Saturday DIY!

It's been such a lovely Saturday! I went hard core garage sale hunting this morning with a friend and had some major success! I scored a lovely sideboard (well, it will be lovely when I get through with it!) for $20!!! I was so excited. After lunch, I did some sitting around and blog surfing and I came across '20 Ways to Decorate with Book Pages,' on the design blog Nesting Place. Insta-inspiration!! Serious.

I was so inspired, that I immediately set to work on a project. I have serious (though silly) issues with very generic light fixtures in prominent places. They can be such an awesome statement and it drives me crazy when they are boring. So I decided to create a book page chandelier for over my kitchen table. The best part, is that the one I was inspired to create slides right over the pre-existing fixture (perfect, because I am a renter).

So. Here is the process:

1. I taped flimsy poster-board together so that it just fit around my light fixture. Then, starting at 

the bottom, I hot-glued pages helter-skelter! 

2. The gluing continues!

Finished product, all lit up!!

Hope you've had a creative weekend!

Magpie

P.S. In case you were curious- I used one of my 3 copies of Pride & Prejudice. Classy, I know.

I can't go out tonight- I have to wash my hair!

Degas is my favorite Impressionist Artist. Degas has nothing at all to do with this post.

I have a confession. I hate washing my hair. I hate it. It takes sooooo much time to get it brushed out, shampooed, conditioned, and combed again- not to mention that it clogs my tub drain. Then it takes 30 years to dry and tame it, and wrangle it into some semblance of a style. In addition to that- my hair always looks the worst the day after a wash so in addition to dreading the washing/drying I also get to look forward to crappy day 1 hair. Hair washing is an all-evening affair. Half of the evening spent motivating myself, and the other half trying to tame my mop.

Lucky for me- I have very thick, course, and dry hair. Much like a horses. My scalp doesn't get oily and my hair holds style pretty dang well. This means that I don't have to wash it very often. In fact, I only wash my hair once a week. A few people have asked me what I can recommend for them to help put off washing another day, so here is my general weekly run through of hair styles:

Day 1 (Freshly washed)- I almost always wear it down and fluffy. On day one I can usually guarantee that its going spaz out half way through the day so I always have pony holders and bobb ypins to wrangle it back midday.

Day 2- still wearing it down- maybe with a head band or a fancy bobby pin on one side.

Day 3- It goes half-up with some back combing at the roots for volume

Day 4- A nice braid or 'plait' as my cosmetologist sister would say.

Day 5, 6, & 7- now I switch to a bun- either messy at the nape of my neck or very high and pouffy care of 1963. Before I had short swoopy bangs, I was rather fond of braiding my long 'bangs' all the way back and gathering it all in a bun. Sometimes I add a thick headband to cover the bangs, or a silk scarf in a semi-turban. Thick headbands and scarves are especially useful if your hair does get oily and you need to cover your roots.

Now that I've put that out there- you will all be able to tell where I am on my hair washing cycle! Shoot!

Another confession- almost all of my hairstyles involve back combing. It's terrible, I know, but I'm a Texan at heart and cannot bear flat hair.

All that to say- if you're looking for a way to put off washing, you can easily adjust my schedule to fit your hair, whether you go 2 days between washes or 2 weeks. The trick is wear it down right away and progressively start pulling it back day by day. Buns and braids are your friends :)

In addition- here are some sweet links for alternative hair styles- Get out of your boxes!!

Awesome Big Hair 

The Twisted Sister

A Retro Take on the Bun

A Messy, Modern Bun

How to Tie a Head Scarf

Enjoy,
Magpie

Missoni for Target

Any of you brave Missoni-loving people go out to battle the crowds at Target on Tuesday morning? Oh wait, I DID!! I DID!! I am proud to say that I was the first in line to get into Target at 8am on Tuesday morning. I was very prepared- I spent the previous week planning what items form the line I really wanted and setting a budget and it was almost a complete success! Here's my loot:

I got this sweet sweater dress- now I just need the temp to drop below 100!! 

I scored the scarf on the top left and I've worn it a different way every day since Tuesday. Love.

These shoes!!

And now that I've had time to process the madness- I wish I had grabbed these:

Adorable throw. It would have been perfect in my bedroom. 

This purse is the perfect size for toting all my crap. *Le Sigh*

I'm going to Target with my sister after dinner tonight. I'm going to check for the babies that slipped through my grasp. If they are there- then it's a sign from God that I'm supposed to own them. Fingers crossed! 

Anyone else have any luck?

Love,

Shopaholic- aka Magpie

A Tuesday List

I had no trouble with Monday this week. In fact, my Monday was extremely productive. This week, Tuesday has been kicking my butt. As I sat, totally zoned out at my desk, here's what I was day dreaming about:

(Is it weird that I day dream about home furnishings? Because decorating my house/futures homes occupies the solid majority of my dreams. Srsly.)

1. This baker's table from Terrain. I would roll some delicious pie crusts out on this baby.

2. The mid-century modern credenza. My television has been sitting on the floor in my living room for 3 months now because I can't find the right credenza. 

3. Any of these vintage inspired bar carts. Currently, all I have to display is a bottle of wine, a bottle of tequila, and some grenadine, but these would inspire me to establish a party-ready bar.

4. This vintage dress and a cocktail party to wear it to. Perhaps if I had a fully stocked bar cart and a credenza to complete my living room, I could host my own cocktail party?

5. A tall mirror and an ottoman to create a dressing area in my bedroom. So classy. I think it would really take it from bedroom to boudoir. 

These are the big things. I'd also really like a gym membership, something chocolate, some satin pillow cases, and pistachio-colored kitchen aid mixer.

Sigh*  A girl can dream.

Happy Tuesday,
Magpie

You Can Never Have Too Much Soul.

One thing that most people don't know about me is my deep and unbridled love for soul, funk, and hip-hop.  I would say the usual reaction I get to that little ol' fact is a mix of shock and intrigue.

I would also venture to say that these music genres course through my veins and I would be a half-person if they failed to exist.  That's how much I love them.

I recently watched a documentary on Bill Withers and it threw me into a spurt of all things Bill.  Of course I knew of his hit singles (Ain't No Sunshine, Lean on Me, etc.), but I had never really put time into listening to his catalog.  With that said, I'm definitely way more appreciative of his music.  The documentary was a very humbled look into Withers' way of life and his opinion on what and who he used to be.  It was heartfelt and beautiful in the most simple of ways.  I highly recommend it to anyone who:
a).  loves Bill Withers
b).  loves old school soul
c).  loves knowing the history of music in the last century (I myself am a music junkie when it comes to this)

Speaking of music documentaries, another one I saw recently (that for sure goes onto my list of favorites) is Beats Ryhmes & Life:  The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest.  A Tribe Called Quest, for those of you who don't know, is one of the founding hip-hop groups.  They literally changed the game.  If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have much of the music that we have today.  A Tribe Called Quest, even though they had a massive impact on modern-day music, were plagued by internal conflict for the duration of their existence as a group, which eventually led to their falling-out and on-again-off-again split.  

This documentary was amazing, seriously.  Again, if you enjoy music documentaries you definitely need to see this.  I believe it comes out on DVD soon. 

Enjoy a soulful musical journey, everyone! It will do you right. I promise.

 -- Eagle

Come Fly With Me

Anyone else beyond excited for the show Pan Am?! As a huge fan of the series Mad Men, I am so pumped for another 60's era show, if for no other reason than to gawk at the amazing wardrobe. 

After ending a yearlong stint in retail and giving up my discount, shopping at my favorite store (which sells primarily vintage inspired silhouettes) doesn't line up with my budget anymore. While looking for alternatives, I discovered vintage and lucky for me, I've got a number of amazing vintage shops in my area. Yesterday, I found this little number! When I wear it, I'm totally gonna channel the classy, confident, going-places Pan Am stewardess. Watch out world!

Oh my, Pie!

I may have mentioned this before- but The Pioneer Woman is my favorite. I think she beautifully exemplifies motherhood, has a wonderfully loving relationship with her husband, and writes an amazing blog that I stalk every single day. If you don't already know her- get on it!!! (For the record-she has no idea who I am. Such is the way of writing a blog.)

Anywho- she had a pie tutorial weekend last month and just posted a brief pie-baking post on her blog. Now, Eagle and I both have a very special place in our hearts for pies and tarts and while I was very disappointed that I wasn't selected to attend said pie weekend, this post is wonderful and almost makes up for it. Read it then go bake someone you love a delicious pie!!

Bon Apetit,

Magpie

Lemon Drop

Oh yall.. This week has been a crazy one. I'll be back soon with some really good stuff to read, but in the mean time- enjoy this song that I'm claiming as my anthem. (Thanks Eagle, for introducing me to absolutely fantastic Pistol Annies!)

Lemon Drop- The Pistol Annies

Love, Magpie