Hello October

Well, it is 12:14 AM and officially OCTOBER!

Today I was reading a blog from an Australian woman, (which I highly suggest to all) She talked about the beginning of the warm sunny season in the southern hemisphere, and how nice it it to lay out in the sun again. I do love summer and the sunshine; but this is the first time in my life that I remember being EXCITED for winter! It's a change of pace, color and wardrobe. Life is altered. Why would I want to live same life all year long?

I love the feeling of excitement that often comes from thinking about the future. Where will I be when this fast approaching cold months ebb away? I have absolutely no idea. That is exactly what I love about life. Uncertainty of place.

These are a few things I love about cold months:
Hot Chocolate
Tights
Fireplaces
Changing leaves
Thick Coats

What do you love about Fall?

To celebrate the new month I made some pumpkin bread. Yes, that's right, I MADE it. Mind you, I have cooked aproximately five meals in my entire life prior to this new cooking phase.

Don't mind if I post a picture of myself. The purpose being to demonstrate how lovely a nice scarf is. Are you a scarf wearing person? If you answer No, I ask you to look inside yourself and ask, "Why on earth don't I wear scarves? They are amazing!"
I am busting mine out tomorrow!


xoxo

This is a blog about FINDING things!

I am so completely ECSTATIC right now!

In my Interior Design class we learned about this furniture maker Thomas Chippendale. He belongs to the Late-Georgian period of architecture. His pieces are known for their broad, manly, yoke-backs; and for the claw feet.

This is a knock-off Chippendale side chair on the market now: (Notice the lame straight legs... no claws!)

It's selling for $1035.99.

This is what I found at D.I. today....

YES YES YES!!! This is why I am so excited! Look at the exquisite clawed foot.
I purchased two chairs. I was on a search for a good desk chair for my bedroom. But one day i will have a larger house and I will be glad to have two of these chairs. Heck. I'm glad now!
The seats seem easy enough to re-upholster as well. So they can constantly match the given decor.

Each chair was only EIGHT DOLLARS!
coming to a total of $16.
Nothing will ruin my good mood today!

This is a blog about fixing things:

What better way to fix or mend something than with a little bit of tape. Actually, no, that is too broad, let me rephrase that sentence by saying; The best way to fix or mend something is with THIS tape!

Or this Japanese masking tape:


This just proves to me that anything in this life can be made a thing of beauty. Don't you agree?
I feel like I could stick this tape over a broken heart and it would be healed.

Well I have a new goal: To actually cook dinner once a week! This week I made Pizza! (almost from scratch- but not really.) As a college student most of my meals consist of cereal, or toast, or the occasional frozen food. Does anyone have any good and easy recipes they feel like sharing? I'll even try out the not-so-good ones! just kidding. Don't send me bad recipes.

So, I have been spending a lot of time looking at design blogs. Like previously mentioned, I have fallen in love with interior design like I never imagined. While browsing at Borders, I consciously passed the issue of Vogue in favor of Architectural Digest, and other home magazines. It's possible my age has jumped about 10 years without me knowing it.

Here are some blogs I have discovered:
you may enjoy them... you may not....
http://decorology.blogspot.com/
http://jubella.com/
http://decor8blog.com/
http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/

Here is my absolute favorite room I have seen:


It looks pretty much nothing like the colors I chose to decorate my apartment in, but I love the amazing lighting hitting the neutral colors. And seriously, the lines and design of the bed are out of this world.

I also love this color scheme:


Yes....
well I just do what I can in my own little un-paintable apartment. (which by the way has the most horrid couches I have ever laid eyes on.)
I need to post some more pictures of what I have done.

Well school is three and a half weeks in, and I have my first two tests this week! Now.... I need to study. Goodbye!

xoxo
Stephanie

Make a wish!

I feel like these watermelons....
Like I've been shoved in a box.
The good news is, I saw two shooting stars tonight. That can only mean that good things are just around the corner!

Look at these awesome covered classic books offered by Penguin Classics.
Amazing. Hooray for Good Design!
This Spectrum of books of all shapes and sizes makes me smile. Does it make you smile?
Maybe i should bring home a book case again. I had one before, but it is a pain to move from apartment to apartment. I probably have too many books with black, white or brown covers to pull this off.

I finished the time consuming project of my Birds of Paradise garland.
Here:

They are neatly hanging from the bottom of the kitchen cabinets. It is nice to wake up to the sound of birds chirping again. I am, you see, convinced that they come to life during the hour of sunrise. just kidding.

xoxo

Thursday Nights

New season TONIGHT!

The DIY life

I think I could make my own DIY Blog. But I don't want to, so the craft life is going to rear it's beautifully patterned head in this blog. (**DIY stands for Do-It-Yourself!)


Check out these DIY birds. I am making some. Mine, of course, are not wedding garland birds, but rather colorful "birds of paradise" if you will. They will hand under the kitchen cupboards.

I have recently become obsessed with interior design. I really really wish BYU still had a program. But I guess it's not like there aren't any other schools around. But I will never leave Geography. I love it too much.

There are several classes offered at BYU. I am taking the beginning class. I think I will take the rest. It might be true love.
I will post a picture of my birds when they are done.
i am in the market for a DIY living room Rug design.
The DIY life is the life for me.

Delilah

I am reading this book:

And, so far, 100 pages in, it is amazing.

It reminds me of this story:

Samson and Delilah.


I have been listening to the amazing song Samson, by Regina Spektor, over and over and over. It is an amazing song. Listen to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oA5DgYlrII

Samson went back to bed Not much hair left on his head He ate a slice of wonder bread and went right back to bed And history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us And the bible didn't mention us, not even once

You are my sweetest downfall I loved you first, I loved you first Beneath the stars came fallin' on our heads But they're just old light, they're just old light Your hair was long when we first met

Samson came to my bed Told me that my hair was red Told me I was beautiful and came into my bed Oh I cut his hair myself one night A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light And he told me that I'd done alright And kissed me 'til the mornin' light, the mornin' light And he kissed me 'til the mornin' light


Yes. I am putting another picture of Regina on my blog. because I love her.

D-D-D-Dancing

Yep, it's official. Today was the first installment of "Middle Eastern Dance" lessons that my friend Bethany and I signed up for together. "middle eastern dance" is just a P.C. way of saying Belly Dancing. Yes yes. I am excited.

oh Jerusalem.....

ONE YEAR ago was the day I boarded an airplane with 20 strangers, and emerged with 80 friends. For those who may not be aware, I studied abroad in the Holy City of Jerusalem last fall semester. Well Fall has come around again, and I am left to ponder the lessons I learned in the Holy Land.


This was home for the best four months of my life. The JC itself. (standing for Jerusalem Center). It is a glorious marvel of modern architecture in an ancient city. The Jerusalem Center is a very prized building within the Church. Elder Faust (don't quote me exactly) once said, "This land has been preserved for centuries.... No millennium for this building." It tuely is home to me.


The Dome of the Rock is one of the most holiest sites in the city, and certianly the holiest for all Muslim residents and visitors. It stands as a symbol for the city known to the Arab peoples as Al-Quds.

This is the Western Wall. The holiest site in the city to the Jewish people. As we know, Christ's prophecy that Herod's temple would be destroyed, without one stone standing upon another came true, as all prophetic prophecies due. The western wall, however was not a peice of the actual temple itself, but was a retaining wall that stood around the second temple. The western portion was closest to the Holy of Holies, thus, it is a sacred spot still today.




These next pictures were some of the holiest spots for me. The one above was taken in Bethlehem. This was the location of Christ's birth. I was not expecting to feel the way I did in this place. I expected chaotic tourists and rushed visit, and thoughts like, "how does anyone know that this is the place, anyway?" I was wrong. I did not feel any of those emotions. I only felt ones of a higher nature.


This is the Garden of Gethsamane.
If you have been here close your eyes and remember how you felt while in this place. If you have not been here close your eyes and think about what Christ did for you here.
You will know why this is such a special place to me.


This is where the ressurected Lord told Peter, "Feed my lambs....Feed my sheep....Feed my sheep." This is our duty today. To feed his sheep. To take the goodnews of the Gospel to all who will listen.





Dear Jerusalem, the Holiest of all cities,
I miss you. You were always there for me when I needed you. You are alive in my memory. I will see you again someday.
Love Stephanie.