happy halloween from karmin.

i mean ... the mundays!

and for those of you that don't have a clue who karmin is:

i'm a real odd ball ...

it's been a little boring around the blog this past week. surprisingly i've never been busier!!! ha. my evenings have been filled w/ crafts i can't share yet!!! our big birthday camping trip is coming along swimmingly. but i've been holding off on sharing as i don't want to ruin the experience for party-goers and the hubs! gah! that said, i will have a whole heap of blog posts at the end of the month! have patience, i'll try.

in the meantime, w + i have been trying to limit our fun money this month. we each used a portion of our budgeted "fun" for the each other's birthday gifts. (side note: wade reminded me last night that the term "fun money" implies that when it runs out, we no longer have fun. touché.)

it has however come to my attention that i use my portion of the fun money very randomly.
specifically - this month i bought:

1 // this adorable little green sap bucket!

{credit: vintage abbey road @ etsy}

2 // these penmanship workbooks first published in the mid-1800s.

 

 of course there's a method to my madness. these each contributed to my 31 before 31 list!

4 // relearn to write in cursive - and become comfortable w/ my penmanship. 

practice makes perfect!

7 // collect something.

how many of an item qualifies as a collection? and where exactly should i display my "sap bucket collection"? we need more wall space.

purchased anything random lately?

i've jumped on the mini bandwagon

not gonna lie ... i'm completely smitten w/ these mini creations from miniature patisserie on etsy:

every doll house needs itty bitty garden roses & macarons, no? and how about that teeny tiny rainbow cake!?! adorable!

and who should we invite to our teeny tiny tea party? have you seen these miniature knit animals featured on design*sponge?!? amazing!

so long, cupcake ...

move over, macaron. make way for the latest food craze ... the gourmet marshmallow.

confession: i have a major sweet tooth ... and i'm a sucker for sweet sticky marshmallow goodness. need proof? how about the 1/2 eaten bag of kraft jet-puffed giant mallows in our pantry. 

check out these yummy treats from nashville's own the bang candy company:

{source: bang candy company}

owner sarah souther began experimenting w/ homemade marshmallows in the summer of 2010. her friends quickly became fans and within weeks, she had requests for orders. by september, she launched the bang candy company and marshmallows became her full-time job. check out the bang candy company's variety of yummy fluffy confections ... everything from the original rose cardamom to chocolate chile to toasted coconut. each hand-dipped in belgian milk chocolate.

want to experiment on your own marshmallows? wade and i gave it a go over the holiday thanks to this recipe/blog from the smitten kitchen. and there will be several future experiments! ;) yum!

maybe she's born with it ...

"nah i'm pretty sure it's photoshop."

a little laugh for your hump day ...


Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

just because ...

i absolutely love ellen ... and nicki minaj. yup i admitted it. w + i recently memorized the entire rap to "super bass" on a 7-hour drive to illinois. we think we're pretty cool. but obviously not nearly as adorable (or hilarious) as these little gals ...

 

enjoy! xo.

in other (very random) news ...

apparently we have a green(ish) thumb after all. despite our misfortune w/ fresh herbs earlier this summer ... we have our first crop of mushrooms:

a refresher: we received this little "grow your own mushrooms" pack as a wedding/anniversary gift a few weeks back. and wade has been all about it!

... still a bit odd to me. but now to find a recipe to incorporate these fellas. suggestions?

{ hello munday }

 {source: shop // allure by u, eat // make&takes, covet // madewell}

shop // this pretty little leaf bracelet from allure by u on etsy. i'm feeling rather girlie today & loving that price - $20.00!

eat // yes - i'm still on my apple kick! it's fall, after all. and especially now that i've seen these adorable apple cupcakes from make&takes - a must make for all future falls! however - i'm thinking a little tweak. apple-flavored (and gfree of course).

covet // mama needs a new blazer this fall! while i find lots and lots of inspiration on madewell (gah - love!) ... my new clothing budget is more suitable for a second hand find w/ a few alterations. w/ printed inspiration, it's time to thrift.

{source: make // the picket fence, visit // oh, hello friend, play // one sheepish girl, smile // sears}

make // this cute little corn husk fall wreath from the picket fence. hmmm i posted a wreath last week. it's official - i need 2 front doors! ;)

visit // it's yellow week on oh, yello friend (woops - oh, hello friend). yellow is my ultimate favorite color ... it just makes me so happy! click here for to instantly brighten your day!

play // this photo challenge display from one sheepish girl has me completely inspired to attempt this super fun 30 day photo challenge from oh so lovely. okay okay so i'm a month and a half behind ... woops. but i just bought some new gear for the camera w/ blogging in mind and it should arrive any day now! so am i up for the challenge? hmmm ...

{source: oh so lovely}

smile // it's official ... i stumbled upon the ODDEST thing on the internet. these 7" spike heel ballet ankle boots from sears are NOT OKAY. i was googling rainboots for my mum and happened upon those bad boys girls. hmmm - what are you thinking sears? stick to hardware and appliances.

just book-cause ...

yes, i just typed that. ha ha. i think i wore my creative self out yesterday updating our earlier honeymoon posts and finally finishing w/ one last post about our final 2 days in essaouira - here. it's also been a long fun week: 

tuesday // bible study followed by a little trip to the bluebird to see my best friend from the 6th grade play in a writer's round.

wednesday // one of those painting and wine drinking classes w/ my friend laura (for my birthday early august). we painted "funky fish" - i must snap a shot or two of my funky fish as unfortunately you will never see them in our house. hello opportunity to use neon paint!

last night // pottery class - week 2. we made plates. and of course - i took the opportunity to put a bird (or 2) on it! i also finally completed a pinch pot ... which ended up a little nest complete w/ 3 little eggs. okay how theme-y theme of me. (finished photos of course to come.)

and so ... my creative juices have been juiced. 

but w is heading out of town for the weekend (and a bit of next week) ... and i am looking for a long soak in the tub w/ a new book, revolutionary road - book 3 for my {30 before 30} challenge off time magazine's all time 100 novels. 

in the meantime ... some fun book inspiration:

{source: me, green wedding shoes, real simple, reid girls homemade, stuffosaurus}

1 // at last, i found the perfect wire basket for our desk - for just 50¢ at goodwill. and a bonus, 2 additional bigger baskets - perfect for collecting our "must reads".

2 // this lovely book planter diy by green wedding shoes. um - i'm sorry. wade (my book lover). this is happening. i've been wanting to get on the succulent bandwagon ever since seeing my sweet friend emily of little observation began selling her own little terrariums over the summer! yup. this is a must.

3 // okay these little "book"shelves are a must on our bits and bobs wall that is in the works. (i've had them tagged for months and months now! ... it's time, wouldn't you say!?!) thankfully, w/ this little diy on real simple no books harmed in the making of this project! adorable.

4 // what a fun party invite! and a book exchange. lovely! even better - print your own template & throw you're own party. thanks to reid girls handmade. we attempted a bookclub about a year ago - and made it through 3 books. a seasonal book exchange would be more achievable! yup - i need to find a free night this fall and have a little exchange - any nashville readers interested?

5 // and last but not least ... a little tote from stuffosaurus that kills me - "i like big books and i cannot lie". quite possibly next week's {PINspired}. but if you aren't a crafter ... it's only $18.00 here.

okay, friends. have a fantastic weekend. see you munday! :)

best of ...

our climbing gym has very few chick magazines - it's all politics or outdoor adventure blah. as a result, i've read through every O magazine from 2008. apparently way back when, she did a series called "oprah's best life" (maybe it continues?). for today's little bloggety-blog i found inspiration in o's monthly "best of" interviews. a fun little opportunity to reflect & share a bit:

BEST HABIT // making the bed everyday. we have a very small apartment w/ 4 rooms (kitchen, living room, bedroom and bath). i can't imagine having 1/4 of the house unkempt. nowadays, however, wade beats me to the task!

{how to make your bed like a soldier via the art of manliness}

BEST SUBJECT IN SCHOOL // physics. truth! i had a professor in college that thought i was majoring in physics. my real major was commercial voice w/ an emphasis in music business. i should have however stuck w/ physics - i'm sure the pay would be better. ;)

BEST TIME-WASTER // pinterest. come on now - if you've discovered it ... you will agree. i can easily waste an entire hour sifting through inspiration. not on pinterest? click on my profile below to see what all the fuss is about.

BEST QUOTE // "God accepts us just the way we are, but loves us too much to let us stay that way." - rob bell

BEST GUILTY PLEASURE // reality tv. it's true. last weekend w + i stayed in a hotel w/ CABLE! and while he napped i watched jersey shores. honestly - bc i'm super vanilla ... it's entertaining to see all the craziness i've (thankfully) missed out on. i live vicariously through snooki for an hour - and then realize how great i really have it. ha! anyone checked out that show love in the wild? seriously where do they come up w/ this stuff!

BEST SHORTCUT TO FEELING BEAUTIFUL // 30 minutes in the sun. a little vitamin D and a bit of pink on the cheeks and i feel rejuvenated. when the sun just won't cooperate (october-march in nashville) a little peach blush on the apples of the cheeks does the trick.

BEST HIDDEN TALENT // i am the queen when it comes to making a cheap knockoff. i thank my bargain shopping mother for this trait! this summer, we've traveled a bit too much + i've been doing freelance design projects for a little $$ ... so i haven't posted many new projects. i'm pretty excited for colder months when we spend more time in.

{free people // my version}

BEST FOOD FIX // 1 cup of vanilla non-fat yogurt + 1/4 cup of udi's original granola + a handful of almonds = heaven! especially in the heat of summer when a mid-day binge can weigh you down for the rest of the day.

BEST RECENT READ // i'm already halfway through the catcher in the rye (1/12th of #10 on my 30 before 30) and i really am enjoying it! but as far as a book that i've recently completed, i loooooooved the help. we attempted to start a book club a year ago but life got super busy. pretty excited to get the girls back together to go see the film!

BEST SATURDAY MORNING // when we first got married, we were determined to prove my mom/sisters wrong and use our gifted waffle maker. each week i came up w/ a new recipe. finally we're looking forward to a saturday morning at home. tradition continued! these blackberry cobbler waffles from how sweet it is look divine (and perfectly in season)!

{source: how sweet it is}

BEST COBWEB CLEARER // yoga! i have horrible balance ... horrible! a yoga class requires my full attention. i mean seriously try and hold a headstand while sorting out your "to do" list. it presents the perfect opportunity to clear my mind of the frustrations/responsibilities of the day for at least an hour.

w + i finally have a night off tonight. and speaking of "to do" list ... mine it growing. hopefully i'll have something new to contribute to the world wide web tomorrow. in the meantime ...what's your "best of ..."?

perty please ...

make this poster into a t-shirt:

{source: tor weeks}

my husband would very much appreciate a t-shirt version for his birthday.

thank you.

{whatever wednesday} climb on

w + i have been consistent gym members for almost 3mo. woo hoo. we finally decided it was time to commit and purchase our own gear - consider it an early birthday gift to the both of us:

{click to shop}

very purple - eh? i'm not even a big purple person.
the word "purple" alone is very odd.

my feet are sooooo excited! our climbing gym is very hippie (i suppose they all are) - and the particular young hippies that workout there tend to smell - especially like feet. just saying. so i'm pretty excited to have my very own pair of climbing shoes.

************

when you first begin to climb, the goal is to simply get to the top - no matter what path you take. but the more you climb - the more you want to challenge yourself. paths at our gym are labeled 5.6 - 5.12 - increasing in difficulty w/ #. each hold is marked beneath it w/ a dif color tape to designate path.

w + i would quickly become frustrated when we first started climbing with the other person below shouting out "there's a hold a little higher on the left" "move your right foot up about 10 inches". mostly i think we were frustrated w/ ourselves. nobody wants to be a 5.6 climber for multiple weeks. you want to jump right in and be a 5.12.

and then you begin to realize climbing is a 2 man gig. when on the mountain, you're focused on your aching arms and your current foothold. it's a challenge to see the color of tape below each hold. for me there's the added challenge of being horribly afraid of heights. i can only look around and down so long before psyching myself out. and all the while your partner on the ground has an entirely different perspective. they see the wall in its entirety and all that colored tape.

sometimes i think of wade and i as "beginner climbers" in our marriage. again mostly i think we become frustrated w/ ourselves when the other person is offering up advice. we've been married for a whopping 10 mo now - and we're not 5.12 married people either.

who knew a smelly hippie gym membership would teach us a little life lesson on perspective.

he's a little bit country ...

last night wade and i drove 45 minutes out of nashville to look at a couple of old trucks. we also were able to visit w/ his sister and our niece and nephew.

on the drive, wade revealed to me that he's a little bit country - in fact i'm pretty sure he said redneck. i've been sort of on to him for while. he has attempted before to wear his cowboy boots w/ shorts. and i revealed that his "man tank" for bonaroo was initially a wife beater - didn't i? well not that i needed final convincing ... but last night he told me how one year for his birthday, his dad took his isuzu pickup truck in and installed dual exhaust. think tiny truck {exhibit a} w/ big ol monster truck sound {exhibit b}. nice!

when i think rednecks - i think lifted 8ft in the air and sporting a confederate flag painted hood ... oh and maybe a shiny chrome pair of truck nuts. (apparently confederate flags in the south apparently mean "southern pride" but in the north where i'm from - they mean racism. not cool.)

however - i was completely on smitten w/ w's selections for last. and specifically one little lady that caught both of our eyes - a 1966 ford f100 twin beam ... similar to this one that recently sold on streetside classics:

{source: sidestreetclassics}

we are (specifically - i am!) freaking out about the price we found. and crossing our fingers that she's in better health than expected for that price. truth is i've never really had a dream "car" in mind but for years i've had my heart set on a solid old farm truck. could she be the one?

if wade gets an old truck for his birthday - can i get a farm?

ooh one more - one more ... just look at that dashboard:

eye eye captain

{yes, grammar pals ... i know it should be "aye aye".}

i fully intended to follow up w/ a regular eye dr after my lasik surgery ... get this ... 5 YEARS ago. time flies. after having 2 people randomly mention eye dr appointments to me on tuesday, i called and scheduled an appt for this morning.

i'm a nervous wreck before all doctor appts. case in point: i've had 1 self-inflicted cavity - the effect of a borderline ocd teenager and a push pin (ouch!). yet twice a year, i drag myself to the dentist knowing my time has come ... this time the dentist will inform me that he needs to pull them all.

serious anxiety issues, eh? apparently going to the eye doctor results in equal unnecessary fears. quite possibly why it's been 5 years.

{source: masikawa}

20/20, people! silly to worry myself all morning.

five years in and definitely the only con i have to lasik surgery is no longer needing frames. too many cute styles. what do you think ... fake frames - necessary style accessory or just silly? i lean towards the latter despite how much as i love the frames above.

we joined a gym!

and not just any gym ...

{source: climb nashville}

over the weekend, we saw the film 127 days. it's the true story of a mountain climber (played by james franco) who becomes trapped under a boulder while climbing alone and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive. wade promises the film isn't the only reason he was motivated to join a rock climbing gym this week. and i believe him --- he has had major spring fever. climbing/hiking is about all he has talked about lately!

at first, i tried to persuade him to consider a regular people gym - ie. the ymca. but once we looked further into all that a climb membership includes ... we both were impressed: core conditioning classes, kickboxing, a weight/cardio room + rock climbing! and as an added bonus morning/evening yoga classes by sanctuary for yoga.

i'm actually pretty excited about the membership now! just sounds like fun.

do you know the best part about joining a rock climbing gym w/ your husband? we're pretty much required to work out together (one belayer/one climber) - at least until we make gym friends. this morning we took a yoga class! it was the 2 of us + 2 others and the instructor ... intimidating but fantastic! and tonight we climb. have i mentioned that i have a slight fear of heights!?!

i think it's safe to say we're officially hippie cool. (unfortunately bonaroo tix aren't included w/ membership - though they totally should consider it!)

so now it's your turn ... what's your idea of a fun workout?

{simple things} my life in 20 photos

my friend ellen (black and white and loved all over) did a blog post over the weekend called "storytelling in 30 photos" (something she snagged from one of her fav blogs). as much as i enjoy blog posts on what outfits people have put together or their favorite etsy finds ... i love catching a glimpse into the life of the woman behind the blog.

inspired (but overwhelmed with 30 pictures) ... here's my modified version:

1 // me ... and the dreaded self-portrait



2 // my love ... my sweet husband, wade.



3 // my family ... the extended version.



4 // something that makes me happy ... fish tacos + tortilla soup from mas tacos por favor.



5 // back when ... back when i could get a tan!



6 // random wade and i ... the night after we got engaged.



7 // a relative of mine ... my only living grandparent - gwen hammond.



8 // a person i can tell everything to ... my sisters (and my little brother). we do need some updated pictures.



9 // my spare time ... a messy table full of projects!



10 // a place i love ... the martinsville fair.



11 // old times ... family camping trips! (and permed bangs - what!?!)

12 // a great night ... september 25th, 2010.

13 // always there ... my mom & dad. i am so blessed to have them.

14 // last summer ... boston visits - and day trips to maine.



15 // a picture that makes me sad ... i really wish wade could have met my grandpa haven.



16 // a picture that makes me laugh ... the 1st night wade met my parents. a very awkward picture w/ my dad - or a wax statue of my dad. hee hee.



17 // being crazy ... my dad's harley goggles. i think he was serious when he bought them!



18 // my parents at my age ...



19 // my favorite vacation ... our dream honeymoon to morocco (peacock pavilions).



20 // an accomplishment ... my half marathon. people say it's addictive - not so much! but i'm proud i did it once!


snag this post (as i did) -- but be sure to send me a link so i can learn all about you too! :)