Arts and Crafts

As you know (if you're a regular reader) I moved into a new office a few months back (Read here about the original ideas).  I promptly had every intention to decorate and, well, it hasn't happened.  Since I travel often in my job, I can go for weeks at a time without seeing the inside of my office.  That unfortunately means that decorating has fallen to the back of the line of Very Important Things I need to do list.  I did go out and buy some picture frames when I first moved offices and had great intentions of painting them Gold.  This is kind of what I had in mind:

But all gold frames with black & white prints and white matting, and little more space between them, leaning more this direction:

This weekend I finally had the chance/time to paint the frames and I have to say, they came out very well. (Please note: I am by no means a DIYer, ask anyone who knows me. I'm very proud of these.) Also a thank you to Stef & Charles for providing the garage space to make it happen!

I used Rust-Oleum "Specialty Metallic" in Gold; just a few passes and it dried to the touch in less than 30 minutes.  The one at the top had been a dull gold, and the other a Mahogany color.  When I finally get the prints done I want to put in them I'll post a finished pic.  I'm actually looking for some much larger frames to do the same with (my office has very large walls) but but haven't found a frame that is both large and ornate enough to satisfy the look I want.

Golden Tidbit:

I just happened to be browsing at West Elm this week (I can't help it, it's only 4 blocks from my apartment!) and found these completely by accident and I'm so glad I did.  I'm in the place where I should be saying to myself "hey, you should just leave it there and register for this sort of thing" but I just can help myself.  Really, could you?  I didn't think so.  Only $29 at West Elm

Golden Quote: "The best decisions are always made at the last minute.  Just know what the last minute is." - Holly Hunt

Charming Charlie

My friend Becky asked me to go check out a new store that she'd heard about through a few friends - Charming Charlie.  So we dragged our friend Krystal with us and piled into the car for a short shopping road trip.  Think of a store that sells fashion jewelry. And handbags.  And some inexpensive fashion clothes.  And watches. Oh, I can't forget all the scarves.  All very, very affordable.  It's laid out in color groupings, which makes shopping for anything specific much easier.

Well Accessorized

An overview from the store

Game plans: Always good so you don't go crazy and blow too much money on all the gorgeous/fun/trendy stuff that catches your eye.  I wear a lot of black (and gold) so my main goal was to get pieces with color.  Krystal was looking for layering pieces and Becky wanted to update her professional look.  Jewelry really is a great way to change your look even if you wear a similar style during the week.  It's the best way to take a simple outfit to the next level.
Tip: Bring friends who will be honest with you and know your style & wardrobe preferences; this will help you slim down your purchases less painfully before you get to the register.
Bonus tip (courtesy of Krystal): When shopping for necklaces, wear a shirt that has a neckline similar to the majority of what you wear.  Try on ALL the necklaces in store. You'd hate to get your purchases home only to find out they don't work with your wardrobe!

Part of the haul before thinning to the final purchase (red tags are clearance!)

We spend almost 2 hours in this place, and I could have easily spent more. The only problem is it's in Puyallup, and its the only store in the state.  I hear that they are working on getting online ordering ability established, and hope they do soon because that's save me a trip back down to the south end.

Golden Tidbit:

Snagged these great gold earrings for just $8!! Ladies, I know it's a long way down (and for my PDX gals, there's one in Hillsboro!) but believe me, it's well worth the trip!

Golden Quote: "I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny." ― Coco Chanel

15 Must See Movies

There are some movies that you just think of as classics.  Not the Academy Award stuff (necessarily) but the movies that you feel everyone should see, probably has seen, and you are pretty much in disbelief if someone tells you they haven't.  The kind of movies that elicit the, "Oh my God, how have you not seen this before, you have to go watch it now" kind of movies. This happened to me today when my Fiance told me he had never seen "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".  I grew up with that movie, and consider it one of those movies that I assume everyone else watched too.  With this discovery comes a pressing desire to tell you what the other classic movies are that you might not have seen but absolutely should. (not included in this list are movies that I truly assume everyone on Earth has seen, like The Matrix, Top Gun, Back to the Future and Independence Day).

1. Fifth Element
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. Princess Bride
4. Four Weddings and a Funeral.
5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
6. White Christmas
7. Michael
8. The Usual Suspects
9. Fried Green Tomatoes
10. Boiler Room
11. Ever After
12. A Beautiful Mind
13. The Never Ending Story
14. 12 Monkeys
15. Twister

*Honorable mention goes to Idiocracy and Sweet Home Alabama.

Golden Tidbit:

Obviously you are going to need some popcorn to go with your movie watching.  How about some Gold Mine Popcorn, available for $10 at Sun Snacks

Golden Quote: “The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.” 

― Alfred Hitchcock

Engaged

Here I was thinking that my 33rd birthday I would just be another year older, and boy was I wrong.......

I got Engaged!

Yep, you heard that right.  It was a total surprise, and only in looking back did I realize I should have known.  He proposed on the way to my birthday dinner, in an Uber (how Seattle Metropolitan, right??) and when we got the the restaurant, a huge group of all our friends was waiting to surprise me!  We got to celebrate our engagement with our nearest and dearest friends and having everyone there just made for a night that I know we won't ever forget.
*Also a big THANK YOU to our friend Charles who took that amazing picture of us!

Golden Tidbit:

I'd like to thank the staff at E.E.Robbins in Belltown for making this absolutely gorgeous ring into a reality.  Sorry guys, this is a custom, one-of-a-kind and I'm the lucky gal who has the only one!
(Also, a ring box with an LED light in it to light up the ring? Amazing.)

Golden Quote: "I have an engagement ring, which is my favorite accessory." - Jules Asner