Can I have it?? Pretty please?? Fingers crossed for me that I win this giveaway. Out of the thousands of comments…I hope she randomly selects mine!!

What are you talking about Lauren??? THE SILHOUETTE! Little Birdie Secrets is hosting a giveaway for one, and I can’t tell you how much I want one for my very own. (Please don’t enter the giveaway…it will lessen my chances. ) How amazing would this have been for preparing for my wedding? The DIY would have become DIY with the help of a fancy cutting machine.

I could help the timing and accuracy of my Wunzees and speed up the process. I could create amazing personalized cards. I could decorate our walls with vinyl decals…the possibilities are endless!!!

You should browse their blog to see some ways they use the machine. Don’t take my word for it…I’ve never even used the thing! Oh….but if I win…no doubt I will use it. I would set up a little crafting area on my already crowded art space. I would attach it to my laptop and get creative!  They even give you access to thousands of Digital Designs available through the Silhouette Online Store. With an unlimited subscription to the Store, you can download individual Designs 24/7. Without a subscription, Designs cost only 99¢ each.

This machine actually sounds a lot like the Cricut machine that I have lusted after in the past…They give you a comparison site demonstrating the “cooler” factor of the Silhouette. Sold. Good thing I don’t own it yet.

Just add this to the Things I Covet.

Its weird living up north..in an apartment..without a backyard…with no friends who have pools..and where its so foggy that we cant ever see fireworks anyway.

Its one of the main things I miss about southern california. If YOU didn’t have a pool, you knew someone who did. Someone was always BBQing, there were parties growing up at friends of families houses, there were parties on the (sunny) beaches when I was in school in SD. Since I moved to the bay almost 7 years ago…the 4th of July has kind of fallen by the wayside, and not been as important to people up here. It’s never been about the actual holiday for me…I just heart BBQ’s, eating outside, fireworks, and warmth.

I have tried to go and see fireworks  2 times since I moved here…it was always too foggy, and couldn’t see anything. A few years I have gone to High Sierra Music Festival, which is where I’m heading this holiday for a few days as well. Last year we went to Austin.

Its funny though because I think mentally, I’m always preparing for a day where I can have the BBQs, pools, and fireworks again. Even in our registry, we registered for outdoor silverware and condiment caddies. We initially registered for outdoor acrylic plates as well, but Crate & Barrel stopped carrying the ones we wanted. I don’t even have a patio, much less a backyard…but I think I’m preparing for the 4th. For a 4th of July in the future.

I want lemonade in a pitcher of ice. I want cupcakes frosted to look like the American Flag. I want kids running around and swimming. I want families of friends coming over to eat ribs that we have been cooking all day. I want to eat a burger, hot dog AND a rib…just because its all there, and thats what people do at BBQs. I remember when it was all about the party, and that stuff didnt really matter. I’m ready for it now. I guess first things first…and I need to get out of this apartment.

image by Heather Kennedy

We got our first wedding gift a few weeks back. It was our pots and pans set that we had registered for, and we couldn’t be more excited. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and love to cook…so it was perfect that we got a nice, new, shiny set.

Last October, we saw some heavy rain, and our apartment wasn’t ready for it. We had roof leaks, closet leaks, and floor leaks. We had to protect our stuff, so we used a few of the older, crappier pots and pans to catch the rain and protect our furniture. We threw those rusty and ruined pots and pans away after, making our collection significantly smaller.

Even with the smaller collection we already have, with this new, shiny set, we have no where to store them all! They are actually still in the box.  We won’t be in this apartment forever, so we will make do with what we have, but I would love to be able to display and hang my new, shiny pots in a convenient, space-saving and decorative way. So I started browsing. There wont be a place for it now, but I figured a girl can dream right? My two thoughts were hanging rack, and peg board. How do you keep your pots and pans?

This over the stove rack is nice to look at, and a good use of space, but would the pots and pans be affected by the grease?

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This might be the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while as far as furniture goes. Don’t know how much it is…dont care, as I’m going to just sit and drool. Resource Furniture is full of gems…check out the site. All of their space saving furniture is fantastic.

you would THINK its just a couch

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Yes…I know that these are totally attainable, but over the past 4 days, with the terrential downpour that is occuring in the Bay Area, man….do I wish I had some.

I am heading to Colorado next weekend, and have absolutely NO shoes to wear. The failure of boots that I’ve been wearing in the rain certainly wont suffice. So…do I get rain boots? Or do I get a hybrid that is appropriate for the snow too? I definitely need to shop this weekend and next week, and find something appropriate. I’ll share what I get once I get them.

a little cuter than just black…rainboots should have a little flare, right?

These say “Rain wont mess with me!”

If I was 9, I would totally be into these (or if they came in my size)

I just fell in love with these, but at $250, they are a little out of my price range. They have electric controls that keep the inside warm!! These are more snow friendly than anything…but how hot are these?

These are pretty cute….under $100, waterproof and good for the snow…maybe?

I hate laundry day. We are lucky enough to have a washer/dryer in our building that has broken coin slots, so its free, but I HATE not knowing if its occupied or not. I HATE not having it conveniently located in my apartment. I HATE laundry day. I just think that my life would be easier with a washer/dryer in my apartment. If I want to wear a pair of jeans that are dirty..I can wash them when I want to. If we need to clean towels, I don’t need to worry about if I can.

These pretty red ones match the KitchenAid Mixer in my kitchen…I love this color.

And…these are energy efficient. Another sign of me getting older. I want my own. Right now, in my rented apartment living however…I don’t see that happening.

Got a Bed Bath and Beyond newsletter about this in my inbox this morning. Isn’t it pretty?

WANT.

Isnt it lovely?Anson Sofa

Fabric: Discover

Color: Ink

Located: Room and Board

(if only I had $1,799 to put toward a couch)