found here.
merry christmas everyone
Me and Ty are headed to Portland for the holiday tomorrow morning. Fun with the Clark's for Christmas this year -- I'm pumped. I've never not spent Christmas with my family before, but I think it'll work out OK. I sent gifts with tags featuring all the commentary I would offer if I were there anyway. Here's to a happy holiday in the pacific northwest -- pictures to come.
perfect table setting
loop scarf conversion
Sometimes/all the time I can't handle the scarf tails on normal scarves; they just look weird dangling out of the scarf like they naturally tend to do. Most days I end up stuffing them into the rounded end of the scarf after putting it on, but that gets troublesome after a while, which is where the loop scarf conversion comes in.
As I was sporting this black scarf the other day, I decided it was time to get rid of the tails. So, I busted out my crochet hook and a few inches of black yarn and BAM! Loop scarf two minutes later. Now all I have to do is wrap it around my little neck twice and let it look good while keeping me warm all day long without any fuss; now that's my kind of scarf.
seattle thanksgiving
cottage on the water
awesome book
(Note for my brother Andy: Dude, don't buy it; just wait till after Christmas).
oregon
(note: the picture of the non-familiar man up there is my favorite picture I took of Ty's dad during the trip; that man is rad)
and the matching begins
The other day Ty showed up at my work and we were dressed like this, no preplanning involved. "I was even going to wear my boat shoes today, but they were still wet!" Ty said after I pointed out our clothes. (NOTE: Wet shoe story to come as part of the Oregon trip post). You can take comfort in knowing that Ty's pants are corduroy though, and mine are canvas...so different.
Shirts: Denim
Pants: Kahki color
Shoes: Brown leather
to oregon
Thank you these people for kindly letting me use your image of Oregon without your permission.
nicki and ty went biking
Not surprisingly, this is the best picture from me and Ty's biking date last Friday. Even if I had taken other really great ones, I'm not sure there would have been a debate. I know the photo doesn't actually picture us biking, but, as you may not yet realize, taking evening pictures on a moving bike in dim light results in photos with a fair amount of blurriness and not-as-good-looking-as-pictures-taken-inside ness.
Note: Ty went home with those seafoam ones he's wearing. Again, no debate.
this kitchen is for me
Why yes, yes I do love this beautiful kitchen, thank you kindly for asking. It's the perfect blend of rustic and cozy and clean and great. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen a kitchen with less things I would change, decoratively/designally speaking. Found here.
sweatpants
With winter weather setting in, I've been really keen on getting me a new pair of sweats for lounging. I actually had a dream two nights ago that I owned the pair on the left up there (which have a far more doable price tag than the two on the right, by the way; sidenote: whoever determined that $245 & $295 respectively are a legit price tags for sweats is definitely batty in my book.) I'll let you know how the search goes. The goal: drop crotch comfy sweat pants at a non-crazy price.
sweats 1, sweats 2, sweats 3
slower = better
I would submit that life is almost always prettier when you slow it down (and add really pretty music). Tonight's plans = a nice slow (because I can't bike very fast) bike ride with Ty to get some dinner, avocado boba and enjoy a secret swing en route to the lake.
I think this is kind of beautiful
Loving this right now
Blowing me away with it's simple coolness. I think I'll watch it again, in fact.
No Halloween
You may be wondering why there are no pictures of my Halloween festivities this year. Well, I'll tell you. It's because Tyler and I, after a full day of REI Garage Sale-ing, shopping for jeans, cheering on Clay in his cyclocross race through a downpour, and enjoying some tasty apple cider with Anna Nagel and friends, we abandoned our plans of going to the Midway hot springs and retired to our respective homes early and to go to bed. Talk about a great Halloween indeed. Too bad no pictures from the day though ... it lent itself to some great ones.
Magical
That's how Marie put it after I sent this to her the other day. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Sent to me by Tyler, that awesome boyfriend who sends me amazing things that I like to share with you.
Bowen & goals
Murray Bowen, an American psychiatrist, is credited with coining the word differentiation, defined as a person's capacity to define his or her own life's goals and values apart from the pressures of those around them. Below is a list of attributes held by the fourth category of person. A great set of goals for functioning, I would say.
Skeeson!
Sequined cardigan
Needing new iphone/itouch wallpaper?
Have no fear, Poolga's got you covered. It's a site full of lovely wallpapers that talented designers and illustrators made just for you to have for free. Now how nice is that, huh?
On the road
Collectively the wanderings garnered a Gregory Alan Isakov show (which was quite spectacular, might I add), some time with the Schmidts we all know and love, getting shakes with Tyler's grandfather, Elmo, and Elmo's wife, Iva Lou (Elmo and Iva Lou -- I can't get over how great that is), and scoring a sweet pair of camel-colored leather boat shoes for $6 at DI.
Pictured above is the I 70 in route to Denver -- me and Ty took a few minutes out to take some pictures on the way. This particular part being deemed "the most beautiful stretch of highway" Tyler has ever seen in the continental US. A lack of other pictures can be attributed to my camera running out of battery way too early on both trips. Whoops. As soon as I get the pictures developed on the film camera, though, if any are post worthy, you'll see em.
Utah in the fall
The Fall season around here might only last a few weeks, but it is most definitely my favorite. Me and Ty took a drive up American Fork Canyon through to Provo Canyon (aka the Alpine Loop) yesterday, and let me tell you it was definitely the perfect Fall day for it. Man, how is Utah so pretty all the time?
October is slow loris month
And I am so happy. Admittedly, he does look a little creepy up there, but I can't get enough of him. Three cheers for slow loris month -- I have been looking forward to you all year.
Bonus: You can see a slow loris being tickled here.
Bonus Bonus: You can see other animal pictures the calendar photographer has taken here.
camping and climbing in maple
A group of us headed an hour and a bit south last weekend to camp and climb in maple canyon. A 20-hour trip filled with night-time-light-drawing pictures, camp breakfast burritos, climbing, napping and slacklining. Wha bam.
my dad has this great old SLR
Said camera used to belong to my grandfather, then my dad, and now it's found it's way into my use. Over the last 5 months I steadily used up it's maiden roll of film, only to find the pictures had this weird gray haze over most of them once I got them developed this week. A gray haze, and lots of blurriness throughout. Sad. Looks like I'll need some practice.
Katy and Ange in Huntington Beach on a trip we took in June.
taking out the "garbage"
Dear Sound Concepts Cleaning Crew,
I appreciate your attention to detail, and while I now realize the folly of my putting a box full of paper and bubble wrap near the trash can under my desk, I wanted to let you know that those papers and bubble wrap (+enclosed items) you discarded were actually the contents a box of specialty light bulbs I needed to return this week (they had the wrong size bases for my patio cafe string lights strand -- not that it really matters, but just in case you were wondering).
I mean, thanks for keeping my workspace clean, and I suppose I could thank you for saving me the postage of returning them, but I hope we've all learned some valuable lessons from this experience.
Here's to happy cleaning for everyone in the future,
Nicki Schmidt
Mar-shell
Made my morning.
Credits:
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp
Marcel is voiced (untreated & unenhanced) by a genius named Jenny Slate
Written by Jenny Slate + Dean Fleischer-Camp
MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.
Velvet headboards are for Nickis
Dear Universe,
I would like a tufted velvet headboard.
Thank you very much,
Nicki Schmidt
Looks like I'll be needing to find me some great velvet fabric on sale and implementing this amazing tutorial by my lovely friend Megan Ruth Stay.
Image courtesy of Urban Outfitters.
Preach on, Elder Scott
"As an exceptional son or daughter of God, you are sorely needed. There is an urgent need for men and women who will stand for principles against the growing pressures to compromise those very principles. Men and women are required who will act nobly and courageously for what the Lord has defined as right, not for what is politically correct or socially acceptable. We need individuals who have the spiritual, righteous influence that will motivate others to enduring good."Richard G. Scott, "Living Right," Ensign, Jan. 2007, 14
Utah is pretty
Sometimes the desert where I live is pretty. Like yesterday. Yesterday it was really really pretty.
Good news from TOAST
I just got this in the email. Looks like I'll be in style this fall with my skirt lengths. Awesome. Thanks, Toast.
Oh Radiolab...you're so clever
This video was produced in conjunction with the Radiolab episode Words, which can be heard here. I'm always a sucker for fun with words.
The Birthday
This year was pretty stellar as far as birthdays go.
I heard from and spent time with amazing people. Got tons of birthday wishes. Got out of work of work early. Had a great dessert party, complete with a superlatively rad rainbow birthday cake (+pani popo, lemon cupcakes, cream puffs, cake balls and muffins). Lit my hair on fire on my birthday candles. And I didn't have to do the dishes after everyone left (man Tyler = BABE). Really, it was just a great day. How can you not love spending a whole day with people you love? Who are celebrating you being born? Honestly.
The rainbow cake, made by Katy, Angela and Joe.
The lovely Angela Tam.
Katy cutting said rad rainbow cake.
Me catching my hair on fire.
Laughing.
And the/my amazing man who did the dishes after the day was done, Tyler Clark. What a babe.
NOTE: Thank you Anna Nagel for supplying a majority of the photos in this post.
Schmidt family reunion
Two weeks ago I made my way to colorado for a family reunion (I'm the youngest in a family of 5, for anyone in the dark), with everyone attending. Which is fun, cause my brother and his family (who live in Seattle) don't get to come out much.
We hiked. White-water rafted. Played in the backyard. Took family pictures (evidenced above). Painted bird houses. Decorated cupcakes. Went garage saleing. Had a birthday party. Compared nose sizes between me and my brother (his is definitely bigger, on all fronts). And made a lot of noise, after he usual Schmidt manner. Loved every minute of it.
The grandkids. There's kind an age gap in my family. From the top left, clockwise: Megan, Jena, Zoe, Mojave, Honor and Anza.
Me and my brother playing in the yard.
Niece Zoe with a finger mustache.
Me and my sister-in-law Chele (Chay-lee) being safe and angry in our rafting helmets.
Andy looking at his belly. Poudre Canyon & Poudre River in view.
Me and my cute dad.
Niece Anza wearing an incredibly rad jumper we found at an equally-80s-incredible garage sale.
Italy, Austria and TOAST
How audibly and visually breathtaking is this? Ty sent it my way this morning. It's a clip for TOAST's Autumn/Winter 2010 line. Shot in Venice (not so difficult to decipher) and Tyrol (a place I had to look up on the map to see what country it was in), it's been the delight of my morning. Enjoy.
I have your catalog
Dear American Fork and Highland Urban-Oufitters-Catalog Receivers,
I have your Urban Outfitters catalogs.
I assure you, I didn't do this on purpose. Apparently the postal service forgot to remove the shrink wrap on our bundle of catalogs before putting them through the mail service, and mine was on top. I promise to take good care of them until tomorrow, when I pop them back in the mail. But, in the interim, I wanted to give you the heads up that they will be at least one day late.
Thanks for your understanding.
Glad we're in this together,
Nicki Schmidt
