Vegas Wand Chalk Markers Review & Giveaway

Need a little bit of excitement on this Wednesday?  Will some neon colors help? 

Add a little bit of creativity and BAM!

I was sent some chalk markers to try out, and being the worst doodler in the world, I came up with this:

Our back door is all glass and needed a pop of color!  To get started, you shake the markers and depress the tip until color starts to come out.  This took about thirty seconds each.  The tip of the markers can be switched around, depending on what you're using them for.  You can choose a round tip or a chisel tip - I went with the chisel.  I've never seen this option in a marker, so neat!

One of the coolest things about this package of chalk markers is that you can use it on so many different surfaces.  Remember when you surprised your friend by celebrating their 18th birthday and writing on their car windows?  And then their parents got angry because it NEVER WASHED OFF?!  You won't have to worry about that with these.  As long as you're writing on a non-porous surface, cleanup will be quick and easy!  Check out this fifteen second cleanup:

I want to steal their list from Amazon so you can see everything you can write on:  Glass, Mirrors, Plastics, Metals, Non-porous Blackboard and Chalkboard, Varnished Wood, Chalkboard Contact Paper, Appliances, Whiteboards, Counter-tops, Stainless Steel, Glazed Ceramic Tile. 

Think of all the possibilities!!  You can use these in your kitchen, garage, parties, gifts...the list goes on.  So now here's your chance -- get to decorating!  Enter our giveaway below!

Although I was provided this product for free, all opinions are my own.

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Five on Friday {Volume 3}

Happy Friday Peeps!

  Like my Facebook page - Being Mrs. Olson Blog. 
We will be doing a fun giveaway when we reach 250 likes!

This has been quite the week.  Fun things and bad attitudes make for quite the mix of emotions.  I have been in such a strange, anxious mood for the past three days.  It's really taking a toll and I'm planning on sleeping until forever tomorrow.  But for now, I will focus on the fun things this week!

ONE:

On Tuesday, the 17th, while all of you were wearing green and celebrating St. Paddy - Mike and I were celebrating SEVEN YEARS of being together.  This is our dating anniversary, but I still like to celebrate.  We finally checked a catfish parlor off our list of things to eat in Austin.  Lots of fried things...  It was worth it! 

It's quite amazing to think we've been serious since I was 18 years old.  I know I keep mentioning that, but being college sweethearts has made us so much more in tune.  I didn't know what I wanted to be, but I did know who I wanted to be with.  Mike deserves a medal for his patience, a backrub for all of the hard work he does, and a vacation.  He provides so much for me and our "family" that I will be forever grateful! 

Check out my Instagram for a seven year old throwback!

TWO: 

It's SXSW here in Austin.  That's South By Southwest for those of you who are hermits :)  Kidding.  It is a huge conference and festival that takes over the whole city.  People are playing shows at 7 in the morning and you can wait in lines for 7 hours.  Being a local during all the madness is a love/hate situation.  Mike and I keep it a bit low key, but were able to see Shinyribs and Spoon so far.  We are hoping to see the Rhymesayers showcase and Ryan Bingham tonight.  I was also able to get some Kendra Scott swag last week.  And by swag, I mean free jewelry and a wristlet totaling almost $200!

Shinyribs

Kendra Scott Earrings

Spoon

THREE:

A week from today, two of my crazy cousins are rolling in to ATX.  Not too long ago, one of my cousins called out of the blue to ask to come visit.  I had another cousin who had Austin on her radar and in a matter of days, they both booked flights to come out and visit!  Needless to say,  next Friday I might not be posting.  I have a surprise outing planned for Friday so I hope it works out!  We are going to have an awesome time making memories in Austin!  Aria just texted me to tell me it's snowing on the east coast...let's hope this 80 degree weather sticks around. 

My cousin Laura and her K9 Freddie

FOUR:

I finally got my permanent crown put on one of my molars.  WHY is this exciting?!  Because I have had QUITE the long haul with this tooth since the beginning of December.  Nothing too serious, but a matter of miscommunication between my dentist, the endodontist, and myself.  It all started with cold sensitivity, a threat of extraction, and ended with a root canal AND a crown.  It took about three months, about half of that in pain, and a lot of frustration.  I've never been so happy to leave a dentist office.  And I dislike the dentist. 

FIVE:

I cannot wait to live in the country.  We currently rent a house in a pretty nice development in way south Austin.  BUT, our neighbors have two idiot dogs that they let bark at 11 PM, and 3 AM, and 6 AM.  You get the gist.  It drives me absolutely insane.  Plus, we can hear other dogs barking all over the neighborhood.  I don't have a dog...I don't want to hear barking.  We also have to deal with people driving four-wheelers and dirt bikes on the land behind our house on Saturdays.  And a few days a week we get to listen to blasting bass coming from the roller rink.  Mind you, this is all with the windows closed.  It is immensely frustrating and I cannot wait to be out of town and listen to the wind and riding lawnmowers. 

There you have it, my excitement for the week!  See you in April...BIRTHDAY MONTH!

Linking up with:

Friday Favorites at Momfessionals

Oh, Hey Friday at September F A R M

High Five for Friday at Bright on a Budget

Friday Favorites at The Diary of a Real Housewife

Five on Friday at Hello! Happiness/A.Liz Adventures/Carolina Charm/The Good Life Blog

Friday Favorites at Life in Leggings

Friday Favorites at Meet @ the Barre

10 Things {You Might Not Know}

A little "get to know me" inspired by Franish. 

I'll try to make this a mix of fun facts and get to know me for people who might just be joining the blog!

1)  Growing up, my grandparents lived 5 miles in either direction from me.  I got to spend LOTS of time with my grandmas cooking, cleaning, and listening to old time music.  One memory that just came to mind is trying zucchini bread for the first time.  I treasure those memories and great times with my grandmothers - not many people get to be that close!

2)  I used to eat dirt.  From the ground.  By the handful.  I grew up in the country and we played outside all the time. Whenever my mom would come to bring me inside, I would have mud smeared all over.  She ended up having to call the doctor about it because I was eating so much dirt.  He told her I was lacking some nutrient that I thought I was getting from the dirt.  Way to go, Mom.

3)  I went to college to teach music.  I played drums.  I was very close to and inspired by my music directors in high school and had several music classes my senior year.  After a semester of college classes, with choir, percussion, drum lessons, and piano lessons to boot - it was too much for me.  It made me start to despise my passion and so I turned to Social Work. 

4)  I have lived in Olso, Norway.  I studied abroad my senior year of college.  Going overseas at that point in your college career isn't very common (especially since I had a full time internship my very last semester - so I wasn't on campus my senior year).  I horribly regretted my decision for about two weeks, and then made some awesome friends and amazing memories.  Norway is really expensive, so I didn't get to do a lot of the things I wanted to do, but I lost weight because I was practically rationing food, hah!

5)  I always finish books.  My mom does this and unfortunately I got the curse.  Even if I dislike a book and have to struggle though it for WEEKS, I will finish the book.  I do have two currently that I had to put away because it was pure torture, but they have bookmarks in them and I WILL finish them some day. 

6)  I like doing laundry.  Given it's only Mike and I right now, and I'm sure I'll learn to hate it once there's more of us, but for now - I like it.  I love to see things finished.  When everything is hung, folded, and clean, it makes me happy!  Plus, I love sorting it out, the good smells, and the warmth of the dryer.  Domestic Goddess? 

7)  I have a rabbit!  Now, most of you know this - but new readers may not have seen how adorable she is!  We are coming up on five years of her being ours, but we don't know how old she is.  I got her "for my birthday" from a friend who was moving and could not keep her.  Although she is a pain sometimes, she is the softest, cutest, and funniest pet ever!

8)  I'm not a big fan of water.  This includes rain.  I can swim, but never finished my whole run of lessons when I was young.  I think I stopped at level 6.  I can't dive.  I've never tubed or water-skied.  I don't like "laying out".  I think it has to do with my curly hair and it always looking like a wretched disaster after being wet.  So I just try to avoid it all together.  Although, I did like Commons Ford Ranch - which involved standing in the water while drinking.

9)  I love sweets.  I will indulge in everything from pie to cookies to candy.  I prefer chocolate anything.  It's hard for me to turn down a cupcake, even though they're not my favorite.  I love Christmas time because I can indulge with only half the guilt.  I will make special trips just to get sweets.  In fact, on the way home yesterday, even with the already insane SXSW traffic, I stopped at a crepe food truck to get some.  YUM!

And Now...

10)  The BIG NEWS!  I am going to become an AUNT.  FOUR TIMES!  In the next year :)  My oldest brother got engaged a few days before Christmas and his lovely lady has two daughters who I adore.  AND, my other brother and his wife are expecting...TWINS at the end of April.  I cannot WAIT to have these extra family members to share the love with. 

Linking Here, Too!

Here.

And Here.


 

Five on Friday {Volume 2}

Good Morning Friday Lovers!  I have been on a roll here this week, and I'm back again with round two of my Five on Friday roundup.  Before we get there...don't forget to:  Go like my Facebook page - Being Mrs. Olson Blog.  We will be doing a fun giveaway when we reach 250 likes!

Commence.

 

ONE:

I have been really good about getting to work extra early this week.  Not only do I get to leave around 4 in the afternoon, I have had time to grab coffee (from outside the office) the last two mornings!  Yesterday was a major fail of going to a new shop that wasn't open.  There was a non-existent "ice storm" and the city was running quiet at 7 in the morning.  So I drove through McD's and got a caramel mocha.  Delightful, I must say.  TODAY, I stopped by Strange Brew.   I wasn't impressed by their drip last time I visited, so I tried their signature Strange Brew drink - two shots, half & half, and raw sugar.  IT.IS.DELICIOUS. 

TWO:

The sun is shining!  I've been waiting for WEEKS to see it.  Sorry to talk about the weather again, but seriously, this bitter cold and wind has got to stop.  And with Daylight Saving Time coming this weekend (don't forget!), I want my longer days to be bright and enjoyable.  Please and thank you. 

THREE:

Last night, we got to go do dinner with my aunt and uncle visiting from the East Coast.  My uncle did his PHD in Austin at UT and they were returning to see the city and catch up with some colleagues.  They treated us to a fantastic Italian dinner at Due Forni.  I would highly recommend this restaurant and cannot wait to go back.  Indulge yourself with the feature cannoli.  Ours was cookies & cream.  DELECTABLE!  Thank you, Ben & Sara for a fun evening out!  You kept me out way past my bedtime!

FOUR: 

My parents are the opposite of empty nesters.  Twice this week, my mom hardly wanted to talk on the phone with me!  One time, she hung up to take another call, and another time when I called, she asked why I was calling.  To catch up, Mother!  Geez, can't I just call!  {I know she reads this, so I'm just teasing.}  But I love that they are involved, out and about, and constantly keeping up with what's going on around them. 

FIVE:

Shout out to my husband.  He is just amazing and it has really been on my mind lately about how lucky I am. This has nothing to do with the scene I got to watch last night - him trying on his first pair of skinny jeans {it didn't go well, but it was hilarious!}.  Even after my dad warned him as he was asking for my hand that "she can be kind of a B" - he still decided he wanted to go on life's ride with me.  He is intelligent, insightful, a guiding hand, encouraging, spontaneous, quirky, loving, trustworthy, I could go on...  But most importantly, he is 100% on my side through everything.  Make sure you find a partner that will always be there!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!  Blog changes coming soon, so stick around and we'll see you next week!

Review of: Mood Indigo {The Movie}

Have you ever heard of French novelist Boris Vian's cult novel, Mood Indigo?  I have not read the book, but I do remember seeing movie posters for the film adaptation by Michel Gondry last year {2014}.  The beautiful colors and love story made me remember it when we came across it on Netflix last weekend. 



Image from Google

The weather here has been wretched, so we snuggled up in bed (because the main floor of our house is FREEZING - never get slate floors) to watch this quick 90 minute flick.  Set in Paris, with French subtitles, you're in for a unique treat. 

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to.  In the first 15 minutes of the film, your mind is whirling around trying to process everything that is going on.  Everything is moving {literally}, you can't figure out the relationships, and the story is quite bizarre to begin with. 

I'm telling you, stick with it.  This movie is SO UNIQUE.  The actors are actually pretty great, and the movie itself keeps you interested by having a style I've never seen before.  I don't even know how to describe it.  You will be quite mind-blown.  It is Wes Anderson-like, but with more of a beaming story - with some animation, and almost Claymation looking parts.  The relationship is adorable to follow, and the whole setting/home/story is fascinating. 



This is an actual scene from the movie.  It gives you an idea of how funky it is.

Taken from Amazon:  "The story is simple: Boy meets girl; boy marries girl; girl falls ill on their honeymoon with a water lily on the lung, which can only be treated by being surrounded by flowers; boy goes broke desperately trying to keep his true love alive."



Image from Google

Sounds so normal, right?  Did you catch the "water lily on the lung" part?  See?  Now you have to watch it.  It's three feet long! 

I would definitely recommend checking out this movie.  Like I said, it's like no movie I've even seen before and worth the 90 minutes to try something new.  Just make sure you're in the mood to read subtitles! 

Start Your Own "Spark File" {Thought Storage}

My morning commute is only 10 miles, and it takes 40 minutes.  It's pretty maddening.  But now Mike works from home, and I get to drive the CR-V which has Bluetooth audio.  And so I've come to enjoy podcasts...

My favorite is RadioLab, but I like it so much that I'm now listening to episodes from 2011!  So I had to find something else to listen to and have gone back to Stuff to Blow Your Mind.  I definitely am not as in to it, but it's giving me something else to listen to. 

This morning I was listening to Steven Johnson:  How We Got to Now.  It talks about innovations and how we got things in our "modern world".  I wasn't too taken in by it, but the one thing that stuck out was when he talked about his SPARK FILE. 

This is a document that he has been working in for almost ten years.  Whenever he gets an idea or has an interesting thought, he writes it down in the document.  It's not organized, and is now over 70,000 words, which is longer than his longest book.  But WHY?

He is a believer in the idea that great ideas often come from hunches.  A great idea generally doesn't present itself in full form.  Sometimes you need to come back to something to fully develop it.  Or two ideas can make a connection, and then you're off and running.  This is why he is constantly writing down ideas. 

He said that he comes back to it about every few months and reads the whole thing.  That is where some ideas blend together, become more prominent, or just stay dormant.  His Spark File has lots ideas for books, articles, speaking ideas, etc.  He says that "The key is to capture as many hunches as possible".  You can read more about it here.

I think this is a great idea for anyone to use!  I'm going to start writing down blog post ideas, small business ideas, clever names for blogs/businesses/people, tips that come up at work, vacation ideas, etc.  Even though I don't see myself as an entrepreneur or a business owner, it will be great to read through my Spark File and see if anything new blossoms!  You never know what may come about when you're reading your own creative thoughts. 

Think of it as a dream journal for your conscious hours. 

It might also be cool to read back your file from years ago and see how your mind was brewing up ideas.  Some thoughts just become unimportant because you are focusing on other things at the time.  You never know when the timing might be right and then you're ready to pursue one of your ideas that you wrote down eight months ago! 

ANYONE can do this!  Start a Word document, an Evernote, a physical journal, or whatever you can keep close.  Write down your budding ideas.  Re-read it every few months or every six months.  Take the time to breathe it in and appreciate the corners of your mind that may have ended up on the pages. 

This is something simple that everyone can do.  Use it to better yourself and enjoy it!  I can't wait to get mine started.  Let me know what you think!