happy friday

i hope you all partake in something wonderful and fun this weekend. i myself may be binding a book or two. and on to the goodies that didn't make the site this week ...

a graphic designer's tumblr portfolio ... i love the brightly colored birds.

a video my mom sent me.

geometric patterns make me smile.

type on the street.

and a few words to ALWAYS keep in mind.


photo above from the flikr stream of noele l

i am absolutely going to do this ...

the grover beach photo project! did you see this over at a cup of jo? or maybe the original atlanta photo project? i love this idea. however i think my version is really going to be the san luis obispo photo project because grover beach is, well, kinda not super cool. we have had one pair of flip flops (mas') and one pair of chacos (mine) stolen from the beach. who steals shoes from the beach?!?

ps - this is the second squished faced dog with his tounge hanging out that i have seen in the past month. i am thinking frances needs a friend (ahem ... mas ... hint, hint).

i am a child at heart

well, actually more of a 13 year old girl ... or maybe 12? this characteristic of mine means that i have read the harry potter series in its entirety four times (that would be three times for the american version and one for the british version ... i own both). it is maybe my favorite imaginary world to visit. i just cannot get enough. whenever i find myself in a lull reading wise i go back to harry. i. just. can't. help it.

so when i saw these i had to post them. you see harry is too near and dear to ignore this. they were designed by m.s. corley for fun (i.e they are not available now, nor are there any solid plans for them to be available in the future, though plenty of hopes). you see this is what can happen when you forget about the one days.

found on oh so beautiful paper via black*eiffel

re : i am not going to be lame anymore

or at least that is my new mantra. you see all of my life i have had a serious case of the "one day"s. as in one day i will finally be fluent in french. one day i will be able to sew. one day i will teach myself flash. one day i will be able to afford all of the pretty hair pieces i could want. one day i will have a regular gig in the volunteer world. one day i will process the 45 rolls of 120 film hiding in my underwear drawer.

well all of the above are not getting done, and you know why? because i fall back on that nasty little statement - one day. well f* that. starting about a week or so ago i am no longer thinking one day. in fact i am just thinking today, or tomorrow, or maybe even this weekend. but not one day. for now i am taking an hour or so out of my day and picking up french, and then i have promised myself one pretty handmade hair thing a week (this has so far proven v. interesting).

teaching myself flash is going to be my next big project after i get the three weddings i am working on off to print. other than that i will see how it goes. i tend to get overly excited for projects like this which inevitably ends with me being burned out, lying on the couch and rubbing my temples. but not this time, because i realize there is no sense in rushing through this kind of stuff. i am going to simmer and enjoy .. and damn it i am going to be making interactive websites in french one day ... well maybe not, but you know what i mean.

oh and i am also cutting down on the purchasable things posts ... purses and dresses and shoes are nice, but i am thinking that i need to tone that part of me down a bit ... for the sake of sanity.

oh, oh, oh

i think these charms designed by studio tord boontje and spread throughout the world by artenica are just divine. from what i have read they aren't available yet ... but will be soon and hopefully somewhere on the internet.



found here.

the slightly melancholy bear

i have a soft spot for anything slightly melancholy, or all out melancholy for that matter. and his description makes me want to adopt him (i mean the cat ate his cookies, i'll bake him some more).

slightly melancholy bear by lineanongrata available at supermarket.

dinner

i don't know exactly why, but last night was a particularly fun evening. mas and i didn't do anything out of the norm ... we made dinner (blt's with garlic mayo, avocados and a tomato and cilantro salsa - potatoes with butter and green onions - and then brussel sprouts cooked with the leftover bacon, who knew i liked brussel sprouts??) then we watched an episode of generation kill (kinda depressing) and after that we happened upon two episodes of the office and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. not a bad way to end a tuesday.

hello old friend

so in case you didn't know, i went to school for photography (shocking i know, my photo skills are poor at best these days). for a year or two after i graduated i tried to keep on top of things but it was hard and incredibly discouraging. plus i don't really get along in the digital world. while i can use photoshop and my digital camera ... it doesn't make me happy like film makes me happy. so it as a career disappeared and then it as a hobby slowly slipped away (boo!). but not anymore. as a part of my plan to no longer be a lame duck (more to come later) i am bringing photography back into my life. i have a stack of slightly expired 4x5 polaroid film and figure i might as well start there. that is once i remember how to use my light meter.

the trigger is back!

why, oh why it ever went anywhere i HAVE NO IDEA. i bought myself one way back in the day (ok it was only about four years ago) in a sumptuous dark green and have loved it ever since. it holds everything and i mean everything. though the new ones seem a little stiff and the price seems a bit inflated i am happy to see that botkier has gone back to the basics (at least a wee bit).

available here in a few more trend faring colors.

you have seen this, right?

there is a new kid in the wedding world! 100 layer cake is a site not to be missed. brought to you by a group of ladies, one of which i know you are quite familiar with. anyway their blog is up now and they promise much, much more in the future. so scurry on over and prepare for a world of wedding wonder.

valentines day goodness - a bit late

i was so lucky to take part in this fantastic adventure hosted by amanda. the first annual valentines swap left me with a rather large smile. you see my valentine was amanda herself and she sent me a fistful of felt hearts, a new handkerchief (which has me convinced that tissues are no longer a part of my life), some hand made lavender sachets, a bird whistle (which took me forever to figure out, in fact it only happened once amanda gave me step by step instructions), and finally a bag of peanut m&m's (how she knew these were my favorite candies ever, i am not sure).

needless to say i cannot wait until next year.

the weekend

the weekend was good. there was a lot of couch time ... we finished the wire, finally! then yesterday was pretty much consumed by the oscars though we did manage to get in the first two episodes of generation kill (kind of intense). it is a lot of tv time i know, what can i say i wasn't feeling so hot and it was kinda rainy outside.

isn't sarah jessica parker pretty? i kinda liked her and angelina jolie and natalie portman the best.

happy weekend

i hope everyone enjoys their saturdays and sundays. any plans? i am pretty sure we have mac n' cheese and the oscars on the agenda. but other than that ...

we might play with some balloons because i have been seeing them EVERYWHERE and kinda like the way they look in pictures. (image above found here)

i might also die over this dress and these boots.

a new book club has sparked my interest.

we could use a few of these for our upstairs porch (couldn't everyone???)

and i just found this site thanks to meg. and why didn't i know about it before?? i have no idea.

my new blog crush

karyn makes me feel all light headed and like i can make anything. then immediately after that i come crashing down into the real world with the thoughts like ... what in the world do i spend my days doing if it isn't making super cool things like twinkling light chalkboards?? and how am i supposed to make those cute typewriter fabric labels to sew into my hand made purse if a. i don't have a typewrite and b. i can't sew. oh there are so many things to learn and i am so going to get my sh*t together and learn them ... for real this time.

dear philip lim

thank you. it's not even spring and i am already lusting for next fall.

10 minutes well spent

BOOMBOX from Ely Kim on Vimeo.

this kid has the most AMAZING t-shirt collection i have ever seen.

drats!

so i missed the shop update from ann wood today and apparently there were owls and sailboats involved! everything has sold out ... not too shocking but if you maybe want to add yourself to her mailing list so you know when lovelies like mr. guppy (see below) are available click on over.

best of business cards

a friend sent me this link the other day and i lost a good chunk of my evening exploring the wonders of some pretty fantastic business cards.

business cards found on card observer

i love invitations

designed by the bride and groom and printed by studio on fire. first they were letterpressed and then they were gocco'd (or at least the fabric insert was) and finally they were stitched. oh how i love them so. thank you nole for finding them!

winter isn't over yet

and i kinda am wanting these tights ... i mean i would take the shoes, hat, jacket, dress and scarf in a second, but i REALLY want a pair of those tights. (i don't know where this lovely lady sourced hers, but i am just fine with hansel from basel's navy version)

photo from garance doré

would you?

because i totally would ... but then again i can't really get enough tulle or organza ... ever.

{from max chaoul via fashion bride}

did you guys see this?

i found this project of photographing the ones you love over at darling dexter. i have only made it about 25% of the way through but so far i am in love. how utterly appropriate.

{photograph above from indiana caba}

yay for starting the week on a tuesday!

it just feels better deep down to know that monday is far behind me and what a wonderful monday it was. in fact it was a great freaking weekend. we had a friend in town, mas bought me doughnuts for valentines day breakfast, and then we officially killed our brita (our local water was growing much a mold in the brita pitcher ... gross!). we also spent some time at the beach, joined forces with another winery, had the best valentines dinner and then a pretty special sunday night feast as well. all in all i would say it was a pretty good time.

happy valentines day!

i hope you all spend a bit of the day appreciating little red hearts ... if nothing else. we have a friend from chicago coming to town tonight so he is going to be forced into participating in our in-n-out excursion (lucky boy!). see you all next week.

photo found here.

ashley g

i love this girl, i really do. i could have a wall full of her prints. the new print above (abstract 1) is available in her etsy shop.

beer - yummy pretty beer

i was one of those girls that didn't like beer for the longest time - thank god that is over. it turns out there are a lot of yummy beers in the world. and it also turns out that there are a lot of really cool beers out there in the world. but these beers have to be the coolest. i mean every time i see them i buy them. but um ... sweet stout ... why have i never seen you?? i kinda like the way you sound. i believe jamie will recognize these.via the dieline via notcot

arboreal

just a heads up there is a new print available over at sub-studio (a personal favorite). click here to see the full 8" x 20" silk screened print.

until tomorrow

i am immersing myself in a couple of projects today as i feel i haven't been doing that nearly enough lately. this computer + internet combo is a time vampire i tell you. have a lovely day and i will be back tomorrow.

image found here.

best. dress. ever.

i remember the first time i saw this dress ... it was late january of last year and i had already purchased my wedding dress. seeing this one threw me into a slight funk that lasted longer than it should have. but in the end it all worked out and now i can just look at these images and be completely and totally in awe.



photo credits go to aaron delsie found on rock n' roll bride.

taking a time out to get a bit personal.

ok, ok feel free to skip over this if aren't her, as she was really the only one who asked. here it goes ...

10 random facts :

1. i was born in california, left when i was three, moved to texas, left when i was 12 and lived in north carolina until college. once in college i lived in dallas, denver and savannah. after college we moved to chicago and then to california. now we are looking at another move in about a year and after that who knows ... but i am pulling for france, japan, new zealand, or hong kong.

2. i cannot stand it when people leave their windsheild wipers on after the rain stops. it drives me insane. in fact, and this is beyond bad, i have been known to reach over and turn them off for the driver. (i am not proud of this)

3. mas and i met in 7th grade. we went to a tiny school and had 32 people in our graduating class. we didn't start dating until senior year.

4. i listen to npr pretty much all day long via the radio function on itunes.

5. i have an obsession with everything apple but *try* not to take it too far ... which turns out is a lot easier when on a tighter budget.

6. instead of discussing baby names mas and i have a running list of dog names ... as soon as we have a yard frances will no longer be an only child.

7. eating good food with good people is my number one favorite thing to do.

8. at one time, not very long ago, i was a level 67 night elf druid in one of those mmorpgs. after mas took the bar i pretty much quit the game, much to the disappointment of my brother.

9. i would prefer to go to bed at 10.00 every night

10. i believe in creative grammar ... in case you hadn't noticed

i am tagging amanda. IF you want to participate i will look forward to your random facts ... but please don't feel obligated.

what to wear on your head ... round 2

yesterday on a practical wedding it was east side, and today it is peonies. i highly recommend checking out both posts in regards to bridal head goodness because they are just fantastic. plus they make me want to start seriously investing in things for my head and i am guessing you might feel the same way (bride or no bride).

photo from jane taylor millinery

made by hand with scissors and paper

paper cuts by hina aoyama. to see more click here (there are even videos of the process)

clever clever people

i am thinking that this could be the coolest calling card ever, if you worked the internet side of things correctly that is.


from ji lee originally sourced from the post family

if we start a petition do you think she will show us some more???

check out a practical wedding today and get a little peek into east side bride's wedding, which in case you hadn't noticed is nowhere to be found on the internets. also in the little post are a few pretty amazing picks for hair adornments, that is if you can manage to take your eyes off of her and h-town.

i put brown sugar and cocoa in my coffee this morning

and can i say that it was wonderful? and when i say wonderful i mean maybe i am going to be doing this daily for a very long time.

new color obsessions ... and i mean OBSESSIONS

it happens to me a lot. i get a tickling for a particular combination of colors and all of a sudden my every day life is transformed. recently i had been really feeling the kellly green and dark grey ... but this weekend it changed, in the blink of an eye ...


hello my dear grey, bright blue and wee bit of red (um i guess this post should have made me realize that things were changing). i have been seriously thinking about painting our currently non-existent dining room chairs in a blue just a bit darker than the one above, but then toggle back and forth between grey and chalkboard paint as well. oh the choices. maybe i will just go ahead and change ppp's colors and call it a day?

sneaker love

i am a sneaker girl deep down and forever. i love sneakers ... LOVE them. i guess i love all sorts of shoes, but really it is a good pair of sneakers that will hold my attention and be the receivers of most of my admiration and shoe time. so when i came across these you can imagine how excited i was.


how i would love to have either pair for my endless days of spring ... put them together with a sun dress and call it a day. yes please, i do think that i would like that. now if only they would appear on the website!

the nike liberty blazer supposedly available here ...

have a lovely weekend my dears.

mas and i are spending the weekend completing the second course (out of three) for our sailing certification program. woohoo. i do kinda wish that the weather was a bit on the warmer side as the ocean isn't as forgiving as the land ... but it being february and all, i won't complain.

happy days to all of you and i will see you monday. a few click worthy links below.

i lego n.y.

followed by a new blog discovery

then some pretty fantastic valentines

and the pursuit of happiness

finally, wow.

paper source

yesterday i was just getting ready to place a paper order through paper sources wholesale company when i received an email alerting me to their new color : fuschia!


well i have the perfect use for a fuschia envelope, let me tell you. so i added a few to the order and cannot wait to show you the final results. until then you can check out the new and bright addition for yourselves right here.

it doesn't get better than this ...

three of my FAVORITE things : stripes, jackets and dvf. oh me, oh my. available at shopbob.

check, check, check it out

new in the shop today. a valentine card for anyone and gift tickets (for those gifts that don't fit so nicely into boxes).

just so you know.

ohhh my favorite

i first saw this on {frolic!} and just found out that it is for sale at the twigs and honey etsy shop! if only i had somewhere or something to wear it with. i am tempted to grab it so when the time comes i am prepared ...

ohhh so pretty.

gretchen mist

i just found a dead white spider in my favorite decorative branch and it kinda freaked me out. but then i also just found gretchen mist and she kinda made me happy. i love mixed media collages and anything landscape(ish). view her etsy shop here.