Public Nuisance:

I'm a little annoyed. My next-door neighbor has an schnauzer that will. not. shut. up. The thing barks constantly. It stops when he comes home, but for every second that he is away, the mongrel is yapping his head off. Luckily the walls are really thick for an apartment here, but I can still faintly hear the barking. All of the time.

Also, there is someone who is allowing their furry friend to take massive poo's right in front of my porch. Which would be fine if they picked it up. I cannot imagine letting my dog shat right next to someone's porch and leaving it.

I suppose these things annoy me so much because I consider myself pretty responsible about my pups. If I have to pick up the steamy pile of poo for everyone else's sake every time they defecate, so should everyone else. It's part of owning a pet in an apartment complex. Also, when I go to someone's house and their dog jumps all over me and won't quit scratching me, I just want to leave. My dogs certainly get pumped about someone coming over, but they know better than to act a fool.

I have worked really hard at training and disciplining my dogs, and I have made many sacrifices over the years. Most importantly, I know that I have committed to caring for these adorable doggies for the next ten years... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love this pup. :)

A Damn Good Dawg:

Uga VII has been announced and will make his debut before the game tomorrow!

I will be the first to admit that bulldogs aren't cute in the least... but this new Uga is far cuter than many who have graced Sanford Stadium before him. Let's be honest.

Regardless, I'm excited.

Weekend Goal:

Finish this book. Even if it kills me.



It's not that I'm not enjoying the book. It's not that I don't hang on every pertinent point that Hitchens makes about the ridiculousness of religion. It's not that I don't have a spare hour here and there that I could spend reading instead of flipping through the channels and grumbling about how everything on television sucks as of late. I just hate reading. There, I said it.

I blame it on my reading-intensive history major... but the truth of the matter is, I've never been into reading for pleasure. I just don't find books so wildly interesting that it pains me to put it down... never have. I'm trying though. I truly am.

So my goal for the weekend (aside from cheering on the Dawgs and getting caught up on a little homework) is to finish. this. book.

Local Etsy Love:

I just stumbled upon a really great Etsy feature... local seller search! Sa-weet!

I started to browse through the local Athens artists, and I was surprised that some of the items looked familiar... Oh yeah! WeddingBee! I knew it. Miss Hummingbird got a necklace for her wedding day, and Miss Cream Puff got bridesmaids gifts from seller Meg Leigh's shop! I didn't realize she was a fellow Athenian though!

Here are a few of my favorites:











She'll even adjust the chain lengths on necklaces if you want. Ah, the wonderful customization that only Etsy can provide! Definitely check out her shop... totally cute stuff.

Coming Full Circle:

I am so incredibly glad that our season opener is against Georgia Southern this year... When I was a wee freshman, my very first football season began with the very same game. I remember waking up and glancing out my window to a sea of red and black that morning. It was beautiful. It seems only fitting that four years and many memories later, I should start my last year the same as I started my first.

From here.

I wish I had a picture from that first game to share/compare/contrast, but back in that time facebook didn't allow you to have multiple pictures... only your profile pic. Wow, I'm old. And since facebook is my main medium for preserving old pictures, they are most likely lost forever.

(I'm usually not very sentimental, but what can I say, football brings out the softy in me.)

Sorry for the Convenience*:

I have no respect for people who take the elevator up one floor. None. Whatsoever.

Living in a high-rise dorm my freshman year, nothing got under my skin more than someone who would press the "2" or even "3" button when I was trying to get up to the 8th floor. C'mon. Really? Stop being lazy and walk your @$$ up a flight of stairs. We are young and able-bodied. So do it. Thanks!

*This is from a Mitch Hedberg joke... "An escalator can never break, it can only become stairs. You would never see a "Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order" sign... just "Escalator Temporarily Stairs; Sorry for the Convenience." Not really about an elevator, but seriously, take the stairs!

Etsy Shop of the Week:

I just stumbled upon Joom's fabulous pillow designs on Etsy... Wow. I'm totally a sucker for birds as of late, and these are totally giving me my much-needed fix. Observe:








She has all sorts of colors and sizes... all of which are incredibly adorable!

Remember, buy handmade!

Cutie Alert:

Warning: The following cuteness might force you to suddenly lose control of your mouse and end up applying to take this adorable pup home to be all yours!


Meet Walter!

I just saw this doggie over at the Athens Canine Rescue site. This is the place where I got my cutie Lily, and lemme just say they are awesome! The best part about getting a pup from a rescue group, as opposed to a shelter, is that there aren't any surprises! You get a trial period to see how your new companion fits with your lifestyle and they are completely healthy, so no surprise bills when you get to that first vet visit! (A good friend of mine got her dog home from the shelter to find that he had all sorts of medical problems that she wasn't informed of and she ended up paying hundred of dollars to get him healthy.)

Here is a direct link to more pictures of Walter!

Albums That Shaped High School:

It really wasn't until my senior year of high school that I started to really pay attention to music beyond the Top 40. My first true heartbreak lead to a long road of overall angsty-ness that I am happy to have behind me now, and music was a huge part of expressing the angst. For nostalgic purposes, let's take a trip down memory lane and take a look at the albums that played on repeat in my Jeep Grand Cherokee's after-market CD player as I drove all around Towne Lake:

Morning View. Incubus.
Favorite Tracks: Every last one. 11 am is extra awesome, though.
Memory: This was a burn from that infamous first heartbreak. One specific lyric especially reminded me when I would drive down to Statesboro just to see him for the day, "There's something about the look in your eyes. Something I noticed when the light was just right. It reminded me twice that I was alive, and it reminded me that you're so worth the fight." There is a story behind this. I will not be sharing that story.


Room For Squares. John Mayer.
Favorite Tracks: Love Song For No One, 3x5, No Such Thing.
Memory: This was something I could listen to with my mom in the car without hearing her complain. (Check out Johnny boy on the cover! This was way before he dated Jessica Simpson, then Jennifer Aniston, and was kissing Perez Hilton. Awww.)


Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Outkast.
Favorite Tracks: Ghetto Musick, Dracula's Wedding, Behold a Lady.
Memory: I remember listening this on my way to work as a hostess at O'Charley's constantly.


Tell All Your Friends. Taking Back Sunday.
Favorite Tracks: Every damn one.
Memory: Ah, yes. Here is where that angst I spoke of begins to kick in. This was a frequent roll-all-the-windows-down-and-scream-the-angry-lyrics scenario. This album is so classic.


Waiting For My Rocket to Come. Jason Mraz.
Favorite Tracks: Absolutely Zero, Too Much Food, You And I Both, On Love In Sadness.
Memory: This was a favorite of my sister, Amanda, and I burned it from her. The sexual innuendos are plentiful and his play on words just never gets old to me.


Take This to Your Grave. Fall Out Boy.
Favorite Tracks: Tell That Mick He Just Made My List Of Things To Do Today, Grand Theft Autumn, The Pros and Cons of Breathing.
Memory: A co-worker burned my this album when he discovered my affinity for TBS. We used to always say, "I'm good to go..." and the other would respond, "But I'm going nowhere fast." I don't care what anyone thinks, this album is gold. Even their more recent stuff is usually catchy-as-shit and lyrically pretty damn good. Shun me if you so please.


Your Favorite Weapon. Brand New.
Favorite Tracks: Jude Law and a Semester Abroad, Seventy Time 7, The Shower Scene.
Memory: Just another one of those great pop-punk/emo-esque albums that gets you fired up inside.


I Am The Movie. Motion City Soundtrack.
Favorite Tracks: My Favorite Accident, Don't Call It A Comeback, The Future Freaks Me Out.
Memory: My good friend Elizabeth gave me this CD for my 18th birthday. It was a great gift, indeed.

War All The Time. Thursday.
Favorite Tracks: For The Workforce Drowning, This Song Brought to You By a Falling Bomb, Steps Ascending.
Memory: Mmmm, angst. (The opening track to this album used to escape me... now being a 9-to-5er myself, I find a whole new appreciation for it.)


I was 17. So sue me! (Which, in case you were dying to know, was over 5 years ago...)

A Brush With Fame:

Okay, so I have lots of things to update and share, but I'm attempting to get a lot of things done this weekend so all I have for now is a quick story:

I viewed with my very own peepers the infamous Rack 'em Willie downtown for the very first time last night. He was spinning his shirt over his head (yes, like a helicopter) and I stood there like a wide-eyed, star-struck little girl. It was awesome.

Just in case you're not familiar with this amazing man, here is a compilation of his finest work. I've never been so proud to call Athens "home".

I Couldn't Help Myself:

I finally indulged myself and bought a Longchamp Le Pliage bag while I was downtown catching some lunch with Chris and a friend...

They had to get the one out of the window since they had no more in the color I wanted... It's a medium blue-grey that I have never seen anywhere else. The woman was surprisingly pleasant since most of my experiences at Heery's have left a sour taste in my mouth (and I'm not the only one). To be honest, part of the reason I took so long to finally buy it was because I didn't want to give them business and Nordstrom didn't have any cute colors in store. I am so glad now that I got it and the cute old woman definitely brightened my day!

My World-Traveling Gocco:

I finally received notice from Ingrid that my wonderful Gocco shipped on Monday! She also provided me with the tracking number... and... My Gocco is here in the States! Wahoo! It arrived in New York City from Tokyo today so I will definitely be receiving it by the end of the week!

With my Paper-Source order having arrived yesterday, I am entirely too excited about my first Gocco adventure! Also, I discovered yesterday that Paper-Source is finally opening an Atlanta location! Right in the Virginia Highlands area! Woot! I'm such a dork... I'll probably go up there the first day it opens in October... I mean, c'mon, how could I resist when I'll have a Gocco sitting at home waiting to be exhausted?!

Let the crafting begin...

Fall Fashion Fabulousness:

Autumn is by far my favorite season. I have some truly great memories of fall, most of which incorporate me driving with the windows down. Even though the temperatures are still touching 90 degrees some days, I am already looking forward to the crisp nights to come.

One item that I definitely want to invest in this fall is a pair of ankle boots... I'm loving them right now. Here are a few cute options from Piperlime:

Kenneth Cole. $70.


Arturo Chiang. $160.


Jessica Simpson. $129.

Cute cute cute.

I'm One Proud Momma:

Growing up, my sister and I were total pet freaks and watched Animal Planet constantly... so we've always dreamed of having a dog that we could train to do the agility races we'd watch (I'm telling you... such dorks!). Since there was nothing of the sort in Woodstock, we resorted to setting up pillows as jumps and making our family dog Rusty run a "course" we would make in the living room. We were a little ridiculous... poor, poor Rusty.

Anyways, I got Emerson when he was a little 5 week pup, and it wasn't long until I was trying to teach Emerson how to tackle the obstacles at one of the leash-less dog parks.


The A-frame was pretty easy to teach and this was the only obstacle for a long time that he would even go near.


The Dogwalk took a lot more coaxing... he was nervous about this one because it is so narrow, but after a few weeks, he had it mastered.


The other day, we finally got him to go through the Tunnel for the first time! After only two trips, he is totally confident doing this one.


I never thought I would see Emerson do the Seesaw on his own. The equipment at the dog park is a little old and weathered so this thing makes a gates-of-hell noise when it moves which scared the shiz out of him every time. Also, the problem was that he would run super fast up it (like he does with the A-frame and Dogwalk) and therefore would slam down to the ground frighteningly fast. Once I realized this, I got Chris to hold him in the middle as I moved the board down to show him that it could go slowly. After only doing this two times, he was doing it on his own, pausing in the middle but leaning his weight to make the board go down so he could safety walk off of it! I was so proud!

He is such a smartie! Next on our list is the Tire Jump and the dreaded Weave Poles. I would never actually try to compete with him, but it's a great workout for him and it's exciting for us to train him. (All the people at the dog park were quite impressed too... I was one proud momma.)

(All pictures from here.)

Handmade Is Best:

I met up with my Aunt and company in Helen yesterday. After an unintentional detour that caused my trip to take an extra hour, I pulled into the strange, strange little town. I had never been to Helen and didn't realize that they entire downtown area is all Alpine architecture and most of the stores hold German/Swiss/Finnish/Norwegian/Belgian/Danish goods. Interesting...


From here. This is a glimpse of what the whole town looks like if you've never been yourself...

I guess I should start by saying that I took the Handmade Pledge recently and since my relatives were doing some early Christmas shopping, I decided to follow suite. Well, actually it wasn't until I found some I-really-don't-need-this-but-I-can't-leave-without-buying-it-so-I'll-buy-it-
for-someone-else items that I joined in on the fun.

First, can I say that I'm an awesome girlfriend? Yeah, I am. When I saw some authentic German beer steins, I couldn't pass up getting one for my sweetie. (He's been fantasizing of lifting that cap and indulging in frothy beer goodness since I met him.) And they are hand-painted in Germany? Sold.

Next, I can across the coolest thing I've seen since the Gocco. Soy candles! Not only are these better for the environment, but the "wax" can also be used as lotion! I admit, I was skeptical because I figured that it would feel cakey and gross on the skin, but it was some good stuff! Wait, you and your husband make these all yourselves? I'll take two. Someone super special is going to get these babies come Christmas time!

Of course I didn't leave without getting a couple of things for myself... We tasted some great wine from the oldest vineyard in Georgia (I didn't even know Georgia had vineyards to be honest) and I felt the need to support the small farm. It didn't hurt that the wine was amazing. I drank a glass last night, yum! And I'm not going to lie and say that I didn't go home with a bag of homemade chocolate-y treats from the candy shop. I totally did.

Overall it was a great day. I got a few Christmas presents, the weather was surprisingly nice for mid-August in Georgia, I got to go to a place I had never been before, and most importantly, I got to spend some time with family. Perfection.

Gocco Porn:

In anticipation of my very own gocco's arrival, I thought I should share some gocco-ed goodness. Also, a lot of these will serve as inspiration for future projects.

Found here.


Found here.


From here.


Found here.


Found here.


Found here.


Found here.


Found here.


Found here.


From here.

Is It Still Morbid If It's Socially Conscious?:

Warning: This post is totally morbid.

I started watching Battleground Earth and the challenge posed to Ludacris and Tommy Lee is to have a "green" funeral. I've always said that I want to be cremated following my final demise because I really don't think that my corpse should take up space just for the purpose of decomposing. I never thought about all of the eco-friendly options there are!

Most important piece of information that I learned is that the embalming process can contaminate ground water and is really bad for the environment. Watch the show for more interesting information about all of the awesome ways to leave this earth without becoming a burden... I still think I'm going to opt for cremation. But I hope that I am never in an urn on somebody's mantle... That's just awkward.

PS- "Green" funerals are usually much cheaper. Another way that they are less wasteful!

Taking The Dive:

I did it. I took the plunge. I just bought this off eBay:

My very own Gocco! Ah! The shipping was outrageous because it is coming all the way from Japan, but the good news... It will be here in 3-5 days! Ah!

I'm already dreaming about the projects I am going to do with this marvelous piece of machinery. Next Tuesday can't come fast enough.

My Obsession:

I have 269 days until graduation, and yet I have been obsessing over graduation invitations/announcements for weeks now. I know... I need help.

The official University of Georgia announcements are... to put it nicely... lame as shit. The wording is awful and honestly, I need to communicate more information than the time of the ceremony. 90% of the people I am inviting are coming in from out of town... way out of town. What about accommodations? Directions? RSVPs?

I searched high and low for cute yet mature graduation announcements. I've got some news: there are none to be found. Anywhere. At all! Most of them were along the lines of this:

Ahh! I have nightmares about invitations this ugly. Yuck!


This is when I turned to my good friend Paper Source. Oh, how I love thee.

Basically I am DIY-ing my graduation invitations, and I couldn't be more excited! All of the items (unless I opt to use a ribbon, which I am still on the fence about) are going to cost a whopping total of forty bucks! So basically, they are going to be infinitely cuter, much cheaper, and a way for me to get out my craftiness! All in one! Fantastic.

I'll definitely be posting some pictures once I order everything and put them all together. (I wonder if this is enough of an excuse to justify purchasing a coveted Gocco? Hmmm...)

It's Showtime:

The new season of Californication starts September 28th! I'm not going to lie, I'm skeptical though. What made season one so great was the fact that Hank had absolutely no shame when it came to his sexcapades... but with his riding off into the sunset with his ex at the very end, I fail to see how they will maintain the raciness of the show while maintaining good story lines... I'll still tune in though to find out what happens.

Entourage begins a new season on September 7th... but let's be honest, the last season sucked. Every episode kinda went like this:
-Vinnie: "I want to do this movie!"
-Ari: "They want some other actor."/"There isn't enough funding."/"The director hates you."
-Vinnie: "But I really wanna!" *pouts*
-Ari: "Oh wow, we figured out a better movie!"/"We struck up a deal, and now you can do it!"
Yawn. I'll tune into the first episode or two, but the first time I end a show with the feeling of "Wow, that was awful." I'm out.

Both Weeds and Secret Diary of a Call Girl are well into their seasons, but with how busy I've been and my lack of access to Showtime/HBO this summer, I only managed to catch the first episodes. Hopefully they'll do a marathon or something at the end of their seasons... because I will watch every one.

Basically, I love anything on Showtime or HBO. Mainly because they are able to be a lot more racy than the lame-o network shows. Apparently Dexter is absolutely amazing as well... I've just never caught an episode... Maybe I'll make it a point to watch and see if I like it...

Potential Coin Purses:

Okay, so I can't get the idea of a cute coin pouch out of my head. Here are some adorable options I have found so far:

This one from Anthro is cute... But so is this one...

Then I turned to the wonderful Etsy to continue my search. After seeing the 200+ pages for handmade coin purses, I decided to limit my search to frame ones and not zipper tops. They are just so vintagey and cute!


Originally I was looking for a small bag that would simply be for change...


But now the medium one is calling my name...


From Etsy seller oktak. $28.00.


Same fabric, completely different color scheme, completely different look, still absolutely adorable. And everyone knows I love purple!


Same etsy seller... $1.00 more than the white one...


Look! It could hold my cell phone, camera, iPod, and/or change!


There were a quite a few with Amy Butler fabrics (which I am a total sucker for), but such little bags don't do her large graphic prints justice.

I am really leaning towards the white floral with the birds... And since the seller is on vacation right now, her stuff is 10% off! But that also means that she won't be able to ship it out to me until August 30th... Decisions, decisions...

J. Crew Sale Goodies:

Just thought I'd share...

Was $178.00. Now $129.99. So out of my budget but so amazing.


Was $44.00 each. Now $29.00 each. Cute cute cute.


Was $50.00. Now $30.00. If I didn't love Lily's current collar so much I'd snag this up quick.


Oh yeah, this is my new wallet... but in an adorable print not offered online. I love it lots.