• tv shows to binge watch

    shows to binge watch this summer | almost makes perfect

    now that the bachelorette is over (WHAT?! i didn’t watch the bachelorette…), i meant, now that TV shows are over… i thought i’d share some of the shows we’ve watched hard. real hard. and they’re all streaming! yay!

    WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER : FIRST DAY OF CAMP (NETFLIX)
    i wouldn’t recommend this if you haven’t watched or don’t love the movie, but if you have, then you probably already watched the show — so i guess i don’t need to mention this at all. ps i loved it.

    SILICON VALLEY (HBO GO)
    we loved season 1, but season 2 was even better. if you haven’t watched, watch. it’s so so good.

    MARRIED (HULU)
    i really don’t want this to get cancelled so i hope everyone can watch it and it won’t be. it’s super dark, super hilar.

    THE JINX (HBO GO)
    you already watched this?! well duh as you should have because everyone was talking about it. but if you haven’t, duuude.

    BROAD CITY (HULU)
    it took me a while to watch, and then i did and i was like oh why wasn’t i watching? best girl show since SATC. but boys actually like this one. (gid actually likes SATC just so we’re all clear)

    INK MASTER (NETFLIX)
    this might seem like a strange one on the list, but we randomly turned on an episode when we were bored one night and got totally hooked. it’s like project runway but with tattoos, which still might not sound that appealing but for some reason i am obsessed with this show.

    BLACK MIRROR (NETFLIX)
    i recommended this on the last netflix roundup, but i still recommend because you didn’t watch it did you?! DID YOU!?

    SEINFELD (HULU)
    well duh. a surprising amount of people have said to me “oh i’ve already seen all the episodes”, but no — when you actually watch in order versus seeing the last two seasons after jeopardy its a totally different experience.

    EMPIRE (HULU)
    you may have heard me preach about how good this show is – well it’s gooood. it’s so cheesy and awesome and you’ve already watched it anyway so stop reading about it.

    HELLO LADIES (HBO GO)
    loved this show. it got cancelled way too soon, but luckily they made a finale movie, so you can watch that and be sad.

    REAL WORLD : SKELETONS (HULU)
    yes i am still a teenager apparently. this season was so good. everyone is so hot and they fight so much. highly recommend.

    DON’T TRUST THE B IN APT 23 (NETFLIX)
    another show i’ve already mentioned on here, it is so much funnier than you’d think.

    FRIENDS (NETFLIX)
    i’m now ashamed to admit i never watched friends as a kid. i watched seinfeld instead. well i watched it hard and LOLed so much.

    UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT (NETFLIX)
    another show you already watched. but if you didn’t, you really should. it’s funny.

    ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (NETFLIX)
    i just figured i’d add it because i love typing apparently.

    FREAKS AND GEEKS (NETFLIX)
    another way too short lived show that at least you can watch in one afternoon, so that’s a plus?

    LOUIE (NETFLIX)
    it actually took me a few episodes to get into it, even though i love him. but it’s weird and awesome.

    LOST (NETFLIX)
    if you want to be my friend, you should probably have watched all of lost.

    ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (NETFLIX)
    if you want to be my friend, you should probably have watched all of arrested.

    ok, so i watch a lot of TV. i also left out a whole bunch of shows to keep this fairly brief (and some to avoid judgement). got any suggestions for me? evidently, i have plenty of time to watch more TV.

  • happy weekend

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    whoaaaa this week flew by. we have very little planned for this weekend which i’m stoked for – gonna run some errands and see some houses and that’s about it.

    oh and i got some very out of the blue exciting news! i’m nominated for best DIY blog in the bloglovin’ awards! i’m nominated along with some of the biggest DIY blogs ever and i’m kinda not sure what i’m doing on there… but wanna vote for me? love ya.

    ⋅ my new fave youtube video
    ⋅ a super useful chrome extension for us hoarders
    ⋅ ok, this is so weird. and so good.
    ⋅ been eyeing this dress for months, it’s way on sale right now.
    ⋅ i’m such a sucker for pretty cleaning products
    ⋅ is it weird to be attracted to paintings of men? because i am.
    ⋅ always need a new pretty excuse to be organized.
    ⋅ this is my newest bff, and she makes some dooope looking food.
    ⋅ loving this new print for the summer!

  • ,

    malibu staycation

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    as you know, this past weekend we went on a little getaway to malibu. it was a perfect little refresher, and a chance to finally go to the beach for the first time all summer. we stayed in a yurt, which was kind of a new experience (i stayed in a similar dome thingie on my high school senior retreat in ojai). i’m a little claustrophobic so we ended up sleeping on the pullout instead of the bed near the ceiling, and fyi there are roosters living on the farm. pack your sleeping pills.

    it was also a really good little bonding sesh for my brother, sister in law, gideon and me. with both our weddings taking place over the span of 7 months — it was really nice for the four of us to just hang out stress free for the first time in a while. we brought a lot of rosé and a bunch of games and mostly just hung around relaxing.

    EAT
    habana cafe for fish tacos and margaritas
    malibu seafood for fish and chips but way too long a line
    neptune’s net for more fried fish and a biker scene
    malibu farm for breakfast and a view

    STAY
    the yurt (and you can have your friends stay in the other two properties)

    HANG
    el matador has been my favorite beach for a decade, it’s a lot more crowded than it used to be, but it’s gorgeous and still fairly secluded. (be ready for a steep walk down)

  • DIY copper patterned iphone case

    diy copper patterned phone case | almost makes perfectdiy copper patterned phone case | almost makes perfect

    you know what the best kind of DIY projects are? the ones you can do in bed. goes without saying they’re the easy ones too. i’ve been wanting to make myself a new phone case for a while, and i’m stoked on how this turned out!

    diy copper patterned phone case | almost makes perfect

    materials

    if you’re super observant, you’ll notice that the pattern in the photo above is different from the finished case. i ended up scrapping the first design because i had continued the patterns off to the sides, which ended up feeling annoying on my fingers and i figured they would start to peel.

    01. cut out your shapes using the grid on the back of the contact paper as a guide for keeping your sizes consistent (or as you can see in mine, fairly consistent)

    02. lay out the shapes on your case and figure out the pattern. *

    03. using your tweezers, peel off the backing and stick to your case — continue this for like ever. if you mess up, you can remove the shape with your tweezers but you might want to cut out another shape if it looks janky after removing.

    04. once you’re done, you can seal the case with a thin layer of mod podge or whatever sealer you want to use – this will prevent the inevitable peeling.

    * my contact paper has a metallic grain, i ignored this on the first round and noticed that the shine wasn’t consistent throughout. if your contact paper also has a grain, make sure you keep the grain going the same direction on every shape for the best look.

    diy copper patterned phone case | almost makes perfectdiy copper patterned phone case | almost makes perfectdiy copper patterned phone case | almost makes perfect

    easy right?! let me know if you try it!

  • ,

    dream house : vaulted ceilings

    dream house - vaulted ceilings | almost makes perfect

    still looking for our house, and learning the things that are really important to look for. the biggest thing i’ve noticed is that while i do fall for a cute flipped house, most of the time there are still things i’d want to change — and if it’s not priced for that, it’s no go. so instead, we’ve been focusing on good bones – and i’ve noticed the thing i’m looking for the most is vaulted ceilings. we’ve seen some amaaazing ceilings in houses that aren’t in the right locations or in the right price range for us, so i’m trying not to have my heart set on them, but oh man. i want me some vaulted ceilings.

    [image]

    dream house - vaulted ceilings | almost makes perfectdream house - vaulted ceilings | almost makes perfect

    light woods, white. looks dope both ways. [image top / image bottom]

    dream house - vaulted ceilings | almost makes perfect

    i’d also settle for vaulted bedroom ceiling. [image]

    vaulted ceilings | almost makes perfectdream house - vaulted ceilings | almost makes perfectvaulted ceilings | almost makes perfect

    but i am obsessed with a huge kitchen/dining/living combo with it. [image / image / image]

    vaulted ceilings | almost makes perfectdream house - vaulted ceilings | almost makes perfect

    [image top / image bottom]

    is it just me or does a high vaulted ceiling make a room look like a million bucks?! do you have vaulted ceilings? you do? oh ok i hate you. jk. i don’t. i’m just super jeal.

  • happy weekend

    daniel wellington | almost makes perfect

    struggled a little this week — i’m on a summer hiatus from my day job, which happens every year and i always think oh man i’m gonna be so productive when i’m not working those two days a week! but it doesn’t usually end up happening, and with a few DIY fails in a row, i’m having a little lack of inspiration. i go through lulls like this and snap out of them, so hopefully leaving this weekend will help inspire me.

    as i said yesterday — gid, my brother, sister-in-law and i are heading to malibu for the weekend for a little getaway, and some much needed beach time. we’re staying in the raddest airbnb which i’ll show you guys on instagram if you’re following along! hope you all have a lovely weekend!

    how to eat sushi like a pro sushi eater
    ⋅ we all use gmail and we all need this
    ⋅ cutest free printables to wrap up goodies
    ⋅ so i’ve watched 7+ of these shows, eek i’m really wasting my life.
    how to be polite (or some refreshers for you polite people)
    a simple + genius + gorgeous diy!
    ⋅ come check out fran’s amazing new venture
    ⋅ i know i’m addicted to bubbly water, had no idea everyone else was too!
    ⋅ in case you missed it, you can get 15% off daniel wellington watches until august 15 with code “makesperfect”

  • ALMOST MAKES MIXTAPE ⋅ VOL 18

    this weekend we’re heading to malibu for a little getaway — we’re gonna spend some time at the beach and eat some seafood, and wait till you see where we’re staying — can’t wait to show you guys. i made this mix for us to listen to during pool/beach time, so i hope you can enjoy it this weekend too!

    almost makes mixtape | vol 18

    PHOTO VIA

  • DIY wood cake stand

    diy wood cake stand | almost makes perfectdiy wood cake stand | almost makes perfect

    ok you guys — this might be my easiest DIY to date. and it might be one of my favorites. i love simple wood cake stands, so i decided to make this by essentially just gluing wood together. does it still count as a DIY?!

    cake stands are one of those things i like to have to feel like a real grownup, but i’m not usually playing hostess while serving various cakes. for those few rare occasions when i do throw a little party, pretty cake stands make everything look cute, you know – like donuts. or toast. whatever.

    Read More

  • my favorite daily makeup essentials

    my favorite daily makeup essentials | almost makes perfect

    when i got married, i decided to skip booking a makeup artist and instead have my maid of honor do my makeup for the wedding (didn’t hurt that she used to do makeup professionally). because i had her do it, i bought some fancy makeup which i never did ever, and got to keep it! buying a few fancy items really taught me how fancy items are actually pretty nice to have around — and i’ve really started figuring out which products are worth splurging on and which ones aren’t.

    btw — i know this is a different type of post than normal. i always find reading about other womens beauty regimens super fun, so i thought you might too. if you guys like this type of post, i have more where this came from (how about favorite skin care products, hair products, nail polishes!?)

    Read More

  • thirty, flirty and thriving

    thirty flirty and thriving

    today i am 30! i know i know, enough birthday talk already — but this one is a big milestone for me. i have been dreading turning 30 for about 3 years now, and my husband (who is 5 years older) has repeatedly told me that 29 is way worse than 30 because all you do is dread 30, so by the time you turn 30 – you’re just used to the idea. and now i totally get it. i think everyone turning 30 just questions all those things like have i accomplished enough, am i where i want to be, what’s gonna happen in the next 5 years, etc. and while i’m doing that – i’m also trying not to. when i see people younger than me that are way more accomplished or successful or famous – i always think hmm… they’re younger than me, boo. but maybe being a legit adult means you kind of get rid of that envy and jealousy and start getting inspired by it instead. had i started this blog sooner, maybe i’d be further along in the game than i am now (instead i had a weird comedy movie blog for about 2 years before this one where i did posts like “the top 10 scenes in movies where people eat lobsters”). despite all the things i haven’t done yet, i’m super lucky to be where i am in my life and that’s what matters. and i am waaaaay nicer, kinder, and wiser than i was at 25. well i think so anyway.

    i’m stoked for the future and the next chapter and the babies and the house and all that. so 30 is cool with me. i still am gonna shop at forever 21 and i’m still gonna watch the real world.

    so how was it for you?

    oh and PS, my birthday celebration last week turned out to be an amazing surprise party with a video of my friends and family along with a day on a boat with lobster rolls. it was perfect. i’m saying bye early this week to celebrate just a little more (along with celebrating gideons birthday on sunday). bye!