Boldly go

Feeling 33

I loooooove hanging things on our walls. It's one of the greatest perks of being in our own apartment (and not sharing it with anyone). I've always liked to have pictures of loved ones, favorite things, favorite quotes around my place to remind me of the good things in life. My hubby has been the biggest supporter of this obsession - er, preference, using our stud finder, drill and leveler like a pro to hang massive antique-looking mirrors, wedding portraits, and shadowboxes. (Is there anything this guy can't do??)
Wall decor is one of the best things to make our place feel like HOME, and since we have so much wall space, and thanks to Pinterest, I'm always looking at things to add.

I found a small chalkboard in a vintage-looking frame at Target (yay, Dollar Spot! Another obsession...). I love how chalkboards seem to have made such a comeback in the design trend. We used one in our engagement session as a prop with our wedding date on it, which was the first time I'd ever used chalk markers. It turned out so cute, but the markers don't work on porous surfaces (which lots of chalkboards that I've found are). So, we still have the chalkboard with our wedding date on it, since it won't wipe off completely. Not wanting the same thing to happen to this frame, I picked up a small box of Crayola sidewalk chalk. Oh, man has chalk changed since I was a kid! The variety of colors is amazing, and the colors are gorgeous - and there's something SO FUN about drawing with chalk. It brought me back to being five-years-old and drawing on my art easel in our art studio. The final image isn't as clear / sharp as with chalk markers, but at least it's not permanent.

I was trying to think of an uplifting, quirky quote to put in the frame, and since my hubby's affection for Star Trek has rubbed off on me, I thought the juxtaposition of the old-fashioned frame with this "futuristic" quote was cute.

Now I need to find another project with which to use my chalk! Or I guess I could just go draw in our parking lot...

The Dress Post

On a recent day off, I wasted spent the day watching the first season of "Downton Abbey."  It was a very enjoyable way to spend the day.  Call me a nerd, but one of the things I loved most about it was the costumes - especially the women's dresses.

Seriously, how can you not love these??

I've always LOVED period dresses.  I think if I had ball gowns to wear when I was little, I would've worn them every day - instead I had to settle for a Rainbow Brite skirt and a Dottie Dog skirt / sweatshirt combo.  My mom always brings up how she couldn't get me to wear a pair of pants when I was little - it was skirts and dresses all the time.  I guess that's why my ADOS ("Attention Deficit Oooh Shiny") kicks into high gear whenever I watch something with beautiful costumes.

Love this.

While watching "D.A." I couldn't help but be reminded of "Titanic" - shocker, I know, as they're from the same period.  I love the style of this era.  In fact, I loved it so much, I based my junior prom dress on Rose's dress from the scene in "Titanic" when she's hanging off the back of the ship.  Not to sound conceited, but my dress was the best one there.  (And in the words of Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, I'm not being conceited, I'm just being honest. ;))

This was the pattern my mom and I used for my prom dress.

I think if I had to do it again, I'd have this dress for my prom. 

 I know that the clothing from periods past had their down sides, but part of me would love to wear them rather than the 80s and 70s inspired crud that keeps popping up.  I'd definitely feel more like a lady wearing something like this:

"Pride & Prejudice" (A&E version)

Or this:

"The Young Victoria"

Oh, well.  Who knows?  Maybe gorgeous dresses will make their way back into popularity someday.  I don't mind waiting.