Oh Me, Oh My

New Year Update

2012-01-24T18:58:00.000-08:00

First off, I'd like to wish you all a happy, happy new year! (Sorry that was so late. I really hope your 2012 is off to a great start.) As you've probably guessed by my absence in this space, I am going through some not-so-fun stuff right now. I wish I could tell you more than that, but I don't feel comfortable sharing more just yet. I appreciate your support as I get things sorted out. I miss being here and promise to be back as soon as everything is a little more settled.

In the meantime, if you're missing me terribly, you can follow me on Instagram and Twitter (charisseadams on both). I've been participating in the January Photo a Day Challenge (a few photos from January above), and I'm looking forward to the February Photo a Day Challenge coming up. If you're on Instagram, you should join in - it's FUN.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

I'm running around crazy today getting ready for our trip to Washington in the early morning. We'll be there tomorrow through Wednesday of next week, and with all of the family time, Christmas parties, present opening and cookie eating, I'm not sure how much time will be left for checking in here - so, I thought I'd go ahead and wish you all a very, very merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays, from me, Mason and Cajun - to YOU!

(In case you're interested in the card details, I found the art as a free printable on a blog that I can't seem to find anymore for the life of me, then uploaded it to Vistaprint and added our signature. I'm so happy with the way they turned out. We would've loved to do a photo card again this year, but with the craziness of the move, there just wasn't time, so I figured fun typeface + cute colors was a pretty great second choice. What do you think?)

*In case you missed last year's card!

Life Lately

2011-12-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

A few photos of life lately - which has been ca-razy! The holidays are always a busy time of year, but with the move, I'm pretty sure the craziness has been doubled - maybe tripled. However, I am happy to announce that I got our Christmas cards sent (with five days until Christmas!), our shopping done (what did we do before Amazon??) and everything washed, packed and ready to head to Washington for the holiday (thank you, thank you, my very own washer and dryer - I love you).

So, all in all, I'm calling this holiday season + relocation a huge success (and I'm choosing not to focus on the fact that our tree only has one ornament on it - it is a really great ornament, after all).

Now the only thing left to do is wait.... for Santa!

What a Beauty

2011-12-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

I was driving around downtown the other day, completely lost (as is usually the case here in Austin) and listening to my navigation as it brought me in circles, when I rounded a corner and saw this. Isn't it just beautiful? I certainly think so.

Holiday Wish List 2011

2011-12-15T10:21:00.001-08:00

With Christmas only 10 days away (10 days!!), I couldn't resist posting my wish list. If you're in need of last-minute gift ideas for me (because I know all of you are planning to buy me gifts, right??), any one of these will do. ;)

1. Timex Weekender Watch

2. Nail Art Pens

3. Jonathan Adler Love Pillow

4. Fur-Trimmed Sorels

5. Fun Wallet

6. 2012 Planner

7. Small Backpack

8. Washi Tape

9. Chevron Missoni Throw (I can't find this on Target.com anymore - and it kind of makes me want to cry.)

What's on your wish list this year?

(Psst, you can see more on my Pinterest board if you want!)

Apartment Peeks

2011-12-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

The apartment is finished! Can you even believe it? In my last apartment, I left rooms undecorated for years, so this is a BIG accomplishment for me. It was really fun repurposing items from our old apartment and rearranging things to fit into the new space, and I have to say, I really, really love the finished product.

(The bookshelves you see in the top left photo are pretty much the only new thing we bought, and they're definitely my favorite piece in the apartment. I've always wanted a wall of bookshelves, and I love the way it looks in our living room.)

Now that we're all set up, we're ready for visitors! So, if you're reading this and you're itching for a trip to Austin, TX - come on over. We've got a super cute guest bedroom with your name on it!

*I promise a more thorough photo tour when the light is better - it's been a gloomy week here. Also, you can see our Santa Monica apartment here.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving - to me - is all about being with family, and we were so lucky this year to arrive in Texas (permanently!) two days before the holiday. After a quick day of unpacking, we hopped in the car (again) and drove to Beaumont for a day and night of fun with the crazy people you see above. Don't they all look fantastic?? (I love, love these guys - and not just for their nerd glasses and mad Pictionary skillz).

Roadtrip Snapshots

2011-12-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

These snapshots from the road are my absolute favorites. Good people, good cats, good food and good books on tape truly are the perfect recipe for a great roadtrip. (If you've never roadtripped with a cat, I highly recommend it. It adds just the right amount of hilarity and weirdness to it all.)

Now that the weekend is finally here, I'm headed to Houston for some sister time (LOVE that she's only a three hour drive away now). We've got hair appointments and Christmas shopping on the agenda, and Mason will be spending his first solo weekend in Austin, exploring the city a little bit more. Have a great one!

P.S. - That "Watch for Snakes" sign was posted at the entrance to the restrooms at a rest stop somewhere in west Texas. Scary!

CA to TX: Roadtrippin'

2011-12-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

Wow - It feels like it's been a million years since I've been here (which it kind of has). My apologies for being gone so long (and thanks to those of you who've stuck around!). Moving is ca-razy. Seriously. But we're all settled in Austin now, and besides a few small details, our apartment is pretty much complete and already feeling like home. I'm finally getting back into a regular schedule after a couple weeks of weirdness, and all in all, we're loving it.

Above are a few photos from our Santa Monica to Austin roadtrip, the best roadtrip I've ever been on. You might think two people + one cat in a truck for two days wouldn't be fun, but it was perfect. We drove a lot (and stopped for snacks a lot), and listened to the first of The Hunger Games books on tape (which we loved and made the miles go by so fast). It's definitely a trip I'll remember forever.

I'll be back tomorrow with a few more snapshots from the road, and I promise to catch you up on even more things next week - like Thanksgiving! And the new apartment! And all the fun we've been up to in Austin so far! (Aren't you so excited??)

Ahhh, it feels good to be back here. (I missed you guys!)

Packing Packing

2011-11-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

These two photos pretty much sum up my life right now. I'm living in a land of boxes. And misplaced lamps. And baskets - everywhere (who knew we had so many baskets??).

Moving is a stressful thing (laundry! utilities! bubble wrap! oh my!), and although we're extremely excited to start our next adventure, I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry a little in between every box I pack. Santa Monica will always hold a special place in my heart - for so many reasons - and it's sad to say goodbye.

Oh, change - you're just never easy, are you?

(By the way, my apologies if it seems like I'm away more than I'm here for the next couple of weeks. I promise tons of fun updates when we get settled in Austin, but for now, the boxes are calling my name...)

Austin, Here We Come!

2011-11-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

I've got some BIG news to share today.... Mason and I are moving to Austin!

We are so, so excited about the opportunity to be closer to my family and get to know a new city, especially a new city that we both really love. (Remember when we visited Austin last May? It wasn't just for fun - We were actually checking out the city to see if we'd like to live there one day. We're so sneaky, aren't we??)

We'll be officially setting off to Texas on Monday, November 21st - so that gives us exactly two weeks to pack, pack, pack, hang out with friends and visit all of our favorite places one last time.

It's a sad thing to leave this city where we met, fell in love, got married and started our life together. We each have a lot of favorite places and favorite memories from our time here. But it's also an exciting thing to be embarking on our first real adventure together in a place where we'll no doubt find new favorite places and make new favorite memories. To be honest, I can't wait!

P.S. - Remember when I said I had a feeling my 30th year would hold plenty of exciting changes and fun adventures? This was one of them!

Halloween Adventures

2011-11-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

A few more photos of our Halloween adventures above. We met up with some friends for a Halloween pub crawl and ended the night with pizza at one of our favorite late-night spots. It was pretty low key, but perfectly fun. The best part of the night was checking out everyone's costumes. My favorites were Al Davis (aka our friend Moses - seen above), Dexter and the kid from ET.

November Welcome

2011-11-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

November is here (which means turkey and sweet potatoes are just around the corner)! I'm celebrating its arrival by wearing flannel and sipping hot tea. It's been awfully chilly in LA lately, and it's only going to get chillier as the week goes on. I hope you're staying warm - wherever you are - and welcoming November with something cozy and fun.

*The photos above are two of my favorites from our Seattle weekend: leaves downtown and cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from Paul Bunyan and the cat twins! I hope your day has been filled with too much candy, a carved pumpkin or two and at least one really good scare!

More photos from our Halloween weekend coming up tomorrow...

Weekend in Seattle

2011-10-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Photos above from our weekend get-a-way to Seattle. Don't they all look so fall-like and fun? That's because the weather was perfect, and it didn't rain the whole time (can you believe it?!). In just two short days, we managed to fit in live Irish music, crab scrambles and salmon omelets, coffee, coffee and more coffee, walks around Pike Place, hang time with old friends, the football game, a movie (The Ides of March - Ryan Gosling - need I say more?), too many hotdogs and a long run.

All in all, it was a great little mini vacation, and a great way to kick off fall - for real.

Week in Pictures

2011-10-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have no idea where this week has gone - all I know is it was Sunday night and now it's Friday afternoon. (Craziness!) Mason and I are hopping on a plane in a few hours and heading to Seattle for a weekend of Cougar football fun with old friends. I'm excited to chill out for a couple days (and soak up some real fall weather), but before I go, below are a few photos from last weekend since I never got around to the Weekend Photo Love post. There was more fall shopping, new JA-esque apartment decor, a baby shower and some cozy-on-the-couch family time. (Don't worry - that's not real poop - it's the infamous diaper game.)

And a few photos from this week, which was packed full of work seminars, Halloween costume shopping, more fall decorating and a Pat Green concert that was truly AMAZING (as they always are).

Again, so sorry for being away for so long! I promise next week won't be nearly as crazy. (Or at least I really, really hope it isn't.) Have a great weekend!

Tailgating

2011-10-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

A few more shots from our Saturday at The Rose Bowl for the UCLA vs WSU football game. I'm not sure if it was the perfect fall day or the stadium or our perfectly grilled artichoke and garlic sausages (or all of the above!), but it was a really, really great day of tailgating (maybe the best one yet - dare I say?). The whole day really made me remember why fall and football go so good together - and why sausages are meant for sticks - and why beer tastes best straight from the cooler to a lawn chair...

Weekend Photo Love: 10/8

2011-10-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

I kind of think this past weekend was the perfect fall weekend. The weather was amazing, the tailgating was good, there was plenty of snuggling on the couch and I even broke out my cozy boot slippers. (Too bad we didn't win the football game - that would've just been the cherry on the top.)

Dream Bob - Take 2

2011-10-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

Photo via Google Images

Remember when I posted about my dream bob last week? Well, I take it back. Kristen Wiig (Annie) in Bridesmaids has my ultimate dream bob. Blonde. Messy. Perfect. (Just look at it up there!) I watched the movie last weekend and drooled the whole time - at the bob. That's how much I love it. (By the way, if you haven't seen Bridesmaids yet and you've still got room in your weekend plans, I would highly suggest squeezing it in. Not only is the hair good, but the outfits are good, too - and the laughs - oh, the laughs.)

My weekend will be spent catching up on TV (loving my DVR so much this fall!), trying out a new pumpkin recipe and rooting for the Cougs as they take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Should be a fun one!

Nutella Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was a nice night in the Adams' kitchen with country music on the radio, a bottle of our favorite Chardonnay and a couple loaves of Nutella Pumpkin Bread baking in the oven. We each had a slice after dinner, and it was d-lish. I'm so happy that I finally found a pumpkin recipe I like. (I tried these pumpkin muffins last weekend, and I wasn't a fan.) I have a sneaky suspicion this bread will be showing up in our kitchen a lot more this fall and winter...

(I stole the idea from Elise whose bread making always impresses me. You can find the recipe here.)

Weekend Photo Love: 10/1

2011-10-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

It feels like it should be Thursday - that's how long the past two days have felt - but then again, tomorrow is Wednesday so that really is almost Thursday. Oh my, how time flies.

A few photos above from our weekend. It's starting to look and feel a lot like fall around here!

Week in Pictures

2011-09-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

A few photos from the week, which included a brand new baby(!!), too many Salted Caramel Mochas (I have an addiction), cute bow ties (and cute husbands), cozy sweaters (with chi chi balls!) and one or two cat wake-up calls (my favorite kind, actually).

Even though it was a good week, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't so ready for a couple days of football, fall decorating, pumpkin Nutella bread, the season premiere of Dexter (eeek!) and a few glasses of wine. How about you?

Here's to Friday - make it a fun one!

Dream Bob

2011-09-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

Photo via Madewell

Have I mentioned lately that I hate my hair? Because I do. I HATE MY HAIR! (Sorry, hair - but you know it.)

On the flip side, I love Alexa Chung's hair. Photos of her have been popping up all over lately thanks to her partnership with Madewell, and every time I see her, I just want to grab the cute little, perfect bob off of her head and put it on mine. If only it were that easy...

Handsomest

2011-09-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

That is one handsome fella' right there.

(Photos from a little project Mason and I are working on.)

Weekend Photo Love: 9/24

2011-09-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend was nice and low key, full of movies (Moneyball!), lazy Starbucks breakfasts (I'm in love with the new Salted Caramel Mocha), sweater shopping, windowsill sitting (this one was mostly Cajun), a 30th birthday party and a little apartment clean-up (and nail polish clean-out).

It was nice to have Mason all to myself (there was no WSU football game this weekend - hooray), and to soak up all of the little things that are making it feel a lot like fall around here. Hard to believe there are only 5 days left in the count down to boot-wearing weather (and October)!

Autumn Arrival

2011-09-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Source: abeautifulmess.typepad.com via Charisse on Pinterest

Happy first day of Autumn! I have to admit, I'm fully on board with the change of seasons now (even though I'm not letting myself break out my boots until Oct 1st). To celebrate the autumn arrival, I've decided to have an over-the-top fall weekend full of apple cinnamon candles, new sweaters for Mason, fall TV, pumpkin sugar cookies and fall birthday celebrating. (Doesn't get much more fall than that!) Will you be doing anything festive?

P.S. - How pretty is this fishtail braid? If only my hair was longer...

Ribbons, Ribbons, Ribbons

2011-09-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Source: greenweddingshoes.com via Charisse on Pinterest

Source: engagedandinspired.com via Charisse on Pinterest

Wow - The things you can do with ribbons! I'm amazed (and totally using these as wedding inspiration).

(Remember, you can see all of the wedding inspiration I've gathered for my sister's wedding on my B+A Wedding Pinterest Board.)

Wedding Invites

2011-09-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

1. Minted.com 2. Minted.com 3. WeddingPaperDivas.com 4. Minted.com

These wedding invites kind of have Brianne (my sister) and Andy (her fiance) written all over them. The boom box invite is just so rockin', the tattoo-inspired invite couldn't be any more perfect for Andy (dude's got some serious ink) and the yellow ones are completely fun and festive. What do you think? Do you have a favorite? (Click on the links next to the numbers to see them all up close.)

Follow Me!

2011-09-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

If my blog posts are just not enough for you these days, never fear - Instagram and Twitter are here! Follow charisseadams on Instagram to see all of my photos (mostly of Cajun and food), and follow @charisseadams on Twitter to catch all of my tweets (mostly about what I'm watching and what I'm eating). (Have we covered the fact that I heart food? Because I so do.)

Also, if you're on Instagram or Twitter, leave your deets in the comments, and I'll follow you back. That way we can all be best online buds. Awwww. Makes me warm and fuzzy just thinking about it....

Weekend Photo Love: 9/17

2011-09-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

Our weekend in San Diego was a good one. (I so love that city!) Even though the Cougs lost, we still had fun hanging out in the Gaslamp Quarter. On Saturday night after the game, we went out for steaks at The Gaslamp Strip Club (clever, huh?) - a restaurant where you grill your own steaks. It was super fun, and I have to say, our steak was pretty amazing - even if we were the ones grilling it!

On Sunday morning after we checked out of our hotel, we went out for brunch and a long walk through downtown. (Mason's not much for walking with no destination in mind, but I'm working on him.) Once we got back to Santa Monica, we were super tired, so we got cozy on the couch with Cajun for naps and a Storage Wars marathon (our new favorite show). All in all, a great weekend!

And in case you're wondering, my Friday night shopping spree was pretty much a-mazing! I take back everything I ever said about not wanting fall to be here yet. Bring on the cold weather - I've got cute sweaters to wear!

Chunky Sweater Love

2011-09-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Source: thesartorialist.com via Charisse on Pinterest

For a girl who wasn't the least bit ready to see summer go, I've already got a fall wish list a mile long. At the very top of it? Chunky sweaters! I love 'em. I want 'em. I'm gonna go get myself some. Tonight. (Payday + gloomy LA weather = perfect fall shopping time.)

Then, once I've got myself loaded up with new knits, Mason and I are driving down to San Diego for some Washington State/San Diego State football fun. I'm pretty excited about the little weekend getaway. I love San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter dearly and can't wait for dinner and drinks after all of the football madness.

I hope you have some fun, fall-like weekend plans, too! See you next week!

(Above is one of the photos that inspired my fall craving.)

Breaking Dawn Excitement

2011-09-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

There really aren't words to describe how excited I am for this...

B+A Wedding Inspiration

2011-09-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Source: greenweddingshoes.com via Charisse on Pinterest

Source: oncewed.com via Charisse on Pinterest

Source: greenweddingshoes.com via Charisse on Pinterest

Source: oncewed.com via Charisse on Pinterest

You may have noticed the recent addition of some of my favorite wedding blogs back into the "My Faves" section on the right. In case you're wondering - no, I am not getting married again (although I am always trying to convince Mason to go all Seal/Heidi and have a wedding every year because that would be a blast) - but my sister is! (Congrats again to Brianne and Andy!)

I don't even think I need to explain how excited I am for my sister, especially since she's asked me to help with all of the planning. The first thing I did was start a Pinterest board dedicated to all things 'B+A Wedding.' (You can see the whole board here.) Above are a few of the things I've pinned lately. So far, they're thinking food trucks, outdoor reception, strands and strands of lights, bohemian chic, loads of color, good beer, good music and only the very best of friends and closest family. Sounds like the perfect celebration to me!

Weekend Photo Love: 9/10

2011-09-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm sure it's no surprise to all of you that I had a BLAST with my sister this past weekend. True to form, we ate too much, danced too much and talked WAY too much. (There's a whole lot to catch up on when you live a million miles apart.)

Highlights of the weekend include: fondue/movie night (Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon is so good!), peanut butter and jelly waffles at Bru's, so many Cajun snuggles (and silly new nicknames), line dancing, mani/pedis, macarons in every color and yummy soul food from Baby Blues.

While I was so sad to see her leave, I really am so happy that she was able to come for a couple of days. Already counting the months until our next weekend of sisterly fun...

P.S. - The blog header got a little fall make-over yesterday. Whatdoyathink?

Fall Must-Dos

2011-09-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

Images via Love & Lavender, Google, Google, The Daybook

Now that it's a couple weeks into September, I figure it's time to stop hanging onto my tank tops and flip flops and embrace the fall. So, to get me in the mood, here are four fun things on my fall must-do list:

1. Make mini caramel apples
2. Wear socks with high heels
3. Find a really good hot chocolate recipe (that reminds me of Paris)
4. Fill my closet with chunky, comfy sweaters

What's on your list?

P.S. - My sister is on her way to Santa Monica for the weekend as I type this, and I can hardly wait to spend some quality, girl-only time with her. Have a great weekend!

A Day At The Fair

2011-09-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

A few photos above from our weekend trip to the LA County Fair. We played with the animals, ate too much fair food (the Hawaiian Shaved Ice was to die for), did a little shopping and left with a photo strip souvenir (my favorite kind of souvenir).

What is it about fairs that make for such good photos? I swear, they might be my favorite kind. (If you're in the mood for more fair photo fun, I might know where you can find some good ones. Enjoy!)

Weekend Photo Love: 9/3

2011-09-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

Where, oh where, did last week go? I have no idea - no idea, I'm telling you. But here we are, in another week, and Labor Day has come and gone. You know what that means - no more summatime. (Boooooo!) I'm torn between wanting to cry myself a pool to layout by and wanting to jump for joy right into my favorite pair of riding boots, but we all know I'm a fickle soul, which means one Pumpkin Spice Latte, one whiff of a cranberry candle and I'll be all about fall, I'm sure.

And speaking of Labor Day weekend, it certainly was a good one. We watched football, ate entirely too many pizzas and burgers, played with Cajun and saw some live bluegrass at a fun new bar - but the very best part? We went to the fair!! (If you know me, you know I loooove the fair.) Check back tomorrow for all of our fun fair photos, and until then, how about watching yourself some good TV? This and this both premiere tonight - exciting! (One more reason to love the fall...)

Weekend Photo Love: 8/27

2011-08-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

You know it's been a ca-razy week when I'm posting photos from the weekend on a Wednesday, and let me just tell you, it was also a ca-razy good weekend. On Friday night, there were margaritas and Mexican food. On Saturday, there were waffles, sunshine and rollerblades (which crosses #8 off last year's birthday list). And on Sunday, there were new clothes and a VMA after party where I saw Katy Perry, Jamie Foxx and the cast of Glee. (That's the red carpet above - check out all those photogs!)

I have to admit, it was all so fun, I'm still a little giddy! And to think we're only two days away from a long weekend - does it get any better than that? (I say no. way.)

Thankfuls

2011-08-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered this cute little lady and fell in love with her thankful posts. I think it's important to stop every once in a while and list all of the things you're thankful for, don't you? It keeps you, well.... thankful.

So, as this week comes to an end, I'm thankful for:

Fun lunches everyday (pretzel bread sliders! fried green tomatoes!)
A silly, snuggly, non-smelly (thanks to a recent bath) Cajun
Popcorn and lemonade, every afternoon at 3:00
Instagram photos shipped to my door in the cutest little squares (via PostalPix)
The most amazing (and cheap!) produce market just blocks from my office
Two fun new pairs of glasses (thanks to Coastal Contacts' BOGO sale)
Extra tickets to VMA after parties (FREAKING out about this one!)

What can I say, it's been a great week around these parts, and I have no doubt the greatness will continue into the weekend. Have yourself a fun one!

Weekend Photo Love: 8/20

2011-08-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend was so much fun, just as I'd hoped it would be. The concert on Friday night was a good one, and we were able to get super close to the stage - which always makes things better. After the show, we were excited to host a couple of guests for the night (we love having guests in our guest bedroom), and even more excited when they fell madly in love with Cajun (that little love bug!). They wanted to sneak him into their suitcases and take him back to Seattle, but we said NO WAY!

On Saturday, we woke up early to get ready for the wedding, and while it was grey skies in the morning, the sun broke through right on time and it turned out to be a beautiful day. From the ceremony overlooking the water to the back yard reception, it was both perfectly simple and fabulous at the same time. (You can see the Mexican paper banners and the mariachi band in the photos above - my two favorite parts of the celebration.)

P.S. - Mason and I both got new glasses recently, and we showed them off at the wedding for the first time. I love how we look like a couple of nerds. Glasses are such a fun accessory, don't you think? (My frames were inspired by this lovely lady and this post about fall fashion.)

Twin Towers

2011-08-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

I am so, so glad that it's Friday! Tonight, Mason and I are headed to The Troubadour to see The Randy Rogers Band in concert, one of our very favorite Texas country bands. Then tomorrow, two of our good friends are getting married in a park overlooking the Santa Monica beach, with a backyard reception to follow. I'm looking forward to catching up with friends we haven't seen in a while and soaking up all the wedding-ness (I do love a good wedding). We're staying in a hotel on Saturday night so we can be close to the reception spot, and you know what that means - POOL TIME! (I'm setting my alarm for 8am on Sunday to allow for plenty of swimming before check-out.)

I hope your weekend is packed full of good times, too!

P.S. - Can you tell the difference between the two photos above? I bet you can't! (One is the fake Las Vegas version and one is the real Paris version - pretty cool that I got to see both this summer.)

P.P.S. - I'm trying so. hard. to hang on to my excitement and love for summer (because I waited so. long. for it to get here, gosh darn it!), but posts like this and this are making is really hard not to jump inside a sweater and warm up a mug of hot chocolate. Oh man...

Thoughts on 30

2011-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's official! I'm 30 years old - and I can't even believe it. (Even typing it feels weird...and wrong.) I'm sure I'm not the only 30 year old to say they still feel 23, but it's true! I don't feel old enough to have my 20's behind me and my 40's only 10 years away, but thankfully, even though I don't feel 30, I'm really not that sad about being 30.

Don't get me wrong - it can be a little freaky when you let yourself dwell on the fact that your 20's are gone forever - like gone, gone forever - and you'll never be that "young" again, but once you pull yourself up and out of all that mumbo jumbo, you kind of realize 30 really is just a number - and you're the same person you were on Friday when you were 29 - and you can act as "young" as you want for as long as you want - and then you feel much better (or at least I did). Because, honestly, I'm extremely happy with the place I am in my life right now. It's exactly where I pictured I'd be at 30, and I'm not only excited to see what my 30's bring (a house! dogs! babies! perhaps?), I'm also perfectly ready for all of those 30 year old things - not kind of ready, not a tiny bit ready, but ready, ready - and that feels really good.

For those of you wondering why I haven't posted my 30th birthday list yet, I've got some sad news - I've decided not to make one this year. (Don't cry!) The point of the birthday lists was to inspire myself to have new experiences and fun adventures throughout the year, and while I've had a ton of fun scratching things off my lists for the past 3 years, I have a sneaky little feeling that my 30th year is going to include more new experiences, exciting changes and fun adventures than any birthday list could hold. So, while I'm sad to not post a list this year, I'm also completely excited by the thought of all the fun this year could possibly bring (and looking forward to sharing it with all of you along the way!).

And now for some photos of our Vegas birthday shenanigans (think endless buffets, cold pools, and amazing balloon hats!):

And now, on to the next decade...

Wish me luck! :)

Number 27

2011-08-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Can be crossed off the list. (At least the getting part - we'll have to see about the keeping them alive part. Wish me luck!)

Germany in Photos

2011-08-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

All of the photos above are from Dominik and Soni's fantasticly fun wedding reception. The ceremony took place at the City Hall with their closest family and friends, and the reception was held in a barn that belongs to Soni's family with a larger group. Everything from the dress code (everyone wore yellow - Dominik's favorite color) to the food (steaks and kabobs were grilled outside over the bonfire), was so fun and so Dominik and Soni. We're thrilled that we could be a part of their special day!

(Want more? See Germany through my iPhone.)

Paris in Photos - Part 2

2011-08-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

1) Arc de Triomphe 2) View from the top of the Arc 3) Ferris wheel 4) Gelato 5) Banana and Nutella crepes 6) Paris metro 7) Cruising the canal 8) Eiffel Tower at night

Our last night in Paris was like a mad dash to do and eat and see everything we hadn't done and eaten and seen yet. We started the night off with a cruise down the canal where we got to see the city in the most romantic light, and we finished it off sitting on the curb of some cute cobblestone street, eating gyros and paninis, sharing a Coke and watching the people. On our walk back to the hotel, we grabbed one more gelato and squueeeezzzed it in - because you can never have enough gelato in Paris. Never.

(Want more? See Paris through my iPhone and Paris in Photos - Part 1)

Paris in Photos - Part 1

2011-08-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

1) Paris at sunset 2) Mug of hot chocolate 3) Locks on the bridge 4) Park sitting 5) Statue copying 6) Pretty packaging 7) Laduree macarons 8/9) The Eiffel Tower

Here are a few more shots from Paris. The first one may just be my favorite photo from the whole trip. (If you look alllll the way to the left, you can see the Eiffel Tower!) I took it on our first night in Paris, the only night we took advantage of our hotel's 8th floor deck with an amazing view of the whole city. We went up at 7:30pm, not wanting to miss the sunset (little did we know the sun doesn't set until 10:30pm!), and we sipped red wine, ate olives and took a ton of pictures before heading off to dinner at some little sidewalk cafe. It was a great night, and a great first introduction to the city.

(Want more? See Paris through my iPhone.)

Weekend Photo Love: 8/6

2011-08-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

I never (never!) say this, but I'm so glad this weekend is over - because that puts me five days closer to next weekend, which will be spent in Las Vegas, with my family and Mason's family, celebrating my 30th birthday!! (If you're turning 30 soon, I highly recommend throwing a really fun party in an exotic location with all of your favorite people that you never get to see, because you'll be so busy looking forward to the party and the place and the people that you'll kind of forget that you're turning 30, which is really pretty nice.)

A few highlights from the weekend: Burgers and shakes at The Counter after our first option fell through, new hair, new glasses, lots of sleep and the cutest 30th birthday cake I ever did bake for myself (strawberry cake + chocolate icing = YUM).

I hope you had a great one, too!

Girly Weekend

2011-08-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Friday! For some reason, this week seemed extra looooong to me, and I am so glad the weekend is here. Mason's headed down to Hermosa Beach for a bachelor party on Saturday and Sunday, and I have some serious girl time planned for myself, including a hair appointment (goodbye roots!), an eye appointment (new glasses! finally!), and a trip to Ikea. I can hardly contain my excitement! To start things off, we're going out for burgers and shakes tonight at another new (to us) spot. Yummm.

I hope your weekend is full of fun!

(Just a few photos above of Cajun last weekend, being extra lazy.)

Number 3

2011-08-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Can be crossed off the list. Who says I can't host a Mexican fiesta for two? No one, that's who. So I did. And we had cucumber water, guacamole, salsa, tacos and macarons for dessert (totally random, I know). I even pulled out the Mexican blanket we got on our honeymoon to use as the tablecloth and put on some Spanish music, courtesy of Time Warner's music channels. It was a pretty festive fiesta, if I do say so myself.

(10 days and counting until the big 3-0... Eeeeeeeeek!)

Germany (Through My iPhone)

2011-08-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

1) Wheat fields 2) Barns 3) Castle touring 4) Window sitting 5) The armory 6) View from the top of the castle 7) The happy couple 8) A yellow wedding 9/10) German wedding traditions 11) Souvenir shopping 12) Ice cream and coffee on the lake

When our friends, Dominik and Soni, dropped us off at the airport, they asked what we'll remember the most about Germany, and I said - without a doubt - the windy, windy roads (and the terrible, dizzy car sickness that came with them) and I was only partially joking (I really do think that'll stay with me forever) - but I'll also remember the wheat fields, the fun finger-food dinners, the oh-so-spicy mustard that turns your whole face to fire, the amazing beer and the most unique yellow wedding ever.

Paris (Through My iPhone)

2011-08-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

1) Me standing near the canal 2) Our first coffee/hot chocolate in Paris 3) Berthillon ice cream stand 4) Sidewalk cafe 5) Notre Dame from the front 6) Notre Dame from the bottom 7) Paris apartments 8) Bikes for rent 9) The canal 10) Side street 11) Flower market 12) Fruit market 13) Sidewalk cafe 14) View from top of our hotel 15) Me, learning French 16) Mason, sipping wine 17) Locks on the bridge 18) Macarons 19) The Musee D'Orsay Museum 20) Hot chocolate for breakfast 21) Fondue night 22) The Eiffel Tower 23) The Louvre 24) Train ride from Paris to Germany

Our first day in Paris was pretty much the only sunny day out of our 12 days in Europe (after that, it started raining and dropped to a brisk 60 degrees), and thankfully, that's the day I took most of these pictures.

When we arrived at the airport, we took the train to our hotel, checked in, and spent the rest of the day walking around with no destination in mind - just taking in the sights - and when we got tired, we'd stop at a little cafe for a glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate and some people watching. It was by far my most favorite day of the entire trip. When I think about Paris years from now, I want to remember that day - in the sun - with no plans - and no lines - just me and Mason, sitting on park benches and soaking it all in.

Weekend Photo Love: 7/30

2011-08-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a really good one. On Friday night, Mason had a guys' night, and I spent in insane amount of time meandering through Target (where I stumbled upon the Malbec wine pictured above, whose label is totally cool and coincidentally inspired by the posters from Hatch Show Print, the little print shop I visited in Nashville - which meant I had to buy a bottle.)

On Saturday, we braved the very, very windy beach to soak up a little sun (I was supposed to take a dip, per the birthday list, but that wind was cooooold - so no dipping for me). Then we got dressed up and headed to a new (to us) Mexican joint for margaritas and enchiladas.

On Sunday, the sun got a late start and so did we, but as soon as it peeked itself through the clouds, we headed out for a little Sunday stroll, which included frozen yogurt, some early birthday shopping* and bbq sandwiches for dinner.

*Sidenote: For as long as I've been dating/married to Mason, he's been trying to get me to buy some real cold-weather gear, but being the true Southern girl that I am, I've never been interested - that is, until I literally froze my booty off in Europe for 12 straight days (did I not yet mention our summer vacation turned into 60-degree temps with no warning??). I made up my mind on day three of our trip that it was high time I own a seriously warm jacket, and Mason - being the extreme lover of winter gear that he is - jumped for joy. So, on Sunday, he took me shopping for an early birthday present and I got two (TWO!!) North Face jackets. One is a super warm waterproof raincoat and one is a super warm fleece jacket (key words here being "super" and "warm"). Mason has the exact same fleece jacket, so now we're twinsies - super warm twinsies - and I couldn't think of a better 30th birthday present. There are a few moments in life that make you feel like a real grown-up, and one of them is the moment when you realize no matter how many Forever 21 sweaters you layer, you will never be warm enough. I have had that moment, and I am so happy.

Number 20

2011-07-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

Can be crossed off the list. You may recognize these pillows from our guest bedroom tour. I sewed these babies up in five minutes flat on Thanksgiving day right after my mom (the sewing pro) helped me thread my bobbin, and I was SUPER excited....until she flew back to Texas and left me with a bobbin that refuses to be threaded. I've since come to realize my sewing machine hates me, and I suppose I'm ok with that. At least I knocked this off the list and have two super cute pillows to show for it, right?

Number 26

2011-07-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Can be crossed off the list. Since the traditional gift for a one-year anniversary is paper (and since we dropped a WHOLE lot of paper on our trip to Europe), Mason and I decided to write love notes to each other as our anniversary gifts. It was a sweet way to sum up the first year, and something I'm sure we'll look back on many years down the road.

(Expect a whole lot of posts about the birthday list in the coming weeks as I try my best to wrap it up before the big 3-0!)

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaaack! Did you miss me?? I hope so - because I missed you! I also hope you'll be patient with me as I get myself - and my photos - organized over the next few days, because - WOAH - there's a lot to catch up on (but you know I couldn't leave you completely empty handed!).

The above two shots are from the beginning of our trip in Paris and from the end of our trip in Germany. Suffice it to say we had lots of fun, we ate lots of good food, we felt like we were gone for yeaaaars and we are happy to be home (with that snuggly furball of ours who missed us like craziness).

Number 13

2011-07-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Can be crossed off the list! I can't even believe it's already been one year since we got married. What a crazy, whirlwind year it's been, during which I learned that Mason owns more shoes than a girl, has a strange love of paper towels and likes to put Sriracha on everything he eats (and swears it's not because he hates my cooking). And Mason learned that I take realllllyyy long showers, like getting the mail and obsessively check to make sure the stove is off every time I leave the house. Marriage is a fun - and funny - thing, and twelve months in, I'd say we're doing pret-ty darn fantastic.

Sunday is our actual anniversary (and we'll be celebrating with dinner out in Paris!), but we decided to taste a piece of our year-old, frozen wedding cake last night before the trip. (Thanks again to my amazing parents for overnighting it to us!)

The tasting started out good. Awwww, how romantic. Our cake. From our wedding. Such sweet memories...

And then....BAM. Cake explosion. On my face.

He said he'd been wanting to do that since the wedding. I said it's a good thing he didn't do it at the wedding or we might not be sitting here twelve months later. (I kid.. sort of.)

But seriously, Happy Happy Anniversary to US!

Mason, I love you more now than I did a year ago, and I'm looking so forward to the second year of this crazy adventure. (xoxoxo!)

And now - Paris, here we come!

(I'll be back to regular posting the week of July 25th - Try not to miss me too much!)

Reading Material

2011-07-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

When you're embarking on a few reallllyyyy long plane rides (that you're terrified about), it's important to have a few reallllyyy good books and magazines to keep you distracted. I've got Glamour, Lucky, Water for Elephants (loved the movie!) and The History of Love (heard rave reviews on A Cup of Joe), and I have to admit, I'm kind of looking forward to eight uninterrupted hours of reading time (and drinking time - believe me, there's no way I'd make it over all that water without a few glasses of wine).

Weekend Photo Love: 7/9

2011-07-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

Highlights from the weekend:

*Pina coladas and enchiladas at the end of the pier (I forget how fun it is to pretend I'm a tourist.)
*Angels vs. Mariners game at Angel's Stadium (Sunshine + hot dogs + cotton candy = perfection.)
*Midnight in Paris (Mason out-laughed the entire theater. I'm pretty sure it's his new favorite movie.)
*Sunday's episode of True Blood (Amnesia, fairy godmothers, werewolves - It's like a bad soap opera, and I'm addicted.)

And now the countdown begins - 2 days until Paris - and 1 million things to do...

Wish me luck!

Summer Weekend

2011-07-08T13:43:00.001-07:00

It has been absolutely beautiful in Santa Monica for the past week, and I'm so excited that summer has finally arrived. We've got some fun, summery plans this weekend (in between all of the crazy packing, packing, packing for our trip), and I'm excited to eat dinner on the pier, watch Midnight in Paris (only 5 days before we head there ourselves!), and see some baseball at Angel's Stadium (Go Mariners!).

I hope your weekend plans are full of summer fun, too!

Weekend in Austin, TX

2011-07-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

*GASP* What in the world are those things up there?? Real photos?? From a real camera?? Oh yes, they are! Aren't you so happy?? (I knew you would be.)

The photos above are from a weekend trip Mason and I took to Austin a few months ago. Looking at them now makes me smile. Neither one of us had ever been there (How did I grow up in Texas and never visit my state capital? Mom? Dad? Teachers? Anyone?), and we had a blast touring the capital building, bar hopping on Sixth Street, kayaking down Lady Bird Lake, cooling off in the freezing waters of Barton Springs Pool, singing along to dueling pianos with my good friend Stephanie of Steph Cooks and her husband, and so much more.

If you're in need of a little getaway, I highly recommend Austin! It really does have a little something for everyone.

July 4th Fun

2011-07-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

If you were to guess - from looking at the photos above - that all we did for the long weekend was drink beer (and pina coladas) and eat really fattening food, you would be completely wrong.

Because we also watched TV - Weeds Season 6, to be exact - and I just didn't capture it on camera. (See - we're not that predictable, now are we?)

But in all seriousness, fireworks and fancy pina coladas aside, those donuts were the highlight of my weekend. High-light, I tell ya. Good thing there was one left over this morning, because it just became the highlight of my week. Yummmmm.

Cell Phone Movie

2011-06-30T12:02:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure you all know about the extreme love I have for my iPhone (perhaps my lack of posting anything but iPhone photos since I got it tipped you off??), so it's no surprise that I love this video, filmed entirely on a cell phone. It's sweet. And beautifully filmed. And really - a cell phone? - that's just amazing.

Paris + Germany

2011-06-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm a day late (and a few dollars short), but here they are: Our BIG vacation plans!

Paris, France + Herrenberg, Germany

The idea for the trip began when we got a Save the Date card from our very good friends Dominik and Soni who are getting married in Germany (where they live - which is a true shame because we don't get to see them nearly enough - boooooo).

As soon as Mason laid eyes on that little piece of mail, he started using his very best persuasion techniques to convince me to go. I'm pretty sure he figured this was his best chance to ever get me to Europe. (I've never been. Because I'm super scared of long plane rides. But I do so love Dom and Soni. And he knows it.)

So I put my fears aside and said YES! to Germany, and then I did some convincing of my own and worked it out so that we can make a little detour to Paris right when our marriage turns one year old. (Seriously, how romantic is a one-year wedding anniversary in Paris? I'm dying at the thought of it.)

And so there you have it - France + Germany - for 12 days. I have absolutely no idea what to expect, but I'm hoping it blows all of my non-expectations out of the water!

Weekend Photo Love: 6/25

2011-06-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Where, oh where did the weekend go? And where did this Monday go? Time is flying by, people - flying by - and I need it to slooooow itself down a bit.

This weekend was a good one filled with good food (just look at me thoroughly enjoying that bacon-wrapped date), good friends and good times (complete with glow bracelets), and now Mason and I only have two and a half weeks to do a TON of stuff before our BIG vacation is here. Can someone please come light a fire under our butts? We would so appreciate it.

(More details on our vacation plans coming up tomorrow, so check back!)

Summer Loves

2011-06-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

A few new things making me very happy this summer:

1. Turquoise water bottle (The color of the bottle makes the water inside look extra blue, like a swimming pool!)
2. Chunky watch (White + sparkles = the perfect summer accessory. I barely ever take it off.)
3. Beaded sandals (Casual, but fun - and super affordable.)
4. Hot pink polish (Because summer nails are meant to be bright, bright, bright!)

This weekend, we have plans to check out a new breakfast spot, eat a few lunches outside and celebrate the 8th anniversary of our favorite country dancehall with friends. I'm so ready to switch to weekend mode. Wishing you a fun one!

Summer Solstice

2011-06-22T18:58:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Mason and I celebrated the Summer Solstice (and the fact that I forgot to put dinner in the crockpot before I left for work) with fish and chips and the most amazing macarons. It was my first time eating macarons, and I honestly can't say what I enjoyed more - eating them or taking pictures of them. You've got to admit, they are some good looking little treats...

Happy second day of summer to ya!

Weekend Photo Love: 6/18

2011-06-20T13:26:00.001-07:00

You know you're old when you start measuring the greatness of a weekend by how many hours of sleep you got. I packed in a whopping 33 hours this weekend, so I'd say it was pretty darn great.

In between all the sleeping, we window shopped, rode bikes, ate pretzels, sipped chardonnay, and watched movies. I even managed to read a few magazines and make my very first friendship bracelet. Relaxing and productive - my favorite combination!

In other news, as most of you know, I'm quickly approaching my 30th birthday (August 13th, baby!), so the big 3-0 has been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe that's why I cried while reading this lady's 30th birthday post. Or maybe it's just that good. Either way, I love the sentiment: "Be happy. Be yourself. Be older. Be grateful that this is your life, thirty years of taking in views..."

Weekend Ready

2011-06-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's birthday festivities were a complete and total blast, but after all the cobbler eating, present opening and two stepping, I'm pretty much beat and looking forward to a weekend of magazine reading, sleeping in and working on a couple fun projects.

Before I go, a few things I'm loving right now from around the web:

Moving photographs (Seriously, how do they do that??)
Chubby baby legs
This photo of Lake Coeur d'Alene
Friendship bracelets

I hope your weekend is a relaxing one!

Birthday Boy

2011-06-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to say a BIG, GIANT HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my amazing husband. He is the tall to my short, the calm to my crazy, the salty to my sweet, the energy to my lazy - and for all of that and so much more, I lub, lub, luuuub him!

Happy Birthday, Mason! I have a feeling 29 is going to be a year for the record books!

Weekend Photo Love: 6/11

2011-06-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

Only two photos from the weekend - can you believe it? But really, they were two MAJOR photos:

Photo #1 - Mason's brand-spanking-new tattoo! Isn't it lovely? I'm so unbelievably jealous of it and think it looks absolutely perfect. (In case you're not familiar, it's his home state of Washington - because he loves it - like, looooves it.)

Photo #2 - Me and lemon drop martini number two - the one that gave me the absolute worst hangover I've ever had in my entire life - the one that single-handedly kept me on the couch - fearing for my life - for all of Sunday. I hate that lemon drop martini. (But I like the photo.)

I hope your weekend was a good one!

(It's going to be a busy week for me with Mason's birthday on Thursday. I've got presents to buy - I'm such a slacker - cobblers to bake and parties to plan. Wish me luck!)

Summa Time

2011-06-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed a few changes in the blog over the last couple of days. (I hope you like it!) I thought it needed a little sprucing - a little "summering-ing" up - because quite frankly, I'm IN LOVE with summer this year (or as I like to say it: summa time). (In case you don't believe me - I've already purchased three - THREE - bikinis, and it's barely June. Anyone want to guess how many I'll have by August??)

Above are a few photos of some of the summa time fun we've been having, including outdoor dinners, kayaking, and beer drinking - three major summa staples.

Blue Valentine

2011-06-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

After Joanna posted about Blue Valentine last Friday, I had to see it for myself. Facebook friends told me it was uuuuber depressing so I was prepared, and I have to say, it wasn't as sad as I thought it'd be. One of my very favorite things in life is analyzing relationships, so this type of movie is right up my alley. I loved the flashbacks when they were falling in love so very much - that Ryan Gosling sure knows how to play up the romance and make my belly flop like its me he's singing to - and while the real life parts were sad, I just kept thinking about the words of marriage advice Sydney posted last week:

"Choose your love. Love your choice."

It really is that simple (and that hard), and I wonder if the story would've been different for Cindy and Dean (and so many other couples around the world) if after the fun part of choosing their love, they'd dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the part of loving their choice.

Weekend Photo Love: 6/4

2011-06-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our weekend in San Bernardino was faaaan-tastic. We woke up early on Saturday, grabbed some coffees and headed out to the land of sun and heat and hills, and when we got to the hotel, we went straight to the pool for some baking. It was just the relaxing day I needed. After a few hours in the sun, we walked to a nearby Mexican restaurant for enchiladas and coronas and the. best. salsa. ever. outside on the patio. Then it was back to the pool until late afternoon, when we had to get ready for the concert.

Before the show, we stopped at the casino for a steak dinner (because you can't go to a casino and NOT have a steak dinner), and when we were stuffed to the brim, we headed to the amphitheater for Tim McGraw - who was amazing.

All in all, it was a really great couple of days. I love checking out different parts of California that I've never been to - especially when they have pools - and salsa - and country music!

Watermelon & Mudbugs

2011-06-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

A few more photos from the holiday weekend above. (Look at those crawfish. Yummmm. Sure wish I had some of them right about now.)

Tomorrow morning, Mason and I are heading east to the San Manuel Casino for some pool time and a Tim McGraw concert (with special guests Luke Bryan and The Band Perry!), and I'm really excited about the little get-away. It's supposed to be an early birthday celebration for Mason, but it's also turned into a "help Charisse not be sad about the last trip being over by having another trip" get-away - because that always works, right?

I'll be back on Monday with a weekend photo recap. Until then, have fun!

Crik Floating & Pool Cleaning

2011-06-02T14:11:00.001-07:00

Remember when I pinky swore I'd be around here more this week? Yeah, I totally lied about that. Forgive me? Preettyy pleeeeaaaase?

Ever since we got back from Texas on Monday night, I've had jury duty (not fun), but I got released today so I'm free! And what better way to celebrate my freedom than to share some super fun photos from our Memorial Day weekend down south, right? That's what I thought.

So, just to sum it all up: There was sun and watermelon and giant marshmallows and Saint Arnold's beer and golf cart rides and crawfish and lots of "crik" floating (until there were lots of snakes - then there was lots of blow-up pool floating), and I really, really didn't want to leave. I'm already missing the heat and the fam and even the "crik" (but not the snakes!).

Check back tomorrow for a few more photos. (At least I'm keeping one of my promises!)

Fuchsia Fever

2011-05-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

(Photos via The Daybook)

Hello, hello! Yes, I'm still alive. (In case you were worried, which would be super sweet.) This week has been ca-razy, and I don't know how it's already Thursday - but I'm completely thrilled that it is because we're headed to Texas tomorrow for three days of sun, fun and crawfish. I promise many, MANY photos from the weekend (pinky swear), and I promise to be here a lot more next week (double pinky swear).

One of the things on my mile-long to-do list this week was renewing my passport (yes, there's a fun trip in our future!), and while the paperwork is super annoying, it did bring me to Walgreen's where I had to wait for ten minutes to get my new passport photo, which meant I had plenty of time to hunt for Sydney's amazingly hot pink lipstick (pictured above).

It took a little searching, but I'm happy to report that Fuchsia Fever is now mine! And it's on my lips. And someone just told me I look like Barbie. (And I'm totally taking that as a compliment.)

I hope your Memorial Day weekend is fabulous!

Patterned Stairs

2011-05-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

If I had stairs in my house, they would look like these. So. Pretty. (Spotted here.)

(And if I had even five minutes of free time today, I'd blog about something more exciting than the stairs I wish I had. But I only have 2 minutes. So stairs are what you get.)

Happy weekend, everyone!

Birthday Wishes

2011-05-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sending out a GIGANTIC "Happy Birthday" to my sister, Brianne, today!

She's pretty much one of my favorite people in the entire world. (And not just because she finds this as funny as I do - although that alone would probably be enough.)

Happy Birthday, Brianne!! We luuurrrvvveee you a whole, whole lot!

Weekend Photo Love: 5/14

2011-05-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend started off with a super successful summer shopping spree. Dresses and skirts and jewelry, oh my! (Those are some of my new skirts pictured above.) What can I say, I loooove summer clothes. (Maybe a little too much, but hey, what's a girl to do when it's alll so cute??)

Then on Saturday night, Mason and I went to the Hollywood Bowl to see The Zac Brown Band. The weather was pretty cold, but we bundled up and had a blast. It's such a pretty venue and ZBB sounded fantastic live. I never wanted it to end. (And we got fun ZBB koozies to take home, which made it even better.)

I hope your weekend was fun and relaxing, too. Only two more weeks until Memorial Day, which means.... Three Day Weekend! (I don't know about you, but I live for those.)

Wedding Photography

2011-05-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm so, so excited to see my wedding photographers, Matthew Moore Photography, featured on Style Me Pretty today. If you have a few minutes, pop on over and give the photos a look.

Such a cool, laid back Austin wedding. Such a beautiful dress. Such perfect photos. Love it all.

Nashville, TN

2011-05-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

I know it's a lot of photos, but I couldn't resist. Going to Nashville - for me - was like going home to the Mothership. Country music everywhere, laid back bars, suuuuper nice people, humidity - it was all I've ever wanted and more! (Well, except for the humidity part.)

I got there before the rest of my team on Monday so I could do a little exploring on my own. That's when I took in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (and the oh-so-interesting Williams Family exhibit), bought a print at Hatch Show Print, browsed Ernest Tubb's Record Shop, had a beer at The Stage and took lots and lots of photos. (I was so that tourist girl with cowboy boots and stars in my eyes. Just call me T. Swift circa 2005.)

Once my team arrived on Monday night, we spent the nights listening to live music (and making live music - hellooo, karaoke) and the days working, and I can honestly say I never wanted to leave. It was that good, folks, that good. So good, in fact, that Mason and I are planning to head back soon - with some of our country-music-loving friends this time - for a whole lot more fun. I already can't wait.

Weekend Photo Love: 5/7

2011-05-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a laaaaazy one - just the kind I wanted. On Friday night, we went out with some good friends of ours who just got engaged. I had forgotten how fun celebrating engagements is. (I'm such a sucker for a good proposal story.)

After that, the rest of our weekend was full of sleeping in, catching up on blogs and TV (Oh, how I love my DVR!) and eating, of course.

More photos from my Nashville trip coming up tomorrow! (Be excited. Be very excited.)

P.S. - You know how I'm completely in love with the Instagram app for iPhone? I'm now also completely in love with the fact that I can turn my Instagram photos into a physical photo album one day. Best. Thing. Ever.

Checking In

2011-05-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

I'm back! And boy, oh boy, was Nashville a lot of fun. Like, a whole lot of fun. Like, I could move there tomorrow and never look back kind of fun.

The photos above are of a couple of the live country bands I saw downtown, and I promise I have more photos to share with you, but unfortunately, those will have to wait until next week. Why, you ask? Because this girl is tiiiiiiiiiiiiiired. (I hear work travel + late nights of karaoke will do that to ya.)

Wishing you a restful weekend - I know mine will be.

Weekend Photo Love: 4/30

2011-05-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

Bike rides, burgers, margaritas, homemade beer bread - this weekend was a good one. The weather was to die for - 80 degrees at at the beaches - which never happens. What can I say, I looooove summa time. (Or spring time that feels like summa time.) Oh yes, I do.

I'm off to Nashville bright and early tomorrow morning for a little business trip (but I'm hoping to squeeze some fun in, too). It'll be quiet around here until I get back at the end of the week, but I'll make up for it with lots of fun photos. (Promise!)

Wishing you a great week!

Print Lust

2011-04-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

First I was a fan of her blog, now I'm a fan of her shop. How beautiful are these prints? I want every single one of them, and then I want to cover every single inch of my apartment walls with frames.

Go. Browse. Love.

Operation Bikini Bod

2011-04-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

The weather in LA is beautiful this week! Summer is 'a coming, my friends - it's 'a coming - and you know what that means: It's time to get serious about Operation Bikini Bod.

Which is why I drug my lazy butt to the gym last night. It's a new gym (thanks to the new job), and in the spirit of all things new, I decided to take a class. Body Works. And boy did it work my body. When I wasn't tripping over my little step thingy majig, I was sweating. A lot. More than any normal person - and anyone else in the class - was/should be sweating. (Embarassing!) But I guess that's a good thing? We shall see...

(A couple more totally unrelated iPhone photos above. Seriously love that thing.)

Weekend Photo Love: 4/23

2011-04-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Guess what I got for Easter.... AN IPHONE!!

Can you even believe it?? Because I can't! This is a straight-up flip-phone kind of girl right here, I tell ya. But I guess all of Mason's coercing finally worked on me because Saturday morning found us at the Verizon store, and Saturday afternoon found me downloading every single photography app known to man. (The photos above were created with Instagram - and it's freeeeeee!)

I'm telling you, my world has changed, people. I never believed it was true, but you really can love a cell phone. A lot.

And now that I've joined the modern world, I'm thinking of starting a new Monday tradition (sort of stolen from this pretty lady) where I share little photo snippets of my weekend captured on my beloved iPhone. What do you think? Can you dig?

Date Night

2011-04-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Image via Google images

I'm soooo very excited to see Water for Elephants tomorrow night! I've convinced Mason to take me (and Robert Pattinson) out on a date night - but I'm not sure if he knows he's going to be the third wheel. Let's just keep that little tidbit between you and me, shall we?

Other weekend plans include Easter candy, church, Easter candy, brunch and more Easter candy. My belly can hardly wait.

Happy Easter (and Happy Earth Day) to ya!

Photo Collage

2011-04-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

We've been doing some much-needed work on the apartment lately. It seemed like decorating fell to the wayside for a while, but I've picked it back up with new enthusiasm, determined not to let rooms sit undone for too much longer.

The print collage above our bed is my newest completed project. All prints are from The Love Shop, Ikea and The Yellow House, and all frames are from Ikea. I'm super happy with the way it turned out. What do you think?

(Sneak a peek at our living room and guest bedroom here.)

(And by the way, have you seen the lookbooks and video from Sydney's trip to California? I'm completely jealous of all the fun had in all those cute clothes...)

First Beach Day

2011-04-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

A few photos from me and Mason's first beach day of the season on Saturday. We got friiiiiiied after only two hours in the sun. Then, we headed to a little cafe down the street for grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and some shade. It was great to be back in bathing suits and tank tops, even if it was only for a day. (60-degree temps are now back in full force - bummer.)

P.S. - Did you guys see that this lady is writing another book? Yiipppeeeeeeee!

Spanish Tapas

2011-04-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

These photos aren't from this weekend - they're from last weekend - but I'm still dreaming about Bar Pintxo. It's an authentic Spanish tapas spot in Santa Monica (and according to Mason, who studied in Spain for a while, it really is authentic), but I wasn't so caught up on the authentic part. It was mostly the delicious part that did me in. Because it is. Deeeee-liciousssssss.

(Think dates + bacon and sausage + honey. Combinations that will blow. your. mind.)

F21 For Men

2011-04-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure Mason would never be caught dead in a piece of clothing from Forever 21, but I just love the spring staples they have for guys right now. (I just might have to sneak some into his closet with the tags cut off...) Check out the full collection here if you're interested.

This weekend is supposed to be suuuuper nice - like 80 degrees at the beaches nice - which almost never happens, and we've already got plans to soak up as much sun as possible. Three cheers for the first beach day of the season - and fingers crossed for the first tan lines, too!

Fabric Flower Necklace

2011-04-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Back in March I mentioned wanting to try my hand at a fabric flower necklace, and last Sunday - while Mason and I lounged on the couch watching The Masters - was the perfect day to give it a try.

The flowers I used were fabric flowers from my wedding that we had used to decorate the tables (remember them from here?), which makes the necklace sort of special (awww, wedding memories...). Other than that, all it took was a sheet of felt, some ribbon, a needle and thread and my trusty glue gun.

The finished product turned out much cuter than I thought it would, and I'm excited to have a new piece of (handmade) jewelry for spring! What do you think??

Saving the Day

2011-04-13T16:18:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a terrible day. Terrible. I seriously may have cried more tears yesterday than I have all year. It was that bad.

It's a good thing I have a husband who brings home special treats like smoked cheese and Guinness beers to cheer me up - and a cat with big rabbit feet who's always looking for a snuggle. Those two totally saved the day.

After a good cry, a ferocious rant, a fantastic dinner and a little Khloe and Lamar, the world seemed much more manageable.

Thank goodness.

Decoration Inspiration

2011-04-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

My sister (who moved back to Texas in January and left me lonely and sad in California - booo hoooo hoooo) is currently gathering decoration inspiration for her new apartment, and I couldn't resist throwing in an idea or two (even though I'm still upset with her for leaving me). She's decided on a rustic theme, and I think all of these pieces (or something similar) would fit in perfectly.

Pictured above:

Hanging Mason Jar Light

If you've seen anything great around the web lately that fits her rustic theme, leave a link in the Comments section! I know she'd really appreciate it.

LC Style

2011-04-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lauren Conrad's line for Kohl's is right up my springtime alley. And the fact that I just realized there's a Kohl's a few blocks from my house? Icing on the cake, people, icing on the cake.

Check out the full collection here.

(More of my thoughts on spring style here, here and here.)

Give Me

2011-04-06T14:31:00.000-07:00

After spending the entire winter in boyish boots and thick sweaters, everything I want for Spring is girly, girly, girly. Give me floral prints. Give me flowery headbands. Give me see-through, light and airy. Give me everything in these photos from stylist Kristina Van Dyk.

Move over big bulky sweaters - I'm gonna turn my closet into a garden...

My Mornings

2011-04-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

A few photos above from the early mornings I've been trying to get used to. My plan when I started the new job was to wake up early enough to read my favorite blogs and have a cup of chai before heading out the door, and surprisingly enough, I've actually stuck to it. It's hard, believe me - it doesn't feel natural to get up before the sun - but Cajun is always waiting for some morning snuggles so that makes it a little bit easier.

Do any of you have an early morning routine that you like? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

Deli Delish

2011-04-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

I promise I'm not turning this into a food blog, but Umami Burger and Bay Cities Deli for the first time in one week deserves posting about. Just look how beautiful that sandwich is, wouldya? Perfection. Absolute perfection.

After a weekend of blog reading, movie watching, sandwich eating, sleeping in, coffee with Natasha (finally!) and the super fantastic 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, I'm more than ready to tackle my second week at the new job.

Wishing you (and me) a productive (and stress-free) Monday!

Spring Go-Tos

2011-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Spring is a weird time for dressing, I think. Too cold for sandals but too warm for boots. Too chilly for sundresses but too sunny for sweaters. So, inevitably - every year - my Spring go-tos pretty much look like the ones above. Jeans + Tees + Cardis + Scarves = Just Right. (But I really, really can't wait for the sundresses.)