The Sleepy Poet.

Happy thrifting.  

If you live around Charlotte, visit The Sleepy Poet Antique Mall on South Blvd. Smiles will ensue the moment you walk through the door. I could move in to this warehouse and live happily ever after.

I bought a brass owl paperweight. He was just too cute to pass up. Caroline and I named him Owliver. Sounds like Oliver..not Owl Liver. Ew. Just say it fast. We were trying to be creative. =/

I also found an old signet necklace with a W on it, for my last name. Only a dollar fifty!

Hanson.

Don't lie. We all had a crush on the Hanson brothers, circa 1997.

Forget all of your preconceived notions about this boy band. Go get in your car, roll the windows down and sing along to any one of their albums. Yes, even Mmmbop. If you don't own a Hanson CD, just put your laptop in the passenger seat and listen to this playlist.

You think I'm joking..

Have you fallen in love all over again?

Lately I've been really boring.

Summer is coming to an end, meaning I can no longer justify the days where I stay in my pajamas until 5pm and take naps in the hammock swing outside my window. Sometimes I forget that relaxing and being lazy are two different things. I don't understand why I am more lively, energetic, and productive during the cooler seasons, but it's true.

In other exciting(?) news:

I have managed to make more trips to Target than necessary. I bought two embroidered placemats and plan on turning them into pillows! I promise my entire bed isn't yellow.

DVR has been my BFF lately - which scares me. I'm not one to watch much television, but thanks to my sister - we are both obsessed with Big Brother. As in.. we've come very close to purchasing the live-feed online. We heart Jordan and Jeff. (Jordan has an App shirt, so she should automatically win).

Oh, and this whole house has been listening to lots of Hanson. Stay tuned, I'll post a playlist.

My weekend in pictures.

1. Always crafting.
2. Vintage yellow bed sheets. Temporarily on my bed, but I love them so much that they might become permanent.
3. "Strawberry delight". Our family seems to be big on trifle this summer.
4. Caroline had been in college for all of 24 hours, and we already stole her back for a trip to Ikea.
5. Ikea is a jungle - but they have awesome deals on furniture and hot dog combos alike. Love it.

Tips.

I've been collecting quotes for as long as I can remember. I compiled all of my favorites - then printed them off, folded them up, and put them in a decorated mason jar for Caroline. There should be one saying to read each morning of her freshman year. A tip jar - "life tips". I'm cheesy. I'm alright with that.



"There's hope - It doesn't cost a thing to smile. You don't have to pay to laugh. You better thank God for that." - India.Aire

"Staring down the stars, jealous of the moon. You wish you could fly. But, you're staying where you are. There's nothing you can do if you're too scared to try." - Nickel Creek

"Faith slips, and laughs... and rallies." - Emily Dickinson

"If I had to live my life over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time."

" If you wanna hear God laugh, tell him your plans."

"Burn brightly, without burning out." - Richard Biggs

"Listen. Are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?" - the one and only Mary Oliver :)

Birthday post.

Happy 19th birthday to my mini me, although you don't really look a thing like me anymore. I love you so much, and I'll miss you while you're off in college. Probably more than you think I will. Promise me you'll come home and have sleepovers with me in my basement apartment. We can watch My Best Friends Wedding and lots of home videos, eat jalapeno cheetos, and pull all-nighters.

Caroline's birthday was yesterday. We ate so much birthday cake, and re-discovered the fun that is photobooth. Well, the lower quality PC version. Still, some things never get old.

We also had a big family dinner at Nakato, boyfriends included. Japanese food is one of my favorite things, but chopsticks will forever confuse me. We implemented them by stabbing our food until the waiter sensed our uneasiness and brought us forks.

Then, we stayed up really late and packed her life away. In about an hour, we'll be moving her into her tiny dorm room. I'll definitely be living vicariously through my sister's college experience.

All around the Crown-town.

One minute, Bud and I were strolling beneath the skyscrapers, and the next we were snuggled on the couch watching re-runs of The Office. In both cases, we were taking full advantage of this week's cooler temperatures. Okay, so the mid-80s isn't exactly cool, but it was a great deal less sticky than it has been lately. Sometimes, we get in the car and drive around town for the simple sake of catching the breeze in our fingertips.

(If you know me well, you know that I have a serious craving for Fall to arrive). 

On Wednesday, we channeled our inner child and went to Discovery Place. What a fun date! We learned a world of new information about bugs, liquid nitrogen, and things that glow. Who remembers Astronaut Icecream? And why didn't I get any?!

*Oh, forgive me for sprinkling photos of Ricky throughout my blog. It could be much worse, I promise. I miss that crazy fluffhead when I'm gone.

A double engagement party.

To celebrate Somer & Ted, and Nikki & Zac! We love them.

Such a fun night wouldn't have been complete without:

A summer cookout.

Couches on the lawn, keepin' it classy.

Buffalo chicken dip.

A football game.

Contagious laughter.

Lots of dancing.

Not taking ourselves seriously.
Strawberry champagne cupcakes.

Cheersing.

Glitzy sashes.

A cute lil chocolate pup.

Spontaneous photo shoots.

Comedic dish washing. 

Silly boys.

Bathroom primping.

Cowboy hats.

Skinny Girl Margs.

Johnny and June's.

25(ish) of my best friends and sisters.

You make me want to Yak.

Kayak, that is.

The four of us set up camp at McDowell Park Nature Preserve on Tuesday. We rented two tandem kayaks and spent the evening rowing under a cotton candy sky. There was a lot of casual rowing done on mine and caitlin's part. The boys did most of the hard work, "chauffering" us around the lake while we put our toes in the water and gawked at the sunset. Just kidding! Kind of. I promise we tried, but man - I have weak arms.

Conditions were much different than your typical camping scene - slight chill factor, smokey breeze, crackling fire, long john clad campers, campfire songs(?), ghost stories(?), etc.

We quickly realized why no one sells firewood during the summer months, although this was annoying when we had to roast marshmallows over charcoal. Still, we didn't care about the heat at that point. I could never turn down a marshmallow. Burnt and flaming, preferably, and snuggled between two grahams and a chocolate bar. Camping perfection, no matter the weather.

Play on.

I forgot my apple password like 3 years ago, and have been too lazy ever since to figure it out. This is not ideal when I want to download a new app for my iphone, or listen to itunes. My ipod happens to be MIA along with that password, so until then.. I'll continue to be lazy and use Playlist.

*or Pandora, when I want to discover something new.

Below are my tried and true favorites. You can be sure to hear me belting them aloud in the shower.

Lately.

We've had some issues with Time Warner lately, due to "storm damage" that didn't occur until 3 days after the big storm we had. Our internet was down for a few days. I'm pretty sure this was a sign that I had surpassed the healthy limit of staring at a computer screen. Therefore, Bud and I decided to go camping with Caitlin and her boyfriend. More about that to come!

Other things of interest (some pictured, some not):

1. A curious kitty.

2. 7$ Goodwill chair, purchased in Boone! I took off the muddy brown top fabric, which revealed this brown and blue damask print. What crazy covered it up in the first place? It even matches my new wall color. No re-upholstry needed! What are the odds?

3. Caroline's favorite dessert (Mocha Brownie Trifle) that tastes just like my favorite dessert (Tiramisu).

4. Caroline and I checked out Metrolina Expo's antique and collectables show this past weekend. The heat prevented us from walking around more than an hour, but I still found a cool vintage embroidered foot stool.

5. Breathe right strips are my new best friend, but they are painful to take off your face. 

Summer spaghetti with shrimp and feta.

Who doesn't love spaghetti? Especially in the fall and winter. With temps reaching 100* over the past few weeks, I'm sure we've all been avoiding all things "warm and cozy". This version of spaghetti sauce is much lighter than your traditional meat sauce. Therefore, it is a perfect summer pasta dish.

Ingredients:

8 oz. uncooked pasta (I like angel hair)

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

1/8 cup olive oil

2/3 cup crumbled feta (Or much much more, if you're a feta loving family like us)

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

3 cans of petit diced tomatoes (Do not drain)

1/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Fresh basil, if desired

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, set aside, and keep warm.

Saute shrimp and red pepper flakes in 2 tbsps of olive oil in a large skillet for 1 to 2 minutes, or until shrimp is slightly pink. Arrange shrimp in a 10x6x2 baking dish. Sprinkle with feta cheese, and set aside.

Add remaining oil to skillet. Saute garlic over low heat. Add diced tomatoes and juice; cook for 1 minute. Stir in white wine and the next four ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Spoon tomato mixture over shrimp. Bake, uncovered at 400* for 15-20 minutes. Serve over pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and grated parmigiano reggiano.

Walking in a wedding wonderland.

Kelsey is getting married in April. As bridesmaids, Caitlin and I spent the day with her at Charlotte's semi-annual Bridal Showcase.

Side note* My day was made instantly when I walked into the Convention Center and who brushes past me? Joshua and Jay from Last Cake Standing! I watch way too much Food Network. I was much more star struck and excited than I should have been, considering I was probably the only person there that recognized them. We got a photo, but I look a little to creeperish to post it.

Completely unplanned, all three of us had on nearly the exact same thing - sundresses with a blue and white print. There is a reason we are best friends. Sorry the photo is in black and white; try to picture the matchy-matchy adorableness yourselves (I kid, I kid).

We walked around in circles, took goofy photobooth pics, admired pretty floral arrangements, witnessed a comedic fashion show, stocked up on coupons/wedding mags, and left with belly full of cupcakes. Basically, it was awesome. The perfect ladies day out! The pretty Bride-to-be got her hair did and everything.

Warehouse 2120.

I recently took a little trip to Hickory. One of my best friends just moved into a new apartment, and she needed a crafting buddy. Of course, I happily obliged. We spent the better part of Monday google mapping antique and thrift stores, while driving around town with our eyes peeled. Most of our stops were found on a whim, but we ended up with some great finds!

I get excited when I walk into a store and instantly feel inspired. It was love at first sight with Warehouse 2120. Picture an antique store that has already been sifted through - including upcycled finds that have been repainted, recovered, repurposed, etc. Although I'm still kicking myself for not getting the patchwork apron from the first picture, I still left with a few fun things (a wooden yellow beverage crate, and a vintage Sarah Coventry ring - adore).

Another thing I'm kind of obsessing over at the moment? Essie polish in Boathouse. Someone please call nailpolish addicts anonymous for me.

A work in progress.

In between the necessary bouts of pure laziness, I've been organizing my life, "post-college". I'm currently taking over 4 rooms in the house. I swear that not a total pack rat, although one might beg to differ.

It's been a slow process, but I've finally organized my belongings into piles: Keep forever, Keep in my bedroom, Keep for a future apartment/house, Keep because it might come in handy one day, Keep because it reminds me of my childhood, Keep packed away in the attic, Keep because I obviously have a problem, and... a "Giveaway...maybe" pile.

The only thing that is happily organized so far is my closet. I'm so thankful for better shelving! Welcome back, OCD.

I've also been lil-miss-fix-it lately. After I complete the long process of painting my bedroom, I have a headboard + nighstand to distress and an accent chair to recover. Lot's of DIY/thrifty finds/interior design posts to come!

Bedroom color is Benjamin Moore's "Woodlawn Blue". My pictures make it look white. Well, they lie. It's not.