Fashion

• When I do get a “day-job” I’ll want to pack my lunch to save money (and be healthy!), so this great article gives some great tips on making the brown bag lunch more appealing and this article gives some more ideas on how to jazz up a sandwich.
• Apron Thrift Girl shared some great trips on menu planning. I think I cooked a total of 9 times last year, I mostly just ate cereal, mac & cheese and food from the restaurant I work at. So, this year one of my goals is to cook more!
• Oh yum, italian meatball soup by The Pioneers Woman. She makes it look easy enough for me to make, and since I’m going back to an Indiana winter in a few weeks it looks like something I’ll want to make!

• I’m totally in love with the mini-dessert jewelry that Super Kawaii Mama blogged about here. You can find tons of it on Etsy and when I get back to the states I think I’m going to have a order a pendant, I love this one, and this one, and this one!!!
• Happy Birthday, Academichic!!

• The Freelance Switcher hourly rate calculator is awesome! It takes into account all your business expenses, personal expenses, how much you can work, etc… and gives you an ideal hourly rate and a break-even rate. I’m definitely going to keep this in mind as I hope to start freelancing when I get home. Freelance Switch looks like a great resource, I just haven’t had time to explore it yet.
• Help make budgeting more real, visualize how long the things you own actually OWN YOU! Divide out how much you make per day (post-taxes) and then figure out how many days you work each month to pay for rent/mortgage, car, phone, food, etc…
• My cousin Lizzie finished her cash envelopes. I really like them!

• The Pioneer Woman shared these awesome prints that were given to her, they are so fabulous! I would love to get some of these eventually. The artist is Patricia Leeper.
• The office makeover at Nuestra Vida Dulce continues with DIY chevron pattern drapes, very nice!

• Buy a starter pistol for $16-20, throw it in your suitcase with your valuable photography equipment, laptop, etc… when you fly and the TSA will personally protect it! What a great idea for photographers!

• Mmmm, I’m South America right now, the land that is flowing with dulce de leche, and Ree of The Pioneer Woman just happens to post her recipe for dulce de leche coffee!

• Casey linked to this fabulous blog called The Sew Weekly where Mena blogs about her goal to sew an entire wardrobe by the end of 2010.

P.S. I’m looking for some good DIY blogs to read. Suggestions? I like sewing, and making jewelry, and… lots more.

• My dear friend Amber shared the video that YouTube wants to start paying her for, and wrote a lovely Year In Review.
• My mom posted every day!
• My cousin Karen ran 451 miles in 2009!

• Indiana Adams over at Adored Austin has launched The Year of The Man Makeover! She gets to choose her husbands clothes for the year. So far he hates the vests and anything remotely unisex, but he looks good!
• Jen of Jen Loves Kev has done Q&A’s all week, on her and Kev, Work, and Fashion/Beauty.
• Jessica of What I Wore and her fiancé launched the coolest website! It’s called Vintage Where? and is a directory of thrift stores. So, please check it out and submit your favorite thrift stores, share with the rest of us!! I already submitted 5 in Indiana and Michigan!

• The best times to buy anything, all year round. From cameras (January) to home theater equipment (December).
• My cousin Lizzie linked to a blog that talked about budgeting with cash envelopes (something I’m considering) and an easy template to make your own cute cash envelopes.

• Very cute office makeover evolution, definitely ideas in there that I want to steal!

• Michael Metts (close friend for 19 years!) launched his new blog.

• A phone powered by Coke! Coolest thing ever.