• i link you

    i link you 10

    you may have seen it already, but if you haven’t — watch the weirdest video ever late for meeting (via youtube)

    i loved this post about whether or not you should go to design school. personally, i did go and i think i learned more than just design, but real career skills too. i don’t think that it’s necessarily crucial, but it can only make you a more well rounded designer (via the house that lars built)

    with thanksgiving a few weeks away, i am now looking at all my pie and dessert options that i want to try. this maple custard pie with candied bacon looks insane (via raspberri cupcakes)

    i love this simple leather personalized keychain that will take you 20 minutes to make by the very talented rachel (via 52 weeks project)

    using tools you have around the house, you can make these artful diy wrapping paper designs yourself. your gift getters would probably avoid opening their actual gifts. (via oh happy day)

    it might be old — but this tumblr page of cats wearing tights makes me so happy. and laughy. look how long their legs are. so good. (via meowtfit)

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    holiday diy inspiration

    now that my brain is set on all holiday all the time, i can’t help but only want to look for pretty holiday decorations and diy projects on pinterest. check out how pretty all these projects are.

    thanksgiving diy inspiration

    one . sending your guests home with a little thank you gift is such a nice gesture, that it could make you feel ok about bogarting all the leftovers for yourself — rosemary sea salt favors by best day ever (via poppytalk)

    two . these simple and totally customizable place settings using feathers and herbs are so gorgeous and modern — by kara roselund

    three . our rosemary is the only herb that survived the season change, so i was thinking of incorporating some into a place setting, until i saw these rosemary wreath napkin rings and place settings by spoon fork bacon. perfect and simple.

    four . neutral and simple goes a long way when you’re doing your holiday table. some cinnamon, herbs and twine will make your table stand out — perfect place settings by vintage house

    five . using washi tape and paper clips, you can make your own feather place cards perfect for thanksgiving — by a fabulous fete 

    six . my mom and i used to collect pinecones outside for place settings, but some neon paint takes it to the next level — by jennifer rose smith for camille styles

  • san diego, california

    the pearl hotel

    i had the week off of work last week, so for some reason — we decided to go to san diego for the night last minute. we usually go to palm springs for getaways, but our anniversary is in a few months so i figured we’d save it for next time.

    we stayed at this tiny boutique hotel — the pearl, which was SO cheap and really cute.

    san diego spots

    we didn’t do much since we were only there for half a day, but we did visit some really cute places. san diego is kind of a weird place to do a quick visit, because everything is pretty spread out — so we walked around the gas lamp at night.

    we had an amazing brunch at the cutest diner ever called great maple. they have a long list of bloody marys (our favorite was the pickle) and warm maple bacon donuts that were so rich and so good. also the chilaquiles were delicious.

    we went to this shop pigment that i could have easily spent a million dollars in. 

    we had yummy cocktails in the fancy bar at the us grant hotel.

    saul silver costume

    and then we got home and celebrated halloween. after alllllllll those movie costumes i put together, i chose another costume — saul from pineapple express. here i am trying to look stoned. i look asleep.

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    diy gold dipped pear placecards

    diy gold dipped pear placecards diy

    it’s november now! so this month i’m going to do a lot of table setting DIYs. yay for pretty tables and stuffing!

    also… i promise this is my last color blocked / paint dipped project for a while ok? promise.

    gold dipped pears materials

    materials
    pears (use fake ones if you want to reuse these next year — also, it felt kind of wrong to spray paint fruit)
    white spray paint
    gold acrylic paint
    blank labels
    elastic, string, or twine

    not pictured:
    a plastic tub
    alphabet stamps or a pen
    matte medium or fixative spray
    a paint brush (if you’d like to fix spots)

    gold dipped pears how to

    directions

    step one : spray your pears with fixative to prep them for paint.

    step two : spray paint the pears and let them full dry outside.

    step three : pour your paint into a plastic tub and prepare a clean drying surface (i used paper plates). dip each pear in by gently holding the stem and spinning the pear while keeping the tub tipped to one side.

    step four : let the pears dry and fix any weird spots with a brush if you’d like. in order to not have the pears dry onto the plates, i picked them up and moved them every 20 minutes or so.

    step five : stamp or handwrite your name cards, attach to elastic and knot onto the pear stems. i’ve had these tiny alphabet stamps from china for months and finally got to use them.

    diy gold dipped pearsgold dipped pear placecards

  • payday wishlist

    hope you had a fun halloween! i’ll be posting my costume later, which believe it or not — was not part of my many weeks of costume ideas. (or you can just see it on my instagram)

    more importantly… i’m cold!! now that it’s gotten just a little colder in la — our apartment is freezing so i’ve been bundled up for weeks. today’s wish list is all about cozy.

    payday wishlist // 62

    one . i’ve been wanting these giselle pajamas forever. maybe i should take the plunge this year.
    two . from september to april, if i’m at home, i’m wearing big thick ragg socks. i took a lot of my dads.
    three . these linen slippers are so handsome – i’d probably leave the house wearing them.
    four . i’m very into the three wick candles, that’s like 300% more candle. and i love the black tin.
    five . i’ve always wanted a chemex coffee maker. it’s the most fancy way to make coffee ever, right?
    six . loving the simple pattern on this peach linen throw. i want to bundle up in it and not move.

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    what to watch for halloween on netflix

    happy halloween! if you’re staying in and watching a movie — i’ve collected some of my favorites that are streaming on netflix instant. get some candy and do a movie marathon why doncha.

    movies to watch on halloween on netflix

    tucker and dale vs evil a really good horror comedy hybrid — if you like shaun of the dead you’ll like this.

    let the right one in a swedish horror / romance about a young vampire

    the stuff one of my favorite bad 80s horror movies, if you like campy ones — it’s a great one.

    severance a british slasher / comedy about a company retreat getting attacked by killers

    dead snow yet ANOTHER horror comedy – this is a norwegian movie about zombie nazis.

    slither one of my favorites, it’s about these alien slugs that turn people into zombies. and it stars nathan fillion who i really like looking at.

    the langoliers a lot less scary than most of these, and a lot weirder — this was a stephen king miniseries so it’s 3 hours and it has the weirdest diction and sayings you’ll ever hear. watch with subtitles and try to accept the worst CGI monsters for what they are. awesome.

    american mary it’s about a girl trying to get through med school by becoming an underground plastic surgeon doing weird illegal procedures

    the possession apparently people didn’t like this, but we did. like most exorcism movies but it’s the first one i’ve seen with jews instead of priests. and matisyahu.

    the hole i recommend this one for the timid people who don’t like slashers, it’s about kids who find a hole in their basement that contains their deepest fears.

    return to horror high another one of my favorite 80s b-movies, and it’s got maureen mccormick and a young george clooney!

    hansel & gretel get baked i was turned off by the name of this, but it was actually pretty entertaining. post tons of surgery lara flynn boyle plays the witch, which is fun / uncomfortable to watch.

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    freeloader // 3

    free iphone wallpaper from almost makes perfect

    ok i’m ready for a wallpaper change so maybe you are too! also, i’m going to let you just download these ones because the pay for a tweet doesn’t seem to actually work for facebook. sorry about that for anyone who tried!

    free iphone wallpaper from almost makes perfect

    these are for personal use only.
    if you share, please do not share the wallpaper directly, but rather share a link back to here.


  • diy color block clock

    color block clock diy

    the other day i picked up one of these wood clock faces at the craft store with no idea of what to do with it – so i just decided to paint half! i’d mention the functionality of having a clock nearby too — but who am i kidding, i’ll never look at it for the time.

    color block clock diy materials

    materials
    a clock kit (i bought this one, but it’s pretty cheap and crappy and protrudes a lot in the back)
    wood clock base
    acrylic paint of your choice
    painters tape

    not pictured
    :
    a small paint brush
    a pencil
    sand paper
    anything with a circular shape to trace around

    color-block-clock diy

    directions

    step one : sand your clock to get a smooth texture. then tape off half the wood with your painters tape and burnish it by smoothing with your nails.

    step two : using anything that has a round shape and is smaller than your clock, trace around the shape for a semi – circle (i used an old trash bin that was sized just right)

    step three : mix your paint with a bunch of water so it’s more of a wash rather than a thick layer of paint. i would have preferred my paint to look thinner than it does actually.

    step four : paint the center and then carefully free hand around your circular shape. make sure you dont have much paint on the brush when you do the edges or it’ll bleed.

    step five : once your paint is dry, slowly remove the tape and assemble your clock kit as instructed.

    color block clock by almost makes perfectdiy color block clock

    wouldn’t these make great holiday gifts?!

  • diy halloween costumes / pt 5

    ok if you didn’t get a costume by now — you must be a big time procrastinator. so here are some costumes hopefully full of items that you already have in your closet.

    walter white

    W A L T E R  W H I T E
    button down / underwear / glasses / gun / socks / shoes
    + the least sexy costume with no pants maybe ever.

    wednesday addams

    W E D N E S D A Y   A D D A M S
    black dress / button down / tights / oxfords / lipstick / pigtail holders / nail polish
    + if you don’t have a peter pan collar black dress, wear a collared shirt underneath a black dress for the same look

    steve zissou

    S T E V E  Z I S S O U
    shirt / jeans / beanie / aviators / headband / sneakers
    + wear a headband around your leg as a holster, and make yourself a beard by sewing or gluing cotton balls together onto an elastic or string.

     

  • if wes anderson made a horror movie…


    on SNL they did this spoof (that mostly references the royal tenenbaums) but it would probably be my favorite movie if it were real. watch the trailer for “the midnight coterie of sinister intruders” and then check out the new wes anderson coffee table book i’m putting on my christmas list.