Jamie

my go-to accessory

2011-03-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

fabric flower earrings- in grey

grey just makes me happy. even though it's such a dreary color.

i tried to get a clear pic but my earrings are a little blurred. oh well.

and here's my outfit to go with my grey earrings. even though i wear them practically everyday with any outfit i have on. cause grey is cool like that. it goes with everything.

special thanks to tiffany for making me my grey earrings. find them here.

real couple home tour: emerson and ryan

2011-02-24T23:26:00.000-08:00

emerson and ryan, of emerson made, had their home featured on the nest.com and i am telling you it's hard to look at there home and not feel a little discontent. so whatever you do, don't allow yourself to go there..... avoid those thoughts, if you can. just go to this link of their home tour and read all the helpful hints on how she achieved such a tidy and pretty home. you can do it! be inspired not discouraged.

fyi: those large glass jars with lids {featured in her kitchen and bath} can be found in 3 different sizes at wal-mart for a very reasonable price and thrift stores always have glass jars in stock.

dress up

1 of theses things is not like the other

2011-02-17T22:16:00.000-08:00

2 things:

The former of which is much more important than the latter.

Daisy had her last Chemo & I got a Vintage Camera I may be in love with just a little.

Daisy celebrated her last round of Chemo with a raging party and good friends.

(image via pray for daisy.com)

Pray for her. She's having a lot of pain and discomfort right now.

If you want to know how you can give more than your prayers to Daisy you can. You can give a donation to the Children's Hospital in Santa Barbabra where Daisy is treated. Janna Christ of Reality Carpenteria sent a personal thank you to each of you from Britt for praying for Daisy.

As far as the camera goes I am really happy it was on Etsy. I first spotted it in a photshoot I loved and I can't wait to use it as a prop for upcoming photoshoots.

(style me pretty)

I've got my eye on this one.......for a later time

(image via google images)

Lo Boheme- Vintage Inspired Hairwear And Accesories

2011-01-13T20:53:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I haven't been able to catch up on my favorite blogs in soooo long but I am back and starting tonight I will be doing some much needed catching up (on your blogs) and telling you about Lo Boheme, one of my favorite sites for vintage inspired hair pieces.

Shop owner- Lauren

pic via lauren's fb page

She designs the most beautiful hair pieces for women and young women (even little girls) to wear for very special occasions. If you live in California, have gotten married in the last few years or our in the wedding industry you are sure to have heard of Lo Boheme and you know the magic her hair pices will do for your hair. I love that each piece has a vintage look to it. It makes you look timeless and yet so perfect for today's look.

I recently styled our company photo shoot for Mike Larson Inc. It was so fun because Lauren of Lo Boheme sponsored our shoot. Each of us had our choice of lovely hair pieces to wear. The hardest part was picking which one because they were all so pretty. Here are all of us wearing ours.

last 2 pics via mike larson photography

I loved the colors in my piece. It had hints of teal blue and turquoise feathers. LOVE! Now go check out her site and I DARE you not to fall IN LOVE.

Lo Boheme

Lo Boheme- etsy

10-9-8-7-6--5--4----

2010-12-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve!

I hope you all have a FUN New Year's and get to celebrate all the way into 2011! I can't believe it's 2011 already. I remember ringing in the New Year back in 1999 getting ready for the year 2000 to come. Everyone on TV said the computers would crash. Remember that? I also remember I was still in my early 20's and all of my college friends and I threw a big party that New Year's Eve at our apartment. Those were the days! Now I'm in my early 30's and life has changed so much, we have blogs and facebook, and instead of calling everyone to invite then to a party you just create a facebook event. HA! I am thankful for all the new technology we have but I still love getting a card in the mail and a phone call just to say hi , i miss you.

I'm really loving this Kate Spade inspired shoot. Perfect party decor for New Year's!

via pepper design

Christmas was so fun and so relaxing this year. I loved it! I've been wanting new Uggs for so long and this Christmas was my lucky time to get them. Thanks to Uggs, my feet are nice and warm this winter. My Sis, Katie new just what to get me. New Eye makeup from Sephora, my fav! I have never had a eye shadow palette with so many colors to choose from, so i am excited. My mom got me some Philosophy foaming bubble bath and shower gel in Candy Cane. PERFECT!

Ugg 'Bailey Button Triplet' Boot
Smashbox Eye Wish Palette
Philosophy Candy Cane

If I could, I'd order my Uggs in every color.

vintage chrismas ornaments

2010-12-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

are my favorite! i love to collect them.

i love christmas villages too!
here's some of my collection.

some vintage santa mugs that i just love too!
perfect for eggnog.

she turned to 2 and she looked cute
if you ask her how old she is, she'll tell you she's 3 & then she'll say that she's 3 1/2.
she thinks she's her big brothers age.

i'm thinking, i'd like her to stay 2 a little longer

2 Be 2 Again

2010-12-09T20:14:00.000-08:00

When life was all about the color PINK

Or PURPLE

When you DANCED and TWIRLED and didn't care who was watching

When you could eat WHATEVER you wanted

And you didn't care that candy made your FINGERS STICKY

Cause you could just WIPE them on your dress

When it was CUTE to throw a tantrum

When your cheeks were always ROSY

And when you were still NEWLY CREATED by the hands of GOD

She's turning 2 in 2 days

Her life is a reason to celebrate!

prayer

2010-12-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys,

Daisy is still doing her chemo. It's been a rough road for the Merrick's and Daisy. See below.

Wife & I both have flu. Bad. Both ends. Daisy (6) CAN NOT get this while going thru chemo. Please pray for her ~Britt

I am trying to stay hopeful and not cry. I will remember that so many people are praying for her. I will remember that God is watching over her. I will remember that nothing is impossible, especially when I choose to believe in the impossible and exercise my faith. If I keep writing I will cry so I will go for now but I will leave you with HOPE, hope that the Lord has given to all of us.

"When is the time to trust?
     Is it when hopes beat high,
     When sunshine gilds the sky,
      And joy and ecstasy
          Fill all the heart?
No! For the time to trust
     Is when our joy has fled,
     When sorrow bows the head,
     And all is cold and dead,
          All else but God.
                                                                                                      selected from Streams in the Desert
                                                                                                                          by L.B. Cowman
Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. (2 Cor. 6:10)
By faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. (Gal. 5:5)

xo, jamie

let's walk down a

2010-12-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

Wonderland of Vintage

via (oh i am sorry i can't remember what blog this is from)

starting with vintage silhouettes

via anthropologie's facebook page

moving onto a vintage studio where artist emma cassi designs her jewelry

via green wedding shoes

and we will stop at a vintage camping photo shoot where much inspiration was drawn for a photo shoot i recently styled

do you want to see the pretty couple i had the pleasure of styling?

erica & devin

1 word-

gorgeous

for sure

IN LOVE

via mike larson.com

Mike Larson is
Amazing!

Daisy was addmitted back to the hospital for chemo for 5 days.

pretty sure she is in the 4th day or so. she needed prayer a day or 2 ago but is doing better today.

i am so happy!

daisy right before her date with dad

via pray for daisy dot com

at the hospital

doing better

keep praying for her

cristi & jessica
& everyone else praying for daisy,
i loved your sweet notes on my last blog entry regarding your care for daisy.
cristi, please look into that. not sure what they are doing but it would be worth it to research. thank you!
jessica, i know, can't we all just get into a big van together and drive to see her. i am down for anything that would cheer daisy up.
if any of you have any ideas i would love for you to plan it. i was thinking of sending her a gift package with lots of stuff that would make her smile!
if i had more time i would get it organized. i am barely able to blog so if anyone wants to take the lead let me know. i could always help organize anything you have in mind.

this time of year you can find me spending time with my family
glued to the hallmark channel...
w/my mom
trying not to cry at every hallmark moment
styling
styling some more
having a blast doing it
shopping (although i barely have time for that anymore)
probably a good thing
unless it's for others

to be continued

2010-11-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

hey guys, i have a prayer request for daisy. she's doing ok but not great. she's been in the hospital doing chemo treatments and such. keep her in your prayers if you could today and tomorrow especially. i apologize for not keeping you updated as much and as often as i would like to. you can always go to her prayer page and check out britt's updates about her at prayfordaisy.com

favorite daisy quote that made me laugh-

Just got out of a long day in the hospital with Daisy (6) and she asked Kate to go to the store and buy "steak, rootbeer and peanuts." ha! ~britt

luv her!

for those of you lovlies who are new to praying for daisy here is a bit about her (thank you kylie and others for praying).

she was diagnosed with a wilm's tumor 2 years ago and has relapsed once since then. she is currently under going chemo therapy treatments so she can beat the cancer.

more info about wilm's tumor her- http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/WilmsTumor/OverviewGuide/index

you can become friends on facebook with her dad britt and keep updated on her progress here too- http://www.facebook.com/pastorbrittmerrick?ref=ts

i should be getting ready right now but i just had to give you faithful praying for daisy's an update.

forgive me for not blogging as much as i want to. i have so much i want to tell you. i will hopefully get a post out soon ;) miss you all!

she's got style

2010-10-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

has it been 3 weeks since i last blogged? i almost didn't blog tonight because i am tired and i want to blog about a few things but the days keep passing and i feel bad for not giving a update about daisy. i think about her all the time but have had a lot of other things taking up my time so blogging hasn't been a priority. i traveled unexpectedly and spent time with 2 of my favorite people in the whole world. it was beyond a blessing to have time with 2 of my best friends and spend time with another college friend too. i had been needing girl time and just quality time with best friends. you know? sometimes life just gets heavier than usual and in those times i cherish moments with dear friends who know me and love on me. i will do a whole post about my trip and tell you all about our time together and who those dear friends are. just for tonight i will share with you a very cute daisy photo and a quote from her dad today that really blessed me. oh and a photo of my little niece :) cause she's a blessing in my life too!

I'm traveling and missing Daisy and the quirky outfits she puts together. ~britt

i'd say she put together a perfect fall outfit!

i really needed to hear this today: God doesn’t promise us understanding. He promises us peace beyond understanding. ~britt

banooners (aka annie) at the avila valley barn

she and i had a nail painting party. she wanted to paint with the dark pink polish but auntie let her use the clear instead on my toes. boy oh boy did i have nail polish thickly painted on my toes and other places too. an annie manicure is at least 6 coats and it mainly covers your 2 big toes. i loved it cause annie did it!

Daisy Duck

2010-10-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

this made me love daisy even more

she made a bird costume

Daisy is doing better pain wise. Blood counts still very very low. (on Friday 10/1) ~britt

thanks for your continued prayer friends.

i have to be to work at 5:30 am so this is all the blogging i can muster tonight. hope to bring you more posts soon.

etsy love

2010-09-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

ps-

i am adding to yet another post of mine. i wanted to tell you, whimsy quilts has a blog too so check it out. it too is cuteeee! whimsy quilts also does custom orders. i think that is fabulous.

blog- (check it out)

whimsy quilts

cristi-

she's my friend erin's sister and she and her friend have a sweet etsy shop for those shopping for vintage style baby quilts and vintage style fabric finds for your home.

who they are-

two mommas who are good friends and love to quilt!

theyr'e shop-

whimsy quilts
check it out- it's so cute

daisy update-

Daisy has lots of bone pain tonight. It’s caused by one of her medications. Makes her miserable. Mostly legs and skull tonight. :-( ~britt 9/28

Daisy made her own drum set. She plays along to the soundtrack of the movie ‘Spirit’ Oh yeah, Bryan Adams… ~britt

normal

2010-09-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

let me get this straight about myself. my blog and my facebook statuses paint a very happy, pretty, little picture of my life. i'm a disneyland, fairy tale, happy go lucky kind of girl but my life is far from perfection. my days are just like yours and every other american. there are good ones and there are bad ones. i have the lord so my bad ones are bearable but none the less HARD. i just know that people can read my blog and my facebook and think one thing about me but believe me it's just a small slice of my life and it's the slice i get to choose to talk about. everything i say is true but everything i say is filtered by me. my blog doesn't paint a clear picture of my life. by that i mean this- i don't always blog about things i treasure the most. i have a friend who is dear to me but i'm pretty sure i've never blogged about her. doesn't mean she isn't just as important as any one else who has gotten blog time. i tend not to complain on my blog or my facebook but that doesn't mean i don't in real life. in real life you'd hear when i was having a tough day or moment. you'd know i'm happy but have days that aren't ideal and that i am imperfect. VERY imperfect. if there's anything i'm trying to say here it's this-

i love having a blog and i love all of you who comment and are my friends and i love having those who are my not so close friends follow too. BUT just know my life is not rosy, jolly gumdrops, happy happy moments always. i think most of the time i am so beyond blessed. i just choose to share the really good moments with you all. i hope i don't make anyone think oh wow what a great life based on my blog. i mean yes, i think my life is great but not in comparison to yours. yours is great and mine is great and we are all blessed. i admit sometimes i look at a friends blog and swoon over their outfits they are wearing and can become discontent with my own wardrobe. it's completely silly to do but it's completely true that i do it. so hopefully you guys know my life is totally normal. good normal but still normal.

ok that's all of my tangent, xoxo

ps. as far as i know daisy is doing good.

i am adding to this post because daisy needs more face time-

Daisy is ready to go outside for the first time in a long time! Hooray!!! ~britt

hip hip

2010-09-22T04:46:00.000-07:00

i know i'm posting a lot for me
but
i mean business when it comes to daisy.
so
are you ready for some good, gloriously good news? i know you are right.
this pretty little girl

is doing better, her brain swelling has gone down and she is home for 21 days, then back to the hospital for more chemo. look in her eyes. because do you see jesus? i do. i see him in her precious eyes. i also see her thanking everyone who is praying for her. i can just see her thankfulness in her sweet face. yesterday marked one year of her fight with cancer.

i'll spare you the picture of my face on here but if you saw my face you'd see my thankfulness for all of you faithful people/friends/blogging friends/lovers of jesus who are praying for daisy. thank you for telling others too. every time you take the time to tell me that your praying for her, i am so reminded of the BIG, VAST, GREAT GOD we serve. your prayers are being heard and answered. so keep sharing.

can i leave you with 2 pretty photos and some blog news?

kate spade's assistant's home

do you love the globes like i do? do you love even more that they are displayed on vintage suitcases? pick one up for yourself at this lovely shop- lovies old charm globe

old charm globe

btw kirra of lovies is hosting a giveaway here, stop by her blog to enter.

i am officially going to make my blog private. so i am pretty sure i need to ask all of you readers that i love to send me your emails so i can add you to my blog list. so if you want to keep following comment and leave me your email and don't worry, there's no need to be shy if you follow privately. i won't mind if you're a nice person and you want to follow. or you can email me or facebook me your email, you can find my email on my blog profile.

pics via- britt's photo stream, elements of style, and lovies.

urgent

2010-09-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

Urgent: Daisy seems to be having another negative neurological response to chemo. Affects coherency and motor skills. Scary. Pls pray now. ~britt

more tears. love, me again

pray

2010-09-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

hi all, daisy is a very high risk for another relapse so be praying extra hard for her.

tears. love, me

follow updates here cause there's good news too

daisy deserves a quadruple-triple-double decker scoop of ice cream with sprinkles on top & never ending refills

2010-09-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

i'm amazed, thankful, happy and blessed by how many of you are praying for daisy!!!!

here's a bit of an update i'm sure you already know about but just in case you don't-

Daisy just started the first of 3 days of intravenous chemotherapy treatment drips . Please pray for maximal efficacy and no side effects. ~britt merrick

Daisy is doing great her 1st day of chemo! Praying for no bad side effects. Daddy got her a treat. Mom's gonna kill me! ~britt merrick

i really just love daisy and my heart has a huge place in it for her. i can't help but be reminded of my niece and nephew when i look at her face. i'm thankful for their health and their years here on earth. i pray daisy, judah and annie have many more to come............................

and at night when they close their eyes they will dream they are surfing in waves of yummy sprinkles....

because they deserve the sweetest dreams.

images via-watchmojo.com, calalumipride.org, fancyflours.com, stockfood.co.uk, charneyart.com

happy news happy fall

2010-09-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

oh i have happy news to tell you about daisy.

Morning update:

Daisy is doing awesome! Epidural works. No morphine. No NG tube. She’s happy and watching Sesame Street. Moving her to her room when there’s a bed ready. Amazing! She’s starving and they hear a few bowel sounds so they might let her start clear liquids later. God is super good! -britt merrick

click here to follow her current updates.

she is so snuggly and cute in her pj's with her sock monkey by her side.

the LORD your GOD is with you

HE is mighty to save

HE will take great delight in you

HE will quiet you with HIS love

HE will rejoice over you with singing

zeph. 3:17

thank you friends for praying for daisy.

on another note, i am thinking about making my blog private at least for a little while. i think it's a good decision, i just need to figure out how to do it???? and have no idea how to do that.

onto fall and all it's whimsies-

even though this is considered our summer months still here on the coast we are getting what feels like fall weather. even though i love the sun and warm days i have been loving it. probably because it's still sunny just a little crisper and colder out. it makes me think of all the great things about fall like-

pumpkin spice candles
buying pumpkins at avila valley barn
my niece and nephew all dressed up for trick or treating
sipping warm drinks with friends

those are just some of the things i am looking forward to.

i think i will decorate in a black and white theme this year for fall with silhouettes touches and glittery pumpkins. or maybe metallic pumpkins or maybe both.....

this is a perfect fall outfit.

pics via snippet and ink & anthropologie

let's start our monday off with some pretty

2010-09-13T00:42:00.000-07:00

like pretty beach scenes
i always love beach scenes and beachy ANYthing. beachy houses make my heart go pitter patter. for labor day weekend i went to a really pretty beach house in shell beach where my friend hilary and her family were visiting for the holiday weekend. i love when i get to spend time with hilary. the beach house was so pretty. i felt like i was in the beach house from the movie "something's gotta give" with jack nicholson and dianne keaton (one of my favorite movies). i didn't get any pictures but it had a similiar feel as the beach house below, with mostly white hues and beachy accents everywhere. the view was breathtaking.

pretty pinks
i am so into ruffles, flower pins, flower earrings flower anything, and outfits in peachy-pink. i just bought handmade flower earrings from aunties t's boutique and i bought a peachy-pink tee from forever 21 with a sparkly pocket for $11. i can't get enough of the romantic look that's so in right now.

i'm drooling over these pretty shoes

pretty grey walls
i have been into grey for a long time now. i constantly look at my walls and want them to be coated with a fresh coat of pretty grey paint. it's on my to-do-list and i really need to get going on it. i need to get my booty in gear and get to it.

pretty display walls
another project on my-to-list is to create a photo display wall with my pottery barn frames. i bought them forever ago but don't want to hang them until i paint my walls. so for now there just lying on the floor in my room waiting to be hung. ugg.

i love photo diplays.
pretty in pink

i love shoes too and pink guitars. but that's second to how much i love my family.

pretty people

they're sure cute.
pretty projects

my friend has an old dresser and 2 old beds that she wants to repaint (for a little girls bedroom) and she suggested painting the dresser a creamy white and the drawers a different color like aqua blue. i think it would look so cute just like this little nighstand. with the twin beds painted aqua blue to corrdinate with the drawers.

pretty daisy

her tumor has shrunk incredibly and she has surgery monday morning (9/13) at 11:30 am to remove it completely. it's a serious surgery so she needs our prayers. pray for sweet, precious daisy.

pics via- pink wallpaper, sweet as candy, pray for daisy dot com

pray for daisy update

2010-09-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

Daisy's tumor shrank from the size of a large grapefruit to the size of a slice of a small tangerine! Praise the Lord!!! - britt merrick (9/3/10)

just thought i'd share daisy's prayer link and some words from her mom (kate) that are gonna make you run straight for the kleenex box.

Good morning friends…
Kate here. I’ve been thinking about thankfulness. Some wonder how I can be thankful for anything during this horrific trial. I didn’t ask for Daisy to get cancer, but I also don’t deserve to have 2 gorgeous children. I didn’t ask for the cancer to come back, but I also didn’t ask for an amazing family unit, selfless husband, and friends who lay down their lives for me. I don’t ask for affliction, but I also didn’t ask to be born in a hospital overlooking the Pacific while others are born in garbage dumps in Egypt. I have much to be thankful for, starting with my next breath. I am an extremely blessed woman.
There is so much to be thankful for today, starting with Daisy’s appetite. She’s eating really well! She’s also got her spunk back, and that’s my favorite part.
I’ve been thinking a lot over the last couple of days as the whiplash (from the bad news) wears off, and I feel like God’s really helping us as a family process our situation, and take each day as it comes. A wise woman told me “all we have is today. it’s all anyone has”, and that’s a really sweet thing. Learning to enjoy each day for what it is really makes life more fun. And since this week she is not puking all day long or connected to an IV pole, and since we happened to be quarantined, we decided to have some fun.
I had been promising Daisy for several months that we would make her room all crazy, like a jungle. Two days ago I thought, why not today? But instead of a jungle we made it “underwater”… I mean, why not? Daisy has made the most of today also, and since today her hair is coming out in clumps, she’s keeping it in a bag so we can give it to birds to make nests out of! I mean, why not?? She is seriously the coolest little girl I know. And, she has a newfound love for classical music. Preferably Mozart. It really gets the creative juices flowing. I mean, why not???
So, for the bummer part of the post: her bones are killing her. Her daily shot stimulates white blood cell growth which is made in the bone marrow. And we really like white blood cells. It makes her feel like she has the achy flu. Tylenol helps some, but my little girl hates medicine. She won’t take it. Just like zofran helps nausea, but twice she barfed when we gave it to her. She won’t take that either. So, please pray the bone pain lets up.
As I write this, I think of so many other children suffering right now. Some are new hospital friends, some are cyber friends, and some are grown up children. If you’re reading this and your child is hurting, we’re praying for you too. I am confident that God will “turn our mourning into dancing again, He will loose our sackcloth and clothe us with joy”… Psalm 30:11
Love

(from daisy's prayer journal @prayfordaisy.com)

"I’ve discovered Christ in a deeper way through suffering than I ever did through blessing." -Britt Merrick

years back before daisy was born and when her brother was just a baby i used to drive down to reality santa barbra, britt's then college ministry, with my friends just to hear him preach. it was after a dark time in my life and i was breaking free from my past and all the hurts that came with it. i remember vividly during one of his sermons how GOD spoke right to my heart about forgiveness. it was from that point on much restoration was made in my life. when britt ended his time at reality i was really sad but i will always remember that time in my life and those car rides down with friends as the best and deepest of times with GOD.

Girlie Gumdrops

2010-08-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

"baby" daisy via britt merricks photo stream

baby jaxon

miss you no more

2010-08-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

(thanks for the photo jess)

bonjour

2010-08-20T04:57:00.000-07:00

Best life EVER

2010-08-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hey remember me? The blogger who made you wait a super long time before she showed you the wedding and shower from her last sneak peak. How unfair! Well I will just get straight to it then......

Brianne & Brandon's Garden Wedding

(Chloe of Mike Larson Photography)

Yummy

(I took the final 4 pics, pretty obvious i know :) Chloe's would be much better)

Krista's Vintage Bridal Shower (DIY-do it yourself)

Bride to be Krista with Kirra , her beautiful sister who threw her bridal shower

(Kirra Sue Photography)

Kirra I had so much fun planning with you & you my dear are darling!

This next wedding wasn't featured in my sneak peak but I helped with it back in early summer. It was a total DIY and it was featured on the wedding blog, Green Wedding Shoes because my friends Rico & Rachel Castillero are awesome photogs. Click link to check it out.

Vanessa & Chris's Old Spanish Style Wedding
(they are the happiest couple)

Vanessa and I put our heads together and designed and created the 'just married' banner out of burlap & lace

and the table seating board too (we had a blast making it and there was metallic spray paint everywhere)

Anthropologie bridesmaid dress

(Studio Castillero Photography)

It's so fun to be apart of the design and creative process that goes into people's special days. I really have the best life ever!
(if you want to see more pics just click on the photography links)

sneak peak- arroyo grande garden wedding & ventura vintage bridal shower

2010-07-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

introducing wedding coordinator Miss Danae, of Danae Grace Events

i absolutely adore her.

i had the amazing opportunity of assisting her for a beautiful garden wedding (excuse the shine on my grubby face & my frizzy hair, it's from working all day. no time to get ready which = changing in the car)

picture this-

outdoor garden
pink and silver linens
milk glass galore
silver, silver, silver like your grandmothers
personalized place setting
vintage touches everywhere

cake and cupcakes under a white gazebo- more to come on this wonderful garden wedding
look forward to the sweetest candy bar you have ever seen.......

sneak peak- ventura, california bridal shower. i had the honor of helping coordinate

(the lovely kirra sue photography)

picture this-

vintage dishes and china passed down from grandma

pink, robins egg blue, cream and green touches everywhere

lace and old books
cupcake toppers
pink flower pom poms (like martha stewarts)

more to come......and i'll introduce you to the sweetest girl ever to throw her sister the "most amazing bridal shower".

(personalized last name sign by sara parsons- contact her if you would like your own)

oh here's one more because i just couldn't resist showing you.

2010-06-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my Mama

We had so much fun celebrating her

She's kind

She's loving

She's ageless

She's a servant

She's lovely

She's funny

She's light-hearted

She's pretty

She's her childrens best friend

We danced

We ate

We laughed

We sang Happy Birthday off key

We made sundaes

We cuddled with the kids
&

We celebrated the woman who seems to be aging backwards

don't take yourself too seriously

2010-06-25T23:41:00.000-07:00

grab your nearest, cutest, goofiest, silliest, spazziest friend

make silly faces

laugh

a
lot

see annie

she doesn't take herself too seriously

Disneyland Family Trip

2010-06-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Since Katie & I turned another year older in April, we used it as a good excuse to take a family trip to Disneyland for our birthdays. It was Judah & Annie's first time to the "happiest place on earth". The whole family came. My brother Jason met us down there with his girlfriend, since he lives close in Hollywood and my best friend Kim met us there too. She is apart of the Hill family, as my Dad would say. Yes she is. I was so excited to see her! We gibbered & jabbered the entire day and I know my Dad was thinking, where do they get the words and how do they not run out of them. The weather was perfect and we had the best day ever!

Dear Walt Disney,

Thanks for dreaming up a place where we can relive childhood memories & savor the dreams of our youth. A place where grown-up & child blend into one to dance to the beat of the land.

Judah's first glimpse of Disneyland

Annie's first glimpse

Annie holding Uncle J's hand

The first time I saw Judah's face in this one I died laughing & I couldn't stop.

Then I showed him & we both couldn't stop.

I think he thought if he tried hard enough he could get it to budge. I love him.

I couldn't think of a better day than one spent with my family & best friend at Disneyland.

Also
Sarah of Flourish Design + Style is hosting 11days of giveaways on her blog. Follow the link to enter the first giveaway for an Emerson Made pretty clutch.
http://flourishdesignandstyle.blogspot.com/2010/06/11-days-of-giveaways-starts-now-with.html

boy vs girl. blue vs pink.

2010-06-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

why i like having a

boy for a nephew

he does manly things

like changing the air in my tires

(i strongly dislike anything that has to do with fixing my car)

he washes my car

& he

likes

it (i don't even ask him to)

he likes things like

lizards

baseball

wrestling

he likes to plant vegetables in the garden

he told me twice in one day

"you crack me up"

i'll be honest thats a rarity, that he actually thinks i'm that funny

i like how

charming

funny

handsome

he is

why i like having

a girl for a niece

she likes fashion

i like taking her shopping

ok i

love

taking her shopping

she picked that hat out all on her own

she has the sweetest little voice

she has me completely

wrapped

around her finger

i like how she waddles when she walks

i like that she is already potty trained

because she wanted to be

i like how she

loves

purses

necklaces

hello kitty

i like that she is so

girly
& pretty

boy vs girl

both are winners

flowers from the garden
& the mason jar vase from my friends beautiful wedding
i had the privilege of helping her with

check out the wedding video here by my friend ben of cana vp

breakfasting.beaching.bronzing.beautiful.

2010-06-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

AnThRoPoLoGy

currently wanting:

the breakfasting dress & the picture perfect clogs

while i am breakfasting in the breakfasting dress

i'd like to be at SHUTTERS ON THE BEACH, eating at COAST dipping strawberries in sugar

the next day i would walk along the sand in this beachy outfit

blooming stripes hat, unveiled tank, thousand reflections sandals & sunday morning pants

but i would have to take my sandals off

(shutters on the beach)

bungalow view maillot & fisherman's net tote

swimsuit & beach bag perfect for toting to the pool at SHUTTERS

(beach shots via shutters on the beach)
the END

i'd like to share with you my 2 recent sephora purchases

my favorite face wash:

fresh soy face cleanser

highly recommend if you have sensitive skin like me

makes my skin soft while also removing my makeup and mascara and gently exfoiliates and tones

favorite lip treatment/gloss:

fresh rose tinted lip treament sph 15

it goes on really natural and tints your lips with a hint of rose
now you tell me your favorite beauty secrets???

current blog i'm loving:
me oh my!

photo credit
i had a terrible, nasty case of the flu bug
there was nothing pleasant about it
except my mom taking care of me
SO THANKFUL FOR HER
& i discovered this blog when i was finally able to sit up

Welcome to Los Olivos, a cute town nestled into the Central Coast

2010-05-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

do you remember april?

it seems so long ago now that us californians are lounging on the beach catching sunrays and vitamin d

it makes me so happy

(avila beach- memorial day)

all my blues go away when i feel the salty air on my face & see my niece & nephew with their sandy faces & wet buns.

i turned another year older in april

but

i still feel like i'm 20 something!

i want to take you along with me to where i celebrated my birthday

you'll probably want to have your own girls day afterwards there too

& this is my personal INVITE to you

saarloos & sons was my pick for a birthday spent with girlfriends

(located in los olivos , neighboring solvang)

it's a place where wine & cupcakes come together to make HEAVEN

the owners have combined wines that pair with mini cupcakes for the BEST taste ever

plus.plus.plus. extra plus it's a modern vintage tasting room layout

all my eyes saw was pretty

pretty details everywhere

pretty wallpaper

pretty treats

pretty everything

lets go sit there together

i really want that chair

amber & her husband kevin of ENJOY CUPCAKES

her cupcakes are mobile

she fixed up this little vintage camper and it arrives at your event cupcakes in tow

(enjoy cupcakes photo credits jose villa)
(other shots via saarloosand sons.com)
just one more reason you need to come see me
i can't even wait to go back there
& i think you should come with me

DIY ICE CREAM PARLOUR PARTY

2010-05-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

i've been without internet for a long time but finally have it back. i am so behind in blogging that i don't know how to catch up. but my goal is to do it. i have to blog my birthday, easter, disneyland with the family, etc. i thought instead of trying to catch up tonight i will just go backwards and share a recent 5th birthday party that i helped plan with a friend. she really did most of it but it was so fun to contribute.

one day awhile back i happened upon the cutest ice cream parlour party (from eat drink chic) and i fell in love with all the little pink details. so when my friend said she wanted an ice cream bar at her daughters party i couldn't wait to share this one with her.

my photo won't enlarge if you click it but if you go to eat drink chic's site here it will

above photos via eat drink chic
every detail is so cute and pink and perfect for a little girl's party! her site has all the label downloads for free here.

ella's birthday turned out so cute and it was so fun to be apart of!

stripey straws here and here. i'm pretty sure the silver trays are from the dollar store and the cotton candy bags are from wal-mart.

my friend julie (birthday girls mom) homemade the pink cookie flowers

i cannot tell you how good the mini cupcakes tasted. chocolate cake filled with chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting. uuuummmmm yummm!

glass candy dishes at michaels

i really liked julie's scalloped spoon holders

party compete with face painting by the talented hannah

all the kids painted their own bird house

fruit cabobs with sugared ends made by julie's sister

ella the birthday girl. she is so cute. i used to watch her when she was just 2 and i've always loved her. she's like so cute with a squeeky little voice and girly but can sure hold her own because she has 2 older brothers.

now i wanna have a ice cream parlour party, wanna come????

silly faces on kelly circle drive

2010-04-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

i have a ton of blogging to catch up on but for now since i don't have the time i'll share a memory with you and some pics to sum up what a fun spring it's been.

when i was a little girl i lived in los angeles about 10 minutes away from grandma & grandpa's house. my brothers & i didn't play with our cousins like most kids did cause we didn't have any on my mom's side & our cousins on our dad's side lived pretty far away so we only saw them on special occasions. this fact never bothered us because my mom's brothers & sisters still lived at my grandpa & grandmas house since they were still in high school & grade school. they were super cool & fun and spoiled us until we were grown. i remember many memories of big family dinners over there, getting together for 4th of july & lighting sparklers in the driveway, thinking they wore the coolest shoes called vans, watching my aunts get ready to go on a date, getting my nails painted & hair crimped, listening to my aunt's beastie boys album and giggling uncontrollably at my funny uncle jimmy. eventually we grew up & they had long since moved out of my grandma & grandpa's house. pretty soon they were starting families of their own. now i have 7 little cousins & one of them is getting ready to go to prom soon, while another is 10 going on 20 full of spunk & cute as a button.

this weekend we took a family trip down to LA & made some good memories back on kelly circle drive on the very sidewalks i've played on since i was in pampers.

it went from silly faces on the curb to dancing on the sidewalk.
such sweet cousin memories.

2010-03-28T23:33:00.000-07:00

annie

judah

& as you already know I love them

sometimes i wish things were just free

like these branches i found around our property

they're wild

theyr'e huge

i'd love to have some of these braches in my home

not sure where this photo is from?

or some beachy driftwood

elements of style

but for now i'll make do with my backyard finds

i love this bed

ashley raubach photography

& love this room

allice lane home

see how the nightstands don't even match

the heights are varying of the lamps and the nightstands

but somehow it works

i really think when you design your home you have to make things work

because lets face it

we can't always buy what we want

that's where creativity comes in

& i believe everything doesn't have to match

it just has to flow like this bedroom

& kirra's bedroom (check it out here) is a great example of that

she just repainted her husbands nightstand

& i think it looks great especially because it's a salvation army find

so she got real creative and made someone else's "throw-away" a treasure

her and her husbands treasure

kirra sue photography

see her nightstands don't match either but they don't have to

it looks so pretty

country living mag

elements of style

my little corner of the world

2010-03-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

arroyo grande is where i call home

the weather is usually perfect

75 degrees perfect

we like to call it paradise here

i never get used to living here....not EVER

you can find me some days at our local coffee shop

ANDREINI'S

it's in a very cool historic building in the village downtown

usually filled with locals

i like to get away there to read and sip down some good ol'

caffeine

also in the village is my nephews favorite ice cream shop

DOC BURNSTEINS

also in a very cool historic building

there's a choo choo train that rides along a track high above to the top of the ceiling all around the store

it's a good place to go on a hot day or when you just need something sweet

we also have a very yummy bakery in the village

ECLAIR BAKERY

it's filled with home made treats and the best birthday cakes for special occasions

you'll also find a swinging bridge in th evillage that's super fun to cross with little ones

the village, andrein's, doc burnsteins

photos not taken by jamie

eclair bakery

one of my favorite beach spots here is

AVILA BEACH

it's main attraction is

THE AVILA VALLEY BARN

the beach is in the cute little town of avila and the barn is on the way to the beach filled with animals, tasty treats, fruits and veggies, seasonal pumpkin patches, christmas tress, tractor rides etc

photos not taken by jamie

the next town over is san luis obispo

it's a college town with amazing victorian houses on the way to it's downtown shops and eateries

one of my favorite shops is

PAPER SKY

the owner is the fabulous and kind

JESSICA

she's a gem of a person and her shop is striaght out of a fairy-tale

the 1st time i went in i thought of peter pan

photos via local amazing photagrapher cameron ingalls

i really like visiting coffee shops

especially with my friends

my favorite coffee shop is

SALLY LOO"S

located in san luis obispo

if anthropologie had a coffee shop i think it would like like sally loo's

the owners are adorable

BRANDON & JEN

they redid the shop all on their own and it's so pretty

i love to go there for some yummy waffles and to hear great music

not to mention they have really good coffee

the owners

photos via sally loos

that's just a small glimpse into my little corner of the world

kirra challenged me to show my world so if you feel like sharing yours then i say go for it

it's FUN

loliiPOP lolliPOP Ooooo lolliii lolliPOP.... LOLLIPOP

2010-03-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

sunshine turns my frown upside-down! i see you spring, your just around the corner. please don't make us wait too long to see the sun-shine day by day?!?! make the rain, go far, far away. put it back in it's cupboard in the clouds. won't cha? then we can have back to back beach days, play baseball, take bike rides & fly kites all while the suns rays make our faces shine & our souls sing.

so sunshine until your ready to stay we'll make do like we did the other day. we had our lollipop faces on.

flavors: grape & cream soda

brand: dum dum

consume: by lots of licking of course

left with: sweet sticky faces, fingers, hair, etc

i mean what good is an auntie if she doesn't give her niece her first taste of a dum dum lollipop? sure, i will probably be in trouble but that's what i'm suppossed to do, right? smile & nod in agreement with me. ok little brother?

see everyones happy cause sugar has that effect. raise your sucker in the air judah cause were celebrating high fructose corn syrup & it's yummy effects.

why are they called dum dum: the early company sales manager named the ball-shaped candy on a stick &figured dum dum was a word any child could say.

i remember when i was little our local grocery store gave out free dum dums at the checkout counter. it made the grocery store outings a lot less boring.

favorite flavor as a child: cream soda

what was yours???? remember mystery flavor? why don't you go get some dum dum lollipops for the little sweets in your life & then have them vote here sticky fingers & all for there favorite flavor.

so spring-time until your ready to stop playing hide n' seek, i'll fill my house with flowers that remind me of your freshness, blooming colors, buzzing bees & cool breezes.

come out come out wherever you are!

what i'd like to be wearing when you stop hiding.

ruffles & flowers

hats with brims

a shirt dress in plaid

my friendship necklace cause it's so spring-alicious

or maybe some of these spring jewels.

and wedges are a must.

today

2010-03-05T23:22:00.000-08:00

i woke up & forgot to make my bed but most days are like that for me. it was a pretty gloomy friday so i stayed in & watched old classic movies, picked some flowers from my mom's garden & lit some candles. i am a candle girl for sure.

(photo via we heart it)

i took some pictures of my tealights all lit up around my house

& the flowers i picked

this is one of my favorite candle scents. it's from anthropologie & it smells just like that store. it's called volcano. every time i light it my whole house smells amazing!

this tealight is lighting up a special note one of my best friends wrote me. my best friends from college & there kids came to visit me & my family. the night they left i was getting ready for bed & i found this note on my nightstand. it was the best surprise! i miss both of them & the kids already but i am so thankful for our time together because i soak up every second i can have with them.

(photo via we heart it)

i love

monograms

& new discoveries- like this yellow dish i found in my cupboard today.

this living room & home of manhattan beach designer jill johnson is so pretty. her aqua blue dish inspired me to take my yellow dish out of the cupboard so it could brighten up my house a bit on a day the sun wasn't so shiny.

speaking of brightening things up... this girl sure brightens my days. she is totally into all things girly. like purses, dolls and jewelry.

here she is collecting her first piece of jewelry for the day but she'll be adding more...

i think that's a total of 4 necklaces. she is creative & unique for she likes to wear them on her arms instead of around her cute little neck. that doll in the background was mine when i was little & if you were to see her up close you wouldn't be surprised because she has the rattiest hair from all of her doll years her on earth & she seems to be missing her clothes too but annie can still pretend she's her pretty baby doll.

when i was a little girl i played dress up & had fashion shows daily, i dreamed that someday like cinderella my prince charming would sweep me off my feet.

& the things that brightened my days were always my family. my parents taught me that jesus was the only one who really could fulfill all of my desires because he loved me. so even when i face hard times i know he is always with me.

(above 3 photos via wanderings of a wannabe)

i can look back without regret & shamelessly!

(above photo is my dad, annie & i all wearing our converse shoes, we didn't plan it)

so here's to a great weekend & a life lived without regret.

my perfect VALENTINE recipe

2010-02-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

is packed with 8 special ingredients:

2 sprigs of perfect sunny weather

3 splashes of ocean waves
5 twist eewy gooey cinnamon roll

a cupful with the ones i love

1 boxed movie 'the holiday'

4 parts chocolate

1 cup of wine (or more if you prefer)

1 happy heart

mix them all together & you've got my kind of valentines day

here is what the weather looked like here today

i walked along the beach with the ones i love

it was perfect

you could have laid out & gotten a suntan

we have a famous cinnamon roll bakery right next to the beach

old west cinnamon rolls

they are insanely good with cream cheese frosting about an inch high

i ate every last bite

i also watched the perfect movie

i love it because it's romantic & fun & the set design is like love to my eyes

i could live in that cottage

it's so cozy

from the cottage decor to the cute little stairwell

every girl deserves her own study

& a open kitchen stocked with all your food needs

& a bedroom with a real fireplace

(& a man who will fill it & light it)

she looks so snug

that's my idea of a good night cozied up in bed with lots of food & watching a good chick flick

i want to take a million bubble baths in that tub

the holiday images via out now-ch

here is some sweet pink eye candy for you

krysta manthe photography

above pink images via we heart it

not sure where this lovely photo is from?

& here are my 2 valentines

judah with his valentine

he asked her to marry him
that's what happens when your in 2 weddings by the time your 2
you already ask a girl to marry you

less words more pictures & dwelling on the good

2010-02-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

i was more than blown away by all of the thoughtfulness, love and encouragement i received in light of my last post.

thankfulness
comes to mind

i am doing really good these days thanks to all the prayers, friends who love me, my family, those of you who called me, hung out with me, texted me and being able to dwell on scripture to clear all of the fogginess and allow my mind to dwell on truth.

the fog has lifted
so i'll share with you some more of me but this time in the form of my personal space the place i like to call my home.

my kitchen in particular
i can't say i'm comfortable doing it but i know some friends have urged me to do it in the past so here goes. i created some letters a few weeks back for my kitchen. the letters color palette were inspired by my friend sara's pretty apron (my heart was in love when i saw it)

so much so i wanted to drive straight to anthropologie in santa barbara to get one too. i already have one from that pretty store so i practiced self control. i had sea blue in mind when i went to get mine and not too florally just simple. well i settled on the one i purchased and i love it too it's just not my 1st choice color wise.

did you notice my kitchen is missing a stove?

it also needs the kitchen sink hooked up. my dad said he would put those in for me before we hit the recession. times are hard so i will wait some more before my kitchen is complete.

i really do love my apron

i need to hang mine from this hook (that i've had forever), just haven't done it yet

yep
just because i don't have a working kitchen doesn't mean i don't have a obsession with dishes

thanks again for all of your prayers

they

worked

sorry no pictures, inspiration or fluffy thoughts , just a really long post

2010-02-06T01:15:00.000-08:00

dealing with the past

life seems to bring things back to us that we think our over and dealt with.

my past is an ugly one. full of heartache and loss and time i can never get back and the hardest part about it was how it changed me.

i will never be the girl i was before it happened. NEVER.... really. my past wasn't some moment i made a big mistake. no not at all, it was a period of moments and choices i made that forever changed me. those choices eventually began to shape who i was becoming. i eventually became a very sad girl living a very unhappy, very confused life. did you know that about me? i've always been happy-go-lucky but there was a time when i was very unhappy and very unlucky (not that i believe in luck).

i remember vividly the day GOD came and showed me it was over, over for me to stop living the way i was. HE provided a way out, he always had. I was finally willing to let HIM back in. He was always with me but I had become very hardened in my heart. It was time to allow GOD to change me and HE did. HE used 3 very specific things to do that for me.

1st i lost my closest friendships. GOD allowed it and it made me realize i couldn't live like that because my friends were such a important part of my life. it hurt to lose them.

2nd he used my brother to speak GOD'S truth into my life at a time when my heart was so lost. he loved me through my pain.

3rd he led a woman into my life to disciple me and carry my burdens with me and help me through my heartache. she prayed with me and cried with me.

i got my friends back, i got close with my family again and i started living differently. there were so many battles during the first 2 years after. every time i thought i had healed something would come up and i had to fight through it with the help of my discipler.

eventually my past really did become my past. i remember thinking that was so long ago it isn't even fresh anymore. there were however many years for me of sorrow over the fact that i was not yet married. my closest college and high school friends were all married and having babies and i was not. i would sometimes cry at night in my bed over the loneliness of wanting companionship. i wanted to be content but i wasn't.

i don't remember when exactly but i'm sure it's been almost 3 years now since i stopped hurting over my singleness and began to find joy in it. it wasn't any act of mine but GOD'S enablement. no bragging here just thankful to be on the other side of it. 3 years and 1 day ago exactly is when Judah was born and yes i think that had some hand in it. that little boy changed my whole perspective on life. i never cry at night anymore over loneliness.

3 years of contentment... and nothing can ever take it away. yet, my past has come back, YES the past I thought I had dealt with already, forgiving the person who hurt me, done all the praying, forgiving, etc.

i still forgive yet life has been hard lately and i've been really aware of my past and i don't even know what i am supposed to learn from it or how to deal with it. i just know it's happening and it's supposed too. i wish i could tell you the happy ending to this post is that i am learning A, B & C but I am still in the process of it.

I was listening to the first song on my blog playlist tonight it's a song my college roomie and i used to love. it's about dreaming you're in heaven. i would listen to it in college and instantly feel so happy. tonight i listened to it to take myself back there and it just reminded me that I am not that girl anymore. it's hard to deal with the reality that a sequence of events forever changed my life. honestly sometimes i want to go back to before that all happened and be the innocent girl i was. i know that's not the christian answer but it's true. it's a struggle sometimes to be aware of the struggles that my past still brings. they are very few and far between but when they come, they are hard.

I do have hope though. HOPE that this too will pass. HOPE that GOD is always beside me and that HE knows every heartache i have. HE gave nehemiah a vision to rebuild the walls of jerusalem that had been burned down. nehemiah did not grow weary and so i will remember nehemiah and his bravery. i am sad but not weary because my hope is not in the sins of my past but in the salvation of my GOD. HE will SAVE me! i know that my past does not define me but i pray that my heart will believe that today when everything seems a bit foggy.

Before & After- white dresser

2010-01-30T00:10:00.000-08:00

Today I learned how to drill and measure. My Dad taught me. He's so helpful. He's also a handyman...... which by the way I hope to marry me one of those someday.

I bought some new handles for my dresser in hopes to spruce it up a bit

Before
well kinda
i forgot to take a picture before we started

After

Now all it needs is some fresh paint

Here is some house inspiration

I can't say I am the hugest Valentines day fan but I don't dislike it either
what I really like is the all the pink
and that kids get to have a party where they exchange friendship notes

here's some pink with a little love mixed in to get you thinking about all those peeps you love most in this world

photo credits-not taken by jamie

xoxoxo

2010-01-07T23:38:00.000-08:00

Ryan + Melissa

theirs was the wedding of the year!

before you even check out my post go take a look at ryan & melissa's wedding featured on style me pretty (one of my favorite wedding blogs) because of their amazing photographer ken kienow. i mean it check it out first by clicking on the pink link. did you see the one with all of our cowgirl boots? i am excited some of my wedding decor is featured on their blog!

melissa is stunning looking up at ryan & her beauty is timeless

it was a perfect day in december for a beautiful wedding. the joining of two very special people who fell in love on a long car ride up north (where by chance the boy needed a ride up north from the girl). they talked the whole way up & when they were back to their beach home the boy called the girl everyday after because he could not live without her.
( ken kienow wedding photography)

from one gorgeous wedding onto another wedding shoot i fell in love with

(corbin gurkin photography)

i love the birdcages. i am a sucker for anything vintage which is why i love anthropologie so much. i want to live inside that store and if we ever get one her on the coast then i want to be on their design team!

and here are 2 more little sweethearts that i love

with all my heart.
(photo ken kienow)

CELEBRATE!

2010-01-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

December was a full month for me.

First we celebrated Annie's 1st birthday,

then my friend Melissa married the love of her life.

Finally we celebrated not only Christmas but Jesus Birthday as Judah loves to tell us!

Happy Birthday Jesus

It was a month full of Celebrations!

I was one busy girl!

I love being an Auntie and celebrating Annie turning 1.

I absolutely adore that girl!

It was also fun being a bridesmaid and helping Melissa with her wedding decor.

Christmas is so amazing being with my family and watching the kids as they experience some of their first Christmas memories.

Hopefully that helps explain why I have been such a bad blogger!

I have loved reading all of your blogs so much! I especially loved receiving my friends Christmas cards in the mail. I look forward to that every year! Thank you for sending those.

Now let's start by taking a peek at Annie's 1st Birthday Party
She's 1.......

She had a very Happy Birthday

It was a pink birthday of course!
Complete with bakerella's cake pops.

With a flower theme

and a flower cake, made with love by her Momma.

Annie wore the cutest birthday outfit and her skirt had flowers on it. Judah sure does love his baby sister!

She loved her dora tent.

You are the sweetest, cutest and prettiest 1year old.
Happy Birthday Annie,
I love you.

Next up is Melissa's wedding rehearsal at the barn and a peek at her wedding.

This is actually when all of the San Luis Obispo bridesmaids were treated to a delicious Italian dinner by Melissa's mom a few weekends before the wedding.
Can you believe this is only about half of the bridesmaids?
There were 10 of us all together.

I love the dana powers barn!
It's so charming with so many great vintage touches.

The views are spectacular.

Judah was one of the ring bearers and he loved exploring all around the barn.

The kids did a good job sitting still while the adults practiced.

Do we look alike at all?
Maybe if i was fairer skinned?
Both of my parents were adopted so I don't really look like any of my 30 or so cousins so it's cool to have a niece who somewhat resembles me.

With all of the business of the wedding I didn't have any time to take pictures.
So all of these pics are borrowed from other people but hopefully i will be able to post more once the wedding photographer (and family friend) posts his. His will be amazing!

All of our flowers were stored in these beautiful mason jars designed by the wedding florist.

Katie made their monograms out of moss.

I love how Ryan's leaning in towards his bride.

It's as if he's saying,
How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!
Song of Solomon 4:10

The happy couple!

Judah and Claire (the flower girl) danced it up at the wedding!

It was so fun to be apart of Melissa and Ryan's wedding. I loved that Judah was a ring-bearer and that Katie and I were bridesmaids together. It was one big celebration with all of our friends.

Finally on to Christmas and the most important birth we will ever celebrate.
Jesus is the reason for all that we have and I wish I could always see him in the way my little nephew does.

It's our tradition to open up our pj's on Christmas Eve. Judah was so excited to open up his new buzz lightyear jammies. After Annie received hers and we were all just hanging out Judah asked where is Jesus' present? It was so heartmelting. He thought if it's Jesus' birthday then of course Jesus should have a present.

Annie started walking on Christmas Eve. It's so fun to see her taking steps now!

Uncle Jason came home for Christmas and spoiled the kids with gifts.

Judah was pumped to get a new meatal bat, batting gloves and a batting helmut. Now he'll be even more of a pro.

This is completely off the subject but did you guys see the new Pottery Barn January catalog?
I like what they are doing for 2010!
I want the grand bedding, the numbered pillows, and the buchanan sofa.
I think my little guest house wants them too.
Happy New Year!

Finally- Melissa's Bridal Shower

2009-12-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

Thank you for waiting so patiently for me to show you the rest of my friend Melissa's Bridal Shower.

Remember it was a vintage theme with with dark blue, canary yellow, chocolate brown and pops of robin egg blue.

I framed the bride and grooms initials

and the shower invitation.

My sister Katie arranged the beautiful bouquets of flowers.

We personalized each glass and the girls drank out of mason jars.

All of the food eventually ended up on these tables. I made that doily banner too and it was so easy. You're supposed to sew the doilies to the bias tape but I just hot glued mine since I have no idea how to sew. You can find directions here for how to make your own banner.

I lined the tables with lace (found by the bride and my friend Leah at thrift stores & the lace will also be used for the wedding reception)

The lace created a runner down the length of the table

The silverware was Vintage & once belonged to my friend Jocelyn's (the hostess) Grandmother.

I think the cake table was my favorite part of the shower. I just love dessert especially when it's homemade.

The cake was this delicious lemony flavor and it was specially made by a wonderful young woman named Stephanie, who just recently started cake making as her hobby (she's so good).

I am looking forward to Melissa's wedding in less than 2 weeks. I will have more pictures then of the wedding and reception too.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a totally unrelated subject, here are some of my Christmas decorations up in my house. The colors are inspired by this anthropologie banner my mom gave me a few years back. I love that banner!

ReALLy???

2009-12-04T01:40:00.000-08:00

SeRiOUsLY

ThIS CuTE?

YeS

AnNiE GiRL......

Yes

DECeMBER iS AnNiE'S MoNTh

SiNCE LaST DeCEMBeR ShE WaS BOrN

ShE GeTS TO SHaRE HeR BIRtHDaY MOnTH WiTh JEsUS

HeR SAvIOR

THaNK YoU JEsuS FoR AnNiE!

(ps i am going to show you all the rest of my friends bridal shower, i just have to get my creativity on)

aHHH inspiration....we all NEED it

2009-11-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

here is where i drew INSPIRATION from for the bridal shower

just a few photos of gorgeous weddings, creative parties, a beautiful bride & stunning bridesmaids dresses

don't you LOVE finding inspiration???

it's really all around us

EVERYDAY

the banner, the cart, the cake

one word

BEAUTIFUL

melissa wants to incorporate lace into her wedding

i think this bride wears lace so BEAUTIFULLY

i mean, really this is vintage at it's FINEST

(stay tuned to see where we used lace at the bridal shower)

this setting along with the first 2 photos are all apart of a faux wedding

they set it up specifically for a photo-shoot for photographers to get special training and practice

.......well, i am so glad they did

because

i am pretty much in love with the setting

& if you love anthropologie

like I DO

those monogrammed mugs should be very familiar to you

i know you love them TOO

the hanging lanterns are from this cute little birthday party

let's just say i am MORE than inspired by that mom's parties

the glasses with personalized tags are from

REAL SIMPLE

we made those for our bridal shower too

yellow and blue pair so well together

as so perfectly shown by the above wedding party

more from MELISSA'S bridal shower to come.....

i p-r-o-m-i-s-e

(photo credits- 1st 3 photos: brandon kidd photography, jessica claire photography & laurel layne. the last collage images are from real simple, full house blog and i am unsure where the bridesmaids photo is from?)

SNEAK PEEK: bridal shower

2009-11-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

We hosted a bridal shower along with a few other lovely bridesmaids

for this adorable bride-to-be!!

I was the bridal shower "decorator"

I went with the colors dark blue and canary yellow inspired by the shower invitation.

I added pops of chocolate brown and robin's egg blue (some of the bride-to-be's favorite colors)

It was fun to have a special chair just for Melissa

I think hanging lanterns add such a great party effect

I added special touches that represent the new life the bride & groom will share

like the bride's soon-to-be new last name

Mrs. James

More to come on this bridal shower

I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek!!

No Goblins Here Just Some Sweet Faces

2009-11-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

We had a a great time together on Halloween! We went over to Joey and Katie's for dinner. Katie made us some very yummy tortilla soup and then we were off to trick or treat with the kids. The neighborhood park had a bounce house and maze for the kids and some hot chocolate to keep us warm.

Papa and Annie hanging out pre-costume

She was a cute little purple flower

and Judah was a cubs baseball player

He is so good at baseball you would be amazed

I love how Judah is laughing in this one

He even played in a ball game and annie was his cheerleader

She loves to clap for her big brother

We had a night to remember that's for sure

How cute is my friend Linda as Dorothy? Her shoes even sparkle! I am pretty sure her Mom made this costume for her when she was younger. Although she's still young!

I think the Wizard of Oz makes for some of the best costumes. My friend Kim's children just look so adorable as Dorothy and the Scarecrow. I love it!

Here are just a few pictures of my niece and nephew during the beginning of this pretty fall season.

One of my favorite things about the fall season is sweaters. They're so comfy and warm. Annie looks just so cozy in hers!

This is Judah with his friend Jack. Jack lives in Colorado but we wished he lived here because he is just so sweet. He has the coolest blond curls to go along with his cute little face and chubby cheeks!

2009-10-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall

My Dad and Judah grew pumpkins for the Harvest! We have so many cute pumpkins and 3 of them found a home in my home. Thanks Mom, I love them!

Remember that trip I told you about awhile back.....well me and my girlfriends finally went and we had so much FUN! We went to Palm Springs and Disneyland together. It was an all girls trip spent laying by the pool, eating out, lots of giggling, girl talk, movies, and lots of junk food. I loved when we ate out at the Cheesecake Factory (totally reminds me of college) and Red Robin because they have bottomless french fries and the yummiest root beer floats! Disneyland was of course a blast especially being with Kim and Erin.

This picture is in the wrong order but this us and the kids outside of starbucks and the doughnut shoppe for breakfast after we got back from our trip.

We tried on hats at the hat store.

Photoshoot after we went out to dinner.

Disneyland parade

We laughed so hard on this ride we had to go 2x.

Close up

The castle

My friend Marijke married her best friend Tim a few weekends ago and their wedding was gorgeous! Marijke's designed her dress and it was hand-made too. You can see how pretty there wedding was as captured by my friend Lisa here:http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/2009/10/12/marijke-tim-the-wedding/

My friend Melissa is also marrying her best friend Ryan in December. I'm excited to be a bridesmaid and help her with the wedding decor. Her theme is going to be rustic and vintage combined.

We get to wear cowboy boots with our dresses.

Which will be perfect since they are getting married at this beautiful rustic barn.

Props to my brother Joey for running in the City to Sea 1/2 marathon.

Good Job, Joe Joe!!

Judah played ball in honor of his Dad running the race.

I know I had a lot of blogging to catch up on but I will try to be better about updating in the busy months ahead!

She's a Beauty

2009-10-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Queen in brown & white polka-dots

and she sure is growing cuter by the minute.

i used lots of saturation on this one of annie-girl.

yes, katie! let's enter her in the gap baby contest.

how could they resist her & her sweetness!

i love my sweet niece, yes i do!

p.s. erin these are especially for you since you think she is just as precious as i do

fRiEnDsHiP nEcKlAcE

2009-09-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Check out the friendship necklace my friend Lisa designed. I was featured wearing mine on her lovely blog today.

Lisa is an amazing Jewelry Designer, Photographer and Mother! Check out her blog and you'll see exactly what I am talking about.

You'll find her blog on this link: http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/