January is all about starting fresh and getting organized and one of my favorite things to do is update my computer spaces. You may have noticed my new blog look, courtesy of the Cutest Blog on the Block. If I could use chevrons on every surface of my house, I would. I am chevron crazy right now, especially in the yellow/gray combo. Check out some things I have been pinning:

{Apartment Therapy}

{Via Pinterest}

{Ottoman Pouf in gray & white chevron via Aletafae on Etsy}  {Via Martha Stewart}

 Whenever I show chevron patterns to the boyfriend he claims to get dizzy. More like dizzy from the complete awesomeness that is chevron. I am hoping to start sneaking in some of the pattern with pillows and dish towels. Baby steps.

But for now, chevrons on the blog will have to do.

I also like to update my desktops on the many media devices I own. And since Kate from the Small Things Blog shared the awesome calendar desktops over at Smashing Magazine, I can now update my work/home laptops and phone with pretty new desktops.

Phone:

Work - So cute because our mascot is the owl!

Home:


Go get one for yourself and make your electronic space feel pretty!

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE being off work?

I do. A lot. Probably more than most people love bacon.

I work out, blog, make good dinners, clean and organize the house, watch all my favorite tv shows, and enjoy my home.

But all good things must come to an end, back to work I go tomorrow. Luckily, we get to ease back into things with two professional development days then kids on Thursday. Maybe there will be some snow days that will get me through until spring break. This is the first year in my teaching career that I haven't had a snow day before winter break. Crazy St. Louis weather...it was literally 61 degrees and sunny on new year's eve and today it is 29 degrees with howling winds.

Anyone watch The Bachelor tonight? I've never watched it before and a couple of girlfriends told me I had to watch. The best way to sum up my thoughts about tonight's episode: Bitches. Be. Trippin'.

It'll probably end up being my favorite show, ha!

Happy Monday!

2012! It's here!

How did you celebrate? Chris and I spent a quiet night on the couch, watching the ball drop at midnight and going to bed soon after. We slept in today, ate cinnamon rolls, and now just relaxing. I'm trying to not think about the fact that I have to go back to work in two days. It will definitely take a week or so to get back into the swing of things.

What are you doing today? I am working one of my goals for 2012 and adding some decor to the house...it's something small, but it counts! I love the girls over at Eighteen25 and their awesome seasonal subway art.

Love the yellow and grey color combo...one of my favs. And as luck would have it, Walgreens has a coupon code for 33% photo gifts (which posters are) so I scored a new print for $10.84 with tax. Use code Merry4 for the discount.

I'll post an update after I pick it up later. Hope 2012 is already treating you well!

With the start of another year, so come an onslaught of resolutions. I have been thinking the past few days on what I would like to focus on in 2012 but thought I should first revisit last year's goals to see how I did.

Goal #1: Complete 15 hours of coursework towards my Master's Degree. Check! Completed in July 2011


Goal #2: Move more, eat less. Can't say I was really on track with this one as I sit here in my stretchy yoga pants (trust me, I did no yoga) after eating yet another Jack in the Box meal.


Goal #3: Save more money/ pay down my bills faster. The real goal here is to save enough to buy a house but I still don't feel confident in doing that myself yet. So the goal will remain to save 30% of my pay every month and limit the shopping, even when everything seems so cute at the store! Done and done! I bought a house in March of 2011 and continue to save.

Goal #4: Blog more. Indeed I did, in fact I doubled the amount of blog posts in 2011. 61 total!

2. Finish my Masters. After an unexpectedly grueling fall semester I am registered for 6 more hours in the spring semester, leaving just three hours to complete in the summer. Gotta keep on trucking!

3. Make some decorating decisions. We have lived in the new house for almost a year and most of the walls are still bare, no curtains, and we have an entire room with no furniture.


This goal includes getting rid of those bloody vertical blinds, eck!

Yes, making a house a home is a process but it one I actually need to start. The short list of projects in my mind for 2012 include a craft area/office, lighting for the living/dining room, re-painting the kitchen, and a bedroom overhaul. Definitely going to try my luck at the thrift stores, Craigslist, and garage sales and get my DIY on!

4. Trust. This might seem like an odd goal but I have come to realize that I need to let my guard down and put my full trust in those who are closet to me and in myself. Only good things can come of this...I hope.

Are you making any resolutions this year? I find that writing my goals down helps keep me accountable. Here's hoping for a wonderful 2012!

2011 has come and almost gone and what a year it has been. Here is a quick month - by - month recap of how 2011 went down.

Today was one of those days where I just couldn't sit still. I was into everything...organizing the kitchen pantry, breaking down cardboard boxes from the plethora of Christmas gifts received, purging old beauty products under the bathroom sink, running errands, and cleaning out my closet. It's probably because I have literally sat on my arse the entire month of December - but hey, a little break every now and then never hurt anybody.

It was very satisfying to get so much done in one day and actually see the results. I wish I would have taken a few more before and after pictures. My kitchen pantry didn't need a whole lot of love, just some plastic grocery sack wrangling. I swear those things multiply by the minute! The previous owners of the house left a grocery bag container, we just hadn't been using it. So I stuffed it to the gills and then pitched the rest.

My closet was the next area I tackled. I am too embarrassed to show my entire closet because frankly I own too many clothes, shoes, handbags, for any one person - I mean I'm not a Mariah Carey proportions - but I may be a bit of a shopper who doesn't have enough room to nicely house all of the purchases.

But I will show you what I decided to purge. Behold!

- 3 pairs of shoes
- 1 handbag
- A bajillion Old Navy tank tops and tees
- 7 pairs of denim
- Tops of all sizes and colors

I am going to try my hand at selling some of the items to a local resale shop before sending the bulk of the items to the Family Resource Center here in St. Louis. A clean closet AND helping others...SCORE!

Hopefully, I will keep this organization/purge streak alive in Twenty-Twelve with a little help from Anna Moseley over at Ask Anna. She is hosting a challenge I've decided to participate in


All in all a productive day. What about you? Any good organizing going on at your house?

I've been dying to share a little crafting I did back in October but couldn't due to the fact that the crafts were gifts. So now that Christmas has come and gone, I figure it's okay to share.

I mentioned previously that I have a crafty friend, Megan, who made me that pretty Ho Ho Ho banner I showed during my Christmas house tour. Well for that exchange, I made her some cute wine glasses to give as gifts.



Using my Cricut and some outdoor vinyl, I cut out the letters and dots to make some adult "sippy" cups. I can't believe how easy they came together and so inexpensive. They should last through quite a few wine nights too, because I used outdoor/automotive grade vinyl, which was also nice and shiny.

Funny thing is, I saw wine glasses just like this at Bed, Bath, and Beyond right after I made them, but of course mine are way cuter...or at least I like to think so ; )