Friends, I hope you'll excuse me this morning as I take a departure from blogging about the usual topics to gush about one of my favorite TV shows. Unless you've been living under a rock you've probably heard that "The Office" is coming to end and tonight is the series finale. I'm a little emotional about it ending. The show has had its ups and downs over the years but it's absolutely one of the best sitcoms of my generation.
To celebrate the end of an era I put together a list of 10 of my favorite moments from the last 9 seasons of "The Office." It includes several Jim and Dwight pranks, some classic Michael Moments, a little Jim and Pam, and more. Okay, time for me to stop before I start crying.
Top 10 Office Moments
10. Jim’s Best Prank on Dwight
9. Stapler in Jello
8. Threat Level Almost Midnight
7. Bankruptcy
6. Michael and Erin Celebrate
The Office - "The Ultimatum" - Michael sprays Erin with champagne from Greg Bauer on Vimeo.
5. Parkour!
4. Gift Wrapped Desk
3. The Injury
2. Bears, Beets, Battlestar Gallactica
1. Forever
Are you as sad as I am about the series ending? Did I include your favorite "Office" scene? Are there any moments I'm missing?
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Wanted: kate spade sale items under $140
Guess what? There’s a big sale at kate spade going on. Like, a really big sale. And a huge kate spade sale right before my birthday is a terribly big temptation. Good thing most of what I love is really affordable. Everything pictured below is under $140 and most of it is under $50. Take a look at all the pretty goods!
double bow studs, $19; tuttie flats, $99; birds over arches ipad folio, $39; astor court aurelia, $139; daycation passport holder, $19; plaza athenee short necklace, $49; la pavilion iphone case, $20; pasadena zippered chrissy wristlet, $49; ikeda drop earrings, $19
Is there anything here you’d like to pick up for yourself?
Friday, May 10, 2013
The Great Gatsby Set
The new Great Gatsby movie comes out today and I am pumped! The book was good, although I think I probably need to reread it (I read it during high school and I don’t think I fully understood and appreciated it). But the main reason I’m excited for the movie is to see the gorgeous sets! I absolutely love the Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and Arts and Crafts styles that were popular during the Jazz Age. Oh, and Leonardo DiCaprio isn’t too bad to look at either 
Architectural Digest published a ton of photos of the set in its May issue. Here are a few of the gorgeous photos from the online story.
Stunning, right?! Is anyone else going to see The Great Gatsby this weekend?
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Connections
I’ve made a few changes to the old blogaroo…first of all, I took down the Google reader followers box. Google reader is going as of July 1st so if you want to stay connected here are a few other ways to do so:
1. Follow Blue 11 Interiors on BlogLovin’. Click here and then just click follow. I know a few people have had trouble becoming a follower via Google so I think this should be much easier. (I don’t want to resort to begging but I would be SUPER grateful if you did this!!)
2. In addition to the BlogLovin button on the right side of the screen there are boxes to subscribe via RSS feed and to subscribe via email
3. I added buttons for my Pinterest page, Instagram, Twitter, and Email. I’ll also be adding a Facebook page soon! (Side note: does anyone know how to make those buttons smaller??)
Is there anything else you’d like to see added to or changed on Blue 11? I’m always open to suggestions!
Lastly, I’ll leave you with an image of this lovely print via Caitlin M. Conway on Etsy
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
5 Super Easy Sustainable Things You Should Be Doing Right Now
One of my more interesting classes this semester is “Sustaining Design.” It’s only a 1 hour class and it’s a short course-5 weeks-but I’m learning a lot. We had a local architect come talk to us about some LEED (Leadership in Energy and Design) projects she’s worked on, watched a documentary about trash, and we took a tour of JCCC’s campus to see the sustainable projects being done.
When it comes to being sustainable I think a lot of sources use guilt to try to motivate people to do better. One thing I like about our class is that instead of focusing on guilt we talk about hope for the future. It’s made me think more about what I can do to make less of a negative impact on the earth.
I’m not nearly close to perfect in this aspect but I’m trying to get better. Some eco-friendly measures, like composting, take a fair amount of work. Other measures, like the 5 below, take almost no effort. Most of them will even save you money! I say that’s a win-win.
1. Unplug
We all know that appliances use energy but you may not be aware that they still use energy when they’re not running. That sneaky wasted energy is called “vampire energy” and it costs you more than you may realize. Unplug appliances like your coffee maker, toaster, hair dryer, and phone chargers when you’re not using them. Plugging them back in takes literally 1 second. It’s also a good idea to keep electronics like the TV on a power strip to make turning them on and off easier. Consider this perspective from Earth911.org:
2. Recycle Plastic Bags and Plastic Wrap/Films
I know you know you should be taking reusable bags with you when you go shopping, but sometimes we forget them, or sometimes you make an unexpected stop and wind up with a few plastic bags. Almost every grocery store or mega-store (Wal-mart, Target) has a bin to take back your plastic bags.
What I didn’t know until recently was that they’ll also take plastic wrap and film. Here’s a quick guide of what plastic films you can and can’t recycle: (via Earth911)
I just keep a large plastic, paper, or gift bag in my laundry room closet to collect my plastic bags and wrap. When it’s full I just take it with me to the grocery store or to Target. Easy!
3. Stop Buying Bottled Water
This is another easy one. Sure, having bottled water in the fridge is convenient, especially when you’re on the go a lot. But it’s super wasteful and kind of expensive. Most tap water is very safe to drink, but if you don’t like the taste of it you can buy a Brita pitcher or filter for the tap to make it taste just like the bottled stuff. We used a Brita pitcher for years and it worked great. It takes a couple minutes to fill it up when it’s empty but think about how much easier that is than carrying a heavy case of water around.
If you absolutely have to keep buying bottles make sure you recycle them. If you don’t have curbside recycling or a recycling center nearby some stores like Target have a plastic recycling bin right in the store. It’s a lot easier and a lot better for the environment though to just to skip the disposable bottles and use a reusable water bottle when you’re on the go.
4. Shop at Farmers Markets
Tis the season for farmers markets. Buying your produce at local markets may take a little more planning, since they’re usually only open once or twice a week for a few hours at a time, but it’s worth it. Here are just a few of the benefits:
5. Use Natural Cleaning Products
There are a lot of cleaning products out there that claim to be “green,” but guess what: most of them aren’t. Pinterest has a ton of links for homemade cleaning solutions. We recently started using a DIY kitchen and bath cleaner that’s just equal parts vinegar and dish soap. Super easy and it works really well! The vinegar smell can be a little strong but it’s much better than breathing in nasty chemicals from store bought sprays. Plus this is super cheap. Just reuse an empty spray bottle and make your own solution for pennies. Bonus: you never have to worry about running to the store when you run out! (you know, as long as you have the supplies around…)
Search Pinterest or click here to find a great roundup of homemade cleaners.
I'd like to know...which of these are you already doing? Is there anything on here that you were surprised to learn? For me the biggest thing was plastic film recycling. I had been recycling the store bags, but I had been throwing away the bread bags and the plastic wrap on things like paper towels. Not anymore!
When it comes to being sustainable I think a lot of sources use guilt to try to motivate people to do better. One thing I like about our class is that instead of focusing on guilt we talk about hope for the future. It’s made me think more about what I can do to make less of a negative impact on the earth.
I’m not nearly close to perfect in this aspect but I’m trying to get better. Some eco-friendly measures, like composting, take a fair amount of work. Other measures, like the 5 below, take almost no effort. Most of them will even save you money! I say that’s a win-win.
1. Unplug
We all know that appliances use energy but you may not be aware that they still use energy when they’re not running. That sneaky wasted energy is called “vampire energy” and it costs you more than you may realize. Unplug appliances like your coffee maker, toaster, hair dryer, and phone chargers when you’re not using them. Plugging them back in takes literally 1 second. It’s also a good idea to keep electronics like the TV on a power strip to make turning them on and off easier. Consider this perspective from Earth911.org:
The cost of running the average television for two hours per day for a month is about $1.50. If you factor in the energy your TV uses when it’s off, it can cost you up to $18 on your energy bill, according to the Nebraska Public Power District.So if we look at that example, only approximately 8% of the energy your TV uses is when it’s on; the other 92% of the energy it takes is when you’re not using it. It makes the “hassle” of unplugging and plugging in your stuff seem worth it, doesn’t it?
2. Recycle Plastic Bags and Plastic Wrap/Films
I know you know you should be taking reusable bags with you when you go shopping, but sometimes we forget them, or sometimes you make an unexpected stop and wind up with a few plastic bags. Almost every grocery store or mega-store (Wal-mart, Target) has a bin to take back your plastic bags.
What I didn’t know until recently was that they’ll also take plastic wrap and film. Here’s a quick guide of what plastic films you can and can’t recycle: (via Earth911)
Please DO recycle:
- Grocery & retail bags
- Newspaper bags
- The outer Wrapping from Napkins, Paper Towels, Bathroom Tissue & Diapers
- Bread bags
- Dry cleaning bags
- The outer wrapping from bulk beverages
- Produce bags
- All clean, dry bags Labeled #2 or #4
- Food or cling wrap
- Prepackaged food bags (including frozen food bags and pre-washed salad bags)
- Plastic Film That has Been Painted or has Excessive Glue Residue
I just keep a large plastic, paper, or gift bag in my laundry room closet to collect my plastic bags and wrap. When it’s full I just take it with me to the grocery store or to Target. Easy!
3. Stop Buying Bottled Water
This is another easy one. Sure, having bottled water in the fridge is convenient, especially when you’re on the go a lot. But it’s super wasteful and kind of expensive. Most tap water is very safe to drink, but if you don’t like the taste of it you can buy a Brita pitcher or filter for the tap to make it taste just like the bottled stuff. We used a Brita pitcher for years and it worked great. It takes a couple minutes to fill it up when it’s empty but think about how much easier that is than carrying a heavy case of water around.
If you absolutely have to keep buying bottles make sure you recycle them. If you don’t have curbside recycling or a recycling center nearby some stores like Target have a plastic recycling bin right in the store. It’s a lot easier and a lot better for the environment though to just to skip the disposable bottles and use a reusable water bottle when you’re on the go.
4. Shop at Farmers Markets
Tis the season for farmers markets. Buying your produce at local markets may take a little more planning, since they’re usually only open once or twice a week for a few hours at a time, but it’s worth it. Here are just a few of the benefits:
- Less transportation costs. Local produce means much less transportation costs and carbon emissions than produce from a grocery store. Those products have to be transported from the farm (often out of state or out of country) to the distributor, then to the grocery store, and then to your home.
- Less waste. Produce at farmers markets usually isn’t packaged, which means you can skip all that waste and put it directly into your reusable shopping bag.
- You’ll be supporting local farmers and the local economy
- Lots of organic options. For a lot of small farmers "organic” isn’t something fancy they do, it’s just how they grow their food. Plus it’s generally a lot cheaper than what you’ll pay for organic produce at the grocery store
5. Use Natural Cleaning Products
There are a lot of cleaning products out there that claim to be “green,” but guess what: most of them aren’t. Pinterest has a ton of links for homemade cleaning solutions. We recently started using a DIY kitchen and bath cleaner that’s just equal parts vinegar and dish soap. Super easy and it works really well! The vinegar smell can be a little strong but it’s much better than breathing in nasty chemicals from store bought sprays. Plus this is super cheap. Just reuse an empty spray bottle and make your own solution for pennies. Bonus: you never have to worry about running to the store when you run out! (you know, as long as you have the supplies around…)
Search Pinterest or click here to find a great roundup of homemade cleaners.
I'd like to know...which of these are you already doing? Is there anything on here that you were surprised to learn? For me the biggest thing was plastic film recycling. I had been recycling the store bags, but I had been throwing away the bread bags and the plastic wrap on things like paper towels. Not anymore!
Symphony Showhouse 2013 Part 2
I’m back with the rest of the tour of KC’s Symphony Showhouse. Enjoy!
Gorgeous right? Do you have a favorite room from these photos? I loved the brightly colored living room, the gray bedroom, the library, the dining room…I pretty much loved it all. I tell you what though…it was WARM last Wednesday, and by the time I was done with that tour I was ready to jump right in to that beautiful pool!
The Showhouse is open until May 19th so there’s still time to check it out if you’re in Kansas City! For more information visit The Symphony Showhouse website here
Monday, May 6, 2013
Symphony Showhouse 2013 Part 1
Last week I toured Kansas City’s Symphony Showhouse. This was the first time I had been to a Symphony Showhouse and I was absolutely blown away!
It was in a gorgeous historic home from the 19th century (just a few blocks away from my dream house!)
Every room and area of the house are decorated by different designers. The designers donate their time and they work with businesses to borrow furniture, lighting, area rugs, etc. The proceeds from the admissions tickets go to the KC Symphony and its youth programs.
Below are some of the pictures I took while touring the house. Excuse the poor quality of some of the photos, they’re all from my iphone!
I’ll be back with more pictures tomorrow!
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