Friday, October 29, 2010
Lesson Learned
The other day, I arrived home from work to see this lovely tree right outside my house had turned a bright, fiery red. I thought "I better take some pictures of that."
Then I though, "In fact, I will take some right now!"
So I did.
The very next day, I woke up in the morning and the tree was about 60% less leafy, thanks to a blustery storm front that came through.
The moral of the story? Don't procrastinate when taking pictures of leaves.
Also: Fall comes and goes MUCH too quickly for my taste!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Fall Garland
Unfortunately, the flashlight was on it's last leg of battery life so it was no help at all. I resorted to picking up handfuls of leaves and holding them as close as possible to my face without inhaling them in order to find some acceptable specimens. Elsie was far more interested in finding the crunchiest leaves to jump on, so really, I was on my own.
We found a tree that had all these pretty red berries, so I stuffed my pockets full of those too! I love stealing from nature. Or maybe it's just borrowing.
I like the leaves we found- I think they look more weathered and interesting than what I normally would have been looking for.
(Or maybe I'm just saying that because I don't want to admit that hunting for leaves when it's pitch black outside is NOT the smartest thing to do...)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Before and After: Blogiversary Edition
I can't even begin to describe what a wonderful experience blogging has been for me! I have learned so much, met so many wonderful people (yes, I mean YOU!), and found a brand new source of joy in writing.
So, in honor of this one year of awesomeness, I have decided to pull together some of my FAVORITE "Before and Afters" that have taken place in our little casa over this past year. Enjoy the eye candy!
Before:
Anyway, that concludes our special post. Thanks for being here, for being so awesome, and for leaving comments so I can get to know YOU better!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Some Vintage Finds...
Yes, owls. You know I can't resist those owls.
Have you found any fun vintage items lately? I would love to hear about it!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
My New Fave
The best part about it is that most of the outfit was either free or came from GW! I am seriously crazy like that. But just look at this breakdown:
Skirt: Anthropologie- purchased from GW for $5.99
Belt: Banana Republic- purchased from GW for $1.99 (normally $50!)
Sweater and shirt: things my sister was tired of so I graciously took them off her hands. FREE.
Boots: These were a little more spendy from Macy's, but still on sale after Christmas last year for $100.00
So, there you have it! Not counting the boots, this outfit cost me a grand total of $7.98!
Friday, October 15, 2010
A lovely wedding- and a good Business Idea!
The venue for the wedding was an outdoor space- it was so beautiful! I loved how the owners just set up a huge white tent and decorated the surrounding area with truly unique personal touches.
The tent itself had 3 gorgeous, mismatched chandeliers to brighten up the space. The white chairs were simple but the perfect accompaniment.
I was also drooling over several pieces of furniture that had been painted and were used as lovely places to hold the guestbook, little favors, and other necessities.
What a fun business! It was owned by a family, and they did a wonderful job of making everything run smoothly for the rehearsal and ceremony. I'm not being compensated for mentioning them or anything of the sort, but I wanted to share the pictures and just let anyone in the MN area know of this great place! Their website can be found right here for more pictures and information.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Fall
When I was growing up, one of the biggest signals of Fall's arrival was my mother. Seriously, before one leaflet fell off the big oak tree in our yard, she was bundling us kiddos up and dragging us to the Apple Orchard. We would fill up our bellies with warm apple cider, apple donuts, and apple turnovers, then take a hayride through the orchard to see the trees dripping with ripe fruit.
During the Fall, my family's home became a shrine to the season. Bright orange, yellow and red accessories vaporized from seemingly nowhere. Leaves, real and fake, graced every available surface of the house. We even had a cornucopia.
The most magnificent smells would waft through the air: pumpkin bread, spiced cider, apple pie, everything signaled the arrival of Fall.
Now that I have my own home to take care of, I can see why my Mom chose Fall as her favorite season. I love pulling out accessories that give off a Fall-ish vibe, and baking yummy things that fill the house with the scent of Fall. I love having family and friends over to sip hot coffee and chat over good food, and visiting the Apple Orchard. Fall reminds me that no matter how hectic life gets, there is always a place to call Home.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
I Heart Vintage
I just adore pretty much anything "vintage." I'm sure you can probably tell from the way I write here, but I just had to say it officially. I was born in the wrong century.
The problem is- I can't decide what century it is that I should have been born. Perhaps the roaring twenties? The flapper era seemed so glamorous and fun.
Or maybe the fifties? Many times over I have bemoaned the fact that I can't stay home and cook in the kitchen all day. Don't get me wrong, it's great having rights for women, but sometimes it would be nice to *not* be expected to work 40+ hours a week, keep a house clean, feed my husband, and somehow keep myself looking decent as well.
How about the seventies? Does anyone else look at those ridiculously amazing "Gunne Sax" dresses and just pray for the right opportunity to wear one? Seriously, any decade that combines the pioneer era with platform shoes has got to be amazing.
Just for the record though- any era that I happened to be around for is pretty much struck off the list. The 80's and 90's can keep their hairspray, stirrup pants, onesies (seriously, who wants a shirt that you have to wash as often as your undies? With metal snaps down in the nether regions?!), and florescent colors. I am happy with skipping those decades.
Just to show you that I am really not kidding about this in the slightest, I am including this picture. It's me, dressed as a Bavarian milkmaid. In a field. Next to a Real Haystack. In Germany.
What about you? If you could choose a decade, what would you turn the clock back to?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
My Husband, the Pirate
Last night, around 2:00 am, I was rudely awakened by a jolting noise. The noise emanated from my normally peaceful husband, and sounded like a cross between a dying hyena and a drunken pirate. Something like, “GBLARGH!” But honestly, it’s hard to remember because my brain was not fully functioning at that hour.
After jolting awake at the sound, I looked at Josh and said, “Honey, are you ok?”
He calmly stared at me, then swung his feet off the bed, went to the bathroom, came back to bed, and then promptly fell asleep.
I, however, was left laying there wondering what had prompted that sudden outburst. I don’t think I will ever know, because he had absolutely no recollection of the occurrence this morning. I do know that I will be keeping one eye open at night from now on, just in case I need to fight off any drunken pirates.
Friday, October 1, 2010
A new project!
Usually I wait to show pictures of projects until I am actually finished with them, but I am so excited about this one that I just couldn't wait!
I found this a-dorable little desk on Craigslist a couple of weeks ago and I've been hard at work refinishing it this past week!
Here's some evidence of the fact that I do actually work sometimes instead of just delegating projects to my hubby: