For my little room, thats a lot of mouse!!

We all know New York City isn't the cleanest city. The city of lights? Sure! Home of Broadway? Oh yea! Mice and roach free? HARDLY THE CASE.

It started like any normal night. With my door closed, I sat on my petite twin bed, catching up on emails....ahem....facebooking.....when I saw a flash of movement towards my door. I look down. Skirting around the corner of my sisal rug, I see a mouse. A large gray mouse. In my room. In my TINY room. You can imagine my verbal response.

Before I could drop another 4 letter word, I was out of my room like a bat out of hell. Thankfully there was a roommate home. She advised me to call Joe, the Super. It's 10:20. Too late?

Never too late when there's a mouse in your room.

I call. Leave a message. Pace outside my closed bedroom door with my Uggs on and a broom in my hand. No word from Joe.

I call my parents. "There's a mouse in my room", I say in a sad resolved tone. "Oh no! Well we're in the drive through at Taco Bell, can we call you back?"

Click.

Still pacing outside my room. I decide I must face the mouse. As roommate LindsayAnn just pointed out, I am MUCH bigger than it. I should find comfort in this. She offers to be my wingman.

Gun's a blazing we stomp our way into the room, banging the broom on everything. Maybe it will scurry out of my room and into some other area of the apartment. One might say, "But then it's lost in your apartment!" My response, "Yes. That means its no longer IN MY TINY ROOM!"

We find nothing. Not even a twitch of my bedskirt.

Ah. Nothing left to do at this point. Guess I'll wait to talk to Joe the super tomorrow morning. As for now, I'm sitting still and quietly on my bed. Uggs still on. Daring that rodent to flee from my room...

****I just published this post when THE MOUSE RAN OUT OF MY ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's safely into the kitchen. Mice in the kitchen are equally, if not more, disgusting, but I can rest easily now. PTL.

sleep tight.

Too many cooks in the kitchen?

I think not. 13auburnfriends has started a recipe blog. Great idea LeighAnn! Practically all of our memories from college are centered around something edible. The Godfrey's white chicken bean chilli that we inhaled every visit to the lake house. Sherrie's brownies in Huntsville that carried us through the housing crisis of Junior Year. Jana's sweet and southern concoctions that graced every tailgate table of junior and senior year. Or the Hardin's fried okra..........

The list is bottomless. I'm hungry thinking about all the good eats of college.

It was worth every pound.

Animal Instincts

I'm having an animal print/animal accessories moment. Get the words tacky and gaudy out of your mind and thing pared down and neutral! I'll show you.

Target. Great starting point. This white giraffe print shower curtain would be adorable in an all white or neutral bathroom. Or heck, use the shower curtain as a curtain, duvet, desk skirt....



These brown and white zebra sheets are also from Target. Can you just see these with rusty orange and white imperial bedding and a loud punchy head board? I can!

Saw these Hunter Wellies at Nordstrom the other day with mom and sister. These are great in the rain, but what about in the winter?

Well they thought of that too! Hunter makes fleece and leopard inserts for super cold weather. Genius!

Along the same lines, I saw these funny rubber gloves at Z Gallerie of all places.

I've just remembered. I LOVE Z Gallerie. Whats better than classic and eclectic, well traveled style at surprisingly reasonable prices?

The moose heads and antlers are all under $200! And how cute are the metal reindeer. You could probably leave them up all year. Hopefully this post has helped rid my system of my obsession with animal print/decor. I don't think my tiny bedroom can handle too much animal detail.

Notes on Marco Polo

In a recent "Meet My Crew Monday: Meet Hannah", I mentioned the game of Marco Polo I seem to be taking on. All good and fun games have basic rules. Right? Well this one definitely does. They are as follows:

- Age Restriction: No 30 somethings allowed
- Looking for big personalities at the pool
- Sharp and funny conversationalists imperative
- Strong and confident players needed
- 3-5 years experience NOT needed
- Clear, decisive and loud "POLO" yellers
- Pool Attire: TBD by player. Just rock what you got
- Hailing from below the Mason-Dixon line is preferred

**Please note there are always exceptions to the rule.

Wait a second.

Sitting at Little Owl with Jamie, a rustic Manhattan restaurant, last night, I thought of the best blog topic!

But now, sitting at my desk, staring at the rainy skyline, I can't remember it for the life of me.

Dangit.

What was it???

Domino, is that you?

If home + interior design blogs are your thing, then I'm sure you've seen Lonny Mag already. Such a great concept. It's an online magazine. The design is clean and simple and you can digitally "flip through the pages." Pretty clever! I think this will suffice for a Domino replacement. Go look at it!

Sorry, I don't feel like posting pictures. You'll have to deal with it.

Overwhelmed

It was just days ago that I stood in a carpet warehouse picking out flooring for the first time in my life. I felt small. And overwhelmed. But in a good way. 

I'm overwhelmed by the provision and opportunities in my life.

Overwhelmed by a best friend who meets me in Cali just to spend a few morning and evening hours with me. Who lets me decompress and always affirms.

Overwhelmed by 13 friends who sweetly plead for updates.

Overwhelmed by family that cheers on from a distance. 

I'm overwhelmed by all of it. 

But in a good way.

I've been back in New York for less than 24 hours after a week in Los Angeles. A full to the brim, once in a lifetime kinda week. One that leaves me bright eyed and hopeful. Ever wish a sunburn would linger a moment more so you can remember the feel of vacation on your skin? Thats how I feel about this recent trip to LA. Maybe if I keep my sketches and plane tickets strewn about, it will linger just a bit longer...