5 things

it's been almost two years since i did a "5 things even my closest friends don't know about me" post, so here we go!

1. sometimes when i'm feeling frumpy, i go into my closet, find my highest high heels and wear them for a couple hours. instant perk. sometimes it's just me in my pjs sitting in heels. i can't explain it, but it's an instant girlie high.

2. i get very attached to inanimate objects and project feelings on them. as a little girl, i made sure to talk to all my stuffed animals an equal amount of time (so no one would feel left out, obviously). i also have a hard time picking out fruit at the grocery store because when i pick up an apple, i don't want to put it back (even though clearly bruised) in fear that it may feel rejected.

3. i've never been on a jet ski before. boo. i'm lame. not because i don't want to--just never have been in a jet skiing situation. :)

4. i'm painfully practical. i weigh all my options good or bad, project any future ramifications that are possible with said decision, and either make a choice in a few days or decide i didn't need it to begin with. it's exhausting. i can't imagine doing or purchasing something on the fly or impulsively..the thought of it makes me stomach turn. which brings me to my last one:

5. my personality and characteristics don't match. for instance, every time i take one of those right brain vs. left brain tests, my results are always split. i love being creative and have an appreciation for art and dance; i daydream quite a bit and question everything, and i think in big picture terms; HOWEVER, i also can't go a day without maintaining organization; i follow recipes to the extreme; i abide rules blindly, and i can't help but pay attention to the tiniest details. in school, my two favorite subjects were algebra (because of the logic) and english (because of the writing). see what i mean??

well those are mine! i'd love to hear everyone else's or if you can relate! feel free to use my pic and create your own post with your 5. :)

must have [2011 susyjack* calendar]

my oh-so-favorite calendar has just begun a pre-sale, so i didn't waste anytime this year! this marks year number 3 that this beauty will proudly be displayed in my office, and i must say, it makes my office so bright and happy.



the best part about pre-ordering? if you click the facebook "like" button before you order, susyjack will ship it to you for free! it's really a win-win if you think about it :)

DIY [spray paint happy]

i am obsessed with spray paint! actually i think i'm more obsessed with quick fixes to cheap purchases. i could fill a closet with all the junk i pick up with the mindset, "oh yeah, this is gonna look great white!" it's a sickness.

over my vacation, i was finally able to devote some time to my DIY projects and spent an entire afternoon painting. for this project, i had no clue what i was going to do with these (frames??) when i bought them. i just liked the size and shape.

i don't even know what they are, but i do know they were less than 50 cents.



after much debate, i decided to make them into chalkboards! there are many other blogs that show you how to do this probably a lot better than me, but here's what i did.

enter chalkboard spray paint. i bet you didn't even know they made such a thing. at least that's what i tell myself. i like to think i'm super cutting edge. :)



then i "seasoned" the board and made many scratching sounds, which had joel wincing in pain in the next room. muahaha. i don't know why you have to do this before you use it. i just know you do. teachers? explanations?



next came the edges. i covered the chalkboard part and it worked great UNTIL i had to peel the tape off after. i had a couple spots take some black off, but i just used my handy dandy permanent marker to fill in those spots. (side note: i had these dark gray lounge pants in college that i wore all the time, but they had a couple tiny bleach spots on them, so i often just colored them in with my marker. quick fixes i tell ya! too much?)



and voila! i'm not sure what i'm going to do with them just yet. for one, i plan on getting some chalkboard markers and putting a verse in it or a favorite quote and putting it in our living room. the other one will be for notes to each other or little reminders like in the first pic. i love how they came out!




total cost: a whopping 6 bucks for both! (so about $3 each with lots of paint to spare)

did i make anyone a believer in the power of spray paint yet? :)

recent work

i finally updated jen & ink's blog! check it out for those interested. but don't get too excited...it's not much. :)

third time's a charm

for our anniversary, we decided to finally try out texas de brazil. we both don't like the unfamiliar, so it was such an awkward feeling not knowing what to do or what to expect. i signed up for the emails a few months ago and didn't realize that they send you a complimentary dinner on your anniversary--so we figured this time was better than any!

before we went, we exchanged gifts. the three year present is leather. i was so excited about what to get joel b/c i knew it'd be a lot easier to buy a leather type gift for him than him for me (he ALWAYS outgifts me, so i was happy for the chance to finally outgift him). weeeeeelll he totally cheated! i got him a leaterish ottoman that has a top you can fold out for your laptop (something he always grabs a pillow for) AND he needed a small place next to his futon to put drinks or his laptop when he's not using it.




i thought i had it in the bag...until i opened my present.

it was a cute little pleather wallet (orange--my favorite color) but inside was a certificate for an hour long massage! i could have died!! i was elated!!! he later decided that the massage table is leather, so it still counted. ugh. he's the best gift giver ever--i didn't stand a chance.


[operation outgift joel for christmas commences now]

dinner was fabulous! my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach and i only had one moment of regret with my meat selection. poor baby lamb. also during dinner, i thought it'd be hilarious to dare joel to ask for ketchup, but the look of horror on his face made me realize that it wouldn't be the best idea, haha.

overall, it was such a great evening, and we're so glad we went and finally experienced what all the buzz was about.

next week, we're headed to new orleans for our anniversary trip and play tourist. we're staying in the same hotel we did for our honeymoon before we left for our cruise. we have lots of things lined up, so i'm super excited. who knew there was so much fun stuff to do in new orleans?? even though it's not the beach this year, i have a feeling we won't mind the change. :)

thanks to everyone who texted, called, e-mailed, tweeted, and facebooked us for our anniversary!! it was very much appreciated. :)

happy 3rd!

today i've been married to the most loving, handsome, compassionate, wise, protective, sweet, thoughtful, dedicated, selfless, and thoroughly entertaining man i've ever met for three wonderful, fun-filled years.

i'm one lucky gal.

happy anniversary joel!

you are the best one of the best ones.

the most wonderful time of the year

i recently had the pleasure of getting into the christmas spirit! i can't wait for it to be cold again with my scarfs and boots in use again and driving around drinking hot chocolate and looking at all the christmas lights.

but for now, these holiday cards will just have to do to subside my holiday spirit. my good friend and talented photographer amanda causey is offering such a great deal for families this season. if she hadn't just taken me and joel's pics, i'd already have my time slot reserved and outfit picked out.

we teamed up this year and a great part of her $100 offer includes 25 holiday cards with envelopes. i designed 5 different types of cards, so her clients will have plenty of styles and colors to choose from.

if you've ever thought about sending a christmas card but didn't have a picture in mind, this is the perfect chance to finally send one and have a new set of family photos as a result. scroll down to check out the designs, and then jump on over to her blog to get all the details and reserve your spot!












photo credit: amanda causey