You Had Me At Handmade...

Show Me Art, Show Me Hope

2011-06-03T16:33:00.000-05:00

Something I didn't mention in my last post that also happened on my birthday was the disastrous tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Joplin is clear across the state from me, but I do know people that live there and whose homes were destroyed in the storm. Aside from that, I'll be the first person to admit being terrified of tornadoes (good thing I live in the midwest, eh?) and I can't help but empathize with with the people who have lost their families, homes and lives due to this catastrophe.

Recently my friend Laura shared a link on Facebook yesterday that I'm hoping goes viral. She works for a design firm in town called Moosylvania, and they recently started a project called Show Me Art, Show Me Hope that benefits the United Way Small Business Fund for Joplin. Not only is it awesome art (and it comes signed by the designer!) but all the proceeds go to helping rebuild the city of Joplin. Do me a favor and head over to their shop right now.

All images via Moosylvania. Designed by Laura Hoeman, Jacob Etter, Skylar Salisbury, Hilary Clements and Rachel Hamblin

Happy Birthday To Me

2011-05-26T17:36:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday was my 25th birthday. We celebrated by heading to Maifest in Hermann, MO, which I've talked about before in reference to Oktoberfest, but have somehow never actually posted a recap about it. I'm sure you can imagine why... Anyway, it's been a tradition to go to Oktoberfest and Maifest since I've been of legal age to do so. That really hasn't been that long in the grand scheme of things, but I can definitely say that Hermann is one of my favorite places to visit.

Near Hermanhoff winery on our way to Tin Mill Brewery

Grape vines at Stone Hill

This is what Sean would look like if he actually drank that giant glass of wine and wore liederhosen

First of all, I must say that I can't believe the amount of time we were there. Hermann is a little over an hour away from where we live in St. Louis. We left at 10:30 am. We got back right around 11:30 PM. 11:30 PM! Second, I have to thank all of the people who were there, and especially those who stuck it out for the entire day to celebrate. It was such a fun time, and though I tend to not like being the center of attention, everyone made me feel quite loved on my 25th.

Most of the gang that came... somebody was looking ready to go home (that's our best man, Brett)

Me, Emily and Crista (maid of honor and bridesmaid) at Tin Mill Brewery

We went to a few wineries, ate a ton of cheese, crackers and cookies, hit up one brewery, had our fill of bratwurst and German potato salad, as if that wasn't enough, headed to the bier deck in Washington, MO on our way back for a little more celebrating and a ton of appetizers. (Sean's cousin's own John G's!)

Crista and I both decided to wear yellow dresses for the day. I have no idea what's going on in this photo but I thought it was funny.

I finally got a photo of Mary's baby bump! Me with my (soon to be) sister in law and cousin in law Monica.

What a perfect way to celebrate a quarter of a century :)

Long Time No See

2011-05-21T09:39:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends! How've you been? For the past few weeks my schedule has been jam packed, and mostly with fun stuff.

Last weekend we attended Anna's rehearsal dinner and wedding. They held the rehearsal dinner at their house and served Pappy's barbecue. If you're not familiar with Pappy's, you should probably make your way to St. Louis sometime soon. (Beware the music if you click on the Pappy's link)

Their wedding was absolutely gorgeous. It rained the day of so it had to be moved inside, but if it bothered the bride and groom you certainly couldn't tell. They were both beaming the entire night. This is my favorite photo of the day... taken by Sean:

Seriously I can't even crop the darn thing without tearing up. Anna was beautiful, her dad looked so happy... the flowers (arranged by Emily, in yellow in the above photo) were so perfect.

Anna's niece was a flower girl and she was adorable with a capital A. Everyone awww-ed when she walked down the aisle and she knew she was workin' the crowd with that pretty little smile.

Everyone signed their guestbook with a thumbprint during the cocktail hour. Then we ate, danced, drank, and had an amazing time.

The photo below is near the end of the night. Sean and I had a little fun with reflections on the outdoor patio (where the ceremony was going to be held... it stopped raining eventually) Check it out... I'm floating over I-70. In hindsight we should have taken the pictures in the windows that were facing east instead of north so we could get the St. Louis Arch in there... but still cool nonetheless.

Such a fun weekend. Anna and Andrew left for their honeymoon soon after and should be back in the next few days. I can't wait to share photos and reminisce, and hear all about their travels!

Roundup

2011-05-04T10:15:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed that more and more days are coming between posts here on the blog. Unfortunately I think that's going to be about the norm for a while as I continue to plan our wedding, start grad school, continue to work at my day job and try to run the shop when I can. I'm ok with that though... I am only one person! So for the most part, I hope to keep you up to date with what's going on in my life and will try to do the usual columns when I can.

Speaking of updates, this past weekend was really the kickoff for "wedding season" for me. I attended my friend Anna's bachelorette party, and though I haven't yet asked permission to share photos, I will tell you that the weekend involved a handful of wineries and bars, delicious pizza, bagels from a street cart, an arm wrestle showdown between our bride and another (Anna won!) and a visit to a house that my mom used to live in during the 70's. You can just use your imagination for the rest :) It was an excellent weekend to celebrate the marriage of our good friend, and I look forward to her quickly approaching wedding day!

Moving on, I'd like to share a few of my favorite posts of recent from around the internet:
Pop Up Cards at The Crafts Dept.
Wise Words at Little Reminders of Love
Sean and Lauren at Style Me Pretty!
Lovin' Yourself at Not Your Average Ordinary
Etsy Finds at Lauren Elise Crafted
Printing Process Series at Oh So Beautiful Paper
Sweet Home Alabama at Playing Grown Up

Secrets, secrets

2011-04-29T11:30:00.001-05:00

No doubt you've seen at least part of the royal wedding coverage today. If you haven't you should probably head on over to CNN asap. For me, the most intriguing part of it all was finally getting to see Kate's oh so secretive wedding gown.

Oh, the lace... I wish I could see this gown in person to examine all the little details. Though it's not exactly what I had imagined her wearing (I kind of imagined a dressed up version of what her sister and Maid of Honor Pippa wore to the wedding) Does Kate's gown remind you of another historic bride's notable gown?

(Grace Kelly)

And just for kicks... remember when I went shopping for my own wedding dress? Well I'm still not going to show you my actual dress until after the wedding, but I will show you one that I didn't end up choosing. I think this gown could turn into a top contender for brides who are going for a Duchess of Cambridge look as they pick their own gowns:

As beautiful as this gown is, when I put it on I kind of felt like a little girl who was playing dress up in her mother's closet. This gown has to be owned by the bride wearing it for sure, and as a 25 year old bride planning an outdoor wedding, I felt a bit too modest and formal in it. Perhaps if we were having a ballroom wedding it would have made sense. I do think I remember it having pockets though, which I think is an excellent trend in wedding gowns. I look forward to seeing the Watters Escalante on other brides on my favorite wedding blogs!

What did you think of the royal wedding? What about the criticisms you may have heard about Kate's (small) bouquet and their (short) kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace?

Oh and PS, I would be 100% thrilled if my wedding guests decided to go the British route and wear an assortment of fabulous hats and headpieces in October :)

It Gets Better With Age

2011-04-27T10:58:00.000-05:00

Isn't that the truth about oh so many things? This anniversary shoot by Jesse Holland Photo found on Style Me Pretty reminds me of our engagement photos.

And though I can't imagine it getting much better than it already is, if it gets better with age, I think we've got it made.

Little Red

2011-04-21T09:47:00.000-05:00

Whataweek. Or two. Or three.

End of semester events are wrapping up in my office at work, decisions for wedding stuff continue to be made, spring cleaning is DONE, lots of other stuff has being going on here and there with friends and family and upcoming holidays and birthdays (Happy birthday to my mom today!) I'm ready for a nap.

But first, I'd love to share a little something with you. Not completely off topic... Sean and I visited our wedding venue a few weekends ago, and this is one of many reasons I love the place so very much:

Yep. That's a (creepy?) framed photo of a cat wearing a red hood. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of desert in the background as well. Uhhhh.. ok? I'll save the location of said photo for my wedding guests to find on October 15... I'm sure it'll be a nice surprise.

Really, I do love everything about our wedding venue. This totally random photo is exactly that- totally random... and totally not reflective of any other detail or decor for the rest of the venue. Any guesses as to where guests will find the above gem?

I Might Be Obsessed.

2011-04-14T11:03:00.000-05:00

I might have stayed up past midnight last night to make sure I could download Two Kisses for Maddy as soon as it was possibly available today, April 14th. I pre-ordered it through the Nook app for my iPod touch ages ago.

I might have stayed up past one a.m. speeding through the first few chapters, completely wired by the fact that the book is finally here.

I might have gotten up this morning and headed straight to the couch to read some more, giving myself less than 30 minutes to get ready for work this morning.

I might be sneaking a page or two throughout the day to take breaks from work, and I might be finding a cozy spot under a tree somewhere on campus to take my lunch this afternoon... with my iPod.

I might already be halfway through the book, so some might say I'm a bit obsessed. But I'll go ahead and say you should probably get to reading it as well.

Start Spreadin' the News

2011-04-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

Friends, there's something I've been dying to tell you about for the past few months, and now that I have worked out all the kinks, it's about time that I make an announcement. Here's a little visual aid for you:

I got the big envelope! (above is my best attempt at recreating what I thought was the look I made when I saw the envelope. Imagine me making a slight squeal at the same time.)

Yes I know, I've been hiding a secret from you...but the cat's finally out of the bag- I'm going to grad school. Remember how I mentioned learning as one of my goals for 2011? Well this has been my plan since before that post, but I had to wait until I got all the details under control to share with you. Yesterday I received a schedule and a list of books I need to order, and I just can't contain myself anymore.

I'm going to be attending an online program at Maryland Institute College of Art for a Master of Professional Studies in the Business of Art and Design. That's right. I'm getting a masters degree in BAD.

Years ago as an undergrad I never would have imagined myself pursuing a graduate degree. But things have changed as I've started my career, and this program will help me take it in the right direction. Starting Clever Betty and this blog have helped me to realize that I've wanted to do my own thing all along... but I need more education to get to where I want to be. So starting at the end of May, for 14 months, I'll officially be a student again, learning about business in an arts-based/entrepreneurial program.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am- to learn, to be a part of such a program, and that I got in in the first place... MICA's acceptance rate for this program was around 20-25%, and the grad programs at the university are ranked in the top four in the nation. And I get to be a part of it.

Bring on the school supplies!

Only In Dreams

2011-04-05T19:24:00.000-05:00

My fiance falls asleep on the couch on just about a nightly basis. I hear it's hereditary based on reports from his mom, as well as my soon to be sister in law, who has mentioned the same thing about Sean's brother. Sometimes I envy the fact that they can get so comfortable in just about any place that they can fall asleep.

I spent a ton of time sewing this past weekend, and when I came upstairs around 1am Sunday morning, there he was, curled up on the couch sleeping along to one of his favorite tv shows as usual. And as usual, I bent down to give him a kiss on the cheek, said goodnight, and headed to my favorite place to sleep: the bed. Only this time I was three steps away from the couch and Sean started to say something.

"Just so you know, Greta's flipping you off right now."

to which I responded, "Excuse me? Say that again?"

"Just so you know, Greta's flipping you off right now." Eyes still closed. Rolls over. Says, "Nevermind. That didn't make any sense." Instantly falls back asleep.

Tell me, friends, does this look like the face of a monster that would flip off the hand that feeds her, rubs her belly, and protects her from the doom that is known as the vacuum?

I didn't think so. Oh, the things one dreams up while they're sleeping...

Written in Ink

2011-04-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago KT tagged me in a cute handwriting game. I'm not the kind of blogger who always passes these things along, but I thought it'd be fun to share what my handwriting looks like with you for today's Sunday Snapshot. The prompts included:

1. Your name/blog name
2. URL
3. The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.
4. Favorite quote (for some reason this one always sticks with me. I should probably get a painting of it made to hang in my studio.)
5. Favorite song (don't laugh at me, you know you love Taylor too... and I'll also admit that I've been known to like a Ke$ha song here and there. Glad we got that out of the way.)
6. Favorite musician (this really is hard for me to narrow down as there are so many, but I'll always come back to the trusty Andrew McMahon, who apparently is releasing a new JM album soon!)

Feel free to join in on the fun and send me your link! I'm certain that your handwriting will be more legible than my own.

Spring Break at KT's Refinishing School

2011-04-01T07:00:00.006-05:00

If you don't already read KT's blog, you should head over to KT's Refinishing School today! She's doing a Spring Break guest posting event, and yours truly has something special to share about one of my favorite parts of Spring. (aside from seeing flowers like the ones in the photos above!)

Image via Flickr.

For A Friend

2011-03-31T12:00:00.004-05:00

Remember how we went out on Saturday to celebrate Crista's 30th? Well the majority of the night was exactly that. A celebration. An amazing night out with great friends. A chance to dance and enjoy live music, laugh, sing along, and have a few drinks. But what seemed like instantly, the evening did a complete 180.

To make a long story short, our friend got a very unexpected phone call telling her that her father had been shot in the face that night and was in the hospital. Being about a six hour drive away from him, she left immediately with her fiance and headed to her hometown, when it was already after 11pm. He's made it through an amazing number of reconstructive surgeries over the past few days and continues to recover with his family by his side.

Her family's lives changed forever in an instant, and my friends and I have been sitting in St. Louis, feeling somewhat helpless, trying to figure out how we can reach out, give them hope, and let them know that we love them and are here for support. Crista has asked for prayers to help them through the unfortunate results of a completely senseless crime. So, blog friends, I turn to you to ask you to keep them in your thoughts as her Dad is recovering, and to send them the hope and strength they need to get the justice they deserve. You can view a local news video here to read more about what a selfless, passionate family man he is. (Though the video mentions Crista's wedding being in the Spring, it's actually this Fall and we're all hoping for a speedy recovery so that her Dad can make that walk down the aisle with her on her wedding day.)

Crista, I love you and send my hopeful and positive thoughts to you and your family.

Image via LOV-E

Custom Purses

2011-03-30T09:53:00.000-05:00

I promised I'd share some photos of the giant custom order I'm doing... so here's a few teasers!

I realize that this in no way shows you what it is that I'm making. Though the title of this post and the nature of my business probably should.

We'll just say there's LOTS of them... and I'll be back with more photos throughout the process!

My new sewing machine is calling my name...

A Lengthy Recap

2011-03-28T10:48:00.000-05:00

So I bet you're wondering what the heck I was doing aside from hosting a virtual bridal shower over the past week or so, huh? Well... I hope you have a minute, because this will likely be a long post. I have been really horrible at taking photos at most of these events as well... so bear with me, read, and imagine the events, won't you?

First, last weekend involved a lot of food. Saturday night Sean and I went to our friends John and Heather's for an evening of deep frying. That's right. Deep frying. I think it involved some kind of dare at work that would be placed in the company newsletter. Which lead to suggestions of things to deep fry from coworkers who would not be participating. Most of their suggestions got tossed, but I will say that there was a little plastic tub labeled "pig brains" that I could not bring myself to look at... let alone eat.

Other deep fried foods included avocados, cream cheese and jalapenos in egg roll wrappers, mashed potatoes, strawberries in Coke flavored batter, and Spam. Apparently the Spam was actually pretty good according to the guys. My faves? Garden Vegetable cream cheese in an egg roll wrapper, and strawberries with Coke batter. That's about all I could handle.

Moving on, last Sunday we had a chili cookoff competition hosted by cousins Jesse and Monica. There were five chili entries total (including one from me and one from Sean... we don't mess around when it comes to chili!) and five categories. Amazingly, each chili managed to win a prize. Sean walked away with the Golden Ladle... the ultimate chili cookoff prize. It now resides in our kitchen until the next chili cookoff... That's his chili with some tasty cornbread below.

I ended up winning the competition for "Everything but the kitchen sink" meaning there's a lot of ingredients involved. I'm proud of it! Though I'm sure Mama Z would have been proud if I'd won the "Get the Firehose!" category, as I used her chili recipe and she's all about HOT chili!

The following day we had one last cake tasting, which was a bit out of the ordinary as the baker came to our house to do the tasting. We invited a few friends and had a little tasting party... and finally made a decision on who will be doing our wedding cake.

The last week also involved quite a few other wedding details- shopping for clothes for Sean and the groomsmen, finding a florist and booking her because she knew exactly what I wanted before I even opened my mouth to explain, and hunting for a rehearsal dinner venue- Sean's parents are on the ball with helping us find a great place!

And the list goes on... we've been doing a ton of Spring cleaning, and my studio is finnnnnnally in good shape so that I can work on a giant custom order for a wedding this week. More pics to follow on that one!

Friday, a bunch of us girls took our friend Crista to see Stomp at the Fox Theater for her birthday.

Both Sean and I have had colds for the past week, which made it really convenient to run a 5k on Saturday in 35 degree weather... but we made it! And with some of our best times ever.

Saturday afternoon involved bridesmaid dress shopping for Crista's wedding. It was a really fun way to spend a snowy Saturday indoors. Snow. On March 26. Unbelievable... and it sounds like there's more to come this week!

Saturday night we attended a birthday celebration for Crista that was hosted by her fiance. (It's her 30th- she's allowed to have multiple celebrations!) Qdoba for dinner (one of Crista's faves, aside from Skyline in Ohio) and then to the Jive and Wail for some piano bar entertainment.

Yesterday we met up with the couple whose wedding we attended in the Philippines, as they were in town to visit family.

Whew! I'm looking forward to having a few evenings that involve pajamas and the couch, to say the least :) What have you been up to?

Whoops!

2011-03-27T23:17:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you leave your Fabri-Tac glue on its side with a faulty cap:

That glue had been there long enough to solidify into a permanent glue-sicle by the time I noticed it. Mental note: put the Fabri-Tac in it's rightful place on top of the craft supplies... in an upright position.

March Tutorial: How to host a virtual bridal shower

2011-03-24T07:00:00.136-05:00

I'm baaaack!

Today I'd like to share with you one of the many projects that's been keeping me so darn busy this month. First of all, I have to mention that while I may talk about my wedding on a fairly regular basis, I don't think I've talked much about the fact that this is the year of the wedding in our household.

I've only ever been a flower girl in a wedding before... and that was a good 20-ish years ago. This year I'm a bridesmaid in two weddings, on top of being a bride in my own- one in June, ours in October, the last in November. But I'm not finished yet- there's two more! We're attending my bridesmaid Anna's wedding in May, and the other, which we unfortunately can't attend, is my cousin Jen's in November. Oye. So back to the project.

One of my high school girlfriends actually got married last June. Long story short, he's in the Air Force, was getting deployed, so they had a small ceremony at the time, but they still want a big celebration once he gets back. So this year, on their one year anniversary, they're having a traditional wedding and reception. Since I'm one of the bridesmaids, I stepped up to host the bridal shower. Difficult thing is, she lives in Montana and won't be back in Missouri (where most of her guests live and the wedding will be) until the week before the wedding. So I did the bridal shower working around this issue... virtual style.

This was the evite that was sent out. So how exactly do you host a virtual bridal shower? You start a blog, of course!

Step one: Email your invitation. (see first photo for mine) I recommend doing an open site after trying to do a private site myself. The hassle of sending invitations via blogger and folks who don't normally read blogs not understanding the process was a bit overwhelming- so learn from my mistake! Chances are you won't have too many uninvited folks visiting your site if you're not tagging posts and there are settings to make it invisible in blogger search and google search.

Step two: Make an intro page. I just made a post that would appear on the home page to serve as instructions for the shower itself. I also utilized the static pages feature that blogger offers to create the rest of the site. You're allowed to have ten pages total, and I used eight: (which you can see right under the header of the site) About the couple, registry, favors, advice, and four games: mad lib, 20 questions, in your purse, and first date.

Step Three: Choose your games wisely. Many bridal shower games require you to all be in the same room as each other. I picked the four that I did because they were games where guests could leave their answers in the comments. 20 questions was a game about Justin and how well Jackie knows him. I wrote questions like how did he find out Santa wasn't real (sorry if I just crushed anyone's dreams) and what was the name of his first pet. Guests left the number that they thought Jackie and Justin would answer the same way.

The Mad Lib was also fun because people just filled in the prompts, and when it was all over, I posted everyone's answers filled into the mad lib. Jackie picked her favorite for the winner. For first date- Jackie told the story of her first date with Justin, guests left their stories with their significant others, and Jackie picked her favorite for the winner. And finally, for in your purse, guests posted the contents of their purse and I had a key to award them points for each item.

Step Four: Make a page for guests to leave advice for the couple. Check out what our guests wrote:

Step Five: Get the registry information from the bride and set up a page to link to it. Since we couldn't bring gifts to watch her open them at a bridal shower, we all mailed our gifts straight to her.

Step Six: You can't have a bridal shower without a favor to thank the guests! I decided to do a printable piece of art. That way guests could print it from their own computers and frame/use it as they please. Don't think I'd leave you hanging... if you want to use my favor for a virtual shower of you own, (or if you just want a little freebie art!) you can download it here.

That's it! Simple, straightforward, and if you already have a blog then you know exactly what to do. Do you know a bride who lives far away from her guests and could benefit from a virtual shower? What other ways have you been creative with bridal showers?

Header and invitation art pieces made from downloads from Pugly Pixel.
Images of the couple courtesy of the bride.
Favor art done by Moi :)

Just One of THOSE Weeks

2011-03-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

I'm having one of THOSE weeks, friends.

The kind where you get out of bed, reluctantly, and then throw yourself back down pounding your fists and yelling "I don't wanna!" while your fiance innocently tries to put his socks on and get the heck out of the room.

What, you don't do that? Well I do. When it's one of those weeks.

I really don't feel like going to work this week. Or cleaning my studio space so I can make room for my new sewing machine. Or sewing for that matter. Or cooking healthy meals. Or sitting in traffic for at least an hour every day. Or figuring out all the little details for our wedding. Or blogging.

So most of those things I still have to do... but what I'm really trying to say is, I'm taking a blogging vacation. Just for a few days. I'll miss you. But perhaps it will help me wake up in the morning, stretch my arms and smile about having to get out of bed and do stuff.

In the meantime, I'll be dreaming of relaxing in a place like you see above...

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Clever Betty

2011-03-15T14:00:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed that my Etsy products that usually appear on the right side of this blog aren't there anymore. That's because I've decided to put my shop in vacation mode for a bit while I work on the other million things that are going on in my life right now!

If you're in the St. Louis area and need a little Clever Betty in your life, you can always head down to Cherokee Street to visit Peridot... the remainder of the products that were in my shop are now hanging out with tons of other great handmade items at the shop.

And ALSO! I am still taking custom order requests, which is part of the reason that I put the shop in vacation mode to begin with. I've got a large number to catch up with and will be posting photos for you along the way, but if you're ever interested in a custom order yourself, please contact me via the button at the bottom of the right hand column to do so!

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The 100 Pushup Challenge

2011-03-15T07:00:00.005-05:00

So it only seems right that after I'm done with one challenge I should start another, right? This time it's not going to involve fashion, or taking photos every day, or stressing over what shoes to wear because it's 70 this morning but it could possibly snow later today.

It's a strength challenge. I'm going to be participating in the 100 push up challenge starting today.

I've always been pretty horrible at push ups, pull ups, cartwheels. Anything involving upper body strength, I'm pretty weak at. Which I think is a bit ironic since I'm a swimmer and so much of my strength in swimming comes from my upper body. Regardless, I can't do more than 10 push ups to save my life.

Six weeks, 30 minutes per week, 100 push ups by the end. Simple. I'll be following the weekly plan that's posted on the website, and will update you on my progress along the way. Won't you join me? What have you got to lose!?

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30 for 30 finale

2011-03-14T09:30:00.004-05:00

As if you haven't seen enough photos of me... here are my 30 outfits all together! On top of all of the things that I learned and listed throughout the process, here's some more:

• Those tan cords are being donated. I've had them since my junior year of high school, and I'm pretty sure Clinton Kelly and Stacy London would be ashamed. (That's about 9 years if you don't feel like doing the math) I also think they make me look much heavier than I am (and I can actually pull them off without unbuttoning them) so I think it's time to cut the cord. Ha. Get it?

• This challenge has given me a new appreciation for having quality "staple" pieces that can be remixed over and over, without looking like I'm wearing the same thing day after day. JCrew, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, here I come!

• I'm going to choose to fill my closet with accessories more often than new clothes. This does include shoes. This challenge has shown me that you can make a crazy amount of different outfits just by switching up the accessories.

• I'm going to confess that I kept a spreadsheet to make sure I didn't repeat outfits or wear the same thing too many days in a row. Go ahead and judge me, but I. LOVE. GOOGLE. DOCS. (Aside from being good for keeping track of the 30 for 30 challenge, I pretty much use it as an external hard drive and a way to transport files from my home computer to my work computer, to sharing with Sean... you name it, you can upload it!)

• If you haven't already started laughing at my obsessive compulsiveness, you might also note that it's color coded. It was nice to see my posts divided at the top (6 days at a time.) This also makes it easy for me to tell you the following:

I wore my blue dress and floral leggings a total of ONE time each.

I wore my sweater vest, champagne blouse, long tan cardi, floral cardi, grey pants, white stripe pants, white skirt, black skirt, green skirt, cream lace tank, tan textured leggings, and black leggings a total of TWO times each.

The navy blazer, white blouse, gold blouse, long purple cardi, short purple cardi, short grey cardi, purple dress, khaki cords, white tank, mint long sleeve tee, and burgundy tee were each worn THREE times.

My long blue cardigan, grey tank and white long sleeved tee were each worn FOUR times.

My gap jeans made it into FIVE outfits total.

Clearly my favorite, the banana republic jeans were featured in SEVEN total outfits.

• I'm glad I was able to wear everything at least once, though I know I would have worn that stinkin' blue dress with the floral leggings (giving them each a total of two wears) if I'd had time to repair the giant hole that appeared in it after I washed it.

• Someday when I have some time on my hands and when it's a solid season instead of a transition like it is now in Missouri, I could probably be convinced to do the 30 for 30 challenge again. Perhaps I'd mix up the rules a bit to make it fit this blog more and make it 30 days of handmade...hmmm...

30 for 30: Days 25-30

2011-03-13T17:45:00.003-05:00

Let me just preface this post with a few facts: I was really sick of the 30 for 30 challenge this week. It also rained and got cold, I had limited time to take photos, and I wasn't in the best mood to be photographed... I wore my hair up or didn't style it, and I couldn't get out of bed in time to work out, let alone make my hair and makeup look nice. Excuses, excuses... I just want you to know that I'm human and not always as bright and cheery as my posts might seem :) I'm glad it's over! In lieu of a Sunday Snapshot, here's the last six days of the challenge:

Day 25: Tan cardi, long sleeve white shirt, gap jeans accessorized with turquoise necklace (gift from Sean, purchased on Etsy) LeSportsac purse and black moccasins from Old Navy.

Day 26: long fuschia cardi, gold blouse, banana republic jeans accessorized with black Nine West flats, beaded clutch (NY Chinatown)

Day 27: White handmade skirt, short purple cardi, grey tank and black leggings accessorized with Old Navy boots, madebyhank bag and necklace (gift from mom, used to be my grandma's)

Day 28: Blue cardi, purple dress, floral tights accessorized with tan boots from Macy's, thin blue belt, brown Nine West purse, gold bracelet from Etsy and pearl earrings

Day 29: tan cords, burgundy long sleeve top accessorized with black coat, black Old Navy moccasins, Target scarf, glasses

Day 30: black skirt, mint long sleeve shirt, grey cardi, tan textured tights accessorized with white necklace- gift from MOH Emily, silver bracelet- gift from mom, black purse from H & M, black Nine West flats and pearl earrings

• I'm so glad this is over, as I've missed my closet and am looking forward to wearing a new (to me) skirt and dress that were given to me by my maid of honor Emily last week.

• I'm about to do a major closet cleanout

• I can't wait for consistent Spring/Summer weather after the ups and downs of the past few weeks... 70 one day, 30 the next!

• I'm not going to feel bad about spending money on quality pieces from the stores that I always thought I couldn't shop at due to their prices. I'll be looking for more things that can be remixed and will probably end up spending less (gasp!) at places like Target and Old Navy. Quality over quantity.

• I'll be back tomorrow to share more details about this challenge!

This Week I Learned...

2011-03-11T08:45:00.001-06:00

1. Cake vendors that listen to what I want do exist!

2. The last week of the 30 for 30 challenge is the worst. I'll have an update on the remainder of my outfits tomorrow!

3. It's a very confusing day when you get a phone call in the morning that your wedding dress is in (horray!) and in the evening you have to say goodbye to your closest coworker as she moves to another state (boo!)

4. No matter how many times you explain a (very simple) procedure, some people will never get it. Then you just send your story in to Clients From Hell.

5. Buying a new sewing machine, and needing it asap, is a very daunting task.

6. Sometimes Friday night can't come soon enough. Have a happy one, friends!

Weekly Obsession: Sewing Machine Woes

2011-03-09T11:30:00.002-06:00

I've had it with my sewing machine. Sigh. Time to buy a new one... and fast, as I've got a big project coming up. The machine I currently have is a Brother, and though I've heard good things about them, this one's pretty much the devil. It was a hand me down from my mom (who also hated it and was glad to be rid of it) and has probably been around for at least the past 10+ years or so. Sewing machines should last longer than that, but this one was a loser from the get go. I'll be off to some Singer, Husqvarna and Bernina dealers this weekend, but in the mean time, you should enjoy these handmade sewing machine finds:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

I bet none of them would ever drop a stitch, tangle a bobbin thread or have screwy feed dogs...
I beg you to visit each of the above shops this week. There are some real gems up there with a variety of products and I'm itching to make some purchases...

Might anyone have any advice for my actual/working sewing machine purchase?

Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City

2011-03-08T10:20:00.001-06:00

Bonus points if you know the song lyric above...

Once upon a time I tried to get a summer internship in Kansas City, since my parents live fairly close to there, and I needed experience as a designer while I was in college. Once upon a time I wanted to work for a big advertising firm, so I applied to every last one in the city that had a summer internship program, and a bunch that didn't. I got one interview. I didn't get the job. Story of my life, but such is the world of graphic design. I ended up in a better place with a position that taught me I wasn't really as interested in working for that giant ad firm as I thought I was, so everything's turned out great. I do, however, still like to admire the work that those ad firms do, so I'd like to share a little project with you that brought back some memories for me.

I read design work life on a daily basis, and when I came across these logos, I first thought of a former classmate of mine, as it looked like something she would design. Then I noticed it was designed by a very familiar Kansas City agency. (By this designer in particular)

And it just so happened to be designed for one of my favorite places to visit as a kid, the Kansas City Zoo. I think that poster would be excellent as a framed piece of art. Enjoy it, will you? I'm going to go reminisce for a bit.

Psst, I totally realize that while this post has the phrase "up to date" in it that I'm a few years behind on the release of this branding project. Thanks to Courtney for bringing it to my attention!

Monday Observations

2011-03-07T09:30:00.001-06:00

I'm running behind on scheduling posts, so I just have a few observations for you to ponder this morning:

1. When can everyone realize that pestering, thinking about, reporting on, and conversing with Charlie Sheen is a complete waste of everyone's time? I don't even do tabloids or E! News bulletins, but I can't escape everyone mentioning that he's gone off the deep end. Let's let him, eh? I'll be busy wading in the shallow end with the kiddos.

2. This lady has tons of wisdom to share daily, but I think today's post touts that her knowledge is well beyond her years, and I agree wholeheartedly.

3. My boss got engaged while on a trip to Disney with her man last week. Congrats to them!

Crossing My Fingers...

2011-03-06T20:56:00.000-06:00

For no more ice on our trees as there was when Sean took this photo a few weeks ago. Come on Spring...

30 for 30: Days 19-24

2011-03-05T13:57:00.000-06:00

Day 19: I thought you might enjoy my goofy expression in this photo. Finally got around to adding the tan textured tights, though you can't see the texture in the photo... sorry. Accessorized with thin blue belt, silver dangle earrings and tan ruffle heels.

Day 20: Blue sweater, white tank, grey pants. Accessorized with peach enamel necklace, black purse, plaid flats.

Day 21: Mint green skirt, blazer, grey/lace tank. Accessorized with orange drop necklace and nude heels.

Day 22: Black pencil skirt and 3/4 sleeve cardi. Accessorized with floral and gold belt, black purse, gold bracelet and nude heels. I always get lots of compliments when I wear this skirt... which makes me want to wear it more!

Day 23: Gold blouse, grey cardi, white pinstripe pants. Accessorized with Nine West bag, black flats, pearl earrings.

Day 24: Champagne blouse, Banana jeans, cream lace tank. Accessorized with Nine West bag, grey heels, thrifted belt and pearl earrings.

Findings:
• I'm ready to wear my other clothes.
• I need to hem the dress mentioned in this post if I want to wear it again during this challenge.
• I've worn almost everything at least twice, except for my floral leggings (haven't worn them at all) the other two leggings/tights (once each) and the blue dress white skirt (once each)
• I don't know what I'd do without my Banana jeans. I've worn them a total of 6 times so far, the most out of any piece in this challenge. The Gap jeans are a close second. Weekends = jeans for me!
• Only one more week...

This week I learned...

2011-03-04T09:30:00.001-06:00

1. I'm really bad at picking Oscar winners, which was very apparent when I completely lost the competition at the Young's Oscar party last Sunday. I am, however, good at judging the fashion... in my opinion :) And eating the delicious spread that was provided! (Below is only 1/3 of the food options!)

2. Sean and I are having the best time ever planning our wedding... evidence here, and in my cake-filled belly.

3. I've started working on number 3 from this post, and its' really surprising to me how much I must have been consuming. They say 3500 calories = 1lb. Let's just say it's eye opening when you multiply 3500 a few times.

4. The above photographed animals may look darling. However, there is a reason that I haven't worn the blue dress below more than once during this 30 for 30 challenge. Someone thought it would be cute to tear a giant hole in the hem while it was hanging to dry in our laundry room after being washed... and it's clear that from the direction the fabric is pulled, that "someone" came from the ground. I like to imagine them playing Tarzan together and it makes me laugh a bit... but only because I think the dress is long enough for me to re-hem and it still be somewhat tasteful.

5. I think I'm getting too old to enjoy things like Mardi Gras. Crowds of drunk people pushing and shoving to catch beads while spilling their drink all over you? No Thanks. Sorry Soulard!

6. It's surprisingly hard to get artists to agree to a free feature that requires little to no effort on their part. Or at least for them to be nice about the offer. Thankfully I have found a handful that are more than grateful, and are extremely kind people on top of being amazing artists. If you're interested in being one of my weekly featured artists, drop me a note at cleverbettycraft@gmail.com.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Thank you

2011-03-02T11:40:00.000-06:00

I'm floored at the response our save the date stop motion video has gotten on the web over the past few days. I'd like to say thank you to our wedding photographer Lisa for posting it on her blog, as well as Brit from Landlocked Bride. Though I'm no longer on Twitter, I also noticed Brit's feed when I was leaving a comment on the post, and it's evident that she's very good at spreading the word! Sean and I are elated that folks love the video as much as we do! Looks like stop motion would be a good subject for an upcoming monthly how-to...

Image found here

Weekly Obsessions: Wedding Hairpieces

2011-03-02T06:00:00.053-06:00

I'm getting to the details part of wedding planning, and I can't help but share some of what I've found in my searches. So much so that I made TWO boards today instead of just one... full of wedding veils and hair accessories for your enjoyment!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

You'll just have to wait to see what I've come up with to wear with my wedding gown...

Shameless Self-Promotion

2011-03-01T06:00:00.003-06:00

And mostly, promotion of how awesome my fiance is. We've been spending the past few months working on a save the date for our wedding... (which really involved a lot of work for Sean and his camera) and we finally sent it out this past weekend. I'm aware that many of you will not be attending our wedding, however, I can't help but share our hard work with all of you. Check it:

Save the Date! from Sean and Lauren on Vimeo.

Just FYI, we did decide to keep the wedding details on our website private, so you won't be able to access sandlgettingmarried.com unless you're one of our wedding guests. I'm just so proud of the final product that I had to share with all of my lovely blog readers! I love that we managed to work so well together to make a perfect mesh of our interests in handmade, photography and of course, each other :) Wedding planning is fun! Only about 7 months to go...

30 for 30: Days 13-18

2011-02-28T10:00:00.051-06:00

Day 13: Jeans- Banana Republic, long sleeved tee- Target, sweater vest- Target with nude kitten heels-thrifted, peach bag-madebyhank, peach earrings-World Market, bracelet-World Market

Day 14: black pinstripe skirt- Ann Taylor LOFT, champagne blouse- H & M, long purple cardi- Old Navy with grey heels- Off Broadway Shoes, peach bag- madebyhank and gold/pink necklace- gift from mom

Day 15: white pinstripe pants-Gap, blue cardi-Target, grey tank- Target with yellow sandals-Gap, silver necklace-vintage from Miss Ohio Vintage

Day 16: khaki cords- American Eagle, white blouse- Old Navy, floral cardi- Old Navy with brown flats- hand me down from my MOH Emily!, belt-thrifted (Express), gold earrings- gift (World Market), glasses

Day 17: jeans-Gap, tee-Target, tan cardigan-Gap with boots-Old Navy, necklace-Etsy, headband- Clever Betty

Day 18: jeans- Banana Republic, tee- H & M, sweater vest- Target with boots-Old Navy, black cord jacket with printed lining-Target, red beaded necklace- JC Penney

What I've learned:
• Still thinking I could have included shoes instead of leggings and tanks.
• I'm going to be doing a massive closet clean out sometime this month.
• I tend to pose the same way every day without even realizing it.
• I'm ready for it to be warm for good. No more of this snow one day, sun the next, tornadoes the following...
• Need. More. Accessories.
• I'm running out of good ideas for outfits.
• The closer we get to 0 days left, the closer we are to this lady leaving me :(
• All of this talk about fashion and remixing clothes really makes me want to break out the dress form and sewing machine and make a ton of skirts for Spring!

Bingo!

2011-02-27T17:30:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we had a 90th birthday party for Sean's Grandma. We played bingo and ate lots of food- it was so much fun! She received over 40 birthday cards in the mail and said it was the best few days of her life. I don't blame her... I love getting snail mail!

This week I learned...

2011-02-25T10:30:00.010-06:00

1. Cake tastings are fun. Even when I show them an exact photo of what I want and they tell me "You don't want that....let's add piping here, and flowers there, and ribbon EVERYWHERE!" Can someone explain to me why the cake is so darn important to some wedding guests?

2. Having a day off at the beginning of the week seems to make the rest of the week drag on forever.

3. Photo shoots always take longer than I expect. Stay tuned for an explanation of this one next week :)

4. Though Turbo Tax is super easy, doing my own taxes still makes me nervous.

5. Being cold = feeling tired and lazy for me. Come on Missouri... that one week of Spring-ish weather was such a tease!

6. I used to be the girl who didn't consume caffeinated drinks at all. Things have changed... and I'm making a vow to go back to being that girl in hopes that it will improves my sleep and rid me of migraines.

What did you learn this week? Happy Friday everyone!

photos 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Featured Artist: Hop Skip Jump

2011-02-24T09:30:00.004-06:00

It must be because I've been reading on so many of my favorite blogs lately about babies. Or the fact that I know a handful of friends who have had babies in the past few months. Or maybe it's the excitement of the arrival of a baby in my own family. I've got babies on my mind. And by that I mean baby gifts, friends. (For other people's babies, just to be certain that we're clear here.) I love making/buying/finding gifts for babies, and toddlers, and children in general. There's so much to choose from, so much they need, and I love giving gifts. So as I was perusing for gift ideas earlier this week I came across Hop Skip Jump, and instantly fell in love.

I'm not just talking about falling in love with the logo (though being a designer, I kind of squealed a bit at its cuteness too!) I fell in love with the cuteness of the original designs and DIY patterns of Fiona, Hop Skip Jump's owner. Fiona is from Adelaide, Australia, has a husband (Matt) and two children (Audrey and Henry) and works as a part time graphic designer and a part time soft toy maker. Get ready to drop your jaw:

What child wouldn't need a Gerald Giraffe soft toy? I'm in love with his tie. Such a professional guy, that Gerald.

And then there's Rufus Dog. You can tell this guy's got style- a scarf around the neck and patterned ears? I particularly like his asymmetrical eyes.

The great thing about Fiona's printable patterns is that you can customize them to your liking. Download Jack Rabbit's pattern and you can decide whether you want a boy or girl- there's overalls, a vest, and a skirt pattern included!

And really, would the collection be complete without a doll named Poppy? I truly think that every kid should have some sort of softie like the ones from Hop Skip Jump. This is the kind of gift that somehow finds it's way into the box marked "college" instead of "attic" if you know what I mean.

Please, do me (and all the little guys in your life) a favor and head over to Hop Skip Jump's shop to check out the oh-so-affordable printable soft toy patterns. You can also find Fiona at her blog, and on Flickr.

Which pattern is your fave?

Dear Louis Vuitton

2011-02-23T09:45:00.002-06:00

I have a busy day full of meetings and art requests, but I just wanted to stop by and share this lovely piece of work from Jeff Hamada. Let's just say I can relate.

Weekly Obsessions: Recipe Cards

2011-02-22T16:00:00.001-06:00

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Sean and I love to cook for each other. Lately we've been doing a lot more cooking together (which cuts down on prep time!) so I thought I'd share some cute recipe cards with you today. Now if I could just get around to writing down some of our favorite recipes on these things... happy cooking!

30 for 30: Days 7-12

2011-02-21T14:15:00.001-06:00

Day 7: skirt-handmade by me, tee-Target, cardi-Target, with textured bag-Fossil, brown/orange buckle flats- Target, gold pendant necklace- New York and Company and glasses

Day 8: grey pants- Old Navy, white tank- Target, purple cardi- Target with grey heels- Off Broadway Shoes, charm necklace- Forever 21, white gridded trench- Target

Day 9: mint pencil skirt- thrifted, white blouse- Old Navy, grey lace tank- Target, with brown/orange buckle flats- Target, tan belt-thrifted (Express), textured bag- Fossil, gold earrings- gift (World Market)

Day 10: jeans-Gap, gold blouse-Target, blazer-Forever 21 with gold bracelet- gift (World Market), teal purse- Old Navy, ruffle kitten heels- the best shoe store in the world, Granada, Spain

Day 11: jeans- Gap, white tee- H & M, cardi- Old Navy, with peach purse- madebyhank, paisley scarf- Target, ruffle kitten heels- the best shoe store in the world, Granada, Spain

Day 12: jeans- Banana Republic, white blouse- Old Navy, cardi- Gap, with belt-thrifted, yellow peep toe flats- Gap, necklace, gift from Sean's parents (via Etsy) and clutch, Clever Betty

What I've learned:
• Still, drooling for more accessories.
• I have my favorites, especially when it comes to shoes.
• Putting three pairs of tights in my 30 for 30 was probably not the best idea so far.
• We really did pick an odd time to do this challenge. During days 1-6 there was still snow on the ground and I was wearing a winter coat. During days 7-12 I wasn't even wearing tights or jackets with my skirts it was so warm! Gotta love Missouri weather.
• I feel a lot better when I style my hair. (unlike days 8 and 9, when I was running late for a couple of appointments, obviously...)
• I have a feeling this is going to start getting harder once we hit the halfway point...

Which one's your fave? Only 18 days left!

Dary Jr.

2011-02-20T14:30:00.003-06:00

Sean's brother and sister-in-law are expecting! This was how they announced the good news to cousins Monica and Jesse. Yes, we have "celebrity" couple nicknames... much like "Bennifer," "Brangelina" and "TomKat"... Derek and Mary are "Dary," Monica and Jesse are "Messe" and Sean and I are "Sandl." I know, you're totally jealous. It's ok.

We're so excited to have a baby in the family!

This Week I Learned...

2011-02-18T15:00:00.000-06:00

1. Nothing will ever top bread pudding on a night out with my fave guy on Valentine's Day to our restaurant.

2. It's a good thing when your boss is in love. And when the weather's nice. She just might send you home a few hours early to enjoy your own significant other on a sunny day.

3. I'm officially "skinny fat" according to the body fat analysis I got last weekend. But no worries! I'm a healthy weight for my age and height, I just have to convert some of the fat to muscle. All that means is a little extra strength training, and this gift I got for Valentine's day will be extremely helpful in that area. And maybe a bit less of that bread pudding, sigh.

4. It's extremely hard to find the exact fabric I want in the exact colors I want in the fabric stores in St. Louis. Thank goodness for the internet!

5. I love checking things off my to do list. This isn't really something I learned this week... but I have had a few days where I've felt very accomplished because of this, so it is necessary to include.

6. The first warm days of the year always make me think of home. And country music. Probably because the end of the school year and summer were my favorite months when I lived in the 'burg, and country music just fits the weather.

Happy Friday, everyone!

images via here here here and here

Featured Artist: Moxidoll

2011-02-18T09:15:00.001-06:00

Today's featured artist is one of those whose shop I start to peruse and I Just. Can't. Decide. It's like she knows my taste and made every last product specifically for me. Mandy, of Moxiedoll, had a very successful career as a librarian in the Chicago area, but recently took on her embroidery craft business full-time. If that's not inspiring enough as it is, check out how lovely her work is:

Yeah that's a Lost reference. Which obviously makes Mandy my new favorite person.

Man I miss viewfinders. I seem to remember a restaurant from my childhood that had their dessert menu displayed through one of these things too... anyone remember that place? Update: It's Zio's in KC. Thanks, Dad!

I ~~want~~ need this little set for my kitchen. When I have a kitchen with the wall space to hang it.

Sean and I like to ride bikes. Why not show that off in our home decor?

I don't know what it is about owls exactly. But they're pretty awesome in my book. I love the retro feel this one has with the darker fabric.

Dirty Dancing, anyone?

I like type!

Mandy has and entire shop full of embroidered goodies over at Moxiedoll, so go check out her shop too see more. You can also find her on twitter, or facebook, and if you join her facebook page you can get free shipping by mentioning the offer at check out. She runs a vintage shop too, which I'm going to this very moment.

Weekly Obsession: Skirts

2011-02-16T13:00:00.000-06:00

It's 66 degrees in St. Louis right now. SIXTY SIX. Last week everything was still covered in snow. I still wore a jacket this morning, and ended up close to sweating on my walk in to work. That, plus the fact that I can't buy any clothing or accessories for the next 22 days or so is really making me envious of these skirts:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

30 for 30: Days 1-6

2011-02-15T10:30:00.002-06:00

Day 1: Cords- American Eagle, Tee- H&M, Blazer- Forever 21, with plaid flats-Target and gold/pink necklace-gift from mom

Day 2: Dress-Dillard's, Tights-Target, with boots-Macy's, belt-thrifted, and earrings-gift (World Market)

Day 3: Jeans-Gap, Tank-Target, Cardi-Old Navy, with boots-Old Navy and necklace-Forever 21

Day 4: Jeans-Banana Republic, Tee-Target, Tank-Target, with boots-Old Navy, Scarf-gift from mom and silver earrings- Forever 21

Day 5: Jeans-Banana Republic, Tank-TJ Maxx, Cardi-Target with plaid flats-Target, red beaded necklace-JC Penney

Day 6: Blue dress-Dillard's with gold bird necklace- Forever 21, Grey heels- Off Broadway Shoes, and Tote-Paperchase, gift from mom

What I've learned:

1. I'm really itching to buy more accessories. Not really shoes, though I always want to buy those, but jewelry and bags. I have my fair share, but I tend to go back to my favorites because they work so well with everything.

2. This is easier than I thought... so far. I probably could have done the shoes if I hadn't included tights and tanks. I've used four in the first six days, and these are the shoes that I tend to wear the most, so we'll see how the remaining 24 days go!

3. I need more pattern in my life. I don't know whether I've mentioned this on my blog before but... I once won a contest to do a $500 shopping spree with Clinton Kelly at a local Macy's store. He taught me to make an outfit, you should always include color, texture, pattern and shine. There is indeed a bit of all four of those in each of my outfits- but I'd like to make pattern more obvious.

4. I remembered to start including my purse on day 6. I'll be better at this from now on.

Today's the Day...

2011-02-14T10:30:00.000-06:00

Yeah yeah, bet you thought I was going to say something about Valentine's Day. Well, Sean did manage to surprise me this morning even though he had to improvise because I told him I was going to go swim this morning and then I decided to sleep in instead. He's getting really good at that improvising thing- I was definitely still surprised, and he gave me a wonderful gift with some pretty pink tulips. He gets to wait til dinner tonight for my gift to him :) Anyway, what this post is really about is wedding dresses.

Anthropologie wedding dresses to be exact.

Their newest line, called Bhldn (pronounced Beholden. In my opinion, they should just include the vowels so no one has to explain it when they're writing about it but...) includes wedding gowns, hair accessories, lingerie, boleros, shoes, dresses, and accessories.

I'm breathing a total sigh of relief right now, as I debated waiting until this day to purchase a wedding gown. So far the only dress that could match up to the one I did purchase back in September (which I should be getting a call about in the next month!) is the very top image. However, it's about twice the price I paid for mine so I don't feel so bad! Plus I was definitely looking for a long gown. Sigh with me now.

Although I wouldn't choose any of these gowns over my own, I can't wait to see the brides that do wear them. And for the 'maids- there's some really unique options as well! Or maybe a rehearsal dinner dress? Hmm... I haven't found one of those just yet...

I will never be able to bring myself to spend so much money on shoes, but they've got an adorable collection. Like these:

Really, stop screaming my name. I'm much to frugal to ever actually purchase you.

Of course they also carry plenty of belts and jewelry and headbands and pretty little purses. And veils. Oh how I love dotted voile...

Clearly I can't fit the entire shop into one blog post, so you should go visit Bhldn to see the rest.

BTW, if you're any website other than Anthropologie and you want to get blogged about more, you should totally follow their lead and A. have the "download image" feature and B. have the "flow player" feature. Everyone wants to know how their wedding gown will twirl.

For the Love of Pyrex

2011-02-13T22:36:00.000-06:00

Shout out to this generous lady and her husband for adding to my Pyrex ~~addiction~~ collection. They recently added some new dishware to their already packed kitchen, so JY graciously gave up his beloved soup bowl for the cause. There it is on the left, lid and all. I've been lusting after this pattern for a long time, and I'm sure it will be a gateway piece to the many others that come in the same lovely green and floral print. Than you, Youngs, for contributing to my habit :)

This week I learned...

2011-02-11T11:00:00.000-06:00

1. You don't always get what you asked for... the above photo is what I found when I opened a recent order from Gap.com... except I really ordered an umbrella. They do have a very nice customer service rep at their 1-800 line named Sally, however.

2. Speaking of customer service... being nice goes a long way, and it's really not that hard to do. Being mean is something I'll probably hold against your business forever, because you had no reason to be mean in the first place!

3. The whole process of looking for, shopping for, finding and ordering bridesmaid dresses is entirely too complicated. Surely someone can figure out a way to simplify this process. Thankfully, this is about a couple of weddings that I'm a bridesmaid in... my 'maids are all done, head to toe! I am also in no way calling those brides Frankenstein- it's the stores, not the brides. I just thought the cartoon was funny.

4. I'm the rare American who could live without the Superbowl. Actually I learned that a long time ago, but I remembered it this past weekend. By the way, when it comes to Christina Aguilera, I think she's an amazing singer. I just wish that people could straight up sing the national anthem the way it was meant to be sung, without adding their own personal touch and every last octave known to man. I think they might be able to remember the words a bit more easily that way.

5. It's fun to watch Sean start a new hobby. I can't wait to taste the American Wheat he bottled this week... and the Belgian Whit he's ordering supplies for because he knows I like it!

6. A little bit more about IP addresses when it comes to connecting the internet to a Time Capsule. Let's just say we probably don't need three computers at this point, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of the ol' Powerbook G4 (circa 2005, I'm all about stretching out the life of expensive purchases) even if it is a total pain in the butt, runs slow and occasionally decides it's sleepy when I'm not ready to be done with what I'm working on.

What did you learn this week? Happy Friday, everyone!

Featured Artists: Gerren and Morgana

2011-02-10T07:00:00.113-06:00

Earlier this week I was trolling the internet for goodies to pin, and I came across Gerren Lamson's website. I mean with an image like this, how could I resist asking him for an interview?

Gerren's Venn by Pen series is what sucked me in, but once I chatted with him a bit, I was thrilled to find out that his wife Morgana is also an artist! You know I melt over anything related to couples, and this just happens to be turning into Valentine's week on the ol' blog, so I may have squealed a little when I heard back from them. Check it out!

calendar by Morgana

What inspires your work? What kind of background do you have (education, self-taught, etc.)?
I'd have to say that all kinds of design work, illustration, interiors, crafted goods, and more inspire us. Anything that communicates a colorful aesthetic mixed with a human touch always strikes a chord with both of us. I've got a B.F.A. in design, and Morgana is a self-taught illustrator, crafter, and pattern designer. We've both taken print-making and mixed media classes in the past, and draw together on a weekly/daily basis.

printable Valentines by Morgana

Do you have any advice for artists who are just getting started?
I would say it's important to find the specific types of design and fine art that really inspire you, and invest a good amount of time honing your craft and style (i.e. ability to execute fine details in a beautiful and unique way). Explore different ways in which you can create meaningful work that communicates something about the human experience, goodness of life, unconditional love, and other universal themes.

Bird Cup by Gerren

What is the best part of what you do/make?
I'd have to say it's the process in which the things are designed/made. There's therapeutic value in taking your time crafting, drawing, or designing something, and that's really enjoyable. It really helps us make sense of our personal life experiences. The other great part is to see people enjoying the work, creating dialogue around it, and wanting to have a piece of it for themselves.

Felt ornament templates by Gerren and Morgana

Is this your full time job?
My design job is full-time. I work as an Senior Designer at Springbox. Morgana and I both spend part of time in the evenings and weekends creating illustration work, patterns, crafts, prints, and more. *Ed. Note, we're kind of in the presence of a design expert, friends. You may have seen some of his work here, ... among many other places.

felt ornaments by Morgana and friends

Do you work out of your home, or do you have a separate studio?
We produce art at home, usually on our kitchen table and in our office. The other day I was tea dying paper and the kitchen table was overflowing with bowls of tea and paper, it made the house smell of mint and chai. So right now the designated studio space is often the entire house.

Venn By Pen by Gerren

What challenges and triumphs do you face as a couple with your art, shop/studio and full-time jobs?
I don't really think we've experienced many challenges yet with producing our art because we both have full-time jobs, but I'd say that finding enough time to get work out the door (i.e. photographed and put up online) is an issue sometimes. There's a freedom to producing art for fun and not as a fiscal living that we enjoy.

I love finding great designers/artists who create outside of their day jobs for the fun of it.... especially those who are couples! Nothin' screams cute like a duo who can craft together.

You can find out more about Gerren on his blog, on tumblr, or at his website. Morgana will keep you updated via Fellow Creatives.

And as a special treat, don't forget to visit their joint Etsy shop, Satchel and Sage, where you can buy the above Forever Valentine print. Seriously, check it out... the price is unbeatable and they're flying off the shelves. They've got it in red as well! Mine's already on it's way in the mail :)

Share the love! What do you think about Gerren and Morgana's art?

30 for 30

2011-02-09T07:00:00.006-06:00

I've been chatting with a few friends lately about how we enjoy the "30 for 30" posts we see at some of our favorite blogs. Though it's kind of an awkward time of year in Missouri to take on such a challenge, we're totally up for it!

The rules:
> 30 items of clothing
> 30 different outfits
> 30 different days
> no new purchases
> items of clothing do not include coats, undies, jewelry, handbags, belts, other accessories or shoes (we're doing this because the seasons this time of year in Missouri are totally unpredictable; many 30 for 30 bloggers do count shoes and I probably will if I try this again in the summer!)
>Pants, shirts, skirts, dresses, blazers, blouses, tanks and leggings DO count
>Post outfits on our blogs to share. I plan on doing a weekly post, so check back around this time each week!

The point:
>Working with what we've got; this is especially handy right now as I'm trying to save for a lot instead of spending on clothing!
>Creativity
>Being aware of what we have versus what we need; the fun of figuring out outfits we never knew existed in our own closets
>A much needed self-esteem boost. This time of year I get so tired of being cold I tend to give up on how I look. Taking photos of my outfits everyday to share with you means I'll put in the effort to look good!
>Something new that I've not really shared with you before... fashion!
>One last hurrah as this lady leaves St. Louis for her new job... we're oh so conveniently starting this challenge 30 days from her last day of work.

The picks:

One vest (Target), one blazer (Forever 21)

Three blouses (Old Navy-white, Target-gold, H & M-champagne)

Six cardigans (clockwise from top left: Old Navy, Gap, Target, Target, Target, Old Navy)

Two dresses (left to right: Jessica Howard, Jones New York)

Five pants (left to right, Old Navy, Banana Republic, American Eagle, Gap, Gap)

Three skirts (left to right: handmade, Ann Taylor Loft, thrifted)

Three tanks (left to right: Target, Target, TJ Maxx)

Three long-sleeve tees (H & M, Target, Target)

Not pictured: Black leggings, tan textured leggings, and floral leggings. Leggings just look weird when they aren't on a body, so I spared you the photo.

Things I've already learned:
>It's no surprise to me that much of my wardrobe comes from Target but wow, can they get a frequent shopper card?
>I wear/buy a lot of neutrals. They're safe. I seem to like myself in purple and blue shades as well. We'll just have to see how accessories can spice everything up!
>I have a lot more clothing than I thought I did, and lots of it I rarely wear. I clean out my closet (5-6 items) about every 5-6 months, but I have a feeling this will give me a good reason to want to do that more often. Or the opposite. We'll find out.

Want to participate? I'd love to share your challenge with my readers as well! Send me your blog info and I'll add it to my 30 for 30 page.

Weekly Obsessions: V-Day Gifts for Men

2011-02-08T09:00:00.006-06:00

Apparently I've decided that this is going to be a Valentine's Day themed week. Today I'd like to share some gift ideas with you- for the men. Or at least for my man, as that's who this list is really based on.

February DIY: Warm Fuzzies

2011-02-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

Psst... did you notice that Valentine's Day is only a week away? If you're scrambling for an idea for a card to go with your flowers and chocolates, I've got you covered!

We're going to start the monthly tutorials on this blog with a super simple card that you can probably make in 20 minutes or less. Super simple here friends! Here's what you'll need:

And some of this kind of stuff too:

Obviously your color choices are up to you, but you'll at least need some yarn, some kind of fabric, glue, scissors, a blank card and an envelope.

Cut a heart shape from your fabric. I usually just fold the fabric in half and freehand cut so when you unfold it both sides are the same.

Glue the fabric to the front of the card, and outline the fabric with glue. Take your yarn and start winding it around the shape of the heart, adding more glue to stick it down as you go.

I decided to add a second color of yarn, but you can make it however you want!

I thought about getting crazy with the yarn here and just continuing to cover the front of the card with it, but since I'm mailing this card, I didn't want to go overboard due to postage. I'd love to see yours if you try that route!

This part is really up to you, but since we're using yarn, I decided to go with a "warm and fuzzy" theme. You could say "You make my heart warm and fuzzy..." or add a little something extra depending on your recipient.

So there you go! A quickie V-Day card that's totally customizable in color, material, shape, wording and design. And I made it using materials I already had at home. :) I do hope you'll share your cards with me if you make one!

I'm In Your Fridge.... Eatin' Your Foods

2011-02-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

If you hear your cat meowing, but can't figure out where he is... I suggest looking in the fridge.

This was at my old apartment... Nelson somehow snuck into the fridge while I was making dinner and got stuck when the door shut.

And yes, when I opened the door to find him there after searching my whole apartment for the meowing, I closed the door and ran to grab my camera before pulling him out.

This week I learned...

2011-02-04T16:00:00.001-06:00

1. Whatever house we end up in next will have a 2 car garage. 45 minutes to an hour of scraping ice and snow off of each of our cars will never be fun.

2. Playing with our new X Box 360 Kinect after having a few drinks with friends is fun, but rough on the stomach. Especially watch out for the hurdles if you're going to attempt this one.

3. After cleaning out the wedding blogs from my Google Reader, I'm tempted to keep on cleanin'... It feels good to simplify my cyber world.

4. I'm pretty sure I would be friends in real life with my dermatologist, but since she's my dermatologist, that'd be weird. Ya know?

5. I'm ridiculously productive during snow days. It's like getting an extra weekend but not feeling as much of an urge to relax like I usually do on Saturday and Sunday.

What did you learn this week? Happy Friday, everyone!

Images via Houzz, Fuschia, Catch My Waves

There Ought To Be More Dancing.

2011-02-03T16:00:00.002-06:00

I'll say!

Image via Fuschia

Weekly Obsessions: Winter Wonderland

2011-02-02T13:06:00.004-06:00

I'm cooped up in the house again today... two snow days in a row! I thought I'd share some pretty, handmade winter things with you today.

1. pillows 2. needle felted owl 3. knit purse 4. squirrel print
5. birch candle holders 6. pen pal supplies 7. cozy gloves 8. scarflet 9. brownie sandwiches

I can't think of a better way to spend a snow day than with some cozy things like these! How are you staying warm?

Snow Day Number 2! And Some Changes.

2011-02-01T10:30:00.003-06:00

Happy Snow Day to me! The weather must have known I'd be celebrating the one year anniversary of the opening of my shop. In an effort to keep from getting cabin fever, and since it's the first of February, I thought it would be the perfect time to share some upcoming changes to You Had Me At Handmade with you.

One year later, I feel like my little shop has become pretty successful. I have my ups and downs when I'm busy with the rest of my life, but the plan is to keep on truckin'. One way that I'm going to do so is through my blog. I'm bringing back weekly columns! I do love writing about myself, but this blog is called You Had Me at Handmade... so we're gonna switch things up a bit to put more emphasis on the handmade. Here's the lineup that you can expect to see on a regular basis:

Featured artists. I used to do this with my "Found in the Forums" posts, but I found it to be limiting, so I'm opening it up to all artists. Not just Etsians... but any artist who has a web presence. I'm excited to share who I find with you!

Weekly Obsessions. I'm going to share a weekly collage of things I just can't get out of my mind, and think you'll enjoy too! This will of course be heavy on the handmade, but you can count on fashion, interior design, graphic design and other pretty stuff too. I recently joined Pinterest, so I'm hoping that will be a great tool to help with this column.

What I learned. I've done a few of these posts in the past and have received a really good response to them. I think it will be a great way to keep you updated with what I'm up to on a weekly basis- from work, to fun, to Clever Betty, and everything in between!

Sunday Snapshot. I fell way behind on this column so I stopped doing it all together... but the truth is, I miss it! It's a fun way for me to share my experiences with you, past and present, in visual form. So don't worry, you'll still see plenty of posts about myself, Sean, wedding planning, etc... just in a more organized way.

Monthly tutorials. I've had an overwhelming number of requests to start doing regular DIY tutorials. While I'd like to do more, I'm going to start with one per month. You can count accessories, Adobe Creative Suite knowledge, gifts, and maybe even a few involving my dressform.... so stay tuned!

I'm excited about all of these new (and returning) adventures on You Had Me at Handmade... and I hope you are too! It's about time I catch up, right? But what better way to celebrate my one year Etsyversary than with a fresh start to the blog! I'm also going to be working on the structure and design, so if you would please pardon the dust over the next few weeks, I promise I'll get everything in order and looking good again in no time.

Let me know what you think! Are there any people you want me to write about? Any particular kinds of tutorials? I love hearing your feedback, so leave a comment or contact me at cleverbettycraft@gmail.com.

Images via here here here and here

Say What?

2011-01-31T09:00:00.004-06:00

Usually I'm the one teasing Sean about being old, since he's 6 years my senior. But on Saturday he brought me a letter and grinned... "Join the club, old lady!"

I just have one question, AARP. If you've got enough info on me to be able to track me down after all the places I've lived in my life, why on earth don't you know that I'm just shy of a quarter-century? Huh? That's another 25 years until I reach your required minimum age.

disclaimer 1: I have no idea what kind of info other people could gather about me from the above fake membership card in the photo, so yes, I did block out names and numbers. Better safe than sorry, friends.

disclaimer 2: I really find it quite amusing that I go this in the mail, not insulting. I remember my dad getting a few here and there when he was still a fair number of years away from 50, and we always got a good laugh out of it because it just seems like you have to be soooooo much older than 50 to join in the first place. Since when is 50 retirement age? (AARP stands for American Association of Retired Persons)

A Weight off My Shoulders

2011-01-28T13:20:00.001-06:00

I have to share something with you guys. This used to be something that I would see on a daily basis (if not more frequently):

Not the fact that I have zero updates in my Reader. It's actually kind of a miracle that I was able to capture this image after having read every last update on all of the blogs I follow. What I'm trying to show you is the crazy amount of wedding blogs that exist here. Note that the list keeps scrolling and I couldn't fit them all into one image.

This is what I see as of today:

Note: no scroll bar, and six organized folders where there were once seven... yup. I got rid of the wedding blogs. Truth is, I started looking at wedding blogs long before I was engaged, and we got engaged over 8 months ago. After that long I've collected enough inspiration to fit into a three ring binder... and that's all I need at this point.

To those of you who might own one of those blogs, never fear, as I've saved you in my bookmarks in case of an emergency! But for now, I've got to move on as I plan my own wedding. So as I cut myself off from wedding inspiration, I'll move into a new phase of wedding planning, which is how do I apply all of this inspiration to make it into our day? I love looking at weddings, and I know I always will. But I don't want to have all of those other brides' weddings. I want to have mine and Sean's. So farewell to you, Google Reader Weddings Folder... perhaps we will meet again after 10.15.11.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Thrift Store Gem

2011-01-27T16:44:00.001-06:00

Have you ever found something so awesome at a thrift store that you just can't contain yourself? Well, I do on a fairly regular basis... but this. This tops them all. Behold: Ashlee and the dress she just can't live without...

I strongly urge you to click on the photo to enjoy a larger version. That is a floor length dress... entirely crochet from top to bottom. This baby was heavy. I can imagine someone dripping in sweat just moments after putting it on. What a find on half off day at the thrift store! Rest assured that Ashlee has a trustworthy sense of fashion, and she did not in fact purchase the afghan gown. I think she said it best when she compared it to this guy:

Take that, Snuggie wearers of the world!

Show Me Etsy

2011-01-26T17:00:00.001-06:00

Back in September I joined a local group of Etsy crafters called the Show Me Etsy Street Team. Etsy has since gotten rid of the "street team" part of the name, as many of their groups are no longer local... so we're just plain old Show Me Etsians now. (Show Me standing for crafters in the St. Louis area, which happens to be in the Show-Me state!)

We meet once a month to chat about upcoming craft shows, some of which are hosted by the group itself. We trade ideas on how to improve our shops and let each other know when we've discovered something new about being a small business owner and Etsy seller.

A few months after I joined, I was nominated to be the Public Relations Chair for the group. I ran (uncontested, but they still voted for me!) and I'm now in the process of figuring out what exactly my role is as the PR Chair! Part of this includes updating the blog, and as you can see from the link above, we're still in the process of working all the kinks out.

Also soon after I joined, I found out that the group had been in the process of creating a new logo for quite some time. Their last one was dated, and really much more of a blog header than a logo, so an update was definitely necessary.

They had posted an alchemy request on Etsy and started to work with a designer who just. didn't. get. it. Let's just say the logo looked like a shopping bag (the St. Louis arch doubled as the bag's handle,) stole Etsy's direct shades of blue and orange as a color scheme, and warranted comments such as "the hands in the logo just make me think of an Ikea instruction manual..." So yeah. It was pretty convenient when they brought that logo to the meeting and I said, "Well I'm a graphic designer... and it kinda sucks. I'll take over if you want..."

Right now we're in the process of voting on colors. What do you think?

I definitely have a favorite... but it's up to the group to vote at this point. Which color combo do you prefer?

Quality Television

2011-01-25T17:59:00.001-06:00

There are really very few tv shows that cross my path that I think are actually worth watching. Not just those shows that I watch because the couch is comfy and there's nothing else on... I'm talking quality tv here.

Lost and Six Feet Under are probably still at the very top of my list. Then there's a few like How I Met Your Mother, American Dreams, Freaks and Geeks, ER, and The Office that float somewhere beneath the top two, among others that I won't mention in favor of keeping the list short. Note how five of the seven shows I listed are no longer on air... this has caused much trouble for me in the past, and we're talking tears here people. Tears. Over television shows ending. (To be fair I only actually got to the point of crying for one of the above, but thankfully I had a very understanding roommate at the time who gave me a hug and told me everything would be alright. Any guesses as to which show I shed tears over?) Unfortunately for me, those remaining two shows seem to be headed in the same direction.

Enter Dexter. Sean and I started watching from the beginning after the Lost series finale last year, and we've made it as far as season three. Crossing my fingers that Netflix will soon add seasons 4-6 to their streaming lineup. I promise not to spoil anything for you, but if you check out these awesome posters below, you might get a little insight:

I'm sure that Ty Mattson is not new to many of you, as these posters have been all over the bloggin' world for quite some time now. Just in case his work is new to you, all of the above posters and more are available through ABC and Showtime websites. What shows can you not live without?

House Tour

2011-01-24T21:40:00.001-06:00

Ok so it's really just our living room/dining room and a bit of the master bedroom, but I finally got around to taking photos of the redecorating that's been in progress since I moved in August. Believe me... you wouldn't want to see what my studio space looks like right now... and there's not a whole lot else to look at in our house aside from that and the bathroom.

There is also a room that we like to call the "office," but it usually ends up being the place we dump everything we don't want to look at while we're lounging on the couch. It currently houses a treadmill, my computer, my closet (as the master bedroom closet is barely big enough for Sean's clothes,) and a 5 gallon bucket of fermenting beer.

Please don't hesitate to tell me if I smell a bit hoppy the next time you see me; this is a new experiment in our household, and there aren't many rooms to choose from to leave said 5 gallon bucket in for two weeks other than the same room that also houses my entire wardrobe. I'll post photos of the above mentioned spaces someday when they're clean. Moving on... you can click on photos to make them larger :)

The above photos are what you would see when you walk through the front door. I built a mock-sofa table out of 2 x 6's and covered it with fabric. Most of the stuff on the shelf came from my past apartments- the vase, the bottle next to it, both bird candle holders (handmade ceramic I found at a thrift store,) the wood box, metal star, and the candle base at the right. I bought candles to coordinate with the room's color scheme, and the floofy thing coming out of the vase is from Hobby Lobby. It's some kind of fake berry that I'm certain would never be that color in nature, but it also worked with the color scheme. The ampersand was purchased for our engagement session, and the poster is from the Missouri History Museum. A friend of mine has the same poster (it's a 1904 World's Fair advertisement) in her bedroom, and I lust after it every time I'm there. Lust no more! I have my own :) Pillows were purchased at Pier One at a super crazy sale, throw is from Home Goods, and lampshades are from Target. Each pillow is different, one's silk, one's embroidered velvet, one's a chevron print and the last is plain velvet. For three reasons: 1. I couldn't decide between these four and 2. I like being eclectic, and 3. It works. Couch, end tables, lamp bases, coffee table and recliner were Sean's existing furniture. Too bad I forgot to turn that digital photo frame on before taking these pics :) Did you spot Nelson in the above photos, by the way?

Well if you didn't, you can see a different cat in the above photo. It's kind of a miracle that Greta is A. in this photo at all and B. looking directly at the camera. Not many people have been lucky enough to spot this lady. White rug courtesy of my parents old bedroom carpet, which they had bound after getting hardwood in their bedroom. It's thick and shaggy and I love it. And oh, hi there Lisa Hessel Photography so conveniently gracing our coffee table! I had books made of our engagement photos for us and for parents/grandmas as Christmas gifts at Picaboo. I was impressed by their quality and think you would be too.

This is the corner behind our front door. Drapes are from Pier One, and were on a bit of a sale, but not enough so I only bought one and cut it into four panels to fit the two windows in this room. We never close them anyway since there are nice wooden blinds on the windows, so it all worked out well. I got this chair from my maid of honor who no longer had room for it in her old apartment, and I recovered it with upholstery fabric from Hancock Fabrics to coordinate with this room. The pillow is from Target... and it's apparently still available since I saw that this lady recently purchased the same one! The chest is an heirloom from Sean's family. I believe it was painted gold or something at one point, and Sean's mom stripped it to it's original awesomeness. It's full of stuff from Sean's childhood and I love every last bit of it. Photos above the chest were originally above our couch and included a few more frames, but we took the rest into the master bedroom. The one on the left was captured by Sean. I still can't decide whether that little shelf is fun or a total nuisance, but it was there when Sean moved in two years ago and it will remain when we move out.

Above is our kitchen table, which Sean already had. I added a giant lace doily that my mom brought me from their European river cruise, a mirror from Big Lots, and a couple of little white vases from Pier One that I had in my last apartment. The giant fake flowers are again probably not natural looking, but Hobby Lobby has a great selection of such things for people like me who just want their colors to coordinate. On the wall behind the table you'll see shelves with family photos and a few knick knacks here and there. I made the teacup candle... it's a vintage teacup with peppermint scented wax. I made a couple for Christmas gifts and just couldn't give this particular teacup up!

Across from the kitchen table, one of our many bookshelves. It holds most of our cookbooks (that doorway on the right is the kitchen) and various books we've recently read. The second shelf is full of wedding planning details (I've condensed it all to one binder now!) and a mail/bill organizer. I'm working on a collection of wine corks in the glass Oberweis bottle that lives on the second shelf from the bottom. Sean put a hook on the left side for me to hang my purse on when I get home because I'm ridiculous and insist that the kitchen table not be cluttered with stuff other than decor and food. Take a left at the doorway...

and you'll find your way to the master bedroom. Pillows above were purchased during an Ikea shopping spree when we went to Chicago to try on wedding dresses. They were one of the first purchases I brought home to Sean (whose opinion I always ask for when decorating our home) and my reasoning to him was something like, "See, they're girly and manly. Embroidered flowers on one side, blue and brown plaid on the other!" He went for it.

I brought over a dresser and a side table from my last apartment. We had to paint the one above, as I had painted it a much brighter blue after finding it at an antique store, and it just did not work in this room. Sean took a few tips from his mom with paint stripping and we went with a much softer blue. We kept the drawer pulls I had installed a few years ago, and it was good as new! The bird artwork in the back left is from Burlington Coat Factory, believe it or not, and I gave it a distressed white wash to make it more interesting. The little piece of art with the couple's feet ice skating is a Valentine's Day gift I drew and gave to Sean last year, as a nod to our first Valentine's Day together and the evening we spent at Steinberg freezing our buns off. I'm still working on this area, as I'd love to find the perfect gold trimmed mirror to put above the dresser and move most of the stuff that's currently there elsewhere.

This is the other dresser I brought with. I got both of them for less than $100 when I first moved to St. Louis, including delivery. You bet I wasn't about to give that kind of a deal up when I moved here... but Sean is probably ready for them to be a part of the guest room furniture in whatever home we move to next, as the drawers don't function as easily as he would hope (and all of his clothes are in this room!) The lamp if from Target. So what's that chain you see peeking out of the corner of the blue dresser photo?

It's the countdown chain! It's hanging around the entirety of the master bedroom and was, amazingly, the perfect fit to go around once when I first installed it. We've been taking down the links as the days count down to...

(Sorry that's not the best photo; the last link is in a pretty dark space in this room! I did manage to take all of these on my own without the help of ~~my photographer~~ Sean this time around :) So that's what I've been keeping under wraps for oh, 5 months now? I hope to be able to show you the rest of our home before we decide to move out, but I'll keep you posted! What's your favorite part? Do you take as long to decorate your home as I do?

TGIF

2011-01-21T10:30:00.001-06:00

Now that I'm all caught up with the craziness that was the last month of 2010, it's time to move on! Thankfully, this month has been uneventful aside from catching up, so I've actually been able to catch up, you know? I honestly don't have a whole lot to share from the past three weeks, other than this:

I'm cold.

I'm finding it hard to get back into the swing of being some of the above (and more) after such a lengthy time away from my job.

I'm doing well with these goals. I need to get those up on the wall somewhere so I don't have to keep referring to my blog to remember!

I think I'm finally done redecorating our house. For now. At some point I'll just have to stop as we won't be living here a whole lot longer... fingers crossed. Check back next week for photos! (Just FYI, the above image is not a taste of what you will see, unfortunately. But it is something for me to dream about)

Happy Friday, everyone!

Images via here here here and here

Snow Day

2011-01-20T15:07:00.000-06:00

The last time I had a snow day was during my first two weeks of work at the MEHC magazine back in '08. We had two and a half days off in that span. Not too shabby if you ask me. I had one snow day in all the days I spent at Mizzou. Funnily enough, it seemed like a good majority of students still made it to campus to have a snowball fight on the quad. What's a one mile walk (for me) In 12" snow when you get to play instead of work?

I got a text message from my boss at 4 this morning saying "snow day! don't come to work!" I shouted out a "Yippee!" just as Sean started to tell me of the potential issues the weather would cause his workday. Thankfully he made it there and back safe, and is finishing his workday from home.

Truth is, I'm honestly not really a fan of snow anymore. I dislike being cold. It ruins birthday plans for friends. (important 30th birthdays at that!)

But today. Today I like snow. It provided an extra two hours of sleep this morning. It allowed me to eat lunch with my fiance in the comfort of our own home, while watching an episode of season 3 of Dexter. It's given me tons of time to work on wedding planning details that I'm behind on. It gave me a little sigh of relief, and some time to relax. So thanks, snow, and Chancellor of the university that I work at, for providing me with all of the above.

Top image via here, other images by me: our backyard and neighbor's snow covered car

Lend A Hand

2011-01-19T09:44:00.000-06:00

Do me a favor? Go check out This Neck of the Woods on Etsy and buy something, would ya?

And not just because Claire makes adorable paper goods, but for a very urgent cause that Claire explains on her blog:

Over the past two weeks, we’ve been glued to the news watching for updates on the floods in Queensland. The devastation is unbelievable and a little bit hard to comprehend from the other side of the world. Unfortunately today it all hit home when we found out that 2 of our close friends in Brisbane (who have 2 beautiful boys, and are 3 weeks away from having baby number 3), have had water 3 feet onto their roof, and have lost everything.

We are feeling completely helpless being so far away right now, and want to be able to help them in any way we can.

For that reason, I will re-open my shop for the next 3 weeks, with 100% of all sales going to the Dodson Family.

Can you even imagine? Claire, I hope we can help.

The remainder of 2010

2011-01-18T07:00:00.002-06:00

In order to get this show on the road, I'm going to do one last post of 2010 related photos. This involved New Year's weekend mostly- and Sean's birthday, even though that was on the 2nd :)

We did a progressive dinner for New Year's- appetizers at Crista and Matthew's, dinner and our place and then drinks and dessert at Brett's.

It's strange to me that even though we were at a progressive dinner, I don't have a single photo of anyone eating any food...

We watched the ball drop at Brett's. At this point there were only seven of us left that had made it through the entire progressive dinner; the fun part is that you can pick and choose which legs you want to participate in and still get to other events if necessary. After midnight, two more dropped out...and then there were five.

I took a photo of a photo. This was the same five of us in a wedding photobooth back in October. I never got a print, but Brett did, so I took a picture of it.

There was a lot more dancing as the night went on.

And this. Don't worry, they're married :) Probably one of my favorite photos of the night.

I guess I just couldn't get enough photos of that photobooth pic...

The table at the end of the night

About what all the pics looked like at the end of the night... or morning? I don't know. All I know is that it's crazy how much time flies by when you're having a dance party with 5 close friends. I'm talking close to four hours of straight dancing. We finally got home closer to 5am, after having worked off every last bit of that delicious progressive dinner. All in all, we sent 2010 out with a bang- and then spent the remainder of the weekend watching movies and eating loooooots of carbs to celebrate Sean's birthday:

Potato soup, oyster crackers, bread, beer, soda... not pictured: cake, Tom's shoes (not edible... but gifted!) Fake apples not to be confused with a healthy addition to the meal.

Mama Z... and Dresses

2011-01-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Here's some top contenders... None of which are the correct color, but can be ordered in what we're looking for:

We both apologize for the obstructive undershirt, but she couldn't help it. Her surgeon probably would have been angry to find us trying dresses on in the first place, due to this:

For each of the longer ones, we would end up chopping them off at the knee. I think our family is really just built for knee length over floor length (which doesn't stop me from wearing a floor length wedding gown, don't worry.) My mom is also 6' tall so that whole "we're gonna charge you for extra length" issue is part of the deciding factor. No need to hide great legs when you got 'em, right?

I've already made my decision... which dress would you choose for my mom?

Christmas

2011-01-13T13:13:00.000-06:00

Yes I realize that Christmas was almost three weeks ago. I'm still catching up! So we'll make this a quick one. My Christmas was wonderful; full of good food, family, pretty presents, surprises, snow, and happy faces. Wanna see?

Snow.

Pretty presents.

The E side of the family. I bring poppers that have paper hats and toys inside for everyone, which is a tradition that my family has adopted from years of celebrating with close friends who have them every Christmas.

I'm not sure what was going on in the above photo, but we usually walk away with at least one of Monica and Jesse that's similar to this :)

Best Christmas present everrrrrrr! We're wrapped in paper chain in the above photo, but not just any paper chain... it's handmade by our cousin Monica, and each one has a different date on it. It's a countdown from Christmas day to our wedding day! It currently hangs in our home, and I'm collecting each piece as we take a day down to save for later. She even made the links in our wedding colors, plus some scrapbook paper and newspaper clippings.

Handmade wreaths that Sean and I gave to each couple. They're yarn wrapped like the kind I've seen all over Etsy... but I made 'em myself!

I swear we'll get some good photos of our Christmas at my parents house someday. Ones that don't include the dog but in the foreground:

Or me wearing my mother's clothing because their house is freezing:

I really do like that sweater though; it was hard to leave it back in her closet where I got it from. My mom ended up having shoulder surgery a few days before Christmas so I really don't have any photos she'd be happy with me posting from Christmas day. I do have pics from a mother of the bride dress shopping excursion, however, so stay tuned!

One Last Detail

2011-01-11T11:39:00.000-06:00

How could I ever manage to leave out these photos from my vacation update?

Why yes that is Sean on the right, with two other guys and me hiding in the background, getting a pedicure. Sean's first, to be exact. Note the number of ladies hard at work here. We paid just over $12 to get a mani/pedi each. $12!!!!

Gotta look pretty when you're the best man in a wedding. I also hope you noticed the name of the salon on the back of the nail technician's shirts. Dashing Diva. Yup. Three dudes, me, mani/pedi's, at a place called Dashing Diva in Manila, for $12. We got the "basic diva" package. Doesn't get much better than that!

On second thought... it does. To top off all the pampering, the bride's family uses a massage service that will bring the masseuse to your home for an hour long massage. Or in our case... to our hotel! Let me tell you, a one hour deep tissue massage that only costs $8 and requires zero travel actually feels even better than your average, every day massage. It's just too bad that St. Louis is out of their radius...

A Winter Getaway, Part Seven

2011-01-07T17:00:00.002-06:00

Seven parts. Seven parts of photo heavy posts. I hope you're enjoying, and not worn out yet! Our last few days were spent at the beach and traveling back to Manila to catch our flight home. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it was, in the middle of December, to be able to wear a swim suit and feel the sun on my skin. Of course for me that means SPF 45 or higher, a sun hat, sunglasses and plenty of breaks in the shade, but it was still worth it nonetheless. Check it out:

Ok so it got a little bright in the middle of the day to take many good photos on the beach itself, but this little nearby hut was convenient for the pasty folks like me to take a break, and we all convened to share proposal stories, as we were on the very beach were Justin proposed to Anya two years before.

Anya and her mom enjoying the dark sand beaches above. The couple who owned the Nipa huts also had a large orchard on the property. So many fruits I've never heard of... but we were on a mission to pick a pomelo to serve at our next meal.

Got one! The pomelo is basically a giant grapefruit, and the one we got was pink inside. It has the same texture as a grapefruit but is sooooo much sweeter, it's actually worth eating! (to me, not a huge fan of grapefruit)

The plants and trees were all situated on an organic drip irrigation system. The windmill below powered a pump that would push out water to keep the plants growing. I've never seen such a thing, and it was really neat to watch in action. The couple who owns the property lives in Manila and visits whenever they can, but it's perfect for them plus a couple of local workers who come to tend to the fruit daily so that they know their orchard will continue to grow.

Jadyn picked some giant lemons

And then we at the pomelo :) We also had some mango while in the Philippines, and let me tell you... we're never going to be able to eat mango in the U.S. again. There are no words to describe it other than the most delicious fruit I have ever tasted. And it wasn't even high season for mangoes there, so I can't imagine how much better they could actually be!

The entire time we were there, Anya's family's cooks made us breakfast, lunch and dinner and served it in the dining hall. We were floored by the service, the amount of food and the culture we experienced. The next day we headed back to Manila to laze around at Anya's house before a quick nap and a very early morning trip to the airport. We were greeted in St. Louis by this lovely lady and her husband... and plenty of cold weather. But just in time for Christmas! More on that to follow... happy Friday, everyone!

A Winter Getaway, Part Six

2011-01-07T14:15:00.001-06:00

The day after the wedding, the couple loaded us, their parents and other immediate family members, the family cooks and all of our stuff into a bunch of cars driven by the family drivers and we headed to the beach! (Family cooks and drivers are paid staff; in the Philippines families who can afford the help often hire as many as they possibly can, not always out of necessity, but because they know they are giving good people good jobs.)

We drove through Subic, where the US used to have a military base. Other than that, there were lots of tiny towns and lots of beautiful scenery.

Not that Jeepneys are so beautiful... but they were definitely part of the journey!

Rice paddies and mountains. Such a different view from being in Manila.

Leftover destruction from Mt. Pinatubo, which happened in 1991. This was the year that the US military left their nearby base, and never returned. You can read a really interesting story about the worldwide effect of the volcanic explosion here.

More mountains and lush jungle

And rice paddys... from what we were told (and saw) it's very common for workers to dry the rice on the side of the road as it's the only flat, dry place for them to do so.

And finally, after a five hour trip (which could have been much shorter if we didn't have to stop so much!) We arrived to see this:

and this: Our private little split level Nipa hut.

Actually, little is a bad description. It was actually quite big, with enough bed space for 11 people to sleep. But we had so many huts for the 20 people who traveled with us, that we got this one to ourselves. Below is the first floor, minus the private bathroom. I figured you know what a bathroom looks like.

The whole thing is made from bamboo and is covered with a thick grass roof. These things have lasted through hurricanes and typhoons over the past five years, and will continue to for quite some time.

This is upstairs, which is really just full of beds. And fans. Everything is wide open, so the hot air gets inside very easily. It's a bit like camping but with a little more comfort.

the rest of the property:

Haven indeed. We dumped our stuff in our assigned huts and headed for the water just in time for sunset.

Justin says this next photo looks like I'm picking the people next to me up and throwing them in the ocean as if I'm a giant.

The South China Sea

Nice and warm, super salty and the perfect way to relax after a long day of travel. Oh, or to have a photo shoot with Sean :)

after the sun set, we went back to the hut that sits on top of the pond (go back a few photos before the beach, you'll see it) and someone thought it would be a good idea to tell embarrassing stories about Justin.

Apparently he found them amusing enough to not protest, though. One more full day at the beach to go...

A Winter Getaway, Part Five

2011-01-06T17:00:00.000-06:00

The whole reason for this trip in the first place: the wedding. And what a beautiful wedding it was. This is a very photo heavy post...

Our new friends from the states, all dressed up. Above Keyur and Sheethal, below Ivy and Mike.

Did I mention Sean was the best man in this wedding? He wore a traditional Philippine barong, which is a shirt that is made from pineapple fiber and hand embroidered with an intricate design. It's a good thing he was wearing it too, as it was HOT outside.

Melissa did a little photo shoot for us before the wedding...

Thanks to this lady, I was able to find a floor length gown the week before we left at a very discounted price. Like over 60% off kind of discount. Loooove Nordstrom Rack! It was perfect for travel- no worries with stuffing the jersey fabric into my suitcase on the way there. The beaded horseshoe neckline and criss-cross straps in the back were my favorite part.

I totally ran out of time to do anything with my hair before we had to go, so same old ponytail it was. It turned out to be no big deal though; it was so stinking humid I would have melted out of an updo anyway. One very good reason Sean and I are not having a summer wedding here in good old MO.

Chandeliers in the trees

Dinner was in the side yard, and was something like a 7 course meal. There was soooo much good food. Stuffed spinach ravioli, beef, halibut, soup, you name it. There was even a dessert before the wedding cake.

The head table. They custom made that table to fit around the most gorgeous tree ever that was in the yard. The bride, groom and bridesmaids/groomsmen sat here.

Brothers before the ceremony

Anya's sister in law made this cake. Most of it is actually just foam, and there's a layer of cake on the bottom, but it's all covered in fondant (never thought I'd say this, but delicious fondant at that) and the flowers? ALL HANDMADE. Also very tasty.

Check that out! Such an amazing skill to have.

Parents of the groom

Justin, Jordon and Jake- brothers

Jadyn and her mom. Jadyn was one of three flower girls.

The whole Q family

On the dance floor. This is Anya's reception dress. Her wedding gown had so many layers she had to change into something she could move in!

Lots and lots of dancing

And Jadyn got tired. I've never seen a child able to make such a pouty face for so long.

The one lonely portrait I have of the wedding party, inside the chapel. Hopefully I'll eventually be able to post some of the professional photos so you can see Anya and Justin and the details on their clothing much better. Every single bridesmaid dress, Anya's gown, and the three flower girls' dresses were all made by one of their family members in the 6 weeks before the wedding. And I thought prepping for a craft show was a lot of work...

We had an amazing time at this wedding. It was gorgeous, and was so wonderful to be able to share Justin and Anya's day with them. Up next... the couple takes us to the beach!

A Winter Getaway, Part Four

2011-01-06T11:30:00.001-06:00

After a late night, (or early morning?) we had a relaxing day before the wedding. We checked out the roof of our hotel to find some really neat views. (click on the pics to make them bigger) Go easy on me; I've never used the panoramic feature on my camera before.

Most of the tall buildings around our hotel were call centers. The only one I can remember is IBM... but late at night, the lights were always on, and honestly it looked like many of them were just having parties all night long- flashing lights, loud music; it was kind of bizarre. Apparently Manila has surpassed India in numbers of call centers... and we were right in the middle of it all.

It was actually kind of cold up there, so even though I would have loved to enjoy the pool below, it just wasn't the right day.

before I move on to the wedding, which deserves a post of its own, I'd like to show you some of the homes that we experienced while in Manila. Below is the bride's brother's house:

In between his house and his brother in law's is a pavilion with a massive dining table.

and on the right is an almost identical home where his brother in law and family live. Impressive, no?

Inside the house on the left:

same room, different view:

and the staircase leading up. I didn't check out the second floor, but I'm pretty sure it was just as impressive and was told it was also full of antique furniture. There were a ton of Spanish influences- decorative ceramic tile everywhere and lots of carved wood doors, much like the cathedral in my last post. Don't worry... we made sure not to visibly drool all over their beautiful belongings. (all photos of bride's brother's house courtesy of the groom's father)

All photos below are of the family home where the wedding was held. If you need any more proof of their amazingness, let's just say that they both had a tile near the front door displaying the family crest.

Below is the chapel on the same property where Justin and Anya got married.

Inside where we waited for the wedding... one of many dining rooms... I think. All I know is there were tables and chairs and lots of pretty decor.

The stairway with family portraits. The elegant winding staircase is obviously an important architectural element in the Philippines.

Above photos courtesy of a fellow wedding guest. Up next... the wedding!

A Winter Getaway, Part Three

2011-01-05T12:37:00.000-06:00

The next day we took a tour of Intramuros (meaning within the city walls; historic Manila) with this guy:

Carlos Celdran. I urge you to read his blog. It won't be as good as the real thing, but this guy is extremely entertaining.

I won't give you a history lesson, but we saw lots of good stuff. I learned a lot about Manila's history, especially their involvement in World War 2. Seems like we never quite made it to that part of history when I was in elementary/middle/high school. We always talked about Germany and the Holocaust and Pearl Harbor... but rarely had time to get to the Philippines. Did anyone else's schools neglect to teach the 50+ most recent years of history like mine did? We were always squeezing World War 2 in right at the end of the school year, with a slight mention of Vietnam. Regardless, here's more fun pics:

We rode from one part of Intramuros to another in the above horse-drawn cart. I wasn't a huge fan. See below.

Very little room for us giant Americans. There were actually three other people plus the driver crammed into this thing as well, and they wanted us to squeeze in more! Cue 6 heads shaking no way, Jose!

That's a real guard. I'm not exactly sure what he was guarding, but he was really nice.

San Agustin Cathedral.

Manila is most known for... well, adopting things and making it their own. There's a lot of Spanish influences, a lot of American influences, and a lot of Asian influences. They wear it all with pride. The above photo reminded me of the detailed architecture went I saw when I went to Granada, Spain a few years back.

Some of Intramuros is not so pretty. Some things were never rebuilt after the war, and some of the destruction still exists.

Later that day we went to an art museum ate some food, and then met up with the bride's cousins and bridesmaids for a night out. (That's Jordon's wife Melissa with him in the above photo)

This was a family style meal; all kinds of meat, paella, fish (heads, eyes, tails... everything...ick.) various other seafoods, a few veggies here and there (horray!) and some interesting spreads for the bread (think liver) I did manage to find a few things to fill myself up :)

That night we went to a bar called Borough. It was pretty much the best bar/restaurant ever. It had a "New York" theme, so you better believe they had the kind of comfort food I was looking for after a day of traditional Philippine food. Baked mac and cheese. Chicken wings. And get this: MILK AND COOKIES. Warm milk and cookies. With little shot glasses full of milk to share with the table. I didn't get a photo, but I don't think I'll ever forget the images/tastes of that night.

Namely this. I have never seen so many shots in my life. Now there were probably about 15 of us there, but multiply the above photo by, oh, 22? and that's how many shots we saw slide across this bar. Anya's cousins are party animals. Needless to say, Sean and I did not participate in nearly half as many rounds as the others did.

I'm sure Justin will be proud that the above photo is on the internet, but I can't stop laughing at it. Some kind of flash issue with my camera created a non-existent bald head... see, look at all that hair he has in the photo below!

I especially loved the Waverly print upholstery in the bar.

We met the bridesmaids

And called it a night around 4 am. So much for catching up with that jet lag!

Please Excuse Me.

2011-01-05T11:00:00.002-06:00

While I interrupt the vacation recap to do a little end of year recap/ 2011 goals list before we get so far into January that I look like a total slacker. Very briefly, in 2010 I:

opened the clever betty shop in January.

got the best V Day gift everrrrr in February.

was featured on Etsy's blog, the Storque, in March.

reached my 100th blog post in April, and celebrated with a sale. (FYI, we're one away from 200 posts now!)

turned 24 and got accepted to my first craft show in May.

lived to tell the story after my first craft show, did my first custom order and got engaged! June was a busy month.

received the best engagement gift everrrr in July.

disappeared from my blog for the month of August.

bought my wedding dress in September.

went on a date weekend to celebrate our 2nd anniversary in October.

chose wedding colors, won the cutest cake topper in the world, took engagement photos, and was gifted an amazing engagement party in November. (What a month for wedding plans!)

had my first ever guest posting event, and went on an amazing vacation in December. Which leads us to the present!

Last year I went a little crazy with New Year's Resolutions. In 2011 I will, first and foremost, KISS: keep it simple, stupid. Though I never seem to mind the other kind of kiss :)

and:

1. Be active and healthy.
2. Stay positive.
3. Slow down.
4. Learn.
5. Take more time to create for myself.

That is all. :)
Back to vacation recaps later today...

image via this awesome blog, originally drawn by this awesome guy for the To Resolve Project.

A Winter Getaway, Part Two

2011-01-04T17:00:00.001-06:00

After an 11 hour plane ride from LA to Japan and then a 5 hour ride to Manila, we finally landed at our final destination. I'll spare you the after photos...

Our flight conveniently landed at 10 in the evening local time, so once we got to our hotel, it was straight to bed. We didn't really have too much of an issue with jet lag that way.

We were greeted by a giant Christmas tree at our hotel, friendly staff and a very interesting room layout... there was a massive picture window that showcased every last detail of the bathroom to the bedroom. Thankfully it had a shade to pull down for privacy. Apparently they're doing new things with hotel design these days, as the place we stayed had recently opened in November.

Our first day was pretty relaxed. We hopped over to Pancake House for breakfast and met up with the other wedding guests to go to a mall. The malls are packed with people trying to get out of the heat on a daily basis.

If there's anything I learned about the city of Manila, it's that they don't really follow traffic rules. The above photo is atypical... it seems somewhat organized. There's regularly no defined lanes, few traffic lights... and when there is one, you just kind of choose whether or not to stop at a red one. They're big fans of the U turn lane instead of lights. I got so turned around riding in this city I can't even describe it- and I'm usually really good with directions. Chaos is the only way to describe it... pretty much every hour of the day. Many taxis look like this:

That colorful, solid metal vehicle is called a Jeepney. They. Are. Everywhere. They're all painted vibrantly, with nicknames and murals all over, and are constantly crowded with people. Many of them have been refurbished from US military jeeps left over from World War 2.

Much to our surprise, they do have McDonald's in the Philippines. This is Jadyn, Justin's (the groom) little sister, posing with Ronald. My favorite part was that they serve rice with most of the value meals... and it's a compacted scoop wrapped up just like they would wrap a burger.

Oh, and they have Starbucks as well. It was quite refreshing to me to find that even though we were half way around the world, Starbucks still had free wifi. Justin really just wanted the coffee. He's on the right in the above photo with his now wife, Anya. She's eating cheese ice cream. Yes I said cheese. And no, it isn't that great.

Ivy and Mike are friends of the bride and groom from graduate school. Mike is also eating cheese ice cream. He thought it was good.

Justin's brother, Jordon. He's enjoying ube ice cream. Ube is a purple yam; purple because of the volcanic rock that it's grown in. Surprisingly, the ube ice cream was good. That is indeed a True Value hardware store, in the mall, behind Jordon.

So our first day was fairly low key. Up next, we take a tour of old Manila from a very interesting man named Carlos.

A Winter Getaway

2011-01-04T12:00:00.002-06:00

So yesterday I left you with a list of the whirlwind that was my December. Today, I'd like to start with recapping the first thing on the list: our vacation to Manila.

When we left St. Louis it was snowing, and I was smiling from ear to ear. So long, suckaaaas! I was headed to the beach.

I'll at least show you the before we got on the plane photo...

So first of all, in order to pay for part of the trip with airline miles, we had to stay overnight in Los Angeles. Sean had never been before so I introduced him to a few of the touristy necessities.

In N Out Burger. There's no shame when you're on vacation, so I insisted that he try the Double Double with fries and a chocolate shake. I'm pretty sure it's more calories than either of us would ever need for at least two days, if not three, but it was delicious anyway. We enjoyed our meal in the comfort of our rental car in a Whole Foods parking garage, looking over our shoulders for fear the scary security guard would yell at us the whole time. I mean how else would you enjoy In N Out Burger?

We tried to meet up with a friend who lives in LA, but she was in the midst of finishing up finals and couldn't make it. So instead we did the touristy thing again and got some food on Hollywood Blvd. We stopped to take a photo by Lawrence Welk's star, which was conveniently right outside of the restaurant we went to.

Why Lawrence Welk, you ask? Well. Here's why. There's a number of other videos there as well, so please enjoy.

Finally, that evening we put our trust in our little GPS and headed up into the Hollywood Hills for an adventure. By the time we got there it was dark so the pics didn't turn out so great on my camera, but it was really cool to see just how massive LA really is from up there.

At the end of the day, we made the journey back to our friends' apartment (conveniently, the bride and groom who we were going to visit in the Philippines live in LA and left before us!) and rested up for our long flight the next day.

Up next: our arrival/first experiences in Manila.

BTW...

2011-01-03T11:20:00.001-06:00

Lisa Hessel featured Sean and my engagement shoot over on her blog while we were out of town... I know you've seen the pics repeatedly, but I had to share!

*** Thanks for reading friends! The 50th sale push was a success and the BOGO deal is now completed as of 4:00 CST 1/3/11***

Also, in case you haven't noticed... I'm two sales away from 50 sales in my Etsy shop. For the next two sales, I'm going to offer a buy one get one half off special for my lucky friends who are YHMH readers... purchase both items up front and I'll refund the difference via PayPal once the transaction goes through. Happy shopping!

(And psst... that 50% off sale is still in effect, even with the above mentioned deal!)

*** Thanks for reading friends! The 50th sale push was a success and the BOGO deal is now completed as of 4:00 CST 1/3/11***

Where Am I?

2011-01-03T10:00:00.001-06:00

This is a question I've asked myself just about every morning I've woken up for the past three weeks. Or perhaps, when am I? And just to stop myself from getting into a long tangent of the best tv show ever made, I'll go ahead and tell you.

I've been: halfway around the world, on six different plane rides, experiencing more humidity than I ever thought possible in the month of December, deep in the Burroughs, with sand in my toes, riding in countless numbers of cars, one hour away from home, back to where I grew up, playing dress up, a short train ride, home again finally, on the couch for a bit, continuing to decorate our living room, planning to bounce between three houses in one night, then doing so, staying up until 4am, being unable to move for a day, eating a ton of carbs and watching a bunch of movies, and finally, not being able to sleep on a normal schedule throughout it all. Hopefully the feeling I had when my alarm went off this morning (I have a job? What?) will be a one time thing. So... makes a lot of sense, right? Don't worry... I'll break it down for ya.

Let's start here. I'd like to thank all of the lovely guest bloggers that participated in You Had Me at Holidays... because I wanted all of you to still have something to read while I was busy wondering where/when/who/what I am. I definitely enjoyed reading all of their traditions and recipes, and hope you did too!

Next, I'd like to tell you about a little vacation I took to Manila, Philippines to celebrate the wedding of some very good friends of Sean and mine. (This is where all of that when am I nonsense comes in. They're 14 hours ahead of what I'm used to!)

Then, I'd like to share a bit about my family's Christmas celebrations.

There will be another post of my pretty mom in pretty dresses.

I'll share some shots of the interior of Sean and my home for the first time so you can check out how we've been redecorating since I moved in.

Then we can chat about New Year's celebrations.

Finally, a little birthday shoutout to my favorite guy...

So, that's my to do list. Hold me to it... I've got A LOT of updating to do! Of course I'll also have to intersperse some 2011 goals and wedding details as it's January, and it's 9 months til we get married.

Whew. I need a nap after all that and I haven't even gotten started yet...

First image via here, final two personal.

Holiday Break

2010-12-29T16:14:00.000-06:00

Well, Christmas is over and I know I said I'd be posting again starting today... but my place of work is closed until next Monday and I've decided to take advantage of my time off to the fullest extent possible. I've got some New Year's planning to do and plenty of other things on my to do list... but for now, the couch is calling my name! Here's a little teaser for next week's updates:

Happy New Year, everyone... I'll be back on January 3rd!

You Had Me at Holidays... Mr. CB

2010-12-24T07:00:00.006-06:00

This is it, folks, the final post in the You Had Me at Holidays guest posting event! And of course, we're going out with a bang... with a post from none other than Mr. CB himself: Sean! You hear me talk about him all the time, so now it's his turn to speak up and share with you. One of the things I love most about Sean is the importance he puts on preserving memories and reliving them often. His family has plenty memories and traditions to share, and I love to hear about them. Without further ado, and no shame whatsoever, here's Sean with "How I came to loathe triangles…An embarrassing Christmas video."

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During the holiday season, I think many people prefer to surround themselves with the positive memories that they have collected over the years and that they associate with warmth and family. I am no different, and I have so many happy memories of Christmas from which to choose.

I found many such memories by looking at old photo albums. There are photos of family putting up Christmas decorations, catching snowflakes, sitting by warm fires, spending time with each other, and watching delighted faces tearing wrapping paper to shreds. Here are just a few of my recent favorites:

However, I think any Christmas story must take the good with the bad, the magical with the mundane, the delightful with the truly embarrassing. This is why my story today is about how I came to loathe triangles.

It was in this giving and humorous spirit that I wanted to share this brief video clip, which was captured from my uncle Ed’s video camera on Christmas Eve many years ago. I think I was 9 years old at the time.

In the video you can see, from left to right, my older brother Derek, my cousins Erin and Monica, and myself on the right, the one with the triangle.

Now a little background…Every Christmas Eve, my parents, brother, aunt and uncle, and cousins would gather in my grandparents’ basement to celebrate the holiday. We would eat a decadent dinner with turkey, mashed potatoes, fruit jello, warm rolls, and on and on. As children, we would bounce off the walls waiting for the opportunity to open presents while our parents took their time eating, which according to them would wait until “after we wash the dishes” or “after we drive around looking at Christmas lights.” The kids killed time by making forts out of gift boxes or sorting packages by size, shape, smell, or whether the box looked like it contained clothing (those were the least popular).

And of course, we sang Christmas carols.

As a boy, I thought of myself as having a decent singing voice and some musical talent (I had an active imagination). Christmas carols were among my favorite songs to play and sing. To this day, I can listen to Christmas music from September to the end of the year and not become bored.

One Christmas I developed a nasty cold, leaving me unable to speak or sing or even say thank you for the gifts people gave me (It shows how innocent I was that this part bothered me so much). It was a sad Christmas for me, and it felt traumatic at the time that I wouldn’t be able to contribute to our annual Christmas caroling. After some discussion my brother found the perfect role for me, though I didn’t feel that way at the time (judging by the look on my face in the video).

It’s more traumatic now to watch it, but at least I can laugh. This is my exposure therapy and my gift to you. For all of you triangle players, I apologize.

Thinking back, we all have moments of celebration that we wish weren’t captured on film. Without this video of me and my triangle, though, my 9th Christmas would not have been so memorable. Hopefully, this one will make you smile.

Wishing you a memory card full of warm memories this Christmas!

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Thanks for reading, everyone, and Merry Christmas! I'm going to take a few days off to spend time with family... but starting next Wednesday I've got some serious updates for you all! Happy Friday :)

You Had Me at Holidays... Landlocked Bride

2010-12-23T07:00:00.003-06:00

Brit from Landlocked Bride recently got married herself, and she's here today to share some of her favorite winter passtimes that our hometown has to offer. Get cozy- she's got a list full of wonderful activities for couples looking to beat the winter blues.

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When the mercury gets low, I love to warm up by sitting inside watching a good Christmas movie, cuddling with my new husband, and drinking a big cup of delicious homemade hot cocoa (more on that shortly). BUT, I also love to take advantage of the romantic (and fun) activities St. Louis has to offer. Although most of them involve bundling up, you can use it as an excuse to snuggle up next to your honey.

Source

Steinberg Ice Rink is a local favorite. This outdoor ice rink is located in the history Forest Park, and has a little concession stand so you can grab a bite to eat, or get a cup of hot chocolate.

Shaw Park Ice Rink is another local fave - located in the heart of the Clayton / Brentwood area.

Santa's Magical Kingdom. Now, while this might be more of a hit with the kids, it is still a ton of fun to get a carload of friends together and check out the intricate Christmas light displays.

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Tilles Park. I've been driving through this park since I was a kid. What's even better is the fact that you can purchase tickets to take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the park to see the holiday light display. One I highly encourage you to take advantage of. It's worth every penny, and will give you the best excuse to cuddle up next to your sweetheart under a few blankets while you enjoy the spirit of the holidays.

And, my favorite thing? Hunting for a real Christmas tree. There happen to be several lots all over town, but my absolute favorite, is the Delta Gamma Shining Light Tree Lot. I may be biased (I was a Delta Gamma in college and worked this lot a million times over and still do), but they always have a wonderful selection of trees, wreaths, and garland. Plus, the proceeds benefit the Delta Gamma Center in St. Louis (one of only five in the country). After you purchase your tree, you can head home and enjoy some of this hot cocoa:

The Landlocked Bride's Homemade Hot Cocoa

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Marshmallows
Hot water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly.

To Enjoy:

Fill your favorite cup or mug half full with the mixture and a few (or a lot of) marshmallows and pour in hot water. Stir to combine.

Keep the remainder of your mix in an airtight container.

Other local holiday attractions

Way of Lights (at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville, IL)
Wild Lights at the St. Louis Zoo
Sledding on Art Hill

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Those of you who are in the St. Louis area have a lot of holiday and winter attractions to attend to... so you better get going! Just one more post for the YHMH guest posting event... come back tomorrow to check it out!

You Had Me at Holidays... Ashton Dene's Antics

2010-12-22T07:00:00.004-06:00

Today's post is from an old friend of mine who I lost touch with after high school. We randomly found each other through a blog I was doing a Clever Betty giveaway on, and had the crazy realization that we know each other from childhood! I asked Ashton to blog for you all because I remember her family being very close, fun-loving and full of holiday traditions. Today she's going to share one of those traditions with you.

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Hi y'all! I'm Ashton from Ashton Dene's Antics and am so excited to be posting during You Had Me at Holidays! Lauren is one of my oldest friends and I love that we've reconnected through the blogging world.

As far as Christmas goes in my family, we have more traditions than most, but I love each tradition and anxiously await getting together with my sisters and parents to celebrate the holidays.

The tradition I'd like to share with you all is the one that really kicks off our Christmas holiday - picking out our Christmas tree. Each year we load up in two cars and head out to the Mule Christmas Tree Farm the day after Thanksgiving. Here are our "rules" for picking out the Albert Family Christmas Tree.

"Albert Family Rules to Picking Out A Christmas Tree"

1. Make sure the whole family (that is in town) makes it out to the tree lot.

The whole family there means that not tree will go uncritiqued in your quest for the perfect Christmas tree!

2. Know *exactly* what you are looking for.

In the Albert family we have a few particulars we look for. A pine cone is a must (insisted by my mom, Jonna), so in previous years we have started bringing a pine cone with us to strategically place in the tree (just don't tell my mom!!). A very, very special find (and christmas tree quest ender) is a birds nest. In past years, we have in fact found this and it is rather magical.

3. To go along with step number 2, height and width are important (the tree has to make it through the door!).Over the years we haven't always had a measuring tape with us, so my sisters and I have come up with a few of our own.

First is the jump test.

If baby sis can jump to the top of the tree... it is too short! (she almost never can jump to the top, but seeing her try and get ups at every tree we like is hilarious if nothing else)

Second is the hug test.

If baby sis can hug the tree (like seen in the picture above)... it is too skinny!

As you can tell, we may be in our twenties, but we are little kids at heart and always want the biggest tree allowed in the house!

4. Always remember where your tree is.

We at the Albert house have found that it is often best to look for Christmas trees when it is cold/snowing out. Our tree selection time is much shorter...instead of the trekking we did this year since it was unseasonably warm.

5. Once you finally decide on a tree...cutting it down is tricky. You should always let your best player go first.

But let everyone get a chance until you reach

Victory and timber is yelled out by all.

6. Enjoy hot chocolate while they do all the necessary shaking/trimming/netting before you take the tree home.

7. Decorate and enjoy for the holiday season.

This is basically a play by play of exactly how the Albert family picks out a Christmas tree, which we have been doing since we are little girls. Each of these steps, as silly as they sound, are actual conversations and activities that take place during our Christmas tree quest.

I hope that no matter if your tree comes from the farm or a box at Target that you get to enjoy the holiday season with people you love.

Merry Christmas!
x, ashton

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See? I love that the Albert family takes their traditions seriously. And this is just one of many! Ashton's dad was actually my high school art teacher, and I have fond memories of blackout bingo and white elephant gift exchanges that he made sure to bring from his family to the classroom. More traditions to come... tune in tomorrow for a St. Louis themed YHMH!

You Had Me at Holidays... Mama Z

2010-12-21T07:00:00.044-06:00

Bet you were wondering what kind of blog is called Mama Z, huh? Well... there might be one, but this Mama Z is actually my dear mother, dropping in to tell you about our family Christmas tradition: not having traditions at all! We're a family that likes variety... so each year tends to bring something different our way.

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Christmas is indeed one of the favorites in the Z household (I could almost pass on Halloween, 4th of July and Easter if it meant getting in on more holidays like Christmas.)

When the kids were little, buying presents was so much fun for me, but wrapping them became a challenge (when, where, how to hide them from them, etc.) because we lived in a small ranch-style house and Lauren & Mike knew every nook and cranny of that place.

(One of many family holiday photos; this one's from the late 80's!)

As we all got older, they were allowed to 'place their orders' for what they wanted for Christmas. If we could have afforded to do so earlier in their lives, we would have taken a few more Christmas family vacations like the year we went to St. Thomas. In 2003, we arrived just after 10 pm on Christmas Eve; the resort wasn't anywhere near town, public transportation there is almost non-existent, and the only restaurant on site was closed for the holidays! Starving and a bit testy, a nice Santa-like local took pity on us and whipped up 4 plates of terrific burgers and fries. I can't remember if or what we ate on Christmas Day itself, but I do remember that leaving the snow and travel hassles behind the day before, was very far from our minds in the beauty and warmth of that great place.

We were lucky to do another family vacation in Acapulco several years later (that one went quite smoothly), but none since, as Lauren now lives in St. Louis and Mike in San Francisco and these parents would probably have to spring for the entire bill to get them to join us now. Thoughts for future gifting??? (***note from Lauren- I'll for sure share photos from these vacations at some point... they've been packed away in our basement until Sean and I move to a place with more space to display!***)

(Mike, Gramma Z, Lauren, Greg, Jason, Grandpa Z in Chicago for Christmas in the mid 90's)

Most other Christmases were spent driving to Chicago to the gramma's homes. We usually had to stay in a hotel, and spent the better part of our times there, driving to and from the west suburbs to the south suburbs, to the north suburbs--exhausting, scary drivers and fighting more snow than Missouri ever gets. But Gramma Marcy & Papa Ray always had a feast of food, tons of presents, and of course, visits with at least 2 of Lauren & Mike's 4 cousins. Gramma's meals always included at least 3 meats (one of which HAD to be locally made Polish sausage), her strawberry, creamy jello mold, and her very own homemade pound cake. I still make every year, those wonderful pecan cups that she introduced me to--and it pains me to see how quickly those little cups are snarfed up when they take so long to make!

(at Grandma J's house for Christmas... late 80's)

For many years, the Heraty Clan (my Irish relatives) was met up in the north suburbs of Chicago for a huge Christmas celebration. We were only able to make that trip once or twice, and then it moved to a hotel north of O'Hare. I have 40+ cousins and with all them eventually having families of their own, the crowd grew to a crazy number of people. Luckily, the Heraty Clan has moved that gathering to the summer as of 2006, when travel for all is so much easier.

(***note from Lauren- the above photo displays what has become a bit of a tradition for us- holiday poppers that contain paper hats and little toys for everyone. One of my favorite parts of Christmas that was passed to us through the family friends who are also in the above photo!***)

Seems like all in all, every year had to be a different scenario because, as an ICU RN, I'm required to work the holiday every other year, and alas, 2010 is my year once again. Happy Holidays to all and safe travel, Rosemary Z (with love from Papa Z too)

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This year we'll have a fairly uneventful Christmas since my mom has to work, but sometimes that is my favorite way to celebrate- on the couch, in pj's all day with plenty of food, a fire and Netflix... plus a pup to greet Mama Z with a lick when she gets home. We're not done yet... stay tuned tomorrow for more YHMH goodness!