Rougin' It

At the end of the month, I will be taking a long weekend and camping in Yosemite with my main man and I could not be more excited!  I was a Girl Scout for 13 years (nerd alert!!) but loved every second of it.  The camping trips my troop took in the earlier years were pretty legit...bugs, tents, roasting hot dogs on sticks, no showers.  As we got older, and our leaders decided we had had a rich enough camping experience, we slowly become more and more like Troop Beverly Hills.  Which, by the way, is still one of my all time favorite movies...no shame.

I dabbled a little in easy camping during high school and college with friends, but this trip marks my first adult, I'm doing it all by myself (with the help of boyfriend, of course) camping experience.  I've planned our meals for the weekend, made a list of needed supplies, researched the hell out of Yosemite (Rim Fire is 80% contained and our campground is open for business), and am just counting down the days until we take off on our first camping adventure!

My packing list is pretty substantial...call me OCD but I call it prepared!  Here are a few of my favorite camping essentials...

1 Survival Can Kit - Urban Outfitters

2 BDG Waterfall Tunic - Urban Outfitters

3 Preppy High Waist Shorts Olive - Minxshop Etsy Shop

4 Stanley Classic Flask - Urban Outfitters

5 FieldCandy Silhouette Tent - Urban Outfitters

6 Wet Skin Sunscreen - Neutrogena

7 Twelve Creative S'mores for a Party - theKitchn

8 Off Track Planet's Travel Guide - Urban Outfitters

Happy Friday!

Have a wonderful, adventure-filled Labor Day weekend!

Dictionart - Etsy

Weekend Projects!

I love a good weekend project as much as the next girl, but my weekends have been booked full lately!  I'm not complaining...they've been awesomely fun (yes, I just said "awesomely"...live with it) but our apartment is not quite complete and we definitely need a few more chairs around the kitchen table.

My incredible deal-finder of a roommate Craigslisted this slightly used DOCKSTA Table and two URBAN Chairs for a mere $35 just a short drive away from our place!  We tipped the guy $5 for hauling all three pieces downstairs and helping us pack them into our tiny Los Angeles-sized cars like a life size game of Tetris.  If you're not as well-versed in the IKEA Catalog as we are...that's a retail value of $279.97 for just $40, Bob.  Cue the happy dance!

We're trying to figure out how to introduce a small, but standout pattern into our mostly neutral white and gold palette and maybe something like these DIY folding chairs will do the trick.  Featured on Poppytalk's 10 Summery Weekend Projects these Drab to Fab Folding Chairs are to die for!  I mean, come on...burlap with gold polka dots!?  See the full DIY's on Whipperberry and My Fabuless Life.

Cinco de Ma-Oh! Margaritas!

If you're scrambling to figure out what to do for Cinco de Mayo, look no further!  Here are some last-minute tips and fiesta must-haves.  If you're on the craftier side, you can whip out some quick DIY's for decoration.  If you're a stud in the kitchen, you could even dish up some delicious Mexican food.  So round up a fun group of friends and don't forget the tequila!

1. Mini Tassel Garland - Studio DIY

2. Papel Picado Streamers - Studio DIY

3. Margaritas - theKitchn

4. Mariachi Music

5. Guacamole - theKitchn

6. Enchiladas - theKitchn

Other useful links

How to Rim a Cocktail Glass for Margaritas - theKitchn

6 Tips for a Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Home - Apartment Therapy

9 Necessities for a Last-Minute Cinco de Mayo Fiesta - Apartment Therapy

12 Twists on the Classic Margarita - Yahoo!

Apartment Therapy Tips: Flea Markets

I'm beyond excited to say I have finally been hired permanently at my company after working as a temp for almost two years.  With my new position comes a 45 minute commute which I am more than happy to take on in exchange for better pay, benefits, and a 401k.  However, I do plan on moving much closer after I have a few paychecks under my belt.  Is it odd that I'm more concerned about designing and furnishing my future new apartment than actually finding said apartment?  I think not!

I do plan on finding and repurposing as much as I can from my local flea markets.  This can be a challenge for a novice such as myself.  My flea market finds have been pretty simple and decor related thus far.  Apartment Therapy to the rescue!  Here are their 9 Smart Shopping Tips for Flea Marketing and their 2013 Flea Market Guide.

Let the thrifting begin!!

Weekend Yoga Retreat

Can I please go back to Ojai?  I had the most amazing time on my yoga retreat last weekend.  I felt relaxed and rejuvinated...that is until I came back to work on Monday.  Sigh...I guess there's always next year!

Thank you to our fearless leaders, Billy and Ashley!

Weekend Oasis

Happy Friday!

I'm off to the beautiful Ojai, California for a yoga retreat with two of my favorite instructors and all of my yoga friends.  I hope your weekend is as relaxing as mine will be!

Photo by Evi T. Bolt

Viva Las Vegas!

Enjoy your weekend, kids...

I'm off to Vegas!!

Motivation

It's Friday and almost close of business which means the world will be out and about in a few short hours.  Here's a little weekend motivation for you!