i'm not done shaking...

What I felt here was just some wee-bitty rumbles of the earthquake. Our apartment is done shaking, but I'm not. It's the first time I've been awake for a shake, and I didn't appreciate it at all. That's enough Halloween fright for me.

boo!

Is your candy bowl stocked? Costume ready? Tomorrow's the big day! Sending a little "BOO!" your way...

warm thoughts

Once upon a brisk & cloudy Monday,
I sat in my cozy warm apartment
drinking silky hot chocolate piled with marshmallows
thinking equally warm thoughts:

Ever since 2 weeks ago, I've been obsessed with the idea of getting a part-time job at Anthropologie, simply to fund my addictions and impractical cravings for lovely sweaters like this one and beautiful pieces to adorn my home. {Did you know that Anthropologie employees get up to 40% off!?} However, that haunting, sensible side of me has decided to postpone this idea until I've settled into my current new job. Maybe next year.

Our apartment's furnace was finally fixed this weekend. At last! No more icicle toes. No more wearing a blanket around 24/7. And no more moving the space heater with me as I roamed from room to room. It's quite nice.

And warm wishes to Becca's new life adventure: She and Sam are at a job interview to become innkeepers at a rustic cabin B&B in Washington as I write! I'm dreaming of warm weekend visits this winter.

verbs of the day

today:
remembering last night's date to a marvelous italian restaurant: a16
seeing a smidgen of fall outside my window
loving a freshly-showered husband
writing my to-do and grocery lists
running cheerful errands
baking banana bread
finishing up invitations
wearing new brown ballet flats
mailing a few halloween greetings
tasting hot cinnamon plum tea
hearing ray lamontagne radio on pandora
crushing on this photo from flickr.
thinking life can't get much better.

get your {costume} on

Halloween is less than a week away. Are you {and your costume} ready? I must admit, I am notorious for coming up with ultra-lame, ultra-last-minute costumes. You know the type--I'm always the trick-or-treater or girl at the party who has to explain who/what she is, because one cannot deduce my identity just by looking. Partly because I hate coughing up cash on a silly accessories that I'll only wear once, and partly because I'm just plain uninventive. (Although, I must admit, I did it right one year during college...I dressed as Deb from Napoleon Dynamite and sold plastic friendship bracelets out of my caboodle. But that's beside the point.) Anyway, if you're like me and are perpetually perplexed about your next costume, Martha to the rescue! She has a whole series on adorable costumes that you can make, ALL made from everyday items you can pick up at the supermarket! The cute candy flapper girl {above} is my absolute favorite. Find all 7 of Martha's magical costume concepts here.

d.i.y. trunk show

On a perfect Sunday afternoon (yesterday) I had the joy of checking out the San Francisco Craft Mafia's Winter DIY Trunk Show in Golden Gate Park. All of the locals in the crafting business rolled out their latest creations and to sum it up--it was a heavenly event! I couldn't believe the talented knitters, jewelry makers, and seamstresses hiding right here in the city. I felt like I was browsing the best of Etsy in real life. What a treat! The booth shown above belonged to Peapod Fabrics--they were so gracious to allow me to snap this pic! Their shop, located in the Sunset, specializes in rare and vintage linens. Check out their lovely birdie ornaments and adorable baby booties! Other unique San Fran crafters I fell in love with at the show and are totally worth checking out: Field Day Wearables + Mumblepeg.

busy hands

Hooray for a craft-happy weekend! There's nothing that keeps me more content than having busy hands. I am super excited to be able to plan a church baby shower for Erin {our pastor's wife}, and of course whip out some handmade invites for such a special event. When I happened upon a tiny, darling button stamp at my local Paper Source, I had instant inspiration: The shower theme is Cute as a Button. Fun, huh? Can't wait to post pics of the affair itself!
Thankfully, I forced myself to keep the invites super simple, since I'm making mass quantities!
A new adventure for me in paper-crafting: envelope liners. They're so easy to make yourself, even without purchasing special templates. (I just peeled apart the envelope and traced myself a pattern.) Don't you think liners make everything 10x more fancy-schmancy?

happy miscellany

I'm looking forward to participating in another delightful craft swap, hosted by Chelle and Fairlight, two of my sweet blogging friends at Domestic Bliss. This swap involves fabric, buttons, ribbons, vintage linens and just about any lovely crafting notion under the sun. Can't wait to put my package together--and there's nothing like receiving your own wonderful surprise via snail mail. Check out the full scoop here so that you can get in on the merriment (Deadline: 10/26). If craft swaps just aren't your thang, you should definitely check out Swap bot. It's the coolest website, with gazillions of neat swaps to choose from!

she's off to save some lives...

Today I came home from my first day as a real nurse. Up until now, it's just been classes, classes, classes! So for those inquiring minds: I am 1. overwhelmed by the complexity of it all (there's sooo much to learn), 2. excited about the challenge, 3. in love with my tiny patients and helpful coworkers, and 4. ANTI-cartoon character scrubs. That's right, I went for completely solid colors and I will not back down. I'll try to make up for my Sponge Bob deficiencies with my own smile, on my own face, where goofy smiles belong. Not that patterned scrubs are for dorks, they're lovely on brave peds nurses who like that sort of thing. Plus, I am still a dork without patterned scrubs. Let me tell you just how dorky I am--I woke Jeff up on my way out the door this morning (before the crack of dawn) to snap my "first day of work" picture. Good thing that blogger is currently being a lemon and not uploading any of my pictures. I'll save myself the embarrassment and share it with my mom only...not the world-wide web. :)

clean = happy

Recently, I discovered the delights of Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products. This stuff is eco-friendly, aromatherapeutic, and just plain good, hardworking soap for good, hardworking you. With scents from gingerbread to geranium, it brings slaving over a sink of dirty dishes a little closer to the spa.

pumpkin festival

Fall is finally here! This weekend, I learned a valuable lesson about life in Cali: I need not pine for the seasons and scenery that I miss about "home." While fall colors are hard to come by here in the city, you don't have to go far to find fall in the Bay Area...Or to find orchards, or snow, or mountains, or plains for that matter. California has everything! I desperately needed a little fall in my life this weekend, so we set out on a little field trip to infamous the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival. Let me tell you, if you don't mind absurd traffic and can justify spending 5 of your hard-earned dollars on one piece of the most sensational pumpkin pie, this is your scene! This year's champion pumpkin weighed in at over 1,500 lbs. My question is, what do they do with the world champion pumpkin after the festival? Make a world champion pie?

Which one should we take home?

Here I am double-fisting! Don't worry bathroom scale, I shared with Jeff. :)

The festival also featured oodles of talented metalsmiths, potters, quilters, crafters, you name it! These copper spinners (for lack of a better descriptor?) are so lovely!

Last but not least: The seriously souped-up steroidal pumpkins. Happy fall, one and all!

want

I'm such a huge fan of acrylic stamps. They're easier to use and easier to store than rubber stamps. Although my collection is small now, lately I've been hunting for some basic starter sets, specifically a cute alphabet set. I am completely crushing on this set by fancypants (above).
I also love this eclectic alpha set from bampop and those wise little owls from Sassafrass Lass (below.)

yum.

Like many 10-year-olds, sometimes I have trouble eating my veggies. Amazingly, when I make fresh veggie pizza, my aversion transforms into indulgence. (Perhaps it's the very unhealthy delivery device of cream cheese and crescent roll crust!) As it should be, this Saturday is a chill, catch-up day around the house...And this little treat is meeting my every snacking need!

To taste this simple, delicious treat: Bake a tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls until golden brown on a pizza pan. Meanwhile, blend a package of softened cream cheese with a little mayo and dill. When your crust is cool, spread on the cheese blend and add gobs of your favorite fresh veggies. Yum!

miss him.

Three days in career-world down! I'm so excited about my new job. {For those of you just tuning in...This week, I am starting my first R.N. job on a Cardiac ICU in this great hospital!} So far so good. However, I feel like I am back in school all over again...I've been going to lots and lots of classes. I don't even hit the floor of my unit until next weekend! So far, the toughest part has been not seeing my dear Jeffrey {in the light of day} since Sunday. :( Suddenly, we are on complete opposite work schedules; passing notes over the kitchen table just isn't cutting it. Maybe I'm just spoiled after having had so much time together last summer when we were homeless, unemployed, and inseparable. The good news is, he will be home when I get home tomorrow!

Other great perks to starting my first grown-up job: FREE I-POD. That's right. I was a little saddened to leave my short, carefree days as a Starbucks barista behind. Why? Because currently, Sbux is giving away a free i-Tunes download every day this month to all of its customers. Truly! You should hop on over to snatch yours up...It's a pretty sweet deal! But Sbux can eat its heart out...Believe it or not, my hospital passed out free i-Pods to all of its employees this year to celebrate it's 100th anniversary. I am so over Starbucks. My new little pod is already fully loaded with some great new tunes! Currently loving: Ingrid Michaelson. You might already have discovered her from the new Old Navy sweater commercials or Grey's Anatomy.

one swell weekend

Why must the weekend draw to an end so quickly? I had so many delightful experiences in the last few days that I've been itching to share...And I was foolish enough to forget my camera and/or my camera's memory card for 99% of them! Instead, I'll feebly attempt to paint you a picture of prose:

Thursday: I returned home from work around 3pm, a tiny bit crabby, ready to take a mini nap, grocery shop, clean the bathroom, and do other mundane activities. Dear Jeff surprised me with picnic basket in hand, sunglasses on face, ready to make happy memories. {Sigh.} I am the luckiest girl, ever! With perfect weather, we hopped over to GG (Golden Gate) Park, spread out our gourmet goodies, kicked off our shoes, and totally blissed out. Next time, we will not park it on the shores of Stow Lake. We spent our entire afternoon throwing sticks at hoards of hungry, squawking sea birds.

Friday: My last day of Starbucks! What I'll miss: very cool co-workers, partner discount, and daily caramel apple ciders. To make it a sweet farewell, I brought in some of my Pillsbury secret recipe cupcakes (above). Friday evening Jeff & I had a fun hang-in night with lots of our church pals. We played a mean game of Cranium...My favorite!

Saturday: Jeff had to work all day, so I headed out with some of my Starbucks pals and neighbors for an extreme 5-hour hike in Land's End (the gorgeous, rocky cliffs by the sea that are located practically in our backyard!!) Rather than sticking to the trail like normal, rational citizens, we strolled past the signs reading "people have fallen to their deaths from this point" and did some crazy climbing. I'm not the most adventurous type, but I had the best time. It was so worth the near-death experiences and the sore muscle aftermath. We had some a*mazing views. Again...Punching myself for ditching the camera...PLUS, we had perfect glimpses of the Blue Angels! (It was Fleet Week here in S.F., and yesterday afternoon was the big airshow.) I definitely think that watching them fly in tight formation, going super-sonic directly overhead, was one of the coolest experiences. Ever.

Sunday: Church. Quizno's. Sit in traffic. Home. Laundry. Blog. Get ready for my first day at my new job tomorrow! I'm completely freaking out.

meme

There's a first time for everything, and I've been tagged by Emily to blog a meme. No worries, I had no clue what a meme was until a few moments ago...Dictionary.com to the rescue!

meme (mēm) n. A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. [Shortening (modeled on gene) of mimeme, from Greek mimēma, something imitated, from mimeisthai, to imitate; see mimesis.] --American Heritage Dictionary

Jobs I've had...
*Summer nanny for two fun kids
*Book mender in the Cataloging Dept. of my college's library
*Starbucks barista (ended Friday, phew!)
*R.N. starting tomorrow!

Movies I could watch (and have watched) over and over and over...
*Amelie
*You've Got Mail
*Pearl Harbor
*What About Bob?

TV shows that drain my brain...
*Grey's Anatomy
*Martha
*Dancing with the Stars
*Rachael Ray 30-minute Meals

Lovely places I've visited...
*Buckingham Palace
*Gettysburg
*Whistler, B.C.
*Mackinac Island, MI

Yummiest dishes...
*Curry & naan
*Wild rice soup in a bread bowl
*Enchiladas
*Cherry pie (yes, pie counts as a meal!)

Websites I frequent...
*All my favorite blogs (on the right + more!)
*Google.com
*Dictionary.com
*iTunes

Places I'd rather be...
*Fairmont, MN--my hometown!
*Eau Claire, WI--with lots of my pals
*Downtown--on a shopping spree
*The Great Barrier Reef--snorkeling

Sound fun? Time for your own mimesis!

enamoured

Yesterday I received a sweet package in the mail from a dear new blogging friend from across the country. Thank you, thank you Fairlight for this delightful stack of Amy Butler fabric. I am completely beside myself. You are the kindest, most thoughtful girl I have (n)ever met! Thank you for brightening my entire world. I can't even wait to craft it all!

fun.

A fabulous new etsy find! Love these paper garlands from so*sage. This darling Parisian crafter also has a blog filled with all of the color combos of garland creations. I wish I spoke/read/understood Francais! How fun would it be to take my own Christmas-spin on this simple, clever idea?

happy wedding!

Congrats, God bless, & Happy wedding day to our dear friends TJ & Andrea! The gorgeous couple {above-photo by Jeff!} just tied the knot yesterday in Eau Claire, WI. Chalk them up to the long list of weddings I am so bummed to have missed/planning to miss since we moved in June. :( I really think that the hardest part of our crazy California adventure is missing out on everyone's lives back home and forging new friendships to make here home. I miss everyone today. What a fabulous affair their wedding must have been! Can't wait to see pics.

gratitude

at this very moment, i am thankful for:

celery : chunky peanut butter
husband : spooning
our home : our jobs : our church
laughter : tears : thoughts : dreams
phones : moms
fresh 12x12 patterned paper : photos
sight : color : light
hot showers : toothpaste : lip gloss
hardwood floors : soft cozy slippers

tag, you're it! what are you thankful for?

{fresh}

It's a fresh new month...Time to share some of my favorite fresh finds on the wonderful world wide web:

• Gobs of lucious eye candy at the new face of design*sponge

• Check it out: Poppytalk handmade launched today!

• Another great resource to for the time-crunched crafter: Whipup

• October means that fall is officially here, Halloween will be over in a jiffy, and we can all start thinking about the real holidays and some serious family time. These mini wreaths already have me in the holiday spirit!

• And of course, a little birdie love {above} by Ann Wood.

crave san francisco

Attention girls: There has never been a better time to come & visit me in S.F.! Sweet Jeff just bought me this nifty book: CRAVE San Francisco, the complete girly guide to the city. LOVE IT! Organized by neighborhood, it's oozing with an insider's scoop on where to find all of the prettiest things in S.F. at of-the-moment local places: boutiques, spas, yoga, and stores full of yarns, shoes, gifts, ribbons, tea and cakes...the list goes on! Plus, the book highlights many of the successful, inspring female entrepreneurs behind the indulgent locations. CRAVE hit the shelves about a year ago, but it's still new and exciting to me! I think that this is a dazzling idea, because it supports community business and makes girls like me very happy indeed. So keep up the great work, local women retailers...I may be broke, but I'll never be bored again! Oh and great news: CRAVE has also published similar literature for the girly-girls located in Seattle and Vancouver!