The Lab at Velocity

Last night's Lab at Velocity was a blast and a half, and I'm so glad I went. I forced myself out of my introverted shell and discovered a) that I'm actually capable of meeting new people, b) that I can do so without drinking two glasses of wine beforehand, and c) that I still truly believe that Seattle folk are incredibly nice people. Note: I had heard, prior to moving here, that Seattleites (that's a ridiculously difficult word to spell) are generally unfriendly and keep to themselves. Not true. At all. Where do people get this stuff?

Anyways, the meetup was all about blogging (emphasis on design blogging, but applicable to all creatives). Mary T. at Shelterrific has a great recap here, so if you want all the dirt, check it out. I must say that I didn't learn anything earth shattering or new, but it was great to hear the panel talk about their blogging experiences. And it's just good for the creative soul to meet with like-minded people and feel a great sense of connectedness.

Photo ruthlessly stolen from Mary's post at shelteriffic.

Oh, and they had prizes, which I wasn't lucky enough to win. But I was totally blown away by the girl who won the coveted pink Cynthia Rowley hose, and was giddy with excitement because she actually had a dream about the freaking hose the night before. That's the kind of stuff that usually happens to me.

P.S. Host/Velocity owner John was fabulous and made everyone feel so welcome! Thanks, John. And I'm totally coveting these super fun coasters now. I shall be back!

P.P.S. Check out Velocity's site to learn more about future Lab meetups.

A beautiful weekend

This weekend has been absolutely gorgeous in Seattle. I celebrated by "wasting" some precious polaroid film.

Project: table makeover

Our neighborhood Goodwill has some of the best furniture ever. Lots of it is IKEA stuff, in primo condition, for super duper cheap. I picked up a triangular little end table to go next to the bed. Since I neglected to take a before picture, I stole one from the web. Here's pretty much exactly what it looked like before...just imagine boring beige carpet instead of those nice hardwood floors...



And here's the after! (Note the in-progress viney-looking wall mural in the background...someday I'll finish it.)



All it took was one can of "desert beige" spray paint, which looks suspiciously green to me (but it's OK, because that's exactly what I wanted), and some creative masking skills involving scissors and some drafting tape. I cut out the little teardrop shapes from the tape and stuck 'em to the table before painting, leaving lovely little gray drops underneath. I like using drafting tape as opposed to plain old masking tape because it is less sticky and won't leave residue behind when you peel it off, nor will it damage the surface of the table.





I dig it.

Etsy goodies

I've been on a bit of an etsy kick lately, after having replenished my paypal account with "fun money" from various bits of freelance work. So what to do with my fun money? Spend it on stuff I've had my eye on forever! Here's what I've picked up lately:


A set of three sterling silver Ox Rox rings from Rural Abandon. I've been coveting a set of stacking rings for awhile now, and after a major disappointment with a cheap set from the mall that turned my fingers green, I decided to spring for the ones that I truly wanted. Note: They were a lot more oxidized when I first got them, but I have been wearing them so much that almost all of it has rubbed off! No worries, though. I love how they look with the patina fading away. And they don't turn my fingers colors, either. Hooray for real sterling silver!


And here's my awesome bracelet from 2ReVert. All of their pieces are made by recycling bits of old skateboards. Now I'm definitely not a skater, but I love their jewelry and the unique colors and shapes of each piece. And I'm all for making something new out of something old. Mmmm...love my new bracelet.

What makes me smile

This, the result of what was one of the best weekends ever. A show at The Tractor, followed by delicious cheese pizza, followed by blissful slumber, awaking to the most beautiful spring day, exploring the Fremont Market, and grilling out on the porch. If only it could always be this sweet.

Click the pic to enlarge.

Monday posture

She's got the right idea.