"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful." - Mae West

^Serenity now! Enjoying that cozy weekend "I just woke up" time.

^Wine just tastes better on Friday Night, doesn't it? [I'm on Instagram @Caitlin84]

^Restful Sunday evening, gearing up for that Monday morning depression

Besides having a few friends over this weekend and enjoying a late-night gorging of Mexican food at a restaurant down the street with some pals, I mostly clung to home this weekend. I kept busy by gallivanting from room to room in my HUGE sweats that my BF hates just as much as I love them (a lot), drinking coffee, watching movies and organizing the closet. Prior to this Friday, we have been in the new place for 3 weekends and had been gone 2 of them. So screw trendy bars or saucy clothes, all I wanted to do was veg out on the couch and imitate the likes of Chris Farley and Beavis & Butthead.

Mission Accomplished!

How was your weekend?

Wednesday Addams does San Francisco

I realize it's been awhile, a looooong while- since I've done a post about a work outfit. So, last week while I was in San Francisco at a Regional Corporate Conference, I decided that it was time to end that drought and take some pics of what I wear during my 8-5.

Problem: I forgot that I really didn't have anyone to take any pictures of me- no willing boyfriend or spiteful Brother... I had me & coworkers and I certainly wasn't going to request any form of photography from the latter. So... like any good Blogger with a goal- I opted for the dreaded mirror picture of what I wore.

{^ this actually was taken by my coworker but while we were sight-seeing here, not for outfit purposes}

FURTHER PROBLEM: Unless I'm sending it to my Boyfriend or my Mom and could give two craps about how I look, I am the most awkward mirror picture taker (is that a thing?) EVER. First off, I always seem too concerned with the image being taken to take my eyes off the screen. Second "off" (?), I fidget and look weird and Third "off" (...), I NEVER SMILE. I don't know what it is, but I don't. Even though I'm usually in a good mood, happy and not trying to emo out. I just get awkward taking pictures in the mirror.

{^via}
Oh well, I guess in this case it was par for the course. That is of course because at Corporate events- I tend to be Wednesday Addams- hold the rocks, no twist- just Wednesday Addams: straight up.

The industry I work in is one of those "financial must haves" but "oh so boring". In a vague description: my company embodies its Fortune 100 status- they're super stable and amazing but at the same time serious, firm and no frills. And when I go to meet people outside my day-to-day office in the name of work, I dress the exact same way: Serious, firm & with no frills.

Now normally with business events, I wear 1 of the 2 expensive suits I own for events just like this. However, they specifically requested business "casual" for this conference so I had to change course and tone it down a bit by adding a dress/skirt. I also forgo bling or anything of the sort... as it doesn't really serve you well when you're rat racing.


Day 1 of the Conference (above^) was pure Wednesday: black, white and gothic. I wore my favorite black dress in the world but instead of letting the sleek neckline do its thang, I layered a sleeveless white button-up under it and paired it with a thick belt to tone down its 5:01 PM - 7:59AM potential. And the most Wednesday of it all: my long, black BCBG sweater to really hone in on that all dark theme. Pair that with my prescription Warby Parker glasses and I was good to go.


Day 2 of the Conference (above^) was a bit more normal: black, knee-length skirt, same belt (I carried on for gosh sakes!), a puffy, conservative blouse and my DKNY suit jacket. I felt covered, professional and appropriate for the agenda.

And of course, San Francisco was a wonderful Hostess...

{^Drink with the team at The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building after a successful conference }


{^The ceiling of the spectacular Ferry Building }


{^Beer on the Bay, doesn't get better than that- at The Slanted Door }


{^Me and the Bay Bridge }

I really need to come back here on my own time, so much to see and do! I also wish I could show you some more pictures but they are of my coworkers and I don't feel right putting them online on a site they don't know about.

So TPS Reports aside, it was a great conference. Even though I have my days like everyone else where going to work sounds less delightful than contracting the bloody plague, I still love it and I adore my team, my line of work and the amount of knowledge I've acquired regarding my specific industry.

After all, girl's gotta eat and I'm happy to put food on the table myself.

DIY: The Bar Cart ♥

Ladies and Gentlemen, the bar cart is finally done (at least for now).

If you're just tuning in... you can read HERE to catch-up on my Bar Cart obsession. In a quick summary: I am obsessed with Bar Carts but was never obsessed with the price I could find for said item. Thus, I took it into my own hands to create an affordable, chic, dazzling bar cart for my apartment. If you would like to create something similar, here's the rundown of my Bar Cart journey for inspiration:

THE BEFORE
Knowing that pre-designed bar cart displays were either way too expensive or way too generic (or both!), I decided to put my DIY'ing to the test and devote an entire Saturday to finding a diamond in the rough at our local antique stores.

The Boy and I pored over many treasures, diligently looking at every item to find the ideal candidate. When the Boy saw this one, he screamed my name across the antique plaza and I rushed over to lay eyes on my new little friend in need of some TLC. Yes, we had found our Bar Cart!


THE DURING:
I am fortunate enough to live near my Parents' house. I am incredibly grateful for this especially when I need to do any dirty work such as sanding, painting, etc. as a hip,downtown spot provides no room for such tasks. I always drag everything to my Dad's house (specific supplies I need in tow) and then use his garage and drop-cloths for a few days while I do my resurfacing. With respect to that, I went to Ace Hardware prior to heading to my Dad's and picked up the spray paints I needed.

{I did more than 1 project this night so that's why there's so many. The ones pointed out were used on the BC}

Once all set-up, I sanded down the entire bar cart VERY LIGHTLY: Enough to wear down rough edges but not enough to expect any of that black to come off. After that, I wiped it down with a warm, damp cloth. I also taped the wheels to save them from errant spray paint. After all of that prep, it was time to spray. Over two days, I probably did about 4-5 coats. Some angled up, some down and some sideways to make sure that I got every open surface. I let it dry about 30 minutes between each coat and then for an evening after I was all done.

Then, I had to get glass for the shelving units. Places like Michael's will easily do it for you for a reasonable price. Go talk to them with measurements in hand.

THE AFTER
Finally, I took it into my new apartment and started decorating.

{^so beautiful!}


{^the top shelf display}


{^Bird's Eye View}


{^Got those Blue Flutes at The Salvation Army}


{^Screw The Girls Next Door- come'on to my house, to my house, I'm gonna give you cannndy... and a Cosmopolitan}


{^oh, I just love it}


{^Unfortunately, people had gotten to the booze before I took the pictures.}


{^Don't forget the mixers!}


{^I'm pretty sure I'm going to change the color of the 'S'. My next project.}


{^I adore those stems.}


{^The utilitarian shelf}


{^Job well done if I do say so myself}

Needless to say, I am obsessed with it. I love the practicality of having a stylish place to store all of our drinkware, I love the ease of entertaining guests and I love that no one else's looks just like mine. But what I love the most is the fact that I put my own elbow grease into it and was able to produce a gorgeous home embellishment using my imagination and a small budget.

DIY Purchases:
Bar Cart- $35.00 Spray Paint - $12.00 Glass - $100 (I didn't pay that much as I had coupons)

Decorating:
I already owned most of what is on there but the top shelf is decorated with items from Target, ZGallerie, Restoration Hardware, Salvation Army, Marshall's. You can email me if you have specific questions about an item.

So... what do you think of the bar cart!

Be sure to wear, some flowers in your hair...

If you're going to San Francisco

{via}

Be sure to wear, some flowers in your hair...

{via}

If you're going to San Francisco,
You're going to meet, some gentle people there.

{Last time I was in San Francisco for work, at night. Though clearly, the shorts indicate I was off duty and away from coworkers- see the bridge?}

By the time this posts, I'll be in the air and heading South down the West Coast to San Francisco for business... So instead of Gentle People, I'll be with a bunch of Suits for my team's HUGE regional Corporate conference... flowers in the hair need to be checked at the door. I can't front though, I'll be playing that 'all business' part as well.

Here goes a whole lotta TPS Report talk.

Catch up with you all soon :)
Song: Scott McKenzie - "San Francisco"

Details, Details, Details

There is no denying that The Boy and I are super tired. We have been spending every waking moment we have since moving in either unpacking, taking empty boxes to the recycling bin, donating to Goodwill, returning loaned moving equipment to relatives or shopping for new furniture to make our little 2 become 1 housing project into a livable delight and not the cousin to "Extreme Hoarding".

It really takes a lot to stake your claim on a white-walled, generic space. I have such an idea in my head of how it should look: artistic, functional and representative of what we care about in life. It's all in the little details... and I've been happy to see some moving along, slowly but surely:


{^The Boy's pictures finally in beautiful frames by my doing, like this one of his childhood friends at their friend's wedding}


{^A window bench with some floral, blingy pizazz }


{^All-time favorite photos right in plain sight }


{^Books that were judged by their covers and displayed according to style. With the exception of"Our Bodies Ourselves". That earned its spot years ago due to its substance.}


{^A dresser draped in vases that are waiting to be filled with unique items & framed art sketches }


{^More trays, more vases, more seating... and these are a few of my favorite things }

We did a little "decorating" math and we will be done a week from tomorrow. It would be sooner but I have to go to San Francisco for work on Wednesday and then it's off to a cabin for a long, long weekend after that. So Tuesday. We will be done. We will be able to come home and instead of mumbling expletives while we loop Modern Family on the DVR (we've seen every episode so many times that it's a good unpacking show as it's okay if we miss a scene), we will bask in a cooked dinner, some hot tea and the news? A movie? Who knows, we might get crazy and watch Teen Mom. The world will be our Oyster!

As for Valentine's Day, the Boy and I have decided we will be getting Take-Out, unpacking a bit, watching our movie: "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and then early to bed for my flight on Wednesday. No roses, no gifts, no nothing. And for me, that is just what I want. Honest. Besides, I think the barrage of people posting a picture of their flowers and "I'm the luckiest girl!" on Facebook all day is reason enough to not even order flowers. We get it, you have a Valentine...

On that slightly pet-peevey note (sorry), happy Valentine's day ♥
Be sure to celebrate all the love in your life- no matter where that loves comes from.

All images are from my own camera.

Geology Rocks! ;)

I do enjoy actual hiking. You know, the kind where you fill a backpack with granola bars and flashlights and put on your ugliest shoes with the thickest soles and head off to face nature like a mountain man. I love that kind of hiking.

But I must say, a casual sauntering down gorgeous Smith Rock State Park as a quick escape from a beautiful cabin at a resort in Central Oregon works just fine for me too. Pleather Pants, Ugg boots and faux-fur jackets are allowed during that kind of hiking. And in the name of being inclusive, we were sure to bring them along during our jaunt in the middle of our cabin getaway retreat weekend.

{^ we look so mature here}


{^Just around the River Bend... beyond the shore... }


{^If I were famous, the 'she's pregnant' rumors would be rampant in this number }


{^Men, men, men, men manly men, men, men }


{^Reminds me of The Grand Canyon a bit. }


{^ I promise I wasn't trying to pose like this... but it came out funny}


{^A River runs through it }


{^There's no better friend to have than those with access to a cabin wink, wink :) }


{^Loving the walk in my Gaga glasses }


{^Exploring new areas of your State can instantly lift the 'been there, done that' feeling. }


{^The weather was allllmooost as good as the view. }


{^Modern day explorers}


Have a wonderful Monday. And of course RIP Whitney and yes, Adele is amazing (ESPECIALLY that eye makeup!). That sums up the weekend in entertainment news without adding yet another blog to sift through dedicated to those two topics.

That's all folks!

All images from my camera taken at Smith Rock State Park