NumberNineteen

Thred Up

I was so excited to get my first polka dot package from Thred Up yesterday!  I'd first heard about Thred Up through a flyer that they sent to me last fall.  I've been haunting their site since and finally took the plunge when I got a 40% off my first order coupon in the mail. 

Thred Up is basically an online clothing consignment/thrift shop that stocks mid to high end almost new items.  When you login you can create a "shop" that caters to your taste and sizes so that every time you visit, you will see the kind of items that you like.  Or, you can browse and/or search the entire site.  My "shop" is mostly classic/preppy styles, but I bought items from all over the site.

Cute packaging inside....

 

I ordered 4 tops for myself and 3 dresses for Hope.  My tops included a shirt from The Gap, a blouse from Old Navy & 2 others from brands that I didn't recognize (brands aren't important to me as long as I like the style and they are well made).  Hopes dresses are from Hanna Andersson and Lands End.  I am very particular about brands when it comes to Hope's clothes, as I look for high quality.  I've found that Hanna Andersson and Lands End wear better than any other children's brand, no matter what the price. 

We are absolutely delighted with everything that we received.  It is all in excellent condition, with most of it looking brand new.  And, the styles are as pretty in person as they were in the photos, if not prettier.

The best part?  All of it totaled $50.06, including shipping! That is about $7.15 an item.  I will definitely be shopping at Thred Up again for myself and Hope. 

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I would like to mention that I am not associated with Thred Up in any way and did not receive compensation of any kind for this post.  They have no idea who this little blog is!  I just discovered them recently and love to share great things when I find them. :)

42 Years

This lady is 42 years old.  My birthday was yesterday, conveniently falling on a national holiday this year.  I convinced a few students that I had arranged for everyone to have the day off because it was my birthday.  Don't worry, I  set them straight.  I had a wonderful birthday weekend.  Glenn took me out to one of my favorite restaurants, Bistro L'Hermitage on Saturday night.  Going there makes an occasion special.  It's a grown up, dress up, wine & dine experience.  It was such a treat. 

Sunday afternoon, I made Julia Child's Boeuf Bourginon.  It's truly a labor of love -- 4 hours to make one of the most delicious dishes that I've ever had. A once a year treat.

On Monday, Glenn and Hope gave me presents and took me to Fredericksburg for lunch and browsing. 

We went to an italian place and then looked through antique shops and Riverby Books, a funky little used bookstore.  Then, it was home for more boeuf & cake.

I know that there are some people who don't like birthdays.  Who don't like the idea of growing older.  I love birthdays. I love the chance to get older. To get the opportunity to spend more minutes, days, years with Glenn and Hope.  There were some years that I went through some bad stuff.  Times when I got up and looked around and thought "Wow, if I got through that, I must be here for a reason".  I still don't know what the reason is, but I sure am glad that I keep getting the chance to figure it out.

Caught My Fancy -- January

January is just flying by...it's not normally my favorite month (post-Christmas blues, gray skies, so on....) but, hey, if it goes this fast, I'm all good with it. Here are some things that have caught my fancy this month....

World War II in Seven Minutes -- You all know that I'm a history geek.  I love me some WWII coolness.  Check out this graphic in motion...it shows a visual of the European theater of the war, as seen by the moving colors across the map.  It almost terrifying seeing the red roll across and take over....knowing what it meant...and then, you see the blue of D-day and the Allies claiming Europe back for freedom. Just gives me the chills.

 

For Those Who Follow My Love of The Strand NYC --

I just came across this article in New York Magazine on the iconic New York bookstore, The Strand, that I've written about several times in the past year.   I loved reading about the history of the store, how it has changed with the city and how they keep competetive in today's book market.

Sweetly Sentimental Jewelry by bigEjewerly --

I have fallen in love with this jewelry made by Emily Willison of bigEjewelry on Etsy.  She takes any handwriting sample or signature and turns it into a deeply personal and unique necklace, bracelet, ring and more.  What an amazing gift or way to remember a loved one.

OPI RapidDry --

This has got to be one of my favorite products, ever.  I used to hesitate to paint my nails because all of my effort would be ruined by sheet marks or bumps, no matter how long I sat & waited for them to dry.  Now, I just swipe a bit of RapidDry over the top of my painted nails, wait just a minute and I'm good to go!  I paint my nails all of the time now, because it's so easy & they look great.

New Books in 2015

I'm off and running towards my goal of reading 100 books in 2015 (well, sometimes off and jogging might be more apt).  I have a long list of "want to reads" which includes adult and YA titles, old and new.  In addition, I am really excited about some books that are due to come out this year. I'm getting on the library wait list for these books that are coming out in 2015!

Know Your Beholder by Adam Rapp-- March 3, 2015

This sounds like one of my favorite kinds of adult fiction -- a person in down & out situation, working through it with humor and a wry outlook.  According to Amazon:

"thirty-something Francis Falbo is holed up in his attic apartment, recovering from a series of traumas: his mother's death, his beloved wife's desertion, and his once-ascendant rock band's irreconcilable break-up. Francis hasn't shaved in months, hasn't so much as changed out of his bathrobe-"the uniform of a Life in Default"-for nine days....Fusing consummate wit with the seriousness attending an adulthood gone awry, Rapp has written an uproarious and affecting novel about what we do and where we go when our lives have crumbled around us."

 

 

A History of Loneliness by John Boyne -- February 3, 2015

This is the story of a good Irish Catholic priest who must face, although he committed no mis-deeds, the dark troubles in the church and his complicit role in those troubles.  I don't know why I'm drawn to stories about the troubles in the Catholic Church, but I've really enjoyed other novels on the subject, including Faith by Jennifer Haigh.

 

I Was Here by Gayle Foreman -- January 27, 2015

I've really loved Gayle Foreman's If I Stay and Where She Went.  She writes compelling stories that just suck.you.in.  In her latest, college age Cody discovers that her best friend Meg has, without warning,  committed suicide.  What happened to Meg?  What would drive her to this?  How could Cody not have known?  Cody learns more about Meg's life and finds that there was much about her that she didn't know....

 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -- January 13, 2015 (that's today!!)

I'm *dying* to read The Girl on the Train.  It sounds like a modern take on Rear Window, with twists.  Amazon says,

"Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

     And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?"

Akk!  I'm so excited about this book.

 

 

Kid President's Guide to Being Awesome by Bobby Novak and Brad Montague -- February 3, 2015

We all need a little more Kid President in our life...seriously, if we all were a little more Kid President, a little less...well, un-Kid President, the world would be a better place.

So...what do you think?  Have any of these caught your eye?

Home Finishing Touches 2015 -- The Master Bedroom

Next up in our "finishing touches" projects is our master bedroom.  The master bedroom has been in limbo since we moved in, mostly because I couldn't figure out what I wanted.  The basics are all there -- the paint color (Rejuvenate by Behr - a soft green that I love) is the same as in the old house, and we want to keep the same furniture (Have I mentioned how much I love our bed?  I still think that it's the most beautiful bed that I've ever seen.) Along the way, we've made a few small changes -- we got a new mattress so we had to put the double sized footboard in storage, I switched out the wall art -- but I couldn't commit to the big items -- the bedding & curtains.  I fell in love with lots of things, but the truth is, I can't spend $500 on a custom duvet cover or $50/yard for curtain fabric.

I think that I've finally found pieces that match both my vision and budget. 
From my Polyvore -- click the link for sources.

With the bedding, I'm going with half new/half things that I already have.  We really like our green matellase quilt, which is similar to the one above,  and a gorgeous needlepoint pillow (not pictured) that I found at a thrift shop, so we are keeping those.  We need something stylish to give us extra warmth and bring some pattern in the room.  I found the perfect solution in IKEA's Emmie Ruta Duvet Cover & Pillow Sham Set, which we'll use with a lightweight duvet.  Since the price is so reasonable on that set, I can spurge just a little on a yard of the beautiful Robert Allen green & white print for throw pillows.

For the windows, I'm going to bring up the family room linen-looking-but-are-really-made-from-dropcloths curtains that I think will look really good with the duvet.  We bought the lamps shown in the design board last year, though our shades are more of an oatmeal color.  Finally, on the wall above the bed, there will be a collage of white plates. 

When I was planning this room, I went back to several inspiration pictures again and again.

I love this fresh green and white room from Coastal Living

I really like the coloring of the bedding in this room by Viscusi Elson Interior Design

I'm in love with the cosy yet elegant feel of Northern Nesting's bedroom.  This is where I first spied the IKEA duvet set.

Absolutely stunning bed by Nancy Serafini Interior Design

Phoebe Howard gorgeousness.

Soon, I'll post about a few touches that we are hoping to add to the kitchen, dining room and family room (I'll have to replace those curtains I'm moving to the bedroom!).

 

 

Home Finishing Touches 2015 - Powder Room

We've been going over our plans for 2015 and deciding what we would like to do as a family and in the house.  2014 was about lots of (awesome) travel and one big house project -- the built in bookcases (reveal soon to come).  2015 looks like it will be the opposite -- less travel and more house projects.

Since we live in a newer house, our projects involve putting on finishing touches and customizing.  In other words, getting rid of the dreaded "builder grade".  We are planning on finishing the powder room, possibly finishing the bedroom and adding touches to the kitchen and dining room.  I thought that it would be fun to do a series of posts about each of our projects and my inspiration.  First, the powder room....

You may remember that we did some updates to the powder room already -- paint and new hardware.  We are ready to finish it out with a new faucet, light fixture and rug.  I found the Restoration Hardware light fixture shown above on craigslist (score!), though we will be using shades that we already have, which have a fluted shape.  I'm in love with the curved lines of this Victorian inspired faucet, which will go really well with the hardware that we put in last year.  I'm going to finish it off with a new oriental rug that is mainly brown with touches of blue to pick up the wall color and ironstone plates that are already hung.

I was inspired by these gorgeous traditional bathrooms.  I love the sconces with fabric shades and Victorian inspired hardware. I also love the wallpaper and think that a powder room is the perfect spot to try out pretty wallpaper.  Unfortunately, Glenn, who is still scarred from 6 rooms of wallpaper removal in the old house, says no.

Both of these were done by Elizabeth Dinkel Design

Love the soft blue & wallpaper in this one from Decor Pad

I love everything about this room from The Enchanted Home

Next up, my ideas for our master bedroom.

 

Goals for 2015

Happy New Year to all of you! As the new year begins, I can't help but think about ways that I would like to enrich my life.  Not resolutions, but goals that will improve my happiness, well being and purpose.  Here are the goals that I've been mulling over the past few weeks:

Volunteering - I really want to support the causes that I believe in not only through donations but also through volunteering.  Not only do I want to make myself "walk the walk" of support but I also want to provide an example to Hope of the importance of service to others.  The challenge for me with this goal is time.  Time is my most precious commodity and I will have to commit myself to carving out time to volunteer.

Involvement in Hope's School - This is another example of making myself "walk the walk".  I talk all the time of the difference that parent involvement makes in a school's community and attittude and yet, I haven't really been involved in my own child's school.  Don't get me wrong -- I attend activities with her and am active in her personal education.  However, I haven't given time to become part of the organizations that make up the school community.  The next PTO meeting is going onto my calendar!

My Health - I know, same story, different year!  Who isn't making their health a goal/resolution in January?  In the past, I've made goals to lose weight.  That only works short term for me.  This year, my goals are to exercise more, drink more water, cut back on sugar and eat more fruits and vegetables.  I want to focus on my whole health rather than a number on the scale or skirt size.  I'm going to give occasional updates here on the blog to keep me accountable.  Hold me to this, OK??

Reading - My 2014 goal was to read 100 books.  I read 91 books -- so close!  I'm so glad that I put that goal in place and pushed myself to read as much as possible.  I'm pretty sure that I don't need to tell you how much I love to read and what it brings to me, but I will say that my life was enriched by those books.  In addition, it pushed me to read many books from my school library, which allows me to be a better librarian.  The 2015 is goal is to make it to 100 books -- I can do it!

Getting Mom in the Picture - I just added this goal as I was finishing up this post.  I went looking for a decent picture of me & had to go back to the summer!  Yeesh!  I'm going to hand the camera over to Glenn more often so that I can be part of the family's recorded history.

OK, I think all of these things are possible and, more importantly, are ways that my life will be better than before.  Do you have any goals for 2015?