Crafts of the Day

I totally want to make one of these of Pearl! {via Craft}

There Martha goes again, making awesome crafts...this is just a cookie sheet wrapped in fabric. Brills! (also note: anyone who is using spray-mount for the first time, it is VERY messy. Use it outside for sure on a surface that you don't mind having get sticky!) {via Martha}

Memories. Ladies - amiright? If you were a nerd kid like me who was terrible at sports, you probs made a bunch of these bracelets...maybe while watching Back to the Future for the one billionth time. Sorry about taping this to the coffee table mom! I kinda want to make some again.

I think I'm becoming obsessing with all felt crafts.

Penguins {via allthingssmall}

Houses {via napkittenpattern}

Gnomes {via allthingssmall}

Cute, easy, felt flowers. Would be so cute on pillows! {via FWYTID}

Happy Monday, Y'all

This Gallery of Newly-Married Gay Couples is unexpectedly making me cry. I think because DUH it's super romantic (I esp. love all the couples who have been together forever) and who doesn't love romance? I'm also thinking whenever I get stressed about wedding planning I'll just think of these couples and how joyful they are that they just get to be married and I'm feeling very grateful :) {via GalaDarling}

I'm Free!!! (for a month)

Whew. Just finished Summer Quarter, and now I get an entire month break until Fall. YAY! I feel so free to do WHATEVAHIWANT. I still have freelance design to keep up with, but other than that I'll be filling my days with socializing, home improvement, crafts, and wedding stuff.

List & Comment Friday: Ambitions for Over Break:
1.) Sand and paint my cruddy old bedroom furniture. I HAVE to do this now before the weather turns. For example: we've got mismatched bedside tables. I want to re-vamp them so they don't look like hand-me-downs!

2.) Design our Wedding "brand". Oy. I am really trying not to be a perfectionist on this project to the point of paralyzed. I think the majorness of the whole event makes me put pressure on myself for it to be the best wedding design the world has ever seen. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be "us". Loving this invite for example (this is mostly more "me" than "him", but lucky for me, I'm in charge of this task!)...

3.) Frame and hang some stinkin' art already. We have so many fab pictures from Europe that I'd love to have printed and frame, wouldn't they look great? We still have almost nothing on our walls, even though we moved over 6 months ago. How do other people get it done so quickly? I love how all these tiny frames right next to each other make one big piece of artwork.

4.) Stay tuned for a really fun storytelling of how I found a piece of wood for "free" on the sidewalk and am going to turn it into a headboard. I want to paint it with a border similar to this one, but add a pattern in the middle.

5.) Sign up for Dance Classes. The fiance very sweetly got us certificates to take a dance class, and I really really want us to learn at least one dance. Now I feel like I finally have some time to sign us up!

side-note: culturally, don't you think it's crucial that Keene watches this movie with me?

Happy Birthday, Blog!

That's right You Guys it's another year under the ole blog belt! This is YEAR FIVE - holy crap right!?

Balloon Cupcakes (attach string to toothpick and insert in cupcake) {via PartyAccessories}

Top 5 Things I Love About My Blog:
1.) I can communicate with my friends and family, which was super duper important to me when we lived on The Other Coast.
2.) My blog becomes a visual story journal of all our best memories.
3.) It's always there for me when I need to talk/bitch/whine/celebrate.
4.) It's a place where I collect all my inspirations.
5.) It keeps me accountable.

My little blog would not mean what it does to me if it wasn't for Y'All. If no one is reading a blog in the woods...does it even exist?

Thanks You Guys for Readin'! ***DANCE PARTY***

And just for fun, a few of my favorite posts ever: All the Europe re-caps, but if I had to choose, faves are the visits to Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, Lounging in Cap Ferat, one of the best meals I've ever had in Venice, Oktoberfest, and seeing Neuschwanstein and Linderhof (omg Europe was so awesome, and omg it took me 2 MONTHS to post all those). Also this was a pretty awesome moment, and I still love this Ask MM video tour of mine and my sister's childhood bedroom (how weird is it to hear me call Keene my "boyfriend" now?).

*Something* to Post...at least

I'm at a loss for what to post today, so I thought how about just the last 5 things I pinned on my Pinterest board:

I like how this combines my want for "tea candles" and "mason jars" on a wedding tablescape.

What a joyful photo. Remind me to "pop" my foot up for this perfect picture pose! {by A Bryan Photo}

This is ridiculous. And I'm still loving watermelon right now. Watermelon cake!

Baby barrette necklace. I totally had these! {via Aunt Peaches}

{via Aunt Peaches}

These Brian Atwood heels are ridiculous and I would totally wear them.

For Ole Times Sake...

List and Comment Friday!!!
So you know those things, that sometimes you adore, and then other times they make you nutzo? Well, I have quite a few of them. I'll keep them to 6 for now...

A Few Things I Love/Hate:
1. Whole Foods.
I know I can't be the only one annoyed by this place. All their holier-than-thouness and super expensive hippie food just makes me think "First World Problems" over and over again! But then...you guys they have this awesome salad bar. And jeez I am a huge fan of good salad bars! I go there at least once a week to load up on spinach and veggies and tofu (what?! it's pretty good there) and occasionally some of the healthy junk food stuff :)

2. Volkswagen.
Oy. I love my car. And I mean LOVE it. There is no other way to explain why I wouldn't have broken up with it by now. I love driving it - it's worlds more fun than a Honda. And when it works, it works beautifully. But my gawd is it a lot of maintenance! Almost like having a sports car without having a sports car. But I guess that's what it is going for, in-between a sports car and your everyday wheels. I'll probably keep it until it comes time to put it down, many, many years from now!

3. Cafe Fiore.
Ugh. This place. Snottiest baristas EVER. Consistently. Every time I think about going there I'm like, "ugh, but I have to deal with them". They NEVER make eye contact, and are super aloof and RUDE. I have no idea why! But guess what? They have really damn good coffee. It's annoyingly much better than other coffee. Also they have awesome adirondak chairs and free wifi for sitting outside and chillin. And they have dog treats that Pearl loves. But seriously, so unpleasant to interact with them!

4. Public Transportation.
Self-explanatory if you've ever spent time commuting. I'd say DC's metro was definitely less frustrating than Seattle's Bus system, efficiency-wise. But the metro could also be a little bit medieval as far as the people go. You had to be very, VERY alert. I'm so happy that Seattle has buses. But oh my gah they take SO long to get you anywhere and they're never ever on time unless you're late. Amiright?

5. Oprah.
She's so annoying. She's out of touch. She's obsessed with her celebrity "good friends" and thinness and forgets that her audience can't afford what she can and you can't relate to her. But then...she'll go and be super relate-able, having something on her show that makes me cry, she'll be all inspiring, she'll have great articles in her magazine, and I'm all, "Oh Oprah, I forgive you"...can't live with her, can't live without her!

6. The Cast of Jersey Shore.
Heh. Yeah. These assholes went to Italy. They make 100k an episode now (I heard). But this show is compelling in a sick way. I know that it's probably just me being a reality-show-lover but watching them be idiots in Italy is kinda funny. And I keep watching it and thinking, "sigh, oh Italy!" even though they're spending 90% of their time there trying to find tanning booths and going to clubs. Sooo not as cool as our trip :)

Ok You Guys: what are some of your Love/Hates?

The Real Downton Abbey

Oh my gah thank you Krystal who just sent me this link about "The Colorful Countess Behind Downton Abbey" - wow. How fabulous would it be to have our wedding at the real-life Highclere Castle?! Also, I totally want to be an awesome cougar mansion-owner who dies at 93 in a manse that I've decided at one time to turn into a "high society nursing home". Sounds like Almina, Countess of Carnarvon,was a total badass. I can't wait to have another viewing party for Season 2! {check out more info on the Highclere Castle site}

Cupcakes.

Love this storage idea for cupcake wrappers! via {torijayne}

This cupcake is wearing a tiny cupcake hat! So cute. Kindof like a royal weddin' hat ;) via {craftzine}

My New Favorite Fashion Blog

When I was searching for pictures of fabulous pajamas for my things-I'm-excited-about post, I came across this completely enjoyable and completely time-wasting blog that goes over, in detail, the fashion of Gossip Girl. Now, if you, like me, not-so-secretly totally watch that show, you know very well that it is 90% all about the clothes. I love that they give you stills of all the outfits and discuss them with witty comments. Sometimes I'm watching that show and I'm all "holy crap what on Earth is Chuck wearing" and I need to get a better look. This blog totally calls out all the details. They also have re-caps for other teen shows that I'm less interested in, but still. If you watch a little Vampire Diaries or whatnot, you can check out that fashion too.

Here they describe Chuck as "peacockin'" - so true! Check it out, here: You Know You Love Fashion.

Dinner.

The triumphant basil comeback paired with fresh lil' baby tomatoes:

Thank you, Basil, for sticking with us!

I am calling this "Petit Caprese"...

And bacon-wrapped steak, of course.

I love grilling season! Hope Y'all had a fantastic weekend :)

Makin' StatementZ

Things I am Excited About

Yep, some things I am currently excited about...

1. My China.
So, my mom and I have been detouring through the china section for years now, speculating about what I would pick, what other brides have chosen, talking about all the details and whatnot. So of course when the time came, I knew I had to have my wing-mom help me pick out some of the important things for our registry. She was the perfect person to come along! We really thought it all through, and finally came upon this "Silver Palace" pattern from Noritake. I love it! It's traditional and classic, but has pretty nouveau details that I love...

2. Whisked!
A delightful friend I made out in DC, Jenna, started her own bakery. I love the name, the concept, the creativity, and her and her business partner's commitment to making beautiful delicious products. And they have a Pie CSA (or "CSP" for "Community Supported Pie")! Where they alternate sweet and savory pies each month! Isn't that GENIUS!? Mad props.

(Whisked! makes a bbq chicken tart - doesn't it look amazing!?)

3. Being done with Summer Quarter.
Oy. 11 weeks condensed into 8 weeks. Making up for 8 lost years where I should've been working in web design (yes...I know, my print background will help me, but I'm 30, I've gotta MOVE on this!). Balancing school with the "life" I have now. It's a lot different than my life was in 2003. I'd like to say my life is more full now, which is fantastic, but it's time for me to go on lock-down and power through these last 3 weeks and make the most of my classes...and I can't wait for the month-long break I'll get before Fall Quarter starts. I will actually get to go to our farmer's market again! (I currently have class those nights).

4. Acquiring a Silk Kimono.
I was thinking about how I need to go out and buy more "house clothes", because that's all I ever wear now and I don't currently have enough to get through a week. SAD THOUGHT! But then I started thinking, what if I made my around-the-house-wear something fabulous instead? I totally want to buy a bunch of silk pajamas and walk around à la Phyllis Nefler in Troop Beverly Hills (best movie ever) and OH MY GOD when is Troop Beverly Hills: The Experience coming to Seattle?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I want to sing-along to "cookie time" in public SO BAD!!!

Doesn't Blair always have the BEST pajamas?

Now I just need to get some awesome "Chuck Pajamas" for Keene. So fancy!

5. Cuban Radio on Pandora.
When I get ready in the mornings lately I've been listening to "Cuban" radio on Pandora. Then I pretend I'm eating Cuban sandwiches in a 50's sundress and sipping on a mojito!

6. Watermelon.
Seriously. I could eat a whole watermelon in a day and almost have a few times lately. It's so good right now! You have to buy it while it's this good You Guys!!!!