Feb 5, 2013

Surf’s Up… on the Interwebz

Madeline Beard Food, Music, Other Adventures beer, crock pot, design, inspiration, music, patrick watson, postcard, winter 1 Comment

Hello readers! Or should I say aloha? As the temperatures stay well below my comfort zone and my first instinct is to hibernate under my covers for days, I have been using an alternative method of escapism to bring blue skys and sunshine into my life. While living vicariously through the internet 100% of the time can make me feel like a bit of a twitchy-eyed goblin creature, in small doses the internet can be quite the mood booster. So, here are some of my happiest discoveries from these past few weeks:

1. An epic pep talk from an unexpected source

2. A beautiful song for a grey day

3. My new favorite website for design inspiration

4. A postcard that speaks volumes

Source: imgfave.com via Madeline on Pinterest

5. Planning meals for the newest addition to my kitchen

Source: fiveinohio.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

The best part about the start of a new month is the opportunity to hit life’s refresh button and get back on track — I have always preferred starting something at the beginning of a new week or month — February will be all about getting back to balance. I miss little habits that seem to have fallen through the cracks so far — carrying my camera around with me 24/7, baking for the hell of it, weekend render-vous in DC and seeing my family that lives here. So, with this post, I want to raise a virtual glass to the little steps. To the reminders and the efforts that come out of them that keep me moving forward. It’s hard to see the progress when life goes whizzing by you, sometimes you just have to stop, turn around and look at how far you’ve come. Then keep moving. That’s my plan at least.

A wish of sweet dreams to all of my night owl friends and a good morning to all of my early risers. More adventures to come.

♥

Jan 25, 2013

Begin Again

Madeline Beard Music, Other Adventures edward sharpe and the magnetic zeroes, music, resolutions, school, winter break 0 Comments

I always have a way of forgetting about the intensity that comes with transitioning from school to break and break to school. In Vegas, I had settled into a lovely state of relaxation — my winter holiday had been spent reflecting, enjoying the time with my family and traveling to one of my favorite places.

As soon as my plane touched down in DC, I hit the ground running — there were old friends to see, back from faraway adventures, and new responsibilities to prepare for. The past two weeks, I have been attempting to fall back into some semblance of a routine, while still trying to hold onto the clear and calm mindset I gained while I was home.

When I envision this upcoming semester, I see a world of possibilities and dreams just waiting to be actualized. In keeping with a tradition I started when I was young, I made an epic list of resolutions for the new year. A few of them include:

secure a sweet internship for summer 2013

start planning my meals to avoid outside spending and develop healthier eating habits (I bought a crock pot last week, it has been such a good way to kick off this resolution)

get organized — last semester my method of organization fell by the wayside and I literally took notes on a legal pad for all my classes and internships — flipping through all of those pages was such a headache!

start investing my time in producing interesting and meaningful content for SLB — this blog has been a consistent evolution and learning process for me, and I look forward to all of the potential 2013 holds

Finally, I have been meaning to post this video on SLB for a few weeks now. The weather in DC has turned cold, wet and grey since I’ve been back, and this music video has picked me up and gotten me moving during my haziest winter days.

The lyrics match perfectly with the friendships I have made over my past two and a half years living in DC — this song is a sweet reminder of how lucky I am to have people who will keep me looking towards the future.

Many more adventures to come, looking forward to sharing with you all!

♥

Jan 5, 2013

This + That

Madeline Beard DIY + Home, Other Adventures, Photography camera strap, DIY, downtown, headband, Las Vegas, lights, neon, pink 1 Comment

Last night I went to First Friday in downtown Las Vegas with my sweet ma and pa. This part of the city is inspiring to me — something about the mix of concrete and neon, old glamour and graffiti, mid-century architecture converted to new galleries and art spaces, made the whole experience feel more authentic and fulfilling than wandering around on the strip.

This morning I finally completed a long anticipated DIY project. What feels like eons ago, I wrote about a gorgeous floral camera strap that I spotted at Fashion Week. I wanted to add it to this year’s Christmas list, until I showed it to my mom — she pointed out it could be easily recreated with some festive trim and the strap I currently own. So, after a bit of Googling, I ordered trim from this Etsy shop and got to work. Here’s the result:

An added bonus? The left over trim makes the coolest floral headband.

On my schedule for the rest of today: pinning, sipping of tea, and perfecting the art of lounging. With only 72 hours left at home, I am soaking up all of the down time I can get. Hope you all enjoyed this weekend’s edition of “Selfie Saturday” — maybe I can actually make that a thing? Or better yet, “Mirror Pic Monday”? Ahh, I can just imagine the hash tags.

♥