Happy Halloween from probably the worst two bandits in the world! These were very thrown together costumes, made from clothes we already owned. What can I say, we’re broke and lazy. Hope everyone’s having a great evening, and make sure to eat a lot of candy!
xo
I’ve been a little absent around here recently, and I don’t really have a great excuse for that, other than being busy with work and feeling kind of uninspired. After participating in a street fair this past weekend, I regained my spark, and have decided that it’s time for me to take back my life and channel my seemingly fruitless creative inspiration into this blog and my Etsy shop. I’ve put in too much time and effort for it to be over! I feel like a lot of it has to do with the environment that I’ve been in, and I’ve been doing my best to get it where it needs to be to be a comfortable and inspiring place to be.
Although Alex and I have been living in this apartment for a few months now, there’s something about it that just doesn’t feel like home. It’s been messy and cluttered since we moved in, and I’ve been working lately on improving the general vibe of the place. Little things, like organizing my dresses by color, are definitely helping!
I’m also trying to phase out old, worn out furniture with some better, more functional things. No one wants to put up laundry when your dresser drawers usually fall apart! Just look at this affordable beauty!
I’ve also realized that we have some furniture pieces that I love, like my vintage bar cart, that just don’t fit or function in this space. I’ve decided to store them for now, and use them when we have a house! It also helps, I’ve found, to swap out smaller items that may not be making your home look its best. I’m swapping my two colorful, thrifted latch hook rugs in my kitchen and bathroom with clean looking monochromatic mates from Target (this one and this one). I think they’ll make my naturally dingy apartment floors look a little cleaner!
Hopefully, soon, I can have some room tours ready, but it still may be quite a ways off. I’ll share any updates I have along the way!
Happy October!
xo
On the weekend of the 9th, my sister, Alex, and I took a quick trip to Nashville! We left at midnight on Saturday, and made it there by about 4AM Central time. We crashed on the floor of our great friend Isabella’s floor, and were awoken a few hours later by these little cuties, and her new corgi puppy. I fell in love with that little guy.
Soon after, we grabbed some breakfast and headed to the Ink & Iron tattoo convention, because Ellie and I had appointments with Shawn Patton! I got tattooed first, and then milled around for an hour or so while Ellie’s was being done. I grabbed a bunch of stickers, and got to meet a super great artist. If you’re in Cleveland, Ohio, I definitely recommend this guy.
Matching twin tattoos! I got the pit, because I’m one minute older; it counts!
I realized on the way back that I barely took any photos while we were there. I snapped this one of a stick bug on Isabella’s window, and a moving picture of the hilarious and largely politically incorrect Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue, which you can learn more about here, on the side of the highway.
It’s so weird and disproportional that I can’t help but hope the city of Nashville doesn’t put a wall in front of it. I would recommend you look at the photos in the link I posted so you can see the ridiculousness in detail!
I’d love to go back to Nashville sometime soon, I love it there!
xo
A few weekends ago, Alex and I took full advantage of the decent (read: not 90+ degrees) weather that Clinton has been having, and decided to check out some places in the neighboring city, Oak Ridge. We initially went out to the Oak Ridge City Center, which is the mall, so that I could do some job hunting. As it turns out, that mall is only two stores, Belk and JCPenney, because the rest of the mall went out of business. That is both hilarious and sad, and, supposedly, there are plans to open it back up later in the year. After that fail we ate at probably the worst Chinese food buffet in existence, and had to go nap off the abuse at home. 
These photos were taken, by a sleepy Alex, across the street from our apartment in downtown Clinton. While I love our apartment itself and some of the cute antique shops, restaurants, and murals in this part of town, I can’t help but ask myself why we moved so far away. It’s about a 40 minute drive to Knoxville, which is where everything is, and there aren’t a lot of job prospects open to me here. Although I have freak-out moments about those things, I’ve decided to keep my head up for now, because I just made my first Etsy sale (!!) and applied to work a neat little cafe around the corner from me, but I’ll be counting down the days to the end of this lease and always dreaming of apartments in Knoxville.
Hope everyone’s having a great weekend! xo
Edit: A month or so has gone by since I wrote this, hence the untattooed forearm, and I got the job at the cafe! It’s great, and I work with some really cool people.
Happy Friday! I just wanted to pop in today to let you guys know that I’ve finally updated my Etsy shop!
I added a few new prints, and brought back my older ones. Click here to take a look!
xo
P.S., This is my 50th post! Hell yes!
Can you believe it’s the end of August? With Summer on its way out, I thought it would be appropriate to share some things from my Fall wishlist, and since I’ve been slowly upgrading and decorating, some things that I’d love to have for my apartment!
I’ve recently cleaned out my closet, and now there’s some room for these cute things!
You can’t get new clothes without a few accessories and home goods, right?
Here’s some other favorites that didn’t make it onto the collages!
This skirt is covered in tiny kitties that look just like my Ringo! (via Modcloth)
Succulent socks! (via Modcloth)
I love all things space related right now. This necklace is perfect! (via Modcloth)
If I can’t travel, these cute rings will hold my wanderlust over for a while. (via bellehibou on etsy)
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like this keepsake box and this makeup tray go together! I don’t think I can pick a favorite. (via Modcloth)
I have this thing for throw pillows, especially when they’re black and white and have kitties on them. (via Modcloth)
These are the perfect place to store pretty things! They’re also good if you frequently forget what you put in boxes. (via Urban Outfitters)
Man, I just can’t help how much I love planters. The gold looks for perfect with those green plants! These, sadly, are sold out, but this one might even be better. Maybe these could be DIYed with copper pipe? (via Urban Outfitters)
Last, but definitely not least on this lengthy list of wants, is this black cart from Target. This is the thing I’m mostly likely to buy from this list, because I’d love to replace a certain wobbly shelf that I have with this! I also love that basket and shower curtain. Monochromatic heart eyes, you guys.
I feel like I’m completely revamping my life and style right now, and I’m surprisingly okay with that! Anyone else done a major overhaul lately?
xo
Since I’ve pretty much failed at doing Project 365, I figured that every now and then, maybe once or twice a month, I’ll pop in with basically a “what I’ve been up to” post, just to keep you guys updated.
I recently got this super neat chair, which is pretty much the only exception to my “Get this wicker out of my house” rule. It takes attention away from my paint splattered floor, and is kitty approved!
I gained a new way to store my pins, thanks to inspiration from Kaylah of The Dainty Squid, and the $1 and $3 section of Target.
This day, I got a call saying that I got a job, and this cactus for 50 cents. A good day in my book.
A mirror selfie to make sure I look decent for my first day of work.
This is definitely one of the more interesting cookie jars that I’ve ever seen. I found it while dusting antiques at work.
I never wear open toed shoes in public, so this is the only way anyone will ever see my cute toenails. 
My cats have found a new place to nap. She feels like the queen up here.
Alex and I put the craziest combination of sheets, blankets, and pillow cases on our bed.
I almost never take selfies, but when the mood hits, I stop what I’m doing until I get a good one.
I got two sweet shirts in the mail from Kinship Goods!
This past weekend, my sister, Alex, and I took a trip to Nashville for Ink and Iron and we got matching twin tattoos! Thanks to Shawn Patton (from Cleveland, OH) for these beautiful pieces!
I’ve basically just been working and trying to keep up with housework. I’m a little embarrassed to say that we’ve been living in our new apartment for a couple of months, but it’s not where I want it to be. I’m trying to tell myself that it’s okay for it to be unfinished, and that most of the problem is financial restrictions. So, I guess we’ll wait it out and save! I’ve got some goals set for myself, and hopefully I can get those in motion soon!
xo
Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed that my style has started to shift from mostly crazy prints and colors to relaxed black and white outfits, like solid black and striped dresses and tops, and black or dark wash shorts. I’ve been trying to find some good tee shirts, and I’ve found a few good ones from Kinship Goods and Stay Home Club, but not too much luck anywhere else, aside from basic striped tees.
I came across Dylan Murphy on Instagram, and quickly became pretty enamored with his shirt designs, so we’ve partnered up to get him some of the exposure that he deserves!
I love his edgy designs, and that they range between simplistic and detailed. Most of his shirts are adult unisex (which I love to wear with the sleeves rolled), but he also offers clothing for babies and children! His designs make his cause clear, which he shares on his website: “I believe in the little people, equal rights, caring for the environment, and not bowing down to the man. I am a rebel with a cause.” That’s something I can get behind!
Here’s a few of my favorites!
In Dog We Trust, That’s Not Very Punk Rock of You, Overthinking, Camp Feel Bad
I got in touch with Dylan, who was happy to answer a few questions for my readers!
How did you get into designing shirts/What’s your background like?
I’ll try not to write a novel here haha. I’ll start by going through a brief history of my experience in the arts. After turning 18, I started gaining an interest in photography. Post high school life was very different than my high school life for me. I went through a lot of changes and almost became a completely new person. Now I’m straying from the topic, that’s usual for me though, I can have very extreme ADD and it shows in my work. Anyway, photography was the first art I gained a real passion in. I think my girlfriend, and now wife, played a huge role in my growth as a photographer. Outside of myself, she was my main subject. I went to a community college for the first few years of college trying to figure out what I really wanted to do. During that time I also worked as a designer and photographer for the college. I finally decided to pursue a major in photography, despite knowing it might not lead anywhere, as is the case with most arts. I attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and got my Bachelor of Arts degree in photography. While there, I also worked at the student newspaper designing ads. I’ve always enjoyed doing both photography and design, and there was a time where I combined the two, creating complex montages out of my photographs and creating surreal scenes. Eventually I started creating collages that did not include my own photography. I discovered there was a massive amount of untapped resources in the public domain: old photographs, vintage illustrations, even NASA images are public domain. I went through a lot of part time jobs outside of the arts after college and really just had a rough time. I would still work on my own photography and design/montage projects though. I finally got offered a full time job in St. Louis doing product photography for an e-commerce company. So my fiance (at the time), our dog, and I moved to St. Louis. The pay was good, but eventually I started to feel stagnant and uninspired. Last year during that time I tried to think of new ventures I could pursue. I eventually decided to try making shirts out of some of my montage designs. The first shirt I made available to the public was a surreal vintage space montage that had previously sold fairly well as a print. So I guess that’s finally how I got started. Eventually I tried other ideas besides my montages and began thinking specifically about what I could create with clothing in mind. Some of my co-workers also helped push me into trying new things as well. I lost the full time job as a product photographer in May. It wasn’t a good environment anyway, but I was paid fairly well. Since then I’ve focused a lot more on my own work and trying to make something more out of what started as a side project. I’ve been pushing out more designs and thinking hard about what I can do with this.
This year, for 4th of July weekend, Alex and I took a trip to visit his aunt and other family in McArthur, Ohio. I knew as soon as I found out which part of the interstate we’d be taking that we would have to stop and see a couple roadside attractions that I had been obsessing over for a while. Both were still within the Tennessee state line, so I really had no excuse as to why I hadn’t gone before, but this was the perfect reason! The day started out gross and rainy, and I was really afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get out of the car and spend much time with this scaly beauty, who was once a prop at a fireworks store, which burned down a few years back. As luck would have it, the rain slowed to a mist as we came upon it! Thank you, universe.
It was easy to get to, and we just parked beside the dollar store that it hides behind. I don’t know if it’s me, but being so close to and looking up at something so huge and exciting is overwhelming to me. My anxiety-ridden brain was sure that thing was going to fall over if I touched it. Alex clearly had no such fears, and stood on its foot, ready to become lunch.
The our other stop is also a burned down fireworks store, and it just a few miles away from the dragon, on the opposite side of the highway.
I’ve driven past this before, and could see from the road that there were two Ferris wheels, a couple other structures, a pink elephant, a giraffe, a tall rocket, a creepy clown, and a really long firetruck. This one lies behind a gas station, and is fenced in with a “No Trespassing” sign. I wrote a review for the place on the Roadside America app, which tells all about this place.
“I stopped by there today (July 2015) to get some photos, and it’s closed to the public. There’s a gap in the fence, so we went in anyway. Much to my dismay, the elephant and giraffe have been removed! There are still two Ferris wheels, plywood clowns, the rocket, and the World’s Longest Firetruck, but a lot of the allure was taken with the elephant. The place was kind of littered, and probably isn’t worth a stop unless you have a thing for large, abandoned camouflage bras. It still looks pretty and mysterious from the highway.”
Needless to say, it was kind of a disappointment, because the elephant was the reason I was so excited to go! Both the elephant and the giraffe were still there last time I passed by it (early June), and there apparently used to a horse, according to Kaylah’s trip to the place. We rushed around, feeling kind of creeped out, and got some pretty good pictures anyway!
I can’t wait to go on another adventure! I think next on my list is the carved Abe Lincoln in Kentucky.
xo
Happy Monday!
The last couple of weeks have been completely crazy. Alex and I have been using all of our free time getting our new apartment in order. We’re still kind of living out of boxes, and we can’t find a few important things, like our vacuum and our pots, pans, and bowls! I’ve also been working a new job and making pretty frequent trips back to Knoxville, which is why I’ve been so absent here lately! Don’t get me started on Project 365.. Phew.
We had our housewarming party this past Saturday, and it went super well! Special thanks to Erin for all her preparation help, and our guests for lots of fun and some thoughtful gifts!
Yesterday was our first rest day in a few weeks, and it was much appreciated. We slept late, ate party leftovers for breakfast, and finally finished Season 3 of Orange is the New Black. Alex’s mom and her fiance came by and had a look around the apartment, and we talked about our upcoming trip to Ohio! We’re beyond excited. A little while later, we headed over to the river so Alex could go fishing. By the way, how cute is this little castle?! It’s at a house next to the river, and I need one.
I’ve really missed my camera over the past few weeks (I misplaced the charger in the move). I snapped a few photos and made a new embroidery in the shade while Alex had his fun. Later, we made a trip back into the main part of town and had great Mexican food, and made a stop by Target, where I got the cutest scissors in existence, and a great new way to display my growing pin collection!
After our trip this weekend, my goal is to establish a regular blogging schedule, and make some updates to my Etsy shop! Keep a lookout for a post about our trip next week!
xo
Ink & Antlers 