It's One of Those Days

I got my paycheck this morning and I am already planning on how to spend it... Also, since I am going on a little trip tonight to southern Michigan to watch my brother play football, I need something to take my mind off of the BIG game… so why not stalk Pinterest? Well here are few of my morning pins. My goal is to make a few of these things happen...Get inspired!

Give myself a manicure with this color!



Love this look.



Make this!

I melt when I see this... hoping my wedding day is exactly like this.



Buying a blazer this weekend!



Hockey outfit for Sunday? Yes please.



Enjoy many Diet Cokes this weekend.



Throw a tailgating party for my beloved Detroit Lions!

I swear that Pinterest makes any day much better. Anyone else bingeing on pins and boards? How about finding inspiration to tackle a few things this weekend? I want to know!

Words of Wisdom.

Since I am new to blogging, I had no idea that my page would become a major source of reflection and inspiration over the past few months. I love being linked to other creative people and gathering ideas of fashion, design, and lifestyle choices. Originally, I had wanted to blog about completed projects and run ideas past the blogger world. So far, so good. Now I am trying to maximize the amount of home improvement, DIY projects, and updating apartment goods this summer in a positive & "cheap" way. So I decided to record my goals/guidelines as a way to reiterate to myself everyday what I want to accomplish. Which include:

• Swearing by the 3R's  {repaint, repaper, reupholster}
• Steal ideas from other people's houses
• Even the inside of closets and cabinets can be painted/wallpapered
• Trust your instincts - "Go with your gut"
• Don't be afraid to mix styles

So yesterday, I purchased the newest issue of "House Beautiful" magazine and didn't get around to reading it until break time at work. Well as soon as I opened the cover, those pesty magazine ads feel out and littered my desk. I was bothered until something caught my eye. It had to be fate intervening because when I saw the sentence "Get a Year of House Beautiful & Veranda Magazine for only $14," I was sold. Right now I am picturing myself cutting out ideas and making mood boards... Or at least, sitting outside in a lawn chair flipping through the issues. Bring on the inspiration!

Ohh, the DIY Network. There were many days this past semester at college that I would lounge in my chair glued to marathon episodes of "Rehab Addict." I love her... I love her "job." I can't imagine having the opportunity to gut a house completely and redo it as a flip. The best part about the TV show is she chooses houses that used to be the staple or glory of its neighborhood and now have become run-down or left-behind. It is so incredible that she is able to find old pieces that complement the era of the houses in this modern world. Since our house is old and my mom wants to keep the details of its time, she has become inspiration for me to go out and find pieces that will reflect that.

No joke... I own this toolbox. {Going to college present from the parents}

So all in all, I am hoping a little bit of blogging, magazines, and television shows will be the perfect amount of inspiration to get my butt into gear and a paintbrush in my hand. So be expecting a ton of posts regarding these projects I am getting myself into.

Growing Up.

I have to admit I never knew what I had until...

I went to college. I have lived on the edge of Lake Michigan since I was 2 years old in a small town of northern Michigan. It took going away to school in southern Ohio for me to realize how lucky I had it. The only thing that gets me through the tedious engineering homework and exams is knowing that within months I will be back on the lakeside again. 

Here's a picture of home sweet home. Its on a dead end street, so its undisturbed and very peaceful. 

The sunsets are the best... which always inspires a photo shoot. Here's an example, I got home from golf one night and my brother and I had to get a picture with the gorgeous sky in the background.

So the main reason I wanted to start a blog was to document the many DIY projects I get myself involved in. I love to get my hands dirty and be able to step back from a project and say "I just did that." Luckily, my parents have realized that this summer is going to be the beginning of a total renovation of our current house on the lake. As my mom puts it, she "doesn't have vision, so its up to me to come up with something she will be happy with as well as something that will bump up the value of the house.

You will slowly learn that I am a very type-A person and a perfectionist. I'm a huge planner so you will see that during these projects I will be going to my magazine clippings and homemade moodboard pages for ideas. I have a collection of things and rooms that inspire me and I can't wait to make them start happening! Here's what they look like:

I can't wait to show the process and progress of the DIY projects as well as have a few fun stories of my college/social life. I mean come on, I am a twenty-something girl who loves to go out, meet new people, watch sporting events, and lounge around on my beautiful college campus.