Welp...

I just had my first every bloody mary. I'm not sure what to think - it kind of just tasted like cold tomato soup!

Merry (belated) Christmas!

I've been incredibly bad at blogging. Maybe that is something I should include in my New Years resolutions this year? Or perhaps I will use my blog to keep myself accountable to my resolutions?

I don't know...I've always sort of frowned on New Years' resolutions simply because it seems like an excuse to start anew only once a year instead of just trying to be and do your best all year, regardless of when you fall off the wagon. However, if it works, why rock the boat, right? Even if I feel this way, why shouldn't I start fresh on New Year's Day because, after all, it is just any other day isn't it?

Basically, my biggest goal this year is to get back to being healthy and in shape. I am sad to say I fell off the wagon this year, as in REALLY fell off the wagon, and I'd like to get back to looking and feeling better.

Other than that, I just want to continue to grow the relationships I have and love those around me as warmly and meaningfully as I can.

2012 was a great year, but it was also a year that brought many more challenges than I expected. I hope 2013 will be a year that is full of as much happiness as I can handle, but also allows me to continue to grow and move forward.

Another thing that has been on my mind is doing a "25 things to do before I am 25" type challenge. I've had a few friends who have, and really liked it. You only turn 25 once, right? Also, there was this really excellent Thought Catalog article about just this topic, and it published on my birthday. Serendipity, right? That means I should do this, right? :)

If you have any suggestions (though I doubt anyone reads this anyway), do let me know!

"It may be a rollercoaster.

Your highs are going to relieve you but your lows are going to feel extreme. It may feel frustrating and in fact it probably will feel impossible. But you know what? Its who you decide you are going to be in the end that will determine the outcome. What satisfies you will be the result of how you've hung in there- how you never quit. And not quitting will make all the difference."

Oh god.

I've officially started graduate school. I am going part-time while still working full-time. Already this is madness! It's Friday night. Our office closed today at 12:30, so I ran some errands and had lunch, then started in on some class reading at around 2:30. At 4pm, I headed to campus to work in the computer lab on a project (good ol' Macs and their better capabilities for taking screenshots), and then at 5:30 headed home for dinner. I picked my reading up at 8:45 and now it is 10:30 and I am still going strong. I forgot what the feels like! I sort of like it? I must be a glutton for punishment. Either way, that is all. There's so much I want to say, but I haven't the time!!

Guys! I've done something miraculous!

I've been officially bitten by the DIY bug (I blame Pinterest). My very first DIY project was to re-upholster my gross rust color ottoman that I got last year from the Salvation Army for $5.

It wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be, actually. I originally thought I was being a little over zealous in picking furniture to re-upholster for my first DIY, but I am really happy with the result.Items needed:

-Needle nose pliers

-Scissors

-Staple gun and staples

-Measuring tape

-Fabric to cover the ottoman

-Foam (if you wish to make the ottoman softer to sit on - I used 2in foam)

-Box cutter

-Quilters Batting

-Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks (optional)

-Decorative trim (optional)

First thing I did was measure everything. I planned to add 2 inches of foam to the top to make it more comfortable to sit on, so I added that to my dimensions as well. Then I figured out how many yards of fabric I would need (adding an extra inch to each side to make sure I had enough to staple. I ended up buying a yard and a quarter of upholstering fabric from Hobby Lobby - it is BEAUTIFUL, you'll see!

Then I removed the legs.

Then I was tasked with the arduous task of removing all the staples with needle nose pliers to get the old fabric off. I won't lie to you - this part was INCREDIBLY tedious and I hated every second of it.

After probably about an hour and a half, I was left with: A ton of old staples.

A shell of an rust color ottoman fabric and a naked ottoman.

I left the foam that was already attached as it wasn't in terrible shape. If you take the fabric off yours and its crumbling and gross - get rid of it!

I got so excited at this point, I forgot to take any other pictures until I was done. I know, I know, total newbie move, but what can I say?

I had to cut down my 2in foam to the right size to sit on top of the ottoman. I measured the cuts and drew the lines directly onto the foam and cut using a box cutter. I had to draw lines on both sides of the foam and cut each side because the foam was thicker than the box cutter blade.

Once the correct size, I put the foam on top of the ottoman. Then I used the quilter's batting that I bought to drape it over the foam and staple it to the bottom of the ottoman, to hold the foam in place. I had a bit extra, so I trimmed it all down.

Next came the fun part. I laid the new fabric down on the floor, design down. Next, I placed my newly foamed and stapled naked ottoman and placed it legs up (you know, if the legs were attached) on the fabric. Gently pulling the fabric over the long side, I stapled it in place, stapling almost to the corner, but not quite. Then I repeated on the opposite side, pulling the fabric as tight as I could. Ideally you'd have another person to assist, but I was on my own and did alright. Again, staple almost to the corners, but not quite.

Next come the short sides. Repeat the process you did for the long sides, pulling everything tight. The corners, however, are tricky. This lovely website was what I used to know how to do the corners. I would offer that you trim a little here and try to do the corner, and trim a little there and re-try to do the corner, just so you don't accidentally trim off too much to complete the corner at all. That would be a disaster!

Once your corners are done, that's it! The finished product!

If you want to add a trim around it along the bottom, or the middle (to make it look like its two parts), I'd suggest doing so with hot glue. That was my original intention, but now I am second guessing myself! I have the trim, I have the hot glue, but I'm waiting to make a final decision. :)

I hope that is helpful! :)

Next on the docket is an even bigger DIY project. Can you guess what it will be? I plan to make something out of this desk/table (from Craigslist - $25) and two of these small particleboard bookshelves from Target that I've had for a few years./

Any guesses? Stay tuned!

Fume Watches

Thanks to an excellent Groupon the other day, I got my hands on two Fume watches (see below). The whole jist of these watches, according to their website, is as follows:

<"What are the health benefits? FUME Watches are not only a fun way to tell time - they also carry astounding health benefits! Every FUME Watch is infused with Negative Ion Technology. Negative ION Technology is becoming more and more popular with athletes, and also is getting a great amount of attention with health professional. Negative Ions help with with strength, balance, flexibility, circulation, and much more! For a full list of features, please click here. Furthermore, FUME Watches are increasingly popular with athletes (in fact, you've probably seen a few of your favorite professional athletes wearing Negative ION watches!). Full List of Health Benefits using Negative ION Technology: Increased metabolism/fat loss Strengthening of immune system Better balance and flexibility Balance of autonomic nervous system Increase flow of oxygen to brain Strengthening bones Increased Blood circulation & purification Faster recovery from physical exhaustion or fatigue Stabilizing brain function Improvement of Arthritis & sleep disorders Improved mental focus and sexual health Muscle repair Reduced depression"

I've started wearing one of the watches today, so I'll report back my findings. Most of those items I won't be able to verify, but we'll see nonetheless!

"I'll stand behind this one: A man's first suit should be navy."

I stumbled upon a really wicked website recently, all thanks to a friend's post on the old Facebook. It's called The Midwestyle and I really think you ought to check it out. The font page article today was about suits. Those of you who know me well, know how much I love a good suit on a guy, especially if it is a well-fitted suit.