{go shorty, it's your earth day}

Da Ali G Show - Christine Todd Whitman 

in honor of earth day, i didn't take a shower this morning. well actually, it due to the fact our power was out and i need to blow dry in order to be presentable. but let's go with earth day. 

{does this make me immature?}

...if i laugh hysterically at this video? 

note: i know my posts have been lacking; i'm still not totally myself yet post-op. 

{life unexpected}

confession: i am obsessed with the show "life unexpected"

(via cw)

yes, i am a grown-up (at least last time i checked).  i should have a mature palate by now. so why am i watching a teeny bopper cw show?! i'm in love with characters named "lux" and "baze"?! seriously? i'm borderline embarrassed admitting such truths. 

what's even more embarassing? my sadness when i heard it's on the chopping block.  it's part of eonline's "save one show" campaign. i'm voting as much as it will let me. 

viva la "life unexpected"!

{sniff sniff}

i've been down for the count the past couple weeks. my jacked up sinuses demanded to be fixed, and the doc said surgery was the only solution. a spring cleaning of the sinus cavities, of sorts. only with suction and stitches, rather than swiffers and pine-sol.

freaked. out.

 from the pre-surgery paperwork telling me to "bring an extra set of clothes in case you soil them" (wait, what?! i could poop myself?!) to the numerous post-surgical appointments to remove splints, gels, packing and other "debris" (how can my little nose hold so much?!), i was a mental case.

thankfully, i had a dose of some medicine before the surgery (potent!) to calm me down, which caused my husband to post this status on facebook:

they gave sarah a presurgery sedative. she keeps mumbling about lil wayne and "sippin on syrup". can anyone hipper than me translate?

(he had to tell me about this later. no memory. apparently, afterwards we had a discussion on chalice/pimp cups. anesthesia turns me in to a gangster?!)

1.5 hours of surgery, a broken and reset septum, reduced turbinates (?), and cysts & polyps removal later, i looked like this:

i guess the first thing i said to hubs after coming out of the anesthesia was "i didn't wet or poop myself babe!" he was proud.

it's a good thing i have such a great husband. he had to change that gauze pad every couple hours (what he affectionately called my "strawberry jelly filled" nose), and kept me up to the minute on my pain meds and antibiotics. 

the pup was good company too. i really think she knew something was up, because she always stayed close but was very calm and gentle around me.

(she blends in with the guest bedroom bedding)

she  also caught on to the fact that the only way she was going to get attention was to have gauze on her nose.

the road to recovery has been long and super annoying (try walking around with huge dry boogers in your nostrils and not blow them out. yeah, they're scabs and i can't blow my nose for another week). now that the worst is over, i'm trying to stay positive. my life have been enriched with the joys of a saline rinse 5 times a day (sarcasm). no really, i can't wait to be 100% - spring has sprung! and i have a cleaned-out nose to take it all in! 

and now back to regularly scheduled blogging :)

{gaga + puppies = puffy heart}

have you seen the doggie gaga project?

i die.

(all images via jesse freidin)

{happy st. patty's day!}

oh. my.

(found via dlisted)

{my irish eyes are smiling}

and my irish toes are wiggling. 

(and my irish legs are blinding)

it's a beautiful, sunny spring day in my 'hood. i'm hoping it stays that way until quitin' time.

some low-key beers at home are on tap (no pun intended). no crazy bar scenes for this girl. i can be irish at home (365 days a year) with some sam adams light. what? no killians? no guinness? no murphy's or harp?

well sam adams is what i already have at home.

sam adams = boston = celtics = irish. 

works for me.

p.s. in case you were really diggin on the she & him video i posted, you can preview the whole album on npr, before its march 23rd release. 

good stuff. 

happy st. patrick's day!

{could she be any more adorable?}

{a collection of blog giveaways}

i subscribe to a bajillion blogs. most days, when i open up my reader, i'm greeted with 80+ blog posts. it's delightful. 

even more delightful is the fact that there are so many giveaways going on right now!

disclaimer: if you are directed to a giveaway from my site, that automatically entitles me to a 50/50 joint custody scenario, regardless of prize/worth/proximity. 

my blog, my rules. 

i kid. 

a bissell vacuum cleaner presented by young house love

"remember the moment bow necklace" presented by amber's notebook

free event design consultation presented by the city sage

16x20 rolled canvas print presented by etsy team columbus

le creuset 12x 9.5 cobalt rectangular dish presented by diagnosis deferred

good luck! :)

eta: square initial pillow presented by a cup of jo

{just keep on moving, it’s such a wondrous world out there}

remember when i said i love stop motion films?

i really, really do.

{found via paper ice cream}

amazing! and such a great song too.
if you like the song as much as i do (and with lyrics like this, how could you not?), you can download for free here.

the video is actually a marketing tool for the olympus pen camera series.
slr quality, hd video in a retro looking package? sign me up!

oh, wait. not in the budget.

add it to the list of "if i win the lottery." man that list is getting long!

{the discount gods hath smiled upon me}

last week was an absolute whirlwind for me. with the birth of my niece, lots of family and friends in town visiting, and meeting my brother's girlfriend! (she's the first one he's ever brought around, it's a bit shocking to the big sis), i needed a low key sunday to recoup. so when my dear friend mike asked if i wanted to go shopping, i happily said yes. nothing like soothing the soul with some retail therapy.

as my fellow fashionistas know, banana republic had a "mystery coupon" event. you're handed a folded card, which decides your fate - 25%, 35% or 50% off your total purchase. 

our cordial sales associate greeted us and asked if we wanted a coupon (does anyone ever say no?!) 

pick a card, any card. i went for the right, mike went for center. i got the 25, mike got the 35. after some gentle ribbing to the sales associate - "you can give me the 50, i won't tell your boss" - we scoured the store for deals.

i picked up this shirt for the hubs:

$59.50, then 25% off - eh, not bad

as i made my way over to "my side" of the store, that cordial little sales associate came by again. 

she handed me another coupon and walked away.

no. could it be?! not a 50%?!

a 50%!!!

i found her to express my gratitude, 

"bless you my child," 

and then grabbed anything and everything in my path.

i ended up walking away with 

+

+

+ hub's shirt for $215!

the blazer alone is regularly $198!

so, cordial sales associate, and the discount gods, i humbly prostrate myself in your adoration. 

it is only through your good graces, and uncle sam's hefty return, that such pieces can be welcomed in to my closet. 

your faithful, and fabulously outfitted servant,

-s

{oscar favs and fails}

i love going to sleep after watching events like the oscars. my mind likes to substitute my head on celebs' bodies, wearing the most incredible couture. my mind also had an "avatar" substitution, but i woke myself out of that one, to return to ruffles and organza.

some favs:

(via tmz)

sandy, you looked gorg. and very much like your statue.

(via tmz)

cam, you cannot read a teleprompter to save your soul. but i still love your dress.

and my fav of the night:

(via tmz)

(via fabsugar)

love love looooove this. 

(erinn - looks similar to one of yours?)

and now on to the fails. 

(via tmz)

miss cyrus, you are 17. just a reminder.

(via fabsugar)

zoe, this purple people eater did nothing for me, or you for that matter.

(via usa today)

charlize, we all know you have bubbies. no need to highlight.

and for the menfolk:

(via tmz)

jakey, you're such a hunk. 

what are some of your favs from the night? 

{this is what love looks like}

it's official! i am now an aunt to two beautiful girls and my heart swells with love and pride. 

tuesday night, we got a phone call saying my sister-in-law's contractions were consistently 5 minutes apart, and they were headed to the hospital. hubs and i threw some clothes in a bag, grabbed the pup's food and toys, and made the 2.5 hour trip.

we arrived shortly after s-i-l had her epidural, so she was a happy camper. 

i was able to spend some time with her before the 10cm mark, and i couldn't be more grateful. she was such a trooper.

funny labor story: i was rubbing her hand during a pressure-filled contraction, and after, she makes the "one minute" index finger gesture. 

"either my water just broke, or i peed myself, and i really don't think i peed myself"

adorable.

shortly after that, she was ready to start pushing, so we made ourselves comfortable in the family lounge.

and not too long after that, proud daddy came in and made the announcement - "quinn is here"

she is the most adorable little peanut - 6lbs 12oz and 19 inches long. 

her big sister cooper is adjusting, but at 2 years old, she doesn't really "get it" yet.

to make her happy, she got to have a cookie...

and a spin in a wheelchair.

it was an experience i will never forget. i soaked in every feeling.

the way your chest and arm create the most perfect nook for a baby.

the way you can stare at a baby for hours. no other setting is it socially acceptable to stare at another human being for so long and not embarrassingly avert your eyes at least once.

the fact she has every single organ/system that i do, packaged in such a tiny body.

she has her whole life ahead of her, and i can't wait to watch and cheer for her as it unfolds.

i love you, quinn.

{i just might embarrass myself tonight}

tonight, the hubs and i are going to see black joe lewis and the honeybears! i could not be more excited! booty shaking, hair throwing, good time music (well, and some slow stuff which is just as good, but I really love his faster stuff).

hubs and i put on their records when we do a power clean in the house. it usually involves some singing in to the swiffer, a reenactment of james brown's "cape routine," and a little dance party. he might not ever admit it, but in the privacy of his own home, my man can pop a booty! sometimes it makes a public appearance, but only after many beers on college gamedays.

tonight should be fun.

eta: tonight will not be fun. concert postponed. what a bust. 

{message in a cookie}

(i'll send an s.o.s. to the world, i'll send an s.o.s. to the world, i hope that someone gets my, i hope that someone gets my)

message in a cookie

yesterday, i finally received my backordered cookie cutter set from williams-sonoma!

message-in-a-cookie cutter set from williams-sonoma (via creature comforts)

my geeky excitement could not be contained. i had big plans for these guys.

you see, i'm going to be an auntie (again) any second! 

my sister-in-law's due date was yesterday so these guys came at the perfect time, to welcome this new baby!

i got to work right when i got home (after a trip to the grocery for icing - oops, not homemade there). after a few trial runs, i was knockin' these babies out (figuratively and sort of literally, later in the story).

i didn't really get the color right, but this was my first time using color gel rather than food coloring. i'll get better, i'm determined.

(sorry for the phone pics, my camera battery was charging)

as i'm wrapping up the icing dots, we get a message. she's having contractions! albeit inconsistent,  but contractions nonetheless! i'd like to think that williams-sonoma and i had something to do with it. 

(ali, i can take requests when you're ready)

overall, i really love this set. the possibilities are endless and the suggested recipe is really yummy. i substituted half of the batter with lemon extract rather than vanilla and it's uh-maz-ing. 

but, i'm still waiting on my niece. 

don't be tardy for the party baby, these cookies won't last forever. 

{monday morning playfulness}

i love stop motion films.

(found via black*eiffel)

{the big reveal}

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

(just trying to build the suspense!)

boho chic sarah!

if i was thinking, i would've done a *before* pic. but i didn't. suffice it to say, this is a massive change.

about 6 inches off the bottom, a heavy bang which i have never done before, and about 5 shades darker than my natural color. 

I think she did a great job of zooey meets nicole - "hello, how do you do"

i love it. it's fun, and i have a little hop in my step now. 

i wish she would've left a bit more of the length (i asked for 3-4 inches off..baby steps people, baby steps) but it's really healthy now. 

so, there you have it. what do you think? 

{and by what do you think, i mean positive gushing comments only, i'm still a bit vulnerable.}  

{the great reinvention of 2010}

well i guess we're not even 3 months in, but whatevs. with all my new purchases, i'm feeling refreshed! saucy even! but there's still a few more things to revive.
 remember when i talked about needing a new 'do? i've hemmed and hawed over what to do. i couldn't seem to figure out what exactly i wanted. but i've reached the point where it doesn't even matter anymore, i need these crunchy ends and washed out color gone!

so, the d-day ('do-day, not the invasion of normandy) is this evening. here's what i've decided on:

+ a few more layers

i love it all. i hope it works on my dome. with a similar face shape, blue eyes and winter pale skin, i'm thinking (hoping) it will be great. 

add in an eyebrow wax, and i am going to feel like a brand new woman!

(p.s. vicki - i'm still hoping for a similar reaction as your recent makeover)

{and, the cotton commercial featuring zooey just came on as i typed this, fate!}

{etsy love and a question}

sorry i've been mia lately. it's sad, i've really wanted to come on here and share stories and shopping deals, but i've been so busy. work is to blame during the day and the olympics is to blame at night. but i have a little sticky note next to my computer of things to share (is that pathetic? hope not)

moving on, remember when i talked about all my etsy buys? i mentioned frye boots that i was debating on. 

i was hesitant because, while i love vintage things, i'm a borderline germaphobe. things like "who wore this before me?" "what was their hygiene habits?" cross my mind. but my mad desire to own a pair of frye boots trumped my fears and i clicked the "buy" button.

i am so glad i did! these beauties must've been a floor sample (perks to having tiny feetsies) because there is minimal  scuffing on the soles and no creasing whatsoever! and soft! butter soft! 

and the best part? $40 + $12 shipping

cereal.

but now there's a slight problem. with a shorter boot shaft (10.5 inches or mid-calf), i think i need to wear them with tighter pants. my skinny jeans aren't tight enough in the calf. i have only ventured in to the legging world a few times, and don't have a ton of tunics required for use. so my question is - denim leggings? there's some adorable pairs out right now, that look like real denim but with a bit more stretch than my skinnies have. 

coh - 'slick' skinny stretch denim leggings

nordstrom - $185

or a more affordable alternative

free people skinny stretch denim leggings

nordstrom - $68

what do you guys think? have any experience with denim leggings? cute or for pre-pubescent jonas brother lovers only?

{another house i'd love to stay in}

at least for a getaway.

treehouse pointe in issaquah, wa

{via here}

{via here}

{via here}

it's so beautiful, it doesn't even look real. 

i want to go. i need to go.

{cribs}

no, no. not that kind. houses. 

i have big dreams for my first house. probably way too big, but a girl can dream, right?

we've started looking for houses and it is the bane of my existence right now. there are so many cookie cutter houses on the market, but none with the character i want and need. i feel like the house just might not be out there (or maybe it's just not in my price range). 

so, i am going to pull together all of the characteristics i love and hope that somehow it appears - kind of like "practical magic" where sally casts the spell that she will fall in love with a guy that has one blue eye, and one green eye. what, am i the only geek who loooves that movie? 

1. craftsman-style house and staircases 

{via here, here, and here}

2. high ceilings, huge windows

{via here and here}

3. cornices and crown molding

{via here and here}

4. interior french doors

{via here and here}

5. multiple fireplaces

{via here, here and here}

6. breakfast and telephone nooks

{via here, here and here}

i don't think that is too much to ask, do you? oh, and a great school district, low asking price, 2 car garage and energy efficient. it would be super if it had an updated kitchen and baths too. oh oh, fenced back yard with enough room for libby girl to play, but not so much that i will be forced in to gardening. 

hmph.