Thrift store score!

I'm not sure if today's lunch break score is one of those things that's so ugly, it's cute. It's a very retro ottoman/footstool in great condition. It's about two feet wide, and I've put it at the bottom of my stairs for now:
I think it might end up being a cat bed.

Either that or I will decide it's ugly and I'll get rid of it. At $10.00, I'm fine either way!

Happy Friday, everyone!

**Update..
Yep, they already love it!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

I cannot tell you how much I want this couch from Urban Outfitters. The back even folds down, so it's a sleeper sofa. I would feel weird about buying a couch online without sitting on it first, though. This would looks so perfect with some vintage pillows. Ugh, I WANT it!

Old school.

I stayed up late last night making a 'remember how much I loved these when I was a kid' chevron friendship bracelet. How's that for a crazy Saturday night?!

Let me just say, this thing took forever. I love it, though! The colors are so pretty together in person. I used four colors: pale aqua, a darker aqua, olive green and a greenish light brown. I'm tempted to make another in mustard and gray...

Someone is really happy it's Friday.

P.S. It's me.

Have a great weekend!

Want to see something cool?!

Find a copy of the most current (September) issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Flip to the back page. You'll see the talented and super sweet Liz of cozyblue featured there.

And if you look a little closer, you'll see she is wearing one of my cuffs!

How cool is that?! To even see one of my cuffs in print like that is AMAZING! I'm so happy she chose to wear hers that day, lol. Congratulations, Liz!

Am I the last person to find out about Blue Q?

I feel like I'm always behind the times, so I bet most of you already know about Blue Q. It's such an adorable shopping site, with fun and quirky items at great prices. I just placed and received my first order (and it came so fast!).

Even the box brought a smile to my face:

What did I buy? Well, I've always been a HUGE fan of inaluxe, so when I saw that Blue Q was offering a variety of bags and pouches featuring inaluxe's artwork, I couldn't resist! This little coin pouch was only $3.99 and the pencil case was $4.99!:

This shoulder tote was $14.99 (it's actually backwards here- there's a pocket in the front!):

What's so great is that these bags were all made with 95% post consumer recycled material. Plus, 1% of the sale of each bag goes toward the conservation work of The Nature Conservancy. How cool is that? I'm sure I'll be back for more very soon. :)

Love this! Moss graffiti.

From here:

Unlike spray paint, moss graffiti is all natural and healthy to work with. You can paint words or images, and the moss fills in like magic! It’s easy as pie to whip up a batch of moss paint. Here’s how:

In your blender, combine:

* One can of cheap beer or 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
* A few handfuls of moss
* One teaspoon of sugar.

Blend until the mixture is smooth, and you’re ready to get painting!

You can use a brush to paint your moss onto concrete walls, rocks, or brick. Mist the moss once a day to help it thrive, and soon your green graffiti will take hold! If you’re looking to take this project to the streets, use caution- we don’t want to be responsible for any vandalism charges!

Stuff I brought home with me!

There's no doubt about it. I spent the most (and way too much) money at the Beatles store at The Mirage before we saw the Cirque du Soleil show. I did get one thing I didn't buy myself, though. My boyfriend's mom bought me the coolest wallet ever!! Front:

Back:

Inside:

I love it so much! Then I got this patch for my messenger bag:

I also got some posters and magnets which I haven't photographed. My favorite thing was probably this shirt:

It is soooo comfy, just like wearing pjs!

I knew that something I really wanted to get while in AZ was a turquoise ring, a dainty one that would always remind me of my trip. I ended up getting this one at a little shop at the Grand Canyon:

It's really tiny in person and I love it! By the way, I love the shape so much that if any jewelry makers out there are reading this and think they could make a similar one with different stones, I'm all ears!

Ok, you all know I love and collect rocks. I couldn't resist getting this big chunk of green calcite. It reminded me of a glacier or an iceberg. I just love it!

Oh, and I got this amazing tea from the Grand Canyon shop:

I knew I needed a nice vintage mug from far away for the tea, so I got this one at a little resale shop in Jerome, AZ, which is the coolest little artist town:

See the rocks behind the mug? I snagged these from a bunch of different places and they are all special to me! The stack of stones in the very back was actually from my boyfriend. It's a little Sedona keepsake I'll always love!

P.S. Did you know the McDonalds restaurants in Sedona do NOT have golden arches?! They're turquoise!!! I have never seen such a thing in my life!

Have a great night, everyone. :)

Where to begin? Lots of photos!

Ok, I'm going to try my best not to bore you guys! I have picked a handful out of over 400 photos of my trip. I had the best time! It is amazingly beautiful out west. I mean, doesn't this look fake?!:
Don't forget to click photos for a better look! First up... Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. It had the most amazing and gigantic rock formations. These photos don't do them any kind of justice.

You can see people in this one, which will give you an idea of size:

This was a huge balanced rock. Again, see the people for size reference:

This is the same balanced rock from far away, lol:

After Utah, we drove to Arizona. It was SO awesome to be driving and seeing views like this:

I mean, the only thing to see in Illinois is cornfields! Ok, Grand Canyon time:

The Grand Canyon is sooo wonderful. It was overcast when we went, so I can't wait to get back there one day and stay for the sunset.




I found this rock while we were there...how PERFECT is it? I think you're not supposed to take rocks, so let's just say I put it down right where I found it. Ok?:

I could show you photos of the Grand Canyon all day long and it wouldn't even begin to show how amazing it is. We also went to Sedona, which is gorgeous! I'll have to show those photos in another post. So, on to Las Vegas. Las Vegas was just not my cup of tea. Just too...*much*. And that's all I'm going to say about that! I guess I'm too old fashioned. BUT, Las Vegas was also where I experienced the very best part of the whole entire trip:

Seeing the Cirque du Soleil Beatles LOVE show at The Mirage was beyond incredible!!


If you are a huge Beatles fan like me, this show will absolutely bring you to tears. I have NEVER seen anything cooler!!!

SO, the saving grace of Las Vegas was the Beatles show. And maybe him:

But mostly him:
Here's a photo I snapped from the car as we were driving back to Colorado to catch the train:

It's not great because it was taken through a window. It was much prettier in person...I just love when the sun beams through the clouds like that.

Tomorrow I'll show you some of the things I brought home with me!

Home sweet home!

I've missed you guys! It's Saturday after midnight and I've just returned from an amazing western adventure. :) I need a good night's sleep and then I'll be back to show you some photos! It feels so weird to be back home. I have tons to show!

I hope I haven't missed anything. :)