Surviving St. Louis

We spent an extra day in St. Louis after my digital publishing class and played tourist on Saturday. We started off the day by heading to the Budweiser brewery and taking a tour of the facility. Everything was amazing, from the over-the-top stable to the massive beechwood beer aging drums to the free drinks at the end of the tour. And then we headed to the Gateway Arch...

After waiting almost two hours for our journey to the top, we finally were on on our way. Have you ever been up there? The so-called tram is really more like a tiny, egg-shaped nightmare for five. I was relieved when we reached the top and could get out. However, it was so crowded in the arch, I may have been OK just staying in the tram. Then we fought our way to a teeny window and snapped a few pictures from the top. The view was amazing, even if there were crazy storm clouds moving our way.

Within minutes we were at the top of the arch in the middle of a hail storm. (We learned later that there was a tornado, too!) The arch was swaying back and forth, so I held on to Jeff to keep my balance. Between him and the 75 strangers packed in like sardines, I probably couldn't have fallen over anyway. The icing on the cake was the poor lady in the corner having a panic attack - tears, screaming, head in hands and all. We caught the next death egg down and were happy to have made it out alive. I'm glad I did it once, but I'll be fine if that's the last time I travel to the top of the arch.

Here are some pictures from the day.

Have a Great Weekend!

Today I'm in St. Louis for a digital publishing with InDesign class. It's a slow-paced, interactive, one-day class that is great for learning tips and tricks. After this class, Staff News at Lake Regional Health System won't know what hit them.

Jeff came to STL with me and is hanging out at the hotel today. Tonight and tomorrow we're going to explore the city -- see the Gateway Arch, take a Budweiser brewery tour, and go wherever else the wind blows us. It'll be a nice mini vacation.

I hope you have a fun weekend planned, too. Here are some posts from around the Web.

A mug that makes me laugh.

Interesting blog post about sunscreen (did you know it can be dangerous?).

Rustic chicken salad.

Cute swimmy suits.

Some songs.

Sweet DIY bride kit.

Lovely lavender.

Crazy bear story.

Modern art wedding shoot.

Image via.

Thirsty Thursday - Lime-A-Rita

I love trying new things, especially when it involves two things I already enjoy: Bud Light Lime and margaritas. Bud Light Lime recently introduced the Lima-A-Rita, a combo of the two.

I saw the little cans in the grocery store and had to buy some. They're a great blend with a nice, sweet-but-not-too-sweet flavor. And, for people like me who like margaritas minus the strong taste of tequila, they're perfect. They'll be a great addition to the cooler this summer.

Read more about Lime-A-Ritas here.

Image via.

Sunnies for Every Face

Finding sunglasses that fit my face is always an issue. Normally I just try on every pair in the store until something works. But now, thanks to Refinery 29's handy face-shape guide, I know which sunglasses will complement my face.

I always knew aviators looked nice on me, but I never thought about why. Turns out the asymmetrical top and bottom create contrast and a sense of upward movement for round faces. Who knew?

Visit Refinery 29 to find your face shape and see which sunglasses style will look best on you.

Images via.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

It's almost the weekend! Tonght we're headed to Illinois to help my sister and brother-in-law move in to their first new home. I'm so excited for them. I hope by Monday afternoon the house will be all ready to go. It's such an exciting time for them. I'm so glad we can be there and be part of it.

I hope you have a great weekend planned. Here are some posts from around the Web.

How to style a top knot.

Decorating a console table.

Fashionista inspired gowns.

Neat neutrals.

Awesome pin tables.

Amazing floor tiles.

Incredible DIY hanging lightbulbs tutorial.

Cool branding.

Affordable "X" benches.

Image via.

Thrifty Thursday - Target Deals

When I was younger, I didn't understand why my mom didn't care for clothes shopping. Now I get it. First, who has time to just shop? Normally, I want in and out of the store. And then, if I actually find something I like, it costs more than I want to spend -- if I find something I like that's reasonable, many times it's cheaply made and will only be good for a few uses. Finding a balance between the two can be hard. That's where my beloved Target comes in.

I've told you before how much I love Target's clearance racks, but here's proof that shopping from them can save you money.

Here are my purchases from a recent trip.

Wedges (I actually bought the same pair last fall for $7(!), but I wear them so much, I'm happy to have a replacement waiting in the closet)

          Original price: $29.99
          Clearance price: $14.99

Camis (You can't have too many black and white tank tops)

          Original price: $8 each
          Clearance price: $4 each

Cardigan (Again, you can't have too many)

          Original price: $24.99
          Clearance price: $12.48

Total original price: $70.89
Total clearance price: $35.47

I'll be over here enjoying the $35.42 I saved.

Tied Up in Knots

Living at the lake, I've always had a love for anchors and knots. Here are some of my favorite knotty things.

DIY knot decoration

Pretty top knot

Sailing bracelet

Oxford in a knot

Knot stacking rings

Sailor knot headband

Book Art

Books aren't just for reading anymore. Take a look at these works of book art.













Neat, huh?

Images 1-3, 4-6 (click to see more!)

April's Birchbox

This month's Birchbox was a well-rounded bundle of treats, including things from a hair mask to laundry detergent. Here's what I thought of the products.

Zoya TRUE Spring Collection nail polish in Lotus was a fun addition to the mix. Overall I like the amethyst color, but I probably could do without the bits of red, gold and pink shimmer. The purple looses it's sophistication, I think. It'll still make for a fun pedicure color.

A sample of Wonderstruck perfume by Taylor Swift also was included. At first sniff, I wasn't crazy over it's fruity, floral scent. And, I'm still not in love with it, but it has grown on me. I'll be honest, my favorite thing about it was its whimsically-printed packaging.

As a sufferer of dry hair, I was excited to try Amika's Obliphica Nourishing Mask. The recipe includes obliphica oils ("obliphica oil is a wonder ingredient rich in natural vitamins and omega acids that sink into each follicle") to help repair split ends and amp up shine. After one use, I can't say I noticed a big difference, but it smelled great, had a nice silky texture, and the promise of it sinking in (which my hair dresser says is a must for a product to actually repair damaged hair), gives me good reason to give it another chance.

Juice Beauty's Oil-Free Moisturizer was a great product. Even though I know I'd benefit from using a moisturizer, normally I don't because it clogs my pores (even when it claims it won't). I gave Juice's formula a try anyway, and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't wake up with a disgustingly greasy face! Actually, it looked fresh and felt soft. The difference in this moisturizer is that it's very lightweight and made with juice and botanicals instead of water, so every drop nourishes your skin.

Dropps Laundry Detergent was an unexpected addition to the box, but I like it! It's super handy because it's packaged in little squares, pre-measured and ready to drop in the washer. Also, it's eco-friendly and safe for all fabrics and colors. As far as performance, I'll try it on Jeff's filthy, concrete-dust-filled works clothes and let you know.

Get your own Birchbox delivered monthly here.

Have a Lovely Weekend!

It's rainy today ,and really, the only place I want to be is curled up on the couch with a hot drink and a good book. I'll have the opportunity this weekend though -- the forecast is rain, rain and more rain. It may make a nice weekend for spring cleaning, too. We'll see.

I hope you have a great weekend! Here are some posts from around the Web.

Funny underwater dogs.

Stuffed pea pods.

Awesome watch.

DIY bleached t-shirt.

Wedding day makeup tips.

Make your own festive flags.

Printed pants trend.

Pretty spring tables.

No-fail methods for hanging wall art.
Book displays.
Image via.

Thrifty Thursday - DIY Neon Toes

Easy peasy, right?

Too hard, you say? Go buy these then.

Image via.

Tim and Ashley's Engagement Session

Last weekend I had the privilege to take engagement photos for my friends Ashley and Tim. It was my first attempt at freelance photography, and I’m happy to report that it went pretty well.

Here are some of my favorites (more after the jump).

Garden Dreaming

Last weekend I planted a few flowers on the dock, now I want to liven up my little patio with some pretty petals. I wish it could look like the photos below. I'd never want to leave.







See more pictures of this rooftop oasis here.

Images via.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Have you ever had a week where you feel like you're behind on everything? I'm having one. I've been super busy at work, busy cleaning the dock and boat (every night this week), and busy watching my house get dirtier and dirtier (it's amazing how that happens when you're hardly home at all). I'm exhausted, and am looking forward to a weekend of catching up. Also, I'm excited to relax and enjoy a delicious Easter dinner on Sunday. There probably will be some reminiscing about the matching Easter dresses my mom had my sister and I wear when we were little. I couldn'd find a picture to share with you -- just imagine it would be something similar to this:



I hope you have a fun Easter weekend. Here are some posts from around the Web.

Fresh ways to wear your oxfords.

Genius uses for old pallets.

How to feel better on a bad day.

Mini bread bowl breakfast.

Re-grow celery!

Long hair.

Fringed lantern tutorial.

Cool resumes.

Make an origami Easter bunny.

Bringing the outside in.

Modern wedding cakes.

MORE modern wedding cakes.

Images: 1, 2

Thrifty Thursday - DIY Art

Someday (whenever Jeff and I can agree on a bedspread), we're planning to give our master bedroom a makeover. Changing the look of a room usually means the addition of complementary wall art ... which can be really expensive, even at Home Goods and sometimes even thrift stores.

I love this idea from Imperfect Homemaking to use one inch thick styrofoam insulation as the base for fabulous DIY art.

She used it two ways:


 1) wrapped in pretty fabric


2) wrapped in canvas and painted

It looks so simple, and there are so many possibilites! If we ever agree on a bedspread, I'll be ready and waiting to create my own styrofoam art to go with it.

See the full tutorial here.

Images via.