Miami U in the Movies.

So when George Clooney and Ryan Gosling walked onto the Miami University campus last semester to start filming scenes of their new movie Ides of March, I thought it was a dream. It seemed a little too good to be true. But now there is a movie trailer out {ohh and a movie poster... see above} that came out yesterday! Now I can finally celebrate the fact that Miami’s gorgeous campus, landmarks, and STUDENTS are going to be on the big screen in a few months. I cannot wait to see this movie – It seems way more intense than I thought it would be.

Check it out!

Following the poster release on Wednesday, the first trailer for "The Ides of March," the political thriller co-written, directed by and starring George Clooney, has hit the web, and it promises an intense tale of interpersonal drama against a backdrop of the national stage.

Clooney stars as an idealist governor running for president, and Gosling as his whiz kid media strategist. They're a perfect team -- until Paul Giamatti gets in the way. Co-starring Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the film will premiere at the end of August at the Venice Film Fest, and should get plenty of buzz when Oscar season comes round.

Revamp and Revive.

Even though I work about 55 hours a week at an aerospace engineering firm, somehow I get myself into projects that keep me even busier. Honestly, I don’t know where I find the energy or time to get them done but so far, I have been kickin’ butt on my DIY to do list. My sister bought a desk at the beginning of the summer that was in rough shape but had huge potential. I told her I would work on it little by little to make sure it’s done by the time she moves into her apartment for the fall semester at Northern Michigan University. So I took a hand sander to it and made sure to smooth the desk out… Here’s a picture of it once sanded. I wish I would have took a picture of it at the very beginning but I jumped into project without thinking.

Then once I applied the stain and polyurethane, she {yes the desk is a girl} looks like a million bucks. I still need to pick up some hardware for it… The pulls were extremely old and very ornate… But now that it’s been revamped, I am thinking about picking up modern pulls. What do you think?

Staining the mirror frame which needs to be reattached to the desk.

So be expecting a picture of the final-final project! Just wanted to show the progress, maybe as a way to motivate me to get it done!

While the stain was drying, I decided to start a different project. We designed a half bath for our back porch awhile back and it has been left unfinished. So I spackled the wall to fill in holes and uneven areas of the walls then sanded it smooth. It made quite the mess and was exhausting. So the last thing I did was wipe down the walls so they are clean and free of dust and ready to be primed. Yeah the lime green paint color needs to go.

Instead, the room is receiving a light tan paint color with white trim. The sink still needs to be put in as well as new flooring. Ahh so exciting! But honestly, thank goodness for this blog because I think it will help bring focus and motivation to my busy life… Can’t keep my followers in the dark about how the projects turn out! Haha. Right? So bare with me on these works in progress.

Anyone else revamping places or things in their life?

What I'm Loving Wednesdays! {2}

I am linking up to littledaisymay.blogspot.com today to tell my wonderful 62 followers about what I am lovin' this Wednesday! I can't believe I have that many followers. I started this blog because my best friend Emily peer-pressured me into it and now I don't know what I would do to relax at the end of the day without blogging and reading other's posts. So I am definitely loving this blog. It's my journal and inspiration. So thank you for reading!

1. The fact that it’s Wednesday {making it Thursday in my workweek} since I am taking Friday off. Sounds confusing but makes total sense to me. {See next item}

2. Friday is Petoskey’s Sidewalk Sales! It means I get to wake up at the time I would be starting my workday to go downtown and shop in the streets. The stores give amazing discounts and sales, not to mention lunch and drinks outside since all the bars/restaurants put their tables in the street. It’s seriously my favorite part of summer! Pretty soon these streets will be CROWDED with clothes and people.

3. Also, Friday night is Harbor Spring’s Regatta. This translates into walking the docks to look at all the beautiful sailboats before they set sail on Lake Michigan. They hold a large party for all locals and participants, so it turns into a huge class reunion for those up for the summer before returning to college. Its so preppy… so I can’t wait to put together an outfit for the occasion. That’s all the fun!

Last Year's Regatta. {Kas, Dylan, Me, Rebecca, Kate, & Lauren}

4. Every day after work, we have been hitting the beach. There is nothing better than working a 10 hour day then driving down the road a bit to the State Park. After a quick dip in the lake, all the stress and worry from the day seems to melt away.

5. We have had customers {VIPs of the aerospace engineering world} in at work this week. This translates to dinners out and serious butt kissing. I was just happy that one of the engineers graduated from Miami University. So we were probably ignoring as we talked about Bagel and Deli, nights dancing at Brick Street, or where the best frat house to party at was.

6. Netflix arrived yesterday with the first season of The Walking Dead. I don’t know what it is but I love watching zombie related things… I even turned to *the boy* last night and said “I would like to think that I would make it through a zombie attack.” He just held back a laugh, smiled, then nodded… So I took that as he thinks I would die in the first few hours. The series is pretty amazing… the makeup is flawless and looks so real, its creepy.

7. What’s not creepy though is the fact that Boondock Saint’s actor (which is my favorite movie} Norman Reedus is a character in this series. Ahh, I love the toughness he brings to ever role, not to mention the fact he’s serious eye candy for me. So for the next few days as I work my way through the season, I get to drool over him. Win-win.

8. My dog Lola.... this was her last night. She was just hanging out with her ball. Stinkin' adorable.

So as you can see most of the things I am loving are PLANS! Seriously, I need to stop planning my life out so much but if the place that you live has such amazing events going on, its hard not to fill my social calendar up. Plus the people I get to spend it are the ones who make it fun. Hope you guys have fun things planned for the weekend… I can’t believe its only Wednesday and I am geared up for Friday. I shouldn’t rush time, huh?

So what are you guys loving this beautiful Wednesday?

A Lakegirl with Wine.

Hello loves,

Well it’s definitely one of those mornings when I stayed out having too much fun on a school night weekday instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour. Yesterday at the end of my workday, my boss e-mailed a coworker of mine saying “grab Sarah and get to the bar. I am staying upstairs in this hotel and I want to set it up for you two to charge your dinner and drinks to my room.” We couldn’t have gotten there any faster… Literally we were racing to a bar on a Monday. {Really?} The night ended up being one of the best. I had an amazing dinner followed by walking around a wine cellar and being told to choose two bottles of wine to take home. I was one happy girl.

Haven’t tried either of them before… Which in my opinion is all the fun. So I apologize if there is any wine-induced posts in the next week or two. { I'm not really sorry though :) }

We also thought we should go for a walk downtown Petoskey to get some air and this caught my eye in one of the shop’s windows. They must of noticed me drooling a little bit because the next thing I know they are buying me this hat. Its like they knew I had a blog declaring myself a “lake girl.” {Ohh I hope not!}

So I guess it’s worth a pounding head today, but that’s the payoff of going out with the boss and coworkers… Everyone is in rough shape too. This morning when ever we would see each other, we would just start laughing while remember the good memories of last night. Its times like this when I like to say "Man, I love my job!"

Anyone else a wine drinker and has recommendations... I love trying new ones! Any good summer ones? I've always wanted to try to rate new wines and maybe keep a journal of them all. Mmmm maybe.

Shopping Therapy. {Literally}

Yesterday was one of the longest yet best days of this summer. {Although we had a trip to the hospital... but know now that everything is fine!} My mom had made plans with all of us kids that we would drive to Traverse City to do a little shopping because my little brother {Joe} has senior pictures in a few weeks. Well we only made it 25 minutes in the car {to Charlevoix} until my mom started getting cramps and severe pain on her left side. Well after she pulls over and leans on the outside of the car for a while I realized she needed to go to the hospital. So we turn around and I speed back to our hospital. Seriously, I am a phenomenal driver when it time crunches or emergencies.

Once we got there, they whisked her away and we get stuck in the waiting room. Of course, Joe and I had to raid the vending the machine and find a TV to occupy our time. About a half an hour later, they had given my mom a shot of painkillers and said she would be fine. Well the first thing my mom says after coming out of hospital is “Ohh I am feeling great now. So who’s ready for shopping trip #2?” Believe it or not we ended up going shopping… and thank goodness we did because I got some GOOD stuff. Let’s just say I will be looking extremely nautical/preppy this week. Here’s a few of my favorite buys:

Sailor shorts from Express
{Wearing them today paired with a blue and white striped shirt tucked in. Love!}

American Eagle Jeans - Okay I usually hate how AE jeans fit
but I am desperate for a pair and these fit amazingly.
They were made to be wore for me! Win win.

After losing my pearl earrings in the lake a week ago,
I bought these crystal earrings to fill the void.

Target was having a huge sale on TV seasons so I had to pick up
Modern Family and Friday Night Lights.
Looks like I am going to be a couch potato in the near future...

I can’t even explain how much fun our family had together. Not only did the bonding trip to the hospital go well but we were so slap-happy and overwhelmed from the day’s events that we ended up laughing the entire day. Seriously, we would look at each other and say "Wait... we were at the hospital this morning?" Whether it was one liners or funny stories from the waiting room, it will be a day to remember.  Also, my wardrobe thanks the little shopping trip. It’s supposed to be 85 degrees all week if not hotter, so my sailor shorts and the other summer pieces I purchased will definitely help beat the heat yet look put together.

Anyone else have days that seem to go on forever? Or family bonding that causes your sides hurt from laughing? Hope everyone had an amazing weekend too, I will be checking your blogs to find out!

Food & Football?

It's Friday! Ahh finally...
I am already at work daydreaming about dinner tonight at a new restaurant -- yeah, my family does a "new place Friday" every week and sadly, I look forward to it. Through this little "bonding experience" we have found some pretty impressive yet off-the-main-road places to eat. Plus, it gives us a chance to be serious food critics when we drive home ranting or raving about it. Pathetic, huh? Tonight, we will be going to the restaurant known as, The Wigwam. {no joke!} So here's a little story about how this quaint little place has already found in my heart. The first step of finding/pursuing a new restaurant is going to check it out to see if its should be next week's food adventure. Well the first thing I noticed were the t-shirts... No joke, on the front is a picture of their Wigwam logo, then on the back... wait for it... says "My Indian name is 'Running Tab.'" Ohh yeah, my kind of people! I am sure its all locals that eat there and we will turn a few heads but it makes it part of the fun. A few of my good guy friends are coming along this week to participate since they have heard about my new food adventures and for some crazy reason think my family is funny!

Other than that, I plan on being semi-boring one of the nights this weekend and grabbing a bottle of wine {or two} and scrapbooking. My brother plays three different Varsity sports and as my graduation present to him next year, I want to document it all in the form of numerous scrapbooks. I am a little obsessed with the little boy {yeah, he is 6'3" and I still call him little} so I have poured a lot of time, effort, creativity, and money on that boy. I am working on his football career thus far right now. What's funny is there is only so much you can do with blue and white {our high school colors} so I was happy to finally use some pink to document the Breast Cancer Awareness football game last season. So I am currently working on these pages...

This was hands down one of the best weekends of my life. My amazing friend, Amanda at college got this idea in her head Thursday night before the "pink game" that we should drive 8 hours north to attend it. She knew I was feeling down and left out that I couldn't make it to my brother's game. So at 4 am, we got in the car without telling anyone and starting driving. I surprised my mom first by showing up to the football stadium where she was setting up the concession stand for the night. She started bawling because she wanted me to be there. Then I went to the school and waited in the parking lot for my brother. He came walking out dressed in his khakis and game day jersey and saw me right away. He took off running straight at me, lifted me in the air and twirled. I was laughing and saying "I didn't want to miss it" then I realized he was crying. He was so happy I was there to see him play a game that is very important to our family since we have been affect by fmaily member's getting breast cancer. Talk about an amazing day!

Amanda and I after arriving safely!

The boy we came to see WIN!

So I guess making these scrapbooks are a way for me to look back on spending time with my family. Ahh they mean the world to me. So tonight's dinner at a new place should be special no matter what - just making new memories to rehash and talk about later.

Food and football post? What could be better... well, with a side of family talk. I want to know what you guys are doing this weekend... Can't wait to read your blogs to figure it out! Anyone have family plans too?

Lovin' the Heat.

I don't know how people can complain about this weather. I am in love and hope its like this for another month {or two}. Rockin' the Sperrys and white shorts today at work even though I should be at the beach soaking it all in. Get outside people! You know it will be winter before we know it.

Anyone else enjoying the hottness as much as I am?

Outfit of the Day.

This is my first “outfit of the day” post! I swear I am just doing all these firsts with my blog lately that it’s getting a little crazy. But to redeem myself this post has to do with church, so I guess it all evens out. It has been so hot lately that I have lived in dresses for weeks now. I was so happy when I got to church and the sign said “Mass is OUTSIDE.” Nothing better than soaking in the sun while at church! I wore a purple Vera Wang dress belted with a silver Old Navy belt. For accessories, I wore my new brown floral wedges and my favorite Fossil white watch. It was so comfortable yet summery.

I attend service at the Cross in the Woods Shrine in Indian River and it is home to the largest crucifix in the world! Then afterwards my mom and I ate dinner on the river. Talk about a good day spent out in the summer sun and a perfect outfit to go along with it!

Birthday Treats on a Moment's Notice.

One of my coworkers decided not to tell anyone that it was his birthday today. Of course, I found out and decided to do something about it… I always make cupcakes or treats for my engineering boys and bring them into work to celebrate. So keeping somewhat with tradition, I headed to the vending machine. There was a pack of Hostess cupcakes just waiting to be purchased. Then I got creative since candles aren’t something an aerospace engineering firm has in stock. Haha. I got out of my Sharpies and created two candles out of paper attached to toothpicks! Left it on his desk and surprise, surprise… he knew it was me. I don’t know how… maybe because I am the only girl. Either way, he couldn’t pull a fast on me. I’m too good!

WILW (First One!}

1.       HOT Weather

You know this heat wave that has been happening all over? Well I say it can stay forever because I am enjoying it too much. I have been at the beach or pool every day this week with my friends trying to soak in as much warmth and sun as possible.  Today is suppose to get to triple digits and sadly, I am stuck in AC at work…But that won’t stop me from eating my lunch outside and clocking out as soon as my work day ends. I am lucky enough to drive around with the top down on my convertible and just embrace the heat!

2.       Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II in 3D

Okay, I am not a huge Harry Potter fan but since I have seen every movie I am the kind of person who once I have invested time I have to see it to the end! Haha. But I was so happy with this movie and the entire series. My brother and I went on Friday night to the second showing and we ended up being the first in line. Total fluke! Joe wasn’t too happy about it since he looked like a “crazy fan” but I couldn’t stop laughing… especially since the girls behind us were plotting how to get around us. But after the movie started and I was wearing my Harry Potter 3D glasses, I was one happy girl. It’s hard to cry with those things on though! {Yeah I cried.}

3.       Birchbox Delivery

So I finally received this month’s Birchbox. It’s the first month I have ever done it and I am hooked. It’s like Christmas… You have no idea what you are going to get but you know it’s going to be good. I will do a post on what I got later, so be looking for it.

4.       Matt Nathanson

Yes, this CD has not left my car CD player, nor has it stop playing when I go to bed at night. I love him… definitely check out his new album, Modern Love right away.  I even went as far as purchasing concert tickets to see him perform in October. This will be my third concert I’ve attended for him and I see many more in the future.

5.        The Irony of My Bracelets Today

This is why people should not work at 5:30 am. Example: my bracelets are complete opposites today by accident. Haha, I just realized it too while I was typing out this post and said out loud “Really Sarah?” So I guess I am loving early mornings with contradictions! The peace sign goes pretty well with my outfit since I have the whole “hippie” vibe going on today. Floral skirts and messy bun hair. Love love love.

So what are you guys loving this beautiful HOT Wednesday? I wanna know so I can be in love too.

Time for a Change.

...well at least my college’s hockey team wants one!

Since this is my third post of the day on my blog, so I thought I could get away with this pretty specific blog post. Its mostly for myself so I can look back on it a few months from now BUT if there are any hockey fans or Miami University students out there... this one is for you!

My beloved Miami University Redhawks are leaving the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) league and are one of the founding schools to start a new conference, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). Six college teams are joining together to the league and in turn will give Miami some insanely great competition now. For example, I love when we play Denver and North Dakota's hockey team… so now that they are in our conference I can get used to it… Bring it on! {That’s easy for me to say as I sit in the stands and tell the boys what I think they should do. Yeah, I am one of those girls!} Haha but anyway here is the list of teams now in the NCHC with Miami:

"We are excited about the future of Miami Hockey and the conference that we will be playing in beginning in 2013. Our goal is to always be playing at the highest level and to compete for a national championship and we feel this new conference will continue to give us that opportunity. This is an exciting time and one that all of Miami Hockey is looking forward to." -Coach Blasi

Emily from Live, Laugh, and Shop and I will be sitting in the front row rink side every game no matter what. Next season, Miami will still be playing CCHA teams, but come 2012-2013 we will be seeing new opponent jerseys on our ice! Yay!!

Emily {Andy sign} & Me {Will sign}

Yes that's our feet!

Maybe in the next two years Miami University will get its first national championship? Goodness I hope so.

Anyone else have a sports team that they are obsessed with or just follow? Any college teams that you are loyal to? I want to know that I am not the only crazy one whose is sport crazied.

Fortune Cookie.

A little fortune-telling from my lunch today.

Sounds good to me :)

Step One: Inspiration.

If you have read my earlier posts, you’d already know that I am currently redoing the back porch and half bathroom in our house. My mom got overwhelmed with the whole DIY aspect of it, so she turned the job over to me. I was very excited to handle a big project all by my lonesome and started creating the longest to-do list known to man.  The only downfall is I realized no matter how driven I can be, sometimes you need to realize that I can’t do everything myself. The bucket of primer was bigger than me… I am so short that everything involves a step stool... And employees at home improvement stories don't think I know what I am talking about. {What should I expect when I wear wedges into those stores... I probably send off the "too girlie" vibe.}

The most successful part of the job so far has been the pieces of inspiration I have found online and in magazines. My mom is mildly obsessed with shabby chic and country style, so I thought I would bring aspects of this design into the new half bathroom. I love the crispy yet old-hearted feeling of these rooms... so I am taking pieces from each to translate into the design of our bathroom.

We have wainscoting in our kitchen and I am thinking of doing a feature wall that has this design as well. I think it would look amazing underneath the 2 windows that reside already in the room. Not to mention this detail would divide the room and give it some depth. I also love these shutters. The windows in the bathroom look out into the backyard, so its necessary to add curtains or shutters as privacy. I want the shutters shown below badly, so those definitely made the to do list.

Storage is extremely important for this room. With 5 members of the family, we have accumulated a lot of bathroom toiletries. Especially since my sister and I are back from college meaning all of our "almost gone" bottles of shampoo and body wash came with us. {Heaven forbid we throw it away because when you are a poor college student you are squeezing every single ounce of that conditioner out of the bottle!} Even with all the extra stuff, I love the simple look of this picture below. My mom went out thrifting the other day and found a cabinet just like this one, so I am going to sand it down and maybe even paint it this soft blueish-green color as well.  

I am a sucker for little details also... I have an old window frame that I found/purchased at a barn sale earlier this summer. My game plan is to sand it down to get it clean again, then make it into a mirror by replacing the 6 pieces of glass with mirror panels. Ahh, I am so excited! Of course, I thought I was the only one who has ever had this idea, until I googled it. Haha! Turns out people have been doing this trend for awhile now... Like this one was turned into a mirror and put in a garden.... Brilliant and beautiful!

So the one I am doing is going to be the mirror over the sink. No one uses this bathroom to get ready in, so a proper mirror isn't very neccessary. Allows me to get creative! Plus, I love how it will tie in with the shabby chic feeling of the room. Here's a few more mirror inspirations:

 Have you ever done this? Thought you were a genius then once you are looking online find that someone else pretty creative has beaten you to the punch?

Also, if anyone has a good eye or taste in interior design and have any ideas for a country-style bathroom, please let me know! I'd love some inspiration from the blogging world. Until then, I guess here we go... throwing myself into this project!