Sunday Photo Sesh

31/08/2015

Hey, a first for me! Last night Alan and I went over to visit our friends Heidi and Andy for dinner and a photo sesh. Heidi wanted some nice photos on this bridge by their house that’s going to be torn down. It was closed off from traffic so we (basically) had the bridge to ourselves. And it was a beautiful night. These guys aren’t getting married or anything, so stakes were low. It was good practice for shooting semi-candid photos of people. It was their idea to bring the cocktails. Cool glasses right?

The Bathroom

28/08/2015

Whoa, welcome to a new room of the house! And it’s so glamorous too. The main bathroom. I say “main” because we also have a ‘master bathroom’ in our bedroom, and one in the basement as well (which is gross, but it has a shower, credit to it), full disclosure… Anyway. I’ve never had a *huge* problem with the bathroom. We basically decided that doing a full scale remodel (meaning, new tiling, new fixtures, new sink, everything) was unlikely. This room feels very outdated though. It’s covered in beige-y tiles and light tan paint. Who ever thought that was a good idea?The most cool thing in there right now is this little modern tree branch hook I got from the container store a while ago (looks like they don’t have it anymore). I will allow it to stay. bathroom-1 l I’m thinking of going this direction, which is sort of an extreme departure from the rest of the house! This is more whimsical and rustic than the scandinavian-modern-minimalist thing I tend to go for otherwise (although as I was breezing through the living room today, it’s sort of a combination of both). But… I found that Mountain Shelf on the Urban Outfitters website recently and I immediately knew I had to have it. So I brainstormed with Alan about where it could go. We suggested a myriad of places, and he mentioned the bathroom. Hm. Sure! So it’s really the shelf that has inspired this whole post. But also, let’s be real. I’m itching to get some home projects done. And as I’m not very handy, making cosmetic changes will go a long way to improve the feel and energy of the house. No need to do that much.

Rug: Target, Shelf: Urban Outfitters, Shower Curtain: Restoration Hardware, Brushed Nickel shower rod and hook: Target, Woodgrain towels: West Elm, Smoke & Musk scented candle: Earl of East London, “Falling Snow” paint color: Behr, Sleeping Fox Print: Society 6, and Sleeping Fox drawer pull! Anthropologie.

Looks like I got my work cut out for me this weekend. Have a good one!

Let it fly in the breeze / And get caught in the trees

27/08/2015

Hair, amirite? I’ve had a pixie-ish haircut since July 2009. Before that, I had bland boring long-ish hair. Many of my most formative experiences I’ve had this hairstyle, more or less. And it’s worked well for me. Many people associate this hairstyle with me (which is a great compliment). I’ve worn it well I think. But back in May (May 31, to be exact. My anniversary), I realized that I hadn’t gotten a haircut in a long time (or if I had, it had only been a trim). I’d been thinking about growing it out. This hairstyle does have a lot of pitfalls for someone with extremely thin hair such as myself. It needs to be washed, like everyday, otherwise it’s stringy and has little kinks in it from sleeping. I hate this. I am not someone who loves to shower every day. My greatest wish is that I can wake up and immediately dress, and put my hair in a bun if it needs it. With my current hair that is not quite the case. In fact, with it growing out, it doesn’t have that problem as much these days. The longer hair makes it seem less greasy. Cool!I’m lucky that I have so much stupid fun with the camera on my computer, otherwise I wouldn’t have any other way to document the progress of my hair. In July I got a tiny trim on those little hairs in the back, and now they’ve grown out again. The weirdest part about this collage is how it shows how much gray I wear….

The thing that always kept me from growing out my hair though, besides it being a huge time commitment, is that in-between phase, which I’m experiencing right now. I’m trying to find different inspiration. The most ultimate inspiration though I’m taking lately is from Justine. Justine always. I can rock the “don’t care” long side bangs super well these days. It’s almost enough to keep the current length and go with that for a while. But I have high ambitions for the distant future:I shall be Norse beauty someday…. Someday….

If you have a short cut, and want it to be long: It gets better. The in-between phases are agony, but it grows out! Hair always grows out!

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25/08/2015

INTERSTATE-6 Alan and I joined some pals on Sunday afternoon for a hike at Interstate State Park. It’s called that because there is a Minnesota side AND a Wisconsin side and the St. Croix river flows between them. We visited the MN side. It was a temperate, overcast day. Read more ›

Fall Musik

24/08/2015

Hey, how was your weekend? Alan and I did some chill hangs with some friends, as well as some hiking. The weather has been pretty cool and gray since we got back from the cabin, which is perfect. As soon as we’re done with the cabin, I am done with summer. The transition has been going swimmingly. On the one hand, I feel weird talking about fall so soon, because it is August. But, kids are going back to school today, so I’m merely following the trends.

Anyway. I’ve been listening to a lot of the same kind of music lately, and it’s inspired in me a great vinyl buying spree. As I’ve talked about on here, I don’t have a lot of records, which I prefer, because I so rarely use the record player that it seems like a waste. Some albums though, I would like the option to play on wax. Many of them would be my go-to music for fall. Music that is a little sad, ethereal, somewhat folksy, and warm. Last fall I fell deeply in love with The War on Drugs’ album Lost in the Dream. I would listen to it mostly while taking late lunch breaks and walking through downtown Minneapolis while the sun started its descent. Those days were starkly lit and chilled. Same with Sharon Van Etten’s album Are We There. Two Autumns ago, I listened to Daughter’s If You Leave a lot, because I really wanted to love it. It must be an incredibly slow burner, because I picked it back up after a long time and have decided that it’s perfect music for these days. For brighter, sunnier fall days, Angel Olsen’s Burn Your Fire for No Witness hits the spot. A few other albums I have played frequently in the fall months are The Horrors’ Skying, Rubber Soul (by the Beatles, did that need to be said?), Louder Than Bombs by the Smiths, and anything from The Cure’s early catalog (namely: Boys Don’t Cry, Faith, and Seventeen Seconds).

What’s your go-to music in the fall?