Game ON!

The restart button has been pushed and I'm a working girl again. I started my new job last week, and even though the first couple days were sans electricity, it was great! I'm so excited about where this job is going to take me. Let's just say the company I'm working for treats their employees very well. I feel soooooo lucky.

But during my jobless six weeks I got soooo much done: stained the deck, painted the kitchen cabinets, cleaned the garage, drove to IKEA with mom, spent too much money at IKEA with mom, slept in, lunched with friends, lounged at the pool, napped, walked outside, shopped for new work clothes... I felt like I was 16 again and on summer vacation, but with my own place and home improvement projects to tackle.

And since I wasn't at work on a random Wednesday morning, I nabbed the above Cynthia Rowley frame from Target for 75% off! I thought it was perfect for my favorite Suzy Jack card.

Restart Button

My Mom and I are heading to the beach for a little vacation this week. I'll be back next week refreshed and ready for some serious blogging at least once every day. This month has definitely been about changing some things in my life (relationships, career, goals, etc.) and I think this vacation will be the perfect chance to clear my head and do an official restart on some things. Remember the "Restart" button on the very first Nintendo? That is exactly what I'm pushing right now.

Open for Business!

I finally posted four of my invitation designs in my Etsy Shop and I cannot tell you the excitement I felt when I received a "Convo" from someone 4 hours after I finished posting the last one. I couldn't fall asleep that night! Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there, even if it's scary and intimidating. Etsy has such a great artist's community and I am so proud to be apart of it!

I added a sidebar on the left of my "Etsy Mini" so you can preview what's in the shop. You can click on any of the images in the preview or the orange button above to go straight to the Doug, Jack and Me Etsy Shop. So if you see an invitation you like, don't hesitate to contact me! Doug, Jack and Me is open for business!

My Portfolio

Thanks to AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts), I was able to add the new badge you see on my sidebar of my portfolio, which is located on the AIGA Design Jobs website. I have been a member of AIGA since college and am now considered a "Professional" member. As an organization they offer numerous ways to network, chances to hear great designers speak, an annual survey of design salaries and many, many other helpful things all designers should take advantage of. I truly enjoy being a member of such awesome community.

Pretty Much Sums It Up

From prettybitter.

Ice Cream

ice cream?, originally uploaded by awonderfultreat.

I've had ice cream for three days in a row now. And I'm not stopping! Tomorrow I am bringing the ice cream for the Lost finale at my friend Betty's apartment. Summer is here!

*My ring size is 7.

Calling card from Mr. Boddington's Studio.

MoneyExchange

Money blogs are my new weakness. I read them like crazy. I'm recently learning about "snowflaking" from blogs like I've Paid For This Twice Already.

After reading some back entries, I signed up for an account at MoneyExchange and received a $25 bonus for doing so. Here is what MoneyExchange is:

"MoneyExchange is an easy way to transfer money between accountholders—anytime you are online. Pay a friend back for dinner without hitting the ATM. Give a roommate your half of the rent without writing a check. Send a sibling cash to cover your half of mom’s present —without mailing a thing. Sound easy?"

Kind of like PayPal without the fees. I added one of their banners to my toolbar on the bottom left. If you click it and sign-up, I get a $10 referral bonus (up to $500). And until May 15, 2008 you can get $25 just for signing up! So please do! Who doesn't need an extra $25?

Doug, Jack and Me Boutique Inspiration

All images in this post are of the russell+hazel® store in Minneapolis. They were downloaded from the russell+hazel® website.

This is what I imagine/day dream/foresee my design boutique looking like in the future. Everything is just perfect. Colors, floors, the light... amazing! And I will definitely carry russell+hazel® items in Doug, Jack and Me when that day comes.

M is for Maya

My sweet friend Erika is having a baby girl sometime very soon (**fingers crossed**) and I would love to get her this "M" pillow from The Yvestown Shop. The fabrics she uses are just beyond adorable for any baby girl. Check out The Yvestown Blog as well - she always posts the most calming, serene pictures.

Living Room Inspiration Board

For a birthday present, my mom is replacing my ugly green carpet in my living room/hallway. But before the carpet is installed, I would like to paint the now white walls with a taupe color and repaint the molding & trim a nice crisp white. The inspiration board I made, pictured above, will be the look I'm attempting. All pictures used (except for the the bookshelf project in the upper right) are from the paint palette galleries at Domino.

F that S

I saw this picture on an Apartment Therapy House Tour of AT editor and At Home At Home blogger Laure's old mantle. The note card cracks me up every time I think about it. Hilarious.

Agnes & Hoss Lamp

From Agnes & Hoss.
Adorable! I think that fabric would be great as wallpaper in a small bathroom too.

Upromise

So my recent fascination of money-issue blogs lead me to the Upromise website today. I have to admit, I am very excited about Upromise. Who wouldn't be excited for free money to put towards my looming student loan? And after that's gone, my unborn child's college education. The best part is you can sign-up yourself as the beneficiary and then change it when a little one comes along that you would like to send to college one day.

All you do is register, pick which debit/credit cards you would like linked to your account and that's it! A percentage of your purchase (from 1% up to 25%) goes into your Upromise account. Free money! You can also invite friends and family to link their debit/credit cards to your account and then their purchases count too. There are tons of online shops that participate - Target.com, OldNavy.com, BestBuy.com - for example, places you shop everyday, and they even give special offers for shopping through Upromise. You just have to go to those sites through Upromise's Shop Online link or special toolbar that's available to download for free. You can also link your grocery and drugstore saver cards. I'm telling you - this is awesome.

What's the catch? I haven't found one yet and I can't wait to start saving from shopping!

Dream Bedrooms

Bedroom of architect Elena Coleman (via Design*Sponge)
Bedroom of decorator Annsley McAleer (via the SCOOP)
Bedroom of designer Bonnee Sharp (via Design*Sponge)

Bookshelf Project

This project was on DesignSponge last Thursday and I keep thinking about how I'm going to do it. I believe I could fit two of them next to my fire place and possibly fit a flat screen TV on one of the shelves. I think it is a great way to display some of the awesome wallpaper that is out there right now without have to commit an entire wall to it. Weekend summer project anyone?

Here are the directions (via DesignSponge):
Amber’s Billy Bookshelves by Amber Blakesley
Items Required:
3 billy bookcases $59 ea.
3 extenders $25 ea.
6 billy byom doors $35 ea.
2 rolls wallpaper $80 approx. ea.
1 quart tub wallpaper primer $15
1 quart tub wallpaper paste $15
small roller $3
sponge $2
smoothing tool $5
1-2 helpers
Grand Total $652

Time Required: Saturday afternoon

Steps:
1. Built the bookshelves
2. Built the extender units
3. Wallpaper the flat back pieces of the bookcases that are included. Making sure to match up the pattern across all three units. The backs that Ikea gives you are cardboard, not real wood. I would suggest you have real pressed wood cut to fit the backs of the bookshelves.
(I was already knee deep in constructing bookshelves when I found this out, so I went ahead and used the cardboard backs and it all worked out just fine.)
4. Install doors.

Anyone Want To See A Cute Summer Dress?

I'm sure no one reads this anymore (as if they ever did!), but I'm sure going to start trying to post more often. I swear! But I saw this dress on jcrew.com and HAD to do something about it. I'm dreaming of summer everyday (like the majority of the Midwest) and can imagine wearing this dress to every summer occasion.



Island eyelet short dress $185