1.29.2014

wearing - 3/50

knit headband - j.crew // scarf - old navy // coat - h&m // fleece-lined leggings - t.j. maxx // boot - francesca's

Let me just start with the fact that I will never be able to replicate this messy bun, so thank goodness it was captured for posterity. I'd like to think I can recreate my formula, but let's not kid ourselves. A good messy bun is here for a fleeting moment & can never be replicated. Like a snowflake!

I think all my prattling on about our "one snow day" jinxed us into a second round of snow exactly one week later. As soon as our apartment pathway was no longer covered in ice (thanks, landlord!), we got a fresh layer of ice & snowflakes to shut down the city once more. Fortunately! This time was a lot less blustery, & we spent a good amount of time wandering an eerily quiet & deserted downtown, dodging the road crews who I'm sure loved having us around. Orrrrr something.

This wonderful winter weather has rationalized my quest for the fleece-lined legging, after missing the memo that Target's were on sale earlier in the fall. Turns out, TJ Maxx has a huge supply for half the price, so you're welcome! I'll definitely be sporting them on my walk to work tomorrow morning, & you bet this Old Navy scarf, shed though it may, will be wrapped up to my ears. I'll just pretend I'm walking to Sochi for the Olympics. HA I WISH. ... I do wish that, though.

1.26.2014

snow place like home


Just some captured moments from last week's snow day. It was ohhhhhh so cold, & we managed about 20 minutes of "fun" before we went straight back to the couch, where Doctor Who was waiting for us with open arms. Typical southerners. We like to dream about living a life somewhere in the Northeast, but... Well, I guess we'll have to figure that out as we go. Sounds like more coats & boots shopping to me, so I'm still game.

We usually get one good heaping of snow around here, in which the whole city shuts down for about 2 days. School is cancelled, shops stay closed, & it really is like living in a snow globe. Except then the sun comes out, the temperature goes right back up to nearly 50 degrees & the snow melts away like it was just a figment of our imaginations. This time, it's actually stayed cold for a few days, & nearly a week later, this blessed snow is still on the ground. STAY FOREVER, SNOW! Or at least until Valentine's Day. Then it can be warm, please.

1.24.2014

four good things

1                          2                        3                         4

HOMEMADE SCRUBS - Can't get enough of them. So far, this face scrub (that my sister-in-law recommended - Thanks Alex!), this lip scrub, & this foot scrub are getting me through this cold month. 
BIRTHDAY CAKE - I can't stop pinning cakes. Which is fine, because we have lots of winter babies between our two families, including Jared. 
SNOW - Our little city got it's annual 4 hours of snowfall two nights ago, & waiting for the ice to melt on the roads has been every bit of cozy that I hoped it would be. 
COPPER - Copper everything. Rose gold everything. Jared & I frequently make plans for our dream home, & so far, the pots & pans are definitely copper. All we have to do now is become millionaires. Easy.


[p.s. see some more good things on my pinterest]  

1.22.2014

wearing - 2/50

hat - j. crew // sweater - old navy // shirt - pac sun // pants - h&m // booties - tj maxx // bag - francesca's

I AM IN LOVE WITH A HAT.  I may wear it forever. Which is problematic because people will definitely notice if I'm wearing a baseball hat every day. Especially at my new job, whatwhat! Mission: Find A Part Time Job Till You're Making The Big Bucks was a success. Even better is that this job is across the street from my favorite local coffee joint, & in a close second is the coffee shop across the street from our apartment soooo... Basically, my day has caffeinated bookends. Cannot complain. The Lord doth provideth.

1.20.2014

DIY - xo door hanger



The day of looooooove is nearly here once again, & thus, the crafting begins. I moved away from the traditional wreath this time, & I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. If you want to play along, instructions are below!

SUPPLIES:
- foam board
- printer + word/photoshop or the confidence to freehand
- utility knife
- glue stick
- watercolors or preferred medium
- string or yarn
- hot glue gun
_______________________________________________________________________________________

1. Print your "x" & "o" in whatever your preferred font may be. I used Qumpellka No. 12 at approximately 1079 pt. Since I was using Photoshop, I dragged the corners of the bounding box to fill as much of the 8.5 x 11" page as possible. 

2. Tape the cut out letters onto the foam board. Follow the edges with the utility knife
3. (optional) Flip the canvas horizontally to print a reverse image to place on the foam board. I did this because my board was a little too glossy for the watercolors I wanted to use, but also so that the edges of the paper would overlap the rougher edges of the cut foam board. I used #f0eded as the color on the reverse side so it wouldn't show through once reversed to the white/blank side.
4. Glue & admire your handiwork.
5. I used about five colors to make my... salmon? color, & kept it pretty watered down so I could just keep layering the color. I continued to blend the color as it dried, which is very obviously not pictured. I painted the edges of the board, hence color everywhere! though, I am pretty much a hot mess when it comes to paint.
6. Hot glue yarn to the back of the foam letters. This takes some strategizing to get the letters fall the way you'd like once they're hanging.
7. Stand back & admire your work! I think it's kinda adorable. 

(ps. If you're like me & can't get enough Valentine's Day,

1.19.2014

things heard around the Bethune apartment

"Oh, you're way better than Netflix." - Every day validation

"New rule: I need to at least see the Vine once before you post it." - Too many golden moment opportunities catching up to me

"I imagine that the noise our printer makes translates to 'Do your thang, do your thang, do your thang,' is that weird?" - Proof I've been working from home for awhile now

"This recipe says that making extra bacon to stir into the soup is optional. *simultaneous laughter*" - The making of Wednesday night's baked potato soup

"If I haven't called you by 4, call the police because this guy was totally creeper status." - Jared making a Craigslist pick up for work

"I hope you realize I'm moving into my parents' during the Olympics." - My Olympic obsession coping with our lack of regular TV channels

"Whoa. Commercials. Weird." - Realization made after Jared pulled out the ol' rabbit ears to make my (realistic) Olympic dreams come true

(This entry brought to you by us trying to keep ourselves busy as we wait for the Sherlock season premiere. Not even slightly embarrassed at how much I'm nerding out. I have a feeling Jared, while entertained by the show, is mostly in it for the British style-watching.)

1.17.2014

on capturing moments

Jared's dad outdid everyone in the Christmas gift-giving arena when he surprised each of the kids with their own DVD collection of their childhood home videos. Such a labor of love, as he converted each video to DVD, then had the patience to make 8 of each. I mean, bless that man. Hours - HOURS - were spent over the Christmas week watching Jared & his family in these videos, growing up & into the wonderful humans they are today.

It was eye-opening for me as someone who married into the family, just comprehending sibling dynamics & witnessing the scenes that are still referenced to this day. My sister-in-law Alex & I would often make eye contact during Reigner (her husband) & Jared scenes that were especially antic heavy, laughing at how much sense these videos were making of our dearly beloveds. Of course, I watch 3 yr. old Jared toddle across the screen & my mind wanders to how, eventually, we'll be pointing to those facial expressions & comparing them as something our child does. Pretty amazing, this treasure trove of Bethune Family Movies.

We ended our first night of watching the videos together by watching the "bonus feature" - Film from the 70's that captured my father-in-law & his brothers as young guys in southern California. A little ways into the video, my mother-in-law joined the group & then stayed in his videos for, well, forever. Sweet, right? The camera didn't capture sound, so his mom & dad narrated our way through it, talking us through their camping trips in Northern CA, the layout of their first house, Jared's eldest sister's first birthday, their cross-country trip to Virginia to make a new home... Absolutely priceless memories.

As we got ready to go, we all were struck with this feeling of good grief, we are not taking enough videos! What ever will we show our children! I mean, really, if I'm taking video, it's with the intention of turning it into a "music video" or because someone is doing something that we're going to want to replay at least once. (& let's face it, it's on my iphone & is the first thing that is getting deleted when I get that low space alert.) It's not the candid. It's not the every day moments that will be such a treasure to look back on. Even now, the childless first apartments that seem so insignificant but are so much a part of these early years of marriage - I want to capture it all.

There's this weird balance of not living our lives through a lens vs. not capturing memories & even staged photos vs. real life. It really bothers me that I can go to my parents house & flip through photo album after photo album, but if I want to see photos from the past in my own home, I have to get on my computer & access an external hard drive. My goal is to start printing photos this year. & ohhhh, there are so many I want to print. But I think it's important. (Just like I hope books never actually fade away into e-readers.) Jared has been put in charge of taking more videos, especially around our families & closest friends. Even beyond printing pictures & compiling videos is just prioritizing keeping my digital files organized. Such a drag... But so worth it.

Jared & I made this video almost immediately following the first night of watching their home videos... Feeling a little self-conscious because we definitely don't have a 70's VW van we're camping out of or California Redwoods as a backdrop to our mid-20's, hence my assertion that we're definitely having fun. Super silly (dumb?), but ya know, I'm already grateful to have it. Well, 50-something-year-old Kelsey is grateful, anyway.

1.16.2014

wearing - 1/50


Alright, so since it's obvious I will never be able to post multiple style posts in one week, I'm giving myself the goal of sharing what I'm wearing once a week. Sort of like the cute mom bloggers who do a photo a week of their children, except I have boots instead of babies. I guess I'm technically two weeks behind this year (SHOCKING) so that brings us to 50 outfits in 2014. Hopefully. 

The thing about style posts is staring at my own face/body for a seemingly endless amount of editing time & realizing how much I hate those jeans & yowza I need a hair appointment. It's great fun. Really. But on a serious note, any recommendations on jeans for a lady with a wider derriere & smaller waist/hips? I've shopped at American Eagle forever because they seem to be all that fits without the huge waist gap in the back, but I'm ready to branch out. I'd be ever so grateful.

 If you're new to the tree, you can read here about some of my personal style background (where I also laugh at committing to weekly style posts, by the way), here for style & Sunday Best posts of yore, & here for that hottie husband of mine's Tumblr. Don't let my irregular posting habits & disparaging remarks about myself fool you. These posts are my favorite to share, & I'm excited to have a reason to be more committed to them. Challenge accepted!

1.13.2014

minus & plus

-
Last night's Chipotle poisoning me.
+
Having fortunately mastered being productive whilst sick on the couch over the past few months.


-
Forgetting about the Golden Globes until I got on Twitter last night.
+
Falling asleep to the Unlocking Sherlock program on PBS instead. So, yeah.


-
Grocery stores not carrying more than just Simply Lemonade or Simply Apple. WHAT GIVES. I HAVE NEEDS.
+
A husband that knows to buy two when he finds Simply Grapefruit.


-
Taking outfit photos in our neighborhood, where cars & pedestrians alike oggle as though we're committing a crime.
+
My awesome reflexes responding to someone yelling "SUPERMODEL WHOOOOO" with a raise-the-roof gesture mixed with a chicken dance strut. Oh wait maybe that's also a minus.


-
Attempting to make caramels, which seem to be perfect until cutting into them & finding they didn't set.
+
Using unset caramel as center filling for a birthday cake, which turned out to be divine.


-
Spending so much time with our local nieces during the holidays, only to find ourselves in withdrawal now that it's halfway through January.
+
We have a new nephew arriving at the beginning of February, which should help fill the void.


-
It is once again January in Virginia, & all I want it spring.
+
But January in Virginia usually means at least three 70 degree days, of which we've already had one.


-
Yeah. Not feeling awesome right now.
+
So, more water for this girl. Ey-ooohhhh.



*Read more minus & plus posts here

1.09.2014

planning for the year

Spending the day preparing another wedding weekend. I've just finished putting all my scheduling ducks in their collated, double-sided rows, & now it's time for mental preparation. It's been sort of incredible how my time has been filled nonstop with weddings & photoshoots since officially leaving my full-time job. Nothing short of a blessing, donchaknow. It's been nice to have days like today that allow me to immerse myself in the upcoming weekend gig, rather than lighting the midnight oil after a full week of work. I feel a little spoiled, really. Which is probably what has brought me to another inner monologue.

Nearly a year after my Finger vs. the Immersion Blender incident, we received a whopper of a bill for Jared's Head vs. the Hammer incident back in November. "Is that a totally intense heavy metal band?" you might ask... No, he actually had a hammer drop on his head. It was sort of a freak accident & we don't take head injuries lightly, so we made sure he was clear of a concussion & had his injury taken care of like the wise adults we aspire to be. Apparently, wise adults need to also be kadrillionaires to afford such wise decisions.

Last night, Jared & I sat down for a budget & schedule meeting (which sounded way too official, so we called it a Bethune Pow-wow, because we're actually 9 years old) & it was really great. & I'm not just saying that because Panera & Adele were involved. There's a lot to be said for adjusting the budget in an effort to make forward motion in the upcoming year, though I drag my feet so much going into it. Tithing, saving, traveling, buying that pair of glasses that I got a prescription for last year... Oh, the monies. I'm going to be taking my search for a part-time job a little more seriously, which I'm dreading from a it's-been-so-nice-to-have-a-free-schedule standpoint, but really excited about when I think about being a consistent contributor to our budget. Freelancing is one of the best things I've signed myself up for, but saving money for various upcoming trips (& bills) is top of the list. Work hard to play hard, yeah?

& just because it's been on my mind - I don't mean to always be so ambiguous about the upcoming events & adventures in our life. Like, what I quit my job for, what vacations we'll be taking, etc. I just hate putting things out there when tickets haven't been bought or outcomes aren't guaranteed. Hopefully that isn't too annoying. 

Time for more medicine. Because I somehow have a cold again. C'mon, immune system! An instagram friend recommended elderberry syrup to knock it out, once & for all... Any other tips?

1.07.2014

a farewell to 2013

Finally got a photo review of 2013 put together... Click "read more" below to see our year summarized in like... 28-ish pictures! 


1.01.2014

this month - january

EATING - less sweets, because my face is picketing (ha) against December's delicious shenanigans.
DRINKING - coconut water... because face picketing ^^
PRACTICING - waking up earlier.
MASTERING - meal planning.
LEARNING - how to be more structured & intentional with my time.
PLAYING - French pop, unapologetically.
FINISHING - un-Christmasifying our apartment.
READING - up on writing a business plan & ughhhhh.
WATCHING - The Office if I'm by myself, Frasier if Jared is home.
WALKING - more often, even if it's freezing.
WEARING - button downs, toms & messy buns as this month's uniform.
COOKING - ambitiously. I'm currently on a chinese recipe spree.
WORKING - on my January bride's wedding prep.
TRAVELING - perhaps to Richmond, but mostly ready for a month of calm at home.
WANTING - snow. Now that Christmas is over, it's either snow or spring, please & thanks.

[I saw this list once on the bleubird blog, & I really loved the idea of defining some of the month ahead of me. What better time to start a new series or three on the blog than the beginning of a new year, right? Now I just have to think really happy, twelve-month long thoughts.]