highlights no.12

Letterpress coaster calendar

DIY nail & string letters - too darling

pretty, organized refrigerators...that look just like mine (I wish)

gift wrapping stamp set from paperfinger - these would make the best holiday cards

how to make your MAC desktop even cooler 

Martha's snow globes 

how to make lovely pastel jars

cute modern holiday decor

there is a spot on my bookshelf for this little felt-covered Christmas tree

brass-tack baubles

how to make subway art printables on photoshop

this ring would go with everything

happy pencils music video

I'd love to get a hold of a few extra buttons to make one of these

I've got a thing for coasters - I think I could make myself a few of these...

I ADORE these socks

how to make cake batter dip for graham crackers (just like Dunkaroos!)

I just want to have a party to have an excuse to use these paper place mats

P.S. A video to put you in the holiday spirit :)

xo

decor

The bedroom.

I tend to have an almost unstoppable desire to always decorate my bedroom in a huge, loud, borderline obnoxious burst of color (if only I could show you my childhood bedroom - think BRIGHT and BRIGHTER pink stripes on the walls).

Unfortunately this decorating style almost always comes with buyer's/ painter's/ decorator's remorse so, in an attempt to spare David (and myself), I consciously limited myself to a very few choices in our new bedroom:

yellow

& grey

Classic & simple.

Recently I've had the urge to add more colors to the pallet, but, thank goodness, these two really just look best by themselves.

Creativity thrives under constraint, right?  

So I'm working on it.

Please be patient bare, white walls!

Also in the spirit of yellow and grey:

I've got another paint chip project in the works - if it turns out even remotely acceptable I'll let you know.

x-carly

christmastime is here...

Merry Christmas Charley Brown.

Few tunes are Christmasy-er.  In fact we've had the soundtrack playing along with Bing, Mitch Miller & James Taylor for the last 3 days now - ah Christmas - you bring all the best artists together in one playlist.  It's the best.

In celebration of the pending holiday I've gotten a little excited with decorating every nook and cranny of our apartment:

I also may have gotten carried away with making this garland...

I grabbed, well, probably 3 inches worth of red & green paint chips at Home Depot.  In my defense there was a sign that told me to take as many as I wanted, but I still sort of felt the need to stash them in my purse on the way out...

 

Anyways, if you get yourself some string and a circle punch they make some pretty darling, simple decor - and I love them.

We don't really have room for a tree (or have any desire to load one up and move it to LA with us at the end of the school year).

So I improvised.  

leftover paint chips
+  string
+ a bunch of tape on our door
= successful Christmas tree, I think

And then of course we have our front window:

It feels oh so good to be all decorated :)

Now we just have to try and enjoy it quick before finals hit in a week and a half...

one hundred

That's right.

The Mr. & I have been married 100 days today.

 Time is a funny thing my friends.

It sure does fly when you're having so much fun :)

finally

Break out the Christmas music my friends.

Tis the season.

day #5

Today I'm grateful for:

good food,

family

& post-Thanksgiving naps

Here's to hoping you have all the above today!

Happy Thanksgiving! 


Picture Source

highlights no.11

You've gotta watch this Ralph Lauren 4D projection - it will blow your mind!

This Anthro-inspired lampshade is on my "to-make" list

How darling is this personalized canvas?

6 ways to tie a scarf

Vocal Point's performance on The Sing Off - "Every Little Step" - aren't they just so stinkin' cute?

Sweet Paul Magazine - "Big Cookies in A Small World"

10 Christmas gifts in a jar

DIY Valentines light bulb - too cute

Red-orange lipstick - the color that looks good on everyone?

Oversized frame hanger - I love this idea

TWO ingredient lemon bars (I must try these)

I blog of party inspiration themes! 

25 seconds of the cutest cat you've probably ever seen

How to make perfect pop-up lettering

And lastly, this wedding is darling, but scroll down and read the part about their QUILT - it's the cutest RSVP I've ever heard of


xo & happy almost Thanksgiving!

day #4

Today I'm thankful for:

a hot breakfast

i.e. pancakes, oatmeal, waffles, eggs, hash browns etc, etc...

I'd like to submit that there are few things more delicious than eating up a meal you didn't lift a finger to prepare.

So when David rolled over this morning and asked me what I wanted him to make for breakfast...I couldn't help but grin.

Thanks for the waffles babe - they were delicious :)

P.S. David is the whipped cream maniac up there, in case you were wondering

day #3

Today I am grateful for:

(get ready for it - it's kind of a long one)

a husband who sometimes knows 

me better than I know myself

(the theme of the night was blurry pictures - we rolled with it - I hope you can too)

Yesterday night I was in a bit of a mood.  I admit it.

David, however, was all smiles and, after dinner, insisted we get out of the house and go look at the Christmas lights up at the Riverwoods and perhaps grab something sweet while we were out.

Does that man know the way to my heart or what?

Christmas lights AND sugar?  Nothing could be sweeter.

Plus we made a stop off at Williams Sinoma and wondered up and down the aisles among the most darling kitchen gadgets to be imagined.

(P.S. Aren't these the most perfect mugs for Christmas? )

Who couldn't be in a good mood after all that?

To top it off we grabbed some ice cream at I Like Ike's Cream...even though it was 36 degrees outside...

They serve true Texan Blue Bell ice cream over there (in darling glass cups I might add) and it was just as delicious as I thought it would be.

Mission accomplished.

Smiles all around.

day #2

Today I am thankful for:
technology (noun)
ie: my computer, my camera, the internet, my phone, GPS etc. etc.

My reasons:

1) I probably wouldn't be able to survive without Googlemaps. 

2) I can creating tangible, visible memories with my camera.

3) Skyping across continents & countries is mind blowing.

4) Pinterest is vastly entertaining.

Thank goodness for people who are smarter than me that made all these things up.

Image sources: left, right

5 days of thanksgiving

Christmas gets 12 days so I figured Thanksgiving deserves a few days as well, don't you think?

(I've seen some bloggers doing 30 days of Thanksgiving - these people are my heroes.  Also they are overachievers)

Day #1

Today I am thankful for:

seasons (noun)

eg. spring, summer, autumn, winter 
Also one of my favorite things about living in Utah.

source

 Here are my reasons:

1) Seasons allow me to have two wardrobes - one for warm weather & and one for cold weather.  I feel like I have new clothes in my closet when the snow melts and I get to pull out a whole new set of t-shirts, skirts & sandals.

2) Seasons actually correspond with the holidays.  It's brisk in the November for Thanksgiving.  There's snow in December for Christmas. Etc etc.

3) Seasons make me so much more grateful for warm weather.  There is almost nothing better than when the snow FINALLY melts (sometimes in June, but I digress) and you can finally feel the warmth of the sun on your face.

I will miss the season's dearly when we move ourselves down to LA at the end of the school year - good thing Dave's family still lives up here so we'll be able to visit and give me a chance to put my plethora of ridiculously warm coats to good use (they'll be a bit much for LA's perpetual 72 degrees).

3 months!

 We've hit month #3! 

A celebration was definitely in order.

The agenda:

Squash and salad for dinner

+

Episodes of Arrested Development

+

Mugs filled with homemade pazookies for dessert

 =

Great success.

 Also, to supplement the celebration, we hung twinkle lights all around our living room.

(not to be confused with Christmas lights)

They make me ridiculously happy.

I expect they will stay up on our walls until we move :)


P.S. Our wedding videographer posted a little sneak peak of the morning prepping for the big day!  It's too much fun - I CANNOT wait to see the full thing!

highlights no.10

It's almost Thanksgiving break!  

I am most literally counting down the days, but in the meantime here are some gems from around the www.

stinkin' cute US state magnets

DIY painted rug!

fun things to do with PAINT CHIPS - I love this, this and this

how to personalize like a pro

beautiful Designer Fluff pillows

live the language - Paris

darling vintage cocktail dress

perfect wedding invitations

drawing & running the NYC marathon - this is craziness

trailer for the Hunger Games - I confess I'm very excited for this to come out

a darling wedding poster

an apron I'd make up excuses to wear

and last, but not least, did you know CATH KIDSTON has made it across the pond to the US of A??

I'm all sorts of excited.

a list.

 ...making the bed for me when I forget.

....driving me to class at 8:45 in the morning when I wake up late.

...making us dinner when I'm too tired to even think about it.

...leaving me a love note to find in my laptop later in the day.

...holding my cold hands as we walk home from a football game.

...helping me practice for my presentations.

...spending the weekend thrift store shopping with me.

...staying up with me past midnight while I finish my homework to make sure I don't fall asleep.

...helping me put up twinkle lights in our living room.

...watching my favorite TV shows with me just to spend time together.

xo

fall favorites

I was under the impression that everyone knew about these pumpkin cookies...until recently.

Allow me to introduce you to the easiest (and most delicious) cookies of the holiday seasons:

I confess I've never been much a fan of gingerbread cookies...sorry.

And that's it.

Seriously, that's all.

It's not fall without a few of these babies and a tall glass of milk.

p.s. I would have added pictures to this post, but, um...there aren't exactly any left to show.  Sorry again.

weekend treasures

This weekend was much spent among consignment stores, craft stores, TJ Max, Craigslist, KSL and Home Depot in an attempt to decorate our apartment before the winter frost sticks.

It's true.

Fall nesting mode has set in at last.

Bless David's heart, he was such a good sport and went with we me to more stores than he would have liked (don't worry we made necessary stops at Golden Spoon and Jamba Juice for sugar boosts), but we did find more than a few treasures I must show you:

This darling picture was hiding in the back of DI.

Where will we hang it?  No idea.

But we love it.

$2.99

I grabbed, um, a few paint chips from Home Depot to start a little project.

(we'll see if it turns out at all...)

$0.00

I adore this little new mirror.

Our tiny little kitchen feels a tad bit bigger now.

Not much more than a tad though.

Target gift cards!

I have to brag a little about this pillow.

$3.00

What??

I know.

Treasure.

 And these are my favorite.

I'll post an update when they're done and hung.

Till then you must wonder what will happen to my mismatched oddly shaped mirrors...

$9.99 a piece

A successful weekend I think.

Now we just need to find a dresser for the bedroom...

help?

movember

I stumbled upon this font the other day:

Please laugh.

I think it's hilarious.

Happy No-Shave-November!

highlights no.9

I love these Caitlin Wilson pillows

Stinkin' cute magnet boards

Darling way to announce a little one

Alternative nightstands 
(we need one of these, a nightstand that is)

Couture rooms at the Maison des Champs-Elysees  in Paris
(but, lets be honest, I'd stay in almost any room in Paris)

Check out these long distance relationship pillows!

Simple.  Easy.  Front side twist.

His & her birthstone ring

How have I not know this trick yet?

I adore this fish-scale pattern

Cute hand warmers - great for snowy morning walks to class

Floral ice cubes.

Spray painted mason jars - great DIY

Don't laugh.  I want this spaghetti measure (I always make too much)

Darling place settings for Thanksgiving!

personality

You knew it was coming.

wedding pictures.

However, in an attempt to avoid completely and utterly boring you with a slew of dresses, ties & decorations I'm going to choose only my very favorite personality shots from our big day.

You know, the ones you might not really want to frame (ok I'd frame some anyways), but that you love?

Yeah, those ones.

Please enjoy.