time to get my pinterest on.

happy sunday afternoon, folks.  i hope it's been a good weekend for you all.  next weekend i'm heading to the beach with the fam to ring in the first of the wonderful red-white-and-blue holidays of the summer months: memorial day.  while the 4th of july remains my favorite holiday (naturally), i celebrate any excuse to deck out in some patriotic gear.

in order to catch as many rays as possible over the weekend, the 'rents are stopping by my apartment to pick up macy so that i don't have to double back once i'm already at work on the day we're leaving.  coming back to pick up the fluffy puppy would put me about an hour behind so they're really helping me save time (and gas!).  sweet of them, right?  right.  

HOWEVER, this means i had to do some major cleaning and organizing this weekend.  i was running beyond empty on friday, but after some much needed sleep, i was ready to tackle my mess.  by saturday evening, the layer of procrastination that was covering my furniture was gone, the bathrooms smelled like bleach once again, and the clutter was organized.  for the most part.

[side note: this organization does not include the second bedroom which i have dubbed as my extra closet. a girl needs a lot of closet space, okay?  and i need a solid week to make a dent in that room.  it can wait for now.]

anyways, one organizational headache that has been waiting since february is that of my jewelry.  i have the select pieces that i wear on a routine basis in accessible piles, but everything else was in a hot tangled mess.  after brainstorming what i could do (besides toss it all out), i decided it was time ... it was time to get my pinterest on.

and get my pinterest on i did.

just some of the tangled mess.

after photographing the hideous proof, i got to work.  not only did i separate everything so i could see what i was dealing with (and of course, take a few trips down memory lane as i came across the sentimental pieces), i hit the stores to gather materials.

supplies

i had seen a DIY jewelry organizer on pinterest using a bulletin board and i thought with some paint to match my bedroom decor, this could be an inexpensive solution.  i bought the paint (color: espresso), foam brushes, and board.  i have about a bazillion pins leftover from college so i was all set in that department.

who doesn't love a magnetic chalkboard?

while i was gathering these things, i found a magnetic chalkboard that i thought would be perfect for another pinterest project i had seen: the magnetic makeup organizer.  after buying magnets, some glittery ribbon (i couldn't resist ... i'm just not that mature yet), and the magnetic board, i was set.

step one: tape the inside

i made sure to put tape down inside the wooden part of the bulletin board in case my paint ran (which i was sure it would due to my lack of painting skillz) and then i slathered that thing, espresso style!  

chalkboard with glitter ribbon

while my paint was drying, i glued my ribbon to the outside edges of my magnetic chalkboard and attached the magnets to the makeup i use most often (ie: mascar, powder, lip gloss, blush, brushes, etc.).  

organized makeup!

once i was done gluing the magnets, i attached the chalkboard to a wall in my bathroom with only minimal holes in the wall (i'll deal with those holes another day) ... and then i stuck all my magnetic makeup on the board in an organized, easy-to-access fashion!

once that unnecessary-but-oh-so-fun! project was done, i returned to my jewelry bulletin board and touched up the paint with a few extra coats.  after everything was dry and i was satisfied with the color, i attached the board to the wall with much improvement (and fewer holes!).  when everything was secured, i pinned my sorted necklaces up on the board.  and while it only organizes the necklaces i'd actually wear and it doesn't even make a dent in the rest of my accessories, it's a start, right?

organized necklaces!

in conclusion, i hope you have a very happy, pinterest-style-organized, patriotic memorial day!  xoxo.

monday funday!

most people hate mondays, right?  lucky for us, i am not most people.  do i hate getting up early on monday morning?  certainly.  is it exclusive to mondays?  absolutely not.  i hate getting up early every day so i really don't feel that monday deserves its bad rap.  i also happen to really enjoy my job and while i do love the weekends, it's a different kind of joy.

anyways, while most people were probably simply trying to make it to tuesday, i decided to make it the first weekly megan's monday funday!  granted, i didn't decide this until i got home and checked the mail, but whatever.

despite this being the first monday funday, we were SO VERY CLOSE to having another monday go down in the record books as a bust.  why is that?  well i'm so glad you asked.

 my darling little destroyer with talons that could rival great eagles (known to uninformed strangers as macy) decided to take it upon herself to bite through her BRAND NEW CAGE and frolic about the apartment while i was at work.  she must have had a grand day as the wii remotes were moved into the living room, my nail files were in the floor in the dining room, and my flip flops were strewn throughout the kitchen.  seriously mace, what were you doing?

no matter what she was doing, i most certainly didn't appreciate the macy-sized hole in the side of the new cage.  again, emphasis on the NEW CAGE.  sheesh, woman.  at least let me cut the tags off before you wreak havoc upon it.

the funniest part of the entire situation was the fact that she was back in her cage by the time i got home ... and she was whining as if she couldn't get out.  hun, news flash: if you can bite your way out and crawl back in, you certainly can get out on your own.

BUT DESPITE THIS COMPLICATION, it's monday funday!  so what could possibly turn the tables on this puppy-related headache?

THIS COULD:

it speaks for itself, right?  RIGHT.   props to hot topic in their speedy delivery of my very own mockingjay pin.  power to the rebellion, people!  and for those of you that don't get the mockingjay rebellion reference, google the hunger games.  you're welcome in advance.

and may the odds be ever in your favor on the next monday funday!

things i've learned: part one

moving to a new city has proven quite interesting.  i'm soaking up everything like a sponge (or at least attempting to), but in case you ever move to a new city i want to make sure i share my thoughts.  you're welcome in advance.

things i've learned: part one

1.  it may take maintenance two weeks to fix your sink.  and this may result in doing dishes in creative ways.

2.  it is hot as hades down here.  it's like i'll need to get new skin or something because i don't think i'll make it through july and august if november is in the 80s.

3.  everyone grocery shops late in the afternoon on saturday.  and i mean EVERYONE.  including kids from your school.  and they will come up and hug you.  even if your hands are full, they only kind of know your name, and you've been waiting in line for half an hour.

4.  i do not know how to 'wobble' ... which became apparent as i was chaperoning the sixth grade sleepover. if you also missed out on learning how to 'wobble,' feel free to watch the youtube video below.  i've been practicing all weekend so i'm in the know at the next sleepover.

5.  people straight up have NO idea what 'carolina' means down here.  no idea.  and there is some strange rivalry between clemson and SOUTH carolina (commonly confused as 'carolina'), but i just don't get it.  i didn't even really know those schools had fans.  but don't worry.  tuesday is (south) carolina vs clemson dress up day at school and i'll be sporting the true carolina colors.  there'll be no "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" in this case.

don't worry, friends.  there's more.  some of which i'll just have to tell you in person because it's too odd for the blog (shocking that something could be too odd for the blog, right?), other things which will make it in part two.  something i know you all will be looking forward to.  don't be shy.  i'm onto you.

happy early thanksgiving to you, if you're into that sort of thing.  i'm much more into getting my wobble on these days.

blogging from the box!

i have officially almost settled into my new box ... in my new city ... in my new adult life.  hooray for that!

trust me though, it was no easy task.  moving is SUCH a beast.  and even though i moved every three years as a child and every semester (or a year at the longest) in college, i had no idea it was such a pain.

i'll love this place if it's the last thing i do because goodness knows i don't ever want to move again.  sheeesh.

here are a few updates that i'm sure you were wondering about my new digs/city:
1.  the cooper river bridge is the most terrifying thing i have ever been on.
2.  however, if you keep taking the bridges back and forth you WILL make it back to your home.
3.  my bed-corner (not to be confused with bedroom ... since i don't actually have one of those) is so much more lovely with mature looking bedding instead of the 12 year old hot pink, barbie-like stuff i had before.
4.  my small, awkward quarters are no match for my mother.  she is the goddess of all things moving/puzzle related.  it's amazing how she can create cubbies and nooks out of thin air.  my father also proved he has outgrown his anti-handyman reputation as he created three little shelving units AND a media stand and none of it has fallen apart yet.  it's only been 24ish hours, but i'm hopeful.
5.  the hallmark movie channel AND lifetime movie network both come on my digital cable thingy.  THIS IS SUCH GOOD NEWS, PEOPLE.  not good news for my productivity, but GREAT news for my holiday spirits -- bring on the christmas movies!
6.  law and order: svu is JUST as wonderful down here as it was in chappy hill.  victory!

so far, so good.  come visit!

no time for sleep

i feel like i'm wearing a zombie costume a week before halloween.  and it's not because i'd ever be a zombie.  don't be ridiculous.  i always aim to be something cute.  like a poodle skirt girl.  or tinker bell.  and just for the record, i choose to not include the year i wanted to be a military person so i wore my dad's BDUs and thought i was the bee's knees.  trust me, i wasn't.  i was just awkward and it was hard for people to see me in the night.  not cool.

[side note: if you don't know what BDUs are and you're having trouble figuring out how awkward i was, check out the wikipedia article here.  if you really know me, you'll understand why this doesn't fit my personality at all.]    

but back to sleep, or lack of sleep really.  when life is going at downhill-roller-coaster-speed, there's not much time for sleep.  as you can see, there is always time for blogging though.  thank god for that, right?

anyways, why is there no time for sleep?  well for starters, for 72ish hours this past weekend (friday-sunday, don't bother me about math) my wonderful mother and i adventured all over charleston, south carolina searching for the perfect place for me to make my new home.  and when i say all over charleston, i mean it.  i'm pretty sure i have been on every.single.road in west ashley and johns island, in addition to those on james island and downtown.  and yes, we adventured north into north charleston and accidentally over the bridge into mt. pleasant on our hunt.  it was a nonstop, little-sleeping crazy weekend full of hide-and-go-seek apartment style.

well it turns out that place is STILL hiding from me, but in the mean time i've at least found something ... and no, it's not a cardboard box.

although if we're being honest, it's about as big as one.  so for all you future visitors (and please come play -- we can go to the beach HOORAY), make sure you bring a sleeping bag (because that's about all there is room for...and even that will be on the "kitchen" floor) or plan to stay in one of the many nearby hotels.

and also, feel free to donate to the "get megan a bigger apartment" fund that i'm setting up asap.  but hey, at least i'll be able to get some sleep in my new box...which is more than i can say for the past days of chaos.