OMG OMG OMG

From here, who found it here...

Lips and sprinkles?

I'm VERY drawn to this image.

[from here]

I wish I could do this

Katie took 100 pictures of strangers in a three-hour period last year. I want to do this. I just don't know how well it would work in St. Louis...thoughts?



It looks so pretty all together!

I think I found a dress.

I'm pretty jazzed. As I explained to two peers in my Shakespeare class - "I've spent the last three classes looking for a dress online. And I think I FOUND one!" Each class lasts two and a half hours. So that's saying something.


[from here]

PS: The dress is for Steve and Mary's wedding...which is two weeks from today!

Opening Credits.

The Art of the Title Sequence is solely dedicated to taking still shots of opening credits from movies. I could spend HOURS looking at these. [found via myturtleneck]

Feeling Defeated today.

I'm sick. My mom is really sick. Midterms are next week, and on top of ALL that, Pete is going on Kairos next week, during said midterms...meaning no boyfriend support. And hardly any talking during four days. During midterms. Joy.

So basically I'm feeling like crap.

Pot Sticker Pad Thai

Oh, this is on the to-do list, for sure - found in my email inbox (I love getting Real Simple emails)!

Wedding!

No, not mine. But I do read wedding blogs from time to time, and I buy Martha Stewart Weddings every time it hits newsstands - which is four times a year, so I'm not wasting GOBS of money or anything. Plus, I mean, it's MARTHA. She's the bomb. I get the rest of her major magazines!



Offbeat Bride is one of my favorites - it's not all the frou-frou crap that comes with many other wedding websites/blogs. Many of the weddings featured are quirky, odd resourceful brides that make their own dresses, centerpieces, invitations, etc. It's really inspirational, tongue-in-cheek and just great.



So today I found this list. It made me chuckle. Some of my favorites:

You know you're an offbeat bride when...

…your engaged friend plans a 5-hour-long mimosa/hair appointment the day of the wedding and you remember not all brides plan to spend their pre-wedding time carting in the alcohol, dishes, glasses, decorations, etc. to the DIY reception site.

…you ask your engaged friend, "What are your centerpieces going to be, and how are you making them?" and she looks at you funny and says the florist is bringing them. Then you remember, oh yeah, centerpieces are traditionally beautiful flower arrangements brought in by florists, not the homemade concoctions made from a combination of dried gourds, vintage buttons, wind-up toys, and mini cast-iron bicycles that you were planning on.



I want colors and I'm taking my future hubby's last name and all, but as much crap that goes into the wedding as possible will be HANDMADE. Come on, I'm going to be a high school English teacher. I certainly won't be made of money. So that is especially why I love OBB.



images: i have no clue where they came from. if they belong to you, or you know the source, please let me know! i saved all these in a folder and didn't attach rights/names to them!

Orla, again...

Just going to her site. Just seeing the opening picture.



Can someone please remind me why money doesn't grow on trees? Because that would really be awesome.

A Fun Meme!

I am a sucker for these things - you've read them. You've seen them. Now do them.



Album Cover Meme

1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random... Read More”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.


***Please forgive the poor quality of the image - I'm quite rusty with Photoshop, but hopefully you'll be seeing some better things pretty soon!

Orla Kiely @ Target

So I really, really, REALLY like Orla Kiely. A lot. She's been all over the blogosphere lately, though, because of her new line at Target.

So far, I've spent about $30 on goodies there - juice tumblers and magazine holders. BUT, I'm really wanting this canister set for my kitchen next year. I'm sick of my flour and sugar sitting in wrinkled, icky-looking bags.



The thing is, the set (bought separately) is about $52. But I just walked from my classroom to the student center, and I decided to go buy them. Sweeeeeeeet!

Changes are a comin'...

Hi. Okay, so I've been wanting to make some major changes around here lately. And slowly, surely, they've been happening. But those changes are pretty much stuck in my mind, and some on paper, as of yet.

So, lo and behold! Here's one biggie thing that's going to be going on! Themed days!!!

Mondays: Book Reviews


Tuesdays: St. Louis Reviews


Wednesdays: Craft projects


Thursdays: Home Decor Lovin'


Fridays: Bands I'm Diggin'/Sweet Etsy shops


So how's that look? I'm probably not going to really start rolling on this until either later this week, or next week, even...mostly because I want to continually be planning and have lots and lots of ideas and thoughts lined up before I start.

How does this sound? Are we liking this? I hope so. I'm pretty jazzed about it.

Images:
1. here 2. me! 3. here 4. here 5. here

Oscars Round I

I LOVE award shows. So I really, really enjoyed the Academy Awards last night.

There were lots of wonderful parts, but some of my favorites included...

+ Tina Fey and Steve Martin's little screenplay skit. Wish there was a video...

+ The Best Documentary category win - YES! - goes to Man on Wire, which was absolutely amazing. Phillipe Petit, the man that the film is about, ran down from the balcony (?) and jumped on stage, doing a coin trick and balancing the Oscar on his chin. It was delightful.


+ Dustin Lance Black's acceptance speech, for writing the screenplay for Milk


+ Natalie Portman's pink dress


+ The adorable video of Ryan Seacrest interviewing the cute little kids from Slumdog Millionaire.


+ Robert Downey Jr's infectious smile (I swear, everything he touches these days turns to gold)

+ Sarah Jessica Parker's gorgeous dress (and funny hubby)

+ Dev Patel. He is ADORABLE.

And I was super excited that Sean Penn won best actor. I know that pretty much everyone else (well, the general population) had been thinking that Mickey Rourke was taking that award home...but I've seen both Milk and The Wrestler and Sean Penn completely delved into his role. It seemed like Mickey Rourke was kind of just acting out his own life - sad, depressed man with no one in his life. That's kind of how he was for awhile, right?

Postsecret 2

I meant to post about this earlier this week, when I first saw this. Many of the weekly postsecrets are either very sad, depressing, or scary - but this one made me smile SO big, and then (duh) it brought tears to my eyes...

This is just cute.

And time-consuming. Perfect for a cold day in class!

Found here, from here.

What are your middle names?
Mine is Leigh. Pete's is Randall. And the Randall part always makes me smile.

How long have you been together?
Since October 3, 2006! So...I guess 2.5ish years?

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Hmm. Not long - a couple of weeks as acquaintances and then we sort of just jumped in.

Who asked whom out?
There was really no asking out, just mutual feelings to only see each other :D

How old are each of you?
Me - 20. Pete - 22.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
His. Twin brother Steve and older brother Mike. We used to see my little sister, Emme, a lot, but now she goes to school in Chicago so that doesn't really happen anymore. And Pete's older sister lives in Metropolis, IL (that's right, just like Superman).

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Living apart is tough - I mean, I can't really complain, we live about six blocks away from each other, but it becomes annoying when I have to go all the way back to my apartment because I forgot a paintbrush or my medicine. However, living apart in the summers after seeing each other constantly over the school year has been tough, too. AND, the age difference is weird (he has a real job, I'm still in school).

Did you go to the same school?
Just college. But that's the best part of schooling anyways.

Are you from the same home town?
No, me in St. Louis and him in Cairo. Not too far away, though.

Who is smarter?
Pete - what with him being on the honor roll and whatnot. I daydream too much to stay on task for anything too long. But I AM smart. Just not as smart as Pete.

Who is the most sensitive?
Both of us.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Cupcakery. Shangri-La Diner. Blues City Deli. Thai/Vietnamese places. Hot campus spots!

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?

Chicago. Good times.

Who has the craziest exes?
Well, considering Pete hadn't really dated anyone before me...

Who has the worst temper?
Me, hands down. Pete never gets upset.

Who does the cooking?
Pete, most of the time. I do the baking but occasionally can/will cook.

Who is the neat-freak?
Me, but only when I feel like it.

Who is more stubborn?
...Me. This survey isn't making me feel so great about myself!

Who hogs the bed?
Probably both of us. But more Pete.

Who wakes up earlier?
Pete. He has a real job. I get to sleep in most days.

Where was your first date?
South City Diner, then the Tivoli. It was cute. I fell down. Then I got embarassed.

Who is more jealous?
Neither of us, really. Unless Pete has something he wants to tell me...

How long did it take to get serious?
Not long. Like a week. Maybe five days.

Who eats more?
PETER RANDALL, hands down. He'll say, "wow, I should stop eating this", but will continue to shove food in his mouth anyways.

Who does the laundry?
He'll wait for weeks to do it. I do mine once a week. But our laundry is separate.

Who's better with the computer?
Pete, hands down.

Who drives when you are together?
Me, mostly. But for the first two years of our relationship, it was all Pete.

Is it possible?

Is there really someone out there who has MORE magazines than I do? That stockpiles and stockpiles and STOCKPILES?

I mean, I'm talking about me having THREE (3) bookshelves in my basement - full of magazines. Except this past summer dad made me clean a bunch of them out. Because he said that if there was a fire, well...it's all paper (beautiful, glossy, glorious paper).

But, YES! One more reason for me to be creepily obsessed with Alix...



***Also, I just realized why all my pictures are aligning to the center...PETER!

Rare Bird Finds

Lately I've kind of been wanting everything from Rare Bird Finds.

Oh well. I have no money but it's fun to bookmark and remember...when I'm making less than $30,000...my whole life...as a teacher.

Oh well!

Food face plates! I think I would have too much fun with these...but they are not available until April, so that's why they aren't for sale yet!



Microbes - I first saw these at Star Clipper and have been wanting to give my friends chlamydia, the black death, a sore throat, and bed bugs ever since! And while that may sound disgusting, the little plushies are pretty gosh darn cute...

Also, did you like Pete's post? I hope so. He got really excited when the idea to "guest-blog" popped into his head. I think he thinks we're a high-tech couple...or something.

Boyfriend Guestblog #1: Scott Pilgrim

Hello, faithful readers of Kaylen's blog. I'm Pete (Kay's boyfriend). I am starting a weekly tradition of BF guestblogs. We tried having a blog together, but I had trouble being consistent. This is the next best thing!

So, my first blog entry is about a comic book (I know, many of you are probably rolling your eyes). However, Kaylen actually has read this comic and really enjoys it (or at least tells me she does).

Let's talk about SCOTT PILGRIM

Scott Pilgrim is an independent graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. The series (in a nutshell if you will) is about a 23 year old named Scott. Scott doesn't have much going on in his life. He has no job, he plays bass in a local band, and mooches everything off of his gay roommate. However, Scott's precious little life changes when he meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers. Now, here's the real twist to the book: in order to date Ramona, Scott must first defeat her 7 evil ex-boyfriends in combat.


This series is sublime. It combines influences from most of my interests (indie rock, video games, relationships, comic books, and coming of age). These books are funny, action-packed, and truthful. 5 volumes have been released so far, with a final sixth volume due next year.

Everyone needs to read these comics now if you want to retain any indie street cred. This series will explode next year because Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) is adapting Scott Pilgrim into a movie staring Michael Cera!
Anyway: buy these books, love them, re-read them, and get pumped for the movie!

Classic Office Scene

Coraline: the Movie

Over the past weekend, me and Pete went to see Coraline.

It. Was. So. Good. Perfection, really - crafty and beautiful and spooky and creepy and just...glorious!

I highly recommend it. You should actually probably go see it now.


[Original clay figurines used to shoot the movie - in stop-motion claymation.]


[shooting a scene - look how intricate and how small the figurine is!]

Lastly: Trailer.

Irene Suchocki

I have been lusting after Irene's shop for some time now...her work has been featured on blogs, even in magazines - and the time has come for me to FINALLY purchase something - especially after seeing her featured in The Storque today. Now I just have to figure out which one I like the best.

Thoughts?

Go to Quirkology and Enter!

There is a FABBY FABBY FAB giveaway over at Quirkoloy, run by my dear friend Laura - just comment on this post, and enter to win a shirt with a punctuation mark (or letter) on it! It's absolutely wondrous! I know I would love to parade around in a semicolon shirt...

So get your butt over there and enter! (Oh, and she's giving anyone who blogs/tweets about it an extra entry...)


[image via here]

Prom

So, the lovely Joanna, of Cup of Jo and Smitten fame, compiled a cute list of prom-going gals.

Guess who made the cut?!?!

Check it out. I'm the last one. Pretty fancy, if I do say so myself...

Beautiful Music Video

I've seen this so many places all over the web - can't really pinpoint the first place that made me bookmark it. Sorry!

But it's so pretty. I like when she's running.

Absolutely Terribly Beautiful Wonderful Day!

Oh my gosh it is soooooooooooooooo nice outside today! I'm in class from 11 - 4:15, but after that...you can find me outside.

Oh, and at the library. Probably won't be blogging too much today...after class I am going for a walk in the park with Peter Randall (who totally fights dinosaurs for me!)

Check it out!

Laura featured me on her blog header. I'm feeling pretty special today...

:D


[that's me, on the right hand side!]

Fantastic Ads

Founded on Kirtsy. I'm just gonna be doing a lot of copy n paste, mkay?

[all of these images came from here.]