Manic Monday

January 21, 2013January 20, 2013 / Erin May / Leave a comment

Hello and welcome to Monday, my friends! I know quite a few people have today off because of MLK day, and I hope that you’re putting your day to good use. I for one, am working- and kind of appreciate that fact more so than after previous weekends.

This weekend was really great. I spent time with people I adore and don’t get to see often enough. I read, organized my life and ate well. (see pictures of cooking below. Yum.) I completed a few projects, did some much-needed cleaning, and found time to completely rearrange furniture for the heck of it. What, you don’t do that in your spare time?

For some reason, though, I couldn’t shake this feeling of anxiousness this weekend. I’m hoping that getting back to work and into my routine of productive task managing might help. So here’s to you, Monday!

Before that whirlwind of productive activity sets in, though, let’s share some pictures from the weekend, and some links I found on the internet this past week:

Pretty kitchen, full of food for a really great meal.

What’s cookin’? Pulled pork, texas caviar, cornbread, home made BBQ sauce and chocolate cake. No big deal. Organizing like a crazy person.

This photographic wallpaper from A Beautiful Mess is such a fun addition to a room – for someone who has a pretty eclectic decorating style (such as myself).
Breanna Rose shares her 24 things to do before turning 25 – and makes me think about the things I have done as a world-traveled 26 year old 🙂
A short list for staying inspired from Little Tree.
I have to admit, I did the math and was grossed out. Be careful of flu season, from XKCD.
I love My Daguerrotype Boyfriend, and thought Capt. Lawrence Oates was especially dreamy and valiant in his last words.
Kind of love the idea of working less and doing more, from Life without Pants.
I love the many, many ways talented people display their merchandise, from Oh, Hello Friend. Almost makes me want to open up a boutique shop just to play.
I thought this misspelled foods desktop wallpaper via the Fox Is Black was hilarious.
How to clean off antique knobs from Design sponge.
I don’t even watch the Bachelor, and I find this guy’s reviews of every episode hilarious. From Rocket Shoes, “The Bachelor, Reviewed by A Guy. Sort of.”

Have a great Monday!

Manic Monday

December 3, 2012 / Erin May / 5 Comments

This weekend, aside from being sick, was an absolute blast. I had a “mellow” night with my lovelies, caught up with an old friend over roller derby, and hosted a fab Crafternoon with my roomies- which wound up being mostly sitting around, chatting and bouncing ideas off eachother while the boys made snowflakes.

It’s also finally DECEMBER, which means this all happened:

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This was my first year of actually putting up honest-to-goodness Christmas lights on a house, with ladder and all. I’m so happy with the results, and even happier when a neighbor came by and introduced himself just to compliment our lights. Success.

This upcoming week is one of those “I was sick last week and did as little as I could get away with, so this week I have to seriously be productive” weeks. That’s a thing, right?

Here are some lovely links I found this last week:

I love this home featured on A Beautiful Mess- so bright and cheerful!
Though I thoroughly exercised my sweet tooth this weekend during crafternoon, I really need to try these Salted Caramel Brownies from A Cup of Jo.
House crashing always looks so fun when Young House Love does it. I love the sunny colors and eclectic decor of this great home!
This is a beautiful invoice (and great advice) from Breanna Rose.
How amazing is this Parisian flat? I particularly like the little reading fort.
I’ve always liked putting out my books and letters as decor- would adding maps like this turn my home from cute to school-like, or would it be just the perfect touch?
One of my favorite design blogs features those small details that make user interface just so…nice. It’s all in the Little Big Details!

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Manic Monday

November 26, 2012 / Erin May / Leave a comment

Hello! Are you still stuffed from your Thanksgiving? I am. So much so, that I’ve decided to get a head start on my 2013 resolutions by working on my health this month- that means exercise, eating well and making sure I get lots of sleep.

This weekend, I spent some quality time with my parents, watched a lot of home videos, rooted for the Ducks with some girlfriends, and let myself do absolutely nothing for an embarrassing amount of time. It was glorious!

my signature dish at Thanksgiving…

Here are some items to keep you entertained this week:

Well, it seems that I am dangerously close to living in a hipster home. Via the Refinery.
In Honor of Design made an adorable collar necklace– festive, pilgrim-esque by certainly chic!
Now that the weather is getting chillier here in Portland, I’ve started drinking hot things all day long- from tea and coffee to just plain old hot water! I might want to give this recipe from a Beautiful mess a try to mix things up!
Sarah’s Threads has started offering a section of her website dedicated to sewing patterns, tips and tutorials. I’ve got to get the old sewing machine out!
How amazing would this bedding be? I especially like the deer!

Manic Monday

September 24, 2012September 24, 2012 / Erin May / 1 Comment

Just a few images from this last weekend! Kyle and our friend Allyn did very well at their triathlon, and I had a wonderful time cheering for them, wishing friends a happy birthday, taking some tantalizing food photos and doing some much-needed work clothes shopping with KP.

Today’s manic monday is pulled directly from my Google Reader, one of my favorite ways to view blogs and a great cataloging tool for inspiration.

How to give a great compliment from Yes and Yes. It’s hard to take a compliment well, also!
After a short sewing session with my mom last Friday, I am inspired to make this pencil skirt from C&C.
The mixed up artwork from this home in Vienna is so great! Loving the stuff featured on Decor8 lately.
Hand-written brand identity from the very talented Kathleen of Braid.
Spiced Bourbon Apple Pie from A Beautiful Mess- don’t mind if I do.

This gorgeous video has me itching to do a large-scale painting or chalk drawing. Via Beautiful Type.
A good reminder from BrandiGirlBlog.
Some very open and honest tips about starting new and launching new projects from Oh My, Handmade Goodness. Featuring a favorite quote of mine!

Manic Monday

July 2, 2012June 30, 2012 / Erin May / Leave a comment

Happy Happy Monday, friends!

This week marks the return to a regular schedule! While I’ve enjoyed the freedom that freelancing has offered, it’s nice to settle back into a routine- and I’m guessing it will also be a lot more productive.

Here are the links tickling my brain taste buds today:

Geek out about fonts here.
Interesting insights on how to price your product– always a challenge, especially in the service industries!
Work, life and side projects– a great perspective on keeping that balance, and especially the importance of “side projects”. Obviously, I am a huge proponent of this, as I feel these projects are areas in which we explore our passions, learn something new, and keep ourselves from creative stagnation.
Along those lines, here is a great article on Tips for Designing Websites! Functionality, architecture, hard design- a great look at the process and the thought that goes into it.
This website (found thanks to Pugly Pixel) has some great design elements- simplified color scheme that is calm yet “pops”, easy navigation, great eye-catching layout and typography. And her services sound great too! Thanks, Amy Tangerine.

Manic Monday

April 30, 2012May 22, 2012 / Erin May / 17 Comments

A silly problem to have: Sometimes, when I go to file an email (woo hoo, inbox ninja!) I put emails meant for my “friends” file mistakenly in the “fried” category. Not sure if it’s more telling that I have a file for emailing with my friends, or that the “fried” file has over a dozen emails in there. #mmmfriedchicken

Inspirational links about life, work and being the best you:

Five steps to up your personal dignity quotient via Yes and Yes. This is a well written and frank blog that I’ve recently gotten into- and this particular post appeals to this gal who is awkward and uncouth rather frequently (okay, you caught me. It’s me.)
Maintaining work-life balance has gotten a little more difficult now that I’m working part-time on my own. I have too much life! This article from The Braid gave me comfort in my values of not working over 40 hours, enjoying mindless television, and accepting that sometimes I’ll just have to say no for my own sanity.

Hilarious things on the internet:

The lovely Shauna of Jupiter Fame got me the most amazing postcard this weekend at Stumptown Comic Festival- check out the artist’s other work!
I’ve been completely absorbed by my copy of Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by The Blogess. Her humor, passion and extreme non-sequiturs keep me laughing, even at the serious content of infertility, the death of a beloved pet, and how messed up a childhood in the country can be. I highly recommend this book.

Happy, productive Monday!