5 On Friday (8.2.13)

It's Friday! It's August! It's my mom's birthday! Clearly, there's a lot to celebrate. :)

/ My Mama! /
She is a super hero. No, really. She's beautiful, kind, hilariously enthusiastic (especially when it comes to unexpected wildlife while driving), quirky, joyful, unwaveringly supportive, giving, vivacious, and she always knows what I'm thinking. Happy Birthday, Mama. You deserve all the pumpkin pie and daughter hugs in the world. I love you so much!

(That's Mom on the left. Isn't she cute? S'cute!)

/ Thrifting My Face Off /

I have been going thrift store crazy this week. Found some delectable cardigans (to be showcased later this week), a cute shelf, and some whimsical vases for a secret project I'm working on and can't wait to unveil! I even gave our bathroom a sweet little tidy-up. These bowls were 25 cents each. Why does anyone ever go to Pier 1 EVER these days when you can score awesome deals like this? :)

/ House Blend Cafe /

In the midst of my thrifty antics, I stumbled upon a happy accident of a café: the House Blend Cafe in Ocoee, FL. It's quite far from our neck of the woods but I'd be happy to make the trek again and bring the hubs along for an afternoon bite. I ordered their Egg White Spanish Frittata (sans onions) and it was just lovely! I'd like to head back to try the Curry Stew over Rice, their New Orleans Red Beans And Rice, and their Mexican Salad Mondays! To top it off, 100% of their net profit goes to the community. Their slogan is "Eat Good. Do good." Who doesn't love that? Any locals ever been to this little gem?

/ Krystal Burger /

Timothy and I raaaarely eat fast food these days. If we do, the furthest we will go to "fast food" is often a sub shop. However, when I drove past a sweet little Krystal burger joint yesterday, I just had to make a U-turn and surprise my husband with a bag o' burgers after work. To be quite frank, I'm not a big burger person. I enjoy them but hate the inevitable guilt that, without doubt, ensues every time I take that last bite. There's something so alluring about the miniature state in which these burger find themselves. They're like the Honey I Shrunk The Kids of burgers. I've never had a White Castle burger so, WC loyalists will have to let me know if I'm missing out on something better or if both of these burger joints are merely twins with different names.

/ Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes /

I forgot about this little tune by Kristin Andreassen. Before "Cups," there was this. Get some. Best Listening Conditions: Barefoot while driving with the windows down on a sunny day. You're welcome.

Linking Up With:

5 On Friday | High Five For Friday | Back That Azz Up

Keeping America Cute!

Well, glory be! It's birthday week! Amurrica always be crampin' my style this time of year. I'm all, "Oh hey everybody! My birthday is July 6th!" And Amurrica be all, "Oh yeah? Well, it's my birthday TODAY and I have WAY more friends and years on you. Do you get fireworks on your birthday? Nooooo. Do you get cookouts across the nation in celebration of your glory? Nope. Do people throw parades on your behalf and sing festive songs in your name? Nada. I win."

That's okay, America. How can I stay mad at you when there's THIS GUY?

Note: This is not my cat. I only terrorize our cats with costume torture during Halloween and Christmas. Also, yesterday. 

In other news, my ongoing quest for the perfect, tiny apartment continues. This week? A simple knob improvement. The unsightly old school doors to our laundry room sported an even more unsightly knob. Clearly untouched since 1985, these grungy old things were tarnished and splotched with careless paint stains. So, we grabbed these modern, sleek square knobs at Lowes.

The Damage: $2.97 per knob

Total Time To Replace Knobs: About five minutes. Boom.

Mini Bathroom Makeover

When my husband and I moved into our new apartment in January of this year, we were thrilled to be in an affordable home but knew that the small one bedroom apartment would require some downsizing. Ever since, I have made it my personal goal to organize our belongings through creative shelving and bins without breaking the bank or cramping our style.

I stopped by Good Will today and stumbled upon a cute little shelf for three bucks that I immediately knew would help out with bathroom counter space. I grabbed a 99-cent ceramic bowl to keep our soap and toothbrushes lookin' classy and- voila! A baby makeover for our tiny bathroom. Never underestimate the power of a thrift store outing. :)