Angela

Vintage photo backdrop

July 23, 2013 by Angela

For a few weeks I’ve been brainstorming ideas for a miniature photo studio in my small one bedroom apartment. I’m very happy with my little space and my dining-room-turned-craft-office, and new life in Los Angeles, but the one gripe I have is the minimal natural light. I know, right… I come from a place of gray skies ten months out of the year (I hear Seattle is beautiful right now, and I am a little homesick but that’s for a different day…) to southern California, and complain that there isn’t enough sun. My apartment just doesn’t get it.

I’ve been mulling over the idea of papering a wall with book pages, because since I no longer have a back yard (or lovely overgrown pathway next to my house), it’s going to be hard to take consistent photographs. I was fooled by a beautiful vine-covered wall (of which there are many here) directly near me – the perfect spot – which collapsed and was dragged away immediately after my discovery. Sigh.

So here we are. I’ve had this field guide to flowers for months and hadn’t any real plans for it. It’s just full full of amazing illustrations. But I really needed it for this wall! It was the perfect thing. Vintage book page text wasn’t bright enough, interesting enough, cheery enough… I wouldn’t have done it if it had been published prior to the 1980s, but it is an 80s book. I hope I meet another copy one day.

Until then I’ll take great care of the pages that adorn a little portion of one of my few walls. I took some test pictures… still working on editing so each piece I photograph contrasts appropriately. I hope to use this backdrop for E. Magnolia., as I am still rethinking Garden & Sea. And of course, anything else that needs photographing.

What do you think?

Books and Cats

July 22, 2013 by Angela

We had a bit of a lazy Sunday… I’m finally starting to fall into a routine with work and life in general, and decided to get a bit of reading done. This kitty fell asleep on my arm as I read {making it just a little harder to flip the page} while the other was asleep in the closet as usual, and soon after we all took a little cat nap…

Goals list update

July 16, 2013 by Angela

It has been two years since I wrote my first real life goals list. When I came across the “101 goals” lists, I knew I wanted to do it because it was just big enough to give the encouragement I needed to accomplish the big goals over the next three years (I don’t do it unless it’s in a list!), but not too big that if I didn’t complete something I’d feel like a failure. What I didn’t expect was that some of my goals would change – there are definitely things I would swap out now, but I have almost a year to go! The important thing is that I finally feel I’m making some real progress on my goals.

I don’t know why I even put paint a picture on there, I’ve done it so many times, but this time it was for my new apartment. But that’s what you get over two years: things change and evolve and what you thought was big then might be silly now, or what you didn’t know you wanted might emerge later on.

What are your big goals? Do you do lists like this?

Quick DIY cork jewelry holder

July 15, 2013 by Angela

I have been hanging my jewelry on my wall for almost two years now and finally got around to sharing it here. This is the ultimate easy DIY project because all you need is a tiny piece of fabric and cork (or foam board).

I bought these cork squares in a pack of six and cut one into a small strip. If you can get your hands on a piece thick enough not to have to actually pin all notches all the way into the wall, I recommend it. I had to actually poke the four thumbtacks in all the way for it to hold well.

Just wrap your square of fabric around the cork and adhere with hot glue. You can also get away with a bit of tape since it’s going to be stuck to the wall anyway.

And there you go! A cute way to display your jewelry without taking up any space! I especially love it because I have some really long necklaces that always get tangled.

The month through Instagram

July 10, 2013 by Angela

It’s been awhile since I last shared instagram photos – but a lot has happened! I didn’t take as many photos as I’d like during my move & while getting settled, so these little instagrams will have to do…

One of the first things I did when we moved in was cover the bottom of the drawers in my own wallpaper – book pages! There was this ugly, plain paper there that made everything look dirty.
The next thing I did was set up my bookshelf! Yep, it’s color-coded. I felt such relief after taking all my books out of boxes.
I quickly realized that you need totally different clothes for life in LA than you do in Washington state. After a few days at work, I realized I don’t have enough color in my wardrobe – just blue jeans and black pants.
There is a lemonade shop here (I think it’s a chain?), which is so cool! Who isn’t craving lemonade while walking around in the 85 degree sunshine?
Swapped out my toxic nail polish for better brands. More on this later!
The girls at work decorated the walls with amazing gold polka dots. We love it.
We adopted two kittens!
They’re so adorable but so energetic – never sleeping for more than an hour at a time.
We spent Fourth of July at the beach & can’t wait to spend our weekends swimming in the amazing Pacific ocean!

What is on your instagram lately? Leave a link for me to follow 🙂

DIY mini gold painted pots

July 8, 2013 by Angela

Just a peek at my newest little DIY. This isn’t so much a tutorial – I imagine you’ve used a paintbrush before! – but some notes on painting your own recycled mini succulent planters…

1. For gold or other metallic paint – lay it on thick. You’ll do multiple coats.

2. Pick these up at your local thrift store. There are so many unused pots and vases floating around – no need to contribute more.

3. I did try the two-toned pots, but I found a more solid look tied everything together in my main room and kitchen. There are a lot of ideas for painted pots out there, though.

I overstuffed mine with my first ever house plants!

What have you made lately?