Getting Back Into It

Waving hello to everyone now that I'm getting back into the groove of my routine.  It's been a tough transition from having a few days off work (both "works"), as my brain wants to resort back to coziness and relaxation.  I'll be sharing some fun memories from our SF trip the rest of this week, until tomorrow, I'll dream of this photo all day and wish those were my legs all bundled up.

Photo via Classic Bride

Holiday Hangover

We've been traveling these past few days for the holiday, as we took a mini trip to San Fran to visit Hub's family.  We had some rad times and captured fun memories- more to come this week!  Hope everyone had an awesome turkey day!

For now, I'll be catching up on Etsy orders and Hubby D will be watching football while texting up a storm on his mobile.  Sure beats 9 hours of commuting in the truck.  Ahhhhhhh, home.

xoxo

Photo via Google

Dreamy Whites/Wintersteen Farms Giveaway!

Uh- Um:  Attention, attention lovely holiday jazzed peeps- head over to Dreamy Whites (here) ASAP!!!  There is a drop-down fab giveaway going on and everyone needs to be aware.  Posting about this opp does give you additional entries; however, I think it needs to be shouted loud and clear from every possible networking source.  I don't know if I have ever adored each and every item in a single giveaway- EVER!  Check it out, drool, and if anything, be inspired for this upcoming holiday season!

Photo via Dreamy Whites

Items included in giveaway:

Amazingly gorgeous wreath, understated, elegant

Stunning table runner made of a European grain sack (I would use it as a bed foot runner)

Two beautiful stockings made of European grain sacks (no words for these beauties)

Run.........type fast................surf over to this giveaway!!!

Happy Friday

Happy Friday- make it a gorgeous one!

Photo via Fleur Avenue

I'm waiting to share my lovely finds from our antiquing trips, although I haven't had great natural light lately to snap some decent photos!  They will come soon!  This weekend's forecast is rain, an excuse to be cozy and drink Starbucks while sitting under warm bed covers.  Maybe I'll squeeze that in while working away on Etsy orders on the laptop.   I'm determined to get inspired to begin designing new items for the shop, hope I can find a free moment.

A Spin On No. 2

Just posted a new spin on the Love Naturally No. 2 titled The Prepster.   I'm looking forward to introducing new products in the shop soon;  as in new, I mean completely different concepts with that same clean, classic feel.  I'm excited to share so stay tuned!

Available in the S&S shop now!

A Winter Reminder

Living in Cali, you don't exactly get to feel the change of the seasons.  The lovely Jen sent me over this winter photo, all the way from Alaska where she lives, so that I can put it on my freezer door, open the freezer to get a cold chill, and feel as if it were winter.  I heart Jen and this photo:

It's On

I'm overjoyed to be planning the of designs our Christmas cards!  It's been a little tradition the past few years.  I know it's easier to go to the store and purchase cards or search online and order them, although I get a kick out of designing our own.  Hubby D had a great idea this year to go with a throwback retro theme and I'm all for it!  We scored our outfits this past weekend at the local thrift store (both of us found our threads for less than $7), we talked to one of our fave people on Earth- his Step-Mother Alene to take our photos, and I'm pulling together the paper and designs.  Here's a sneak peak:

Envelopes:

Paper for envelope liners- but ours has a bit of green in it too:

Template for our throwback photo collage:

The slogan for this year:

I can't wait to finish these, seriously!  D and I were talking about what people may say when they open up our cards this year, and even if one person says W-T- (##(&$@) is this, then we'll be all smiles.  Why not have fun with it?- That's how we feel. 

And we can't wait for our visit to Colorado to see the munchkins!  My sis sent us a video of the boys (pretending to call their Aunt Shelly)- so cute!

In the Season

Doesn't this photo inspire you to want to grab a warm Starbucks drink, go browse around antiquing, and shop for ingredients to make baked goods? 

Photo via Country Living

I admit that I would soooo rock those boots.  I'd also blast this song in my Jeep while on my way to the antique store (no idea why I dig it, just a catchy tune):

Speaking of antiquing, D and I scored some rad things this weekend- I'll share the goods soon!

Happy Friday!

Have a great one!  Kicking off the day with an awesome review- can't beat that:

See more reviews of Sweet Peas and Seashells on Project Wedding.

Counting the Days

Super filled busy days until this weekend!  Just had to share another photo of my oh-so-adorable nephew, baby Alex.  He's getting so big!  I can't wait to see my sister and her family next month, seriously, I feel like I should create a link chain and tear off each link to count down the days until we get to Colorado.

Photo by JLM Creations Photography

Real Wedding- Hillary and Matt

I had the absolute pleasure of working with Hillary, a PW bride, on a lovely burlap banner for her gorgeous wedding.  She is such a sweet gal and has a super genuine personality.  To be honest, when I saw her jaw-dropping photos, I pictured her to be just as beautiful as she is, radiant in every shot!  Look at that smile!

Eliesa of Photogen Inc. (found here) captured such amazing elements and emotions throughout this couple's special day.  What a gift to have had these memories captured in such gorgeous shots with beautiful lighting. 

Check out those florals- that bouquet is one of the most gorgeous I've ever laid eyes on.  Each and every color and type of bloom seem so carefully thought out and dreamy!  The creative floral designer behind all the beauty is Cherie Russel of Simplicity Defined, round of applause, really.

Congratulations to Hillary and Matt, your wedding is out-of-this-world gorgeous and your smiles are so infectious they make me want to throw my hands up in the air and plan a vow renewal!  Thank you so much for sharing your fabulous photos.

To see more breathtaking photos, visit Eliesa'a blog here   Hillary also has done an outstanding job with documenting her planning, from engagement photos to every little detail, which can be seen by visiting her Project Wedding bio page where she's know as Mrs.ABC.to.be.  I know the time involved with planning and keeping the information all together, so kudos to Hillary for creating such an amazing resource where other brides can visit and find inspiration for their big day.

I'm also pleased to announce that Hillary has agreed to allow S&S to promote the Love Naturally No. 3 banner by listing her wedding photos in the shop.  Many thanks Hil- you rock!!!

Love Naturally No. 3 available in the shop

Holiday Spirit

I'm so ready for the holidays.  Most people gripe that it's too early to be seeing holiday decor out in stores already, music tunes playing on the radio, and commercials full of jingle bells.  I can't get enough, I love it!  It doesn't stress me out, it actually brings on the complete opposite.  I get super stoked to unload the cozy decor, fill out the Christmas cards, and enjoy hot chocolate or chai.  December holds several celebrations, Christmas, Hubby D's birthday (which is on Christmas day) and our dating anniversary on the 23rd, which also happens to be our "engagement anniversary".  So much excitement.  November is really the kick off to it all- so why not spend 2 months enjoying the season?

Photo via Imali on Etsy

Photo via Set Design Thinking

Photo via Little Pumpkin Papers

Photo via Better Homes and Gardens

Photo via Pottery Barn

Munchkin Cuteness

Our nephews are the cutest.  I know everyone has this feeling toward their own family members, but really, we love our little nephews.  They both have so much personality and spunk- these boys are the best.  I love to tell my sister how darn cute they are- I mean really!!!  We miss them all terribly since they moved to Colorado for her husband's job relocation, although we just booked a holiday trip out to see them.  We are beyond thrilled to get to chase the boys around, tickle them, splash pirate ships in the bath and read them bedtime stories.  I used to wrap up Zach (our oldest nephew) in his blanket and sing him a little song about wrapping him up like a burrito- weird, I know, but he laughed every time.  I wonder if he's outgrown this now?  My sister called me the other day during work and left me a message about Zach telling her that I was chasing him around the house and he was hiding under the table while I was tickling him (a dream he had)- too cute.  It made me smile and happy to know we are still in his mind- a worry we had that they will forget us now that we don't live close by.  We enjoy doing ichat with them on the computer, just another way to keep in touch.

They just had their family photos taken for holiday cards, and I adore each and every one.  I'll have to check with my sister about posting one of her (by the way- she's a rad mama)- if she's cool with it, I'll add one later on!

All photos taken by JLM Creations

The High Road

Have you ever started out your day knowing it was going to be rough?  It's one of those for me.  Yapping neighbor's chihuahua dogs barking from 6:30 PM last night to 3:30 AM was brutal.  I don't know what else to do.  Called the sheriff at 1:30 AM and he said an officer was going to call my cell back to discuss "the issue"- never received a call. I've reported this issue in the past, to the sheriff, to the city, to animal control.  What other options do I have but to move?  I wish someone in law enforcement could take this matter seriously, because Hubs and I are losing some serious sleep.  The barkers were at it again by 5:00 AM and are still going at it as I type this.  LAME!!!  Anyone have some awesome advice?

p.s.- I love dogs, but am slowly resenting a certain breed.  Trying to take the high road, it's quite difficult.

Randomness IX

Photo via Olive Manna

1.  I cannot swallow pills with ease.  I'm lucky if I can get down a small aspirin without gagging.  I'd like to feel as if I'm improving, yet once I verbally expressed my confidence to Hubs that I feel like I'm getting better at it- gag again!

2.  Driving anywhere in CA is a daily struggle- sometimes I wonder if I should strap on a helmet and ugly jumpsuit.

3.  I can't wait to design our Christmas cards this year- we have a "theme" and I'm totally digging it!  I will blog them for sure!

4.  The weather forecast today is nearly 100 degrees, are we sure it's November?

5.  I'm so backed up with my hand-wash garments.  It's too embarrassing to announce how long they've been sitting in the wash tub waiting to be cleaned, I better get to it before D calls me out (which he may have already done a few times).

6.  Fave meal lately- oatmeal parfaits.  You can add some amazing things to oatmeal to turn it into a yum treat, but still feel like you're being healthy.  My fave- peanut butter chips, bananas, and caramel- don't tell me it's unhealthy because I'll keep convincing myself it is.

7.  Are we really into November?

8.  I'm super excited to share some amazing weddings I've made some decor for- super duper can't wait!

Awesome SGC Giveaway and Tuesday Tunes

Good evening lovely readers- a bit of a late post today, as a change in schedule today threw me for a loop.  However, I did stumble across an amazing blog with fabulous content and just happened to also notice a recent giveaway in the works.  Jo over at The Secret Garden has got an awesome little giveaway lined up and there's still time to enter- just head on over to her blog here and leave a comment to get yourself in the running.  I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for lavender satchel bags and poppy seed soap- loving!!!

photo via SGC

Also, It's been a bit since we got in some Tuesday Tunes:

Taking Deep Breathes

Isn't this photo lovely?  I found it while browsing over at Out of the Notebook and I'm kind of in love with it.

It reminds me of taking some time out to de-stress, to relax, to take deep breathes.  I'm thinking that I'm in need of this- especially with the week I have ahead.

Thank you for the lovely comments all you special readers left for me last week!  How was your weekend?