Paris in Springtime? Don't Mind if I Do!

Full disclosure: the closest I've come to Paris is a layover at Charles de Gaulle airport with my brother when I was 13.

But I *feeeeeel* like I've been there, or even like I am there, whenever I look at Nichole Robertson's photographs and her Paris Color Project (check it all out here).

I have been borderline obsessed with these photos for quite some time, and I'm not even sure I could recall how I found my way to them if you paid me with a trip to Paris, but I.Just.Love.Them. They even inspired my own very pathetic-by-comparison attempt at photographing our neighborhood by color (blerg).

I've hesitated to purchase anything, though, only because I haven't actually been to Paris myself, even if these photos evoke in me some sort of nostalgia for a trip long-forgotten. BUT. A clearance sale? I can't pass up a clearance sale! Get yourself over to TheParisPrintShop on Etsy and check out all of the beautiful photographs, including an insane clearance section thanks to prints already available on paper they've discontinued using. I mean, $8 8x10 prints?

I am just going to let these photos sweep me away to beautiful Paris this spring, in my mind at least. (There are a few images already in my Etsy cart!)

(Note: I did not receive anything - art- or compensation-wise - for this post. I just love these photos, so I thought I'd share the art/deal.)

Admission

First, I want to say that this is NOT a baby blog, and I have no intention of posting regularly about my baby, or my mommy life, though I love blogs geared that way. This is still an outlet for me outside of that part of myself. BUT, occasionally it all overlaps, so this is a deviation from my normal posting path. Stay with me (please!).

I have an admission. I don't work out as much as I a) would like to, b) sometimes say that I do, and c) should. I am active, for sure. And I lift and approximately 20 lb. weight almost everywhere I go at home, all day long, but I don't *actually* work out enough most weeks. And by "enough" I mean "enough for my own satisfaction."

I recently realized that I could make this admission to others, but more importantly to myself, and have made a personal commitment to address this issue within the reality of my life as it currently is. This means adjusting to weird schedules, and needy little hands reaching for me, and full-time work + full-time momma, and still carving out dedicated (and reasonable) time for health and fitness.

So I've decided to cancel my gym membership temporarily and build in fitness in a way that makes more sense for me and doesn't stress me out. The reality is I just can't get to the gym in any sort of regular enough manner to make it beneficial. Some weeks I can get there 3-4 times. Other weeks it's a big fat 0. Consistency matters in fitness, so this isn't working for now. And I can put that money toward something else until regular gym visits make sense again.

To counter the lack of gym means I have to get creative and motivated at home and on the move. So I've been looking for, pinning, and doing lots of fun at-home workouts. I have light dumbells (5 lbs... I should probably buy 8 and/or 10 lb. weights, too) and a TV and a computer, so I can work out! And you can, too.

Here are my go-to workouts lately (disclaimer: I don't know and am not sponsored at all by anyone whose workouts I use. They're just good ones I've found so I'm happy to share them, but I'm not getting anything for putting these out there.):

ARMS:

(via)

This workout is great. You don't need heavy weights to feel it. You could probably use soup cans if you don't have dumbbells at home. I go through it once, wait 30 seconds to a minute, repeat, and if I'm feeling particularly motivated, do that a third time. My arms are a bit shaky by the end. And there's nothing complicated here - all easy moves that anyone can do. BTW, this workout (and many others on my Fit n Healthy Pinterest board) is from the blog Fit Fab Cities. I don't know how I found my way to this blog, but it's fantastic. Among other things she posts, my favorites are her printable workouts and her weekend challenges. They're creative routines that are manageable and have great impact. I have done at least a million of them (okay, maybe not, but a lot) and they're all solid and effective. They make it easy to change things up and still have a great overall workout and not get fitness-bored. Again, no sponsorship, just personal endorsement based on my own experience.

LEGS/BOOTY:

(via)

I'm pretty sure you want a Brazilian butt. I would LOVE  Brazilian butt. I don't know if I'll get one from doing this workout, but I do know that I'm panting by the end of it, and that my lower half is sore for 2-3 days after. I couldn't find the original post on the Tumblr this is from, but this is all you need. It's intense and twice is enough!

ABS:

(via)

This isn't exactly what I've been doing, but it's nearly identical, and it's great. This is also from Fit Fab Cities - another printable workout that you can stick in your pocket and do anywhere.

CARDIO:

Walk walk walk. Walk everywhere walk. I walk every single day and make sure I'm not just ambling, but walking hard with purpose, even with a stroller. I haven't been as motivated to run lately, but I do make sure I'm moving every single day, and I think that's good for now.

Now that I've publicly admitted my fitness lull, I feel a bit more accountable to addressing it. Do you do any easy-to-manage at-home routines? Link me!

I, too, would like to thank Chad Lowe

I hope you got my Girls/Golden Globes reference there. My husband and I just watched the entire first season of Girls in the last week, and I LOVED both of Lena Dunham's Thank You speeches last night. I found them very humble, gracious, honest, self depricating, smart, and sharply witty - the qualities of her writing that I think explain my quick addiction to that show. I giggled pretty hard when she said she'd long ago promised herself that were she ever to give an acceptance speech, she'd have to thank Chad Lowe. So while my teenage self would probably have promised herself to thank Mark Wahlberg, I just had to tip my hat to Lena Dunham on that one.

But more importantly, thank you to Amy for the virtual high-five and boost of confidence she gave me this morning by nominating me for a Liebster Award!

So here I go... first, the details: A Liebster award is given to blogs with less than 300 followers as a way of making them more well-known. The rules for the acceptance are:

1) Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you
2) Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back
3) Answer the 10 questions posed by the blogger who nominated you
4) Select 3-5 bloggers for the award
5) Pose 10 new questions to the new nominees
6) Post the award on your blog

Here are Amy's questions with my responses:
1) Why did you start blogging? 
I started blogging with our home renovation blog, Home Sweet Schwab, to document our first home ownership/renovation adventure, and to include our far-away friends and family in the process, but also to give myself a creative outlet and stretch my writing muscles a bit.

2) What are your blogging goals?
My immediate blogging goals are to start blogging with regularity again. A combination of some family health issues and the arrival of our first baby in the last year stunted my posting, and I need to get back on track.

3) What is your favorite article of clothing?
Oh, this one hits a bit of a nerve right now, as I'm feeling very tired of my wardrobe lately! Still, there's always a favorite (or two), right? My "old" favorite is this great boat neck black-and-white striped shirt that I can dress down or up and I've probably worn for too long, but with which I refuse to part. My "new" favorite is this great pair of magenta jeans I got recently, one of a very small number of items I've bought for myn the last six months since Baby Girl took over my shopping agenda!

4) What is your favorite blog that you read?
Hard to choose. I love reading blogs. It's probably my best distraction lately. Do I have to pick one? Who am I kidding? There are no real rules here, this is MY blog! Okay... favorite blogS: Suri's Burn Book, Go Fug Yourself, Kendi Everyday, Obvious State (formerly Little Brown Pen)... and many more. I wouldn't read them if I didn't love them, and my Reader is STACKED.

5) Facebook or Twitter?
Good one, A! I definitely texted Amy during the Globes last night to say that Twitter was quickly overtaking Facebook for me. I shamefully admit that I basically just boarded the Twitter train recently (I won't say how recently), but I've been tiring of Facebook for a loooooong time, and Twitter does a lot of what I used to like about Facebook without all of the stuff I don't like about it now... especially in terms of allowing me viewing control for my content. So I say Twitter!

6) What is something that currently challenges you?
Time. There just is not enough of it. Simple as that.





7) Paper calendar or electronic?
This will be my second year in the electronic calendar world, and I have to say, I'm officially converted.

8) What is your favorite cosmetic?
Tinted lip gloss.


9) As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer.


10) What is one of your goals for 2013?
My main goal for 2013 is to truly make time for myself in some capacity every week. And more than just an hour to neaten up the house - something for ME.

Here are my nominations:
1) Living the Dream - N redefines honesty with this blog that evolves as she does. She is truly inspirational in how open and real she is in her writing... and I'm not just saying that.
2) Eating With Sporks - This is the blog of a long-lost friend from college... and it's awesome. One of my most-pinned-to boards on Pinterest is my food board, and I've pinned MANY a recipe from this creative, healthy, beautifully-photographed blog.
3) Home Harvests - Like me, she hasn't posted in a little while, BUT, this is a great blog. My girl knows her stuff, and shares her efforts towards a holistic, self-sufficient (as much is possible when you don't live on a farm or ranch!), green, clean, purposeful life. She shares her successes and her missteps, takes incredible photos of her beautiful garden and its bounty, offers recipes, and opens up her heart and her mind as she continues to channel her best self.

And here are my 10 questions:

1) Why blog?
2) Where do you live?
3) What's your guilty pleasure?
4) What's the best book you've read in the last year?
5) What is your blogging goal for the next year?
6) What is one of your non-blogging goals for the next year?
7) Google or Bing?
8) What's your favorite blog?
9) What's your "real" job?
10) Are you happy?

Reorganizing (for lack of a better word)

I'm trying to reorganize a bit. It has been FAR too long since I've posted here, and even longer since I was in a good posting rhythm, as opposed to just a post here, a post there. And I want to get back to some sort of blogging routine. It has certainly been a challenge to rediscover balance since our incredible little girl arrived at the end of June. Throw in working full-time, and juggling family health issues, and a few things have just fallen behind. That's just the reality of it. And if I'm being *really* honest, nearly everything I've let fall behind has been about me. And I'd like to try to claim a bit of myself back if I can. So, inspired by the boost of confidence Amy gave me this morning, I commit to posting with vague regularity again. I want to reorganize things enough to allow me the simple pleasure and creative outlet this blog has provided to me in the past.

To that end... I have a few things lined up this week. I'm not sure I'll be back on the every day posting regimen right away, but that will be my longer-term goal. For now, I'll aim for 3 posts/week. This one doesn't count. I'll have a *real* post after this one today, and then Amy and I are bringing back an abbreviated version of our post-awards fashion blitz for the 2013 Golden Globes with two posts this week.

Look at me go! Thanks for keeping with me... in spite of my amazing disappearing act.

What I'm Reading Now - May 4, 2012

Finally have another book to read (I was on a quest to find my latest book club pick all week, and ultimately, had enough trouble getting a copy that I changed it to July's book (it comes out in paperback in June), and picked a new title for May so I could start reading again!). Now I'm reading this:

Finny by Justin Kramon. I added it to my to-read list two years ago, and I remember being really excited about it, and then I just never got around to reading it. I snagged a copy on paperbackswap last year, and still never got around to reading it! So, the perfect opportunity has presented itself, and I'm very curious and eager to find out what was so compelling to me about this one, since it's been so long and I don't quite remember! Have you read it? It's Kramon's debut novel, and it has, generally, really strong reviews on Goodreads, among others. Want to read it with me and my online book club? Join us. (you can also just e-mail me: hellerms [at] gmail.)

In other basically unrelated news, four days of commuting without a book to read this week... I ended up mostly quietly listening to music on Pandora... I highly recommend you follow suit and create your own really good Van Morrison station and Fugees station. They will make your mornings/days.

What I'm Reading Now: April 9, 2012

Ignore the shadowy shot and the chipped nail polish (for shame!)... Excited to read this book (Swamplandia! by Karen Russell) for my online book club, Reading Without Borders. Care to join us? Do!!! Email me (hellerms [at] gmail)!

Love

Just popping in for a quick visit because I hate being so MIA over here. Things are still very topsy turvy in our world, but I think a little distraction de blog couldn't hurt a bit. Anyway... in light of this and other happenings, I've been thinking a lot about love lately. And with Valentine's Day approaching, it's hard not to think about it as it's everywhere commercially.

I've never been a celebrator of Valentine's Day in my romantic world. When Dave and I first started dating we were very poor grad students, and agreed then that we'd never buy into it, especially since we love each other every day, and tell each other multiple times a day. But with friends, I've always really liked the little love notes that St. Valentine inspires. My grandma and I used to always send each other cards on February 14. And I loved writing Valentines for my classmates, and decorating shoe boxes to collect Valentines on my desk in grade school.

Here are some simple and pretty little love tokens to share with friend loves (or romantic loves, if you do that!) in my style - I like to keep it to cards and homemades, myself...

(for just $4, this lovely postcard print from one of my favorites, Little Brown Pen, would make a sweet Valentine's card, or you could frame it and give it as a gift. There's also a beautiful 16X20 print of this graffiti art for purchase!)

(made on recycled paper and with veggie-based inks, cards like this one, by Sweet William on Etsy, are pretty special)

(I've shown love for Sparrow's Nest Script before, and my love of cards and stationery is no secret, but how sweet is this number?! Emily of SNS has some other purty Valentine's Day cards over in her Etsy shop.)

(friendship bracelets came back in this last year... they're fun and easy to make, and sweet and nostalgic to boot! what about a Valentine's Day-color-themed bracelet? nothing says love quite like homemade...)

(or another bracelet idea, the knot bracelet *symbolizing everlasting unity*, with instructions courtesy of the oh-so-crafty-and-creative Martha Stewart)

 (doodle/paint/draw your own card or image, and, as seen here-courtesy of the blog decor8-and use it as a card or ornamentation for wrapping a meaningful book or print you've found for your friend/love. )

(you might remember this photo from this post last summer... it's totally in the spirit of this post, too. plus, I love the idea of using a photo of you and a friend (or lover) as your Valentine... write an inscription on the back, or print with a border so you can etch something below or around the image, and mail it as a card, or pop it in a frame to say I love you in art.)

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Do you go traditional gifts, or get crafty and creative with your Love Day tributes? What's your best Valentine's Day gift - given or received?

Thanks for the love...

Northampton

Northampton, Massachusetts, the little "city-lette" next door to Amherst, the town where I grew up and where my parents live, is highlighted today in Design*Sponge's City Guide feature. Yay for the adorable, lovely, quaint, and picturesque Pioneer Valley of Western Mass! Western Mass is a really wonderful part of the country. It was a great place to grow up, and it's a great place to visit. If you've never been, there's TONS to do and see - and every time of year is fantastic in its own special way. There's nature, there's shopping, there's great food, there's a beautiful bike trail, and more and more and more. And all wrapped up in a perfect little old New England package. Can't be beat. It would make a great getaway weekend destination... I'm just throwing that out there, in case you're looking for one! Anyway, you should just go ahead and check it out!

(images via Google image search)

New Year Shout-Outs

Happy New Year! Is it just me, or did 2011 really zip by?! I feel like I blinked and it was the holidays again. And now here we are in 2012! Holy moly!

2011 was filled with lots of good things and bright moments. Lots of friends, lots of laughter, lots of family, lots of fulfilling and active choices. And there is only more good to come in this next year. I'm going to try to write more meaningful posts, though there will inevitably also be some good ol' fluff, because, well, who am I kidding. First up - the Golden Globes are around the corner, so get ready for A's and my second round of Award Show Fashion Recaps! Whee!

But before we go there, I want to start the year off with a little shout-out to some of my friends who have some noteworthy things going on in their worlds, electronic or real. In no particular order...


* A's new(ish) blog, Anthologie, is great. Just all around great. She themes each day, and therefore has some really good fodder for consistent, content-rich posts. There are good updates for those who know her and her family, but there's also regular good stuff on crafts, food, beauty products, fashion, and lots of great ideas. If you're on Pinterest (and if you're not, get on Pinterest), you'll want to pin a million little tidbits from her posts.

* Another friend A made a hugely bold move and quit her (amazing) full-time job at a major magazine in NY to pursue a freelance career and move back to Chicago (yay for us in Chicago!). First and foremost - I am incredibly impressed by A's bravery, and also by her tenacity. She's been writing away, taking this freelance life by the horns and killing it. You can check her out in this month's Whole Living, where her article on being healthier in the work place made the cover - WOOT! Go A!

* My friend EA is also taking on new challenges in 2012... And she faced her trepidation and is doing it in the blogosphere! The 52 Project will have E and anyone who chooses to join her doing something different each week for the year, with the over-arching goal of simply living a healthier, more balanced, more meaningful and inspired every day. How wonderful is that?! I'm going to join her wherever I feel inspired, and you should, too! It's a fantastic idea, and an inspiring way to approach the new year. I hope she doesn't kill me for posting this on Owlet............

* My former (and maybe soon will be again) trainer and now great friend C is going to kick 2012 in the pants. She's opening her first studio (yoga, fitness, personal training) in Chicago in the coming weeks! It's in Lincoln Park, and as soon as I'm given the green light to release more details I will, but you can feel free to email me if you're local and interested! She's so talented and so strong and she really connects with each of her clients - a gift that makes anyone lucky enough to work with her get more out of their fitness/yoga/training experience then they likely ever had before. This new facility is going to be beautiful and incredible. I will be there regularly. Come with! AND... her previously self-produced annual detoxification guide (earlier versions were printed and sold low-budget to clients only) has been given a total overhaul for the 2012 edition, and it will be sold on Amazon (and at the facility) starting this month! Oh, did I mention I'm the editor?! (a little self-promotion - forgive me)

Good things for good friends to start the year off right. Here's to a wonderful year to come...

paula greif ceramics

First thing's first: Happy Birthday to the most wonderful Tia in the world.

I stumbled upon this tumblr (or tumbl'd upon it, perhaps?) thanks to simple things, another lovely little blog. I was immediately drawn to Paula Greif's beautiful ceramic works, and just wish there were a "shop" or "buy" button right on there for those of us not in NY. Here's hoping...

William Edmonds' Eskimo Kiss

I have been extraordinarily absent here, I know, and I apologize. I keep trying to encourage some creativity in myself each day/week lately, and am finding myself coming up short. It'll come back, I know, it's just... missing right now. That said, I saw this image today and fell in love with it for a whole bunch of reasons and had to share. I want a print of this. Maybe the mere act of re-posting will inspire some ideas of my own...

via Miss Moss:

(William Edmonds on Flickr)

Chain Linked

So, I pinned this image from the BaubleBar blog about five weeks ago. I love the piled-up, chunky, chain-ey bracelets. It's been repinned nearly 40 times. I think other people like the piled-up, chunky, chain-ey bracelets, too.

This chain-link trend is taking off left and right. It's popping up in all forms of accessories, from bracelets to necklaces, from pricey to DIY. I love it. What about you? Do you like this look, or hate it? And if you like it, would you splurge on the goods, find a good knock-off version, or attempt to make your own?

Here are a few other linkey-like items along this trend line that I've pinned or pined over recently (and check out my Accessorizing board on Pinterest for other finds):

(via this blog)

(Via Nordstrom.com)

(via Piperlime)

(BaubleBar: 1, 2, 3 (and even more chain link love over at BB))

(Some Forever21 options: 1, 2, 3)

And how about some DIY tutorials:

(Necklace tutorial via Everybody, Everywear)

(Nut bracelet tutorial via Honestly... WTF)

Making Things

I know my posts have been a bit scattered lately, and inconsistent. My apologies. Feeling a bit all over the place and just trying to get my feet back to firmly set on the ground. To that end, I am committing to some creative productivity. I need to indulge my creative side, as well as my need to grasp onto some semblance of control and accomplishment. So, in addition to a chandelier makeover I've been imagining in my home, I'm also going to take on two small, and easily completable DIY creative jobs.

1. Mason Jar Soap Dispenser
I saw this on Pinterest recently and totally loved it, and therefore pinned it onto my "Do This" board. There's a great little shop of vintage homey goods and random salvaged bits nearby where we live. It's called Roost. One of their big ever-growing collections is original blue-glass Ball jars, so I decided I had to give this a try. I went over a couple weekends ago and scoured the collection for a good one with a top in good shape. If I succeed, it'll go in our second/guest/public bathroom and I'll go back and get another one and make one for the kitchen. Tutorial from Blissfully Content:

2. Earring-to-Necklace
Don't you hate when you lose one earring without realizing it? Just out and about during your day? Or one breaks and then who knows what to do with the other? This has happened to me too many times to count, and sadly, it's almost always a pair that carries some meaning that gets separated. Last week I was running out to grab a bite at lunch and saw this guy on the ground. I picked it up and tucked it away and I am thinking of getting a cool chain and making a necklace out of i. The front is interesting - not stunning at all, but interesting:

I actually like the back-side better, though:

So I'm thinking about doing something over the "front" to make it white all over, and then featuring the current "back" as the charm in my make-over piece. Hopefully whoever has this guy's partner isn't too sad over her missing bauble... I'll put it to good use, or at least try to.

Any creative projects on your agenda?

Christian Jackson

My nerdiness and love of art have collided in these incredibly creative and clever children's story posters by Chicago artist Christian Jackson. They are just brilliant! I love each one and can't choose any favorites among them. Here are a few I guess I'd say are least obvious and most clever (though they are all beyond fantastic):

Aren't they just so fabulous - in every way?!

I found my way to Jackson's work via this blog. Then I contacted him directly (via his site/blog) to find out whether he had prints for sale. He does. You can find these and the rest of his beautiful and creative prints for purchase here.

Which is your favorite?

Bauble Yum

Have you heard of BaubleBar? I hadn't until I read this post, but what a discovery. I'm also jealous, because I totally should have thought of this. I'm an accessory fiend, as I've mentioned before.

So, here's the back story: co-founders Amy Jain and Daniella Yacobovsky were fast friends and co-shoppers when they discovered/agreed they needed to amp up their jewelry closets. However, they also agreed that while boutiques had too narrow a selection, department stores had too much, making the shopping experience more overwhelming than exciting and fun. They tried but couldn't find a reliable and consistent place to get higher quality pieces without the high price tag. They also did the research and discovered that many retailers were marking up pieces as high as 20 times above cost! And so they took matters into their own hands and started BaubleBar, where they work hand-in-hand with leading designers, and put together a collection of pieces across styles for any and every jewelry consumer. Their site and tools are fun, fresh, on-trend, and classic. Their prices span the budget, so there's really (really) something for most price-points. They also have a great blog with tips and promotions, such as the Friday one, Buried Bauble. Every Friday they "hide" a piece on the site which they will offer for a limited time (until they run out) at a discounted price of $10! They give you two clues and you can scour the site to find the gem. If you find it and like it, you can buy it for that price with the logo code offered. Fun, right?

I recently found the buried bauble and liked it so much I got this bangle in both offered colors:

(Marble Enamel Bangle)

I was excited to get my treasure in the mail, and when it arrived (just days later), I was even more enamored with this fabulous site. Here's the packaging:

(cute box...)

and here's what was inside (forgive my grainy iPhone photos):

(I know this is a bit dark, but my bangles came carefully wrapped and packaged, stored in simple and pretty protective velvet snap-pouches)

(PLUS! a hand-written note!)

A hand-written note, in my humble opinion, will get you everything in life. I honestly was so impressed that they take the few extra minutes while packaging their sales to make their customers feel like friends, like they value them personally, like they *want them to come back again*! This made a HUGE impact on me as a consumer, if you couldn't tell, but I think it really says a lot about the company, and the people who work there. I'm a BIG fan!

Cake With Giants

I discovered Cake With Giants quite a while ago via blog via blog via blog. Amy Borrell is an illustrator and designer based in Australia, and her illustrations are so sweet and magical. I previously purchased this print (not currently available) for a pregnant friend, and I just love it so:

Here are a few of my current favorites in her shop, where Amy's currently offering 20% off all prints for the rest of the month with code 20SEPTEMBER (she also has a blog that I heart):