GOOD things.

I am currently reading a {cute/funny} script for a movie that will shoot this summer. On Tuesday, I will find out if I get to work on this project. This would be such an amazing opportunity that could lead to more projects for me. Think good thoughts for me! And no -- I will not be in the movie.

It's a holiday weekend! Short of finishing this script, I do not have anything big planned.

I finally caved and ordered Downtown Chic. Cannot wait for it to arrive!

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Speaking of Bob and Cortney Novogratz {the authors Downtown Chic}...I was watching 9 by Design last week and saw that they used the bed I planned on ordering in their friend's apartment. I think I only want the headboard. It costs less, and with just a headboard, there isn't anything to bump into at the foot of the bed.

I also ordered this!

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And since I was placing and order at Amazon and had free shipping, I grabbed It's Complicated, too. I loved this movie! Then again, when have I not loved anything that Nancy Meyers has done?

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I just started using Jergens Natural Glow Express. After about 7-8 hours I can already see a difference! It is supposed to darken your skin by an entire shade within 3 days! I read that you can then use the regular Natural Glow to maintain the color once you have the color you want. I imagine that I'll mix it up.

A summer without glow in the dark you can see right through me legs is a good thing. And not having glow in the dark you can see right through me legs come Monday is an even better thing!

Enjoy the long weekend!

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Crate and Barrel Finds.

So much better than a boring black BBQ.

Really enjoying these trays.

I love these barstools.

I think these rice bowls are really fun!

I might like this sleeper sofa. I have decided that I really need one, because I know I'll have quite a few visitors. I have searched every sight I know and Crate and Barrel {next to Ikea} had the best prices. I like that this is a queen, and that slipcover is machine washable. Kind of perfect for me!

Loving the table in a bag & picnic chair! Perfect for all those fun summer outings!

I also came across the "snow pup" doormat, for only $12.95. In May.

There are tons of great deals in the outlet.

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The girls are BACK!

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Love the wall of photos in Carrie's apartment. I think I need one of those.

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SJP's Valentino dress is amazing.

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Oh, how I've missed these girls.

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Quote of the week.

I like snakes. They tickle my hair & my wiener. - Tori Spelling's son, Liam McDermott.

He's 3. Don't judge.

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Prom!

Yes, you read this post title right. Yesterday, I went to pre-prom. Not my pre-prom, of course. My prom was 10 years ago. I am much too old for such things. I went to my baby sister's pre-prom. And I took lots and lots of photos.


S, with her 2 best friends.


Some of the girls.


They enjoy making these weird faces. S wasn't feeling it.

I look so tired/gross today. I had 5 min to get ready and was feeling a little blah. Jess looks fantastic though! That girl photographs so well. Makes me want to smack her around a little bit. I am soooo not photogenic. And being next to her in a photo always makes that fact extra obvious.

Do you see {part of} the guy with purple hair {on the right}?


Most of the girls.


I really wasn't looking my best, but wanted to show you the new shoes :)

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West Elm finds.

I have been doing lots of virtual furniture shopping. Let's start with a few of my favorites at West Elm.

I love the Parsons Desk in white. My apartment to be is on the small side {ok -- it's tiny}, so I need to keep things on a smaller scale. And at $299, I think it is priced fairly well. I am pretty certain that this is the one.


Loving the organic cotton pin tuck duvet and shams. I can see this with an iron headboard, and a lovely {maybe bright} pillow and/or throw blanket. I love a clean, white bed. As far as pretty white duvets go, I think this is priced very well. And, it's organic, or as West Elm prefers...eco chic. You know I love it.


I love storing things in baskets. These are great, and they are on sale!


These aren't so bad either. Such a great place for extra pillows and throw blankets. Also on sale.


Loving the Bergen Closet Collection. I really really really enjoy organizing.


If I did not already have a jute rug, I would purchase this one. The 8x10' is $199. I really really love it. And the price cannot be beat!


Ok, this is just fun! A wood stand and lacquer tray. Did I mention that the tray is also available in yellow?! Love.


Wouldn't it be fabulous if I had an amazing outdoor space on my balcony, complete with these pillows? {and of course, the tray in the photo above}. Did I mention that I have a balcony? Because I do. And I plan on sitting out there on nice days, working away on my laptop. I'll need some sort of outdoor chair that is comfortable, and that can survive months of extreme weather.

All products can be found at West Elm.

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Oh, Rosie.

Had another chat with the infamous Great Aunt Rose. I love this woman. I will try to continue to posts our chats here because she is just so funny!

So Rosie {btw -- we never call her Rosie to her face. Only when talking about her, because it's fun} loves DWTS, and Grey's Anatomy. I do not watch DWTS so we cannot discuss it. But -- I was all about getting her prepped for the Grey's finale. Once that airs, I need to devote a post to my shows. Between Gossip Girl and Bros & Sisters, I feel like I've lost a piece of my heart. So much to discuss. Annnnnd -- I saw the first 10 min of Grey's on Perez. There was some serious overreacting over here. Lots of gasping. Loud gasping.

Anyway! I was filling Rose in on a few things, and it turns out she had no idea that Derek and Meredith were married and didn't know that George left the show. I told her he left and she was sure that he came back. I assured her that he had died and that he would not be coming back. And in her defense, Mer and Der never had a real wedding. They got married on a post-it. Weird, right?

Rose: There's another one. I think she's Asian. She likes the black man.
Me: Yes, Cristina is Asian and she did like Burke. But he left a few years ago.
Rose: I think he left because he had trouble with the small one.
Me: George?
Rose: No. The man that is shorter than everyone else.
Me: George.

She cannot remember anyone other than Derek and Meredith. I honestly have no idea how she watches this show.

This was kind of amazing:

Rose: Today is Wednesday?
Me: No. Today is Tuesday.
Rose: So in the morning it will be Wednesday.
Me: Yes. That's how it works.
Rose: What time do the days end? Midnight?
Me: Yes.
Rose: So it's Wednesday?
Me: No. It's Tuesday.
Rose: I have news for you. I took a nap and woke up at 4:00.

Haha. Love it.

A few more things:

I can't hear you. You're not talking in to the mouthpiece.
I love that she calls it that.

Then we got to talking about Chicago.

Rose: I don't know how you're going to handle it with the dog but that's going to be your problem.
Me: Complete silence.
Rose: Do you really think you can handle being alone with a dog?
Me: Yes. He's my best friend.

And some advice for when I go out:

Rose: I told you to never leave your glass when you go to the bathroom and don't let them pour anything while you aren't looking? {she doesn't want anyone to drug me.}
Me: Yes.
Rose: In fact, don't drink. Who needs it? And make sure the cab driver waits until you get in the front door.

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Mirrors

I absolutely love mirrors. They are so wonderful for small spaces since they make rooms seem larger, and these days, they just keep getting more and more beautiful! I hope that I"ll have a place to put a really pretty mirror in the new apartment, but for now, these "extras" will have to wait. Here are just a few that I love.

1. Layla Grayce $155 {I don't want it but think it's pretty}
2. Pottery Barn $189
3. Ballard Designs $249. Of course the most expensive one is my favorite.
4. Ballard Designs

I have a feeling that this apartment is going to cost a lot of money {duh}, and that it will be a lesson in patience. I need to focus on the things I need. Mattress is taken care of, and I am hoping to find an iron headboard. I plan on selling my upholstered one since my cats love to climb it. So annoying.

I need a sofa & chair {I may just do a love seat since it's a smaller space, and a tufted ottoman or some upholstered cubes that I can pull out for extra seating}, TV, coffee table, desk, & bar stools. I am pretty sure I have my desk picked out. I think I mentioned that I sold my old desk because it was way too big.

I am really excited to pull it all together, and am most excited to search various shops to find bargains, pieces that I can restore {or in my case, have professionally restored}, and unique finds.

Let it be known that I would {not so secretly} love to paint a piece of furniture. I'll bet Crystal would be great at that. Fortunately, she is excited about all this designing we're going to do together. She even offered to help me paint! It's going to be fun, and very blog-worthy. Can't wait!

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These heels were made for walking.

Over the past couple of months, I have purchased a few pairs of heels. All by Dolce Vita.

My first pair. The wedge. {My sis said these looked cheap in the photo & told me not to order them}. Guess who approved once they arrived? They look fabulous with a pair of skinny jeans, and I love them. And the best part? I can actually walk in them. I love a good wedge.

I can kind of walk in these. I needed black heels, and they were on sale.

I can really walk in these, and I love them. After all, I was wearing these the night my sister told me that both Kelly Cutrone and Rachel Zoe would approve of my outfit. That has to mean something.

And yes, my sister really says things like that.

Off to spin class!

"You put high heels on and you change".- Manolo Blahnik

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Video controversy of the week.

Click here to watch the video

If you have been completely out of the loop, let me fill you in. A group of 7 year old girls danced to Beyonce's Single Ladies at the World of Dance competition. The scandalous video made it to youtube and went viral. There are now debates as to whether or not the dance & attire are appropriate for little girls.

First off, I think it's a great song, and I actually really like Beyonce's video. And these girls are really good. But Beyonce is well in to her 20s, and "he" {Jay Z} liked it, and did put a ring on it. These girls can't go anywhere without a grown up. So I'm thinking they have no business dancing to the following lyrics:

Up in the club, we just broke up
I’m doing my own little thing...

...Cuz if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it.

On the very off chance that you have not seen Beyonce's version, here it is. Please note that Beyonce is showing less skin than these little girls.


This leads me to propose a question. At what age would this be appropriate? Would you let your 10 year old dress and dance this way? Your 12 year old? your 15 year old? And is it the lyrics, the dancing, or their skimpy little outfits that you would not approve of?

As you can tell, I do not approve of any of it. Call me old fashioned, but this song was not written for children. The video is not appropriate for children. And these outfits are not appropriate for anyone. Little girls should be watching cartoons or playing with My Little Ponies. They made a comeback, you know. Little girls should not be dancing to songs that are about whether or not he "wants it".

When Beyonce's song and video debuted, we did not debate whether or not it was ok. In fact, there were hundreds and hundreds of videos of people dancing to her song all over the internet. We loved it. I actually posted about how catchy it was on my blog. I also posted this video {and how I thought she should be watching cartoons}. These girls put sweet little Ariana to shame.

So tell me. What do you think? Should 7 year old girls be dancing like this, to this song, in these clothes?

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My great aunt is sassy and I love her.

I had a late night phone session with 91 {92 in August} year old great aunt Rose tonight. I sat here typing key points of the conversation because I love her Rose-isms. She was asking who I got free calls with on my cell and then went on a rant about how much she hates A.T&T. She doesn't want to leave A.T&T because she's worried that she won't be able to remember a new phone number. She also thinks that no one needs any extra features for their phones, and said that she gets along better without any "frou frou" around her. Love it.

I'm not sure what features she's talking about. She doesn't even have {nor does she know how to work} a VCR, so I cannot imagine she knows much about phone features. She has mastered call waiting. Go Rosie.

She's random
Aunt Rose: Do you have your own silverware? {she asked this out of nowhere}
Me: Yes
Aunt Rose: What is it? Like a set?
Me: Yes.


Are there any other options?


She's wise
It's a big step when you leave your home and you go on your own. That's why you're afraid. But once you get used to it you're not afraid anymore. You're going to have to be completely on your own and whatever you have to do; it's only you that decides it. That's not true. You can always get on the telephone and get advice.


Said in one run on sentence.


She's opinionated
{talking about my sister's prom dress} Is she keeping that green dress? What I was thinking is maybe if she had a different brassiere, maybe it would fit better on top. If you get a good brassiere that fits properly, sometimes it does something to the top that it helps. I was going to speak to your mother about it because it's a nice dress, isn't it?


Then I told her she was funny and she started cracking up and said "I laugh at myself sometimes."

She has lived
I still have my marbles for thinking but I don't have it for remembering. I don't take it to heart anymore. I just accept it.


Oh, how I love her.


She's really funny
This is also funny. When talking to Aunt Rose, I have to refer to my blog design business as "#1" and scrapbook line as "#2". She has NO IDEA what I do, so she'll ask how #1 is going when she wants to know if I am getting orders. So when I referred to my scrapbook kits as #2 she lost it and started laughing hysterically. She finally calmed down and said "you're thinking like me." Then she goes "#2 thing. That's the one with the boy? Your partnership with the fellow?" {referring to the guy I met in Chicago that I am doing WordPress and web design with}.


We decided my work with "the fellow" is now #3. Should make for some interesting conversations.


She tells it like it is
{talking about me & my sisters} Jessica has a mouthpiece and she's not afraid to use it.


So true.

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It was only a matter of time...

I love Kombucha. And last night, I learned a very valuable lesson while putting away groceries. When you drop a bottle of Kombucha on a hard surface, the glass may shatter. Everywhere. And the drink {which smells very strong} may spill. Everywhere. And when this happens with a full bottle of Kombucha, you should probably expect a big sticky mess.

And lots of broken glass. And feet that smell like strawberries and vinegar. Because that's what strawberry Kombucha smells like.

Let's just be glad I was in flip flops and not my new Toms. The destruction of my new Toms would be a tragedy.

So I'm thinking it may be wise to put my Kombucha away one bottle at a time, because I {clearly} cannot handle carrying two at once. Or maybe I can carry it in my trusty monogrammed travel mug from my friend The Monogram Chick. That isn't made out of glass.

I suppose it really was only a matter of time.

PS. I am giving away a monogrammed travel mug from The Monogram Chick on my design blog. Check it out.

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I suppose you've been waiting on that UPDATE

I don't know why publishing this post would be so hard, but I wrote it a while ago, have updated since first writing it, but had yet to hit that little publish post button. Here it goes...

I found an apartment right before I left Chicago {which was on March 10th -- 2 months ago}, and put down a deposit. I cannot believe that I have been back in LA for such a long time. And no, I have not been happy. At. All.

I planned on making the move to Chicago, and even booked a flight for the morning of April 28th. I obviously did not make the move.

It gets better. I promise.

When I got back to LA, I was anxious & unhappy. Things just didn't feel right.

Here's the part where it gets better.

Two weeks ago, I came across a building in an area that I really like. I immediately contacted my realtor/friend who told me she knew I'd love the building. I filled out my application {without a co-signer} and waited to see if I would be accepted.

That day, I got a call. Turns out that I got the apartment. In Chicago. And I move in just a few months {with the pup}, as soon as the pup friendly unit becomes available.

See? I told you it got better.

I also spoke with a friend yesterday, and we are discussing my coming out to stay with her for a visit. One thing that really made me feel like I needed to do this was the amazing support of new friends that I hardly know. I actually just got off the phone with one of them. And I have to take a trip out in the next month or so, because I need to walk around Chicago in a maxi dress and flip flops. I hear the summers in Chi-town are amaaaazing.

Now don't get me wrong. I am still scared, but I met some really great people in a pretty short time span and am confident that I'll meet even more. This is only the beginning. And when I miss my people back in LA, they are just a few hours away by plane. Since I conquered that fear of flying, it shouldn't be an issue. I'll bet I can even lure a few friends out for a visit.

While this is hands down the most difficult thing that I have faced so far, I keep holding on to the fact that that I do not want my story to be "I took this trip to Chicago, loved it, went back for 5 weeks and really loved it, and almost moved there but didn't because I was too afraid". I would spend the rest of my life wondering what would have been. So I am committing to a one year lease. One tiny little year. It has already been over 3 months since I left for Chicago. I mean, we're almost 1/2 way to Christmas. Time flies.

I am so glad that my story will be "I took this trip to Chicago, loved it, went back for 5 weeks and really loved it, so I packed my things and moved there." I can't wait to find out what happens next.

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happy birthday, sissyface

Today, my baby sister turns 24. I will spare you the whole I was just 24 and don't understand how my sister is 24 because that means I am really getting old rant because today is Jessica's special day. Not mine.

So rather than rant on and on, I will share some of my fave things about my sissy {and a few photos, of course}.

Me {left} and Jess {right} embracing the 80s. Thanks, mom.

• Jess sounds exactly like Whitney Port mixed with the girl in these videos. Honestly, half of what she says makes her sounds like an entertainment columnist. And no, I am not exaggerating. A few weeks ago, I was getting ready to go to dinner with some friends. I asked her what she thought of my outfit {because I always ask her what to wear} and she said "Rachel Zoe would approve. So would Kelly Cutrone". And yes, she was dead serious. I wish I could record a convo with her and play it here for all of you.
• We love all the same TV shows, and like to quote & talk about them. She really gets my love of TV. She doesn't watch 9 by Design, but I guess everyone is entitled to a flaw.
• Actually, she has one more flaw. She likes the new 90210 and switched to a Blackberry. Traitor. Fortunately, she is switching back. We are a Mac family. Now if only she could realize that there is only one 90210...

She has lots of Christmas cheer.

• We share a sense of humor. Very few people get it, but we can always make each other laugh. I assume that most people don't find us very funny, but we do. It's a sister thing.
• She considered Perez Hilton to be "the news" but also loves real news. Jess is very cultured.
• Her obsession with pop culture is nice, because I can find out anything I need to whenever I want. All the info I need is just a text message or phone call away. She knows it all. And if she doesn't, she will instantly look it up because she needs to know it all.
  
• She will occasionally find little things and pick them up for me. She is very thoughtful.
  

She loves Disneyland. And she especially loves Disneyland at Christmas time.

• She loves flea markets.
• She loves animals. She is obsessed with my pup and calls him her "best friend." No need to spoil that and remind her that he is in fact my best friend.

She loves me. I know this may come as a huge surprise to most of you, but {brace yourselves} I can {sometimes} be a lot to handle. I know you may not believe that, but it's true. And she is a good sister to me. I love her for that.

• She was born on Cinco de Mayo.
  
• If I bother her over and over and over again about something, I can generally get my way. She is a very good little sister.
• She brushes her hair a lot. Even at Disneyland.

She is very sassy, a little crass, and very funny.

• She has a good heart & is a good friend.
• She gets me. We have 10,000 inside jokes and 98% of the time, we are the only ones that think they're funny.
  

I love my sissy.

If you're on twitter, I'm sure she'd love it if you wished her a happy birthday. And to celebrate her birthday, I am holding a giveaway here.

Happy Birthday/Cinco de Mayo, Jess! I love you!

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Favesies.

If you didn't watch the video in the post below, you really need to. This girl is kind of hilarious. The video in this post is one of my favesies. Love it.


Very Mary-Kate: Back to School from Mary-Kate Olsen on Vimeo.
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I think I really love Toms. I mostly love what they stand for. What do you think? Love them? Hate them? These are my faves. I need to order a pair.

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I have a few giveaways going on my design blog, and tomorrow, a new giveaway will begin. If you have a dog, you will want to stop by.

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Still obsessed with 9 by Design & don't see that obsession changing any time soon. I have $20 credit to Amazon {because Amazon rocks and they offered it to me when my scanner died}. Anyway, I think I need to use the credit to buy Bob and Cortney's book, Downtown Chic. Hoping that my scanner will be fixed tomorrow so I won't need to order a new one.

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I need to get a really really really good printer. I have something I have been working on for quite a while now and it is finally coming together. And yes, this means that I am opening yet another shop. I know, I know. It never ends with me. I hope to have it all up and running in the next month or two. Just need to figure out the printer situation.

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This weekend, iNSD took place! For those of you {like me} that are not digi scrappers, let me explain. iNSD stands for {inter}national scrapbook day. In short, all the scrappers go crazy and all the stores have HUGE sales all week long. All my scrapbook kits are currently 40% off. I have gotten over 40 orders over the past few days. Definitely a record for me!

I designed yet another scrapbook kit and coordinating add on that will come out this week. I would normally just post a sneak peek but I love these so much that I had to share them with you.

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Yesterday, my sis and I took a spontaneous trip to Disneyland. We didn't arrive until 4 or 5, which was really nice. No lines to get in, and the day wasn't too long. We went on a few rides, got to see Captain EO {the Michael Jackson 3D show from the 80s that I hadn't seen since I was 4} and enjoyed the fireworks.

Captain EO was fantastic. So, so, so very 80s. I loved it. And the best surprise? The evil villain turns in to Angelica Huston! Amazing. And the fireworks were magical, as always. Here is a little video that I shot on my iPhone.

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And because I think she's hilarious, here is a video of Chelsea Handler grilling tween icon Justin Bieber. If you have not seen this, you must watch it.

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