ReadyMade Magazine + Honda CRX

ReadyMade February/March 2011

Take a look at artist Jay Nelson's camper!
It's a 1991 Honda CRX... and looks very familiar yet very different, doesn't it?
Yes, the car that Jay turned into a camper is the very same model as my own little
super high MPG wonder car!

An avid surfer, Jay Nelson uses his camper to change out of his wet suit, and brew a cup of tea. He also finds it is a conversation starter everywhere he goes!
(ReadyMade page 13)

Pick up the latest ReadyMade for more on his project!
Or check out Jay Nelson's website here!

Rad.

Anthropologie Inspires

I love the store Anthropologie.
As a manager in retail, I have always looked to them for inspiration of how to create an experience for the customer.
As a shopper, I look to them for inspiration for clothing, colors, fun, and just beauty.
I love to window shop on their website, since we do not have a store here in SLO.

Here are some pieces that I enjoyed looking at on my recent visit to www.anthropologie.com

I love that the waste band is a different pattern than the skirt!

This top is so pretty and flirty! Would be so cute with a pair of skinny jeans and my grey Toms!

A little preppy, but cute!

I just love this dress... Dress it up, dress it down. I want!

I would love to wear this to the weddings coming up this summer!

Resolutions...

Ok, Let's talk New Year's RESOLUTIONS...
We are more than 3 weeks into January, that's the first 3 weeks of making steps towards fulfilling your New Year's Resolution. And while it is not that much time, it is a very important part of the resolutions, in my opinion, as it sets the tone for the rest of the month/months/year.

I have 3 New Year's Resolutions this year:
1. Have MORE dinner parties!
2. See the people I want to see!
3. Run a 5k and 10k (at least one of each).

So here we are, 3 weeks into it, and I have to say - I feel GREAT about all three of my resolutions so far. It makes it easier considering that they are fun things to do (well 1 and 2 especially) and the first two also go hand in hand.

#s 1 and 2 are sort of simple things that I always find myself saying to myself... "I want to have more dinner parties" and "Man I need to hang out with so-and-so"...
Or when I run into a friend that I have not seen in a while, I say "We really DO need to hang out soon!". And that can go on for months or even years without result. And I don't like that.
So I am making the extra effort to make and keep plans. To build and strengthen friendships, which is so important to me.

I love dinner parties. For many reasons. 1, if it is at my house, it forces me to have a nice and clean apartment and encourages me to do updating on my decorating etc if I have been wanting to. 2, I love conversation with multiple people in a calm, fun, and inviting setting. It is fun to see where conversation goes when there are many people involved. 3, obviously, I like food and a lot of times you make/eat food that you might not normally for yourself or party of 2. So far I have had one dinner party at my house and have gone to another at a friend's house. Plus, and I don't know if this counts, my boyfriend had a potluck/bbq this past weekend.
For 3+ weeks, I'd say that is an excellent start!
And they have all been so fun!

So that leaves #3: Running a 5k and 10k.
When I am in the habit of running, I really enjoy it. But I fell (HARD) out of running daily and it has been a challenge getting back into the swing of things.
But I am doing it. And I feel great! And every day that I get up to run makes it easier to get up earlier the next day and so on.
I am not nearly at the point that I was a year or so ago, when I was running regularly. And the getting out of my warm bed to run part is still a challenge. But I will get there!
I am planning on doing an easy 5k at the Strawberry Festival in May. And then possibly Bay to Breakers or Rock to Pier... Not sure yet.
Anyways, I feel great about running right now and that makes me so so happy! :)

So there you have it- my personal success resolution story for the first 3 weeks of January.
And I hope I will have the same excitement and success in 3/6/9 months out!

So how about YOU? Are you taking your resolution(s) seriously or not?

And, because I just can't post without a photo, here is one I took with my iPhone yesterday on a walk!

dinners from the past 2 weeks...

I love food.
This is no secret.

My boyfriend really enjoys cooking.
I like cooking too, but it comes more naturally to Adam... And he is really good at it!

Like everything else that I love, I tend to take photos of particularly exciting or yummy meals with my iPhone.
It has become a "thing" for me to photograph our plates before eating (poor Adam).
Here are some from the last couple of weeks...

On a side yet related note, I got Adam a Tagine for Christmas and some of these were made in it or inspired by tagine cooking. I will post more on Tagines another time... because they are really that awesome!

Pumpkin and lentil Tagine... YUM!

The second (out of 3 so far) try at an Algerian chickpea dish (on top of quinoa)...
MY GOD My favorite this year. Sooo tasty and satisfying! And easy!

Slow cooked beef (with whole onions!) over quinoa and greens
(spinach & kale & arugula) and a fried egg on top.

Chicken with Apricot and Almond tagine... I was excited for this one. We had been drooling at the recipe card for a while. And it did not disappoint! Sweet, tender, tasty. Our friend Ana made the salad, which consisted of freshly picked greens from her garden! Nothing better than that!

Third try at the Algerian chickpea dish. Oh yum.
Served on top of jasmine brown rice with cilantro as a garnish.
And a kale, spinach, arugula, sunflower seed, and avocado salad on the side.

I want that living room!

I dream of the day that I will have a home that is big enough for me to display all of my favorite wall art and chotchkies, cameras, etc. I want it to be colorful and fun, beautiful with great storage solutions, and just a nice space to be in.

My apartment now has some of these, especially the wall art, chotchkies, etc, but it just looks super cluttered most of the time.
I like to blame this on the lack of space. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

Here are some spaces that I would love to use as inspiration for my own home... some day.......

Holy long and amazing desk!
Space for multiple computers AND a sewing machine? Yes Please!
Seen on Apartment Therapy

How cool is this wall stair case for the cats?!! Mine would love it!
And it looks cool too!

This is a little too shabby chic for me, but I love the door as an accent.
And the knobs on the dresser! Of course the chair is fabulous too.

color color color!

Above two as seen on Design Sponge

storage storage storage!
As seen on Apartment Therapy

This segment is clearly going to be a regular one here on sloinspired.
I can just collect them on the blog as a look book for when I eventually live in a bigger and more customizable space. aahhhh some day...

kitties!

It's no secret that I love my two cats Olive and Brooklyn.

And of course I also love photography...

Well I guess it is redundent to say that I love to put these two together...

Olive and Brooklyn are inside cats but love to go out onto the "landing" in the sunshine whenever they can.

happy happy New Year!

Wow it has been some time...

HAPPY HAPPY New Year!

This year promises to be a full and exciting one with events and travel including NYC, best friends' weddings, my BF graduating college, 5ks and 10ks, possible international travel, book groups, music, and who knows what else!

The possibilities are endless. And I am so excited for that.

So Happy New Year!

And I will end this post with a photo... There is something so special about gingko leaves to me. And I find myself photographing them whenever I can.