Dear Santa: Name Banner Necklace

You know what I love about it being almost-October? It's finally time to start working on my Christmas wish list! The necklace above? Totally going on it. (And Santa, if you're reading this, I prefer the blue ribbons and I'd like mine to say "Reese" - pretty please.)

Necklace (and photos) by Prismera. Feel free to put it on your list, too.

Must Haves

I was lucky enough to snag a few pieces from the line Orla Kiely did for Target a while back, but aside from sipping happily from my Orla Kiely coffee mug, I promplty put her out of my mind...until now.

After recently rediscovering her totally retro, totally fun designs (see photo above), I'm thinking Jonathan Adler may just have some competition as my favorite designer.

Oh how I would love to pile my bathroom high with those towels and warm up a lamp or two with those shades...



In other must-have-for-my-apartment news, I'm dying over chalkboards as home decor right now (as seen in the photos above). For a girl who loves to make lists, what could possibly be better? I just may make a little trip to my local hardware store for some chalkboard paint this weekend to see what I can transform. (Feel that DIY bug a bitin'!)

Number 28

Number 18 can be crossed off the list. During my four years as a Washington State Cougar fan, I've never been to a home football game until now. Pullman really is beautiful (if hot!) in the fall, and it was fun to see all of the students and alumni out and about.

We started our day off with drinks at The Coug, stopped by the tailgating area for a bit, then headed to the stadium. After the game, we strolled through campus, popped into Mason's frat house, got a bite to eat at a new taco joint and bought some Cougar gear at the bookstore.

All in all, it was a great day, and I'm so glad I was able to experience a true Cougar Football Saturday.

Weekend Away

Our weekend away was so nice - one of those perfect fall weekends when time moves slower than normal and there's plenty of room for everything and more.

Saturday started early with a drive through the wheat fields to Pullman, sipping coffee and listening to Pat Green tunes all the way. The game was a blow out, but it was great to see friends and experience the game day excitement. When we got back to the house, we snuggled with the dogs and cats and enjoyed the kind of absolute peace and quiet you can only find in the country.

On Sunday, we went to church in Fairfield at Mason's childhood church, then to the Rockford Fair for huckleberry icecream and motorcycle rides with the kids. They really are the best neice and nephew a new aunt could ask for (and small town fairs are my absolute favorite).

Every time I go back to Eastern Washington, I feel more and more sure that it's the place we're supposed to end up in. There's good living to be had there. I can feel it.

Check back tomorrow for photos from the game (number 28 on the list).

Weekend Plans

This afternoon, Mason and I take off for the Pacific Northwest to scratch number 28 off the list. I'm really excited. I've never been to eastern Washington during the fall, and I hear it's beautiful. We'll also get to spend some time with friends and family (including the two cuties above), which is always nice.

I can't wait to curl up on the plane with my new book and slip into vacation mode.

Happy weekend to you!

Officially Fall

How much do you love this wedding photo (by Sloan Photographers via Style Me Pretty)? Lately I've got fall (and fall football) on my mind, so I think this shot is fantastic.

In other news, I'm pretty sure the changing seasons are making my emotions a little wonky (I literally cried my way through Kendra Wilkinson's entire True Hollywood Story last night - and Hugh Hefner is not normally one to make me tear up). In the past, the cooler, crisper fall weather has made me excited, but this year it seems to be making me more reflective and a tad bit melancholy.

Cheryl over at Conscious Transitions recently did a post titled "Some things have to die in order for other things to live," and that sentence has been thumping around in my head ever since I read it. It's so true when thinking about everything from actual changing seasons to changing seasons of life.

If you're not familiar with Cheryl, she does a lot of work helping women prepare for the transition to marriage, and her book and blog have been great sources of advice for me along the way.

I'm sure I'll be back to my excited-for-boots-and-scarves-and-hot-cocoa self in no time, but for now, it's sort of nice to experience this quieter, calmer side of Fall.

Print Love

My sister is on the hunt for some fun art to brighten up her walls, and she discovered the above prints in The Love Shop on Etsy, thanks to Joanna at A Cup of Joe.

The Love Shop's motto is "inspired by love. designed with love." and seriously, I am in love with these prints. Don't they just make you happy all over? (And what great gifts they would make!) I'm definitely working some of these into the aparment re-do.

With This Ring

How amazing would this be as an engagement ring?? The band is sterling silver and the stone is solid metal rock. So unique, so fantastic.

(Spotted on Etsy via Macha Jewelry for only $250)

P.S. - I hope you all enjoyed the week of wedding photos. I know I did!

The Guests

I think it's pretty fair to say that the reason we had so much fun at our wedding was because of our guests. Childhood friends, visiting friends from Los Angeles, visiting friends from Washington, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins(!) - you name it, they were there. We were so thankful to be able to spend time with all of them, reminiscing, laughing and sharing the start of our new life together. (And they really were such a great looking group of guests, as you'll see in the photos below.)











(All photos courtesy of Matthew Moore Photography)

The Details

Planning the wedding was so much fun because of all the little details we incorporated, many of which we made ourselves. From the fabric flowers and banners to the bird cake toppers and my "something blue" flats, it really was "all about the details."











(All photos courtesy of Matthew Moore Photography)

Check back on Monday for the last wedding post featuring photos of our lovely guests.

The Reception

I've always loved wedding receptions (the cake! the drinks! the dancing!), and although I'm biased, I must say that our reception was the best I've ever been to. I'm guessing it had something to do with the DJ's fully-customized-by-Mason-and-Charisse playlist, which made it pretty impossible to ever leave the dance floor. Forgive me if I post too many photos - there are just so many good ones.














(All photos courtesy of Matthew Moore Photography)

Check back tomorrow for photos of all the little details.