greetings of the season

Matt-Pearson

So. Small group of friends coming over for dinner tonight. Should be stress-free, as I indicated on my e-vite.

And I'm not stressing.... exactly. I'm somewhat paralyzed, as I can't clean without moving some packages that need to be mailed out of the way. But I can't move those packages out of the way without stacking them, but I don't have any packing tape (which would also enable me to go ahead and mail them, through that handy-dandy USPS auto-machine! love it. Except gosh, you really do kind of save lots by purchasing online + printing out your own label! a-hem).

And I've got to run to the grocery, where I could pick up said packing tape. Except I've also got to pick up a holiday shirt for the hubs, and possibly some stocking holders for the mantle, and I believe (if I'm lucky) those stores open up at 11. So, I should just wait til those stores open, right?

sigh. maybe I am just this much of a procrastinator.

lacanica, joojoo, SewnNatural 

but, lucky me, white elephant gift is in the bag! (well, literally, a j crew box :) And, for tangent number 80 bajillion: have any of you stopped into Anthropologie lately + said your purchase is a gift? They give you the most delightful felt "blossom" (okay, just a circle, but still!) on a shoestring for packaging, and it is *darling*! I think it could be a sash! But a shoestring, perhaps not...)

Happy Sunday thoughts to all :)

iGoogle lovin

We all know I'm an uber-geek, so I thought I'd share my excitement :D:

I have no idea how I got so lucky, but a little pop-up window appeared one day, asking me if I want to change my iGoogle* theme.  I usually have it set to this beautiful scenery photography by ... I can't remember.  But one suggested theme was 12 Days of Cookies by the Food Network -- and holy cow, I get wo excited everytime I open my homepage and see a new lovely + yummy treat!! I know, I'm so easy -- but seriously!  Instant holiday cheer (and I *love* gorgeous baked goods!) -- and okay, that last one is really Paula Deen's Holiday Treats theme, but I couldn't find a pic of all 4 of the cookies -- but you the idea :)

*iGoogle page: in case y'all aren't users, you can personalize your google homepage!  I keep my fave blogs on that page so that I can see my email + new updates on my fave blogs and check it all at my leisure. I mean, I'm a fan of googleReader and all, but man, I've been busy with work yesterday and the day before, and by like 3p, I'm behind by about 130 or so posts -- tooo overwhelming!  Anyway, I know there's gadgets you can add, but I'm not that high-tech :D

Friday Love!

(c) Cliff Mautner

Friday Faves!

I am *loving* all of these wintery white lovelies floating around! Personally, I love seeing large pic files, but unfortch, gearing up for all the fun I have happening at the end of this month = less time.  So let's just enjoy a collection of a handful of the pretties out there, yes?

Row 1: The Bride's Cafe, feat. Tinywater Photography; This is Glamorous, feat. Martha Stewart; Oscar de la Renta on Martha Stewart Weddings
Row 2: Cédric Bihr feat. on This is Glamorous; Sarah Hogan Photography on Gathering Spriggs; Polka Dot Bride feat. Witchery shoes

And eeee, did you stop by Lovely Clusters already?  Rachel posted some *beautiful* Christmas clusters!

Have a beautiful weekend!

Dress Details {Sarah Maren Photography}

(c) Sarah Maren Photography, feat. on 100layercake; dress by Lisa Welge

A couple months back, 100layercake featured this *fabulous* dress, made by the bride (!!)  gor.geous.

Photo AND dress by Lisa Welge

And I couldn't stop checking out Sarah's site for more dress goodies -- they just leapt off the page!
{all images below by Sarah Maren Photography}

 

 

And okay, not a dress, but cuuute!

Now I just have to peruse Lisa's pages, too..

It's the holidays!!!!

Man oh man oh man, I love my office.

 Secret Santa gift exchange.

bakerella

• My gifting of a pair of ladies' Christmas socks with glittery teddy bears on them to one of the favorite guys in the office: rockfest.
• 
  
  That he thought that was all he was getting, and was excited about it: rockfest squared.
  
• 
  
  That, only after much cajoling to put on the socks *immediately*, did he find the actual gift of an iTunes giftcard: rockfest cubed!
  
  
  

Holiday-Feast-Induced Coma.  I don't really need to say more, right?

figtreequilts feat. Le Trip

Random Christmas Pretties:

hello naomi, via meaghan-antoinette:jedijazzhands

via justbesplendid

I love this season! The giving, the cheer, the happiness from simple things like a break in the middle of the day from work, at work :D + good food + gifts = awesome :)

Housewarming + Bridal Shower gifts {Anthropologie}

I know these have been making their way around the blogosphere.  And I had grand plans of posting all the *adorable* aprons at Anthropologie, since I was shopping for two housewarming gifts for dear friends, and have a bridal shower to attend the day after Christmas, hosted by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for the sister of our good friend who was also my husband's best man, and whose entire family are dear friends of my in-laws.  (Hee, I just wanted to write all that out!) 

But I love these so much I just had to share! And, now that your brain is just as taxed as mine, let's just settle on the winners after all my online + in-store perusing, yes?

A bit Parisian, in my head, for Jessica: vibrant + fun + a bit modernized-vintage :

And since Catherine's shower is one of those letter-themed ones, and I got the letter "R," I figured it wouldn't exactly be cheating to go for this "ruffled" apron :)!

For Catherine, I'd also love to throw in a couple kitchen utensils, if she's registered for any! But gosh darn, they also have a lot of lovely wine gadgets that would make a *fabulous* wine basket!! And it's all Metrokane RABBIT!

But I had my heart set on an apron -- I feel like perhaps they're catching on more now (especially as they're all on all these gift lists!).  But really, how many of you would actually splurge on an apron for yourself?  My kitchen love was *transformed* after my friend Bee gave me my first apron: a vintage-esque, gold + white + green half apron, it was *phenomenal.* And then my mother-in-law gave me my second: a red + black/white checkered, proper-vintage half-apron (it was hers after being gifted from her mother or aunt several (15-20?) years ago!).

But. I have to admit that my heart belongs to the full apron gifted to me by the hubs's cousin: full length, a smidge ruffly, and this cheery cherry pattern that perfectly matches a set of fancy rubber gloves I splurged on once :D Hey, making housework as glamorous as possible goes a long way!

Gloveables via Womans Day

I know. I am totally the girl who kind of ruins it for all women, because things like aprons + fancy rubber gloves excite me.  As did the elliptical trainer I got once, too.  My apologies, ladies!

A fabulous Monday

My weekend was too awesome to try to recap.  So how about my fabulous Monday night :)?

• Rocked it out in the car on my way home.  Y'all should try it sometime, it is *crazy* liberating!

A New England Family

•  Uber cute necklace waiting for me -- another fab gift, but this time to celebrate the hubs's cousin pledging Chi-O this year!

TrashAndTrinkets

• Awesome customer service at PayPal.  Like, I should probably be complaining because of the *ridiculous* run around between Snapfish and PayPal (seriously, neither really offers online help, because neither recognize a "pending payment" as an actual transaction, so both say to ask the other one for help!) 

The US National Archives

So I called the customer help line -- I know, and I *hate phones* -- but Melanie was delightful.  And totally ended up giving me what I was hoping for -- well, at least starting the process for me!  *fingers crossed* 

• Getting outbid on ebay!  I know, I might also not should be so excited -- but man, ebaying for gifts is a little risky, right?  I mean, when it's supposed to be, oh, I don't know, a scrapbook software cartridge thing?  Oh well, luckily it worked out + I got to buy it from an electronic scrapbook store I've heard of :)!  AND for practically Black Friday prices!

• And, finally, making a fabulous dinner in 15 mins! We won't think about the sodium content at the moment...
  
  
  
  

  Monday night dinner!
  
  
  
  
  

glam holiday attire

Mmm, dreamy glamourous attire that I fantasize (1) I could purchase and (2) have a fancy holiday party/ball/gala to which I could wear them!

Badgley Mischka, via RueLaLa

Happy Monday!

+

Here's to a magical Monday!

**anyone else been having problems with Blogger not publishing scheduled posts?  Of course my sentiment is still the same, but mmmm, I love starting out my Monday mornings with beautiful images, and I wish I'd caught earlier that this didn't go out when I'd scheduled it!  Here's some yummy treats to make us feel better about not having started our day with magic :D

v a n i l l a,

via macaroononastick

pastelpetals {etsy love}

So.  I am absolutely getting caught up in the holiday season of shopping.  I mean giving. Hee.

Seriously, though, there are *so* many delights, so I hope y'all don't mind if the next couple of weeks are devoted to little treasures that I want, but am absolutely exercising proper restraint.  But hey, maybe that means one of you will see something to treat yourself or a loved one with :)!

First up: PastelPetals, who I discovered through Luphia Loves!  Again, the delicacy of these pieces are just delightful :)  She's based in Singapore, though, so you might have to act quickly to get these here in time for the holidays!  PS: most everything is under $20!  And shipping looks to be about $3-3.50!

PastelPetals

Laura Caslin {love!}

omg, I super enjoyed the etsy craft fair earlier today!! It went much quicker than I had expected, though I'd never been to a craft fair before, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  Full review will be later -- tomorrow, each day this week, I have no idea, but I had to squeeze in this post before I jet to a couple parties this afternoon & evening!

So.  I fell. in.love. with Laura Caslin's gorgeously delicate necklaces.  The daintiness is just *so* exquisite, I can't truly describe it.  I had *promised* the hubs I wouldn't purchase anything for myself -- which, okay, I teensy broke a little, but if I had caved and bought a Laura Caslin piece, that would have been uber-obvious.  But seriously -- beautiful work, very reasonable pricing!  le sigh (le sigh le sigh, seriously).

I stopped by Laura's etsy shop + didn't see the pieces displayed at the fair (understandably!), but here's a couple delights, just to give you a taste.

The middle, for instance, uses vintage watch parts, if I'm not mistaken.  But imagine an entire chain like the top earring! Plus, say, a horizontal row of teeny pearls!  Or a cluster of delicate stone briolettes!  sigh. [**update! found a photo of one of these necklaces :)!!**]

Okay, back to getting ready for the shindigs tonight, hopefully y'all have a delightful rest of the weekend!

Friday Love!

{ Sweet Monday Photography}

Dress Details!

Once Wed feat. Charley Star Photography

Love Shak #15: Candles?

meaghan-antoinette :: misswallflower

Dear L: I know, this is not very Rustic Chic.  But it's so pretty!  And elegant!  I know, I have no idea how I'd reconcile this with buckets.  Hee.  But I imagine buckets don't quite fit in with a winery feel, either -- isn't it crazy how just one word can change a whole perspective?

And here's those burlap ribbons I was talking about! Not exactly the same, but pretty close...

Pierce Arnold

as time goes by

I was thinking maybe something like this, although not quite as intricate:

Martha Stewart, feat. on With this Ring

But see how it's kind of laid out in a pattern, rather than a straight runner?  Hahaha, I know, just what you need: more ideas!  But -- really, this is the last one I've got scheduled :)  Less than 6 months to go, you've totally got this thing in the bag :)!

la sigh

Shared Sugar, via justbesplendid

So.  Sometimes it's tough for me to separate my sighs.  "Le sigh" is something dreamy.  But it's also one of those soft sighs, which makes me think it's one of those "holycowi'msodrainedicanbarelybreathe" kind of sighs.  But, that's not in any way dreamy :D So, maybe "la" instead of "le"?

Regardless.  Today was... I need a cookie, that's all I can say.  Mmm, especially like one of those above.  yum yums.

Be-ribboned Inspiration!

I know I've already talked about lanalou style, but she's hosting a giveaway for the *cutest* canvas -- that she made herself!  Pop over and enter before 12/6!

Happy Monday!

(c) Trey Ratlciff @ StuckInCustoms

Here's to hoping everyone had a fabulous holiday, and to a fabulous Monday as cheery as this delightful gingerbread house!

Friday Love! {Stacy Reeves Photography + Opie Foto}

I can't believe The Game moved to Thanksgiving -- since I'm scheduling this ahead of time, I'm not sure who won at this point (Gig em, Ags!), but I thought it fitting to feature fab A&M and (could-be-related to) UT wedding awesomeness.  Happy Friday!

(c) Stacy Reeves Photography

(c) Opie Foto

This could still happen....

One touchdown behind is not bad at all... Go Ags!  And the best part?  Watching the game in pjs!

Gig em, Ags!

I know, a little random, but hey, my "Texas A&M" options were a little limited! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

(c) Tria Giovan

I'm thankful for :

• the blessings God sends my way: sunshine, flowers, and the little things that cheer me up when I feel overwhelmed or cranky or grumpy or sad;
• my amazing support system, at work, at home, and across the state and state lines through my girls who make me feel incredible;
• the people who understand me and love me no matter how little sense I make or what craziness I might dream up; 
• having a job that I love, that challenges me, and that has led me to so many wonderful people and new opportunities and new confidence in myself;
• being healthy, and the health of my family;
• for amazing food, and the ability to enjoy all of this; and
• for all the new bundles of joy and love celebrations.

I hope all of you get to take the time today to enjoy the blessings in your life!

(c) Michael Luppino

(c) Gridley & Graves

All images via Country Living

whoa.whoa.whoa: Etsy craft fair!

omg, let's all go + cheers-in the holidays!!  One of my friends told me about this earlier, but I had no idea what she was talking about -- I.am.so.excited.  Do I just miss craft shows or something?  Whatevs, I'm totally there.  Maybe not early enough to get a goodie bag (seriously, if you're one of the first 25 there on either Sat or Sun, can you please drop me a line + lemme know what you snag?) -- but hopefully early enough to not miss out on anything!