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Musings on Momentum

design a life you love

DIY Wardrobe Makeover – Part 1: The Plan

July 2, 2015

YOU.  GUYS.  I am beyond excited to embark on the first stages of my wardrobe makeover plan this weekend!  It has been a while since I’ve had a true home project I can tackle and really put my stamp on and I think this wardrobe personalization will be the perfect undertaking to tide me over until I can really get my hands dirty with a new apartment (moving date T.B.D.).

The addition of a wardrobe in our lives was necessitated by a hike in rent.  To cover the cost of higher rent I’m closing my storage unit as of August 1.  The storage unit is full of kitchen odds and ends, some books, art, off-season clothing, and apparently a bunch of stuff that I really don’t need in my life.  I figure if I haven’t used it in the past year it has been sitting there I really don’t need to hang on to it.  The storage unit is also full of a lot of random stuff belonging to my fiance.  When I moved in with him a year ago we had to move a lot of items that he doesn’t use on a regular basis out of his walk-in closet and into my storage unit.  Compromise.  Now these items will be making their way back into our daily lives.

Due to the fact that I have zero interest in making this more stressful of a move than absolutely necessary, we’ve made another compromise.  Going forward, the entire walk-in closet will be his to do what he will with.  I’m literally never again opening the door.  All of my clothes, shoes, and other random items currently in storage are going to go into this swanky new wardrobe.  We will be working towards this August 1 deadline each of the upcoming weekends in July (except for next weekend when my fiance is on the road for work).  This weekend will strictly be dedicated to sorting through everything in the unit, taking stuff down to the dumpster, to Goodwill, and possibly home.  I know, yuck.  No fun at all.

That is why I’m trying to look forward to the really fun part of this process that is just two weeks away!  I’m going to scoop up this wardrobe and three of the baskets shown below from Ikea in the first phase of this project.  The three baskets will make their home on top of the wardrobe for extra storage and to bring a natural element to the piece that will help it tie in with the rest of our bedroom.  I will also be ordering the flowered wrapping paper pictured to line the back of the wardrobe with.  I was initially looking at removable wallpaper for the interior but ultimately decided to go with wrapping paper in order to keep the cost of this makeover down.  Our bedroom is completely gender neutral so I’m going to really enjoy a pop of super girly floral every time I open the doors!

wardrobe makeover / Musings on Momentum

Sources: wardrobe / basket / wrapping paper / slimline hangers / scarf hanger (similar) / shoe rack / tap light

Phase two of the project will be all about the details…  I’m going to finally act like a grownup and get a set of matching hangers.  I’d love them to be wood but this wardrobe is pretty narrow so I think these Real Simple Slimline hangers will be a better option.  I’m also going to pick up a couple of scarf hangers as well as a shoe rack with an adjustable width.  Finally, I plan on adding a tap light to the top of the closet so I’m actually able to see what I’m putting on each morning.

This is all happening in waves due to budgetary constraints…though we are eloping, impending wedding expenses are adding up.  I’m trying to source inexpensive options that will still give me roughly the aesthetic I want in hopes of coming in under budget on this project.  It might not quite be my dream outcome but I’m extremely excited about it never the less.

CATEGORIES // Decor TAGGED: closet, Ikea, makeover, storage, World Market

A Day at Santa Anita Race Track

June 30, 2015

This past Saturday we celebrated a friend’s birthday at Santa Anita Race Track just outside of Los Angeles.  I had never been to this particular racetrack, though I frequented Del Mar when I lived in the San Diego area.  Aside from it being our friend’s birthday, it was also the day that American Pharoah, the horse that won the American Triple Crown this year, made a scheduled appearance at the track.  And by appearance I literally mean a celebrity appearance.  He was led onto the track by a handler and surrounded by four body guards.  We’re talking Jay and Bey level of security on this guy.  I didn’t get a picture of him so you’ll have to take my word that he was ripped.  Compared to the other horses he basically looked like a juiced up Jersey boy.  This guy is on a whole different level.

Santa Anita Race Track

Stripes on patterns in the grandstand

Santa Anita Race Track

A statue of the storied Zenyatta

Santa Anita Race Track

Me with “American Pharoah”

After a long day at the races our group disbanded for a few hours.  My fiance and I headed to the area of the track where the Cali Philharmonic Orchestra was putting on a Beethoven/Beatles concert later that evening and our friends headed home to barbecue.  While we waited for the concert to start we checked out one of the food trucks that had been brought in to feed the concert goers, The Ragin’ Cajun.  We were so hungry at that point that we told the guy running the truck that we wanted anything and everything he recommended.  This appeal resulted in our mouths taking a glorious trip to the bayou.  If you ever come across this truck I highly suggest making the same request.

Santa Anita Race Track

Highly, HIGHLY recommended…just so much yum

We ultimately ended up staying for the Beethoven portion of the evening and a bit of the performance the Beatles tribute band they brought in put on.  I definitely enjoyed the first half of Beethoven more than the second half of the Beatles.

Santa Anita Race Track

The Cali Philharmonic Orchestra playing Beethoven after the races

Though we were exhausted after a long day in the sun we swung by the BBQ after the concert and ended up spending a couple of hours hanging out with our friends on the roof of their gorgeous new condo in Studio City.  It ended up being a really wonderful day full of new experiences and new people!

CATEGORIES // Lifestyle TAGGED: American Pharoah, Cali Phil, racetrack, Santa Anita

Life According to My iPhone

June 29, 2015

My little Puggle girl

A tea bag quote

Some serious hair inspiratiom

And some serious room inspiration

Calla lillies, lemons and a special bowl from my mom

Good thing I have a service Puggle!

CATEGORIES // Lifestyle TAGGED: Calla Lillies, Hair, Interior Design, Puggle

On Love and Loss

June 25, 2015

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the death of one of my best friends.  He was my biggest supporter and the person who understood me better than anyone in the world; a kindred spirit in every sense of the word.  While the pain of grief eventually dulls it never completely subsides and you never stop missing that absent piece of you.

Instead of focusing on the memory of the moment I found out the news that would change so many lives and the devastating days that followed, I choose to focus on the love and strength he left behind.  He is never far from my side…I see him in black and brown butterflies, in a stranger calling me by the nickname only he used, in the sight of an orange baseball cap from afar.  I hold him close to me as I journey through life, hoping that I can make him proud and experience all the world has to offer for the both of us.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die.

– Mary Elizabeth Frye

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Camp Don Bosco

The summer camp where our friendship and love first grew.

I love you and miss you BNB.  I’ll always be your kiddo.

CATEGORIES // Wellness TAGGED: grief, loss, love

Adventures in Pittsburgh Part 2: THE ROLLING STONES!

June 25, 2015

The Rolling Stones show in Pittsburgh was an absolute surreal dream…the sound quality was immensely better than it was at Petco Park in San Diego, our seats on field were so close to the stage and the chemistry between the band members we were able to witness firsthand was amazing.  These guys had gotten the show down and were out there rocking out and having a genuinely good time.  It is an experience I will never forget and definitely tops the list of the best shows I’ve ever seen.  I will let the photos speak for themselves.

The Rolling Stones

The stage

The Rolling Stones

Mick strutting his stuff

Setlist

1. Jumpin’ Jack Flash

2. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)

3. All Down the Line

4. Tumbling Dice

5. Doom and Gloom

6. Bitch

7. Moonlight Mile

8. Paint It Black (by request)

9. Honky Tonk Women

10. Before They Make Me Run

11. Happy

12. Midnight Rambler

13. Miss You

14. Gimme Shelter

15. Start Me Up

16. Sympathy for the Devil

17. Brown Sugar

Encore

18. You Can’t Always Get What You Want (with the Penn State Concert Choir)

19. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

The Rolling Stones

Rockstar

The Rolling Stones

The man

The Rolling Stones

Stones Love

Following the show we finally made it into BZ’s for a beer and then went to SoHo for some amazing quesadillas (highly recommended) before heading back to the hotel.  We missed our 5:45 AM flight the next morning, got home hours after we were supposed to and were completely exhausted for the next three days but I would not trade the experience for any amount of sleep in the world.  It was truly an adventure of a lifetime.

CATEGORIES // Music, Travel TAGGED: concert, pittsburgh, rolling stones, ZipCode Tour

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