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 ..."?

{30 before 30} my birthday challenge

so yup ... it's my birthday! w + i are headed to grand rapids, michigan for the coast guard festival this weekend and more importantly to celebrate the recent nuptials of our friends taylor and reid. but before we go, i'm kicking off a BIG OL' challenge for the last year of my 20s ...

my 30 before 30 list:

1 // finish our wedding book!

2 // be able to do 15 of those special pushups where you hold plank and touch your knee to your shoulder in between ... pushup, right knee, pushup, left knee = 1.

3 // enter a pie into the martinsville agricultural fair pie contest.

4 // learn how to make homemade gluten free gnocchi.

5 // take a hip-hop dance class.

6 // knit my own pair of socks. and wear them!
7 // crochet flowers.

8 // take a cooking class.

9 // do an unexpected/romantic thing for wadely (at least) once a week.

10 // read a book a month from time magazine's all time 100 novels.
1 - 8/13 catcher in the rye
2 - 8/28 animal farm  
3 - atonement
4 - revolutionary road 
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

11 // go to a roller derby match.

12 // see a movie by myself.

13 // walk to work 2x a week.

14 // create and keep a budget.

15 // learn 5 christmas carols on the piano & accompany a family sing-a-long during the holidays.

16 // learn at least 1 non-christmas song on the piano.
17 // purposefully run into the "mean girl" from high school when home visiting my grandma - and ask her about her life + little girl. (this might kill me - or at least give me hives.)

18 // find an organization i’m passionate about and volunteer my time regularly.

19 // send 1 postcard/handwritten note to a different family member or friend each month.
1 - 8/13 care package to bro-in-law 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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

21 // go to a u-pick farm.

22 // host a fancy dinner party and use china!

23 // open an etsy shop.

24 // purchase and master the tajine.

25 // watch the sunrise at percy warner park.

26 // purchase & complete a coloring book.

27 // finish rosetta stone french. (this is a BIG ol' challenge!)

28 // take a pottery class through metro parks. {8/22 - enrolled!}

29 // read a book on music therapy.
30 // visit ethiopia.

{fun facts}

1 // i have a freckle that just appeared last year in the middle of my bottom lip. i should probably get it checked. but i've always wanted freckles - so i'm pretty proud of my 1!

Click to Zoom
Click to Zoom

{alyssa miller by ellen von unwerth}

2 // we have bunny ears and a digital box on our tv so we are very limited. we flip between reruns of criminal minds (creepy i know) and lost on dvd. i watched the first 3 seasons of lost religiously back when it was on tv ... but this is all brand new to wade. hello, 2004! we're hoping to pick up season 4 before this rainy weekend inside.

3 // i am obsessed w/ retro homemaker inspired tattoos. i was after all president of the "future homemakers of america" during my senior year of high school:

{source: abeautifulmess, my girl thursday}

... but don't worry wade, i will stick w/ the 1 tiny tattoo i already have.

4 // my grandma bought all of her granddaughters 2 pearls for christmas and their birthdays each year. wade had my pearls strung for me for our wedding.

5 // speaking of jewelry ... besides my wedding rings and a little bird/postcard necklace that is sentimental bc i found it while wade and i were long distance, i wear very little jewelry. i simply forget to put it on! but i would love to collect victorian era rings as katie of i go by katie does. her collection is absolutely stunning:

{source: i go by katie}

6 // if we could live anywhere in the world, we would pack up and move to a french speaking country. i received rosetta stone for christmas last year to begin preparing. ;) however neither of us has been very diligent in our studies. boo.

7 // i am not ashamed to copycat. one of my summer interns has the cutest feather extensions. i found these on etsy that are pretty pretty. hmmm ...

{sorce: soulshots}

8 // i am not easily starstruck probably bc of my job in the music business. however one time i ran into the former bachelor, travis stork, in line at the grocery store and nearly sweat through my shirt (gross. true.). i hadn't even watched the show! but i knew how obsessed my mom and aunts were w/ him. the only other (non-musical) celebrity i can remember running into was kirk cameron when i was about 11. not nearly as cool!

9 // i said my first cuss word in the 8th grade after a rough drive home from school to my oldest sister. i swore (no pun intended) that i wouldn't swear again. unfortunately one particular extremely frustrating co-worker has weakened me. :( okay that's no excuse. i want to overcome my potty mouth before we have kids.

{source: simplycutebykarin on etsy}

10 // i also say "acrossed" (more like "acrost") which drives my husband crazy. if i give up saying "acrossed" ... he will likely give up cussing too. ;)

{weekend update} home alone ...

wade left town yesterday for a week in DC. he gets back either saturday evening or sunday morning - and then we leave for a week in rural illinois - aka vacation (internet status is still up in the air)! we get back the following saturday just in time for our friend clay's birthday and a family reunion on the 4th. and THEN wade heads back out on the road to albuquerque, detroit and seattle for another week and a half.

i mentioned to wade when i first found out about all his travel that i was going to clean the house - top to bottom. all the stuff you only do once or twice a year (base boards, blinds ... you know the drill). but my sweet friends - having found out i was home alone - have been calling and scheduling events left and right to keep me occupied. good friends rock.

tonight: dinner + packing w/ sean + whit
tomorrow: bible study @ our place
weds: dinner w/ laura
thurs: climbing w/ samantha
fri: dinner + concert w/ emily

as excited as i am about catching up w/ friends, i squeezed in a little me time yesterday. including a trip to the antique shops in goodlettsville where i found the perfect linens to finish curtain #2. and a date night w/ my knitting needles and sewing machine.

i also found this little dress at goodwill for 6 bucks:

she has the prettiest little red scalloped hem ...

but let's face it people - on a print THIS busy, is there really a need for extra beading?

a quick "de"dazzle (get it?) + the addition of a little braided leather belt ... and i think she's pretty sweet:

{no explanation for that funky face. this is the reason i do not do fashion posts often. it's miserable taking pictures of myself and worse weeding through all the duds! i should share those. ha.}

hope you're finding "me" time in all the business of summer as well! xo.

whatever wednesday: six confessions

after reading i go by katie's post with the same title and a long weekend to think, i wanted to share my six confessions with you all. however, today's 6 confessions are specifically about blogging on "a case of the mundays":

1. a lot of bloggers that i follow (including myself lately) just post about "stuff". i find myself so greedy - "wanting this"/"needing that". i don't like myself very much when i get in these ruts. my favorite blog aren't the ones w/ lead ladies with lavish wardrobes & perfect homes - but rather real moms/wives who live on a budget & make do w/ what they have.

2. wade and i are trying to budget & save for more important adventures in life. and w/ limited "blood money" for each of us to spend each month, i don't buy most of the stuff i post. i am trying out a new tagline: dress and decor for little more than a pretty penny. i hope to tweak some of my posts to focus on how to live on a budget.

3. about once a week, i look at wade and say "i think i'm done blogging". blogging can feel overwhelming. there's always this desire to one-up yourself & sometimes life doesn't allow time for one-upping. nor is one-upping really necessary. i also have found that i'm ridiculously competitive w/ other bloggers - honestly the ONLY thing in life i've ever been competitive about. ha!

4. blogging isn't my day job. it doesn't bring in an income (yet) and is something i have to find time for between my already busy work schedule & personal schedule.

5. i post about things i love or projects i'm working on. at times i feel completely narcissistic. who am i to think i have anything worth sharing. plus it's a very one-sided conversation. i love feedback about my posts - what you like/dislike.

6. i sometimes wish i hadn't limited myself w/ the blog title "a case of the mundays". it would be super cool to pair up w/ other bloggers to consolidate ideas. i think this would attack a lot of my other confessions - the overwhelming-ness the narcissistic-ness. any other mundays out there?!? bueller?

what are your 6 confessions?

about

{photo courtesy: avery house}

hi. i'm blair {and that's my handsome husband - wade.}

i love to make things pretty - for pennies. i launched "a case of the mundays" last year to share my inspiration, adventures & projects w/ you!

by day, i'm a record label exec in nashville, tn. i coordinate all things visual for our artists. by night, i am a newlywed creating our home one little step at a time w/ my sweet husband! and in the little free moments in between ... i blog!

♥ . b

i would love to hear from you --- email me {click here}

my 6 confessions about blogging
my life in 20 photos
fun facts
best of ...


• you may use any of my photos if you give me credit + link to my blog AND send me an email {click here} so that i know you used it! thank you!

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