change of plans.

Its that bittersweet time of year when you know summer if coming to an end.  Labor Day for me always feels like summer is over.  Working for years as a lifeguard I got into the routine that once the pool closed it was fall no matter what the weather felt like.  Living in North Carolina we will have warm weather here until at least mid-October if not until early November so nothing to fret over, its more the changing of seasons that leaves me longing for the easy days and relaxing weekends of summer. 

That being said this weekend marks the official start to football season!  I love going back to my alma mater and spend Saturday tailgating and going to the game.  I had full intention to spend the weekend at home working on my apartment (aka the chalk board wall) but change of plans and will now be spending the weekend surrounded by all things purple and gold!  So excited!  Go Pirates!

I plan on attacking that wall when I get home.  Its all taped off and ready to go and now I am having anxiety over if the wall being completely black is going to be too much.  Its a little bit of a larger space than I originally thought and making the space feel darker scares me.  I suppose it can always be painted back...

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

xo

chalk baord wall.

 

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 I have decided to do a quick little project over the weekend.  Can you guess what it might be?  After getting my roommate to agree to the plan I am off to buy some chalk board paint to cover one of the walls in our kitchen.  I don't have a great shot of the wall yet but you can see it here a little.

Its the far wall between the door with slats and the pantry.  I know its hard to see but its not large by any means and would be a cool way to break up all the beige walls.  Many of you would probably say, well Lauren why don't you just paint your walls?  The simple answer is I never know how long I'm going to be in a place.  Its one of those things I feel should wait until I know I'm at least settled for more than a year.  That being said, one small wall can very easily be repainted back so I'm taking the plunge. 

Any tips on painting with chalk board paint?  Or good paint brands to work with?  Wish me luck!  I'll be back with pictures soon!

xo 

fall jewelry picks.

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I am in love with J. Crew's fall collection of jewelry.  The colors this year are so bright.  There is the use of a lot of rhinestones and extreme attention to detail which in the past I feel we've seen large chunky pieces or simple little necklaces and bracelets.  I am swooning over the Jenna (#6) bracelet and will definitely be picking that piece up this year.  I fell in love with it last winter and never bought it for some reason.  What are your favorites?  Anyone else love statement necklaces as much as I do?

xo

friday.

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What have you been up to this week?  I worked.  A lot.  I'm trying to get a few things done this weekend at the house in between being at the ballpark and sleeping.  

...I went and bought the spray paint yesterday for my patio furniture so hopefully by Monday I will have glossy white chairs.  

...I have finally found a console style bookcase over on The Everygirl from Ikea that I plan to use in the dining area of the house and for a bar!

...My parents are coming tomorrow to hang out for a few hours and are bringing a vanity that my mom redid.  I found it on the side of the road about a year ago and it finally has a home!

That's about it for me this week, I'll be back with NYC pictures on Monday.  Have a great weekend you guys!

p.s. How great is this picture of Truman Capote?  Anyone else think he is as fascinating as I do?

xo

bathroom update.

I did a little update in my bathroom over the weekend!  I picked up this storage shelf while at Ikea to give me some much needed storage in my bathroom which is teeny tiny and has one cabinet total.  My old place had four cabinets so things are everywhere and this provides some great open shelving.  I saw this gem on Pinterest and am thinking I might spray the whole thing gold.

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I love the gold on this but I want to live with the piece for a little while before I make any changes.  I still need a few more items to decorate shelves and hide miscellaneous items but those will come with time.  I'm also using this as towel storage so on the empty shelf imagine towels, they were in the dryer when I was busy snapping pictures.

What do you think?  Do you like the gold or do you think I should leave it as is?

xo

the dressier dresser console.

My computer decided this morning to continue its hate of the internet therefore no pictures have been able to be loaded onto the internet, with hope I can fix the problem and start sharing tonight!

Lately, I have been pretty adamant about getting some things in the new apartment finished.  The things on my to do list that have been completed are:

~Hang the frame gallery
~Find new Patio furniture
~Organize

This is the most pitiful list I have ever seen.  We've been in the new place for about two and a half months and three things have been completed.  I need to get in gear, I'm hosting a big birthday party for my roommate in October so I want to have a few more things completed by then.

I have however been on the lookout for a dresser to use as a TV console.  With a lot of my furniture being from Ikea I want something that is a little vintage.  I've been looking for some mid-century pieces on Craigslist and came across a few I liked on Friday.

This is my favorite.

I love this one as well but the top scares me for painting purposes.  How great are those handles though!

 I wasn't able to go look at them yet because of work but hopefully I can get my hands on one.  We are in desperate need of something new to hold the TV and for storage. 

These are my inspiration pieces.

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Hopefully I will come across something soon that will work and fit in the budget!

xo

vacation mode.

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I have seriously been in vacation mode since getting back from the city.  Work has been absolutely insane the past two weeks as we are nearing the end of our season so trying to finish everything out has left me little if no time at all for anything but work.  That being said I did finish some things over the weekend and am excited to share with you my trip to NYC and the time I spent in Charlotte with my parents.  It all starts tomorrow! 

xo

nyc.

Today will be my last day on the blog until next Wednesday as I leave tomorrow morning and am going to take a break while on vacation.  If you want to follow along with my trip I will be updating Instagram the entire time you can fine me @allthingsjolie.  My plans while in the big city are...

...Chinatown
...Pinkberry and The Lite Choice (We don't have either where I live!)
...MoMA
...Rock of Ages (hopefully!  Did anyone else love the movie like I did?  The critics destroyed it.)
...9/11 Memorial
...Shopping!
...Guggenheim
...Central Park
...Billy's Bakery
...Pizza
...Times Square (you must)
...Staten Island Ferry
...Visiting my old apartment
...more shopping!
...and of course exploring

See you next week!

xo
 

places to go...

These are some of my absolute favorite things to do in the city...

Billy's Bakery- The best cupcakes ever!  I know many will disagree but this place tops my list.  They always have great seasonal flavors and if you go late right when they are about to close you can always get a few freebies.

Comic Strip Live- If you don't feel like paying Broadway prices this place is a great choice. This club always seems to put on a great show, we had a blast the last time we went and across the street is a little dive bar that is a lot of fun to hang out afterward.  I went with three other people and all four of our tickets were $40 so definitely a discount from $200 Broadway tickets.  You can usually buy them off a street vendor, they'll have some sort of sign or they'll approach you.

MoMA- I actually never went to this museum while living in NYC but I have plans to go during this visit.  I've heard its amazing.  Target Free Fridays get you in for free from 4-8pm every Friday night.

Max Brenner- If your a chocolate lover, go here.  Its amazing!

The High Line- This is such a cool place in NYC.  It lets you escape the craziness that is NYC for a little while and there are some really awesome buildings to look at on the walk.  This is actually really close to a lot of great places to drink and eat as well.

Guggenheim- This is probably my favorite museum in the world.  I'm a huge fan of impressionist and post-impressionist artists so you can probably see why.  The last exhibit I went to there titled Haunted was chilling yet beautiful and presented in a way that the viewer appreciates.  My dad is a huge fan of Frank Lloyd Wright who designed the building so I'm excited to take him there to appreciate it in person.

Staten Island Ferry- If you want to get a great view of the Statue of Liberty but don't want to make the trip out to Ellis Island this is the way to go.  The ferry is free and departs every 30 minutes.  It takes about an hour round trip and literally passes right by the Statue of Liberty.

xo

saturday fun.

This past weekend I finally made my way to the Farmers Market.  It turned out to be way more than simply vendors and local farmers selling their produce.  There were shops and restaurants plus about three large open air buildings full of all the great local produce the area has to offer.  I really enjoyed the store at the market which featured some great pieces for the home as well as awesome items for the garden.  I was obsessed with the weird egg type chair and want to go back for the Chicago and New York canvas prints.  I did purchase some great tomatoes and peaches and have been enjoying them the past two days.

What did you do all weekend?  I mainly worked but am glad I was able to fit this little trip in.

xo

weekend work and two chairs.

 

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I am so excited to leave and actually go on a real vacation I can’t wait.  I think the last time I went on a true vacation was last October and it ended up not being a really great trip so this one I am anticipating each day.  I just have to get through the next week and I will be leaving!  

This weekend I’ll be spending at work so there’s not much in the way of exciting things that I will be doing.  I did find two awesome chairs that I plan on redoing for our patio; remember here where they wouldn’t let me have just the chairs.  Well guess who sweet talked their way into buying just two of them instead.  I might go back for the other two if I need them for an office redo but until then I’ve got two great chairs for $30.  Look at these beauties!

The sanding and prep work will begin on those tomorrow but other than that I have no plans.  What are you doing?  Any sanding and spray painting in your future?

xo

nyc wedding.

I love every detail about this wedding.  You can read more about it here.  The details, the venues, even the favor (a New York Times from that day for all the guests) were a perfect fit for a the classic city that is Manhattan.  Check out Style Me Pretty to read the bride's account of the day as well as view more pictures.

xo

the martini.

Let's be honest I'm not a huge fan of the martini but there is something about New York that it just feels right to be drinking one.  I remember walking home every night from work I would always take the longer route between 7th or 8th Avenue in the middle of Chelsea to people watch and witness all the pretty people drinking their martinis.  That being said whether you like martinis or prefer a Stella there are some really great spots to hangout and enjoy a drink.  I'm partial to outdoor spots especially in the summer, here are a few of my favorites.

Pastis- Its a trendy little French bistro in the heart of Meatpacking that has great food and ambiance.  If at all possible try and sit outside and enjoy the crowds walking by.  They have some great house wines that are priced particularly well as well as a few great champagne options. 

Cookshop- This restaurant was literally steps away from my apartment when I lived in the city and is an awesome place to grab a drink or dinner.  A great outdoor space plus drinks and food to die for make it one of my favorite places to stop.

Cafeteria- Made famous by Carrie and the girls (Sex and the City for those that aren't familiar). Cafeteria is a trendy little spot that is pleasing for everyone.  Really cool cocktails plus truffle fries and mac and cheese this place is a carb lovers (such as myself) paradise.  The music is always super loud inside so if your trying to have some meaningful conversation sit outside, or yell whichever works better.

La Grainne- Possibly my favorite restaurant in all of New York.  This place is a quaint little corner bistro that serves traditional French food, the best cafe au laits in the city and is always packed and humming with activity.  Sit outside, at the bar, or in one of the window seats and have a glass of wine or an early morning bloody mary.  If your hungry try the croque monsieur or the french onion soup.  Delish!

Most of my favorite places are in the Chelsea area which is where I lived while in Manhattan. Its a nice place for tourists to explore as its real New York and is a break from all the craziness that is Midtown and Times Square. 

xo