A little sparkle...

I love a little sparkle. Seriously, how can you not smile when you are wearing something sparkly? I've been wanting to participate in Bloggers Do it Better for a long time but never have. But say "sequins" and I'm there! :)

My sequins outfit is super simple...a cute little comfy top from Kohls. And my photo is super awkward...I'm terrible at being the only person in a photo. And it definitely didn't help that we took these photos at night. My husband is going to looove that I made him lay on the floor to take a photo of my whole outfit and then I got picky about the lighting and how I looked and didn't even include those photos. Sorry! 

Since you can't see it all, I was wearing the sequin top with cuffed jeans and a cute pair of suede heels. And to help make up for my bad photo / modeling skills, here is my new Pinterest Sparkle! board. It's full of all sorts of sparkly fashion, DIY, and decor ideas. 

Confessions of a missing blogger...

So...it's been a long time. A really long time. I've  missed this little blog of mine and decided it was well past time to get back to it. But before I get back into the swing of things, here are my confessions as to why I went missing...

Confessions of a busy blogger...
Honestly, over the past year I have been very busy at work and with work trips. It sounds a little boring, but it did result in five work trips to the Bahamas. No complaints here. However, but it definitely took my time away from my blog. Don't worry though [okay, who am I kidding, nobody is worried about me now that I said I went to the Bahamas five times...], there was also plenty of fun mixed in over the last year. :)


Confessions of an over-thinking blogger...
There were a lot of times over the past year that I wanted to start my blog back up...but then I would start over-thinking it. Conversations like this were happening in my head:

Paige - "I really miss my blog and have a great idea - I'm going to go post it!" 

Over-thinking Paige - "That's a nice idea, but remember how you might want to open an Etsy shop someday? Are you sure you want to name it A Paige in History?" 

Paige - "Well, I'm not sure...but that won't happen for a while. And what does it have to do with my post?" 

Over-thinking Paige - "Don't you remember anything from all your business classes? All of the names should be the same to help with your marketing. Maybe you should start a new blog. And does that post even have to do with your message?"

So, I think you get the point. And it's not that I'm a crazy person with conversations in my head. :)


Confessions of a perfectionist... 
There were also times when I would look at my blog and just not think it was good enough. Take the header for example...

Yep, it's pretty annoying how it didn't line up right. But should it keep me from ever posting anything? Nope! And check it out, it wasn't at all difficult to update my header. 


To summarize...

• Sorry I went missing for so long! As much as I will try not to disappear again, I also know that with my busy schedule it is definitely a possibility. But, I also know that I really missed my little creative blog outlet, so I'll try to find a balance.
• My posts may not always be perfect. But, I promise they will be me. [Well, the part of me that's not busy over-thinking everything...] 

Think pink | fire trucks...

This weekend the Pink Heals Tour came through our town. It was great to see how many people came out for the festivities.

Photos from here



[October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Think Pink!]

Think pink | 10 past posts...

Since today is 10.10.10, it seemed fitting to do something pink with the number ten. So, here are ten of my past posts with pink in them. :)

1. Pink pretzels - After this post, these became one of my must-haves for every party / get-together.
2. Wedding memories - Our wedding was full of pink...flowers, candy, decor, dresses, etc. My favorite pink memory was when my grandma mailed me the picture of the pink dress she wanted to buy for the wedding. Pink was her favorite color and she was so excited to have a reason to buy a new pink dress.
3. Sip and see baby shower
4. Marshmallow treat pops
5. Colorful peg board
6. Preteen bedroom mood board
7. Pink taking over our guest bedroom
8. Christmas ideas
9. Paper chain backdrop
10. Cute desk set

[October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Think Pink!]

Color personality...

Quizzes are my favorite part of magazines, so of course I love the "What's Your Color Personality" quiz from Real Simple. According to the quiz, I am an Earth personality...

The quiz results seem pretty accurate for me, because I do really love blues, black, grays and brown. But I was not overly fond of the comment that I can "seem reserved, even standoffish." If I have ever seemed standoffish, I am very sorry! And to make it up to you, here are two more fun color quizzes to check out...the Color Quiz from True Value Paint and the Color Career Counselor from CareerBuilder.com. :)

[I just tried the Color Quiz link and it doesn't seem to be working anymore...bummer!]

Is it bad if...

you like something you see on The Mogg Blogg?

Because, I'm not going to lie...if I saw this puzzle floor in a hotel or store, I would probably think it was pretty darn cool. I wouldn't use it in my house, but I do like it. Call me a nerd if you wish, but I really like puzzles. :)

Random, but cute...

Have you seen this commercial for the Limited Edition Huggies Jeans Diapers?

Is he not just the cutest little guy ever? The commercial got me really, really excited that my nephew is due in less than a month! I can't wait!

And while I'm on a roll with the randomness tonight, I'm going to go ahead and point out the slogan for these diapers - "The coolest you'll look pooping your pants." Not so sure how I feel about that...

Oh, Dollar Tree...

This "oh" has two meanings today...

1) Oh, how I love Dollar Tree. And...

2) Oh my, Dollar Tree, what are you thinking!?

I made a stop by Dollar Tree to look for some vases for an upcoming project (more on that soon). I didn't find any vases that I liked, but I did find more of this wrapping paper that I loooooove. So, of course, I bought a roll. :)

[I now have four of the designs. I haven't seen the dots or paw prints yet, but I will keep looking. :) You really need some of this wrapping paper, it is great!]

Anyways, as I'm standing in line to check out, I'm just thinking about how excited I am about the wrapping paper...but then I notice the pregnancy tests on sale. Yes, pregnancy tests being sold for ONE DOLLAR. My thoughts immediately switch to "Who in the world buys a pregnancy test at Dollar Tree!?!".

But my thoughts were quickly interrupted by the man in front of me whispering to the cashier, "I'm gonna need one of those pregnancy tests." I was in complete shock by the situation. And then the cashier responds [loudly] with "Geesh, can't you learn to keep it in your pants!".

There are very few things that make me say this, but...OMG!!

[P.S. I'm very sorry if I offend anyone who has ever or might someday buy a pregnancy test at Dollar Tree. It was just a very awkward situation, so I had to share.]

I read it in a magazine...

The show Cougar Town absolutely cracks me up. I literally laugh out loud during pretty much the whole episode.

Tonight I was catching up on a few episodes on Hulu and heard the funniest thing yet...

"Let's play the admission game. That's when friends admit stuff and it brings everyone much closer...I read it in a magazine." - Laurie

"What magazine?" - Ellie

"Fine! It's just I feel like people respect my ideas more when they think that they came out of magazines." - Laurie

Um...I totally do that! Not very often, but I have been known to blurt out "I read it in a magazine" when I am trying to convince Mr. W that one of my ideas is cool. This usually happens with home decor items, like the "magazine holder" in our office. Yep, Mr. W still thinks I read the idea somewhere, but really it was just from my head! [Note to self: Take a picture of said "magazine holder" this weekend when I'm back at home.]

Some questions about me...

I've been enjoying this little Q & A here, here and here, so now it's my turn...

1) When do you feel happiest?
Without a doubt, anytime I am just relaxing with Mr. W and our families. My favorite is when a casual family dinner turns into hours and hours of talking, laughing and just enjoying each other.

2) How do you take care of yourself?
I keep my DVR fully stocked with lots of silly girly shows...America's Next Top Model, 90210, Project Runway, Melrose Place, Days of Our Lives and even a little Hannah Montana :)

3) Are you internally [by yourself] or externally [by others] motivated?
Internally, externally or both, depending on the situation. [Sorry for the lame-o answer there, but it's true.]

4) What do you do for fun?
Toast marshmallows around our firepit, summer nights watching ballgames at the K, hotel stays with Mr. W, spray paint all sorts of things, read [books, magazines, blogs], craft...

5) What intimidates you?
Things I can't change/control...

6) What is something you're proud of?
My family and making my family proud. I truly admire my grandparents, parents and sister. They have all been great examples of being a loving spouse, working hard, caring for others and just being the kind of person I want to be.

7) Finish this sentence. I never ____________.
I never stop singing Christmas songs. Seriously, whenever it is quiet in our house for more than a few minutes, I start singing Jingle Bells or Oh Christmas Tree. It's pretty much uncontrollable and happens year-round.

8) Favorite vacation spot.
Anywhere a cruise takes me :)

9) Today is a (rate from 1 - 10).
Probably about a seven. It's a Monday, I woke up at 3 a.m., left the house at 4 a.m., had a 6 a.m. flight, then had to drive two hours in the rain, went to the wrong building for work [long story] and I'm gone until Friday night. [Eek...I feel like that's a really negative answer and I hate being negative.]

10) Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you'd know ____________.
I love, love, love hosting parties and showers for people. I love working on all the little details to make it perfect for the guest-of-honor and then watching them enjoy the party. I also never pass up an opportunity for some Martha Stewart-style creativity. :)

Computer pretties...

When you look at your computer all day, sometimes it needs a little prettification.

Maybe a Spring background like this...

Or a screensaver like this...

Both are fun, yet completely work appropriate. 

A missed opportunity and some randomness...

A few days ago the Office Stylist mentioned big sale at Chiasso. "Sale" is one of my favorite words so, of course, I checked it out. I fell head over heels in love with this beautiful silver wreath.

Gorgeous, huh? And the best part - it was 71% off. Wowza! I couldn't believe it, so I set off to count how many windows I could hang them in next winter.

Well, I guess my counting took a really long time, because I when I went back to place an order I saw the worst words ever - "This item is discontinued and no longer available." Ahh! I could have screamed or cried, but all that would have been a little dramatic, so I just pouted a little and moved on to searching the internet to find something similar. No such luck. But don't worry, I will definitely keep looking [or come up with a DIY version...I do have almost a year].

Fast forward a few days to last night...I'm in bed about to fall asleep when it hits me - I had seen an e-mail this morning for "ONE DAY ONLY: Free Shipping on Decorator Super Sale" at Home Decorators. Without thinking twice, I jumped out of bed to go look if there was anything we "needed." After all, I didn't want to miss out on gorgeousness twice in one week! Seriously, I have problems. But there were some beautiful items on sale, such as...

these damask napkins...

and this area rug.

Lovely, huh? But...I didn't end up buying anything. I realized that when you are buying things online, late at night, while your husband is sleeping...you probably should have a pretty darn good justification for needing them. This realization didn't keep me from looking more though, because on the homepage there was also a link for free shipping on select lighting.

How can you not check that out? There are probably about 57 lamps that I would love to have, so I can't even begin to show you all of my favorites. But I did have to show you this...

The Viko table lamp.

It looks a lot like this next one, doesn't it?

The Art Deco Table Lamp from Target.

It makes you do a double-take. I noticed it right away, because I had used the Target lamp in this mood board.

You wanna know something interesting? The Target lamp is $59.99...and the Home Decorators lamp is $44.00 and has free shipping. Not what I would have expected. Interesting, very interesting. [Unlike this post, which is just getting long, very long.]

One last post about gifts...

Okay, this is the last belated post about Christmas gifts and it is all about my brand new...Cricut machine! Yippy! Seriously, I love just saying that I have a "Personal Electronic Cutter Machine."

My mom and I found a great deal on it at Joanns on Black Friday. And by "great deal," I mean pretty much the best deal ever. The machine is regularly priced at $199 but with the combination of door buster deals, coupons and even a teacher discount...we got it for $60.

So, ever since Thanksgiving I have been dreaming about all the fabulous electronic cutting I can do. You see, this machine is the perfect thing for me, because well, I'm just not so good at manual cutting. I honestly think that maybe I missed the day of kindergarten where you learn about scissors and how to cut. I'm not totally unable to cut...but I am completely incapable of cutting at all quickly. And the thought of cutting out the insides of shapes or letters completely intimidates me. Seriously, in my middle school science class, my teacher would cut projects out for me because I was so slow at it. But now, my Cricut has saved the day and I can cut again. :)

Except that I am so excited that I can't even decide what to use it for first. I feel like the first project should be something memorable. Yes, I know I'm a dork, but this is big for me. Here are some ideas I love...

• Monogrammed journals, cards and name frame [Imperfectly Beautiful]
• Personalized candles [Centsational Girl]
• Custom art above our bead [in my head]
• Recycled grocery totes [So You Think You're Crafty]
• To redo a Goodwill find [in my head]
• A whole bunch of other stuff [all in my head]

Basically, I am sure you will be seeing a whole bunch of Cricut projects from me in the future. :)

While my husband is away...

Every Tuesday my husand has to work late. Which means that every Tuesday, I generally do one of four things:

1. Go shopping
2. Work on a craft project
3. Write on my blog
4. Or watch lots of Days of Our Lives

I have now officially done all four. It has been a very good day! Stay tuned for more about my shopping and craft.

[And if you are a dork like me, check this out for more on Days of Our Lives. But don't spoil anything for me!]

Thanks for the award!

Wow! While I was temporarily missing from the blogging world, I received my very first blog award! I was absolutely shocked when I logged into my blog for the first time in a month and saw the sweet comment from Kifus from Inspiring Interiors. I honestly read the comment and her post about 82 times before I actually believed it. (Especially considering my blogger slacking lately!) I was having a pretty crummy day, but you better believe that's not the case anymore. :) So, here is a giant THANK YOU to Kifus for the award and totally making my day!

A few simple rules apply to the recipients of the "From me to you" Flower Award...

1) Thank the person who gave you the award

2) Copy the award

3) Post it in your blog

4) Tell us seven things that your readers don't know

5) Link seven new bloggers as recipients

6) Notify winners of award with comment on their blog

7) Keep being awesome

Here are seven thing you don't know about me...

1) I am completely obsessed with Argo Tea and may go into withdrawals when I leave Chicago

2) While I am in Chicago, I am having withdrawals from visiting Hobby Lobby

3) I want to get my hair cut like Selena Gomez

4) Generally, the only music I listen to online is 94.5 Country...from Topeka, Kan.

5) I make to-do lists like crazy

6) I haven't put up my Christmas tree yet :(

7) I will likely be spending waaayyy too much time in St. Louis over the next year

Here are the seven bloggers I have chosen for this award:

1) A Fearsome Thing to Behold

2) Be Different...Act Normal

3) Fu for Thought

4) Stem

5) Pickles

6) Glimpse of Style

7) Project Pretty

100 posts and 100 dollars...

Wow - I can't believe this is already my 100th post! I never imagined myself having a blog, but I love it! Thanks for reading and commenting. I am looking forward to the next 100 posts and continuing with the bloggy fun! :)

Blah, blah, blah...what was that about $100?!?
Wouldn't it be awesome if I said I was giving away $100 to celebrate my 100th post?!
Yep, sure would. Especially since both of you reading would have a 50% chance of winning. ;)
Unfortunately, no such luck...but I did make up a fun little game called "What Could You Buy With 100 Pretend Dollars?" [If you say it in your best Chuck Woolery game show announcing voice, it sounds a little more exciting!]
The "rules" of the game are simple:
1) Pick a store.
2) Check out the sale section.
3) Pick at least 10 different items to buy with your pretend $100.
4) Be in awe of how much cool stuff you could buy for $100. :)

What could you buy with 100 pretend dollars at Bed Bath & Beyond?

- 6 sage napkin rings for $0.99 each

- 1 recycled cotton apron for $7.99

- 2 glass candle holders for $3.24 each

- a 12-piece mix & match placemat and napkin set for $9.99

- set of 6 present placecard holders for $3.74

- 4 turquoise glass napkin rings for $0.99 each

- set of 6 glass photo coasters for $9.99

- set of 2 recycling bags for $4.99

- set of 4 glasses that are no longer available [they were $7.49 earlier today though...]

- a triangle chip and dip platter for $14.99

- 4 square bamboo placemats for $1.99 each

- a cheese and cracker set for $7.49

- set of 6 square bamboo napkin rings for $4.99

- and an accent rug for $3.99

...for a grand total of $99.99! [Oh yeah, taxes don't exist in this game.]

What could you buy with 100 pretend dollars at Brylane Home?

- 3-piece bag set for $5.99

- 6-piece baking set for $6.19

- 3-piece toile bag set for $4.99

- 2 faux silk curtain panels for $6.49 each

- 8-piece carafe and tumbler set for $7.49

- a classic oval braided rug for $7.99

- a three-tier glass tray for $12.99

- 4-piece pumpkin bowl set for $10.99

- 16" square pillow and ruffled bedskirt for $9.98

- and a mirror with a shelf for $17.99

...for a grand total of $97.58!

How inappropriate would it have been…

to take a picture of the bathroom in the office building I was working at today?
My better judgment told me that maybe I shouldn’t...it's my luck that right as I snapped the picture some important executive would walk in. I don't think that would have gone over very well.

But anyways, it was a beautiful bathroom - from the textured wallpaper with the subtle stripes, to the tiled stall walls, all the way to the stainless steel light switch covers.

Maybe I just spend too much time in office buildings…but I get really excited when they are decorated nicely. And I’m obviously not alone – check out The Office Stylist and her store for lots of ways to make your office a little prettier. This USB flash drive is one of my personal faves...

I've got a crush...

On my husband.

He's in Montreal right now for work/school, so I am stuck home alone carrying my phone around like it is glued to my hand waiting for him to call. I honestly feel like a middle school girl with a ginormous crush.

[Except that when I was actually in middle school I got crazy embarrassed when boys called me...especially if they left a message on the answering machine! I would seriously rush home from school to erase them and if I didn't get a message erased, sometimes I would pretend like I had no idea who the boy was or why he was calling. Yep, I got that crazy embarrassed!]

Anyways, since my cute husband isn't here to hang out with it, I am doing lots of random blog posting...like this picture from our trip to San Diego a few years ago. Fish tacos = yum!

Cousin time...

What better way to pass some time while out of town than a great dinner with a great cousin? In honor of the fun evening, here are some great "cousin" items from etsy. Enjoy...

Family cousin book page necklace

Sweetest cousin scrabble tile pendant

Stark's Cousin - original painting

Grandma's House sign

And the last, but not least, the big cuz shirt. Cuz, his name is Trevor and he's my big cuz. :)

Fab fall finds...

Unfortunately, summer is quickly drawing to an end. I don't know how it went by so quickly...but I do know that if I had a few of the items below, I would be much more excited for fall to come.

By the way, I definitely paid no attention at all to the prices of these wonderful items. So the $924 clutch, the $629 candle sticks and some other items are way out of the realm of reality. But there were a few pleasant surprises too, like the two cute green tops and the eye-catching orange skirt.