Blood Sweat & Tears

Uh… my experience wasn’t quite this sexay! LOL

It was my first day back to work after being sick (really sick, so sick I wanted to die) for nearly a week. But first – I had to vote! Thing is, life was conspiring against me today… but I showed life! Yes, I did.

Well, technically life showed me… the power company came and did some repair work to our meters and the power was shut off, so my uniform was not washed and dried when I planned for it to be. I lost track of the time because I didn’t reset the clocks in the house right away and had to mad scramble out the door (at which point I twisted my right ankle so hard that I went down crying). I made my bus and got to the Kent Regional Justice Center with 10 minutes to walk onto the grounds, deposit my ballot in the drop box, and then get off the grounds and down a mall sized block to my next bus (which I ran part of the way). I just made it!

The good news is, I voted. The better news is, I wasn’t late to work because of it. I feel good about doing my duty today… it cost me a bit to do it (my ankle is still swollen and I’m going to have to launder my shirts again from all the sweaty) but it was worth it. I made my voice a citizen of the United States heard. I hope you did too!

Happy Halloween!

via Bohemea on Tumblr.

Have a spooky Halloween, everyone!

Sunset Walk

My aunt and me hopped in her giant vehicle and went down to the Des Moines Marina to visit my uncle at his boat. My aunt was tired so she parked on a bench with Sammie while my uncle and I walked up the pier.

It was a gorgeous evening with the sun setting on one side of the pier and a sliver of the moon hanging over the other. The camera on my phone does it no justice!

I had an awesome time hanging out with my aunt and uncle! Next time I hope to have pics from the water… My uncle said he’d take me out on his boat before the summer is over. 🙂

PolarDroid

Ok, that’s not really what it’s called. It’s actually called the Polaroid SC1630 and it’s powered by Android. I like my version better but what I like best of all is that something that I was just sort of randomly wishing for under my breath is actually going to be on the market in a short while.

What is it that I was wishing for (you may well ask)? Wouldn’t it be cool if I could get the benefits of all my picture taking apps in a dedicated camera instead of the piecemeal whatsajiggit that they slap on to phones these days. (8MP? Whatevs! Ok, sometimes it’s not 8MP, it’s less)… This smart camera boasts 16MP and can instantly send your pictures to your favorite social applications, including Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, etc. You could use it with a Polaroid PoGo or use the Walgreens app to send your snaps to your local store for printing! So cool, right?

Anywho, I’m excited beyond all comprehension that in the near future I will be able to have everything digital I own – phone, tablet, laptop, and digital camera that are all running on Google genius.

Yes, I bought the Kool-Aid and I’m drinking it too. You should try it, it’s quite tasty!

Instagram

Finally! The Instagram app is available for Android! After what seems like eons of waiting, while all my iPhone toting friends tweeted arty, perfectly altered photos of everything from their pets to what they ate for lunch last Saturday, I am able to join the fray. Yes, I have posted a picture of a pet. No, I haven’t posted pictures of food… but it’s early days yet for me in Instagram land.

Here is a sampling of what I’ve got up so far (minus my hideous early attempts) and in the spirit of full disclosure: a few of these photos were sent through Vignette (the full version) and Pixlr-O-Matic and then refiltered through Instagram, then I hitched them up together using Photoshake! Pro. I’ll let you decide which ones!

Clockwise from top left: boxes at my old job, my new thrift store camera, my niece and nephew, the view through the trees walking from IKEA Seattle.

Clockwise from top left: my nephew at the beach, historic building at the same beach, the Duwamish River through Fort Dent Park, my nephews throwing rocks at ducks!

Clockwise from top left: the Zoo Lights at Point Defiance Xmas 2010, Charlotte NC clouds, SW 43rd St passing under the train tracks, and my new stash of thrift store books… I got Murakami (x2) AND The Somnambulist for $2 each!

Are you on Instagram too? You can find me under the handle asishome (so original, I know!) trying sharpen my photo taking and editing skills. Follow me and I’ll follow you back. Happy picture taking!

Hey, That’s My Bike!

Sometimes you can get what you want… even when you’re late to the party.

I am slightly bike obsessed. You may have noticed here and here… So ever since I’ve been working at IKEA, I’ve wanted to get a hold of the bike that was given as an Xmas gift (the Christmas right before I started) two years ago.

IKEA coworker bikes.

During a casual conversation with a coworker I was offered two of the IKEA bikes and I jumped at the chance. So now I have them sitting in the living room. One of the bikes needs air in the tires and they both need more comfortable bikes seats so I’m going to have to do some shopping. 🙂

Razor Adult Helmet, $19.99 @ Target.com

Schwinn Soft & Wide Bike Seat @ Target.com

I’m still hoping to get one of the Schwinn Meridian Adult Tricycles but I’m looking forward to spending some of my days off cruising down a couple of local trails like the BPA and King County Interurban on my new to me IKEA bikes!

Lazy Days of Summer?

So, my plan was to write an awesome post about some cool things I’ve seen lately but life, in the form of six loads of laundry, intervened. I decided that I should stop procrastinating and get it done… Which I did.

I also finished the last book of the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy (more on that in another post)…

… downloaded a new eBook called The Black God’s War…

… signed up for the email list for my friend Robin Burks upcoming debut novel Zeus, INC…

… played around with a photo editing app called Pixlr…

edited and added to some of my boards on Pinterest

… checked out the girly glam blog, This Is Glamorous…

… made two playlists on Spotify and listened to Nero’s Welcome Reality…

Um, but not necessarily in that order! Anyway, that’s what I did with my day off. I didn’t really do anything but I feel like that was a lot for one day! Until next time…

4th & Sparkles

Have a sparkling Fourth of July!

My stepsister is moving to Nashville, TN tomorrow. Today we’re going to celebrate the 4th while sending her off with love. I hope everyone has an amazing holiday! Until next time!

Laced With Sweetness

You know how sometimes you see something and it makes you swoon? Something that literally resonates… Today while looking over ish and chi, the blog of Vivian Mansour, I saw this old post (from August 2010) showing an outfit she wore and a project she worked on… Guess which one I swooned over?

How beautiful is this ensemble!?

It is a two year old post so the gorgeous lace blouse is no longer available at ModCloth… *sigh* I bet some enterprising seamstress could whip up a reasonable copy though. It’d be worth it! I could see wearing a top like this as it’s shown or over a black cami with a pencil skirt and pumps, or over jeans with the sleeves pushed up. It really is a knockout! Anywho, the top may not be available anymore but this pic is definitely inspiration for a silhouette to match with a beloved maxi dress that needs a little extra something.

Want a last closer look?

Dainty and Demure Top.

In other news (somewhat related to my post Truly from earlier this week): I have taken the first steps toward going back to college for an interior design certification/degree. I’m nervous and excited and hoping it all works out for the best. Wish me luck!

HomeGoods… At Last!

Well, if you’ve read any design blogs in that last decade you’ve heard of HomeGoods. OK, maybe I’m exaggerating slightly… but only slightly. Homegoods is the magical place where you can find great home decor items for awesome prices. It’s operated by the company that owns TJ Maxx and Marshall’s; if you’ve ever shopped the small selection of home decor you have an idea of what’s on offer at HomeGoods. Yesterday I had a chance to run in to the newly opened location in Federal Way (south of the metro Seattle area) for a few moments and check out the offerings. Here’s what I saw:

And that was just what I saw on a quick ten minute walk through! I’m so excited that I finally go to a HomeGoods store whenever the mood strikes. I’m looking forward to going in and taking longer look and maybe coming home with some treasures of my own. 🙂