspired recipes, and I hope in turn to meet more like-minded people thatI can swap stories and tips with! Are you still in? I hope you stick around tohear about CrossFit and what that has done for my life, too :)

Thanks guys!

some of the many new foods and recipes I've discovered since starting Paleo.

a confidential alien investigation (party)

2011-10-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

How about a little visual recap of our Alien Invasion Halloween party from this last weekend? Bear with me, there's a lot, but it's pretty cool, so I hope you don't mind.

THE SETTING:

The entrance to our kitchen, or the "lab", which was quarantined with a plastic curtain and decorated with this simple vinyl graphic. It adds a nice touch, no?

Guests were greeted with flashing lights and lots and lots of caution tape. Hopefully we pulled off the impression of a alien landing site that's been haphazardly taken over by the FBI.

Rodger—the hubbs/mad scientist—took breaks from rounding up the aliens to administer vaccination "shots" to potentially contaminated (sober) guests.

The boys got in on the festivities. They were cows, which usually are the first to fall prey to extraterrestrial visitors. Don't worry, no pugs or cows were harmed in making of our party.

Oh yes, the Pièce de résistance! It's our 10 ft. wide, flashing, creepy sound-emmiting, UFO. The aliens have landed!

When putting together a killer Halloween party, lighting is key. It can take your festivities from an awkward grouping of costumed adults, to a serious scene setter. It's probably one of the cheaper things you can do to create instant ambience!

Our bathroom was our "clean room". It was equipped with a shiny mylar shower curtain and decontamination chamber for all your radiation cleansing needs.

FEEDING TIME:

Food is another biggie when it comes to throwing any kind of successful party. Here's my "menu" for the evening. Yes, there is a typo. I ran out of R's. If you don't see it, I'm not going to tell you where it is!

I find that a monochromatic fruit salad makes a tasty and nutritious statement. I called this green concoction "Extraterrestrial Fauna". Take my word for it, it helps set the mood.

Then for all the people who aren't on crazy restrictive diets like myself, we have the hubbs's famous adaptation of of the classic buckeye. Peanut butter, white chocolate and Reese's Pieces make up our "Alien Eyes". A friend of mine "procured" some cool stuff from her lab where she works. So I used microscope slides to label the food.

COSTUMES:

Rodger, the Mad Scientist. I love the picture of him!

And just because I'm so proud of it, one more shot of my Vulcan costume!!

I love when guests get into our theme and dress for it. Here's an astronaut and martian girl!

Dr. Who and his adorable sheep lady.

Agents Mulder and Scully came to investigate.

Same dress, two ways!

REPURPOSING:

These pics are from after our party. We moved a lot of the props outside for our trick-or-treaters benefit. Look closely, and you'll spy me and my friend as Mario & Luigi!

One of the aliens that Rodger hand made (sculpted, casted and poured) all on his lonesome. He's so talented!

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T17:22:00.000-07:00

Seriously, how magnificent do these neighborhood boys look? If I didn't know them to be the sweet kids that they are, I'd have probably been pretty freaked out!

Happy Halloween!

my vulcan halloween costume

2011-10-31T04:24:00.000-07:00

To go along with our party's alien invasion theme, I decided to go the sci-fi route and dress up like a Vulcan. Spock was a Vulcan, for all you non-Trekkies. Don't look at me like that. I've already professed my dorky-ness to you guys.

The costume came together rather effortlessly, and turned out to be maybe my favorite of all time. I got the wig and pointy ears at a Spirit Halloween store. I ordered the Communicator badge from Amazon. I picked up the dress at Forever 21, and it was on sale, too. A friend of mine showed up dressed as Strawberry Shortcake wearing the exact same one. So it was definitely a versatile piece of clothing! The belt, I procured from Target. I wish I had a full-length photo of me in the costume so you could see my bad-ass boots that I've managed to wear for every Halloween for the past four years.

(Vulcans don't really smile)

The make-up should have been simple enough, yet it still took me an hour. Mainly it was those darn eyebrows that gave me fits. It took me a while to get the points just right. I used a dark brown liquid liner to draw in the extra eyebrows and provide a convincing texture. When I made a mistake with the liner, I'd just brush on a little concealer to soften the lines.

For the whole face I just pretty much put down a nice base layer using my regular Bare Minerals foundation. Vulcans have a pretty even skin texture.

Then I drew on very thick cat eye-like eye shadow for a vintage touch. I applied some pink eyeshadow on most of the lid and a bright white for the highlights at the edges of my brow and point of the tear duct. Then I added a bit of inter-galactic sparkle with some glittery white eyeshadow all over lid. Finally I topped it off with some big, fake, sparkly eyelashes!

I was pretty pleased with the overall effect :)

Live long and prosper, peeps, and happy Halloween!

sunday snack :: chocolate coconut squares

2011-10-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Halloween! Yay, Halloween! Now, I love a Reese's Cup or Twix bar as much as the next girl, but I don't necessarily appreciate all the high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar that come along with the kind of candy you'd find in a Trick-or-Treaters pillow sack.

So I employed my creative brain-power to come up with a treat that excludes all those nasty aforementioned additives, supplies a handful of nutrients, and quells my sweet (or chocolate) tooth. This is important, so I don't end up raiding my nephew's candy bag. By the way, these babies are also free of gluten, soy, eggs, nuts and added sugars. So they're pretty allergen friendly. They also comply with the paleo diet, which I have recently become an avid follower of.

Try it and you'll love them! Unless you don't like coconut. It's a polarizing food isn't it?

Ingredients:
yields 25 servings

1 cup shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup coconut oil

5 pitted Medjool dates
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt

Method:

• Heat the coconut oil on low heat in a small saucepan until completely liquified. Add the coconut flakes and continue cooking on low heat until warm and some of the oil soaks in. Set aside.

• Pulverize the dates in a food processor. Then Add the coconut oil and flake combination, vanilla, cocoa powder and sea salt to the dates and process until pasty.

• Pour the mixture into a small silicon pan and smooth out until flat and about a 1/2" thick.

• Place pan in freezer for about an hour or until the mixture is frozen solid.

• Remove from freezer and pop the mixture out of the pan (this easy removal is why I used a silicon pan). Cut into 1 inch squares. Be sure to keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

(sorry for the crappy iPhone pics. My SLR battery was charging)

approximate nutritional breakdown per serving:
calories - 50, fat - 3.7g, saturated fat - 3.2g, sodium - 11.6mg, total carbohydrates - 4.5g, fiber - 0.8g, sugar - 3.3g, protein - 0.3g

Anthropologie October Window Display

2011-10-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

I just adore this Anthropologie window I spied today while in Columbus. Who woulda thought you could string up gourds with brilliant autumnal-hued yarn, pair it with a cute outfit, and make it look absolutely gorgeous?

Oh, Anthro, you've done it again!

a confidential invasion party

2011-10-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Halloween is quickly approaching and the hubbs and I are in full-blown party planning mode. In order to get everything set up for our party next saturday we have to start the set up this weekend. We're doing an alien invasion theme this year. While it's a little stressful to have the house mocked up for an all-out extraterrestrial takeover for the entire week (I keep tripping over cables and alien limbs), setting up is definitely the most fun part of the process.

One of my personal favorite aspects to our party each year is coming up with an invitation to fit our theme. This year, I really tried to take inspiration from those FBI reports that get released to the public that always have so much "confidential" information blacked out that it's hard to even tell what they're really about. It always looks like it has been photocopied about 15 times, too. Ever notice that?

halloween at urban outfitters

2011-10-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here at Hopscotch Headquarters, Halloween is a pretty massive event. In fact, we spend most of the year preparing for this happy time at the end of October when we go all out with a huge celebration. Ask around. Our parties are legendary.

Obviously, I can get behind a company—like Urban Outfitters,—that shows a healthy appreciation for Halloween. Check out their fun little Halloween Shop for some costume/decorating inspiration. Really, I think they may have chosen some of their kookier regular merchandise and styled it a in a way that resembles costumes... But I'll take it!

foxy friends

2011-10-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

Just a little page out of my sketch book.

back to the start

2011-10-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

I was at the movies this past weekend when this short film began to play. Willie Nelson's version of Coldplay's "The Scientist" narrates this simple, but breath-taking animation. As the story begins, a farmer owns a small, traditional farm, but slowly it starts to evolve into something unnatural—the sort of farming that dominates our food-scape today.

He watches helplessly as his animals are treated inhumanely and then fed on a conveyer belt to a processor where they are boxed and then shipped out, via semi-truck into the world. In the end the farmer decides to take his farm back and "Go back to the start" as Willie Nelson croons.

It turns out to be a commercial for Chipotle. I didn't see that one coming!

I'm compelled to share this because nutrition and healthy food sources are subjects near and dear to my heart. The graphic designer in me also loves pretty, emotionally-charged short films. So hopefully it appeals to one of those sides of you, too.

Without further ado, here it is. I hope you like it as much as I do! Go ahead and watch it full-screen. It's so worth it!

inspired by :: nike found

2011-10-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

I'm a pretty sporty girl these days. Whether I'm running, biking, weight lifting or training in my CrossFit gym, I find myself wearing a lot of workout clothes. So I was ecstatic to come across all of this styling inspiration from the Nike Found Tumblr page. Here are just a couple of my favorite looks from their collection, for exercise or just being a fashionable lady:

Jo Totes

2011-09-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

There are lots of camera bags out in the market today, but unfortunately they tend to lean more toward the functional side of the spectrum than the fashionable one. Jo Totes breaks the mold with these super stylish camera bags. They're deceptively ladylike, yet practical at the same time.

I can imagine blending in abroad with this $109 Black Betsy bag. Because who wants to stick out like a sore thumb tourist when trying to take in the sites? Not me. The one drawback I can see is that I would feel pretty awful about asking my husband to carry it for me when me shoulders got too tired!

100 years of fashion :: a quirky summary

2011-09-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

I found this video today on the Fossil blog. What a clever way to sum up 100 years of fashion in a tidy one minute and forty-one seconds. Enjoy!

vintage roller derby

2011-09-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

My stint as a Roller Girl didn't last any longer than it took me to realize that I really do not appreciate getting blasted off my skates by girls twice my size. That measures out to be a week long boot camp, if you're counting. However, my love for the sport has remained steadfast. I have two very close friends who gave it a much longer-lived effort than I was able to, and I respect them beyond words for this!

I'm completely enamored of the physical and emotional toughness, sportsmanship, and sheer ballsiness of the ladies who lace up for this sport. I was surprised to find these photos of women Roller Derbying in the 1940's. Who knew the sport went back that far?

Here's some of my faves. I wish I knew their stories, and if they had "Derby names".

of course there were fights!

...and.....

.....

wipeouts!

I love this one! It looks like they're having the time of their lives.

threadless select - fall 2011 collection

2011-09-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

Threadless is probably best known for their quirky and bold community generated graphic tees. This has served them well. However, I've been excited to see them branch out into the more fashion forward, quiet, direction with their Select Collection. I first discovered Select back in March, and continue to be impressed as new designs filter in. It's interesting to see them move away from bold placement graphics to subtle allover designs.

erin + pete (continued)

2011-08-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late on reporting this out, but I can't miss the chance to brag on two of my favorite people. Perhaps you remember Erin + Pete, whose engagement photos I shot early this past spring? Well, that next month, they ended up hosting one of the most stunning weddings I've ever attended. Their mega-talented photographer, Andrea Dozier, submitted her photos of their wedding to the blog, Style Me Pretty. And wouldn't you know it? They were selected and featured!

As a little feather in my cap, I worked with Erin early on to design a monogram logo and invitations, and helped select a suitable color palette. However, the vision was all hers. I'm blown away by her impeccable taste and attention to detail. Check out the story for Andrea's cute little synopsis (I think she nailed their personalities quite well) or see the entire, adorable gallery here.

Enjoy a couple of my personal favorites while you're here:

Seconds after this picture was snapped, Pete was—out of nowhere—pelted in the back of the head by an entire sack of birdseed. He was a good sport, but I do believe there is still talk of retribution...

The tables were decorated with a table runner that matched the rosette detail on Erin's dress. Also, a year's collection of Mason jars that displayed a myriad of unique bouquets. How's that for attention to detail?

I just love the groomsmen's boutonnieres and ties, which were ordered by Etsy seller, Ties That Don't Suck.

Cute bags for the candy bar were run through an inkjet printer and then embellished with the stamp we had made for the invitations and the decorative edge cutter that we also bought for the invitations.

...and a little bit of something blue!

Virginia Welker

2011-08-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

My grandmother passed away this morning. It's hard to find the words for how I'm feeling as I grapple with how to say goodbye. I'll miss her sweetness, sincerity, and smile. I'll miss how she never, ever. forgot a birthdate. It's fitting that it's gloomy and chilly outside here today because my life is just a little darker and colder without her in it.

I love this picture of her. She looks so happy and youthful. I wish I could have been behind that camera to capture her on her Vespa on this sunny afternoon. I wish I could have known her like this, and had twice the amount of years with her. But really, I'm lucky to have known and been loved by her at all.

wishlist

2011-07-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! Is there anything better than birthdays? I really don't think so. Mine has rolled around once again, and so far it has been pretty magical. I spent yesterday canoeing down the river , and checking out a local castle with some pretty amazing friends. Then on today's birthday agenda, I'll be celebrating with my wonderful husband and family over dinner and cake. I'm such a lucky girl to have these people in my life as I usher in year number 28!

Just for fun, I scanned over my Pinterest Wishlist and pulled some of my faves into a round-up.

:: click on the image to enlarge ::

1. I've wanted one of these pull down classroom maps for years. I keep imagining how cool that would look over the piano in our dining room. This particular map comes from Hoof And Antler on Etsy.

2. I can't help it, I've been hooked by the classic bookishness of the Sperry trend. I found this pair on Zappos.

3. I have a small watch collection. I tend to regard them as a rather practical accessory... until I need to buy a new battery for them, anyway. Most of mine come from Fossil, like this one, of course.

4. I like just about everything by the Etsy seller, Spectacle Ala Maison. This leather scaled cuff is stunning, as well as her many other leather goods.

5. I really don't have a ton of uses for a backpack, outside of the occasional travels, but I can't really resist this Roxy Great Outdoors Mini Backpack.

6. What can I say, maps and globes intrigue me! While I don't have any yet, I'm planning out a collection.

7. I have totebags coming out of my ears hear at Hopscotch Headquarters. I, however, would make room for one more for this awesome Paige Tote with adjustable handles.

8. I've put roller derby aspirations behind me, but I would still love to have the chance to go fast and look good while doing so in a pair of Wickeds!

9. I'm loving the cheery color palette and eclectic charm of this Jones Patchwork Quilt from Urban Outfitters.

harry potter and the last chapters

2011-07-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I offer you a glimpse into my closeted nerdiness. This, my friends, is another one of those times. You can look away if you like. It's kind of embarrassing, but here goes:

I am a huge Harry Potter fan.

There, it feels good to get that off my chest.

I can try to justify it, but there isn't really any excuse for it outside of the fact that I'm a massive dork. Yup. So much so that I am battling the crowds and next-work-day-exhaustion to go to the midnight premiere of the final movie tonight.

So bear with me. I've pulled together a fun Harry Potter themed round up.

::via threadless::

(I own this shirt. But wait it gets worse)

::by mikey burton via fast company::

::via me (yes, this is me and my buddy at Universal's Harry Potter Island of Adventure. Told you it got worse)::

::via john tibbott via Quick Brown Fox::

::via http://ryandarling.tumblr.com/::

::via wee little stitches on etsy::

::source unknown, but if you do know, please fill me in and I'll give credit where it's due::

lately...

2011-07-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

I think I've been living the past couple of weeks in fast forward. It seems like just yesterday I was watching the fireworks explode in sparkly grandeur over the Great Miami River. Was that really almost a week and a half ago? In addition to celebrating America's 235th birthday, I've organized and executed the Swap Meet at the Century, joined a super rad Crossfit gym, participated in an intensive training program at work (which is cutting into my evenings), had a pretty serious medical scare (boo), and have started following a gluten free diet (more on this sucky development later).

I have hardly had time to read any blogs, let alone write in my own. You can't see me, but I have a serious sadface on right now. As a half-assed substitution for blog posts of any substance, I bring you my Instagram posts from the past couple of weeks! In case you're interested in sharing, my user name is "Yellowberry".

When I'm in meetings I have to doodle. It focuses me, and keeps me from suffering from projector-induced meeting narcolepsy. So in my training, I've been doing a lot of doodling. Like so:

We had a garage sale, which turned out to be more hot and sticky than it was worth. Can you believe no one bought this poster for $3.00?

Waiting in an Emergency Room gets very boring. Veeeeeerrrry boring. Good thing I had my iPhone on me!

I had a particularly challenging training session today, and the hubbs knew it. This is the super sweet note he left me at the bottom of one of my work sheets. Nothing like a sweet Star Wars reference to get you ramped up for learning how to be a fearless (corporate) Jedi!

Back to School time is pretty exciting time of year to the notebook designer. Weird, right? Here's a couple of patterns I worked on that hit the shelves this past week.

That's my crazy life as of late. I've missed you. Been up to anything awesome?

melvin the machine

2011-07-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like the tiny little marble at the beginning of a Rube Goldberg machine. Just dropped off somewhere with the purpose of being a catalyst for better things. Rolling along with little inkling to what happens next—flames, paint splatter, art, and smashing suspended rubber tires? It's a strange kind of analogy, but I'm in a strange kind of mood today. It fits, I think.

I give you Melvin the Machine. It's the prettiest Rube Goldberg-like contraction I've ever seen. Of course it's Scandinavian.

swap meet

2011-06-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty pleased to announce a seriously rad upcoming event. My mom's joint, The Century Bar is hosting their first ever Print Swap Meet this friday, and I've been helping organize it. You're probably wondering what the heck a Print Swap Meet is, and I don't blame you. It sounds complicated. To find out, just mosey on over the the event page for details and rules.

I've attended a couple of these before in Cincinnati. Okay, I kinda stole the idea. It was such a great concept, we couldn't help but be copy cats in this instance. I mean, it's like an impromptu, interactive art exhibit that welcomes artists of all sorts. Pretty awesome, right?

So if you're in the Dayton region, I urge you stop by and throw in a couple of prints. You may just end up with some unique art work for your bare walls. On top of that, we'll have all sorts of snacks, sweet raffle prizes and a pretty great prize for the favorite print winner! PLUS it's First Friday, so you'll already be Downtown, enjoying the all the culture on a beautiful summer evening, won't you?

And just because we're all visual peeps, here's our official poster.

dear photograph

2011-06-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Photograph is a pretty rad concept. It challenges you to take a picture of yourself holding a picture from the past, but in the same exact spot. If they like your snapshot enough, they'll share your nostalgia with the interwebs. It's so brilliant and simple. It feels like stepping into someone's reminiscence. Makes me want to dig through some old family photos!

Anyone else have the song, Yesterday, streaming through there head now? Just me? Right-o.

happy father's day!

2011-06-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hi, Dad! I know you shun all things like the internet, computers, or smart phones. You probably won't ever read this because of your boycott of anything remotely modern that could potentially make your life easier. Do you even know that I maintain a blog? Or what a blog is? Nonetheless, I still wanted to tell you "Happy Father's Day" in my most public forum.

Thanks for teaching me to throw a baseball, and how to plant corn (even though I really hate gardening), and for sharing your love of all animals with me. Thanks for the support and encouragement that you still show me on a very regular basis. I can't wait to go hiking today, play some putt-putt and get some ice cream!

(I also want to wish all you other father's out there a magical day filled with love and ice cream!)

quotabili-tee :: just try and stop me

2011-06-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I do believe I have a crazy busy weekend ahead of me. It'll be an active one, to say the least. On top of celebrating two birthdays and hitting up the Yellow Springs Street Fair for some intense shopping time, I'll be fitting in lots of exercise, too. My workout buddy has finally returned from her month-long wedding/honeymoon hiatus, and I'm eager to get in an awesome circuit session with her. Then I'll be taking on the bike path with some girlfriends for some fitness-themed girl time.

I'm getting tired just thinking about it! However, I'm an Energizer Bunny of sorts, so I'm not too concerned! Have a great weekend, folks!

:: nike ::

luxe plates

2011-06-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Have you seen these artist series Luxe Plates yet? Below are some of my favorites, but they have a crap-ton more. Yes I said it, a crap-ton. You can also design your own if you're so inclined. And the price? A whopping $23! For reals. These might be a good gift for your favorite dad, perhaps?

"the rescue" by amy sol

2011-06-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

This new art print, "The Rescue", by Amy Sol is so beautiful, it seriously re-ignites my desire to paint! Unfortunately, with my crazy schedule, I'll have to keep the fire kindling for a little while longer. I digress... This amazing, very limited-run piece of art goes on sale this Saturday and will set you back $130 (however, you can obtain a copy right now, if you act quickly). It's so gorgeous I would argue it's most definitely worth the price.

aesthetic outburst! i win!

2011-05-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

I just won my first ever giveaway! I couldn't ask for a more exciting blog to win it from, either. I'm a huge fan of Abbey Hendrickson's Aesthetic Outburst, and now I'll have one of her very own handmade pieces for my home. I'll soon be adding to my kitchen this, um, thing. Do you think it's a gravy boat? I don't really eat a lot of gravy, but I think it'll work just fine for other delicious sauces. Whatever it is, I don't have anything like it in my cabinets, and I look forward to receiving this happy bundle in the mail.

Thanks, Abbey!

the burning house

2011-05-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

it's a pretty simple question, really. If your home was on fire, and you only had only a few moments to get out, which of your most cherished possessions would you grab? Often a question on personality surveys or online dating websites, it's something that people put much thought into. The Burning House is a website that asks you with this very question while challenging you to photograph these things in an aesthetically pleasing way.

I know when my brother found himself in smoke-filled bedroom as a teenager, he only had enough time to get himself out safely, and this is probably the reality most of the time. But it's a novel concept—essentially asking you "What do you hold most dear"? As I was scrolling through the submissions, I laughed because a good percentage of them included an iPhone. When I first started entertaining this idea, second on the list only to my pugs was my iPhone, and then followed closely by my laptop! We are a technology-dependant people aren't we? Also, notice they nearly all include shoes? intriguing...

Here's a couple of my favorites, but be sure to check out the website for more pictures and the sentimental explanations behind all these objects.

listening to :: coconut records, davy

2011-05-24T04:51:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of crazy about this "Microphone" video from Coconut Records. I love everything from the snoring little smash-faced dog in the beginning, to the catchy lyrics, to Jason Schwartzman's antics. I love it so much I bought the album (Davy), and in turn, love that, too.

sunday snack :: chicken "noodle" soup

2011-05-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Chicken noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food. The other awesome thing about it is that almost everybody loves it, making this an easy to prepare crowd pleaser. Most canned chicken noodle soups and those served in restaurants contain obscene amounts of sodium and other unhealthy things like MSG. Making your own eliminates your risk of ingesting these not so friendly components.

I've always wanted to make my own chicken noodles soup, and today I finally did. I made a couple of healthy swaps to the traditional soup to meet my neurotic nutritional needs. The result is a flavorful, fresh soup with a ton of protein and fiber. Sodium is a major concern for me, so I used organic LOW SODIUM CHICKEN STOCK. I loaded it up with lots and lots of fresh VEGGIES for fiber. Then, the biggest twist you will notice is that I swapped those carby noodles for BEAN SPROUTS. Sprouts are rich in fiber, protein and Vitamins C and B, all while introducing a satisfying crunch to your soup. I don't think anyone will miss those noodles...

If you try this recipe out, I recommend experimenting with the veggies. Have fun tailoring it to your own likes and dislikes!

Ingredients:
yields 4 servings

1-1/2 quart low sodium chicken stock
2 large chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (I poached chicken for dinner the day before, and set 2 pieces aside for this soup)
10 baby carrots, roughly chopped (or one large carrot, whatever you have on hand)
4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup fresh of thawed corn
1-1/2 cup fresh or thawed peas
1 cup sprouts
dash of tobasco for "kick" (optional)

• In a large pot, bring chicken stock to a boil and add carrots, celery, onion, parsley and black pepper.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes until the veggies are soft.
• Stir in the shredded chicken and continue simmering for another 30 minutes.
• Add peas, corn and bean sprouts. Simmer for a minute or two, just to warm them up.
• Serve to a very thankful friend or family member who could use a little bit of comforting!

approximate nutritional breakdown (per serving):

calories - 325, fat - 5.5g, saturated fat - 1.4g, sodium - 422mg, carbohydrates - 29.4g, fiber - 5g, protein - 40g

I got the original inspiration for the recipe from Can You Stay for Dinner?.

spray-painted absolutely perfect

2011-05-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I've ever met an 80 degree day that I didn't like. These such days are becoming more and more frequent, and I've made it my mission to get out and make the most of them. Rodger and I headed out on our bikes this morning—our only goals were to hit up the Market for lunch and to get some exercise.

Twenty miles and one serious, patchy sunburn later, I had contentedly tired legs and an iPhone full of snapshots. There aren't a lot of absolutely perfect days in a lifetime, but today most assuredly falls into that category for me. The sun was hot but not scorching, and every person we passed had the same, satisfied smile on their face. Heck, it even smelled amazing. The air was all honeysuckles and onion grass.

In addition to perfect spring days, I have a soft spot for graffiti (when it's not some haphazard tag marring an innocent local business or home). I definitely got a healthy fix of it today, and my new Hipstamatic Watts lens was perfect for drinking in all those breathtaking colors. I thought maybe you'd enjoy a peek at some of these shots?

Hello hot pink, I love you.

poofballs at the market (and my bike).

Appropriate that I found this on the day of the predicted "rapture". hehe.

These colors here could comprise the color palette of my life. So pretty!

I nearly wrecked my bike when I saw this. Yes, it is a knitting Beaver (we were in Beavercreek, get it?). Best. Graffiti. EVER.

Like all other things, semi-permanence...

alphanumeric awesomeness!

2011-05-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

My husband has no idea what crazy, crafty possibilities he has unleashed with his purchase of this alphanumeric number set.

He thinks he bought them for some mundane task like labeling his tools. What he doesn't know is he has actually, unwittingly purchased me the ultimate little craft tool.

Maybe I'll use them to make something like this?

:: BHLDN ::

Or this?

:: bunny tales ::

Or perhaps something along these lines?

:: art mind ::

Let the creativity begin! Thanks, Hubbs!

stella for adidas spring/summer 2011

2011-05-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

My friends and family know that I'm pretty enthusiastic about working out. Well, actually, these friends and family might argue that I'm a bit of a zealot—and they might be right. This fact has definitely made sitting still one of the hardest parts about recovering from surgery!

Today was exciting for me because it was the first day that I was really able to exercise. So I hit the gym for a little bit of cardio. And it was good. In honor of my triumphant return to the gym, I did a little bit of online window shopping. This Stella McCartney collection for Adidas is a bit out of my price range, but I really admire it, and can definitely pull some serious inspiration from it. Don't you think?

bloglovin

2011-05-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Follow my blog with bloglovin

egg-centric

2011-05-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's getting kinda nutty around here in the Smith household. Yes, I've started labeling my hardboiled eggs with cute little faces rather than just a boring old X or dot. Then I've decided they're too cute not to be photographed. Thank goodness I'm almost fully recovered from my surgery, because if I had to be pent up in my house for much longer, there's no telling what lengths I might go to for amusement. pug-sized bow ties for the dogs, perhaps?

inspired by :: olly moss

2011-05-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this video about Olly Moss's Recent Art Show Opening. He's a seriously talented guy, who seems like he's really getting his due. Check out his website if you feel like being blown away!

Olly Moss Art Show @ Gallery 1988 from Threadless.com on Vimeo.

quotabili-tee :: going to a wedding

2011-05-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend is going to be great! The sun is shining, I'm finally feeling pretty good, and I have a big wedding to attend. Maybe you remember Pete & Erin from the engagement shoot I did for them a little while back? Well, tomorrow is their big day!

Those two share a love I have seen in so few people. They are the kind of couple you wouldn't hesitate to hop in the car for a road trip with, because you know you'll have an amazing time with them. They are so respectful to each other, they don't bicker (in front of company anyway), and they really know how to laugh together. I love going to weddings, but I enjoy it even more when I know just how insanely in love the couple is. Congratulations in advance, you guys! I can't wait to be a witness to your day.

I chose this t-shirt for this post because it has the sweetest sentiment on it. Heavy content for a t-shirt, but appropriate for the topic of eternal love.

You are the sun,

I'll be the moon

Just let your light come

shining through

And when night comes,

Just like the moon.

I'll shine the light

right back to you.

:: american eagle ::

float away with me

2011-05-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

I always feel like my fine art work gets neglected because it's so easy to plop down in front of my computer and generate design. I'm grateful for these modern conveniences, but I still think it's important to bust out the paintbrushes from time to time.

This is my most recent piece—created on canvas with paint and my own two hands.

good day sunshine

2011-05-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure it rained here the entire month of April (and some into May). It definitely brought the term "April Showers" to new extremes. This past weekend, however, the sun decided to make a much anticipated Spring debut. Never one to miss a photo op, I managed a couple of phone snaps of those May flowers and life on the sunnier side.

We have a whole bush of these in our front garden—through no doing of our own. Thank goodness for perennials!

Fresh cuts.

Our happy little gnome and some new transplants.

Mother's day blooms.

Gomez loves to sleep the day away in his private perch (our window sill).

amy butler's house

2011-05-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

This big wide world is full of picture perfect homes. But rarely do I see a home where I know that in an instant I could move right in. Usually something is just not quite to my taste, or I would move something around just a little bit. Not so when I saw Apartment Therapy's extensive tour of designer Amy Butler's spacious home! My goodness. The colors and textures! The airiness! That KITCHEN! Holy moley Amy, if you're out there, please let me know should you decide to put that house on the market. I have no doubt that me, the Hubbs, and the pugs would live happily ever after here!

Did I mention it's located in the middle of Ohio? I wouldn't even have to travel far. I'm in house love. Check out the tour for more drool-worthy images of things like her workspace, the entryway, and the lush back yard.

Some of her very own fabrics grace her couch. How cheery is that teal wall color?

I love these contrasting pillows...

The kind of kitchen dreams are made of!

Her man and my man should be best friends, because I can imagine Rodger feeling right at home in this awesome, masculine workspace.

guest posting for lady lee

2011-05-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying the writing of Candis Lee Jones for a while now. At her blog, Lady Lee in Process, she muses about all sorts of things like her sassy little dog, Scout, Her multi-talented husband, Drew Jones, and the preparation and arrival of her beautiful little baby, Westley. Although I've only met Mrs. Jones in real life once, I feel like I know her, and she is as sweet a person as they come.

Having a baby is a lot of work, I'm told. It's super tiring and sometimes you need a little help. So to ease her into the transition, she's having a couple of friends sit in and post for her. I offered to share a simple little craft project with her readers since, crafting I can do! I hope you mosey on over to her space and check out my very first guest post, and send us a little love.

mom's day

2011-05-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of kids in the picture, but for the time being, I'd like you to focus on the little girl. There, that's my mom. Doesn't she look fabulous in her Easter best?

The little boys in the picture are her brothers—my three awesome uncles. I love how their outfits all coordinate with one another. I'm guessing my mom absolutely loved all her brothers, because there is hardly a picture where she's not surrounded by them!

I chose to post a childhood photo of my Mother because I think sometimes it's hard to picture our Mom as anything but our ultimate caregivers. I mean, that's all we've ever known her as. But really, she had quite a life before we ever came along. She had holidays and birthdays that didn't involve scouring the stores in search of the perfect gift for us. She laughed and cried and loved long before we were even a twinkle in her eye (it's tough to imagine, i know, but bear with me). She had a first kiss, first dance, first steps... and none of this involved us. In any way.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, that even though Mother's Day is a celebration of our mothers, she's not just that. On this special day, try to focus on what Mom has done for you, as well as the wonderful, well-rounded woman she has become. A woman who is the sum of all her experience—with or without us—and who has turned out to be an outstanding human being and role model. Recognize that we're just lucky enough that she chose us.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Thanks for everything!

quotabili-tee :: focusing on the healthy

2011-05-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

On this friday, I find I'm kind of bummed. See, tomorrow is the Crafty Supermarket in Cincy and as I'm recovering from surgery, I might not be well enough to attend. However, I am encouraged by my doctor to get some walking in, and shopping is walking, right? So I'm being super good today—just taking it easy and drinking my fluids, so maybe tomorrow I might actually venture out of the house to attend Southern Ohio's premiere craft fair. Fingers crossed!

:: urban outfitters ::

Also on the agenda for this weekend will be lots and lots of resting, hopefully supervising some yard work (since I'm conveniently in no such state for weed pulling), and celebrating Mother's Day with my one and only Mama! Do you have any special plans for your Mom on her special day?

bedding bliss

2011-05-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

As I'm recovering, I'm becoming quite accustom to lounging around. While I like my own bed and the bedding I've picked out for it, I think there are some comfy beds in this world that I'd prefer to curl up in to get some rest. I gotta say, I'm quite jealous of some of these cozy nests that I've rounded up!

Aside from this breezy, crisp white bedding, how amazing is that yellow around the window?! So gutsy and bold.

:: agent bauer ::

Like a summer beach house retreat...

:: anthropologie ::

a globe, vintage photography, gray with pops of yellow. I'm in love!

:: anthropologie (fall 2010?) ::

Loving the bohemian, mismatched feel of this space.

:: Urban Outfitters ::

Such a calming color palette.

:: amy butler ::

I wish I had a casual, lounging nook like this!

:: Urban Outfitters ::

frilly and fancy.

:: amy butler ::

the flip side

2011-05-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it through my surgery! I can't say I'm quite as good as new yet, but I'm working on it. Before I went in, people kept telling me that I'd do great, and all I could say that I hope the surgeon does, too! I guess he did, because I'm sitting here typing to you. Whether or not I did great is somewhat debatable. I waited until the hubbs was dropped off in the waiting area before I totally lost my cool. As we rounded the corner to the pre-op room and all the anesthesiologists and doctors and nurses are standing there waiting for me, I totally fell to pieces. How embarrassing! But I imagine they get that often. At least that's what I keep telling myself!

The weird dark circles around my eyes that looked like poorly applied eyeshadow have subsided. Plus I'm so thankful for the strength I've built up in my body through exercise, because it makes getting up a little easier than I believe it would have been otherwise. However, sudden movements are a serious no-no, and coughing—oh let me tell you—that is the worst thing ever! But at lease I'm through the anesthesia induced stupor of yesterday...

So I'm on the road to recovery and I want to say thank you to all my wonderful friends and family for their sweet comments. Thanks to everyone who called and texted and messaged me. I feel truly blessed to have you in my life. Of course, there is my amazing Rodger, who has done more for me than I can begin to describe. And thanks, Mom, for bringing me the most awesome care package of chicken rice soup, craft magazines and these lovely flowers!

It's good to be back :)

the scariest thing yet

2011-05-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

It's crazy how when we dread something it has a tendency to come at us at double speed. I've had this day planned for nearly a month. May 4th. The day I've been ruing. Ruing, I tell you! Yeah, I'm having surgery tomorrow. Despite all my efforts to live a very healthy and active lifestyle, it seems biologically I've suffered a minor blow.

My gallbladder has been making me pretty sick for a while now (probably about 9 years), and it appears it's time to have that sinister little offender removed. That's right. I'm having. an. organ. removed. MAJOR surgery, as it's classified. "Ugh" doesn't begin to describe it. I'm really trying to stay positive here—looking on the bright side, as they say. Like my two week recovery will give me time to catch up with my backlog of Grey's Anatomy and Secrets of a Stylist. Oh, and I'm sure there will be lots and lots of sleeping!

Ironically enough, you'll probably hear more from me on here as I recover. Because, really, my computer is my main source of entertainment, aside from exercising. And trust me, I won't be doing any exercising!

So wish me luck, my friends! Come tomorrow morning I'll be one organ lighter and hopefully on the road to wellness. See you on the flip-side.

X O X O

leah duncan + satsuma press

2011-05-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

This recent collaboration between Leah Duncan and Satsuma Press is too pretty for words! I have a couple of Leah's tea towels that I adore. These would round out that collection quite nicely...

happy birthday to you

2011-05-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

My husband, Rodger, is the sort of guy that will read electrical code books for fun. Sometimes he'll pick up a law book or two just because he feels "it's important to be educated about things like that". Family members call him for advice on anything like electrical work, pet care, taxes, how to wire a music studio, and even how to sew a slip-cover for a sofa (he's handier with a sewing machine than I ever will be). However, for every ounce of smart in his 6'4" frame, there's twice as much kindness. This husband of mine is a constant inspiration, a joy, and a more perfect partner than I could ever wish for.

Happy Birthday, Guy! You deserve a parade, but I guess for right now dinner at your favorite restaurant will have to do.

maxi many ways

2011-04-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying all the ways that Free People has styled this one piece of clothing (but in different colors). I know the modern designer of the maxi skirt doesn't have little 5-foot-tall ladies like myself in mind when they create these, but this first look makes me want to give it a shot, anyway!

inspired by :: supermarket sarah

2011-04-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Supermarket Sarah's insanely brilliant approach to online merchandising is awe-inspiring. Her work always makes me feel like I'm shopping in a cool indie boutique in London or NYC.

anthropologie botanical window display : spring 2011

2011-04-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

I was doing a little shopping today in Cincinnati. It was nearing closing time when my friend and I were pleasantly surprised to discover a brand new Anthropologie store! We don't typically make an hour-long drive just to hit up a mall, so it was news to us that this store had recently sprung up here.

We only had about ten minutes to peruse the shelves, so we didn't leave with anything—though it's probably better on our pocketbooks that way. I snapped a couple of pics of their innovative window displays. Sorry they're a little blurry. I was trying to capture them and get out of there before mall security booted us out for over-staying our welcome!

The natural, botanical feel of the display was really pretty.

Look closer at those odd, cylindrical mounds...

They're wine bottle corks! I love how they're constantly re-purposing and juxtaposing old with organic. Oh, Anthropologie, you always get it just right...

all shiny and new!

2011-04-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

Maybe you noticed something new happening around here? It's been a little over a year since I embarked on this Oh, Hopscotch! endeavor, and I thought it was time to give this place a design tune-up. Please let me know what you think of the new look. Also pardon my dust for about a week or so while I move some things around and make everything just right.

Thanks!

I'd also like to direct your attention over to Pugly Pixel.

This girl generates some amazing graphics and tutorials and sends it out into cyberspace with love for FREE. That's right, she asks for nothing in return, but perhaps a little credit. I borrowed her striped tape graphic, as well as some floral tape for my header. She also offers a membership that allows you access to tons more rad things. Check her out. You will not be sorry!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a minute to wish my "peeps" a happy Easter! Here's a little hint about a guest post that I'm working on for another blogger. I can't wait to share it with you.

outside oslo fabric

2011-04-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

These Outside Oslo fabrics by Jessica Jones of How About Orange are fantastic! Her use of color here, as usual, is impeccable. This collection comes in two color ways—Dusk and Dawn.

Dawn

Dusk

quotabili-tee :: happy earth day!

2011-04-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

It's looking like another jam-packed weekend for this girl. Easter, a bridal shower, and a local concert are all on the agenda. But what else is new? I hope you all have a great Easter. Whether you're the spiritual type or you just like to hunt eggs and eat chocolate bunnies, I wish you well!

Also, happy Earth Day. Let's all do something nice for our planet. I personally always make it a habit to recycle, walk instead of driving, and eat local & organic.

:: threadless ::

earth day shopping at Poketo

2011-04-22T04:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day! The good folks at Poketo are offering some fantastic Upcycled leather pouches, purses, and cases right now. Sounds like the perfect Earth Day treat, right?

pouches

clutches

passport cases

kitchen accessories at ModCloth

2011-04-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

I am loving these tea towels from ModCloth, especially those cute little bikes.

chickadee delight :: cupboard

utensil :: soft spoken style

inspired by :: VHILS residency at the BLDG

2011-04-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a couple of shots from The VHILS opening at the BLDG in Covington, KY from last weekend. All the work in the gallery he generated in his two week residency in the space. It was really interesting to get up close to his work, see the layers, and gather an idea of how he created it.

wanting :: pantone markers

2011-04-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, Pantone now makes markers! I had two reactions when I first saw these. My initial instinct was to run screaming in the opposite direction because they reminded me of all the tedious hand-rendered marker drawings I was forced to produce in college. My hands are cramping just thinking about it... But my second feeling was, "cool! Look at all the pretty, organized colors"! Yes, if you haven't deduced already, I am easily swayed by shiny things.

Nonetheless, I think these are marvelous for specifying color on inspiration boards, rendering out a thumbnail, or just coloring in a pretty picture. You can find them here from Dick Blick. Warning, they are not exactly cheap!

sunday snack :: guacamole

2011-04-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

AVOCADOS are pretty much an amazing fruit. They are high in Vitamins B, K, and E, as well as fiber and potassium. A really tasty and easy way to get some of this nutritional powerhouse in your diet is to make guacamole. I like to make a batch (which stays fresh for a day or two) and take every opportunity to eat it. The obvious way is as a dip, but I also like to put it on toast and sandwiches. It's a pretty good return on your time investment. It takes about 10 minutes to make, but is so very, very good and nutritious!

It seems like everyone has their own beloved guacamole recipe that they will swear by. We all have our own personal tastes, but I think this recipe is a pretty darn good one. If you get a chance to try it, let me know how it turns out for you!

P.S. Guac traditionally has cilantro in it, but my husband is one of those people that thinks it tastes like soap, so I omit it :)

Ingredients:

(yields about 5 servings)

• 2 ripe avocados (without seeds or skins)

• 1/8 cup finely diced red onion

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1 small clove of garlic, diced

• 1-2 teaspoons of Tobasco Brand Green Jalapeno Sauce

• pinch of salt

• pinch of ground pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until it reaches your desired chunky/smooth consistency.

2. Set aside, covered, in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes so that the flavors get a chance to combine.

3. Now serve! I love to eat them with Blue Corn Flax Tortilla Chips. SO good!

approximate nutritional breakdown (per serving):

calories - 119, fat - 10.7g, saturated fat - 1.5g, sodium - 136mg, carbohydrates - 7g, fiber - 4.8g, sugars - .3g, protein - 1.5g

VHILS in covington, KY

2011-04-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the street artist, VHILS. Then, by a strange coincidence, I've come to find that he is currently the artist in residence at The BLDG in Covington, KY and is making his reveal this Friday. Now, I just happen to be heading home from Lexington, KY that very night, and will most definitely make a stop off for this once in a lifetime event. Wow.

If you'll be in the Cincinnati or Covington or Midwest region for that matter, you should consider making the trip. I'm sure it will be more than worth it!

i'm back from chicagoland!

2011-04-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a whirlwind of a weekend! I had such an amazing time taking in the sights, eating at local restaurants and getting to know a truly wonderful group of ladies (the only girl I knew going into this weekend was the bachelorette). Now I'm back to the grind, not so much rested, but considerably more relaxed!

Here's a picture of me and the lovely bride-to-be, Erin, reflected in the Bean, and looking even shorter than usual. She's the one in the yellow, and I'm the one next to her.

In addition to some really strange reading material (think Pottery Barn Teen catalogs & How to Care for Your Aging Parents) the loft that we rented for the weekend had a number of secret passages!
The thing I love about Chicago is the character and details that are in every direction you look. Here's the shadow of a fancy little fence that was outside of our loft in Old Town.
We went to the Lincoln Park Zoo and scoped out some penguins.
... and some necking chimps!
... and of course giraffes!
Saw some awesome architecture
We had a couple of first timers in our group, so of course we went to see the Bean. It was everything they dreamed it would be. And more.
From Rome to Dayton... Our directions home on some interesting stationery.
I hope the iPhone pics aren't too annoying. I brought my Cannon with me, but didn't want to put my neck and back through the trauma of lugging it around :)

So I'd love to hear what you were up to this weekend. Do anything awesome?

quotabili-tee :: FUN FUN FUN!

2011-04-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

Have any fun weekend plans? I sure do! I'm headed to Chicago! Fun Fun Fun! This is what keeps running through my head.

:: via Forever21 ::

inspired by :: all things chicago

2011-04-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

Well friends, I am headed out to Chicago tomorrow afternoon for a bachelorette party and some much needed time away. Actually, I'm quite the globetrotter these days. Chicago this weekend, Lexington the next! I hope all of your weekends are also a blast. In the meantime, enjoy these little urban/Chicago themed goodies that I tracked down for you.

(click on the image to view larger)

background isometric urban print :: 1. map covered letter "c" :: 2. illinois custom cross stitch :: 3. chicago map pillow :: 4. cubs raglan :: 5. windy city iPhone cover :: 6. washington's arch print

erin + pete

2011-04-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is Pete & Erin.

They are two rather wonderful friends of mine who are getting married next month. Since I like them so much, I offered to shoot some engagement pictures of them. Last weekend we ventured out to a local park and I got some picture-taking practice. I also have to thank my friend, Tessa. Without her amazing direction and quirky inspiration, these photos wouldn't be half as awesome.

These two have such great personalities that they made this easy on me! I sure hope that shows through in these images. Aren't they too stinkin' adorable?
Not too bad for my first engagement shoot, methinks... Congrats, guys! I can't wait until the wedding.

inspired by :: dorset muesli packaging

2011-03-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

Please excuse me while I geek out for a moment...

I can say with about 99% certainty that we all get roped in by pretty packaging from time to time. We are, after all, aesthetic creatures. Not only an exception, I am a startling example of this. So much so that this frugal girl who is trying to seriously cut down on her gluten intake was persuaded to fork over $6 for a box of muesli based solely on it's absolutely gorgeous packaging. I've never even had muesli before!

Go ahead, gaze upon this glory. Take your time.

My photos here aren't doing the overall effect any justice. Their on-shelf presence is stunning, even amongst all the other cleverly designed natural cereals and granolas—a shiny beacon of advertising at it's absolute best. The color palette was so phenomenal that I wanted to collect the entire product line. That's when the hubbs stepped in..... I kid! sort of.

Turns out Dorset is a British company with a serious passion for simple, wholesome foods and brilliant design. I recommend learning more about them (and checking out the entire color palette) from their slickly designed website.

See the multiple die cuts?
Oh, and the METALLIC ink?! Metallic ink on a cereal box? Surely you jest!
Gotta love all the wholesome facts and the fun tidbits of info about the ingredients. How do you suppose they figure how many times all the cranberries grown in North America last year would stretch from LA to Boston 565 times? How do you begin to quantify such a thing? But I digress...
I always enjoy cute and conversational messaging.
P.S. Upon finally tasting the muesli after gazing at it in my pantry for a week and painstakingly photographing it for 15 minutes, I think it's pretty good! Tastes mostly like plain cornflakes with dried fruit and seeds in it.

threadless select

2011-03-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the Threadless Select collection? It's a group of tees, tanks and dresses that is hand-currated by Threadless themselves, by choosing their favorite designs and applying them to premium fabrics. I'm drawn more to these products than their regular tees because of the sophisticated designs, chic cuts, and subdued color palettes. I've already purchase the peacock tee, and absolutely love it.

monday meal make-ups

2011-03-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

:: photo via elephantine ::

I had planned on doing a Sunday Snack post yesterday. I researched a recipe on lemon bars, bought all the ingredients, made the darn things and... and.. huge FAIL! It wasn't my fault this time around (I swear). It was mainly the recipe. They turned out....fine. They tasted... okay. However, I'm not in the business of bringing you okay.

So as a total cop-out since I didn't have the time to research a new recipe and make a whole new batch of better-than-fine lemon bars, I'll bring you this adorable pasta recipe/video combo by Rachel of elephantine. The amount of effort that must have gone into making something this cute, and I have to assume tasty, is worth mountains of applause. Thanks, lady!

inspired by :: Vhils

2011-03-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Alexandre Farto, aka Vhils, is a relief sculptor from Portugal. He creates his amazing street art by literally chipping and blowing chunks out of the wall. You can explore his impressive body of work at his very slick looking website. This video is stunning.

part way

2011-03-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

Where in the heck have I been? That's what I keep asking myself lately.

Mainly I've been working. alot! And I've been neglecting everything else. I have a painting hanging out in my living room that eyes me suspiciously every day, wondering why it's only 50% finished. The art room sits almost completely finished, but needs a few things hung, and just two shelves removed. Have I mentioned I'm training for a fitness competition? Well, that has suffered because I can't make it to work out that often, and never mind that I just ate 3 homemade thin mint cookies (that are most definitely not healthy nor did I even blog about this awesome recipe). Even this poor blog has seen the effect of my overwork, and for that I apologize—To you, my handful of readers and to myself. However, I'm so proud of the work that's been accomplished these past few weeks! So it's not a total wash.

I really wish that it was my job to make crafty things all day and then blog them. Or to surf the internet for the coolest new things, and tell you all about them. I truly find joy in the things I share here, and wish I could do it so much more. Someday, I suppose!

So bear with me this moment as I do everything (except my job) part way. I hope to be back in some capacity next week. But in the meantime I have a presentation to finish, notebooks to make, and some kick-ass art to design. See you soon!

decorate by decor8

2011-03-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

I'm an avid follower of the blog, decor8, by Holly Becker. It is a wealth of amazing decorating and design inspiration. I've been much anticipating the release of her book which is aptly titled Decorate. If you could for sure judge a book by it's cover, I'm pretty sure this will not disappoint. It officially comes out next month, but I was thrilled to discover that you can order it now, exclusively through Anthropologie for the reasonable price of $35. Happy reading!

japan

2011-03-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

I had a post prepared for today, but in light of everything that is happening in Japan and on the Pacific Coasts, I'll save it for another day. Those people are in the forefront of my thoughts today.

inspired by :: the big bad wolf

2011-03-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

Are you as excited as I am about the Red Riding Hood movie that is coming out this week? It’s by the same director as Twilight so I’m crossing my fingers that it’s less of an over-the-top teen melodrama, and more of a whimsical, yet edgy, scary movie. I hope I won’t be disappointed!
I was so inspired by the preview that I saw this morning that I created a style board for the modern Red Riding Hood. I scoured Mod Cloth for the perfect red cloak (okay, it’s a coat) as well as a simple and nostalgic dress. I found those floral oxfords at Urban Outfitters. They’re flats so they should be perfect for traipsing through the forest as night. The dragonfly pendant, also from UO, looks right at home in a woodland setting. Finally, what Modern Red would be caught dead without a picnic basket-like bag for storing all her goodies in (thanks to Fossil for that one)?

quotabili-tee :: fast times

2011-03-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

I should probably start out with an apology for my lack of posts this week (and last). It seems my life has gone from crazy busy to bananaface busy. Yes, I made that word up. This weekend is proving to follow that trend. I'm starting out this evening as my husband's band is playing two shows in one night! Thankfully they're on the same street—and the birthday party I'm attending is taking place in between them on the block. Thank goodness for small coincidences, and that Dayton has a very small bar district.

Tomorrow afternoon, one of my lovely cousins will be walking down the aisle (congratulations, Lisa!). I still don't know what I'm going to wear... Anyway, that will wrap up just in time for me to meet up with some girlfriends for a much needed night of frivolity, drinks, and probably a lot of talk about shopping and clothes. Finally, I'm attempting to conquer my fear of heights on Sunday by taking a rock climbing lesson (eek)! I'm not sure if I'll be able to squeeze in a Sunday Snack post this week, but I will really try...

Gees. The good times truly are killing me!

:: via PacSun ::

a (sort of) grown up application for Lisa Frank

2011-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure when I was a little girl, I dreamed in Lisa Frank. I made sure that every year I had at least one folder or notebook with her violently colored designs on them. I think I can contribute a lot of my love for illustration, animals and school supplies to her. I was pretty tickled when I logged onto the Craftzine Blog this morning and found these Lisa Frank wine charms that have been fashioned out of an old bead kit. Kitsch to the Nth degree, and I love it!

anthropologie window displays :: the making of

2011-02-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know that I am a long time admirer of Anthropologie's wonderful window displays. I often snag pics of their latest windows and share them on here, and then wonder aloud how wonderful of a job this must be. Then I found this article and video. I am officially green with envy, as this is every crafter's dream job!

Check it out, and then pick your jaw up off the floor!

my weekend in brief review

2011-02-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

What an unexpectedly wonderful weekend I've had! It went by in the blink of an eye, but I'm so happy about the way it happened. I have for you a brief photo summary of my Sunday. Rodger and I had a wonderful breakfast this morning at one of our favorite restaurants, and after that, took an impromptu walk in the cemetery.

I know, I know. Taking a stroll in a graveyard is beyond macabre. But you know, it's really pretty lovely. It's so peaceful. What a great way to put things into perspective. Life is hectic and forever changing. Babies are born, friends flow in and out of our lives, the trees sprout and then fall, and even the city skyline that the cemetery overlooks shifts and grows slightly with each visit. But on an unseasonably warm February day, on a walk with the man that I love, the big picture has never been so clear. This is what we have. It's all so precious and fleeting and wonderful.

Have a wonderful week, my friends!

the kind of stuff dreams are made of

2011-02-24T16:33:00.000-08:00

I'm having a hard time believing something this amazing exists. It's like a fairy tale playhouse that was built for a princess and decorated by sugarplum fairies.

Except this princess happens to be a "fiscal administrator" from the Catskills, who really lives in a trailer with her husband and their three dogs. And there were no sugarplum fairies to help Sandra Foster rehab and exquisitely decorate this adult sized playhouse. Her and her husband did it all on their lonesome!
It use to be a hunting cabin, if you can believe it!

inspired :: audrey kawasaki

2011-02-22T06:17:00.000-08:00

Audrey Kawasaki's work is absolutely breath-taking. I highly suggest you have a look around her website.

sunday snack :: peanut butter cups

2011-02-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are huge fans of sweets. Who isn't really? Though as I'm growing ever conscious of the sort of foods I consume, I'm looking for ways to reproduce my store-bought favorites at home. There aren't a lot of healthy substitutions for my all-time favorite, the peanut butter cup. However, you can make sure you buy high-quality, all natural ingredients when you make them.

I got this recipe from radmegan. She has some beautiful process photos going on at her blog.

Just like the Reese's versions that you impulse buy at the check-out counter, these peanut butter cups are amazing (and very rich)! Be sure you have a fun event or party to go to and share them with the ones you love. Otherwise, you'll want to eat every single one in a matter of no time! My Mom's family birthday party this evening will be perfect for our homemade treats!

Warning! Making this snack can get messy!

Ingredients:

(yields about 45 cups)

• 15 oz jar of all natural peanut butter

• 2 lb bag of semi-sweet chips

• 1-1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tbsp butter

• non-stick cooking spray

• mini cupcake wrappers

1. Place mini cupcake wrappers on a baking sheet and lightly mist with cooking spray.

2. Melt half the chocolate chips, either in a double boiler or in the microwave (whichever you prefer). Spoon the melted chocolate into the wrappers. Working quickly, use the back of the spoon to coat the edges of the wrapper, almost to the top. Put tray of chocolate coated cups in the fridge for about 10 minutes, or until cooled solid.

3. In the meantime, combine powdered sugar with peanut butter and softened butter.

4. Pipe or spoon about a 2/3 tablespoon of peanut butter mixture into each cup.

5. Heat the remaining bag of chocolate chips. Top off the peanut butter with the melted chocolate, about to the top of the cup.

6. place in refrigerator for 30 minutes until set

approximate nutrition breakdown (per cup):

calories - 182, fat - 12.2g, saturated fat - 4.9g, sodium - 57.6g, fiber - 1.9g, protein - 3.7g

quotabili-tee :: chin up and shoulders back!

2011-02-18T11:43:00.000-08:00

Ah! This week got crazy in an instant! How is it Friday already? I have a big evening planned. It consists of visiting my new nephew and then we're taking my mom out for dinner at her favorite restaurant, Coco's. I definitely plan on dining on their awesome hummus and then some cherry spinach salad. Happy Birthday, Mom!

This week at work, I attended a very brief e-conference on "being an assertive woman". Aside from speaking in a pitch that is tolerable—me and my squeaky voice are screwed—confidence was the huge talking point of the session. I cracked up when I saw this shirt, because it struck me as the sort of thing someone who finds them self in an "assertive woman" seminar might ask.

Have a fun and confident weekend!

:: via threadless ::

it's a boy!

2011-02-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

Say "Hello," to one of the newest and sweetest residents of Planet Earth! My nephew, baby Kaden Lee Spitzig, was born today on a sunny, unseasonably warm morning. He weighs 8lbs 2oz. This beautiful boy was very reluctant to make an appearance, but now that he has, we all love him to pieces.

Congratulations, Chuck and Kisha!

oh, hopscotch

fitness journey part 1 :: getting started

matters of the art

Pantone Hotel

Fotoshop by Adobé

completely inspired by :: kickstarter

inspired by :: tara mcpherson

modCloth :: just my type

sunday snack :: ultimate paleo trail mix

everything feels all new and shiny!

majestic hawaii

rebranding the century

i clean up alright :: thanksgiving 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

followgram for instagram

marimekko for converse

sunday snack :: scrambled egg muffins

traveling paleo

paleo

a confidential alien investigation (party)

happy halloween!

my vulcan halloween costume

sunday snack :: chocolate coconut squares

Anthropologie October Window Display

a confidential invasion party

halloween at urban outfitters

foxy friends

back to the start

inspired by :: nike found

Jo Totes

100 years of fashion :: a quirky summary

vintage roller derby

threadless select - fall 2011 collection

erin + pete (continued)

Virginia Welker

wishlist

harry potter and the last chapters

lately...

melvin the machine

swap meet

dear photograph

happy father's day!

quotabili-tee :: just try and stop me

luxe plates

"the rescue" by amy sol

*aesthetic outburst*! i win!

the burning house

listening to :: coconut records, davy

sunday snack :: chicken "noodle" soup

spray-painted absolutely perfect

alphanumeric awesomeness!

stella for adidas spring/summer 2011

bloglovin

egg-centric

inspired by :: olly moss

quotabili-tee :: going to a wedding

float away with me

good day sunshine

amy butler's house

guest posting for lady lee

mom's day

quotabili-tee :: focusing on the healthy

bedding bliss

the flip side

the scariest thing yet

leah duncan + satsuma press

happy birthday to you

maxi many ways

inspired by :: supermarket sarah

anthropologie botanical window display : spring 2011

all shiny and new!

Happy Easter!

outside oslo fabric

quotabili-tee :: happy earth day!

earth day shopping at Poketo

kitchen accessories at ModCloth

inspired by :: VHILS residency at the BLDG

wanting :: pantone markers

sunday snack :: guacamole

VHILS in covington, KY

aesthetic outburst! i win!