In 2011 I achieved nearly all of my New Year’s Resolutions. Lost 20 pounds. Drank 80 ounces of water every single day. Started a savings account. Committed to time management. Moral of the story is that I had a great year. And a big part of my success was my approach to organization and the LAJ Daily Page Notepad is a vital part of that. If you’ve got a lot of goals you want to meet this year, or a lot of Resolutions you want to fulfill, I recommend doing something similar to help you achieve it! You can snag your very own LAJ Daily Page Notepad in the Etsy Shop…or enter the contest below (or both!)…
When the Facebook Page hit 300 fans last week, I gave away an LAJ notepad. So I figure it’s high time to give one away here, as well. Comment on this post for your chance to win. I’ll announce the winner on Monday morning. (Oh, and if you don’t want your comment to show up on Facebook you can uncheck the “share to Facebook” box under the comment area.)
A few weeks ago we removed the television from our bedroom. It was a bold move, but we vowed we’d spend an hour every night reading instead of zoning out on a show or movie. Well, so far it has proven effective. I flew through “Summer at Tiffany” and am currently putting a pretty impressive dent in “11/22/63“, has anyone read it? I’ve heard amazing things but so far it has been a little hard to get into. Today’s inspiration: Madewell First Frost Cardigan ($98.00), Madewell Checkbox Ex-Boyfriend Shirt ($69.50), Hollister Skinny Selvedge ($59.70), Scotch & Soda Printed Woolen Scarf ($77.00), Jeepers Peepers Fred Glasses ($25.45), Madewell Caravan Mailbag ($68.00), Orla Kiely Car Park Folio for iPad 2 ($105.00), TOPSHOP Klara Moccasin ($81.00).
This time of year it’s hard not to get obsessed with all the cute details. Everywhere you look you will find something that is so adorable it will take all of your willpower not to buy it. Here are a few things that are currently killing me…
I can hardly stand the cuteness of this velvet bowed stocking-hat (Redherring, $15.00) and I feel like everything will seem more Holiday-ish while wearing it. Lately I’ve been a bit overly obsessed with cute correspondence—perhaps it’s because I’m getting ready to ship out the first batch of LAJ Daily Page Notepads, but I just adore this combination of Washi Tape + Postage Stamp on this letter from Molly Jacques , I also love the idea of a customized rubber stamp for a return label (Paper Pastries, $65.00). If I lived in a city that required the regular hailing of Taxi-cabs I would so own these mittens, (Kate Spade New York, $65.00). It’s a strange thing to admit, but lately when I’ve visited Anthropologie, I’ve been more drawn to their adorable home goods than their clothing—-all of their cutesie & colorful kitchen utensils have really been winning me over (Cucina Measuring Cups, $32.00, & Zesty Measuring Spoons, $18.00).
I love Pinterest. And I’m willing to bet $100 that you love Pinterest, too. What I don’t love about Pinterest is the fact that it can making finding original sources a total nightmare. There is nothing more frustrating than finding a dress or DIY project that you completely love—-only to find the supplied link is incorrect, invalid or completely unhelpful.
There are a few things about Pinterest that are frustrating from a Blogger’s perspective. So I’m going to try to pinpoint (see what I did there) a few of them. These are just a few of my Pin-peeves (couldn’t help it), if you have one of your own feel free to add to this via the comments section…
1. Find the original source. A lot of bloggers (myself included) borrow content from other places. Etiquette says that we site these sources. This means that if I show you an amazing image of a sunset it will probably say “I found this photo at Mary’s Blog” with a link to Mary’s blog. If you want to pin the sunset photo—please go to Mary’s blog and pin it, instead of pinning it from my blog. That way, Mary gets the credit (and the traffic) and not me. Which is how it should work. Give credit where credit is due and this often only takes a few extra seconds.
2. Find the Specific URL. Do not pin from a blog’s homepage. Blogging from a homepage is deadly, and will be annoying not only to other Pinners but also to you if you ever try to go back and find that pin again. If you come to my homepage and pin an oufit, the link it will connect it to is simply “www.lifes-a-journal.com”. If you go back to that pin a month (or even just a week) later, that pin will be buried on page 5 of my homepage (deeper than the average person is willing to dig). If I had a dollar for every email I’ve gotten saying “I saw this outfit from your blog on Pinterest but can’t find the source” I would have like…at least $5. And $5 is too much, Pins should link directly to their specific URL, which means clicking on the posts title so that the urls show up as “www.lifes-a-journal.com/date/this-posts-title”. This rule applies to almost any blogger/blog. Be a pal to all of us and try your best to get the direct URL. Without the proper links connected to the Pin, Pinterest loses all meaning.
3. Oh my god TUMBLR. Am I the only person that is completely fed up with Pins from Tumblr? It seems to make finding any original source a total nightmare. Writing about it just gave me a headache. It’s disheartening as a blogger to see your work pinned through Tumblr, because it often means that the credit for your work is now lost in the vast abyss of the interweb. Sigh.
For a lot of guys out there, the holidays (and other events) can create a type of shopping anxiety. Shopping for most ladies is far from easy and most of us aren’t ashamed to admit that we are hard to please in the gift giving department. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
1. Give her a gift she can never claim wasn’t thoughtful: Philanthropy and Christmas go hand-in-hand, and thanks to Toms Shoes you can give your lady a little bit of each this Holiday season. Buy her a pair (all the styles/colors/patterns are cute but the cardones are my current fav) and Toms will donate a 2nd pair of shoes to a child in need.
2. Match a recent life event/new hobby with a gift: Two of you just buy a house? She’d probably adore a book on design or decorating (such as Creative Walls by Geraldine James or Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney). If a lot of painting/repainting is in her future—I’d recommend Design Seeds, which is all the inspiration she’ll need when selecting paint and color palettes. Loves cooking? Try a cutesie cookbook like this one from Anthropologie, or if she likes experimenting in the kitchen try a book where she can write down her own recipes. Want extra brownie points? Toss in a gift card that goes with the book: try a gift card to Michaels for a crafter, Home Goods for a decorator, Lowe’s or Home Depot for a girl about to embark on some home improvement projects or Williams-Sonoma for an aspiring chef!
3. Oh wait—back to that giftcard comment: Giftcards are murky water, my friend. Get her only a giftcard and you risk looking a bit flippant—but paired up correctly you can look incredibly thoughtful and clever. If you find your girl to be incredibly hard to shop for and really feel at a loss for what she might like, go with a giftcard to a store she loves. But make it an event. Surprise her by driving her to her favorite store—whip out the giftcard and help her decide what to spend it on. It’s thoughtful, fun (all girls love surprises and shopping) and most importantly—-you might learn a thing or two about her taste in gifts for future reference.
4. Allow me to introduce you to Etsy, the fastest way to score brownie points: Etsy is a site that allows artists to sell their handmade goods online. Good for you, and good for them. She’ll love the fact that you spent a bit of time thinking about her while cruising Etsy and will appreciate that your money went to a hard-working and talented artist rather than a department store. A few of my current favorites are these Chevron Monogrammed Pillows and this Gold Initial Necklace—but the possibilities are endless—type in any search term and you’ll find hundreds of potential gifts ideas.
If that fails—find her Pinterest page (not sure what it is? Well its the website that your wife/girlfriend has been cheating on you with). She might not be as obvious as I am (I totally have a Buy Me This pinboard) but I’m sure it will give you some ideas.
I’m really good at finding an adorable outfit on Pinterest, pinning it, and then forgetting about it. So today I finally put some effort into recreating a look that I found on The Pinny. I’m totally intrigued by the stripes-on-stripes look, and I love it paired with all of these Kate Spade accessories in primary colors. Have you found an outfit that you want to see recreated? Send it my way. Today’s Inspiration: Equipment Brett Striped Shirt ($154.00), J.Crew Striped Knitted Sweater ($78.00), Ted Baker Black & Gold Ankle Boot ($250.00), Kate Spade Double Exposure Earrings ($78.00), Kate Spade Double Exposure Necklace ($158.00), Kate Spade Triple Threat 3-in-1 Bangle ($248.00), Kate Spade New York Flicker Melinda ($345.00), Inspiration image from here.
Bored? Not for long, lady. Here are three things you can entertain yourself with while you scarf down that lunchtime fare:
1. Today I’m over at Beauty Bets ranting and raving about the latest lip product from Bare Esentuals—run, don’t walk, because The Tints are a holiday exclusive and won’t be available for long! (and at 3 for $28, they are a total steal).
2. I’m currently obsessed with pinning creative ideas for wrapping gifts. Looking for inspiration? You can check out my pinboard here.
3. Have you ordered your LAJ Daily Page Notepad yet? Preordering ends on Thursday and only a set number of notepads will be available. Get one before they’re gone!
So Josh and I are playing this fun new game called How-Long-Can-We-Survive-Without-A-Shovel, and so far we are doing really well. Is it possible that Wisconsin is really that much milder than Minnesota, or am I just living in a fantasy? I’m not sure, but we have barely received a trace of snow so far this winter, and a nice cab driver we met the other night promised me that Madison receives 1/3 less snow than Minneapolis (and I think cab drivers are an extremely reliable source for this kind of info, so…).
Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that so far I love being in a climate that actually has that bundled-up in adorable layers season—a season which lasts about two weeks in Minnesota before you have to cover it up with a parka. I mean yesterday we put up our Christmas lights without jackets on. We’ll see how long this keeps up—don’t let me down, Wisconsin. Today’s Inspiration: Bhode & Co. Newboy Cap ($43.00), Theodora & Callum Sedona Tie- All Scarf ($175.00), Patrizia Pepe Leather & Jersey Bomber Jacket ($815.00), Calypso St. Barth 8 yr Stilt Denim ($225.00), Roberta Chiarella Coral Teardrop Earrings ($48.00), Proenza Schouler Leather Bag ($1,469.00), TopShop Cable Knit Over-The-Knee Socks ($10.00), Unisa Terena Riding Boot ($59.95), Juicy Couture iPhone Case ($28.00).
I have two neat things to announce today, #1. I am now linking up to a fabulous little Etsy shop through LAJ. And #2: My Daily Page is now available in notepad form and available for purchase through that little shop!
The Daily Page is a handy tool for organizing your day—it tracks tasks, goals, events and helps you remember to hydrate! It also provides space for cleaning, errands and meal planning! The Daily Page Notepad is professionally printed and bound—each notepad contains 30 8.5 x 11 inch pages.
I am currently accepting pre-orders for the notebooks, which will ship on December 15th and will arrive well before Christmas. You can purchase a single notebook for $13.00, or get a pack of 3 notebooks for $30.00! I realize not everyone has a PayPal Account, so you can also pay by check (follow steps at checkout) although this may delay your shipping slightly.
Huge thanks to everyone who has offered feedback and praises for the Daily Page and I hope you enjoy The Shop!
There are weekends where you look forward to getting dolled up for some big event…and then there are weekends where you look forward to the couch, a good book, layers of comfy clothing and warm drinks. This weekend is bringing me a healthy dose of each of those. I had a bit of fun with Amazon’s Cyber Monday sale on books, and got some great new reads in the mail yesterday (list below), so I’m looking forward to curling up with one (or several) of them over the weekend. On top of that, Sunday is our 6 month wedding anniversary (do people celebrate that? I don’t know, but its a milestone so it’s worth noting) so Josh will have to drag me off the couch to do something festive. Today’s Inspiration: Markus Lupfer Sunday Best Merino Wool Sweater ($172.50), Oasis Jersey Leggings ($25.00), Stefanel Cable Knit Cagoule Neck Scarf ($109.00), Michael Kors North Shore Tote ($198.00), Aubin & Wills Longmoor Sock ($39.00), Ugg Australia Bomber Chestnut Over-the-Knee Boot ($577.50).
My Winter Reads:
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Room by Emma Donoghue
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
