My Pinterest Closet

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What I wore:

Olive green tank from Old Navy,

Purple Skirt from City Song Vintage,

and Brown Wedges from Target

accessorized with handmade 

Sparkle & Stone Necklace and 

Gold Glitter Barrette.

sparkle & stone

You are my best friend.

You are the sparkle to my stone.

You are the gold to my purple.

You will never know how much you inspire me.

But to thank you for just being you,

a BFF necklace handmade of

sparkle

&

stone.

Project 52

Watching you stretch with your Daddy seams like the perfect ending to a crazy fun weekend.

I saw this on Pinterest: Glitter Barrettes

I am such a sucker for Pinterest! 

What crafty lover wouldn't be!

 It's the best place to go to get inspiration and brilliant ideas.

Although I have come to find out the hard way,

that just because it on Pinterest,

doesn't mean it's true!

So why not a fun little segment?

And so...

"I saw this on Pinterest" 

was born.

I will test it and share it with you!

Saving you the time and money of a back fired 

Pinterest project gone wrong.

DIY: Glitter Barrettes

So I saw these first on one of my favorite blogs, For Chic Sake, and later on 

Pinterest and had to try the DIY out ASAP!

Here's what I used:

I had some funky barrettes just taking up space. 

I never used them because I could never really match them with anything, 

and always ended up feeling a bit childish wearing them.

So why not upcycle them.

Step 1:

 

Paint each barrette with a thick layer of Mod Podge.

Step 2:

Sprinkle a generous of glitter over the 

wet Mod Podge.

Let dry completely

Step 4:

Shake off excess glitter 

and dab on a second think layer of Mod Podge.

Once they are completely dry 

slip them onto a cute piece of card stock and give as a gift,

or just keep for yourself.

Coffee Talks

I have to start this weeks Coffee Talk off by saying 

that I kinda feel like a bitch for even posting it.

Jess and I are often in sync with each other 

on these posts finding our selves thinking or dreaming about the same things.

But today's was just cruel.

I was sitting around thinking about how fun all the glitter was,

and how much I was going to enjoy peeling all that

Mod Podge off my finger tips.

Then I get a text with Jess' picture.

Somebody rescue that girl! 

Her hands are quite literally falling off!

"My two favorite messes, glitter and mod podge, 

combine for one awesome project and one messy hand." - Erin

"It's not pretty or glam, but its' true; the effects of winter." - Jess

Meet Bella Lulu Ink!

As you may have noticed, Turquoise Violets got a little bit of a face lift! This was something that I have been wanting to do for quite sometime now.  And I finally found the perfect design and designer!!! I found Chelsea, of Bella Lulu Ink, on Etsy and she came to my rescue and gave my ho-hum blog and kick in the butt! Not only is she creative and talented, but quite frankly one of the nicest people that I have meet through blogging.  She walked me through my indecisiveness and together we came up with something really special! I am so honored to have her work displayed in my bloggy home!  Chelsea also writes a blog of her own, Bella Lulu Ink, where you can grab free printables every Sunday! They are all to die for, but this is my favorite so far:

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 You can subscribe to her blog, Bella Lulu Ink, and never miss a freebie sunday! And if all of that wasn't enough she was cool enough for a little interview! SO with no further ado....Here She is! 

Everyone, Meet Chelsea!

ET: How long have you been doing blog design? 

Chelsea: Well, on Etsy, a whopping month!  :)  I've been manipulating blogs for about six years now, but didn't really start getting serious until about two years ago.  I've always loved changing my own blog design, and at some point it occurred to me that I could put all this creative energy to good use and make templates for other people rather than change my blog up every single month!  

ET: Where do you find your inspiration?

Chelsea: I am almost obsessive about visiting new blogs.  When I find a blog, I try to check out the sidebars and visit all the blogs linked to on said blog.  Sometimes I get lost for hours just hopping from one blog to the next.  I also follow some amazing graphic designers on Pinterest and I get daily inspiration that way.  

ET: Why offer Sunday free printables?

Chelsea: I started it because I had some printables I'd designed and figured I might as well put them out there in bloggy land.  Now it forces me to be creative in a different vein than I'm used to doing with all the current blog work I have.  I've been very gratefully busy since opening up shop, so I'm started to actually dream about designing blogs...every single night.  True story.  Being able to work on something a little different from time-to-time is fun!  It keeps me a little sharper than I'd otherwise be.  

ET: What could you be found doing when you are not blogging and designing?

Chelsea: Well, I have three children four and under, so most of my time not blogging or designing is spent loving on them, cleaning up spills, changing diapers and blowing on tummies.  And spending time with my geek of a hubby (he's a software engineer) who has inspired me and taught me so much!  Life is pretty crazy and totally busy, but I love it.    

ET: Who or what are your style icons?

Chelsea: Oh man, I don't know where to start.  First things first, I'm really into minimalism.  It's hard to sometimes break out of that box when designing for people who may not be so minimal.  I love lots of white space.  Bold black and white are my favorite.  But then I am totally crushing on all the watercolor that has filled the design world lately.  

I used to work at a newspaper as an account manager.  Basically, I was the go-between for the client and graphic designer.  I went to school for Public Relations and Advertising, but had no idea I'd end up falling so in love with the graphic design side of things.  Anyway, I could ramble forever here, but one of my favorite graphic artists that I worked with, Mary, is probably my biggest inspiration.  I love everything she does!  She inspired me to branch out and actually try the graphic design side of things.  

I also adore the Heartmade Blog, Take Heart Blog Design, Angie Makes {yeah, she's a competitor but her stuff is amazing so I can't not mention her!}.  I could go on and on and on.  

ET: What is one funny thing that most people don't know about you?

Chelsea: I won't use women's razors.  Random, but true.  Men's razors all the way!  :)

Thankful Thursday

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Do you ever just pause.

Stop everything.

Close your eyes, stand still, and just... 

be?

In a world where we are chasing the perpetual rabbit and 

in a constant battle with being bigger and better and stronger,

it's easy for us to just forget it all and be happy.

Society pressures us to strive to be better

and to search for the next best thing.

But what is wrong with where you are?

Right at this very moment.

Is there peace and happiness 

right where you stand?

Take that moment.

Stop searching and trying so hard.

It's already here.

Your perfect moment.

You have to just be.

Be Grateful & Inspire

My Pinterest Closet

Are you in love with Pinterest?

Me too!

Do you ever find yourself pinning away and wishing 

that the outfits in the picture were really in your closet? 

Yup, Me too!

So I thought it might be fun to try and emulate 

some of those adorable styles we all wish we had.

I call it:

"My Pinterest Closet"

This outfit was pretty simple and easy to 

put together.

Here's what I wore:

worn in American Eagle jeans,

Hello Apparel tee (here is a link to their shop),

boyfriend cardigan from Target,

a vintage set of beads, 

and the hubs hat.

Funny thing, and I didn't even plan it this way...

I went grocery shopping in this outfit too.

If you would like to join me and be featured in

"My Pinterest Closet"

email me (erintrums@gmail.com) your inspiration photo and your copied outfit.

Joys of Parenting: Proof

Sometimes my boy needs proof.

Proof that I am more than just his Mommy.

Proof that I was a child once too.

Proof that 'I can!".

We were wondering around the park,

playing, running, jumping, watching,

when we came across this perfect Flamboyant Tree.

I told him that he should try to climb it.

I then proceeded to pick him up and hang him from a branch.

He didn't care for it much...

I little to far from the ground I suspect.

Then I told him that I could climb it.

His response was priceless.

"Mom, No you can't!"

Well that was all it took.

I dropped my water bottle, keys, and my phone and 

I jumped right up into that tree.

His jaw hit the floor and he immediately grabbed my phone.

"I need a picture of this to show Daddy!"

Proof.

Eat Cleaner and Greener

We are one week down, two to go.

My ideas about food are changing, wether I want them to or not.

My insides just don't lie.

Eating healthier makes you feel healthier.

I still miss my coffee, 

but I am finding that getting out of bed in the morning is so much easier.

And while there are some juices and smoothies that I hope never to encounter again,

I really was getting used to it.

I feel good about what I am putting into my body

and am reaping the benefits of the added energy and weight loss.

Down to 160 lbs.

That feels very good.

Although we have fallen into routine with our 

smoothies and juices for breakfast,

a solid food was welcomed with a smile this morning.

MMMMMMmmmmm. Banana Oat Pancakes.

You can find the recipe here!

These gluten free vegan pancakes were to die for.

They will definitely replace the old 'bisquick' kind.

I was a little thrown off by how filling they were, 

but after a week of feeling like I was on the verge of starvation,

I am not complaining.

We are looking forward to all the tasty 

meals and full bellies to come this week! 

A Peak Inside: The Boy's Creative Space

A quick peak inside the boys creative space.

He loves all kinds of mediums.

My new Tumbleweeds Sunglasses case 

has become the new home for his marbles.

My Great Grandmothers 

handmade kitchen utensil holder

now houses his collection of pencils...

which he loves to sharpen...

on both ends.

Project 52

Watching you two 

splash and squeal with joy

brings so much sunshine to a rainy day.

Green Mushy Cheaters.

I have been surviving on this for what feels like and eternity,

actually only 3 days.

I guess when all you really eat for 8 meals straight is some sort of 

blended, puréed, of juiced vegetable or fruit

3 days is an eternity.

It's probably also why my "hangry" got the best of me.

Last night, in a fit of hunger rage,

when I could not stand another bowl of puréed broccoli and avocado soup,

the hubs and I broke down.

I couldn't say no to his sad starving eyes, so when he asked if we could have subs for dinner,

I couldn't say no.

In fact I bee lined so dang fast to the nearest Publix Supermarket

you would have thought there was some sort of grocery emergency.

Well needless to say,

my tummy regretted my poor choice.

Although my baby food diet has been working since as of this morning 

I was down to 162.

Thats 6lbs so far.

16 if you count the 178 I weighed three weeks ago.

Not bad at all.

Today started off a much brighter day, despite the all day rain storm.

I found myself getting out of bed easier 

and less grouchy.

I was pleased to get a little 

Pineapple Spinach Juicing in before everyone woke up.

My routine friday morning yoga class

seemed to have more meaning to me today.

It was more than going through the motions.

There was a lot of thought and intent behind my practice.

It felt amazing.

The boy's and my new favorite smoothie is this 

Blueberry Mint Smoothie.

It's so smooth and refreshing.

I made a little substitution to the ingredients though.

I have been skipping the honey in my green tea,

and adding it to my smoothies instead.

I have found that it helps balance out the 'green' taste. 

This little 'baby bella' and kale scramble

with fresh sliced tomatoes is now my favorite lunch.

For a little late afternoon pick me up,

I have been making mint infused green tea.

Just plain. No honey or lemon.

I think I like it best this way.

Plus making it in my reusable Starbucks cup

makes me miss coffee less.

Dinner was to die for.

French Lentil Salad with a mountain of fresh green beans.

I made the hubs a chicken breast to go with his,

the lack of substance was wearing hard on him and I didn't want him to back out 

on being my cleanse buddy.

These are the meals that I have been waiting for in this cleanse menu.

Luckily I tried out some of these later recipes in the weeks before starting our cleanse,

or after 3 days of eating green mush I would have said 

F* this!

Peanut Butter Puke.

The first day of our cleanse is behind us.

I woke up and didn't crave coffee.

That's not to say that I don't think about it non stop, but I feel like I can function with out it.

I rubbed my tired eyes so that I could see the numbers on the scale a little clearer.

168.

That's where I will start.

I was excited to make the first breakfast off of our three week menu.

Mango Tahini.

The blender whizzed the ingredients into a 

sort of muddy yellow drink.

I took one sip and damn near upchucked it back into the glass.

I sat watching the hubs, in retrospect this was kinda mean.

I knew he was going to hate it.

I was sitting there choking mine down anticipating his first sip.

One quick draw on that straw and his face turned to instant horror.

He promptly shook his head,

and quickly made his way to the kitchen to discard the remaining smoothie.

On his return he looked at me like I was nuts, 

and said that the smoothie tasted like

"someone puked peanut butter into his mouth".

Honestly there is no better way to describe this horrid taste.

Peanut butter puke.

And now that's all I could think of.

I tried to finish mine, but could only gag.

So we started over. 

Mango smoothies.

Just plain mango.

Which we dertermined we don't really like either,

but it's better than the alternative. 

Psssh....Who wants to be a cougar anyway?

SO here I sit, one day into my "30's".
The hubs, who is a a few years my elder, was poking fun at my no longer being a "spring chicken".
It used to be that woman shared an unspoken anxiety about switching age boxes, but now we have much more to worry about...now it's all about jumping to a different animal.  I am no longer a spring chicken, I am a Cougar...hear me Roar!

But here's the thing....I don't really want to be a cougar.  I feel like there is some sex kitten connotation that goes along with representing that over grown smelly house cat.  When's the last time you were at the zoo and saw a cougar and said to yourself: "self...that's one smoking hot cat?" NO? Me neither.

Why can't I be something cooler? I am not that much for cats anyway.
I want to be something more alluring. More intriguing. More magical.
I want to be a Unicorn! A mystical Unicorn.
If it's about the sex appeal, come on let's face it, what's sexier than a silky white unicorn with it's long flowing locks dawning a giant falic symbol strapped to the front of it's face?  I mean really? There is no competition here.

That's it.  I proclaim myself a Unicorn.  You can keep your roaring cougars! I am a Unicorn....hear me shoot magic rainbows out my ass!

30x30

Today is the day. My Birthday.

The day I turn 30.

Do you know what special event happened today to mark the end of a era?

None. 

And it was perfect.

I woke up to a love letter in my bed.

Black label Maple Bacon

in my belly.

And a fun little trip to Home Depot.

We played out side.

Lounged around.

It was the perfect day.

Thank you all so much for following me

along this journey to counting down 

the last 30 days of my 20's.

It was such a great experience and taught me so much.

30x30

What better way to celebrate those last fleeting moments of my 20's 

than a big kids dinner party?

We had a spread of cheese and other yummy goodies

for the perfect DIY grilled cheese.

I couldn't decide on what kind of grilled cheese, so I doubled down.

One cheddar and bacon with spicy sauce,

and one apple and brie with raspberry chipotle!

YUM!!!

It was such a wonderful evening of awesome friends,

lots of laughter, and a few too many yummy beers.

30x30

After all that Fried Chicken and Hot Dog Talk,

The debut of PS561's new truck seemed 

like the only thing to do for Day 3.

Dinner from a food truck was already on my list,

what better way to get out of making dinner! 

And in my opinion there is not better food truck than PS561!

Love the new truck and the same old dogs!

Thanks so much to Aaron for feeding us!

You never disappoint! 

30x30 fail

We are having technical difficulties with our Internet. Back up tomorrow I hope.

Coffee Talks

"Impostor" - Erin

"Brooklyn Blizzard '13" - Jess

30x30

Today. Day 4.

I took some guilt free time to myself.

15 minutes to be exact.

15 minutes to sit in the sauna after a  very hard yoga class.

And do you know what?

I didn't feel bad about it at all.

Fried Chicken & Hot Dogs: a story about sex

This post is dedicated to one of my oldest and dearest friends. Amanda Proctor.

My sweet friend Amanda posted on Facebook about how she was finding herself drawn to fried chicken. Being a strict veggie, this seemed weird.

Let me tell you a little story...

I was a vegetarian in college.
It wasn't one of those radical 'I saw this animal cruelty video and now I can't ever eat another face" things.  It was more of a "hey? I wonder if I could go a whole day/week/month/year with out meat?" thing.  A personal challenge if you will.  And I would call myself a vegetarian.  Really only because it sounded much hipper than "I am broke and double dog dared myself to not eat meat so that I can save more money for all the PBR I plan to consume." Ah yes, Vegetarian.

Well this little charade went on for about two years, when I started having the strangest, reoccurring dreams.  Every night for weeks I was chased all night long buy a giant, human sized Hot Dog.  It wasn't as if the giant wiener was trying to attack or capture me.  It was a happy dog.  A happy dream.  Running through a giant lush field.  That steamy little link had his arms spread wide open as if to say that he loved me and had missed me so.

Like I said, this went on for a couple weeks.  The same thing. Over. And over.

Finally I couldn't take it any longer, and I called my mother.  I explained the sequence of Hot Dog fantasies that I had been having.  And before I could even finish explaining she interjected without a blip of hesitation.....

"Erin, You either need to EAT MEAT or GET LAID!"

As a side note, this was also that defining moment when my mother and I had crossed into being able to freely talk about sex without if being weird....Friend Zone.

While trying to roll my jaw back up to my face and fanning my increasingly reddened checks, I was trying to wrap my brain around what I was supposed to say about that.

She was right.  I had been a bit of a dry spell.  And I was starving...from malnutrition.  There was only one this to do.  A little bit of bar stool science, some deductive reasoning.  I took all that extra money I had saved up and PBR'ed myself into a situation that lead me to believe it wasn't the lack of sex.   I was still having the dreams and needed to eat meat.

Needless to say, I am back on the meat wagon.  And have been for quite some time.  I am actually hovering over a whole roasted chicken with a fork in hand as I type.

But back to Amanda and her cravings for Fried Chicken.  Go call your mom.  She'll have the answer.

30x30

Take care of your tootsies! 

This has become increasingly more important,

the older I get.

Mainly because my feet hurt so much, all the time.

Years of dancing? Maybe.

The cure?

A pedicure.

30x30

Day 6 was devoted to 

fulfilling the quest for the perfect white shirt.

This crisp clean beauty was a thing of perfection 

hanging there on the thrift store rack.

I feel like I have been searching for this shirt for a life time,

although I really only looked for a few minutes.

#wherehaveyoubeenallmylife

The white button down can be paired with so much,

and something about it instantly made me feel sexy-ish.

See what I wore here!

It was the perfect blank canvas for my new Firmoo glasses,

and my new Lorna Ruth gold glitter earrings!

A Valentine's Gift for You!

Just in time for Valentine's Day,

Firmoo.com and I wanted to spread the love.

As you probably read here yesterday,

I am in love with Firmoo.

My new glasses are to die for, but I have fallen for another pair too!

Firmoo.com not only offers great basics at an affordable price, 

they also carry a line of high fashion glasses.

F-Designer Glasses.

All of these super hot glasses retail for $68.

(Anything comparable in a store would cost at least $300.)

I am totally lusting after these!!!!

There are so many beautiful, handcrafted, 

and quirky colors and styles to choose from.

Firmoo.com and I are gifting six $30

gift certificates to use towards your purchase of any

F-Designer Glasses.

(That means you only pay $38+shipping)

To enter the giveaway just leave a comment below.

Tell us your favorite frame (leave the style # in your comment).

Want to better your chances to win? 

Follow Firmoo on Facebook and tell me about it! 

Contest ends February 14th at 5pm. 

30x30

Last night as the hubs was settling in from a long hard day at work,

I said to him:

"Want to have a sketchbattle?"

His eyes turned on with excitement.

I continued:

"One word. One hour. No other rules."

Once the shock and excitement wore off, he answered:

"Is this Day 7?"

I gave him a nod.

"God damn it, I love you!" was all he could say,

and it was on...like donkey kong.

The hubs got straight to work.

Working diligently, like a master, 

as if he was making sure to make the best of every single second of that hour.

I love watching him.

He pays so much attention to every detail and attacks them with such intent.

I, on the other hand, 

work more so as the mood takes me.

Dabble here.  Doodle there.

This was my first 'sketch battle' you know.

And I have to admit I was really nervous.

 We had so much fun with this, and will be doing it far more often.

Even found a black book for myself on clearance today! 

Score.

I told the hubs to pick the word.

I was too nervous that I was going to blurt out something 

stupid and cheesy like "LOVE". 

So here they are...

our interpretations of the word 

"KICKS"

Firmoo!

  So, I sort of have this "thing" about me. I take a slight pride in my chameleon like abilities.  It brings me a little bit of cynical joy to remind people that we have met before, followed by them making that funny 'where do I know you from?' face.  What can I say. I like to change my look. Somedays I am feeling very retro, others days I just want to feel like a rock star.  Somedays I feel like a hot momma, and well, others I don't even get out of my pj's.

  You guys are all well aware how much I love a good #thriftyfind, because let's face it... all this changing can get a little pricey.  Which is why I am over the moon to tell you guys about my new partnership with Firmoo.com

  Firmoo.com is one of the world's largest online optical retailers.  They offer prescription and non-prescription glasses and sunglasses, and since they do not offer "name brands" they retail at an extremely affordable price! And you know that makes this girl happy!  Do you guys want to be happy too? Well guess what... Firmoo.com just launched their 'First Pair Free' program.  So why wouldn't you try them?



  These are my new specs! I have had the best experience with this company.  I love that the website is so stream lined and there are not 5 billion frame options.  There are plenty of quality frames that are trendy, classic, funky, or a little bit of all three.  While oohing! and ahhhing! over some of the best options, I was instantly drawn to this pair.  The split in color with the bold and daring yellow paired with the classic retro feel of the tortoise shell...these glasses had my name all over them. Like actually screaming my name.  And I don't know about you but wearing yellow just always makes me smile.  They are super light weight and comfortable, yet extremely durable - as I can attest to after stepping on them today...no worries...they survived! Like a champ!

  How do you know the glasses will fit? I know that's what you're thinking.  Well here's my tip: If you already have glasses, look on the inside arm to find a set of numbers that you can match up to the sizes Firmoo offers.  If you still need more assurance that the style is right for you, you can upload a picture of yourself and try them on...virtually.  Go here to get your first pair free.  All you pay is shipping - what a deal!  Seriously, what are you waiting for!

  I have even more exciting news about my new friends at Firmoo that I will be sharing with you tomorrow... So don't go anywhere!