Pursuit sixty four: The trials and tribulations of the white duvet cover

A little over six years ago I received this bedding set from my parentals for Christmas. I have greatly enjoyed the simplistic and classic design of this duvet cover and matching pillow shams. They have been relatively easy to keep clean, and are a bedroom piece that I have yet to get tired of owning.

 However, a little over a year ago, a new creature came into my life... Smith (my 71+ pound chocolate lab). To say keeping Smith off of my bed has been easy is an understatement. Think more of trying to keep a moth from flying towards a bright light in the dead of night (nearly impossible). Thus, the "safety blanket", just a regular old yellow blanket was brought into employment to try and keep the massive amounts of brown dog hair and lovely little mud paw prints from completely destroying my bedding.

Yes, all of this sounds like complaining, but I am just attempting to find a resolution for this issue. I want and love to cuddle with my pup. I just do not enjoy to see the remnants of his fur and paw prints so readily displayed for all to see. Let me just say that I have become amazing at using a lint roller (an item I never thought to use to clean my bedding before Smith) prior to guests coming over to my crib.

As I will be wrapping up my college career here at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in less than a month, and packing up my things and the pup for our next phase of life, I am on the hunt for a new duvet cover. I feel as though I have looked everywhere online, and nothing has instantly tugged at my heartstrings. I am interested in stepping out of my design comfort box, and want to step away from my love of the Shabby Chic style. However, I do not want to purchase something that in less than two years I will abhor looking at every time I enter into my room.

So, this is where you come in lovely Pursuits of Price readers! Do you have any suggestions of fabric, websites, stores, etc. where I could purchase or make a duvet cover that will disguise Smith's fur and paw prints more easily? Something that I will not have to cover up with the "safety blanket" every time the big brown pup wants to lay on the bed with me?

I would love to hear from you!

Following my pursuits,

Price

Pursuit sixty three: Earth Fare's Strawberry and Banana Smoothie (Price style)

A couple of weeks ago I had one of Earth Fare's fruit smoothies for the first time. Let me just tell you... it was divine! So, despite my inability to cook (or maybe it is just the lack of patience to cook for one individual) I decided that I wanted to attempt to make my own smoothies instead of going all the way to Earth Fare to pick up something that I am sure a five year old could whip up. While ordering my second Strawberry and Banana smoothie from the counter at Earth Fare, I secretly spotted the lady putting all of the ingredients into the blender, and knew at that moment that I could conquer the task of making a Strawberry and Banana smoothie.

The ingredients:

~Strawberries~

~Bananas~

~Earth Fare Organic Apple Juice (the secret ingredient shh)~

I noticed that the strawberries and bananas had been cut up and were frozen. So, after purchasing a container of strawberries and a couple of bananas, I went ahead and cut them up and placed them in the freezer over night. I would suggest leaving the strawberries and bananas in the freezer for at least one day to give you the ultimate Strawberry and Banana smoothie. 

On the first morning of making the smoothie for myself, I added roughly 8-10 cut up strawberry pieces, 10 banana pieces, and filled the blender with apple juice until it was about 1/3 the height of the strawberries and bananas who were chilling in the blender waiting to become a member of the final masterpiece. 

On my third day of making the Strawberry and Banana smoothie for breakfast, I discovered that using a chilled glass makes the smoothie ten times better! Also, I discovered that putting less apple juice in the blender gives the smoothie a thicker (not chunky) consistency, which I personally enjoy.

Ta-da! Gold star for me for actually being excited about making something in the kitchen! Now, if my other cooking (I suppose smoothie making is not really cooking) attempts were as successful as this, life would be so grand!

Following my pursuits,

Price

Special thanks to:

Earth Fare: http://www.earthfare.com/

Pursuit sixty two: C.S. Lewis

While meandering through the Internet last evening, I came upon a quote from C.S. Lewis and fell in like...

I felt the need to share with you all

"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."
-C.S. Lewis


Following my pursuits,


Price

Pursuit sixty one: Decorative lobster trap buoys

This past weekend, I saw a photograph of the above location featured in an article on CNN.com about Maine. I instantly fell in love with these lobster trap buoys, and had my creative juices flowing as to what I could do with such a unique item. After perusing the spectacular Google search engine for photographs of lobster trap buoys, I came up with the following images. From bold color combinations to softer shades of blue, I am hooked on making some of these bad boys a focal point on some wall in my next abode. I would not go all out with a nautical theme, as I am not really into themed rooms per say, but I would add a dash of "nautical flare" to a wall to spice it up with an item that I do not see to often down here in the good old South...

Following my pursuits,

Price

Special thanks to:

Sample the good life in Maine: http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/06/11/travel.snapshots.maine/index.html?hpt=tr_mid

Pursuit sixty: Serenity Prayer

Now I am not one for forcing religion down others throats, nor am I the perfect or consistent believer in a higher being, but last night while perusing for one of my favorite prayers... the Serenity Prayer, I came upon this great artistic rendition. 

Following my pursuits,

Price

Special thanks to: http://www.donnabellasangels.org/art/serenity/serenity-angel-english.html

Pursuit fifty nine: Triscuit Plant a Seed~Grow a Movement challenge

About a month ago I purchased a box of Triscuits only to realize that I had given myself a challenge. Apparently, the Nabisco Company who owns the Triscuit brand has a new campaign entitled: Plant a Seed ~ Grow a Movement. Although I am not a farmer, nor a gardener per say, I was up for the challenge. My box of Triscuits happened to contain seeds to grow basil. Below I have captured the progress of my own movement.

Step 1: Document the Challenger

 

Step 2: Fully analyze the challenger 

-Read directions

-Understand what I am actually planting

-Strategize a game plan to succeed in this challenge

-Wait about a month to fully let the challenge sink in         

Step 3: Time to get those seeds out of the square cardboard container

Step 4: Watch as the cardboard soaks in water

(Wondering if I will ever find those seeds within the cardboard)

Step 5: Found the seeds

-Destroyed cardboard 

-Got sticky fingers in the process

Step 6: Time to plant!

-Put some potting soil in my awesome blue pot

-Delicately place seeds within soil

-Gave the seeds some loving with water

Step 7: Wait to see what comes of this challenge...

(Hopefully my watering skills will make these baby seeds grow)

I will be on watch and water duty for the next couple of weeks to make sure these seeds succeed! I hope the sun does not impede their happiness and growth too bad... (my last potted plant--> See in first pic above, died after a good long run of a couple of months) If I am successful, I will definitely capture a winning photo of the basil and let you all see! 

Let the Plant a Seed ~ Grow a Movement begin!

Following my pursuits,

Price

Special thanks to:

The Nabisco Company: Triscuit: http://www.homefarming.com/

Pursuit fifty eight: Summer Read numero uno

After hearing Tina Fey's Bossypants book title being brought up on more than one occasion recently, I decided to go out and find what all of the hoopla was about for myself. In less than a week I had this book read from front to back, and I must say it was quite the read! 

While reading the "praises" on the back of the book after my purchase I knew that I was in store for a good time! Below are a few of the more comical praises under the Advance Praise for Bossypants...

"I hope that's not really the cover. That's really going to hurt sales." -Don Fey, Father of Tina Fey

"Totally worth it." -Trees

"Do not print this glowing recommendation of Tina Fey's book until I've been dead a hundred years." 

-Mark Twain

"Hilarious and insightful. Laugh-out-loud funny- oh no, a full moon. No! Arrgh! Get away from me! Save yourself!" -A guy turning into a werewolf

Now I know some of the above quotes are not everyone's cup of tea, but to me, dry humor always gets me (for the most part). To say that I laughed-out-loud by myself on more than one occasion while reading this book is an understatement. I love when people can be humorous by just being themselves (not laughing at them... but with them of course), and Tina Fey does this with Bossypants. Although there are many good laughs throughout this book, Fey also makes some insightful and thought provoking points. So, if you are looking for a good laugh and a fun summer read, I would highly recommend this book!

Now on to my next summer read... lets just say it involves dogs and trying to understand them and their point of view of the world around them... but more on that later.

Following my pursuits,

Price

Special thanks to:

Tina Fey's Bossypants

Pursuit fifty seven: Bolga Baskets

As of late, every time I go into Earth Fare (grocery store here in Knoxville) I keep eyeing the Bolga Baskets that they have for sale. My mom has one that she uses to hold magazines beside her bed. I have been dreaming up using one as a market bag (getting rid of some of my dingy reusable bags), a pool bag, or trying to find one with a longer strap so that I could use it as a purse somehow. I love the bold colors and unique design patterns on each basket. They come in different shapes and sizes, so there would be a multitude of uses for these baskets.

So, what do you think of Bolga Baskets, and how would you use one?

Following my pursuits,

Price

Special thanks to:

My Bolga Baskets: http://www.mybolgabaskets.com/main.sc

Greater Goods Online: http://www.greatergoodsonline.com/home/ggo/page_261_23/we_moon_2011_daily_calendar.html

Green Lifestyle: http://www.greenlifestyle.biz/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=bolgatanga+basket&x=0&y=0

Baba Tree Basket Company: http://www.babatree.com/index.html

Earth Fare: http://www.earthfare.com/

Pursuit fifty six: Inspirit

Today's Inspirit post features posters for Market Square's Farmers Market that is held from May to November every Wednesday and Saturday in Market Square. I would love to order these prints and frame them for one of my walls! Each print is handmade in Tennessee with salvaged equipment, recycled paper, re-purposed inks, original imagery, and antique typography.

 

Following my pursuits,

Price

Special thanks to:

Knoxville's Market Square District: http://knoxvillemarketsquare.com/

Yee-haw Industrial Letterpress shop on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YeeHaw?section_id=5533415&ga_search_query=Market%2BSquare%2BFarmer%2527s%2BMarket%2BPoster&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5210765&order=date_desc&page=2#

Pursuit fifty five: Learning From the Pursuit of Another ~ Robin Gerber

Annie & Robin

Hello all!

 Annie Griffin Collection has grown tremendously over the past couple seasons and I could not be more excited to see where the company will go next! I graduated from the University of Georgia in May 2010 and moved straight to the big city to become partners with my sister, Annie Griffin, in her pursuit of conquering the fashion industry.  We have been extremely successful thus far and are now in over 70 stores across the country!  

My sister’s designs are elegant, sophisticated, and fun and being the head of marketing has given me the opportunity to show off how truly talented she is!  We’ve discovered that the combination of my outgoing, energetic personality and her creative energy create a perfect synergy for the workplace.  My work ethic and extroverted persona is, it turns out perfectly matched to her inspired vision of the industry and the world in which we work.  

We are about to head south to Atlanta for Market June 9^th through the 12^th and have been setting up appointments the past few days for that trip.  Our goal is to be in over 100 stores by the end of the year and I cannot wait to hit that pivotal checkpoint in mine and my sister’s career.  I can truly say that I love what I do and wouldn’t have it any other way! Be sure to check out our blog (http://annieandrobin.tumblr.com/), website (http://anniegriffincollection.com/), or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Annie-Griffin-Collection/101811469861252?sk=info).

With love,

Robin