Archive for February, 2011

Friday I’m in Love: Sleep

Posted on: February 25th, 2011 by Andrea No Comments

Hand in hand with procrastination and vegging out is their very close friend, fatigue. I am so. freaking. tired. And I mean all of the time.

Though in fatigue’s defence, I don’t believe it is exclusively due to the winter doldrums or to my recent bout of under-stimulation. Rather, I blame it on my new-ish job that I started in January. While two months seems more than enough to acclimatize to a new position, this one has the added “bonus” of being in a language that is not the one that comes most naturally to me….which makes everything just a little bit (or, to be honest, a lot) harder. And which, by the end of the day (and especially the end of the week), has been leaving me pretty wiped out.

So….I am 100% head over heels in love with sleep, and all of its accoutrements:

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Like this absolutely gorgeous bedroom spread in turquoise and white…if I had my s*** together and money were no object (I wish!), this is what my bedroom would look like…thanks to House of Turquoise for digging it up on Vancouver’s The Cross Decor and Design.

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In reality, though, I know that pristine bed with its super-perfect headboard and pillows will never be mine…more likely is this DIY love headboard which I also happen to love love love by Dana from House*Tweaking:

Though I might not use yellow, and I might come up with another word (maybe “dream” or “sweet dreams” or even plain old “sleep” might serve as a nice directive), I love the absolute simplicity and aesthetic of this…and the fact that it’s mostly made with recycled materials doesn’t hurt. Dana not only provides a handy how-to on her site, but was helpful enough to provide a follow up to show how to hang it, as well.

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Though, of course, my actual bed would look more like this one I found on Tumblr’s create.find.admire because, well…I hardly ever make it:

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…Not because I’m a slob or anything…I just think beds are for sleeping. So along with my DIY headboard and messy duvet (surely with a cat hidden somewhere in there), the following print by Ashley G and Drew would be right at home, somewhere in close proximity:

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As would this cutie-pie I love my bed hoop embroidery and applique by ThreeRedApples:

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And when I’m actually sleeping? I’ll cuddle up with my cat (or my boy…depending on which is most agreeable at the moment), and pull a silk ‘Kitty’ sleep mask over my eyes while I drift off into a dream world filled with beautiful cushy beds and pillows like those from the House of Turquoise.

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Goodnight, everyone…and sweet dreams!

Procrastination: 1, Andrea: 0

Posted on: February 21st, 2011 by Andrea 5 Comments

I’ve been having a hard time focusing these last couple of weeks…it seems no matter what I want to do, I don’t have the energy, the time, or (at that very moment) the inclination to embark on, well….anything new or too time consuming. There’s a part of me that thinks maybe I’m suffering from the winter doldrums (also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Or maybe I’m just lazy.

Needless to say, I’ve become extremely adept at procrastinating…every time I think of doing something productive or creative…I don’t.

Usually one of the following top 5 usual suspects wins out for my time:

Usual Suspect #1: PlayStation
My playstation is by far the biggest eater of my precious waking hours…not only does it offer hours and hours of continued interactive enjoyment, but with a decent selection of games at my disposal it offers a multitude of worlds in which I can get caught up and lost in….and considering I’m just sitting around procrastinating, these make-believe worlds seem far more interesting than my own couch potato reality.

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Usual Suspect #2: Google Reader
I really enjoy blogs and am always on the lookout for new and interesting reads. But I am, unfortunately, way past the point of being able to reasonably keep on top of them all. So far past it that my total “unread” items has 4 digits (eep!). Having all of these unread posts works very well when I am actively trying not to do other things.

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Usual Suspect #3: Etsy
Oh Etsy…how do I love thee? Apparently, I love thee a little too much. I spend hours on end just browsing what other creative people (who actually manage to create, rather than procrastinate) are offering, or exploring the many vintage goodies for sale. And the fact that daily temptations are delivered directly to my inbox? I don’t have the willpower to resist.

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Usual Suspect #4: Pinterest
I was probably a little too excited when I finally received my invitation to join Pinterest…I scour the site regularly for inspiration and (let’s face it) just for fun. I’m amazed that I can see the same pin over and over, and not consider it boring (why is that?!).

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Usual Suspect #5: TripAdvisor
I have a fickle romance with TripAdvisor…if I’m not going anywhere, then I want nothing to do with it. But if I am….(and I am….), I have an obsessive relationship with it. I can’t finalize any of my travel plans without first consulting with that sultry goddess of reviews. Current destination: Italy…have I made any decisions where to stay? Nope…because I haven’t over-examined every single possibility yet.

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There. Now that I’ve officially recognized that I am a slave to the above procrastination temptresses, maybe I can finally get my act together and do something.

[ photo sources: Timothy Buckwalter | artsyville ]

Type Tuesdays: Type Anatomy

Posted on: February 15th, 2011 by Andrea No Comments

If you ever find yourself wondering what the proper terminology is for the little feet on a serif font, or what the heck an arm, eye, ear, leg, tail or crotch refers to when speaking in terms of type, then you might be interested in this anatomical overview compiled over on font.is.

It’s pretty handy dandy in a pinch…though I do advise reading the full post for a little insight into the organisation of the labels…(they don’t always refer to the letter they’re immediately above or below).

Slow Readers Book Club: Finny

Posted on: February 6th, 2011 by Andrea No Comments

A week or so ago, while perusing one of my favourite blogs, Down and Out Chic, I stumbled upon a post about the Slow Readers Book Club…I was intrigued.

The clubs’ members aren’t actually slow readers, but readers who tend to have so much going on in their lives (work, school, kids, family, errands, competing forms of entertainment, you name it) that they don’t have the time to just sit there and read a book from cover to cover and be ready to discuss immediately. Rather, they’re people who may or may not be able to find a little time here and there to read, and who can relax because “deadlines” are soft, and they can discuss the book as little or as much as they like once they’re finished on the Slow Readers’ forum.

Plus, the emphasis on the club is enjoying something you love to do (read), and sharing that love with like-minded people. It’s not about who can come up with the most philosophical and provocative comments about the latest high brow novel du jour.

So I’m going to give it a shot. I’ve always wanted to join a book club, and this online format seems a great way to ease myself into it. I joined last week, and bought my first book “due” at the end of February…it’s called Finny by Justin Kramon, which I’ll be digging into tomorrow AM on the way to work.

(Did I mention I’m taking public transportation to work now? It means I have a lot more time on my hands during which I can stare at my fellow travelers or read…obviously, I’d rather read.)

FYI: If you are interested in the Slow Readers Book Club, you can learn a little more about it, or jump right in and sign up.

Happy reading!