Fall Freak-out! Clean-out!

I did it! I achieved my goal of cleaning, organizing, and redecorating my entire apartment, and it only took 9 days. Ok I went a little crazy, I think me being unemployed contributed to my OCD breakout. I have to admit though I feel totally rejuvenated and ready to take on whatever next big adventure lies ahead. I want to share with you my "Fall Freak-Out! Clean-Out!" and how I went about it so that you too can cleanse your space and soul in preparation for the changing of seasons.

I basically did this in 3 phases and moved from space to space. The phases are consolodate, organize, and clean. Meaning that I first weeded out any unwanted goods. I didn't always like to do this but it turns out that over the last two years I accumulated a lot of junk (or things I had no space to store, and no intention of using) so these things were collected and taken to the Goodwill for someone else to love. Then I organized as you can see in the photos I am a little obsessive compulsive, I like things to be stacked neatly or categorized. I know, I know, I'm a freak, but seriously if you were to name an item in my household I could tell you exactly where it is and that to me is awesome! It seems like doing things such as making sure hangers all face the same direction, or books are stacked largest to smallest, would take a lot of time but each individual task is not actually all that hard. I found it really relaxing and put on my favorite band and rocked out until I was finished.

One thing to keep in mind if you are a pet owner, is to create a safe place for them. For Kevin especially, he doesn't like change, or mess. It's funny the vet told me that his breed does not do well with change and I didn't think much of it until I started moving furniture around and Kevin came unglued. Walking around the apartment aimlessly meowing as loud as he could. So... that being said, and in general, Paul and I decided to create Kevin a little oasis that is his "room." We don't go back there and it is fully equipped with his favorite freshly washed blanket and kitty tower. Just something to think about for your furry friends. Kevin loves his spot and it completely changed his attitude. 

Another factor to keep in mind while cleaning is that there are plenty of things that can be machine washed. Couch covers and shower curtains to name a few. Also, don't underestimate the power of the dishwasher. I used this to wash a variation of glass, ceramic, and plastic goods. Just be mindful of what temperature setting you're using.

My husband also bought me an awesome glass shelf at Ikea and I was able to dust off and display my entire rock collection. Another reason I love cleaning so much is that it inspires me to redecorate with old things that may have been forgotten. Well, I hope you can take some tips away from this post, and seriously if you missed out on Spring Cleaning, Fall is the next best season for a fresh start. 

Happy Dusting!

Cheep n' Awesome ModCloth Sale

This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking my link. 

Alright there are a few awesome items of clothing coming to live in my closet this month! I have been on the hunt for exciting pieces of clothing that are cheep. That was the exact criteria too! Cheep  n' Awesome. If you want to take a sneak peek at what is in the mail for me click >>> Here and Here. That being said ModCloth is having a Cheep n' Awesome Sale right now and if you follow this link >>> ModCloth you can receive up to 40% off their adorable wardrobe as part of their New Arrival Sale, which has dozens of freshly added items! A bargain shoppers DREAM! Happy Shopping!

P.S. ModCloth has the dress I'm wearing in these photos (Ethereal Girl) in a subtle grey, and it is on it's way! Be notified when it arrives! 

Raspberry Lemonade Bars

These bars are so good! I will caution you that if you are going to try to attempt these make sure to get the lemons to raspberry ratio right. I think I put to many lemons in mine and not enough raspberry and it was a little tart. I am not going to try to re-write the recipe because it was a little complicated, at least for me. You can find it >>> HERE. Since these are bars, you will be making the crust first and then the filling. I hope you enjoy this dessert! 

P.S. Before you set out to bake these you need a lemon juicer and a sieve. If you do not have a lemon juicer I found this awesome TIP online.  

Mom's Spaghetti Recipe

So this is not a very imaginative recipe post, but let me tell you it is SO GOOD! When I was in high school, I remember on Friday nights my Mom would make spaghetti. It was my ultimate favorite especially on a cold fall evening. I would come home from school, go ride my horse, and then come in from the cold to a big bowl of her famous spaghetti. If you want to see what all the hype is about here is the recipe. I challenge you to bring out your croc pot "pre fall" and give this a try.

Here is what you need:

• 1 jar of traditional prego sauce
• 1 14oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 lb. of ground angus beef (my mom now uses buffalo meat for health reasons)
• 1 package of McCormick's spaghetti seasoning
• 1 package of angel hair noodles (my mom also now buys cut noodles from the deli — probably because she isn't feeding 3 kids anymore)

Mix all of this together in a croc pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Then let simmer.
Cook your noodles and you can either mix them into the spaghetti or pour the sauce on top which is what I love. And there you go! a spaghetti dinner thats good for the soul...

P.S. This also makes for a happy husband after a long day of work ;)

Glamorous Waves in Under 20

I love glamorous waves unfortunately for me these do not come naturally. I am naturally a frizzy headed brunette, so it takes a lot of chemical and curler time for me to become a dramatic wavy blonde. Because I love the blonde waves so much I have gotten my beauty routine down to an art which I will share below. 

Basically I brush out my frizzy hair, use an Ionic Curling Iron (which I purchased at Nordstrom) and begin curling from my bangs all the way around my head. Then I just pull my fingers through my hair to get a natural look and spray with my ultimate favorite product from Birchbox 12 Benefits (avoid hairspray, you don't want crunchy curls) and BAM! Pretty glamorous hair! This is my routine I hope this helps anyone attempting this gorgeous look! P.S. Set a timer this seriously takes under 20 minutes if your hair is dry starting out. 

Fashion Concepts From Music Videos

I am sharing these videos, because I just stumbled upon the songs and I love them! I am so inspired by the images in these videos. I am conceptualizing fashion shoots for the near future and keeping these in mind... stay tuned. 

The Happiest 5K

I am so proud of my dad and I. We did our first 5k Run ever today and we survived. We are not in the best shape as of right now but we made a decision to try to live healthier life styles and well, The Color Run was one of the most recent outcomes. We had so much fun! I highly suggest doing The Color Run if you are a beginner it was challenging but totally do-able.

I am really excited to add new experiences to my life and now my dad and I have something we can do together again. It always revolved around the farm and horses in the past but now we have this.

I cannot wait until our next run, and I am just praying that I can stick to a better training routine to prepare. Some of the next races I am thinking about are:

NFL Kickoff Run

 Zombie Race 5K

The Neon Run

*** If you have any suggestions for beginner runners feel free to comment! ***

Electric Nautical Centerpiece

I have been dying to do some sort of DIY with my shell collection after I made magnets with my rock collection some time ago. I have seen images on Pintrest of brides who make bouquets out of shells and flowers and I thought it would be just as gorgeous in a simple centerpiece. This project is really easy. What you need is the following:

• Jars of your choice
• Spray paint
• Flowers
• Kabob sticks
• Shells
• Hot glue gun (I use a mini one that I picked up at Michaels for $3.00)
• Nautical rope of your choice

I began by spray-painting my jars from the bottom up with pink and gold metallic spray paint to give an electric pop to the arrangement. It is easier to get an ombre look if you start from the bottom. Then I glued shells to the kabob sticks and arranged them inside the jars with the flowers. Adding nautical rope to another jar quickly gives the beach-y feel I was going for. This is a really fun, quick project that you can tailor however you like! Enjoy and have fun creating.