Quilling

Earlier today Etsy posted some photos on their Facebook account featuring an art form called quilling. I've seen things like this before, but I never knew what it was called! It's created using lots of strips of paper coiled and curled into an image. It looks so intricate, and I can't imagine how much patience you would need to create something like this. One of the shops that was featured is YakawonisQuilling. Here are a few of my favorites from her shop

I think Rhett would enjoy the Ron Swanson piece in his room upstairs. That room needs some manly touches! A lot of the pieces in her shop are prints of her originals, so they are affordable. I think it would be amazing to own an original piece though! It would definitely be an investment. I know it's odd, but I'd love the full figure muscular system original...it's just so amazing!

I hope you all are having a fantastic week so far! I guess it's been about a week since I posted, but not much has been going on. I'm very excited about the weekend, though! I'm heading to Nashville with some friends for the zoo run. I'm not going to run it for a few reasons, but I'm going to be the best cheerleader for my buddies! We'll also get to hit up Trader Joe's afterward...which is an essential part of any Nashville trip.

Stitch Fix #7

I've posted a couple of my StitchFix boxes in the past, so you're probably already familiar with how it works. If not check out my older posts. This particular box has been my favorite so far! I feel like they really got my style right this time, and the prices were much more reasonable. If you have any doubts about whether they are hand-picking these things, this should prove that they are. I am pretty specific in my feedback, and I can totally tell they are listening to me. Here are the things I got in my box this time around (thanks to Rhett for taking my pictures so I didn't have to set up a tripod!)

 Dylan and Rose, Florian Overlap Tulip Pocket Skirt

While I think this skirt is really adorable, I just don't think it's for me. If it were a different cut and a little longer, I would probably go for it. It was just flashing a little too much leg under that overlap for my comfort :) I do work at a Baptist university after all! But you really can't beat a skirt with pockets, am I right?

Ladakh, Indre Holey Sweater Tunic (necklace by Laura Lombardi)

I really love the color of this tunic! I think I would wear this, but I'm not crazy about how it looks on me. I don't know why, but I'm not digging the holes all over. I usually like that kind of thing! I am glad I got this though because I checked out the rest of Ladakh's stuff and there are some great things! I will definitely be shopping there in the future.

Everly, Katherina Sheer Stripe Blouse

I love the keyhole back of this blouse, but the sleeves were sadly too tight. It was mainly the shoulder area, where I'm apparently a little more broad than most! I was also disappointed that you couldn't really see the stripe at all when you put the shirt on. It's got this really cool texture, which you can see in the right image, but that basically goes away when you have a shirt under it. 

Now for the two pieces I kept!

BB Dakota, Lincoln Stripe Colorblock Tank

I LOVE THIS TOP! I don't have a lot of stripes and I've been wanting to get some more striped shirts, so this is perfect. I like the material a lot, and the blue on the sides is a great detail. I just love this! I probably won't wear it until the Spring or Summer, but I'm still keeping it. I think it'll be a cute top to wear to Rhett's business trip this year. It's going to be in Marco Island (woot woot!)

Blu Pepper, Granada 3/4 Sleeve Open Cardigan

I can definitely see myself wearing this cardigan a lot! I don't really have a good brown cardigan. I have an open weave one, but if it's windy at all that one is useless. I think this will be one I can wear when it's cold or when it's mild out. I don't need heavy sweaters except for maybe 2 months out of the year here in Tennessee, so lighter ones like this are much more practical.

If you haven't checked out StitchFix yet, you can see their new and improved website and maybe even sign up for your first Fix here!

I hope you're all having a pleasant weekend. It's been a fairly quiet day around here for me. I went for a run this morning, then met with a bride and groom and their moms. I also finished up watching Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which was great! Predictable, but great. I recommend it.

Wishlist 2012 and 500th Post

Since this is my 500th post, I'm going to give you a list of 500 things that I want! ....

Just kidding. I don't think I could even come up with 500 things! Ok maybe if I spent a week on Pinterest, and included things that I could never possibly even have (like a private jet and the ability to teleport). Instead of doing that, I'll just give you a list of things on my radar this holiday season...a short list.

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This is Polaroid's semi-new digital camera that will print you a sticker right at the touch of a button. It's a pretty brilliant upgrade to instant cameras, if you ask me! It definitely doesn't hold the same nostalgic quality that old school Polaroids do, but I don't think anyone is trying to see it that way. I could see this being a good alternative to a wedding photo booth. Just set up your background and have a friend snap photos of guests! You could print two stickers, one for the guest and one for a guestbook. Plus you'd have the digital files for Facebook later! I doubt I'll receive this as a gift (too $$$), but I am definitely considering purchasing it after the holidays.

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Another one I'll probably buy for myself sometime soon. A battery pack for my camera. This will just put me at ease more when I have a long day of wedding shooting. I don't even have a backup battery, y'all...it's bad. I've never had my camera go dead, but if I ever want to shoot video, I'm DEFINITELY going to need this. 

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Even though I did get an Epiphanie bag from Kaelah this past weekend, I'm still longing for the Austin. The one I got is working perfectly so far, so I'm thinking I'll use it for a while before I try to get this one. 

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I would love to get my backgrounds installed on the wall! No more tripping over the stand (that's broken anyway), and I can hang multiple colors at once. Of course I'll need to paint the room first, since I won't be taking them down for a loooooong time. I'd like to at least have white and gray up all the time, and maybe a fun color just in case I ever need it. This will make shooting products so much more efficient! I would probably need Rhett's help though :) That's the last of the photography related things! I have about 6 lenses on my wishlist, but I won't bore you with all of those...plus they are way out of my price range right now anyway!

This is the Drew bedside table from Pottery Barn that has long been out of stock. I think it was from 4 or 5 years ago. How hard would it be to build that though? I think it looks fairly easy! I would love to build one for me and Rhett. Right now I'm using a floor lamp and he's using a gaudy green thing from a kid's bedroom suite. They function, but I want something a little cuter. 

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I am almost 100% sure that I would really enjoy having a Keurig. I have resisted it because I think they are stupid expensive (the machine AND the cups). I am using my mom's Cuisinart and coffee that I usually buy at Marshall's for $6. A bag of $6 coffee will last me 3 weeks, so if I did get a Keurig, I'd be spending a lot more money. It would be soooooo much more convenient though. Rhett doesn't drink coffee, so the single serve aspect is perfect, plus I wouldn't have stinky coffee filters in the trash all the time. I'm not going to buy one myself, but if I got one, I wouldn't complain. (Sorry, mom, probably should have shared this with you sooner)

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I have a spice rack, but it doesn't measure the spices out for me! This is a total want-but-don't-need thing, but it's just so cool. This thing measures out 1/4 tsp (or tbsp?) for you with each click, so you don't have to sit there shaking the thing until you get enough. I always make a mess with spices...though it's not THAT big of a deal to clean it up. I feel kind of bad wanting this...makes me feel lazy (I also want one of those robot vacuums).

There are also about a thousand sweaters I want right now, but who has time to wear a thousand sweaters? Target just has some really cute ones...but I'm being good. My credit card bill shouldn't suffer because of my sweater addiction. What do you guys have on your wishlist?

***I wrote this before the tragic shooting this morning, so I just want to add to it. Can you guys all just stop what you're doing for a minute and pray? Pray for peace in the hearts of those grieving.  Pray for law enforcement trying to sort everything out. Pray for civility among our nation. Negativity and hatred only add to the problem, so try to be loving and compassionate. I guess that's all I have to say...I wish I could understand more, but I just don't. I will never understand why this kind of thing happens, but I don't think anyone does.***

Fourth Stitch Fix

Remember how I posted about Stitch Fix (back in April)? Well, I've been getting a box each month since then, and for some strange reason haven't shared the other two! I just get so excited about ripping open that box that I forget to photograph the items. Fortunately, I remembered this time! I kept an awesome blazer from box 2, and nothing from box 3. I was pretty pleased with this box, but I only ended up keeping one shirt. Here's a rundown of what I got...

 
This bracelet was almost too beautiful to say no to, but I'm trying to be good about my spending...or at least better...so I passed on it. Maybe if I knew I would wear it, but I know it would just sit on my dresser and collect dust because I very rarely sport bracelets, especially fancy ones. 

 

Lucca Couture - High Low Floral Tank Dress

I absolutely love the high-low hemline that has been getting around lately (though Rhett informed me he thinks it's ugly). I was pretty pumped about this dress, but then it was way too loose in the bust area. You can see from the picture that I was having to hold it up. I could definitely adjust the straps, but even then, it's not the most flattering. The waistline is all the way up under the bust, which isn't a great look for me. If they made a dress with this print and material with a cinched waistline, I would definitely scoop it up! 

 findersKeepers Carousel Shirt

I like the color of this shirt a lot, but it was way way way too loose fitting for me. I just don't like the cut of it. It happens! It definitely has good qualities, like the pleating and the cool buttons...it just isn't right for me. 

 jaloux (sorry can't find this one online)

This is a lot more my style as far as blouses go, but I wasn't a fan of the fabric. Of course it's going to be wrinkly when it comes out of the box, but I've had shirts that felt similar before and they don't iron well. It was like a silky fabric, but not as slick. Not sure what it's called!

Ark & Co. (can't find this online either)

Last, but not least, is the top that I'm keeping! While it's probably not something I'll wear too often (because those laser cuts are just ASKING to get caught on something and rip), I loved this too much to send it back. I don't have anything in this coral color that I know of, and I thought the laser cuts were really fun. I think it will look best with black under it, and I got some great gray jeans this weekend that I might wear with it.

Overall, this box was just ok. I love all the colors/prints they sent, but I didn't care for the style of most of the items. I think I might be too picky about fit, but that's not a bad thing, is it? I'm sure my Stitch Fix stylist is scratching her head every time I pick apart an item thinking "WHAT DOES THIS CRAZY WOMAN WANT?!" Well...I just want to try new things! That's what's fun about it :) Even if I only keep one item, I still have fun going through the box.

If you haven't tried it out yet, you can sign up here! I highly recommend it, even if you only do it once. You pay $20 up front, but it counts as a credit toward an item if you buy. If you don't keep anything, you do lose that $20, so it's always good to keep at least one item!

Shabby Apple Giveaway

Happy (almost) 4th of July! This is one of my favorite holidays, probably because it's in the middle of the summer when I'm just aching for some time off.  If things go as planned tomorrow (which they usually don't) I will be riding around Pine lake on Rhett's jankity old jet ski, if it happens to be functioning properly. You never know with that thing...but he scored it for free, so we can't complain. Anyway, since I love celebrating my country's independence, I wanted to do something special for my readers!

I've been seeing Shabby Apple giveaways floating around on various blogs for a while now, and I decided to host one when the opportunity presented itself. How could I deprive my readers of such a great gift?! They're letting me give away a $50 giftcard to their online shop, which you can use for whatever your heart desires! I browsed their selection and found several things that I would scoop up.

Pictured is the Champs Elysees dress, A Preppy Lady heels, and the Spanish Steps dress. If you do shop with them, be sure to read the reviews! I noticed several dresses ran big, so it helps to know that ahead of time and adjust your size accordingly. Here are the rules for entering:

Must have a US shipping address to be eligible

Mandatory entry- "like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and be sure to leave a comment telling me you've done so.

Extra entries-

• Follow my blog
• Comment letting me know what item you think you would buy with your giftcard,
• Tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to mention me @kristimcmurry (sorry my account is private, but I will try to be diligent about accepting follow requests!)

For each of these entries, leave a separate comment. So if you do all four of these things, that's four total comments! The giveaway will be open until next Wednesday (July 10th), and I will email the winner. In addition to the giveaway, Shabby Apple gave me a 10% off coupon to give to my readers! If you find something you can't live without, use kristi10off at checkout and get 10% off. I did notice that today they have 20% off sitewide, presumably to celebrate this awesome holiday, so that's an even better deal. Happy shopping and happy 4th of July!

A New Addiction: Stitch Fix

A few weeks ago, I saw a post that Kaelah did about Stitch Fix, and I was really intrigued by the concept. You basically fill out a survey on all of your style preferences and sizing, then they put together a box of 5 items for you. You pay a $20 styling fee up front, and if you buy anything in the box that $20 goes toward the total. If you don't end up keeping anything, you're basically just paying for the experience. I love the element of surprise with this! I was on the edge of my seat waiting for my box to arrive and I couldn't even wait to properly set up my studio for pictures before I started snappin' (thus the short backdrop and inclusion of my messy area).

MM Couture emery tiered tank: $58 (find here in blue)

Amour Vert: $58

I was a little surprised to see some pink-ish things in there since I definitely specified that I don't like pink. I think I also mentioned that I wanted to branch out though, so maybe that's why they included it. The pink tiered tank top was adorable, but I can't see myself wearing it much, so I'm not going to keep it. It had such great movement though! I wasn't into the black and white striped tank at all. I think if the stripes were thinner, I might like it, but it looked horrendous on me (especially when I was making that awesome face).

Many Belles Down griffin collared dress: $75 (look this designer up! So many cute dresses)

The dress was my favorite thing! It's the only one I'm considering keeping. Maybe you guys can help me decide. What do you think of it?! Obviously it needs to be ironed, but I love the black on the collar and the pockets to break up the delicate pattern. It makes it just the right amount edgy for me, since I don't like to dress super girly. I'll have to wear a tank under it since it kind of hangs open (I work at a Christian university y'all...gotta keep myself covered up). I will also probably wear tights with it because it's thin, and I don't want to risk a flashing. I think it would be cute to wear to one of my bridal showers though! Ok, in writing this post, I'm talking myself into keeping it.

MM Couture: $60

The other clothing item was these red shorts. They are SUPER cute, but just not me. I don't wear shorts all that much, and this material was so thin that I'd feel exposed wearing them. They're also dry clean only...which means they would stay dirty forever, and that's just gross. The tie was adorable though. I had it in a bow, but the dancing around made it come undone. There was also a pair of plain geometric gold earrings that I didn't photograph. I'm not keeping them, since I have about a bajillion pair of earrings. They were also $60 and I don't tend to spend all that much on jewelry unless it's really really special.

Overall, this was an AWESOME experience. The profile was so easy to fill out, and I feel like they had a perfect amount of my normal style mixed with some out-of-the-box pieces for me. I did the lowest price point, and I'll probably keep doing that since I don't make a lot of money. I firmly believe you can dress well on a budget. In fact, some of my better pieces of clothing have come from thrift stores and clothing swaps. If any of you would like to try out Stitch Fix, click here. It's a referral/invite from me, and hey if you end up doing it, I get credit toward my next fix! Win/win! If any of you do decide to get a fix, let me know. I'd love to see what you get. :)

City Clothing Swap

A couple of weeks ago, Margaret and I wandered down to a fundraiser clothing swap that was held at her church. The event was put on to raise money for a family that is trying to adopt. Entrance to the swap was $10 unless you brought clothes, in which case it was $5. It seemed like there was a good turn out! There were at least 20 or so people there when we were there, and I'm sure more came later. There's nothing I love more than getting to shop without worrying about cost. I just picked up whatever I liked with no worries! I ended up with a cute green dress (which I will blog soon) and a fur vest. I've been looking for a fur vest FOREVER. In fact, I'm sure they're not even in style anymore...that's how long it took me to find one I liked.

Margaret's prairie dress. She better blog this one.

Heather trying on a shirt that Margaret contributed

Margaret actually ended up going home with a few things too, one of them being a shirt dress that I donated! You can see her wearing it in this post. She used it to demonstrate a VERY useful style tip.

Have you guys ever done a clothing swap? It's LOADS of fun. This is my 3rd one to participate in, and I've enjoyed them all. I encourage you all to try it sometime. It doesn't take a lot of work, and it doesn't always have to be a fundraiser. You can just get a group of people together and all bring the clothes you don't wear anymore. You'd be surprised what some people are discarding! I guess it's true that one woman's trash is another woman's new favorite dress...or something like that.

Gift Ideas for Mom, Dad, and Friends

I've been the worst blogger this week! I was kind of on a roll for a while, but I guess things have slowed down...I haven't done anything exciting lately. Since I don't have any tidbits of my life to share, I thought I would give you guys some great gift ideas since the holidays are fast approaching (2 months as of yesterday!)

Mom:

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My mom isn't much of a decorator...bless her heart, she tries though. She has some really pretty pottery, antiques, etc., she just doesn't really know where to start in arranging them. Anyway, if your mom is anything like mine, a great gift would be to help her decorate! I'm planning to help my mom with the wall above the couch. My plan is to do some shelving and framing in a cluster like the one pictured. Her living room is more dark and cozy, but I think the concept will still work.

Dad:

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My dad loves a good steak! Men, especially my dad, are so difficult to buy for, but I've found that they're almost always happy with food. Omaha Steaks has some wonderful options, and are always running specials. One warning though is that once you buy from them they will BLOW UP YOUR PHONE. They were still calling me a year after I ordered from them. My advice, add their number to your phone so you can just ignore it.

Close Friends:

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I've discovered that throw pillows make a HUGE difference in a room. They are a cheap-ish way to completely change the look of a room if you get bored with your decor. My friends are at the age now that they are decorating their apartments or houses, so throw pillows are a great gift for them! Of course you have to be pretty close friends with someone to know what they would like. There are TONS of great places to buy throw pillows, but I highly recommend buying handmade from Etsy. One shop I've bought from is pillowhappy...and she offers tons of options! Just be aware that these are covers only, so you'll have to get your own inserts.

I'm not even going to attempt boyfriend...in fact, if any of you have ideas for a boyfriend gift, help a girl out! My honey is so hard to buy for. Unless he tells me EXACTLY what he wants, I'm clueless. Embarrassing fact: For the first (or maybe second) birthday he had after we started dating, I got him a Wal-Mart card. My logic was that he could use it to get gas for his massive truck. Of course looking back, I realize that was a terrible gift, and he will never let me live it down.

Visit to Honeybean

My Saturday was one long string of activity. I'm going to break it up into two posts, so I don't overwhelm you guys with pictures and words. I will still do you the favor of summarizing some of my day, though...because I know you're on the edge of your seat!

Emily and I woke up bright and early and drove to Nashville. We made it to the Country Music Hall of Fame in plenty of time to see our friend Libby finish her half-marathon. She did so well! It's inspired me to do one in November with Emily (I know...I don't claim to be completely sane). Anyway, we left Libby to rest for a while and we went to the flea market to see Kaelah with her Honeybean! I didn't have the good sense to find out where on the Fairgrounds they were located, so Emily and I walked around for a while...and there was PLENTY to look at.

Emily resisting the urge to buy ALL THE BEADS

I am not even kidding when I say the LAST booth we came to in the entire flea market was Honeybean. I had tweeted to Kaelah in despair just seconds before I looked up to see it sitting there in all it's glory. Am I surprised I walked around the whole flea market before I found them? No...The sad part is that it was really close to where we walked in, I just didn't walk down that particular row.

BUT IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!

I introduced myself and chatted with Kaelah and Mike for a few minutes and then hit the racks. I found a great blue pencil skirt, a men's mustard button down, and an adorable handmade hair bow. I think I'm going to wear the skirt tomorrow, so an outfit post may be in order.

This was a soft opening for honeybean, so I'm hoping to go back again soon! She said they would have other designers and sellers participating, so there is sure to be tons of variety. I love the shopping environment and the aesthetic of their booth. I always appreciate it when people carry out a "look" in every aspect of their business, which I definitely think Kaelah and Mike have done. 

Emily, me, Kaelah

Yes...I'm wearing a tank top and jeans, but I was walking around outside all day, so I'm excused I hope. What you don't know is that I was radiating "outdoor smell." You know the one...it's not pleasant. I hope my odor didn't offend (though I'm almost positive I wasn't the worst smelling person out there. This is the South after all). Anyway, Kaelah looked absolutely adorable, as usual! This was my first time meeting a blogger in person, and it was so fun! Kaelah and Mike were so much fun to talk to, and hopefully I'll run into them again soon. 

If any of you guys are local, stop by and see them at the flea market. They're nice people, and they're selling some great vintage and handmade! If you're not local, you can certainly pop over to her blog and say hi.

shoProcrastination

I definitely don't fancy myself a procrastinator, but occasionally I fall short of being a hard worker. I have a lot of work that needs to get done outside of my full-time job, and the weekend is the perfect time to do it! I got a moderate amount done this weekend, but I really just ended up shopping when I should have been working.

This is Paige. (You say: "Hi, Paige!") We decided to walk down the street a bit to an estate sale. We just happened to see the sign in the yard, and since neither of us had been to an estate sale since elementary school, we decided to go. See those cars? We were only halfway there and the cars were already lining the street. Those that know me well know that I am not a crowd person (with the exception of MLB games), so I automatically decided this would be a miserable experience.

This estate sale started outside, which essentially meant that they put all the crap barely good enough for a yard sale in the garage for everyone before opening the inside up. I did get a roll of Reynolds Wrap for 50 cents. Score? Apparently you have to get a number to get inside first. Since neither of us are estate-sale-savvy, we weren't part of the chosen few (actually 75 to be exact). We went back once the numbered people had gone through, and there seemed to be plenty of things left.

 

I got a sewing machine! It's a Kenmore machine, and it's ridiculously cute (in my opinion). I don't have a stinking clue how to use it, but owning one is the first step, right? I wish I could get someone to come over and tutor me, but I may have to settle for finding a manual for it online. I also picked up a shirt (outfit with it tomorrow), necklace, shoes, a bowl, a bag, and a couple of scarves. All in all I'd say it was pretty successful, despite the crowd.

Later that day I got distracted by Goodwill when I was on the way to visit with my family. I was passing it and thought, "oh I'll just pop in for a second." I wasn't in there for an insane amount of time, but it was certainly longer than a second. I picked up a bag that can only be described as...no wait, there are no words. I saw one almost just like it on Amanda's blog a long time ago and fell in love! I was so bummed that she had found it, and I hadn't. But lo and behold, I found it's fraternal twin! I also got a dessert plate with a fun pattern.

And finally, here is my loot from the antique store. I dropped by after lunch on Sunday to look at the attached home store because I need to find some laminate flooring. Of course I HAD to peruse the entire antique store, which actually did take me an insane amount of time. I got two milk glass pieces, a book of Edgar Allan Poe stories, and a gorgeous Polaroid model 150.

Whew, that was a lot! I hadn't shopped for a while, and I sort of went crazy this weekend. No more buying until June! Ok, that won't happen, but I can pretend. I actually do need to save for the new couch I'm planning to get.

I hope the rest of you had a wonderful weekend as well!