Summer colors week: green

And guess what! One of my photos was featured on Poppytalk for Yellow Day! 

Summer colors week: yellow

In case you haven't been paying attention, I'm hitching a ride on Poppytalk's Summer Colors Week. Get all the details here and upload your own photos here. All my own photos, taken in the last three years or so. Ohhh how I love those socks. I've got to take the time to knit more socks.

Summer colors week: pink

Wow! Two posts in one day! I almost forgot about Summer Colors Week going on over at Poppytalk. There is a color for each day of the week and you can upload your favorite photos to the flickr group and her favorites will be posted over on the blog! But, well, I can't resist participating in my own way. So I will be following the schedule and posting summer colors all week!

June 28 - Monday: Pink:: June 29 - Tuesday: Yellow:: June 30 - Wednesday: Green:: July 01 - Thursday: Red + White (Canada Day):: July 02 - Friday: Blue

(The first photo is mine, the rest are borrowed)

small treasures

Oh my goodness I LOVE these recipe card boxes from Rifle Paper Co. So much more fun than the three ring binder that currently houses a hundred or so recipes I never use along with the small handful of those I use regularly (what can I say, when a recipe works for me it really works, and I am loyal to the core). How happy would it make me to dig into a little handmade wooden box to get my favorite Chocolate Cream Cheese Croissant Cookie recipe. I just can't quite justify the cost at the current time. But I'm sure they will make someone else very happy.

you've done it again

Alright, J. Crew I get it. You're not what I always thought you were. You're not old and stuffy and boring. You're really quite charming. I have been warming up to you. And that video just stole my heart.

Go ahead and check it out for yourself, but I'm warning you, if you want to not like J. Crew this isn't going to help.

yum

I haven't posted anything food related in a while, which is interesting considering the number of recipes I have starred and saved in Google Reader. I may have a slight fear of coming off as obsessed with unhealthy foods (because let's face it, healthy foods are not nearly as interesting, and thus never seem to make it into my recipe collection with all the cakes and cookies and cheese-foods) or, perhaps even worse, someone might actually expect me to start making all these fabulous foods. Way too much time and effort there, guys. Who do you think you're talking to? 

Anyway, one of my favorite foodie blogs is Tartelette. I mean, her tag line is "on the sweet side of life." You had me at hello.

This Raspberry and Vanilla Dobos Torte took my breath away. If I have time to contribute to the dessert bar at my wedding you had best believe these will be there. Or I may find a reason to make them sometime sooner. Fourth of July anyone?

And the Pinch Cake Lemon Mousse Strawberry Trifle?  What's a girl to do? That's perfection in a glass.

Then there are the Raspberry Mascarpone Macarons

Raspberry Rose Vanilla Cream Cake

Are you sensing a theme here? Clearly summer is upon us and all I can think about is heavenly, creamy, berry topped goodness. And it's like a lightbulb going off in my head- a raspberry & lemon themed wedding dessert bar. It will be perfect. I'll just quit my job and bake all day, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

I LOVE this engagement session!

It starts out basic enough.

But then things get interesting...

Wait for it...

I was completely unaware of this amazing colored powder until my younger sister posted photos from the Festival of Colors in Utah last year. It looks like so much fun! You simply can't not smile when you're covered in a rainbow of colors (and throwing it in people's faces). I love it.

via Polka Dot Bride

(I didn't promise not to post anything wedding related here just because I have a dedicated wedding blog, did I? Ok good.)

the future is mine

I have seen this before, but was reminded of it by Miss Erin Sunday. Definitely applies to me (the willing to get our hands dirty part, we'll see about the future). Many people are shocked and appalled to learn what it actually is that I do all day. I have recently described a project only to be asked "you're hiring a contractor, right?" No, wrong. I am actually doing all of those things, with the help of my sales associates and a display artist. So bring it on, future. I believe I have earned you.

don't say I never gave you anything

Act now and you can get this darling botcanical card set from Rifle Paper Co. for 50% off thanks to Lucky's Deal of the Day! You can thank me later, or now, you could thank me now too.

self affirmations

I want to hang this by my bathroom mirror so I can see it every day.

And this one isn't bad either.

via Feeling Stitchy

PS: Veronica and Matt have an Etsy store, and although there isn't much there currently, you could perhaps keep an eye on it just in case something awesome comes up. Ok? Ok.

Happy Summer!

Oh and by the way I had a pretty great weekend. It actually felt like a real weekend, which for some reason or another is kind of a rarity around here. I FELT LIKE I had two full days off, and it was amazing. The mister and I went out to eat, did some work on our first home decorating project (a revamped 1970s coffee table, I can't wait to share it!), played at the carnival, napped, read some books, and tended to a cat who decided to eat a bunch of yarn and have some problems pooping it out. Well, that last part wasn't all that fun but so far no surgery so it could be worse. Trying to do some wedding planning. Speaking of which, do you read my wedding blog? Do you want to continue reading my wedding blog? Then I need feedback! That's kind of the point! Ok great, I got that out of my system.

Saturday night in photos

Last night we went to the Reston Carnival to take some photos and resist the temptation to eat funnel cakes and cotton candy. It may be a tiny little carnival but it still has the ability to make me feel a little giddy inside. You can see all of my photos on Flickr.

I Like The Like

 

It's a good thing I'm stubborn. I saw this album cover posted over at Rogix's eyes and I wanted to like The Like. So I headed on over to YouTube to see what I could find.

I didn't like this (aside from barefoot drumming and synchronized swimming).

And I was rather bored by this (although I dig the striped walls).

But this made my feet tap uncontrollably. I officially like The Like.

More like this please?

Happy Birthday Etsy!

Dear Etsy,

Thank you for being a completely invaluable resource for just about anything I need. Birthday cards that aren't boring? Check. Baby presents? Absolutely. Cufflinks for the mister's birthday? Yes. Heck, even my own engagement ring? Yes, yes yes. I am consistently amazed and inspired by some brilliant vendors on Etsy and the quality goods they produce. I don't know what I would do without it.

a thought

via Design Crush

Care to Air

Did you know that 60% of the environmental impact of the pair of jeans you're wearing comes from something you have complete control of? 

Levi's is committed to creating and maintaining sustainable, environmentally conscious ways of doing business and manufacturing product, and now they're getting the customer involved. You can start by washing your jeans in cold water and line drying them, reducing the environmental impact by 50%. Then you can get involved in the Care to Air Design Challenge to design methods of air drying that are stylish, sustainable and effective. 

Some current entries:

Spread the word! Win some prizes! Get the details here.
Via Craft blog.

(It should be noted that I wrote a paper and did a speech on Levi Strauss in college, and I'm also a former employee and a lifetime fan of the company. It's not some phony publicity thing to make people think they care, they have a 100 year history of caring. They are truly decent people.)