{happy new year} to do list: twenty-ten

so, just like everyone else, i want to eat better, get fit, blah blah blah..in addition to those, here are my top 5 things i'd like to accomplish this year:

1. go on an exotic vacation. whether it's to hawaii, aruba, or some other far away land (bora bora in the picture below) i'm going! sure, i'd love to go to europe, but i'm feeling this is this year for some fab beach and cabana time.

{photo from here}

2. get my dollars in check. sure we have a savings account, and yes we pay our bills on time and credit cards in full..i'm talking cd's people. stocks..you know...get serious about where my money is going..you never know when that big rainy day will come...

3. learn something new. i like having this as an ongoing 'to-do'. i had this one last year and it feels so good to continue my education..whether it is sewing, understanding the chemistry in cooking, or canning. i'm looking forward to whatever it is i might get my hands into this year...

4. plant a vegetable garden. now that we have a backyard, i can grow tomatoes again, but this year i want to do carrots and other veggies as well. i'd also like to learn to can a few of them for use in the winter months.

5. reduce the stress and continue to be optimistic. so this was an issue that bubbled up this past year. i was completely stressed out the point of insomnia and hallucinations...until my boss told me one day, "it's not cancer." this statement rings in my ears every time a little bump in the road comes up. it has helped me get thru the silly little problems and focus on life's more important things...i hope i continue remembering that if i mess up, or if things don't work out exactly how we want, it isn't cancer. no one is going to die. (well, unless i am driving like a maniac or something like that..but you know what i mean)

so wish me luck! i hope your to-do list includes some fun stuff you've always wanted to do and i hope you have the energy and the health to accomplish them all. happy new year everyone!

xoxo

{happy new year} to do list, past reviewed...

2009 has been such an amazing year for me. it definitely had it's crappy moments, but for the most part, it was fantastic! i got married to a brilliantly lovely man who has an equally brilliant lovely family..my career is going well, my health, for the most part, was on the up and up and i accomplished many of the goals i set out about this time last year:

2009 to do list:
1. pay more attention to my posture. ok. so..i did, or at least i thought i did this very well, but looking back at some of my wedding photos, i think i must have forgotten this during all the excitement. aw well.

(ack! why didn't someone tell me to stand up straight?!!!)

2. eat more leafy greens & cut down the sugar. i did this very well ..until recently. my sugar intake is thru the roof and i plan to get it back in check just after midnight. ;)

(mmm. smores. these were amazing)

3. turn off the tv. yes! i think we did this very well..we've been on hikes and now that we have a big back yard, we tend to that every now and then and we even went on a hot air balloon ride!..although when we discovered the 1st season of lost on dvd..we were hooked for 3 months straight. it was awesome. but now we wait for the final season just like the rest of you lost fans out there...can't wait!


4. learn something new. while i didn't learn to sew (as i've been threatening to do so for some time), i did learn how to knit. i'm still in the process of making my first scarf and i like it!

(ok. so this was a little wide i found out and just tore it all out and started over. it's much skinnier now) :)

5. write more handwritten notes. ok. so, this was kind of cheating. i had to write a bajillion thank you notes after the wedding. :) but! i did also write a bajillion christmas cards too... i think that counts.

6. go for a walk..or run. which i totally did for a week straight. and then i hurt my knees and refuse to run on pavement ever again. the pain was ridiculous. back to the treadmill for this cookie.

i wonder what next year will have in store for me?

bummer.

{image from here}

somehow all of my pictures in my 'blogger' folder on my picasa account got wiped. sorry for the lack of beauty here folks..i'll see what i can do about it this weekend.

{shopping} for the girl who has everything..

i bought one of these at a holiday fair last week and absolutely love it! i feel so sassy when i wear it on my boot, and glammed up when around my neck. if you're looking for a gift for that super sassy friend in your life, this would be a definite smile-maker on Christmas morn (or just treat yourself like i did!)

here are some of her other styles, but be sure to check out her website(s) for more unique bootlery:

stivali
website
etsy shoppe
how-to video

{santy claus} best stocking stuffer ever...

wow. and here i thought restoration hardware was just for the serious...who knew they knew how to have serious fun?!

{cake topper} by me!

'remember this little buddy i diy'd a while back for my own wedding? weeeell, my fatastic photog (from our wedding) and his beautiful bride requested one for their big day..check it out..


i think it turned out really well! i'm working on putting together an etsy shoppe, but in the meantime, if you are looking for a custom, handmade cake topper for your event, drop me a line in the comment section or find my email address on my profile page.

more fantastic pictures to come from this gorgeous, vintage inspired wedding..

{photos by austin gros photography}

{shopping} just fine, thank you very much...

hello loves! i know i've been amiss, and i've really no good excuse other than i've been busy! (although i know you are thinking that i was even busier when i was planning my wedding and STILL managed to post something at least once a week).

but i digress.

i haven't come here to bore you with my life details, i've come to show you these:


they're cutting boards and aren't they just darling? see the whole lot of them at 'fine little shop'.

{hair-bows} she's at it again...

i always look forward to the posts chelsea makes over at oh my deer..i mean, she did do my lovely hair-bows too! (i know they really aren't hair-bows, but i have a problem calling anything that goes in my hair..well, a hair-bow.) well..she's at it again...


check out her sweet little blog or etsy shoppe to see the full collection.

{diy} initial wreath

saw this yesterday over at design sponge and thought about how lovely this would be for a fall ceremony..and looks easy too!

{fashion & design} oh joan.

i will be making a quick trip to nashville just in time for my bff's birthday celebration and she wants to do it in style..by style, i of course mean mad men. {if you have not seen this show, i highly recommend you sit your fanny down and watch it, if not for the deeply intense storyline, then for the beautiful women, fashion and set design}.

my inspiration for my outfit? joan of course.

because i am not the birthday girl for this event, i decided to go with something a little less...red:

and of course i had to get new shoes:

next up..jewelry.

{random} still alive...

hello my dears! i can't believe it's been over a month since i've posted anything to my beloved blog..but life has been busier than ever! i have so much to share with you, including a move to the suburbs, a san francisco wedding, and a secret project!

but for now, check out these beautiful, dreamlike photos taken by the ever-so-talented erica berger at a friends wedding right here in san francisco:




more to come!

{diy} 'pennants' stamp

from cathe @ just something i made. check her out..tons of inspiration and good laughs.

{diy} 'rose' stamps.

from martha, of course.

{random} i'll keep the book, thank you very much.

i read the time traveler's wife last summer and absolutely fell in love with it...no book can ever compare now to the love i have for the character's in this story..i miss having henry and claire in my life, so much so that my husband and i have agreed to name our children after them! well..henry at least...so when i heard the movie was coming out, i was ecstatic!

well, after reading the reviews, i just can't bare to see a beautiful story ripped to shreds and i refuse to see it, for fear that i will no longer love the characters as i have imagined them in my mind. and come to think of it, i don't ever remember a movie telling the story as beautifully as any book can do..have you?

{random} ahhh. shoes.

i am so picky when it comes to shoes...well, now that i live in a city where walking up and down steep hills is a daily thing (so heels are usually out)..and i've noticed i have traded comfort in place of style. sigh. so i usually throw on my chucks or some flip flops and carry on..searching for that perfect flat that marries style with comfort and doesn't cost a fortune..well, if some of you out there are a lot like me, then i hope you will find these shoes as perfect as i do:

behold the ecco ballet flats. they are just darling on the foot -very french i think- and the leather inside is that super soft and supple leather that gently caresses your foot as you move. i adore them..and best of all, they seem to go with everything. find them on sale here.

{wedding day} save the last dance for me

our last dance was so magical..can't you tell by the guy puking in the corner? ha. i love this picture..i love it because you can almost feel the love between us, i love it for the candles glittering in the background, and the delicate cafe lights dangling above our heads, and yes, i even love my husband's friend doing whatever he was doing (coughing? sneezing? puking?) in the background..it, to me, represents the sense of humor we will always carry with us. :)

we danced to heavenly day, a patty griffin song..and it was perfect.

Oh Heavenly day
All the clouds blew away
Got no trouble today
With anyone

The smile on your face
I live only to see
It's enough for me baby
It's enough for me
Oh heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day

Tomorrow may rain with sorrow
Here's a little time we can borrow
Forget all our troubles in these moments so few
Oh we can right now the only thing that all that we really have to do

Is have ourselves a heavenly day
Lay here and watch the trees sway
Oh can't see no other way
No way
No way
Heavenly day heavenly day heavenly day

No one on my shoulder
Bringing me fears
Got no clouds up above me
Bringing me tears
Got nothing to tell you
I got nothing much to say
Only I'm glad to be here with you
On this heavenly heavenly heavenly heavenly heavenly day
Oh all the troubles gone away
Oh for awhile anyway
For awhile anyway
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Oh heavenly day

{random} loving julie & julia...

so you might think this post is just about a movie that i liked and i'm trying to get you all to go see it..but it's so much more than that...

if you blog. if you write. if you even read these blogs that so many people across the world get up to put their words out there as they drink their morning cup of coffee and push 'publish post' ..then i think you would like should see this movie. this movie is so inspirational on so many levels..and amy adams and meryl streep were amazing in it. i laughed, i cried, i was inspired!

oh..and..this was super cool..so we're sitting there, drinking our red wine, watching this fantastic movie admist a crowd of handsome gay men, obvious food lovers, and of course the 'older' crowd..and i notice around julie powell's (amy adams) neck..this fantastic little pendant:

only hers was on a pretty little silver chain. can you believe it?! i just posted about the cuff links i got for my husband on our wedding day..i must have it! i simply must! right?

oh. and while were doing a little pretend shopping, i might as well get this too:

to learn more about julia child (in case you didn't grow up watching her on tv) you can watch the old pbs shows here.

btw. did you know you can still read the blog that was initially the whole reason for the movie? yup...and i just added it to my fav. blog list..i think i'll start from the beginning...

{wedding day} gifts...

i had totally forgotten to write about the secret gifts until one of my readers reminded me (thanks stephanie!)...

for the groom...
ok, i'm warning you..this really isn't very unique..to you..but for my groom, it was perfect. we got engaged in new york, he needed cuff links for his new french cuff shirt (didn't own a pair), and our style for the wedding was vintage..so of course, i just had to get these:

they are vintage nyc subway tokens set in sterling silver. gorgeous in person..and he loved them.

for the fam...
we really wanted to do something special for our parents. without their examples of love and the support of our relationship, this wonderful day would have never happened. so we presented them with a small token at the rehearsal dinner to represent the gift that would arrive later:

a cherry tree, already picked out and paid for was to be planted at each home, representing the strength of our love that they can watch grow over the years.

what are your unique or thoughtful gift ideas?

{that's life} sirens, smoke, and sleeping pills...

don't mix those 3. it's kinda scary.

saturday night, we both took a sleeping aid..and right before we went to bed i said, "you know, we really need to only have one of us take medications in case there is an emergency..so we aren't both so out of it we make a fatal mistake..etc." he agreed and we went to bed..a couple of hours later the fire engine sirens wake me up..and then i smell the smoke. i was terrified..shaking my husband to wake him up..yelling at him to open the window to the fire escape and was gearing myself to jump out of bed, grab the dog and make a run for it ..i thought for sure we were about to lose everything, but didn't care as long as we were alive. he finally jumped up and looked out the window..and sure enough, there were several fire trucks right under our window..but the fire (praise the Lord) was outside..someone had set a car on fire.

holy bajeezus was it a scary moment.

so..no more duo medicated people in our house. it was good, because we had that conversation we've never had before..what to do if we did have to leave in an emergency..and we both agreed that no one thing in our place was worth risking our lives..we would just leave it all behind (after, of course, i joked about saving my makeup..i mean, there were like 10 cute firemen outside for peet's sake!). really puts life into perspective.

have you guys talked about what you would do in an emergency?

{wedding day} reception details

photos by daniel meigs

while we were finishing up some post-ceremony pics, our guests enjoyed refreshments and filled out the wish cards for our "guest book."

Don't: think you need to have a "cocktail hour." we set up cucumber water and orange iced tea outside of the reception area along with mints for our guests to relax with. by keeping the doors closed to the reception "barn," it encouraged our guests to linger in the garden before the sun set, fill out the cards for our wish bowl, and mingle with friends. i don't think they minded not having a glass of wine or beer at this time, but i'm sure they did enjoy the refreshing beverages on such a hot day.

Do: take dancing lessons! we so enjoyed practicing in our living room during the weeks leading up to the big day, and still bust out a move in the middle of a store, or on the street when a song puts our feet to action! we also started our reception this way..after the pics, the guests were asked to enter the barn and wait for our arrival..as soon as we entered, our song played..and we danced..it was a great way to kick off the party and gave us an opportunity to then visit our guests at their tables afterwards.

{what i'm jonesin' for} tabletop

the wedding day feels like a dream i had once..a long time ago. there are more pictures to come, but i want to take a break and fill you in on my latest obsession: nesting.

we don't have a dining room, per se, but we intend to make one...meaning arranging a few things around in the living room and thus creating a 'dining area.' i for one, am bored of sitting on the couch and hovering over my food that sits on a coffee table...staring at the tv. i work so hard (sometimes) on creating a delicious meal, that i want to sit down at a table and enjoy it with my husband..so, without further ado, here is what i'm dreaming of:


table: big sur from crate & barrel. cost: $1499.
chair: Marais A from DWR. cost: $250 x 4
feed sack table runner: in red from wisteria. cost: $399 (not kidding)
vintage washtub: from wisteria. cost: $199

total for dream dining area: $3,097

see my problem?

let's not forget the assorted antique silverware and mix-match french plates. le sigh.

update: the chairs are 50% off. we just bought 4. score!!

{wedding day} the ceremony

photos by daniel meigs

the ceremony was the favorite part of the day for me. the old house the girls and i came out of was amazing inside..but you had to go up one set of stairs and come down another to get to the door i was coming out of...we had to take of our shoes for the trek..those stairs were steep!

Do: put aside money in your budget for microphones. i know they aren't a glamorous thing to spend your hard earned money on, but our guests were so grateful to be able to hear us..especially since we wrote our own vows. remember: they came to see you, yes, but they came to hear you too.

Do: think outside the box! i sat my parents on the grooms side, and vice versa. this way our parents were able to see our faces during the whole thing and it was comforting to look out and see my mom's smile.

Don't: think you have to have a seat for everyone. chairs can get expensive and they take up a lot of space. we had enough chairs for the immediate family and elderly, while everyone else stood. this created an incredibly intimate atmosphere..but i don't recommend this method if your ceremony lasts longer than 20 min.

Don't: forget to close your mouth when making your way back up the aisle during the confetti throwing. i was choking on a piece of stuck rosemary thru the rest of the night!

{wedding day} pre-ceremony pics and details

photos by daniel meigs

we all had so much fun taking several family photos and other various pictures before the ceremony. it was nice to have everyone together.

Do: use your friends! they are great resources and it never hurts to just ask. my moh worked in a wine store and i asked her to save up any wine crates so that i can use them for different things like putting the packets of rosemary confetti and programs in. my husband's side of the family has musical talent, and when jeff said he would sing in our wedding with an acoustic guitar, i nearly cried. he learned and played (beautifully) a joshua radin song that was just perfect for the day.

{wedding day} for the first time..

photos by daniel meigs

we decided to do photos before the ceremony..and it was so much fun!! so if you are wondering if it's for you:

Do: photos before. it was fun walking up behind him..with all the anticipation..and the look on his face is something i will never forget. it also totally calmed my nerves and i was able to relax and listen to the words that were being said at the ceremony. really, it was probably one of the most romantic moments of my life. and we were able to be ourselves..just the two of us (and daniel) for a few minutes before standing in front of 120 people and then whisked away to celebrate. i highly recommend it.

{wedding day} dress and details...

photos by: daniel meigs
hair flowers by: oh my deer (chelsea)
purse by: red ruby rose
jewelry by: me!

Do: get your nails done the day of or the day before..not a few days before. just throwing that out there.

Don't: get a strapless dress. ok. this is shocking, i know..but in my experience, if i had to do it all over again, this would be the one big thing i would change. don't get me wrong, i love my dress! but i wish i would have added some lacy straps for 2 reasons: 1. i was so worried about my bewbies flopping out and shocking guests, that i was hunched over in most of my pictures. 2. as the night went on, no matter how tight the dress was to get into, it stretched out..and i had to keep pulling it up. not sexy.

next: more vendor appreciation & seeing each other for the first time...

{vendor appreciation} Vintage Florals.

i know i promised details and the dress, but i'm pretty sure y'all are tired of looking at me and would much rather look at these beautiful flowers vintage florals arranged for the day...

photos by daniel meigs

i actually found melissa thru a wholesale flower shop that i used to frequent when i lived in nashville..i emailed the shop, asking if he had any recommendations for a floral designer..and luckily..he knew melissa.

the moment i spoke to her on the phone, i knew she was going to be fantastic. she seemed to know exactly what i was looking for and was just as excited to arrange them, as i was to have them there on the big day.

Do: be prepared. do some research as to what is in season on or around your wedding date. if you must have a flower that isn't readily available..be prepared to pay. try the wedding flower finder on real simple.

Don't: expect her to read your mind. bring pictures of designs/colors you like to your floral designer so you are clear about what it is you do and do not want. try the color image finder on google.com.

Do: check out your options. there are many ladies (and guys!) out there who do this sort of thing for a living out of their own home while trying to raise a family. you might get a better price and fresher flowers than if you use a florist. (but not always..there are good florists out there who won't charge extra just because the word "wedding" comes out your mouth).

{wedding day} getting ready...

my post-wedding blues have stepped aside today...i have pictures, and permission to use them, from the fantabulous daniel meigs. i really cannot say enough about this guy..he has been a dream to work with ... from start to finish. so..without further ado..here are the pics before the dress:























the girls and i got ready at my mother-in-laws house, which was right down the road from the venue. she provided us with a fantastic salad and bread and even broke out her good china for the day.

Do: eat. and drink lots of water. i assigned my mom the job to make sure i always had something in my lap or hand to eat. this was such a big help..there was no time to just sit down and eat..there was always something going on..something to do. so make sure you delegate this job to someone. please.

my hair and make-up was done by a friend of the family as a wedding present. she does the stars of nashville and i was ever so grateful to have her there that day..she did a fantastic job, and even touched up my girls (my bm's that is..not my bewbies). :)

Do: get creative! we needed to have me raised up to eye level for my make-up girl to be able to do a good job..and she needed good light. my bm's got the great idea to use the wine crates we were using in the wedding..and stack them up high enough..AND they made for great photos.

Don't: think that you have to have your hair dirty for it to work better. i'm glad i mentioned to my make-up girl that i tend to get a little greasy if i don't wash my hair..she said that i should definitely wash it and we will make it "dirty" with products. so be sure to talk to whomever is doing your hair..she might have a trick up her sleeve...

next up: details and..the dress!

{tap tap tap} it's been 17 days...

and i'm still waiting..on more fancy pictures, on an authentic marriage license (so i can finally change my name!), and for me to decide where to begin...

i want to tell you my do's & don'ts..but would love some images to go with it..i can't wait to tell you the songs we danced to and the little surprises we threw out there, but again..i am sure there are beautiful pictures just waiting for me to post..so we wait.

in the meantime, i am working on thank you notes. first for the vendors..to hopefully go out this weekend. and we have decided to send all guest thank-you's together..in 1 big batch, so there are no hurt feelings over who get's theirs first...and we wanted to be sure to have used the money for something, so that when we send a thank-you card to aunt so-and-so, we can thank her for the money toward (insert fabulous gift here), instead of..thanks for the cash! you know what i mean?

...

photo by daniel meigs

17 days..and it feels like a dream..and the best part is that our families are still swooning over what a magical day it was..so happy that our happiness & love was felt and spread to those around us.

{beauty} buy it.

i know i'm a lucky, lucky girl..especially when it comes to breakouts. it seriously just doesn't happen to me. and when it does..it's ridiculously microscopic. ok. i'll shut up now...

BUT..of course..it happened. 4 days before the big day. just one..but it was GINORMOUS...and not just to me..other people commented on it, etc. i was mortified.

so..i scurried to my face place to see if they had any quick remedies..and boy did they ever:

lavender vinegar from l'occtaine.

seriously. buy it..just in case. it saved my life...er..face.

{beauty} my big fat face..or makeup..

doing some serious catching up at work, but i really wanted to let you in on the whole makeup/hair ordeal. as a matter of fact..there are so many things i learned from my own wedding and i cannot wait to share those with you...but for now..let's do the makeup thing...

remember how i went out and bought a ton of makeup? and i did a ton of research on how i wanted my hair? well..that all got thrown out the window...

photo by daniel meigs

i didn't use a drop of the $150 worth of makeup. lesson here is to find out from your makeup artist if she will be using her own stuff...chances are that's the way you want to go anyway...she/he will be able to see things that you might not..like color, texture, etc...in fact..she airbrushed my foundation on..and it lasted for-ev-er. as for the hair...well, she knew i never wear my hair up..so she came up with her own little do..and it turned out great!

so think about who you are and who you want to see when you look at your pictures years from now.. who cares if it's customary for the bride to wear an updo...do what feels right to you, and you can't go wrong.