Hey everyone! I apologize for being so MIA. Little Sophia was born on
Monday, July 26th at 3:45 in the morning. My husband and I are still
getting used to new parenthood, but we feel so blessed and are in a
state of sleepy euphoria. I plan to get back to blogging next week, so
please know how much I appreciate your patience. Attached is a picture
of our little girl at just a few hours old.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Eco-Love: Ballerina Flats, Plus the Friday List

How adorable. Handmade from 100% sustainable fabrics and without the use of chemical adhesives, these eco flats are swoon-worthy! Available at The Generation, they even have ballerina-esque bridal flats complete with ribbons! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Giveaway: Oh, Hello Friend is holding an awesome giveaway to a charming purse and clutch boutique. Contest ends on Monday.

Summer Reading: Let the Great World Spin: A Novel by Colum McCann

Be thankful for: Blueberry picking season

Blog Love: Quaint Handmade - A husband and wife blog team

Inspiration: Catch My Party - Browse photos of real life parties.

Wedding Thank You Postcards

Wedding Postcards from Forever Clever

Ah, the wedding is over. Now it's time relax and enjoy being married... Or so you thought. The phone rings and it's your mom. "Get those thank you cards out NOW!" Ack!

So I'm all about saving paper. But one thing I'm a little torn about is the idea of a wedding thank you postcard. Do you really need an envelope, especially for something that's just going to get trashed (or hopefully recycled)? What do you think? Not formal enough? Or are the times-a-changin'?

Using Vintage Tablecloths?

I recently learned how to use my sewing machine! So far I have managed to sew a straight line on an old pair of pajama shorts. Hey, I didn't have any fabric - I had to use something. But it's a start, right? I'm thinking of making a tablecloth. I figure it can't get any easier than a tablecloth. I started looking at vintage fabrics and I was awakened to a whole new world of vintage tablecloth collecting. If you're responsible for providing your own linens at your wedding venue, have you considered purchasing vintage tablecloths?

Photo Credit (Clockwise): Blue Vintage, Vintage Eames, Vintage Tablecloth

Upcycled Accessories

I have a small head, so I have to be careful with overly dramatic hair accessories, but I love the multitude of colors in these upcycled floral headbands, created by Sparky Jones. And the Japanese style obi belts are a wonderful way to dress up a blah

Healthy Monday: A "Healthy" Tan?

What’s more important to you? A “healthy” tan or a healthy body.

Many women like to tan before their wedding. And in all honesty, it makes sense. Rarely do you see an advertisement for a pale bride draped over a chaise, dripping from head to toe in an exquisite wedding gown.* The types of people we commonly associate with beauty - actors, singers, models, movie stars, etc... - wear a perfect golden glow year round. So when a bride has her red carpet moment, I can understand why a pasty white glow can make her feel about as sexy as a turtle.

But is the “sexy” tan worth the dangers? According to the National Cancer Institute, women who use tanning beds more than once a month are 55 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma. 55 PERCENT!? Wow. Even a day at the beach can increase your risk of skin cancer. If that doesn’t jolt you, get this: the sun causes wrinkles. That’s right ladies. The sun actually damages the elasticity of your skin, which is why women who spend too much time sunbathing tend to look like leather as they age.

Rather than touting the goods of sunless self tanners, I thought I might try a different route. Let's forget slathering more chemical laden products on our bodies! What if we all embraced our natural skin color and learned to love what we were born with. After all, is it really fair that we allow society’s definition of beauty change what we see in the mirror?

I know this is easier than done (trust me, I’m about as tan as an albino rabbit) so next Monday I’ll be highlighting some of the more environmentally-friendly tanning options on the market. In the meantime, lets contemplate how turtles can be sexy... hard shell, pretty dark green color, dark eyes...

*This article originally posted in May of 2009. Since then I have noticed more vampire-esque brides being featured in magazines, but it's probably more a marketing reaction to the hype created by the Twilight series of books.

Friday Fun

A little Friday fun. Awesomely bad engagement photos. You know you want to.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! And one last ditch effort. If you haven't already done so, please vote for Earth Friendly Weddings!

Farm to Table Wedding Feast

Adding the word locavore to your vocabulary, if you haven't already done so, is an easy thing to do. It's an easy word to say. The definition is easy to remember. (Locavores are people who strive to eat only locally grown foods.) And to be a locavore is a wonderful thing for the environment and for your local economy. In my own life, I try to maintain an awareness of where my fruits and vegetables come from, but I tend to grab whatever meats and dry goods I need. I love the idea of being a locavore, but the limiting of my options scares me. I'm not sure why, considering it's typically the overabundance of options at my local grocer that causes dinner making strife.


But I was blown away when I saw this magnificent farm-to-table feast on Country Living, created by Outstanding in the Field, a traveling locavore group. It really just goes to show that even if you're not a hardcore locavore, your wedding can be with the right team of people. This particular event was held at Johnson's Backyard Garden, a 70 acre certified organic farm just five miles east of downtown Austin, Texas.

What about you? Are you a locavore? Have you tried it and are you using only local foods in your own wedding menu?

Visit Eat Local Challenge for ideas and resources.

Eco Green Wedding Eye Candy

I once worked at a company that declared if we accomplished a sales related goal, the vice president would kiss a pig. It was really just a bunch of silly corporate BS, but the goal was attained and I found myself looking forward to the big pig kissing day. It was disappointingly anti-climactic. After all, it was a pretty well behaved, cleaned up, and might I even add, cute little pig. So my point is that while I would love to win this WeddingChannel.com contest, I don't have any wild promises to give you. But I might be persuaded to do something just as silly if anyone has any ideas. In any case, I'd still love your vote! Vote for Earth Friendly Weddings!

Okay, shameless plugging - check! Back to blogging business! Alec Vanderboom has the most wonderful, surreal style of photography and I just love how he photographed the wedding below. Secret garden meets modern simplicity. The glass and wine bottles are a nice eco-friendly touch, whether the bride meant it or not, and the scattering of the photographs on the table are personal, yet casual.

Loving Lavender

Photo found at: Sunday Suppers

Taking your exit as you leave your own wedding is not usually a simple, quiet affair. Guests line up and they look forward to pummeling you with...something. Maybe it's the not-so-popular rice, a common choice of bubbles, or the romantic rose petals? But there is also lavender, an eco-friendly favorite. It has a pleasant, calming smell and some scientific studies suggest it promotes relaxation and acts as a mood uplifter. So why not incorporate more of it into your wedding?

Photos Found at: Laurie Arons, Eat.Drink.Better.

These hot summer months call for lemonade. Hydrate with water, sweeten with lemon and sugar. And then add a fresh lavender sprig or infuse with a little carbonation in this very neat Lavender Lemon Soda Recipe.

Please vote for me little old blog.

Okay, I'm ROFB. Do you know what that is? "Rolling on the floor BEGGING." hehe. Please vote for me little old blog.

Friday Love

Okay, I'm officially huge! This belly bump is taking over. I need help rolling over in bed, getting off the couch, and old women with walkers actually pass me while I slowly plod through the grocery store aisles (you have no idea how accurate the word "plod" is). Now is the time that I am ready to have this baby. I would like to post pictures, but my husband has yet to take them off his camera. I'm tempted to put his e-mail here and ask all of you to send him an annoying message, but that would be too mean... right?

So anyway... it seems it will be forever before I can safely walk in high heels again, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming. Plus, these cute little flowers, made from vintage silk, can actually clip on to any shoe! Reaaaaallyyy......

Found via Diagnosis Deferred

Happy Friday everyone!

Upcycled Handmade Garlands

It's not unusual to see floral displays line the wedding aisle, but what about an upcycled paper garland? I particularly enjoy these from Kristina.Marie.

Unique Planters for Before and After the Wedding

If you rent an outdoor or indoor venue for your wedding, you'll have to check in with the powers that be before hanging, nailing, or affixing anything. But if you're wedding is in your own backyard (an apparent wedding trend), you just might have the option to go all out crazy and even bring in the swans. Watch out though - those things have really smelly poo. Okay, nix the swans. Perhaps you just want to dress up a fence? These adorable, aluminum planters from Wallter might do the trick! They're also perfectly appropriate for indoor use as well and can easily be re-used after the wedding. Great for small, delicate plants like succulents and herbs, these planters are not available yet, but you can e-mail them here and tell them to hurry up and get these things available for purchase.

Repurposing Old Light Bulbs

If you're ever worried about intruders, you can take your old light bulbs, crunch them up and sprinkle the pieces all over your floor. That way, when someone tries to quietly break into your house or apartment, you'll hear the "crunch, crunch" of their shoes on the broken light bulb bits.

Yeah, I saw that in a movie. It's not that good of an idea for the regular guy or gal... Too much clean up. Unless you're a spy or something.


Fortunately, Re-Nest has some much more creative ways to re-use those old bulbs (pics above). Some of them are completely wedding decor appropriate!

Happy Holiday Weekend

Cotton Bird Designs available on Etsy

Happy Holiday Weekend! The hubby and I are looking forward to a special, flamingo themed party for my very good friend's one year old daughter, who was actually born on the Fourth of July! We plan on taking it easy, finishing up the nursery, and taking care of those last minute items on the to-do list. I'm cutting it short today and will be taking Monday off as well, so I'll see you all on Tuesday!

Cooling Off

It's so hot here. Imagine carrying a baby in your belly and then being extra, extra hot. Honestly though, I can't complain too much. I don't feel like I'm going to pop or anything. But the other day I went to the grocery store to get, you guessed it, ice cold popsicles, and as I opened the freezer door, I stood there and briefly contemplated what it would be like to just crawl in. Would I look weird? Could I get away with it. Maybe if I just stuck one foot in, then the other? If you are at the grocery store and you see a pregnant woman crammed in between the frozen pizzas and the ice cream, just keep walking. Don't look at her like she's crazy.

I'm almost 38 weeks! I'm taking a blogging/work break today. Heading over to my parent's house to get a dip in the pool and some weightless relief. Be back tomorrow. :)
Photo by Geoff Valentine