10 Ways to Love an Engineer

Trust me, I'm an engineer's girlfriend...
Not every man is an engineer, but all engineers seem to possess the stereotypical "male" qualities; strength, rationality, pragmatism, determination, diplomacy... and this Gen. Y era of engineers is also infused with the sensitivity, joy, and creativity that our grandfathers may not have been so lucky to inherit.
Both of my grandfathers, literally all of my uncles, and one of my grandmothers were engineers, so, needless to say I think I was destined to be with one. And as a musician, I was unbelievably lucky to find the whole package; an engineer/guitarist!
Me and Aaron have been together for almost two years now, and he is the reason for my blog title, Hollywood to Ohio- aka the reason I moved from California where I was born and raised to the season-bearing flatlands of Northwest Ohio- and he's every speck worth it.
I believe this combination - our engineers with spunk, passion, emotional intelligence, and all the love to give and share. So here's my advice on how to best love your engineer husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/wife/whatever...

1. Harness & Blossom Your Creativity

...for bonding purposes and both of your sanity- keep thinking of cool things to do. All of your wildest dreams for home-decorating, furniture-building, painting, composting, vacation-taking, music-making... your engineer NEEDS these ideas! He likely fell in love with you for your ability to see possibilities, and although it may seem sometimes like all of his questioning and skepticism is trying to tone down your wacky/bonkers living room decor fantasies... he's actually just trying to picture it so he can make it, perfect, for you :-*
So keep dreaming! And draw plans, do research, and be prepared to make the case for your project- it's awesome practice in convincing someone to your way- the hardest crowd who loves you is the best practicing ground for making your dreams come true, and your engineer feel so0o0o0oo loved.

2. Give Him Treats

My engineers obsessed with sour thangs. I realize as I'm writing this... "There are so many sour treats I could get for Schlubby!" (yes, Schlubby is his nickname)- ANYWAY

This goes for most people, not just engineers, but I've found that treats, surprises, extra thoughtful gestures are super appreciated and reassure your darling that they're always on your mind, which is very important, since engineers really do thrive on unsolicited love. It fills up their bank so when you freak out when a girl even looks at them, they think "agh, but she bought me Warheads..." and everything is fine again.

3. Compliment Everything You Like- Excessively

Who doesn't like compliments? What psychologist doesn't condone gratitude and appreciation for happy, healthy relationships? BOOM! Welcome to #3- perhaps one of the holistic pieces of advice on how to love your engineer best. We could all use more love and humility, and learning to passionately embrace your engineer's excellence and sincerely share your adoration is important. 

Whether he makes dinner for you, cleans up the garage, does the dishes, or brushes his teeth before kissing you in the morning- the more gratitude you can sincerely utter, the happier you both will be in the future. Sometimes it's okay even to try hard, look and see what his intentions were, and push yourself to the ultimate limits of love and appreciation, and support your engineer. 

I literally "WOOT WOOT!" and hoot and holler and scream "yeah, yeah!" when my boyfriend does something thoughtful, nice, or that he doesn't want to do. He LOVES it. He begins smiling, shaking his hips, and hooting back. I don't care how silly it sounds, it's like laughing when you're sad- you eventually end up laughing with yourself at the magical power of your will to make something amazing just by wanting it to be. 

So compliment, be enthusiastic, and push yourself to the brink of your positive emotions when they're possible, sincere, and deserved. This piece of advice will really, truly, make you and your engineer's lives more magical and enjoyable together.

How to Turn Dollar Store Picture Frames Into Art for Your Living Room

Whether I'm sorting through the hundreds of picture frames at my local thrift stores or trying to figure out how to fashion one from tape, I can never seem to have enough picture frames.





This was especially a problem after I found these old Life Magazine Nature books with the most incredible, technicolor photos that I could rip out and have to decorate my home.

But I had about one hundred options, and like, 25 possible photos I couldn't decide on. So I decided to run to Dollar Tree, where the frames (and everything else) are cheap and the possibilities are endless. I ended up finding these document display frames, $1 each of course, and stopped by a craft store to buy some little tubes of acrylic paint to fix 'em up with.
I'm revamping my coffee table this week so I got colors that would help bring out the new colors for that (we're doing a chalkboard top and seafoam-y green legs).

So!
You'll need;
-paint colors of your choice (I used the mini acrylic paints you can get at any craft store and a Valspar interior paint, above)
-frames (any frame will work)
-tarp, newspaper, or some surface you don't mind getting some paint on
-latex gloves (if you think getting paint on you is a crime)
-paint brush/sponge (I used 2 inch sponge-brushes since I wanted to do a striped look)




1. Choose your art. This can be important so you can kind of plan your frames and pictures. Frames should complement the picture as much as possible. I picked photos that tie in colors from my living room and the new furniture colors.

2. Remove the backing and glass (or plastic) from inside the frame so you're just left with the bare frame to paint

3. Dip your brush and begin to paint. I did quasi-stripe patterns, each frame focusing more on a different color.

3. Add layers of color!

4. Let dry while play with your cat and Boggle with your boyfriend...

5. Et Voila! Revel in your creative genius and let the frames sit around for a few days before you get the energy to hang them up. 

*bad lighting

6 Ways to be the Best Girlfriend Ever When Your Boyfriend has a Cold or Flu

If you're like me, when your partner is sick, anything you can do to help is like a flashlight in the dark; seeing them suffer is unbearable! So, this past week while my boyfriend has been sick, I've been looking high and low for new, dignified ways to make him feel like a king while his nose and throat suffer.
Take a look at these ideas and let me know if you have any other ideas on how to make your lovey feel lovely while they're sicky.


1. Tea! Specifically, peppermint & green tea...

Doesn't that just ooze health?

We've all heard the benefits of green tea touted for long enough that it should be a given, but the numbing effects of menthol (found in peppermint) will help open up all of the swollen parts making your sweetie suffer. Plus it smells good, tastes good, and is an easy sell on a picky pallet.

Plus, if your beau is skeptical of everything like mine, there are plenty of studies, websites, and articles to help you make your case for drinking this natural elixir, just Google and voila; http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/14/peppermint-health-benefits.aspx

2. Kiss him anyway 

don't ya wanna?

(Do I need to acknowledge I'm no doctor?)
This may only be true for the live-in couples, but you're going to get sick anyway, right? Plus, I can't bear to go without kisses for a day, let alone the 3-5 it usually takes to get over a cold. So while your boyfriend's spirits are down and his body is aching, be sure to keep the love alive and share kisses whenever it suits you both.

If he's blowing his nose, make him nice clean washcloths to put on his forehead every once in a while and give some freshness to his stuffy nose and face (that's probably been getting dry from all that blowing anyway).
So... smooch it up (within reason)! My boyfriend has appreciated this so much, I'm sure yours will, too.
*Keep the Purell nearby.

Which leads me to this next suggestion...

Pecksniff's Lavender Argan Oil Spray

3. Treat him to your yummy, lavender-scented washcloths & body/room sprays
I know you have some tasty, herb-y-scented spritzes & body scrubs somewhere!

My boyfriend is a manly man, let me reassure you... He's an engineer, a fabulous guitarist, an incredible ping-pong player, marathon-runner, beard-haver, etc... but lately he's been letting me spritz this fabulous spray on his neck and our pillows. Especially when our noses are clogged up, any herbal scents tend to help open up our passages, ease stress, reassure minds, and cool nerves. He and I just looooove this spray and you can probably find it cheapest at your local TJMaxx (I <3 TJMaxx) and will really benefit from it in general.

Use it as perfume, pillow fluffers, and a cold-easer. Men and women alike will love it!


4. Take care of his meals

"whatever you want, schnookums"

We ordered Indian Food takeout the first night he was sick. I picked up breakfast griddlers and sandwiches the next morning, and made pretty much whatever he wanted ever since. Of course, I can't cook every meal, but am happy to go and pick up stuff when it sounds really good to both of us.
Yesterday we ran to the store to pick up his antibiotic prescription and picked up stuff for ham and cheese sandwiches and free-range chicken noodle soup. (I'm vegetarian and he usually abides by that, too, but he was craving good ol' grilled ham & cheese sammies- so I obliged).

He sat on the couch, I whipped up these crispy gooey cheesy delights (vegan ones for me) and as I brought them out to him, his eyes lit up, he cooed and ooh'd and thanked me profusely. I surprised him with a second one as he got to his last bite, which really blew him away.

How great is it to make someone so happy so easily? Find out what food they're craving and GIVE it to them! Even if you can't cook, you'll find a way, and you'll be so glad you did!

5. Let him play video games without you

*'nade 'nade, sword sword, BXR, newb, pwn, etc."

Okay, I can't be the only one who likes to play video games with my boyfriend... Specifically, Halo 2. We've been playing it, trying to still maintain healthy adult lives that don't entirely revolve around, at the end of the day, some pwning. 

But you can play online with friends, and he has 2 buddies from high school who live hundreds of miles away who we like to play with. Well, they put up with me playing with them usually, but since he's been sick, I've let them play without me- which is pretty noble, I think.

Now, this is more about the principle, not specific to Halo. Does your "bae" have something he also likes to do alone, or could you suggest he spends more time on something he really likes to do but sacrifices to spend time with you? 

This has been particularly important for my boyfriend while he's not feeling well. It might be a little tricky to think of something, but I bet ultimately you'll be able to find something super sweet to see him spend some extra time on.

6. Stay Strong

He deserves it & You deserve someone who deserves it.

Ultimately, you'll know what your boyfriend-or whoever- needs to feel good while they're not feeling well. It's important to take care of yourself, too. On the 3rd day of my boyfriend not feeling well, after I'd made breakfast, tried to play Halo with him and his friends, cleaned up the kitchen, and looked around for my own thing to do, I got down and upset. 

It's tiring to take care of someone who can't do anything for themselves, so remember to take it easy and keep an eye on yourself first, your own well-being. Being able to stay positive and remember why you're giving your everything to someone else is important, and will be crucial to being the rock for your lovey that they deserve. It feels amazing to give- so embrace it, and give back to yourself!

It pays off...

See? 

My boyfriend ordered me this beautiful, spring-y, grateful bouquet yesterday morning. (catg not included)

Can you believe how sweet?!

Follow these steps (and drop a few hints if necessary) and you'll be on track to having your healthy, happy, and wonderful boyfriend back in no time!

Hope he feels better soon!

and let me know what you thought of my 5 Steps below.

Thanks,

Miss Lavender

5 Recent Room Decor Inspiration & Stage Ideas

Okay, maybe more than 5....
I was looking for some things to do while my boyfriend was out of town and decided to look into some ideas for our stage decorations when we perform.

1. This is awesome and looks like it'd be possible to carry around, up stairs, and over my should as I cart my guitar and amp to shows! Simple to make, too. I bet it'd take me... 3 hours. Perfect Saturday activity. 

For shows, though, I'd have to look into being able to hang them over windows or from my mic stand so I don't have to put holes in ceilings where I play! What a cool decoration for rooms, stages, or bathrooms.

I've also seen this done with CDs, which would be great as a window treatment. 

2. I got distracted by this beautiful wall-decor idea. My living room needs some sprucing up.... why not look into faux plants and frames? 

This can also be done as backdrops for bookshelves, which is amazing. 

What a gorgeous idea, especially for places that don't have flowers or grass (or leaves) for most of the year. In Los Angeles the weather is nonstop gorgeous, resulting in nonstop natural blooms, greenery, and earthy wonder. Here in Ohio- not so much. I could really use something bright and lovely like this in my home year-round. 

3. This made me think of printing out some awesome images to have as backdrops somehow. I love the neon, psychedelic aspect to this. I've always dreamed of having a portable projector for displaying images behind me while I sing. How much are they, anyway...? As cheap as $200 it looks like. Sweet! What would you use one for?

Imagine having a portable projector, throwing a dinner party, and having videos and pictures of Paris and Rome playing on the ceiling while y'all sip you cocktails- or at poker night, having some World Series of Poker footage play up above or on your outdoor wall. Fabulousssss$$$. 

4. Here we go! Think "Hollywood" sign but my name instead. "Fash Lavender" would have to have a lot more glitter than these though... Love the white-painted brick, too. 

5. And this! These are rain gutters functioning as shelves. I mean... c'mon! These are so dynamic and interesting- not to mention affordable. Wonderful concept- I want to do it!

I was thinking you could use these for not just books, but kitchen appliances, keys, whatever. Paint 'em and win. Very cool idea.

These have been popping up everywhere and I think it's great. Cheap, feasible, clever options will always win out. I will definitely install these in my bedroom sometime this summer. I'll be sure to show ya!

Let me know what you thought & I hope you were inspired as I was by these beautiful ideas.

<3Lily