veggie time.

this warm weather must be messing with my mind! all i can seem to think about are veggies and gardening lately. (or has my homemaking gene finally kicked in?) hoping to maybe, maybe have some time to work on that this weekend. i look forward to eating fresh tomatoes, basil, squash... but i'm concerned that our little doggy might think we're growing him a personal meal outside... and while i already have some space set aside for the garden, i'm thinking about maybe planting in containers this year. anyone have any experience with this? i have found this great website you grow girl with lots of helpful tips and ideas on growing practically anything.

with that in mind, i'm loving these plant markers found on etsy (made by ninagibsondesigns). do i see a diy project in the future? perhaps. these great fork markers give me lots of ideas... 

diy.

i guess i just have diy on the brain. all the time. found this a great tutorial on making stenciled shirts (using freezer paper, of all things) via poppytalk (where else?). tutorial is from this cute blog tangled and true. she even offers a free download of a little birdie stencil! i can totally see adapting this to pillows, bags, curtains... oh now if i just had the time!

this is why you're thin.

doesn't this pizza look yummy? all those veggies just make my mouth water. 

i'm sure you've all heard of the blog this is why you're fat. it's pretty disgusting. i can feel my arteries clogging just looking at it... but now there's the blog this is why you're thin with links to awesome recipes and food that is actually good for you!

as i have begun to look more closely at what i put into my body, i have grown to love fruits and vegetables even more. i don't know that i could ever completely give up my meat... but they are certainly becoming less and less what i rely on for my meals. just something random for today!

photo via this is why you're thin (photo by michelle ellis photography)

baby sinclair.

my weekends have been filled with baby showers lately and i wanted to share something one of my good friends put together for me for this last shower i went to on the 25th. we went shopping and found the softest materials for this blanket... i love how simple and beautiful it turned out. it was a hit at the shower! i guess i know what i'll be giving from now on... thanks lachelle for helping me put this together!

broccoli.

really loving these 'broccoli' business card holders found in today's 'under $100' on d*s. they come flat and you can assemble as you please! thinking this could also be one of those super easy diy projects... i have lots of those screw posts and a paper drill that would be perfect for this... from plastica

photo albums.

these photo albums are actually for two very special moms... and they are going off in the mail tomorrow to make their way to the giver! they are pretty much the same as my guestbooks except they are much larger, (8.5"x11") and only have 50 (blank) pages (but there is vellum in-between each page to keep larger photos from sticking to each other!) i have been trying to decide how to house our wedding photos and have thought of creating a photobook, with digital photos printed in a perfect bound book... but i have also thought about making a more tradition album and assembling it all myself. decisions, decisions... we're coming up on our two year anniversary in just a few short months, so i guess i should decide soon, huh?

now... i still have to find or make some gifts for the mothers in my life... any ideas?

charley harper.

oh charley harper. how my tired eyes needed to see these refreshing illustrations today... found on poppytalk, these images come from a betty crocker 'dinner for two' cookbook. now that's one cookbook i would love to own!

outdoor spaces.

home of meredith kleinman, via d*s sneak peek

my favorite things on design sponge are the sneak peeks. not only do i get to glance into the homes of artists/designers that inspire me, but i am truly inspired by what others do with their spaces, whether it be inside or outside their homes. these are a few of the bright places i would love to call my own... they give me many ideas for our yard and give me hope that it is achievable for us to have something easy to maintain and beautiful to look at. 

one of the joys of home ownership is having a yard to manage and make beautiful. when i lived in an apartment, i yearned to have my own peaceful backyard to relax in. but now that i do have my own backyard, it has taken the back burner to other important things like schoolwork, family time, guestbooks and other important home projects. when we purchased our home last january, the backyard was a nightmare. we knew it would take some time and elbow grease to make it our own. the only thing we managed last year was to clean it up a bit, plant a few flowers and keep the lawn mowed. but it only took a few sunny weeks for our lawn to turn into a nightmare once again. before last weekend, our front and back yards were looking neglected and weed-ridden, something i was not very proud of. we didn't get as much done before fall as i had hoped and my dreams of lush grass, flowers, an abundance of vegetables and a beautiful spot to sit and relax (and maybe enjoy breakfast at on the weekends) seemed so far away.

this weekend was spent pulling up weeds (made much easier because of the recent rain and hail we received), tilling and moving dirt, mowing and edging the yard, moving rocks around, trimming bushes and trees, and lawn cleanup in general (we have lots of pine trees that shed needles and pinecones on a regular basis, yay). thank-you denise and dwayne, for taking so much time out of your weekend to help us take control of our yard. 

will post some before and after photos later on as we continue to work on our space. right now we still need to put some sod down, move some more rocks around and plant veggies and ground cover. and did i mention water like crazy? in the meantime, here are some beautiful outdoor spaces...

dutch door press, via d*s sneak peek

home of tess darrow, via d*s sneak peek

diamonds?

i really wish i had known about etsy when we first got engaged. i am always finding things that i think 'man, that would have worked perfectly for our wedding!' or something like that... i was reading a thread (on etsy, of course) earlier today about a guy that is planning on proposing to his SO and was looking for advice on the ring. should he pick out one to present? should he let her choose the one? maybe they could go shopping together?

it got me thinking about engagement/wedding rings. doug and i went shopping together for my engagement ring and we just couldn't believe the prices! i was really looking for something a little more vintage-inspired (if not actually vintage) and in a low-ish price range as we were still both students on a very tight budget. i ended up with a very pretty ring that always reminds me of one that my mom wears all the time. it's really not a very traditional looking e-ring, but hey - i'm really not all that traditional either. (i promise, i'm going somewhere with this...)

as i was browsing in etsy's handmade wedding gift guide, i noticed this beautiful ring above (by singleBbeautiful) and thought - wow, that would be exactly what i would have picked out! and... that's not a diamond, it's a white sapphire. i know there's a lot of controversy behind the mining of diamonds, and if ever given the option to select a new ring for my left hand i would really like to either own a beautiful vintage ring or something new with no (new) diamonds on it. singleBbeautiful also uses lots of recycled metals in her work, which is another added bonus. 

maybe someday in the future, i can order this gorgeous ring (or something very similar)... but for now i will just have to look at it lovingly from my computer...

mmmm.

found this great christopher bettig poster on poppytalk a few days ago and can't stop opening it up from my inspiration folder to take a peek at it. i guess i keep wishing for it to suddenly appear on my wall, but unfortunately it's sold out! the drawing is so sweet... and of course, i am digging the type at the bottom as well. i think it completes it... (sigh) and (as if that wasn't enough)- it's green. can you say made for me?

red hot!

i am loving all these beautiful, bright colors! i guess 2009 is the year for bright color pairings for weddings... not that i'm complaining, of course. it just makes my job more fun :) simple, clean and modern, i love how lexi's book turned out. 

working on a few other special projects right now as well... will post pictures soon!

hello weekend.

was digging through my favorites today on etsy and saw this beautiful print from wondercabinet that just about matches how i've felt this week. 

i'm so glad that it's friday and i'm ready for a little time off and r&r this weekend. having a sick husband, an extremely dead car battery and a death in the family (not to mention tons of work at the day job and with my books) is taking it's toll. i am hoping to go to a few art galleries (& hear some excellent music) tonight for the first friday art trail and get my mind off of things.  

i am also excited about next week, because one friend that i haven't seen in years will be in LBK for a little while and another friend will be around later as well, and hopefully i'll have a little time to catch up with both! 

have a great weekend!