Last Minute Adventures

Has it been a while or whaaaaat? I am so sorry! Things have been nuts lately! 

I finally finished up at one of my jobs and have some time off before heading back to school, which is really nice. I decided pretty last minute to fly to see my friend in Ohio and drive back down to school with her. 

I had some troubles getting here the day of....mechanical problems...missed connections....you name it. But look at this pretty photos I took with Instagram on my phone from the plane!

You can't really tell but in the last one you can actually see the reflection of the plane in a rainbow circle. It was really weird! :) 

Anyways, since I've arrived in Ohio we've done nothing but shop and relax! It's been so nice! I've even tried a couple of new things in the process.  

My personal favorite has been...

GRAETER'S ICE CREAM

Ahhh yum. It's delicious! Have you ever had it? It has these giant chocolate chips in it! It still doesn't begin to compare with BlueBell but it sure is YUMMYYYY!

I've also been on the search for a few things since I've arrived here....

FALL BOOTS

WHITE & KHAKI SKINNY JEANS

NUDE HEELS

I've had some luck with boots but haven't ended up purchasing anything. It seems like every time I find the style I'm looking for, it's either A) like $330 (example: Frye boots) or B) not in the best condition (example: stains on the leather) It's beyond frustrating! Just ask all the people I've dragged around various malls and outlets looking for boots...

As for the skinny khaki or white skinny jeans...no luck. I found the CUTEST pair of skinny khakis at GAP but they were WAYYY too long. I mean, I'm not that short! 

And lastly, nude heels. This has been quite the struggle for a few different reasons. First of all, I'm very picky about the shade of the shoes. You may not realize it until you shop for nude shoes, but there are a lot of different "nudes." NOT COOL. Also, despite my shoe addiction, I'm just not willing to spend $100+ for heels. Yes for boots, Yes for Jack Rogers, but not for heels. Sorry. 

>>  HELP! <<

Has anyone seen any of these three things while out and about!? 

Point me in the right direction! 

And I'll end things today with something I WANT to try. 

A fringe shirt!

I know for some people it's a little out there, but I really want to try to rock this out. 

When I was home, my sister and I bought cheap tank tops from Delia's to cut up and experiment with...but I'm debating just purchasing the real deal.

Any opinions? 

Am I totally going to look like Pocahontas?

That's it for now! I promise it won't be like two weeks between now and my next post!

:) BYEEEEEEE.

Places & Spaces

Ikea. Pottery Barn. Crate & Barrel. 

I've always said my future home would be filled with those brands.

And while I still hope for that, I've branched out in my taste a little bit. I'm thinking about how I'm going to have to scour vintage shops and thrift stores to find the perfect headboard or dining room chair. 

I cannot WAIT to get started on building my home...

Well, maybe I can. College is too much fun to leave right now.

Here are some of my favorite places and spaces from Pinterest.

Messy yet somehow put-together.

"So fresh and so clean, clean."

I want to sleep in that bed NOW.

Rustic/Pop of color! 

Love it. 

Perfect little cottage window.

Obsession

If you've been reading my blog since the start you at least know one thing about me...

I'M OBSESSED WITH PINTEREST.

Now I'll admit I've been slacking on my pinning the past two weeks but that doesn't change my love for the website AT ALL. But here's the problem with Pinterest: lusting.

I lust after clothes. shoes. houses. EVERYTHING. How can you not?

It's such a tease!

One of my favorite boards I've created is my "fashion wants" board! It's full of the latest styles and trends. There's so many cute outfit pairings on Pinterest, I just can't control myself. Here's some of my favorite outfits from my  board.

Love the jewelry. Love the wedges. Love it all.

Patterns plus a POP of color.

Simply sleek. Adore the skirt.

Backless.

Mixing it up with patterns!

Now please tell me you wouldn't love to have all of those outfits in your closet?

Up next: Pinterest Housing/Decor Obsessions...

Just wait and see.

Working Girl Problems

Well, maybe not problems persay. But definitely work OVERLOAD.

This week, my coworker for one of my jobs is out of town so I'm working her shifts for her. I've also started a new schedule at my other job, so I'm working a lot there too.

And tonight...after I had already worked 12 hours today...I got called back into work because someone was a no show. Rough. Life.

I know I shouldn't be complaining because, hey, money is money. But it's just been a long day and I'm ready for my beauty sleep. Can I get an amen?

On the upside, here's a few ideas I have for my next paycheck:

Option 1: Tucking it Away

I've been lusting after this camera for so long. Option 1 definitely is something I need to do at some point...But should I do it now or later? Hmm...

Option 2: Splurging

Is that not such a fun necklace? Can you guess from the color where it's from? Tiffany & Co. of course! I really want this necklace and I totally deserve something like this after working so hard.

Option 3: Practical Use

Or should I put my paycheck towards a more practical purchase- like new makeup? It's time I get new makeup, especially for the start of school.

What do you think? Comment with your vote! :) Keep in mind I have more paychecks to come...but which should I do FIRST?!

A Weekend at Home

I was so lucky to get to escape the realities of work for the weekend to spend time with my family for my sister's birthday! After work on Saturday I scooted on home and was excited to see my family! :) 

Here's what my weekend consisted of...

1- Planking

Have you seen this before? My mom saw it on "The Talk" and knew it was something my sister and I would totally do! She was right! Before my sister's birthday dinner on Saturday we planked all around the house and yard! We had so much fun! It's really quite a funny thing! Try it and post your pictures! 


2- A New Car! 

After a pretty serious car accident this fall I was left carless for the school year and majority of this summer! I've been borrowing my mom's car to scoot around, but I've been chomping at the bit to have my own car again! After dinner on Saturday my parents pulled the most beautiful Toyota Corolla into the driveway! Needless to say I was very surprised! I am THRILLED! 


3- Shopping


It's about time all my work paid off! I treated myself to two nice gifts this weekend! My two best friends Lindy and Laura took me to this new local boutique, Ivey and Leo! It's ADORABLE! Think Francesca's mixed with Forever21 mixed with Nordstrom! I got the cutest dress that is perfect for going out, work, and nice dinners!


I also treated myself to a pair of silver Jack Rogers! Have you seen these? They are really popular at my college and I HAD to have a pair! You like?

So that was my wonderful weekend at home! It couldn't have been any better! :) Updates on my latest crafts soon! 

New Name, New Look

So what do you all think? I told you I was thinking about mixing things up! I think this change is definitely for the best. I can't wait to share more than just my crafting and DIY projects with you all. The question is...are you ready for more of me? I sure hope so! 

I want to leave you all with my "pin of the week" from Pinterest...

This quote couldn't be more fitting for me right now! I think it's something that everyone needs to remember no matter what kind of state your life is in. For me, I'm just trying to survive my last two weeks of working until I get a much needed vacation. I'm stronger than I think- I can do it.

Goodnight all! :) Sweet dreams & sleep tight. 

Contemplation

Hello, hello! 

So I'm having a mini crisis! I'm contemplating turning my blog into more of an "everyday life" blog rather than just specific to "crafts." Of course I'll still craft it up, but I want to broaden my subject matter. How does that sound? Like a good idea?

I guess you'll all just have to wait and see what's next for "Artful Scheming."

:) 

Here's a little color to add to your Thursday...

It's Been Too Long

Hi everyone!

Can you believe it's been a week since I last blogged!? I am SO sorry! I've just been so busy, in and out of town, up and down... it's been hectic! 

Anyway, early last week I completed the simplest of my crafts- the button bobby pins and bookmarks! Here are some pictures!

The supplies! 

Mini paperclip bookmarks

Giant paperclip bookmarks

All together now! 

Bobby pins!

They didn't take long AT ALL! And they're super cute! I'm thinking about sporting one of the bobby pins today! I'll post a picture if I do.

Look out for another post from me today! I've obviously got some catching up to do! :) Happy crafting! 

Possible Purchase

Hello Everyone!

 Time to talk a possible purchase. 

I'm really into photography and really wanting to take it up as a hobby. However, the current camera I have just isn't cutting it. It's great for pictures with friends and family, but it's not made to take "artsy photos."

Here's what I'm thinking...

THE NIKON D3000

Eh? Eh? What do you think? Have you heard anything about it? Do you own one? I have a couple of friends who take professional photography and this is what they use.

It's definitely going to be quite the investment- priced around $500 at most places like Target or Best Buy. But I think it's going to totally be worth it.

I figured I should show you some of my most basic photos. These have all been taken with my regular camera. I think I have some potential!

Nothing fancy, but I think I can definitely improve my skills if I were to buy this camera (and probably some sort of guide for how to use it).

So there's what I'm thinking. Nothing brilliant but I figured I'd share my exciting news. Look for more crafts coming soon! :) Goodnight! 

Christmas In July

Yes, you read it right- Christmas in July. Did you hit up the sale at Michael's? My mom and I sure did. We also got sucked into a fun craft while we were there. We made two adorable frames with a scrapbook paper stencil and paint. Here's a little overview of our adventure! 

We started with a blank frame that we painted white! Then we placed the stencil over the frame and stippled (sponge-painted) the Robin Egg Blue color on the stencil. 

My mom and I after we painted the blue on the frames!

My finished product!

My mom touching up her frame!

Overall it took about 15 minutes, and only cost us $2 for the frames. Well in fact, the frames were 3 for $2 and my entire purchase was 25% off! Of course, we purchased other things too! 

I decided I wanted to make a series of 3 frames so I purchased 4 more to make a pink set and to finish up this set.

Here's a more detailed step-by-step guide to making the third frame at home!

Start with a blank frame!

Paint the inside black so it blends in with the pictures you choose to place in the frame!

Paint the frame your desired color- mine was the Robin Egg blue color. It kind of resembles Tiffany blue- my favorite ;)

Place the stencil over the frame and paint or stipple the second color. 

Wa-lah! You have your finished product!

Here are the three frames placed on my entertainment center!

Feedback needed: do you like this project? Doesn't it seem pretty simple? Overall for the paint and frames it cost me about $3.50. The frames, like I mentioned before were 3 for $2 and the paint and sponge brushes were only $1.50 all together.

You can find the stencils in the scrapbook paper section for about 99 cents or less! 

This is just one of the many projects I have in store for the next week! :) Hope you like them!