paper morning

LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF MACARONS.

2012-01-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

CANADA TRIP: EXCURSIONS ON LAND

2012-01-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

When we finally arrived in Victoria, we drove a couple blocks to the condos where our entire family was staying. We had three separate condos that housed a total of eleven people. It was mass chaos at times but fun to imagine what it would be like if we all lived a few feet from each other. We had four days to do whatever we pleased and try as we might, we couldn't quite escape each other. We ended up drinking lots of tea, running into each other at breakfast, going to historic buildings and seeing a flick or two. We tried being inconspicuous tourists but we failed quite miserably. By day four, we had completely embraced our tourist status (see bear photos below).

CANADA TRIP: MY FIRST FERRY RIDE

2012-01-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

Confession: I'm a pretty crummy traveler. I over-pack, I under-pack, I whine during long car rides, I complain about the temperature and how much music I can hear from your earphones. Worst of all, I'm always hungry. Something else I can now add to this list is that I'm easily nauseated. I took my very first ferry ride from Port Angeles to Victoria B.C on our weekend getaway to Canada and boy, did that little excursion do a number on me. At first I really enjoyed grabbing a seat at the front of the ferry and watching the rest of the family play cards, but as soon as we started moving, I was a nauseous mess. Thankfully the ride was under an hour and a half and we spent a good amount of time outside in the crisp Canadian (or was it American?) air. Fun fact: I got sea-sick editing these pictures. seriously.

WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT THIS SECOND

2012-01-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

Right this very second I should be packing for a quick trip up north for some much needed R & R, but instead I'm working on a few projects that I just can't seem to get off the brain (and why should I, they're all just a month or two away!). But anyway, we're taking off tomorrow morning and meeting family and friends in Victoria B.C. Any trip to Canada in the past was usually one involving camping and subsequently gutting fish by a campfire. This time we're staying closer to the border and civilization. Do any of you recommend places for me to eat/drink/shop and or see? I'd love to hear!

THAT TIME MY LITTLE BROTHER PROPOSED

2012-01-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

My little brother decided to pop the question to his lady last Saturday. A small group of us helped him with the set up at a gazebo that they happened upon during their first date. The day was cold but absolutely beautiful. We strung up lights throughout the space and hid in our car while watching Joey turn on the lights and get down on one knee. It was magical.

TALES FROM A BRIDE-TO-BE: MARY

2012-01-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Today I'm starting a new tradition of sharing the wedding planning process of one of my current clients.

Mary has graciously allowed me to share her current wedding planning experience with you all. You can't tell from my typing but I am sooo excited for Mary and Jakes' lovely upcoming nuptials. They are a joy to work with and I'm blessed to gain a new friend through this experience. Now onto Mary ....

"Jake and I... we are just two simple people. He's a real man, I'm a lady. He likes boy toys, I love all things pretty. He's rock solid and disciplined, I'm a soft free bird. I love to talk and he listens. He leads and I follow. He's rational and I'm super emotional. What can I say, opposites attract? But we both love God, each other, our families, friends and our church. We love to do pretty much anything, as long as we're together! May it be taking a walk downtown and do some people watching; jogging at 5:30 in the morning; going on a hike with our friends; driving to the coast to sit and watch the waves; or hang out by a bonfire while gazing at the shooting stars. Along with all that, come many different conversations on many different topics.

Now we're in the middle of planning our wedding for March 10th, 2012! We're both looking forward to an awesome day filled with family, friends and the expression of our love towards each other! We're looking to incorporate an atmosphere that will be relaxing, comfortable, easy going, but at the same time charming and beautifully pretty. We want this day to represent what we believe in and include everyone that we love and care about. Our ambitions are to merge both of our ideas, styles and desires into all of the aspects of the day to represent our unity. We want to remember this day as a cherished, tender, loving and stress free day, when we look back a few years from now."

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

I don't care what you say, this is the most wonderful time of the year. I'm so happy to enjoy it with friends and family and I hope you are able to do the same.

While I'm away celebrating the holiday, you can join me on these various channels of communication to get up-to-date information about which holiday drink I'm enjoying, what my moms Christmas tree looks like and what emotions I'm feeling when I open presents Christmas morning. Trust me, you don't want to miss out.

TWITTER / INSTAGRAM @kaeyelch

IT'S A WRAP

2011-12-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

Like any seasoned procrastinator, I'm wrapping gifts last-minute while remembering all the little things I forgot to purchase. This year I went for a natural look and I'm pretty pleased with how all the wrapping turned out.

TREE TREE TREE

2011-12-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

The first thing I do when I wake up on these cold December mornings, is run into our living room and turn on our sparkly Christmas tree. She emits the most perfect glow throughout the entire day and she keeps me company while my husband is away running errands. Not to mention that there is nothing like the smell of a freshly cut tree when you're dragging your tired feet through the front door after a long day at work.

TWAS A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS

2011-12-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy month of December and I'm happy to say that presents have been purchased, cookies have been baked and carols have been sung. Hope you're having a jolly Christmas week!

Photo by my buddy Artem

LATELY ON THE IPHONE

2011-12-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been spreading general holiday cheer all around town. Maybe not exactly all around town, but definitely in my home and workplace. I've been embellishing my wardrobe with fanciful holiday wear almost daily and all my halls are decked. The holidays are especially dear to me because this is the season when my husband and I started bonding during our pre-dating days. I tried finding pictures from this joyous winter-time but, alas, these treasured will be saved for another day.

OH CHRISTMAS TREE

2011-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we got our Christmas tree! This is usually my favorite holiday activity because it doesn't involve me sitting on the couch while eating various baked goods but rather it encourages me to get up in the wee hours of the morning and run around for a couple hours through nature. We went to the same tree/chicken farm as we went to last year and chopped down the perfect little tree for our place.

THE WEEKEND

2011-11-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

This fall season has been the most beautiful I can remember, not to mention the coldest. I tend to bring out a few items to cozy up the house for this transition. My holiday quilt and all the pine cones and woodsy things I've saved over the last couple years get scattered around the tiny apartment. I've already started receiving holiday cards and, though I usually don't like putting anything on my fridge, I don't mind showcasing these lovely greetings one bit.

What are some season-welcoming rituals you do around the house?

NEW TRADITIONS

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, we started a new tradition. Once a month a bunch of us gals are gathering together for a ladies brunch. Each one brings her favorite dish and we eat non-stop while discussing politics, work and husbands (or rather, how to find them through various, sometimes comical avenues). Our first brunch lasted into dinner and eventually turned into a dance party. Don't ask how, because I'm not quite sure myself.

MONOPOLY NIGHTS

2011-11-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

The problem with playing monopoly with my in-laws is that our games tend to last into the wee hours of the morning. Last night we got home earlier than usual, around 1:00am. This makes for a Monday morning full of coffee and regret.

Hope your Monday is a bit more lively!

AFTER A LONG DEBATE

2011-11-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

The bangs are back for winter-time.

WEEKEND SNAPS

2011-11-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots from the weekend. I did some catching up on party invites and worked on a little Thanksgiving centerpiece mock-up. Can you believe Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks? I also did a little digging through magazines and catalogs for some holiday inspiration. I've kept every magazine I subscribed to since 2002 and I always find myself looking back to the holiday issues. Those are always the best.

FALL IN FULL SWING

2011-11-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Fall is in full swing over here, my friends! Foggy mornings, wet slippy leaves on the sidewalks, beautiful colors on the trees and frost on my windshield. This season is undoubtedly my favorite of all. Besides all the comfort things that I enjoy (cozy fire, apple cider dates, scarves), fall has always been a time of quiet rejuvenation and personal growth. So far this fall has been no different. I know that most people find the darker days and cold weather somewhat depressing but it's just what I need after a long and lazy summer to get my mind working once again.

I hope you all have a reflective and warm weekend!

MINI WISHLIST

2011-11-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

I've sworn off all big shopping for the rest of the year and I'm focusing on small little treasures that catch my eye instead. Here are the latest goodies I thought I'd get some good use out of.

iphone case / beanie / earrings / kraft paper tape

2011-10-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

Should it concern me that ninety percent of the photos on my phone are of food?

PAINT

2011-10-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

We started looking for paint for our apartment months ago but couldn't find anything we loved so we kinda gave up on painting altogether. It wasn't until we visited Manor Fine Wares for the hundredth time, that I found what I had been looking for. I noticed that the built in cabinetry at the shop was painted in the prettiest blue/gray/green-ish color I'd ever seen. Miraculously, they even sold the paint right there in the store. I bought a sample, brought it home and created this:

This is what my dining area has looked like for the last few weeks. The paint is from Farrow and Ball and at $85 gallon, I needed some serious convincing. Actually I was sold after this post-modern art on my wall was dry. The quality of this stuff is beyond what I expected. The color is so rich and dreamy. Here's a sample of Blue Gray I pulled from their website:

We have yet to paint into the kitchen, but I'll share photos once that's done. I think I'll be using this color in every place I live in from now on, that's how much I love it. Next I need to coordinate the walls of the adjacent living room to this but can't seem to narrow my focus on one color. Any ideas?

DIY // FRENCH PRESS COZY

2011-10-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

I love my french press. love love love. It's such a quick way to make yummy coffee. My only complaint is that it cools down so quickly. By the time I get around the my second cup, the contents of my french press are lukewarm and it sadly ends up in the kitchen sink. But I've decided to solve my french press problems once and for all by making a little cozy. Let me show you how it's done.

1. Scissors for cutting fabric, felt and ribbon.

2. Felt. This will fill the fabric and it will insulate heat.

3. Needle and thread. If you're really fancy, you can replace this with a picture of a sewing machine.

4. Pretty fabric.

5. Ribbon to match your fabric. Preferably something sturdy. You'll need four 5 inch pieces.

First things first, measure out your felt and fabric. It's quite easy. just wrap some of your felt around your french press and make sure it's covers the majority of the glass section. You'll see what I mean when the cozy it complete. Measure fabric to go around the felt like a hotdog with the back side of the fabric facing you. This will save you from having to sew one side of the cozy. Now move the felt aside. We'll need it later.

Next, start sewing. I used a basic backstitch, which I'm not even sure is a legitimate way to sew but it got the job done. All you fancy pants out there can use your sewing machines here. I started in one corner and worked my way up over the top. The trickiest part is the ribbon. Put the ribbon inside the cozy and pull out a little piece that you can sew onto the fabric as you go up. You may also want to safety pin the ribbon as you're sewing so the ribbon doesn't end up crooked.

As you're sewing, be sure to leave a small gap in the middle of the top. You'll need the gap for the felt to be inserted.

After making sure you've left a gap, flip your creation inside out. It should look something like the photo above. Next, take your felt and place it inside. Smooth out the felt and make sure it fits snuggly into each corner. If your piece of felt turned out too big, simply cut it to fit. It's so easy. Finally, when the felt is perfect, sew up the gap.

Now it's time to dress your french press. Tie the ribbon together and voila! you're done. So easy.

WEEKEND ON THE IPHONE

2011-10-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Only one word describes my weekend perfectly: exhausting. It was the good kind of exhausting, though. The kind where you find yourself smiling as you're falling into a deep hibernation on Sunday night. These kind of weekends are my favorite. Here's a little breakdown for you:

1. I've been cooking. It's kinda my new thing. I get home from work and I'm excited to whip something up from scratch and serve it to my always-impressed husband.

2. Enjoyed a little tea party birthday shindig for my little brothers main girl.

3. I can finally say that it's cold out. A stroll downtown on Saturday felt amazingly refreshing.

4. Sunday was beautiful. I mean everything about Sunday was beautiful. I can go on and on, but I won't.

5. I enjoyed some Thai food with the husband one afternoon. This is the only Thai iced tea I drink because it desn't taste like cardboard to me.

6. More treats. We inhaled that last ice-cream bars for dessert. or was it an appetizer?

7. The husband studied endlessly. This man takes his school seriously. Do not stand between him and his six hours of daily study time.

8. We did take a break to head over to Ikea for some pillows.

9. And I was able to make some pillow covers out of my new favorite fabric.

Happy Monday everyone!

P.S: Today is Boss's Day. So go buy your boss some donuts or something.

COLOR CRUSH #3

2011-10-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Dark and rich.

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SHORT & SWEET DESIGN

2011-10-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so so excited today! The new website for Short & Sweet Design is up and running, which means I no longer have to feel guilty about neglecting the Short & Sweet Design blog, because there isn't one. Also, I've got a nifty button on the left that takes you right there, just in case you need me to style your wedding or something.

THAT TIME I FELL IN LOVE WITH SEATTLE

2011-10-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

I have been to Seattle a handful of times over the years and I've always found it to be just okay. I never had a terrible experience or anything, I just never found that city or it's surrounding areas particularly charming. At the end of August, my husband and I took a trip up north for work and to see our dear friends. We spent the sweltering Saturday walking around town looking for something cold to drink. We were, quite literally, drenched in sweat. I have never taken a trip and returned with so few photographs. It was way too hot. After doing some more sight seeing, my friends surprised me with a visit to a cupcake shop for my birthday. Luckily we got there just in time for happy hour. Yay!

When it finally cooled off, we took a scenic walk through the Queen Anne neighborhood. It was magical. I started to feel like me and Seattle had some serious chemistry going on.

I woke up the next morning at 3:30 to head out for a photo shoot. I loved spending time with some of my favorite ladies and making beautiful things together. Here are some behind the scenes photos from the shoot compliments of miss Eleanor.

On the drive home all I could talk about was how much I loved Seattle. Maybe it was because my Seattle-savvy friends showed me around town and I wasn't in a fog as to where I was and where I was going. Maybe it was the aaamazing food I got to enjoy or the great people watching. Regardless, all I know is that I love Seattle.

LESSON LEARNED

2011-09-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's Friday.... again. It's been a rough week. The husband started school on Monday and I've been trying to figure out our new schedule. I almost can't believe we both worked downtown, carpooled to the office and took lunches together. Now we see each other in the evenings, though he's usually doing homework and catching up on his reading.

So here's what I've been learning more and more these past few days. I'm usually marching to my own drumbeat, planning for my own future and doing what I think I need to get there. The biggest thing about being married is that you are no longer the only one who makes decisions and you are not the only one with goals. I always find myself thinking this simple truth is easy to live by until I'm sacrificing my date night so husband can do homework. I'm glad I get situations like this that allow me live out what I believe and thankfully my husband and I understand that we are in the same boat, heading in the same direction with the same mindset. And if all goes well, we'll be in a boat in this canal in the near future. eeep!

(source)

NOW THAT SUMMERS OVER

2011-09-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

I'm finally ready to sit down and evaluate my summer. If you remember, this was my list.

1. Do some honest camping
2. Swim in the ocean

3. Pick berries, lots of them

4. Paint (walls and pictures)
5. Bake non-stop
6. Restore at lease one piece of furniture
7. Ride a bike
8. Take a day off (crazy, I know)
9. Read at least five books.
10. Sew something, anything
11. Take a road trip
12. Have our annual end-of summer bash
13. Picnic with friends
14. Start journaling again.
15. Purge the closet
16. Be on a boat, any boat.
17. Find a new favorite restaurant
18. Learn more about taking pictures
19. Jam (with fruits)
20. Set up office space

So 10 out of 20 things were accomplished. I'd say that's pretty good for someone who's rather crummy at accomplishing things in a timely manner. I'll be sharing my office space soon, which has actually been really fun putting together. I'm sad to say that I didn't go camping once (though we talked about it a lot) and although I got my toes into the ocean, I wasn't brave enough to jump in. Oh well. Next year perhaps. I stated reading a few books, but haven't finished any and while I've eaten so much good food lately, I don't think I found a new favorite place. All in all, I'd say this was a successful summer, regardless of the things I did or didn't get a chance to do.

WELCOME TO FALL

2011-09-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

(source)

Happy first day of fall. Hooray! I've only been waiting for this season all year long. I've got a few lingering summer posts to take care of and then I'm diving head first into some serious fall blogging including some fancy DIY projects, harvest parties and possibly even a tour of my little home. I know, I know, so much craziness. Have a nice little weekend and I'll see you all Monday morning!

2011-09-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

We took one final beach trip to end summer a few Saturdays back. It's strange thinking summer is over when we are just now getting nice weather. Although I like summer, I actually enjoy fall so much more. I'll go over my summer to-do list tomorrow to see how well I really did at crossing things off. I have to admit, I only looked at it a handful of times after I wrote it.

LATELY ON THE IPHONE

2011-09-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

We've been having a whole lotta fun 'round here!

1. We took one last trip to the beach to end off summer. It was the most incredibly warm day at the beach I've had in a long while. I'm still sporting the sunburn I got that day.

2. Wedding season is finally winding down. I love wedding season, so this is a bit sad.

3. J. Crew has been harassing me with their e-mails and I might have caved (multiple times) into purchasing shoes. and sweaters. and pants. and headbands. and blouses. you know how it is.

4. Our friend, Andrew all dressed up at a wedding. He's always looking so sharp.

5. Me and the husband have found the most incredible pancake mix ever. We've been eating pancakes non-stop for a couple of weeks now. So good. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of this glorious mix.

6. I've been cleaning out my closet to make room for the new goodies. See? I'm not that much of a hoarder!

7. September has been birthday month. Five birthdays in two weeks. I'm not one to complain but it's been a birthday cake overload! The fella in the middle is my little brother Joey, who just turned twenty.

8. I just found this donut shop on Friday and I haven't been able to get it off my mind. I highly recommend the buttermilk donut. There's really no point in trying to have just one.

9. That's me and an Italian soda at Joey's birthday.

COLOR CRUSH #2

2011-09-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

Loving the bold.

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HAPPY FRIDAY

2011-09-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

You guys! This was supposed to be a short week, but it's felt a little too lengthy for my liking. No worries though, I've got a weekend full of awesome-ness that I'm sure to share next week. Saturday we're celebrating the end of summer with a little beach trip (again, I know!) and the hubster's birthday is on Sunday. I actually wanted to make an entire post dedicated to all the reasons why my husband is the best, but decided not to make you all jealous. kidding! No really, though, he is the best.

Anyway, have yourself a happy Friday!

(via)

LABOR DAY

2011-09-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

I was pretty stoked for Labor Day this year. I don't think I've ever spent a Labor Day away from water and this time around was no different. We decided a beach trip would be a good idea since temperatures were so toasty in our neck of the woods. When we did arrive at Cape Disappointment, we were a little disappointed. It was cold and fog was rolling in. I guess no lounging around for us. We took the worlds tiniest hike to Ilwaco beach where we searched for treasure, seashells and driftwood before succumbing to a slice of wood-fire pizza.

LATELY

2011-09-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

I promise I'm back to being a good blogger! Now that summer is over I'll try being less distracted.

If you were curious, this is what I've been up to as of late.

celebrating my birthday (which turned into a two week event!). hanging out with cute little people. visiting the cold, cold ocean (weather forecasts are such a tricky thing, I tell ya). eating some serious cupcakes (three dozen in one week). hanging out with the hubster (and apparently not getting any sun).

HELLO HELLO

2011-09-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

This week has been sheer madness. Not really but it has been lots of work (the kind I like) and all because of these two crazy people. They're getting married on Saturday and it's going to be a hoot. Daniel Usenko just posted their three (yes, three) engagement shoots on his blog, but I think this photo is my absolute favorite. Go see the rest!

BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST

2011-08-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Officially today is my birthday but I cheated and began celebrating secretly last week. Every year, as tradition demands, I have birthday breakfast, lunch or dinner with my dear friend Maria. This year we did breakfast at Mothers Bar & Bistro, one of my favorite stops for waffles and wild salmon hash. Luckily we went on a weekday and avoided the typical hour-long wait. Maria goes to school up north so I usually only get to see her twice a year, for her birthday and for my birthday. It actually works out rather well.

Do any of you have fun birthday traditions?

SO YOU KNOW

2011-08-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. "Kae must really be enjoying her summer. Probably picking berries all day long and baking yummy pies." Truthfully, I'm not picking berries. or enjoying my summer. I'm mostly eating store-bought pie and doing a buncha work. and all I can think about is sleeping in and eating more pie. I know this probably sounds like a disorder, but it's not. It's called being an adult. I think. okay. have a good weekend. I'm off to Seattle to style a shoot and spend time with friends.

P.S: Is a three-hour drive considered a road trip?

(source)

GUEST POSTING

2011-08-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Today I'm guest posting for Melanie over at you are my fave. Make sure to find your way over there sometime today.

RIVER DATE

2011-08-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my husband and I got in our car and drove until the road we were on ended. We found this secret spot on the river a while back, but haven't had a chance to stroll along the banks due to the high water this past spring. The water had finally gone down and we were able to take a little stroll.

TUESDAY MORNING

2011-08-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes this is the best way to start your Tuesday.

WEEKEND SNAPS

2011-08-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

Alright friends! I am really getting this list of mine taken care of. This weekend I was on a boat. Well, actually it was more of a raft but I'm sure that still counts. Me, the husband and some friends took off early Saturday morning to the White Salmon river. The section we rafted were class 3-4 rapids, so nothing tooo scary but it great fun, especially for those who hadn't gone rafting before.

Here's us waiting anxiously for the raft. You really do not want to see us in those wet suits. Unfortunately there aren't any photos of us actually inside the raft, so you'll just have to trust me when I say it really did happen.

After a few hours on the water, we drove into Hood River for a little BBQ and lounging around. It was the most beautiful, warm day I've seen in a long while.

We also stopped by the local burger shack for some cold treats before heading home.

So that was my little weekend. I crossed off one thing on my list and am desperately looking for opportunities to cross off the rest since summer is so close to being over (it's AUGUST today, people!). Did you cross anything off your list this weekend?

COLOR CRUSH #1

2011-07-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm craving coral these days. From lipstick to nail polish, dresses to flowers, I'm loving every shade of coral.

(source, source)

BAKING BLUES

2011-07-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

I have to confess, I was on a bit of a roll this weekend. After writing out my summer to-do list, I was enthusiastically crossing things off left and right. This Saturday I baked my first upside down plum cake of the season. Now I have another confession. It was terrible. Downright disgusting, actually. The entire time I was mixing the ingredients together, all I could think about was how wonderful it will look and how delicious my husband would think it tastes. Did I mention I wanted to impress you all with my mad baking skills as well? I took the sad little cake out of the oven and plopped it onto a plate. A true test in humility. It's one thing if a cake is ugly, it's another when it tastes as bad as it looks. I even tried feeding it to my little brother and his friend the next day (sorry about that Artem), but even they were wise enough to leave the hard, lumpy substance untouched. So that's that. My baking skills are below par. Good thing my list says "bake non-stop" or else I would be ditching my spatula right about now.

Here's a photo of the plums happily simmering on the stove.

FABRIC HUNTING

2011-07-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got busy on my summer to-do list. First up: finishing my office space. We took a trip to Goodwill to hunt down some new (old, dusty) chairs for the desk. I figure if I reupholster a chair for my office space, I'll be crossing three things off my list (restoring a piece of furniture, sewing something and finishing my office space.) But alas, nothing was to be found. We then drove over to the Fabric Depot to see what kind of goodies they might have. Here are some of my favorites.

They had a fairly large selection of fabric, so I needed to take some samples home to sleep on.

(Don't worry, those lace samples were definitely not in the running for my office space.)

SUMMER TO-DO LIST (UNABRIDGED)

2011-07-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

(source)

I realized my first "summer to-do" list was rather small, so I decided to go all out and release the unabridged version (more or less anyway). I think by writing this out I'll be more likely to make this stuff happen. I mean, for crying in the night, summer is half over so I really need to get on with it!

1. Do some honest camping
2. Swim in the ocean

3. Pick berries, lots of them

4. Paint (walls and pictures)
5. Bake non-stop
6. Restore at lease one piece of furniture
7. Ride a bike
8. Take a day off (crazy, I know)
9. Read at least five books.
10. Sew something, anything
11. Take a road trip
12. Have our annual end-of summer bash
13. Picnic with friends
14. Start journaling again.
15. Purge the closet
16. Be on a boat, any boat.
17. Find a new favorite restaraunt
18. Learn more about taking pictures
19. Jam (with fruits)
20. Set up office space

A COUPLE OF CUTIES

2011-07-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

I'm styling a wedding for these two cuties in September.

I just saw their save the date video and had to share.

Max + Galina | Save the Date from Shiksa Studio on Vimeo.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS

2011-07-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

So I have finally started crossing off things on my summer to-do list. Slowly but surely, my friends. Last Saturday, me and the husband grabbed some buckets and drove over to the nearest berry field we could find, which was literally down the street from our apartment and we started picking.

It was an uncomfortably hot day and my husband wore a nice black shirt. poor guy.

Together we collected two buckets and $11 worth of strawberries, which lasted us roughly two days. Yeah. They were that good. Next up, raspberries and blueberries.

PORCH PARTY

2011-07-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Since we don't have a pool or even a backyard, we'll be hosting porch parties this summer. Never mind that our porch can fit only fit six people uncomfortably or the fact that it is currently being used as a storage space for my vast collection of props. Here are some goodies for the perfect porch party this summer:

1. Three tiered embroidered pendant 2. Perfect coral maxi dress

3. Gelato bars for cooling off 4. Agate coasters

WEEKEND SNAPS

2011-07-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the happiest place on earth, Ikea. I promised Mr. Husband it'll be a quick stop and I almost can't believe I kept my word. This weekend we picked up some shelves for our office space, which we have slowly been putting together. This Ikea trip was a total of 17 minutes and included:

- Skipping the top floor and heading straight to the packaged shelves. Big time saver.

- Eating Ikea Food. Hot dogs and soda. Classy.

- Reassuring husband that our short shopping trip was actually over.

- Rewarding ourselves with more Ikea foods.

And finally, here is that sad little office space of ours. That desk is actually a catch-all right now and terribly useless but in good time this will be a creative factory for me and a study spot for the husband.

Setting up our office space and sprucing up the porch will probably be the two bigger projects we'll finish within the next couple weeks. What projects are you finally tackling this summer?

POPPY SEED CAKE

2011-07-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

I spotted this lovely creation over at Always With Butter and I couldn't contain my excitement! Poppy seed was a layer in our wedding cake and I'm so thrilled that I can now make it all the time! I realize that I didn't put "gain thirty pounds" on my summer to-do list, but it looks like I don't have much of a choice in the matter. I'll be showing off my baking skills and my double chin next week. Until then, happy Friday and have a happy weekend!

THE FOURTH.

2011-07-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

We typically love the fourth. In the past it has always included yummy BBQ, camping, bonfires at the beach and fireworks. This year, however, we were a little more laid back. We didn't even know what we planned on doing until we finished breakfast at 1:00pm. So we eventually decided to keep it low-key and head over to Fort Vancouver for the fireworks show. Awesomely enough, we've got friends in high, park ranger places and got VIP treatment all the from our parking spots to the firework viewing. Here are some photos of the junk we ate, the things we saw and some more fireworks.

Remember our wedding tree?

There were hundred of pasty folks tanning around it. Actually rather disturbing.

At sundown, we made our way to the fort, which had just been closed to the public. Friends and family members of Fort Vancouver employees got to watch the show from inside the fort. Oh yeah and it was also the closest spot the where the fireworks were being shot from. No big deal. While waiting for the sun to set, we watched little planes take off and land on the runway. We even witnessed a little one make a crash landing outside the fort wall.

And when the sun finally set, the firework show began. I was not the least bit disappointed.

Next year I'll be wise enough to bring a warm blanket and emergency allergy medicine.

That sneaky pollen really got me this time.

How did you spend your fourth?

THE FOURTH & FIREWORKS

2011-07-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Just wanted to stop by and drop a quick hello before diving head-first into my work. I guess having a long weekend does have it's drawbacks. Here are some of the fancy fireworks I saw last night. More to come, scouts honor.

WEEKEND RECAP

2011-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

It seems I've turned into one of those bloggers that only posts about the things they do on weekends, however mundane those activities are. Apologies for that. I'll get back into the swing of things one of these days, scouts honor. As for my weekend, it was a pretty sunny one. We didn't have any plans or appointments so it was pretty fantastic sleeping in until 9:00am and making a big fatty breakfast. My husband is the king of breakfast, namely breakfast sandwiches. This is the monstrosity he created Saturday morning ...

That's a bagel smothered in cream cheese, an egg cooked sunny side up with melted muenster cheese and smoked salmon. I estimate I consumed about 3,400 calories for breakfast and it was definitely worth it. Later we went to our favorite coffee spot and walked around Fort Vancouver. I stumbled upon a rose garden filled with the most fragrant roses I'd ever met!

We even found our future home. Isn't she a cutie?

My camera died soon after this photo :(

How did you enjoy the sunny weekend?

WEEKEND SNAPS

2011-06-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was full of accomplishments. We finally painted our bedroom on Saturday. When I say "we" I really mean husband, although I was available for moral support throughout the painting process. The color we used was a warm mink and it makes our room look twice as big, which is always nice considering the sheer tininess of our apartment. Next we'll be finding some shnazzy nightstands and getting some art on those walls.

On Sunday morning my husband ran his first half-marathon. My favorite part was seeing folks holding up signs for their friends saying "no one made you do this", which is how my husband felt around mile two. At mile eight his IT band got a wee bit injured but he pushed through. This photo was taken shortly after crossing the finish line (note the advil):

That studly man inspired me to take a running clinic this summer, in hopes that I could join him on all the wild running adventures he seems to be having these days. Here's an awkward photo of us. It appears I don't like being hugged by sweaty men. Sorry dear.

As for Father's day and my father-in-law's 50th birthday party, all I can say is yummm! Is it bad that my favorite part of any holiday/celebration is the food?

COLOR THERAPY

2011-06-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

( 1 2 3 )

WEEKENDS & WEDDINGS

2011-06-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a blur. We started Saturday off by chopping down gargantuan tree branches for an upcoming wedding and subsequently taking those tree branches to an undisclosed location to keep safe and somewhat alive*, until Thursday. I then proceeded to help my husband train for his upcoming half-marathon by taking him to Ikea, where we spotted my future office desk, bought it and spent the rest of the evening putting it together. I also took a little trip to the flower market to pick out some lovlies for the wedding. I just can't enough of flowers. It's all I've been thinking about these days!

* One branch has definitely died.

FABRIC COVERED POTS

2011-06-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Definitely on my summer crafting to-do list.

At least the pot will look lovely because it's a known fact that any plant in our house is a dead one.

(found here)

SUMMER LIST

2011-06-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just a few things on my summer to-do list :

(1 2 3 4 5)

What's on your list?

MEMORIAL DAY

2011-06-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

So my memorial day way rather awesome. I've never loved a day off from work like I did on Monday. We started off the day by making omelets, french toast and espresso with our good friends Stacey and Jimmy before heading out on a mini-hike in honor of our buddy, Andrew's birthday. I think you're only allowed one birthday hike, but Andrew took it to the next level and requested two. Whatever you want birthday boy! Needless to say our mini-hike was fantastic. So fantastic that I managed to return with 600 pictures, most of them being photos of moss.

Andrew rewarded himself for being born by sharing an amazing steak dinner at his house after the hike.

Thanks for being born, Andrew!

WELL THIS IS AWKWARD

2011-05-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of awkward situations. In fact, I am usually the conjurer of awkward moments in the work place and at home. A few weeks ago, I was e-mailed a link to a website of a wedding stationer I'd never met before and when I saw the first page of this creative professionals website all I could say was "well, this is kinda awkward." The photographs were almost completely identical to a photo shoot I had styled a year ago. Here's a little awkward glimpse.

Slightly awkward right? I guess it's like showing up to some fancy event wearing the same exact outfit as someone else, only the other person thinks your outfits are different because you aren't wearing the same perfume. what? awkward!

FORMSPRING

2011-05-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

I noticed all these cool kids getting formspring accounts as of late and since I know so many of you have questions for me that tend to keep you up at night, I thought I'd give you all a way to ask. This is really for your own well-being. so ask away.

ENCHANTING

2011-05-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture from a photoshoot I did a few weeks back with the beyond-talented Daniel Usenko. That guy just keeps getting better with each picture he takes. It's kind of ridiculous actually. Check out the rest of the shoot and the other amazing vendors involved on his blog.

ANNIVERSARY CAKE

2011-05-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Originally we wanted to have a big picnic bash for our one year anniversary, buuuut we got totally rained out. Thank goodness we got married last year when it was nice and sunny. As we rolled back into town from our weekend getaway, we stopped by Papa Haydn to pick up our one year anniversary wedding cake. We got poppy seed cake with marionberry cream cheese frosting (our favorite layer from the original cake). Me and the husband agreed that the cake tasted better on our wedding, just like my shoes were only comfortable on our wedding and the dress only fit on our wedding. But we enjoyed it nevertheless.

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

2011-05-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

A one year anniversary sounds way important and it's so strange for me to think that this weekend me and my husband passed that milestone together. I don't think there is another person on this planet who is more perfectly suited to be my husband. He is a terrible joke-teller, a fantastic cook and my best friend. To celebrate, me and the hubs escaped to Cannon Beach, Oregon. We made last minute reservations at The Ocean Lodge and spent the weekend beach combing, window shopping and eating (pizza, fudge and australian licorice!). I couldn't believe how warm it was on Saturday and how rainy it got on Sunday. We agreed it would be best if we indulged in ity-bity vacations more often.

HUSBANDS & THE HOME

2011-05-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

(source)

Something I really looked forward to before I got married was being able to decorate my own house for the first time. I couldn't wait to go to antique stores and thrift shops to find potential furniture. I have to confess, I'm a bit of a decorating nerd. At the age of seven, I would run home from school to watch Martha Stewart. I loved her classic and clean decorating style. I even begged my mom for her magazine subscription for my eight birthday. By the age of ten, I was collecting paint chips and drawing floor plans for my parents, in hopes that they would re-decorate (and apparently re-construct) our home. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that my husband has opinions on how he would like his home to look like. My husband hated anything that looked like it was in the final stages of decomposing, while I thought antique was rather charming. Since our tastes in furniture were so different, we decided on some general ground rules for decorating:

[Make a list] Typically my husband and I discuss projects we want to accomplish together. This discussion usually leads to a list of thing we want to purchase for our home. This is a great tool for me, especially when I get to a store and find that I love everything I see. I'm pretty quick to forget why I'm at the store if I don't have a list on hand. It's also good to have a clear idea of what you want your space to look like.

[Do a lap around the store] I always want to buy the things I fall in love with as soon as possible, even if they're out of my price range or weren't on my list. More often than not, I've regretted purchases that I made in a heartbeat. Something I practice now is doing a lap around the store before hitting the register. It gives me time to think before making any rash decisions. This is especially wise when you're at an antique store or flea market, where you can't return items you purchase.

[Keep receipts] You won't know if the husband will love that pink floral comforter as much as you do, so keep your receipts handy. It's also nice to see how much a decorating project ended up costing you at the end.

[Return it] Whether you got it from your wedding registry and never use it, or you decided you don't love an item as much as you initially thought you did, don't leave it hanging out in your storage closet. It takes up room in a small apartment and keeps your funds from being used on things you need.

[Make choices together] My husband claims he hates going shopping with me, but I've learned that this is simply a front he puts up to make himself feel more manly. He loves going shopping when he's clued in on what we're shopping for and he knows his opinion actually counts.

What are some tips you have for decorating together?

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

2011-05-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

(source)

I thought I'd chat a little about my newly discovered knowledge on the topic of marriage, more specifically my expectations about marriage before I was a married gal and what I came to discover after I got hitched. Here were some of my bigger misconceptions on marriage.

[Marriage is easy] Our engagement and wedding planning were wildly stressful. Our ceremony location had double-booked our day, a volcano threatened our Italian honeymoon and a rainy forecast was looming over our entire wedding weekend. I was sure that no stress could compare to that of wedding planning. Then I got married and realized rather quickly how much more work the marriage part was. On top of managing a new household dynamic (me and my husband didn't live together before we got married) and figuring out finances, I had to deal with all the baggage me and my husband brought into the marriage like my sassiness and my husband's stubbornness, which only seemed to have been quadrupled after the "I do's". I found the most difficult part of being married is seeing your negative attributes brought into light and having to deal with them directly. It's very hard to hide those attributes (and the fact that you're not changing them) from the person you spend all your time with.

[I know what it's about] My husband and I took premarital counseling where we were equipped to deal with a plethora of issues that could potentially come up in our marriage. Although we had all these phenomenal tools, our actual practice with them was fairly limited. We were confused when issues would come up in our marriage and it would take a week to deal with them all because we didn't use the tools we knew about from the start. I found that just because I knew what marriage was about, did not mean I was an expert on marriage. The saying 'practice makes perfect' really applies here.

[Marriage is so romantic] I think Hollywood really messed people over on this one. Marriage is the most romantic thing ever, but it has been portrayed as being romantic always, which really isn't so. There's nothing romantic about doing laundry and writing up a budget for the month. My husband may not always try to surprise me with flowers at work and vacations and it's only worse when I'm expecting him to. A sad example would be when a few months into our marriage, my husband called to let me know that he'll be leaving work early because he's feeling sick. I thought he was being clever, leaving work early to surprise me with a romantic home-cooked meal. I was sorely disappointed when I came come to find my husband lying in bed with a fever. Pathetic, right? Expecting marriage to be romantic (I also call this being rather selfish) made me miss a lot of opportunities to make my husbands life more delightful (I call this being self-less).

Were you disappointed by any of the expectations you had going into marriage? How did you get past these expectations?

THE WEEK BEFORE MY WEDDING.

2011-05-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

I just realized that me and my husband are coming up on our one year anniversary (!!!!) whaaaaa? It feels like since I've gotten married, time has flown by twice as fast. When I was single, or dating and especially when I was engaged, time seems to be measured by when I'd see my soon-to-be other half next, so as you can imagine, time crept by very slowly. When I got married, there was no longer this notion of waiting and time stopped being slow. It was awesome.

Me and the hubs were being all nostalgic today, remembering what we were doing and what we were thinking the Tuesday before our wedding. I had just worked my last day at the office for a really long while and we were waiting for our airline to let us know if we'd even be able to fly to Italy for our honeymoon (remember when that pesky Icelandic volcano erupted last year and no one was allowed to fly?). We were a little more than stressed, but we promised each other that no matter how crazy the months, weeks and days leading up to our wedding were, we will forget all about it on May 15th.

Here is me and the man today. I hear some of our friends lost a lot of money betting that we wouldn't be together a year later. I'm sure they were kidding though. I think this week would be the perfect opportunity to chat about marriage instead of the typical wedding stuff I'm used to. What do you think?

Weekend Festivities!

2011-05-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Happiest of Mondays to you all. I had an exhausting and wonderful weekend. I spent all Saturday prepping for my big sister's birthday party that I hosted at our tiny apartment, made even tinier by 20 of our friends crowding in the kitchen. Besides the fact that we felt like sardines, we had a great time. On Sunday, me and the hubs tried stealthily cooking brunch for my mom at her house while she out. We were unsuccessful to some degree because A.) we didn't finish by the time she arrived home and B.) we nearly set her house on fire (whoops!). But anyway, it was great fun and everything was yummy. How was your weekend?

HAPPY MONDAY

2011-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend I partook in some serious birthday shenanigans compliments of my older sister (who's birthday is May 7th) and our good friend Andrew (his birthday is May 23rd). They decided to drag a few of their friends on a hiking trip Saturday morning. I knew I was a tad out of shape but this hike seriously showed me what was up. The hike was uphill the ENTIRE way to. Thankfully, I was determined to prove to my husband that I am not as much of a couch potato as he likes to think and he even complimented on my lack of complaining throughout the hike!

birthday boy, me and the hubs.

the views were breathtaking.

We got to the top in less than two hours because we were afraid we weren't going to make it back in time for our dinner reservation. I gotta say though, mixing nature and good folks together is one of the most enjoyable blessings in life. agreed?

P.S: I've got more pictures to share!

FAVORITE THINGS FRIDAY.

2011-04-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Boy this week flew by quick! It probably has a thing or two to do with all the sleep I've been getting (or all the pain killers, not sure). Some of my favorite things this Friday are below. I'm still deeply in love with all things peachy/golden/sweet. Ahhhhh it's driving me crazy, in a good way of course. Everything I've been purchasing as of late, falls right into that color palette. My apartment even smells like peachy/golden/sweetness.

GOODBYE WISDOM TEETH.

2011-04-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that I've been away from my blog this week but I've got a terrific excuse! On Tuesday I went in to get four wisdom teeth extracted. Boy was that a wild ride. Actually, it was terrifying, mostly because I couldn't eat for 12 hours before the surgery (terrible, right). I had butterflies all Tuesday morning and when we got to my dentist's office I almost couldn't take it anymore. They called me back to the operating room and the sweet staff immediately began with the IV and the oxygen. They covered me in blankets and asked me a few general questions before I told my husband that I felt funny. Next thing I know, I'm being wheeled out to my car. Everything was pretty blurry from there. I just remember my husband laughing a whole lot and me trying to talk with a mouth full of gauze. When I got home my husband got a couple bags of ice for my cheeks and used pillows to prop them up to my face while I slept. I did a whole lot of that yesterday. My husband even documented my misery.

Before getting some much needed rest, I scribbled a vicodin-induced grocery list for my husband.

Check out my delirious handwriting. The list reads:

- Ice pack, gauze, ice bag (?), frozen yogurt mango or tropical, chocolate chunk ice-cream maybe Ben and Jerrys, iced caramel macchiato (underlined multiple times), superfood and kiss

This has been my survival kit for that last couple days. I'm in and out of consciousness throughout the day, and I feel pretty nauseous/tired/useless. Thankfully my sweet husband was able to take a couple of days off from work to babysit me (literally). He is by far the best husband in this galaxy.

Oh, I also considered posting photos of what I look like, now that the swelling has really set in, but I thought I'd spare you guys the nightmares. It really is that frightening.

FILL IN THE BLANK FRIDAY.

2011-04-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Playing along with Lauren this swell Friday.

1. My favorite daily responsibility is, making the bed. It's the easiest and most noticeable. Oh and laundry. I love everything about it.

2. My least favorite daily responsibility is, waking up. that and doing the dishes. It's one of those things I hate thinking about doing, but once I'm actually doing them, I'm fine with it.

3. My favorite cuisine to eat when going out is, anything and everything, really.

4. My favorite cuisine to prepare at home is, anything pasta. Especially mac and cheese, the real kind. soooo goood.

5. Andy Warhol said that everyone is famous for 15 minutes. My claim to fame is, errr none? besides my wedding being featured on Style Me Pretty, I'm mostly bland and utterly un-famous.

6. If I could have 3 wishes I would wish for something along the lines of having an old castle on my own island with a magical oven that would bake different pastries five times a day.
7. My biggest pet peeve is mostly the poor driving abilities of others. Also the fact that Saint Cupcake isn't open on Mondays.

(source)

WHERE DO YOU BLOG?

2011-04-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not a full time blogger. In fact, I'm hardly even a part-time blogger, so this is where I blog/pore over the hundreds of wonderful blogs that are out on the world wide web. Sometimes I'm sitting on the left side of the couch and when things get really intense I'll be sitting on the right side. There is a very outdated map of the world behind me and it has come in handy twice in the past five months. I say that's one useful decorative item! Besides being the only couch/office-y area in our tiny apartment, this spot is also conveniently located by our only source of natural light, making it prime real-estate for some serious less-than-part-time blogging.

PASTEL MONDAY

2011-04-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend proved that warm weather is still existent. What a relief! We spent the weekend running errands and checking out paint samples for our bathroom. We got stuck between colors like rainwater, aurora borealis and spring melt but in the end decided to buy a tape measure instead. I forget that compromises in marriage happens with things like paint colors for a bathroom. Who knew? Anyways, the paint section at home depot turned out to be pretty inspiring. I don't think I'll be painting my house in sweet pastels but I do find them charming in spring weddings.

shawl / ruffled hearts / necklace / cake / watercolor

FRIDAY CRAZIES

2011-04-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

hey kids, it's friday and I am thrilled. I haven't had such wonky-weird week in forevs. This week has brought a swollen face, a driving-my-car-lightly-into-another-car episode and a dramatic visit to the dentist. The dentist kindly assured me that I'm not going to die from any teeth issues, not anytime soon anyways, and I was cleared to fly to LA for my sweet cousin's wedding (hooray!). I just need to make it through today and we'll be golden!

This weekend I'm looking forward to a little book clubbing saturday morning and then perhaps some paint shopping and paper flower making. Hope you folks have a sunny one!

THRIFTY THURSDAY

2011-04-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

So I lied there a little bit. I have been very thrifty as of late, so thrifty that I haven't been thrifting! Does that make sense? good! Me and the hubs are trying to figure out the logistics of our apartment, which we found to be quite tricky since we only have a one bedroom and we do a whole lot of living in our living room. We're just hoping we can get our apartment looking somewhat decent before we throw an apartment warming party (yes, I know, 5 months later!). Did you throw an apartment/condo/house warming party? I haven't been to one in ages, do people even have those anymore?

( 1 2 3 )

PROCRASTINATION

2011-04-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

I've got a serious case of life-long procrastination going on. It started with violin lessons when I was a kiddo, moved onto research papers in college and now onto my wisdom teeth as an irresponsible adult. Reason would tell you to find out why your jaw hurts so bad, but procrastination says that it'll go away in a day or so and when the pain is still there two years later wait until the week before your cousin's long-anticipated wedding to have them removed. Procrastination, you are so illogical. And while I'm waiting for my dentist to schedule an emergency extraction for me, I'm going to look at pictures of cute critters to make myself feel better about this whole situation. I think it's working.

(source)

WEEKEND

2011-04-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

Well. I was kinda lame this weekend. My and the hubs slept in Saturday and decided we didn't want to drive to the beach after all, which was fine and dandy, really. We did some serious apartment cleaning then headed over to one of our favorite coffee shops for a mid-afternoon treat. Thatcher's Coffee is by far one of the best though-out coffee places I've been to. Their branding is fantastic and the general aesthetic of the place is just warm and inviting. It's usually packed on Saturdays, but we lucked out and got a window seat all to ourselves.

FILL IN THE BLANK FRIDAY.

2011-04-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

1. The best prank I ever pulled was : This wasn't for April Fools, but during my high school days, there was this supposed haunted house that all the kids went to on the weekends. If you backed your car into the driveway, the ghosts of the people who were killed in the house would push your car away from the driveway. creepy, right? Me and my high school besty decided to take it a step further and told our group of friends before heading to the haunted house that if anyone gets a nose bleed on the way to the haunted house, it was a sign that they would die before the next day. We packed a vile of fake blood and took off to the haunted house that none of us had been to. At the gas station, I managed to slip some fake blood into my nose and watched in delight as my friends bailed out one by one. It was great fun.

2. The best prank ever pulled on me was: Well you can't kid a kidder, unfortunately.

3. A day without good coffee is a day wasted.

4. The most important things in life are: convictions.

5. I dream of: organizing my closet already. I'm simple minded.

6. I dread: getting my wisdom teeth removed. That's probably why they are still in my mouth, trying to kill me.

7. A discovery I made this week was: Jo Malone's Earl Grey & Cucumber Cologne. It reminds me so much of my childhood because my dad would always drink earl grey tea. Oh nostalgia!

(flowers)

ANNIVERSARY PALETTE.

2011-03-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

I have been anxiously awaiting spring. Not that spring is particularly kind to me, but I've always had very fond memories of it. This spring I'll be hosting an affair for my one year wedding anniversary and I really can't wait. I thought planning a wedding was great fun, but this is far better.

flowers / lemons / pancakes

THE GIRL WHO CRIED CUTE.

2011-03-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

This happens to me way too often. I use up my "honey, look how cute!" chances waaay before I see something that is genuinely cute and next thing I know, I'm staring at a baby in a shark costume all by myself. or I'm laying on the kitchen floor due to a misplaced banana peel.

(source)

OCEAN ESCAPE

2011-03-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

I've always hated going to the beach when the sun is out. It may have to do with my skins ability to turn lobster red as soon as it sees the sun or my distaste for heaps upon heaps of people all crowded on a single beach. I grew up in California, so I've had my fair share of sunblock and sandy trousers so I'll pass a sunny day at the beach for a cloudy day at the ocean any day. This weekend, me and the hubs are taking off to the ocean and I hope it rains!

coat / cloud book / backpack / blanket / shirt / shoes

oxfords.

2011-03-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

I finally purchased a pair of sweet little leather oxfords but I can't help feeling utterly grandmother-ish wearing them. Does anyone have a remedy or should these babies find their way back to the store?

(source)

wedding gown dilema.

2011-03-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, while daydreaming at work, I received an e-mail. The instant I saw the subject line, my heart sank. The e-mail informed me that the sweet girl in South Africa that so badly wanted my wedding dress had finally made a deposit and it was now time to ship the gown off. To be honest, I felt sickly. Growing up, I saw pictures of my mother in her wedding gown and I couldn't wait to wear it at my own wedding. I was sorely disappointed at age five, to find that my mom had given the dress away when she moved to Austria a few months before I was even born. Now here I am, selling away my own wedding gown. I thought about what my future nonexistent daughter might say. Certainly she'll wonder what I did with it, probably hoping I stored it somewhere deep in the attic for her or maybe she'll turn out completely unsentimental, wanting nothing "old" at her wedding. Either way, I think I have enough photos of my gown to satisfy her curiosity.

Did any of you ladies sell your wedding gown? Did you find it as difficult to let go as I'm finding now?

a sure sign of spring.

2011-03-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got inspired to paint my bathroom, buy a pair of old wingback chairs and start designing a functional office space. I convinced my husband that I need to reupholster some chairs asap. I don't know why, considering I've never done any reupholstering projects. And if you were wondering, we didn't find any drapes for our living room this weekend so I'm planning on finding some fabric and sewing drapes myself. again, this is not something I've ever done before. Oh well. I think all this enthusiasm is a sure sign of spring. Below are a couple of pretties that certainly put me in the spring spirit. Happy Monday!

(dress, lampshade)

fridayyyy!

2011-03-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

This week seemed both too long and quite short. Strange! but I'm happy for the weekend nonetheless. What are your plans? I've got a coffee date with a long-lost high school buddy along with a bookclub meeting and some fun dates planned with the hubs. He actually asked if we could go shopping for drapes after work today. What in the world?!?

pretty and bold.

2011-03-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Bike riding and pretty bold dresses.

(source)

spring fever.

2011-03-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know what has gotten into me as of late, but I haven't been this chipper in ages! It must be the fact that it's not dark out when I wake up or when I return home! I found this awesome floral jumper yesterday and I can't get it out of my mind. My husband hates that I enjoy dressing like a five year old, but he just doesn't understand that it's easier to play in a jumper than in my perfectly ironed trousers.

jumpsuit / candle / lotion / earrings / bag / sandals

ten months.

2011-03-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today I've been married for ten months. Those ten months seem a lot longer though, not because they were dreadful to any degree, but because it just feels like I've always been married. I've also learned a more in the past ten months than I expected to and here's some of what I found:

- Husbands love food. Learning to cook is a necessity, not an option.
- Husbands like being places on time, especially work.
- Never carpool when neither of you has eaten breakfast.
- Don't forget to put the clothes from the washer into the dryer. They tend to smell bad after two days.
- Forgive him before bedtime.
- Being married doesn't mean you stop dating each other.
- Husbands remember everything, so don't say getting flowers is cheesy because he'll stop bringing you flowers.
- Filling out your taxes before you were married was sooo much better.

For those of you who are married, what was something you discovered after being married for almost a year?

(bow)

guest blogging.

2011-03-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

Today I'll be guest blogging over at Stacey's blog while she's away on vacation in Maui.

Be sure to stop by and drop a quick hello.

summer in the city.

2011-03-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

my seasons are all over the place right now. I finally got enough courage to unpack a few boxes in my closet this weekend and found that most of them were full of breezy summer dresses. I kinda missed those guys! And since I don't plan on going anywhere warm anytime soon (remember how I said I loved doing my taxes? well, yeah, not so much anymore), I guess summer is the next time I'll be wearing anything sweet and colorful.

stumptown punch cards / bracelet / sandals / bag / dress

friday!

2011-03-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

I thought this day would never arrive! It's been such a long week, but thank goodness it's over. Things to look forward to next week :

- Doing my taxes. yeah, yeah everyone hates it, but I actually really, really enjoy it, though it probably has something to do with my getting money back, but who knows.
- Working on a few new projects. I get pretty bummed when projects come to an end (weird, huh?), but I'm excited that new stuff comes rolling in also.
- Planning a mini vacation with the husby. We desperately need to get away.
- Having my parents over for dinner. I'm embarrassed to say that they live less than three miles away and haven't been to our new place in the five months we've lived here. Sorry mom and dad :(
- Writing up some blog posts for a lady friend who's taking off to Maui next week (that little!)

oh and have a lovely weekend, also!

dear upstair neighbors.

2011-03-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

Last night, me and the husband came home from sushi to find a letter taped to our door.

We were a little confused. Who is this Gretchen from #290 and what made her so upset that she wrote a letter and hiked up 13 steps to tape it to our front door. We tried remembering what it was that we had done and decided this was the most accurate depiction of our evening.

6:30pm - Arrived at home with the husband, ate leftovers.

7:00pm - Husband left to a meeting leaving me all alone at home.

7:00 - 11:30pm - Husband gone, I blog, do research for several projects, read, brush teeth and iron clothes for tomorrow's work day.

11:30pm - Husband arrives home. We discuss his meeting while preparing for bed.

11:50pm - I set my alarm clock to 6:45 the next morning and I fall into a deep sleep.

I'm not sure which was more audible, my typing on the computer or my reading, but I am still genuinely baffled. Has this sort of thing ever happened to you?

time for a little picnic.

2011-03-02T00:20:00.000-08:00

I'm planning a little wedding anniversary party in May (one year, can you believe it?!), so I've got some picnic action on the mind. I can't wait to share the details.

pillows / dress / cake stands / glasses / plate / sandals / armchair

pretty in pink.

2011-03-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

drooling over these lovely, lovely booties!

(source)

desert dreaming.

2011-03-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

I most certainly am.

dress / note pad / candle / bangles / wallet / chair / sandles

handle with care.

2011-03-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

You know those cuties Julia and Yuriy, who travel the world and post pretty pictures on their travel blog? well kids, today they launched a new website where you can purchase prints, postcards and other goodies! and 15% of what you spend goes to charity. I'm so ecstatic! you should be too. go check out the awesomeness.

(handle with care)

mondays.

2011-02-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

still my least favorite day of the week. but I think any day would be after the weekend. I actually got to clean the heck out of my apartment. which the husband loved, of course. it was so clean that I didn't feel bad inviting some friends over for some shrimp scampi sunday afternoon.

On another note I've been a little flower crazy as of late. Crazy like I buy everyone flowers. It's weirding me out. and I think I should stop. I think this is why I'm loving flowers more than usual:

thanks for the consistent awesomeness saipua.

thrifty thursday.

2011-02-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

you are about to find out pretty quickly how much I love glass. cheap glass especially. I found this piece for $5 at goodwill while looking for some props for a photo shoot. I never used it so it's now sitting on my dresser and storing my favorite necklaces. I started doing research on where this was made, etc. but I got bored and started taking pictures instead.