LINK LOVE / 25

the key to creating remarkable things

Pinterest, Tumblr and the trouble with "curation"

an article saying that long hair ruins womens' careers

...and an article in response to that article.

I made a vegetarian version of this recipe yesterday morning and it was sooo good:

I love this gorgeous tank top:

When I have a house, I totally want to paint one of the rooms like this:

Seriously:

Dahlias in mason jars are pretty:

New tribal wedding suite on kraft paper:

Have a great weekend!

LINK LOVE / 24

Inspiring video by the 25 year old owner of a small letterpress business, "Not getting a job has forced me to start by own business."

Have you fallen into the "busy" trap? (my favorite line: "(saying that you're busy) is, pretty obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint." How true!)

Why it's hard to make friends after 30 (or even after college).

An adorable maternity makeover.

I made this and this for dinner last night and they were very well received (and easy!)

The prettiest photobooth backdrop for a wedding/party:

How adorable is this pet pig?

Major hair crush:

Love this room with hints of light pink:

Can I just be here this weekend? Please?

Calendar Save the Date Postcards:

---------------------------

I was so saddened by the news this morning of the Colorado theater shooting. Hearing the testimony from the people who witnessed it was horrifying. I don't know who could ever do such a thing, but I hope you will join me in praying for the victims and their families today. 

CREATIVE CAREERS: ACTOR, TREVOR TROUT

This is the third interview in my Creative Careers Series. Today's interview is with my friend from high school, Trevor Trout, who is an actor living in LA. He has been in music videos, major television shows, and even acted alongside Tom Hanks! None of which were as exciting as acting with me in the high school drama club, though I'm sure. :) Here's what he had to say about his creative career:

Have you always known you wanted to be an actor? If not, when did you first realize it?

I think I’ve always known  on some level. I’ve always been a  ham and comfortable in front of the  camera.  When I was younger I always  loved making people smile and laugh and  pay attention to me but I don’t  think I knew that was a “job”  I could do…at that point I still  wanted to be Dan Marino. Once I got  into my late teens I was able to  say, “Okay I need to be a performer”. 

Tell me a little bit about your education and how it prepared you for this career (or didn't).

This is a difficult question  for me. I feel like a true creative  personality can’t be taught but you can be trained. I had a natural ability to become the center of attention and  to make people laugh but when I went  to The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) I feel like I was given the tools to channel my natural ability and  become more refined. I think what you need in this business can’t be  taught in a class. The drive, the thick skin, the business savvy…you’ve got  to be born with it in you…you’ve got to live it. 

Do you do this full time? If not, tell me about your day job (good and the bad). If so, when did you know it was time to make the leap into going full time?

Yes, entertainment is my fulltime  career. I run my own entertainment company that supplies talent and develops concepts for TV and film. I also run my acting career, every day I’m submitting  to auditions and going on call backs or I’m on set shooting. 

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of your job? 

I love that I don’t consider  it a job - I forget I’m getting paid to do this. I go to “work”, I have a great time and I live my dreams then a get a check in the mail. My least favorite part of this industry is the down time but that’s why I started my own business so when the town goes on hiatus I can still keep moving.

When will you feel like you've "made it"? or what is your ultimate long term dream?

I think I’ve already “made it” because I’m still here. I’ve seen a lot of people give up on their dream and go back home and get a 9-5 and almost ten years later I’m still out here and this is what I do. That’s not to say I’ve accomplished everything I want to accomplish yet, I’ve still got big dreams and seeing my name get top billing would be a long term goal.

What has been your greatest success?

I had posted a picture of  me on set and I was with Jackson Rathbone, who plays Jasper in the Twilight  series, and a fan saw it. She wrote  me and said her six year old daughter saw me standing with Jasper and said, “I want to be him”. That really touched me so I got a Twilight book and Jackson and I signed it for her. A few days later I got a picture of this little girl with the biggest smile her face could handle clutching our signatures like she had the golden ticket. Seeing inspiration and happiness on a six year old's face because of something I was able to do for her….well,  there’s no better feeling than that. 

What is one thing you did wrong?

I got wrapped up in things  that weren’t conducive to my goals. There were a few years where I let  other people’s agenda and goals overtake  mine, I took a backseat in my own  life and that’s always a bad decision. But once I woke up and got back in the saddle everything changed and I was booking TV shows and Tom Hanks’ movies. 

Have you ever faced pressure to get a "real" job (aka steady  pay, benefits, etc.) and if so, how  did you deal with it?

Oh yeah, cost of living in California is insane - you have to  make money. I worked as a bartender and waiter at a few places here in town. I’ve done construction; I sold  tickets to celebrity home tours. I did  it all. I would do anything that  would allow me to audition and pursue my dreams.

Your favorite inspirational quote / mantra:

You can learn more about Trevor on his IMDb page!

More Creative Careers Interviews:

- Photographer, Jessica Christie

- Fashion Designer, Sarah Mallory

HANGING NEON + GOLD PLANTERS

I bought my first couple of houseplants  a few weeks ago - succulents, of course, because they're the easiest to keep alive. They've just been sitting by my window but I thought they deserved a prettier display so I decided to make a couple of hanging planters for them. Here's how I did it:

Supplies:

You'll need 2 terra-cotta planters (I got mine for about a dollar each at Michael's), 2 plants, metallic gold spray paint, yarn in your favorite color, and a metal ring (I used an old key chain).

Instructions:

The first step is to tape off your planters where you want them painted. I did sort of a dip dye look for the smaller planter and a diagonal design for the other.

This is the gold spray paint that I used (from Michael's), but there are a lot of metallic gold spray paints that work just as well. I just sat the pots upside down and spray painted them.

The string part of these hanging planters looks like it's complicated but it's really not, it's just kind of hard to explain. I found the instructions that I used here and then I just repeated it. I recommend checking out that link for more detailed instruction, but I'll give you the basic idea:

1. Cut your yarn into 8 strings of equal length (mine were the length of both of my arms outstretched across myself).

2. String the keychain to the middle of these pieces and tie a knot, giving you 8 strings of yarn.

3. I taped my keychain to the table (major friendship bracelet flashback), and then you just tie every 2 strings into a knot. Then take 1 string from each knot (see pictures below) and tie those into another knot.

4. Make sure you tie the last two together, forming a loop.

5. Tie a knot at the bottom (which is where you will place the pot) and repeat this process once more!

             

 

Then just place your pot into the yarn loop that you formed and hang the keychain from a hook!

Now you have a fun, modern display for your plants. I'm crossing my fingers that I can keep my plants alive now. :) If you have any questions, just leave a comment below!

LINK LOVE / 23

A student did a better rebranding of Microsoft than Microsoft

photoshop gone very bad

Hilarious blog about Pinterest fails. And another. These crack me up!

15 things you shouldn't tweet

Hottest baby names of 2012 so far - I'm guessing Penelope will be on the rise now thanks to Kourtney Kardashian

first world problems from the 90s - times have changed!

Longest water slide in the world:

sweet summer dress:

awesome gold cake:

this is a restaurant in Bora Bora!

what a cute porch:

new painted stripes invitations & place cards for a summer party:

...or save the date post cards if you're getting married:

Have a great weekend!

BEACHY, WAVY HAIR

My hair is naturally wavy, but like most girls with this type of hair, I usually straighten it or curl it because I feel like it is not enough of either to look polished. Some days though, I just own it. Beachy, textured hair can be really pretty and definitely creates a cool, laid back vibe.

I thought I would share some ways to create beachy waves. This picture is of me today with nothing done to my hair whatsoever. I just washed it last night and woke up like this so as you can see, I don't really use any product because this is my natural texture. But, if you want to create waves or amp up your natural waves, here are some ways to do it:

1. Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray - This stuff is pretty legendary, and is known for creating the perfect beachy waves. It mimics the effect of salt water, creating body with a light hold, but is better for your hair. It's $24 but it lasts forever.

2. Hair dryer with a diffuser - Girls with curly hair use these a lot. A diffuser is an attachment for your hair dryer that blows air across a broader surface area, rather than a straight shot of air, which makes your hair less frizzy and keeps the curls from flattening out.

3. Sleep in braids - This is the good old fashioned way to get wavy hair. I used to do this all the time in high school. Just french braid your hair at night when it's wet (I would just do one braid down the middle to keep the waves loose) and in the morning take it out and dry your hair. This brings me to my next tip:

4. Dry your hair with a t-shirt. If your hair is damp and you just want to towel dry it, don't use a towel! I know that sounds weird, but use a t-shirt instead. The fabric is softer and makes your hair less frizzy.

I know there are lots of Youtube tutorials with different ideas too.

I hope you enjoyed these tips - do you have any other ways to create beachy, wavy hair? 

Photo Sources:

ImgFave, williamyan tumblr, they all hate us blog, madeleine magnolia tumblr, cape cod collegiate tumblr

EASY, HOMEMADE ICED COFFEE

I need a little boost in the morning and before workouts, but I don't really like plain hot coffee, and drinks like Redbull have a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners. What I do love is iced coffee, but going to Starbucks for an iced coffee every morning can start to add up. I have seen some other homemade recipes, but they all had a lot of ingredients and I don't really want to be measuring a bunch of ingredients first thing in the morning.

Here is the easy way I make it at home:

1. Pour your hot coffee in the bottom of a glass. We have a Keurig coffee maker, so we have to put a certain amount of water in the machine to make it brew. Because of that, I usually just make half of a cup of coffee (I'm kind of a coffee lightweight haha) but you could just make really condensed coffee or get these packets. You want it to be condensed because the ice will dilute it.

 2. Add ice cubes, one by one, to the glass and stir each time to keep them from sticking together.

 3. Add a spoonful of sugar or sweetener. I use the all natural sweetener, Stevia but this is up to you!

 4. Add 2 spoonfuls of your favorite creamer. I use fat free french vanilla creamer.

5. Add milk (I use almond milk) until it gets to the top of the glass. You're done!

 I usually put mine in this travel container that I got for $1.00 at Walmart:

Why I love this iced coffee:

- it saves money

- it saves time

- drinking through a straw doesn't stain your teeth as much

- if you make it with natural sweetener and fat free milk and creamer, it's much healthier than from a restaurant

- it's so good! seriously.