turtlebird

a pregnant pause...

2011-11-14T16:17:00.002-05:00

if anyone out there is still paying me any attention (and i can't say i blame you if you aren't), i've started a new blog over on tumblr. i haven't decided yet if i like the new format, but i'm gonna give it a go...

a lot has been going on in the last year - we moved, and (ack!!) i'm pregnant!! we're having a little boy, and he's due in about a month. i wanted to start fresh, blog-wise, because i feel like this is such a dramatically new chapter in my life. so, if you're still there, i'd love for you to follow me in this new adventure....

you can find me at CREATING MAMA!

xx

shaking off the dust of hibernation

2010-05-03T10:55:00.005-04:00

so how do i explain my ridiculously long absence? all i can say is that for the past few weeks, the idea of writing here has felt too much like a chore. so i didn't do it. maybe that's lazy, but i'm of the mind that this blog is meant to be fun - and if it doesn't feel fun, i don't do it. so that's the deal.

anyway, i've been gobbling up a handful of blogs lately (see here, here, here, here, and here). i've been trying to simplify, to spend time on things that make me feel good, that make me a calmer, happier, more full individual. so i've been neglecting a lot of my traditional internet haunts, in the name of cutting down on the time suck that is the world wide web.

apparently when one neglects one's blog, one becomes terrifically verbose when one begins writing again.

sorry.

okay, so the reason i was moved to write today, is that my hubby went out into our (beautiful! blossoming!! flower-filled!!) garden this morning, and came back in carrying a basket overflowing with the most amazing smelling pink and yellow roses. i immediately had him take pictures so that i could show them off. this was inspired, in large part, by a blog called habit, that i've been super into. little snippets of people's lives, that, unlike this blog, don't take hours to read, but leave you feeling touched, inspired, and still. at least, that's how it leaves me :)

okay, onward and upward with the day. enough putzing around on here.

xo

Brave

2010-03-08T15:22:00.006-05:00

This week's illustration friday topic is extra special - because I chose it!!!!! It was a suggested topic of mine from way back, and I have to admit it was pretty darn cool to open my weekly IF email from Penelope Dullaghan, and see my name there (and when you go to the IF website, in the top left-hand corner where the current topic is posted, my name and a link to my site are there too!!).

So here it is - Rosa Parks as the embodiment of Brave.

kitchens, farms, babies and barns

2010-02-11T10:14:00.003-05:00

there is a huge part of me that wants to live in a little farmhouse in the country... something we can polish and paint and fill with things we love. and have some babies and some kittens, maybe a dog or two... a barn that we can use as a studio... a potters wheel... a front porch with a view. the tv's and computers to be used only when absolutely necessary. yes yes yes.

i've been feeding this part of me by obsessing over some of the following this week:

* a woman living a farm/child/kitten/love-filled life on MommyCoddle
* thinking about how i want to raise my family with Slow family living
* the inspiring Penelope Dullaghan (illustrator, artist, yogi, mama - could you sum up my life goals more succinctly??), whose work i just happen to luuuurve
* the ever-increasingly satisfying Young House Love - which i've been following for a while, but am perhaps now at the point in my life where their adventures are more fascinating than ever :)

so yes, i am feeling domestic - but restless... longing for the chance to make my domesticity the way that i really want it? maybe. if that makes any sense.

anyway, these yummy, sunny kitchens would be perfect places to feed bowls of cereal to little people, make long lazy phone calls to my sister, my mother, my cousins... experiments in pastry... i really really want to go to there.

via scandinavian retreat

maybe i'm just tired of this dark apartment with the constant gas leaks and flood-prone basement. maybe i'm just over the city a little bit. or maybe i just need to get away for a while...

snow day

2010-02-10T16:05:00.004-05:00

oh it's a lovely snowy snow day!! no work, all play :)

the view from my studio window...

from the kitchen window (don't pay any attention to the bars... ah brooklyn living!)...

and from the back door! three snowy musketeers...

so fun :)

Illustration Friday

2010-02-09T14:58:00.003-05:00

Yes, I am still a creative being! My life no longer revolves around weddings!! Oh the liberation :)

This week's illustration friday topic is "muddy." This may be a cliched interpretation, but I don't care. So there. Muddy boots are the best.

Oh springtime. I am so looking forward to your showers and green growing things. Even the mud is preferable to the barren chill of winter at this point. And a blizzard is supposed to be on it's way tonight! Oy! At least it's cause for a little excitement! I'm so over the January-February blahs.....

Love Thy Neighbor (even if it's a crappy day)

2010-01-25T10:00:00.004-05:00

It's a rainy rainy GLOOMY day here in Brooklyn, and I woke up with a major case of the blahs. Sometimes when you're grumpy, the best thing is to focus on something other than yourself. Case in point: my husband showed me this link to his good friend, Walter Smith's website. Walt is a great photographer here in NYC, and he's come up with a really cool idea - he's offering up some original Walter Smith prints (both for sale and as a raffle prize, depending on how much you can give) - with 100% of the proceeds going to the OXFAM Haiti Earthquake Response Fund. So head over to his site, check out his beautiful work, and maybe snag some for yourself. It's for a very worthy cause.

It's an awesome idea, and hopefully more artists will follow suit!

p.s. please share the link!

I am so mad

2010-01-09T21:37:00.008-05:00

That I didn't find this site BEFORE my wedding. These dresses are totally awesome! And completely affordable!! And they rent them too. Damn it!!

I mean, my dress was okay. It was definitely affordable :) But it was way too boobalicious, and I had to keep hiking up the front of it all night - those bad boys just didn't have enough support. It's the one thing I would change if I could go back. Le sigh. Maybe I can help someone else avoid making the same mistake. Your dress is important!! Not $2,000 worth of important, but you do want to make sure you're as happy with it as you can possibly afford to be. I felt too overwhelmed and was too afraid of being a high maintenance bride to make enough of a stink over choosing my dress. Lesson learned.

Yes. This is me singing with my sister and my cuz. We had a lot of live music that day :) But the point I'm trying to illustrate with this pic is actually the complete lack of mammary support. I had a bra on, I swear! Like it made a difference. Ugh.

And so. What makes a dress perfect:
1. It fits you. Perfectly. (read: enough booby support! and make sure you're not going to be tripping over it while you're dancing!).
2. It's flattering (Hello saggy migillcutty.)
3. It fits your budget. (aka doesn't make you want to cry every time you remember the price tag. Also, you don't have to sell your soul to get it.)
4. It's comfortable enough to let you focus fully on what is happening around you.
5. It makes you feel like the most specialist girl in the room (not because that's what it's all about, but because you'll be getting a lot of attention, and it's kind of nice to feel like you're dressed for it :)). Don't underestimate the value of feeling pretty.

So stalk your dress!! It's out there! Whether you're having a formal wedding for 400 people or eloping in Kuala Lumpur, trust me, It Will Be Worth It.

That being said, as long as you manage to look this happy the first time you dance with your husband (or wife), then nothing else really matters that much. Yeah, I'm pretty lucky.

Seriously though. Don't be afraid to insist on getting yourself a dress that makes you feel super special. Really. It will be one less thing to worry about that day - you'll know you look awesome, and you won't have to be constantly worrying that your naughties are showing :) Which obviously equals having way more fun :)

p.s. sorry about the extreme hiatus. for whatever reason, I just haven't been feeling it lately. I'll try to be better... much love to you all!!

p.p.s. Also, I want to point out that the reason Matt and I aren't gazing into one another's eyes in this shot is that we were LITERALLY surrounded on all sides by our guests, who were all singing our first dance song TO us (Dream a Little Dream). So we alternated between looking at each other and looking at all the other people we love! Absolutely one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

Holiday Cards

2009-12-08T10:34:00.012-05:00

So now that I'm all married, and the wedding and the honeymoon are behind me, I'm getting some feeling back in my long-unused parts. Like the part of me that makes art. Yeah, that's slightly major. I can't believe I've neglected it for so long! It's still being slow to recover - like I have pins and needles in my creative regions - but slowly I am regaining the use of my brain as a whole. No longer is all the blood just going to the wedding planning area!! Hooray!!

So I know I'm a bit late in getting these out there, but I've done a small line of holiday cards, which are for sale in my etsy shop. I'm a little obsessed with birds, if you didn't know. And in the name of shameless self-promotion, here they are!

ttfn!

How to light up a dark apartment

2009-12-06T12:03:00.006-05:00

I can feel December slipping through my fingers already, so I've decided to decorate the apartment today. I really really wanted to get a real tree, but living in the city, in a neighborhood that doesn't really do cute little Christmas tree sales on corners, without a car, it's not so easy. So I'm seriously considering sucking it up and buying a cheap little fake tree from one of the cheesy discount stores that are, for some reason, so plentiful in my 'hood.

I love our apartment, but it has one major downside. It's dark. It just doesn't get a lot of natural light, and the wintertime, especially, leaves me feeling like I'm living in a cave. To top it off, this has been a super gloomy week, and I'm finding it hard to get motivated to clean and prettify our little nest. I'm hoping that once I get started, and once we get some little white lights twinkling, it will start feeling a little less gothic and a little more cozy.

Cross your fingers that I can get it done!! Hopefully I'll have an update for you tomorrow :)

You know what??

2009-12-02T12:19:00.016-05:00

I have to stop putting off posting. Really, it's because the idea of writing a blow-by-blow account of our wedding is 1. totally exhausting, and 2. actually probably impossible to achieve in a way that I'm happy with. It was such a perfect day, although slightly blurry in parts, and I don't think I can really do it justice. So here's what I'm going to do. I will jump back in and continue with the old blog. Every so often I may feel moved to include some details and/or pictures from the wedding, and when that happens, you'll get another taste of the day. In the meantime, however, I must confess that I. AM. OVER. WEDDINGS.

Like A Practical Wedding, I will likely talk about marriage, and all the issues and loveliness that it entails. But I am also in a major nesting mode, so I WILL be talking about throw pillows and paint at some point, I'm sure. Sorry Meg :) This was never expressly a "wedding blog" - in fact I started it as a way to share my creative workings and mullings - and so I will return to simply blogging about my life, my obsessions, and the like.

But just because this is probably my favorite product of our wedding (apart from um, my MARRIAGE), I'll share some of our photobooth pictures.

We couldn't afford to hire a photographer. Period. Luckily my husband is a professional photog, and there were at least ten OTHER professional photogs at the wedding. So we ended up getting some amazing shots for free! We also couldn't afford to rent a photobooth, so we decided to set up our own. A dear friend of Matt's volunteered some equipment (huge lights and a giant grey seamless), we set up Matt's digital on his tripod, wrote up some instructions, and let people go nuts. And go nuts they did.

We ended up with over 400 pictures from the photobooth alone. Matt edited them down, and now I present you with a tiny selection from his edits. Enjoy!

Reception: Part Uno

2009-11-09T11:35:00.012-05:00

There is so much to say about this day, I'm just going to dive in. Here's hoping it's not too out of order and confusing. I'm thinking it will take at least two posts to cover it all...

Amanda and her beau, pre-ceremony

Mel as supermodel superhero, also pre-ceremony

My cousins Amanda and Melanie were my AMAZING day-of coordinators. When I asked them if they would do it, I really thought the work would be minimal. Shows how much I know. Luckily, they are two of the most generous, calm, efficient, organized and did I say generous? people I know, and they took it all in stride. I don't know what I would have done without them. Amanda took my phone from me the morning of the wedding, and then went to the venue site to make sure all the vendors were under control. She fielded all my phone calls, and only called my sister (my MOH who was with me all day) if there was something she didn't know the answer to. She came up with this idea, and talked me into it - she wanted me to be able to focus on the getting married part, and not the "omg we don't have napkins" part. She's brilliant. She also made all the flags that were hanging at the reception. By herself. In between tours. Like I said, she's amazing. Check her out here.

Manders did the flags, I did the birds...

The caterer was late. They didn't bring napkins. The musicians ended up having to do a sound check that morning, because we were missing some vital piece of equipment and couldn't do it the night before (Matt was a CHAMP that day - he was at the church all morning, running around in his tux, getting shit DONE). Things definitely went wrong, but thanks to the incredible support system we had, it all got handled. Amanda and Mel ran out to get napkins, like half an hour before the ceremony. They also picked up dozens of yellow and blue balloons to line the pathway to the garden. Totally their idea, and totally amazing and helpful. I think the most incredible thing about the wedding (apart from getting married, of course) was the unbelievable wave of support we felt that day, and the days preceding.

Sitting in my parents house the Thursday before, with at least three cousins, four siblings, and one nephew all sitting in a circle, assembling programs..... having so many people show up the day before (a weekday, I might add) to help set up the reception space that we were finished in a fraction of the time I had allotted, and some people didn't even need to do anything..... seeing pictures, taken the morning of the wedding, of people running around the hall, setting up the music, while I was obliviously hanging out with my bridesmaids.... arriving at the reception and seeing it utterly transformed.... GORGEOUS flowers, everywhere...... wine bottles all out and opened, hundreds of candles lit, all without my saying anything about it..... just amazing.

Magical wedding elves doing some last minute set-up the morning of...

It really was a community project, and that made it so much more special and meaningful.

Seriously? I'm already tapped out for today. Tomorrow, I tackle the music. Oh. The Music.

The Ceremony

2009-11-05T10:02:00.034-05:00

Okay, no preamble here, I'm just gonna jump into it.

So we had this amazing procession. Matt and I, our parents, and our bridal parties, led by our wonderful minister, started it up. Matt's brother - on guitar - and cousin - on euphonium - walked behind us playing "All You Need Is Love." EVERYONE fell in behind us, and we had the biggest, most love-filled procession EVER. Ah-mazing.

We were both so floored by the power of this walk. We kept looking at each other and saying "this is insane!!"

We arrived in the garden. We had about 45 chairs set up, and about 140 guests. The ceremony was short, so we figured some people wouldn't mind standing. We wanted people to be close to us, and be part of the action, so we encouraged them to stand behind us, next to us, in front - whatever they wanted. I was a little nervous about this, but it worked out super well. ALSO, the weather cooperated! That morning, it was dark and stormy, and I was a little anxious, but I made a decision not to worry, and it turned out to be a perfect October afternoon. The sun came out, and the cold snap hadn't started, so it was crisp but not too cold. Someone told me later that the sun broke through just as we said our vows :)

My uncle kicked things off with a heartbreakingly beautiful speech. I wish I had the text so that I could quote it. I'll try and get my hands on it so that I can share. Lets just say for now that I had several people - NOT sentimental types - come up to me later and tell me that his talk was the best part of the whole day. Yay uncle P!

Listening to Uncle Peter work his magic...

Our officiant, Carmela, was the mother of a dear friend of ours, and she did an incredible job. She has such a warm, loving spirit, and she was SUCH a great support and help during the planning process. She gave us exactly the ceremony we wanted, and I don't think I'm being too biased when I say it's the best ceremony I've ever been to :) This picture is jumping ahead a bit - I just love Carmela's expression here - it captures the joy and love and enthusiasm she brought to the ceremony perfectly.

My mother and Matt's father each chose readings. We let them pick whatever they wanted, as long as it wasn't the same thing! My mom read the classic biblical verse about love ("love is patient, love is kind.."). It's a classic for a reason people! it was part of my parent's ceremony, my sister's, and my brother's, so I was so glad she chose it. My father-in-law read something totally non-secular and just as moving. But I'm a terrible daughter-in-law and I don't even remember the AUTHOR, never mind the text. I'll have to get that up later as well...

I cried. A LOT. I knew I would - I'm a big crier - but I had no idea how ridiculously copious my tears would be! It was just hard to talk, and I felt like Carmela just kept asking me me to say more and more and more :) Matt was SO sweet. he kept brushing my tears away. It was weird, but I have never felt so unselfconscious in my life as I did that day. So the crying didn't bother me until later, when I started looking at everyone's pictures, and I'm like "dude! can we find one where I'm NOT making an ugly cry face???"

Aren't my bridesmaids lovely?!!? They each chose their own yellow dress, and then some of them wore blue shoes and some of them wore pink. I bought them each a wrap to match their shoes. They looked gorgeous and bright and sunny!!

Really, all I could think about after we exchanged rings was kissing my husband. Carmela said some BEAUTIFUL words (which, luckily, I had read beforehand, so that I was able to fully absorb them and also so that the crying was kept to a minimum), and my sister and Matt's brother (the moh and best man, respectively) read the benediction:

Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be a shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now you will feel no loneliness,
for each of you will be a friend to the other.
Now you are two people,
but there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place
and enter into your togetherness.
And may your days be good and long upon the Earth.

Then, we smooched. It was the best kiss ever.

tune in tokyo

2009-11-04T11:32:00.010-05:00

Or Mexico, which is where I've been for the last week :)

Ack! I have been away for so long! Every time I sit down to write, I'm completely overwhelmed and end up bailing. Where to start? And even more than that, the idea of GOING BACK - to the stress, the uncertainty - is kind of exhausting. Of course, the days and weeks leading up to "the big day" (a term I happen to loathe) were not ALL stress and uncertainty. There was a whole whopping load of excitement, love, and giddiness. But all that is somewhat inextricably linked to the nervousness.

But. I suppose the best thing to do is start at the beginning. The beginning being where I left you last.

Leading up to the final week, there were some minor break-downs, some drama, and lots of introspection. I suffered from occasional bouts of cold feet - not, you understand, because I doubted the rightness of the decision, but the sheer SIZE of the decision sometimes gave me cold sweats. And on top of that, I had this enormous party to worry about. Would our plain-jane reception hall be made pretty enough with the decorations I and my cousin had slaved over? Would the vendors all have their shit together? Would everyone show up, be healthy, and have a good time? Would the food stink? WOULD EVERYTHING GET DONE IN TIME??? I hardly need to list the reasons I was stressed - anyone who has or is planning a wedding knows them all too well. Suffice to say, I was a ball of nerves.

At the one week mark, however, I finally had my real and complete moment of letting go. Worrying about whether all my bridesmaids would get along? Pssh. Not my problem. All the little things, just clearly revealed themselves for what they were: completely unimportant. I really, really, REALLY just wanted to be present for all the festivities, and I really, really, REALLY didn't want to be so freaked about the party going smoothly that I was a bitchy irritable witch to my husband the week of our wedding. So my mantra became "it's none of my business what other people think of me" - thanks apw :) And it worked. I let go. And guess what? As I had read time and time again on the blogs of my like-minded brides, IT WAS EXACTLY RIGHT.

I had underestimated the power of that day - and specifically, of the ceremony. I had thought of it as a formality we were going through. Granted, a super romantic formality, but I was completely unprepared for the power of the ritual. It was huge and overwhelming and uplifting. Everything fell away, and all that mattered was my husband and this promise we were making to each other, and all the love we felt from our families and friends felt like it was carrying us along. I felt buoyant and utterly peaceful. I can't overstate how incredible it felt.

So tomorrow, if I can continue on this streak (I've been so good this week! I re-organized my file cabinets, shredded all my old paperwork, caught up on bill, made calls I've been dreading! It's like I'm spring-cleaning my life!), I will start with more of a blow-by-blow account of the day.

But here's a bit of a teaser: for our procession, since we got married outside, we had everyone line the path from the church to the garden, and then Matt and I walked, together, past everyone. As we passed people, the fell in behind us, so that all the people we love were in the procession with us. It was my mother's idea, and I have to say, it's by far one of the best things we did. Walking down that pathway to the sound of Matt's brother and cousin playing "All You Need Is Love," seeing all those smiling faces, many of them singing along? A totally indescribable feeling.

Some shots of the procession:

That last one shows everyone going into the garden - and you can see my beautiful bridesmaids in their yellow and blue! And the yellow and blue balloons my AMAZING impromptu day-of coordinators bought and set up that morning. More on them later!!

And so I bid you adieu for now - back for more tomorrow!

I'm still here....

2009-10-19T10:13:00.003-04:00

... and into the second week of marriage!

We're going on a slightly delayed honeymoon this week, so after we return next Wednesday, I'll start putting up pics and sharing the day with you.

I'm sorry for not posting anything earlier, but to be honest, I was just so completely overdosed on all things wedding that I needed to ignore the blog for a few days. And even now, after a week's recovery, it just seems so overwhelming, there is so much to say, that it makes me a little tired just thinking about it! For now, here is a snap of one of the most intensely happy moments of my life, captured by my very talented friend Tony...

Enjoy the week, send us good wishes in sunny Mexico (yahoo!!!!), and I'll be back with a full report (probably in increments) late next week.

TWO DAYS

2009-10-08T00:31:00.002-04:00

I'm getting married IN. TWO. DAYS.

I feel calm and excited. I wish I could write more, but to be perfectly frank, I have better stuff to do :) We're picking up our rental car tomorrow and driving down to my parent's house.... and the wedding weekend frenzy will commence!! So I don't think I'll be writing again until after I become a wife. Never fear! I will report back asap with all the deets!!

Send us some good wishes at 4pm on Saturday!!

xo

It's Messy

2009-10-02T19:56:00.002-04:00

Phew. 8 days out. I have to say, things are getting messy. I thought I had it all together, but I really really didn't. I get nuts sometimes, when I let my true control-freak nature run wild and unchecked. I get freaked and frazzled and overwhelmed. Things I never thought would give me a moments concern now have me hyperventilating. Like a tie being the wrong shade of yellow. I KNOW!! Ugh, crazy town.

So now, what I'm trying to do, is remember that messes are fun. Not everything has to be tidy and presented in neat little packages. It's hectic and nutso and there is last minute scrambling, but ALL WILL BE WELL. That's one of my mother's favorite things to say, and she's gal-dang RIGHT.

Messes are fun, and breathing is helpful.

Phew.

Eleven Days

2009-09-29T10:35:00.004-04:00

Okay, so tomorrow I can get the 10-day forecast on weather.com. But apparently accuweather has a FIFTEEN day forecast, and according to THAT, it is going to rain on October 10. NO!! I'm not totally freaked out though, because, I mean, how accurate are weather forecasts even for the CURRENT day? Not very. So I'm holding out hope. But still.... a little nervous. Sheesh, after all my big talk about rain.....

In other news, my wonderful and loving bridesmaids threw me an awesome surprise bachelorette party on Saturday (which explains the picture above)! All I have to say is amazing food, cinnamon-mango cocktails, and then an 80's dance party with glowing accessories. Perfection :) I don't know how I got so lucky, but I sure do have some ridiculously great friends!

p.s. my shoes just got here!! and they fit perfectly!!

Rings!!

2009-09-26T08:21:00.002-04:00

Two weeks from today will be my wedding day!!

We bought our rings, custom made, on etsy (yay etsy!). We got them in the mail yesterday, and they're perfect!! Simple, pretty, and they fit! I highly recommend Laurie Sarah Designs - they were great to work with, super accommodating, and I am so psyched about the results!

I don't know why, but nothing has made this wedding feel more real, or made me more excited, than trying on our rings. Seriously, seeing Matt wearing a wedding ring just made me so giddy! I was caught off guard by how happy and giggly I got - and have been ever since :) It suddenly brought it all into focus for me - the heaps of unnecessary stress, worrying over details like labels and signs, all so insignificant in the face of what we're going to be doing in two weeks. It made me, for the first time, really and truly NOT CARE about the food, the booze, or the decorations. If it rains and no one shows up, if the pom-poms and garlands don't get finished, if there's no ice at the bar, I know I will not give a single crap. Because I'm going to be married to my best friend and that's enough, on it's own, to make me happy for a long long time - no perfect wedding required.

Happy weekend!

Sixteen Days

2009-09-24T10:05:00.007-04:00

Holy crapsticks. Sixteen days left. You know, the thing that boggles my mind is not that I have a bunch of stuff still left to do for the wedding. No, what's stressing me out is not knowing how on earth I'm going to manage to do all that while still living my normal life. You know, where I have OTHER things to do as well. Non-wedding related things. Like finding a job. Like working on the three freelance projects I've been studiously ignoring. Like keeping my apartment clean and inhabitable. Ack!

Andy Sandberg as Cathy. ACK!!

Matt has been in Miami all week for work, and I had visions of him coming home to a beautiful, clean apartment, with a fully stocked fridge and a calm, collected fiancee. Looks like THAT'S not happening! And I think I'm making it worse by being annoyed with myself for not being able to fulfill that ideal. So I'm just spinning my wheels, making myself even more stressed.

If there's one thing you can say about me, it's that I'm not shy about putting it all out there, eh? But it's important, I think, to write about the messy, uncomfortable, STRESSFUL parts of wedding planning - or, more accurately, married life planning. Because that's what I really feel like I'm prepping for. I want our wedding to feel like the first day of our new life together. But it's such a big idea, I think I'm overwhelming myself with demands of perfection. It must be time to head over to A Practical Wedding, or $2000 Wedding. The voices of sanity in the wedding planning world :) And then I need a clean apartment, a bank account in the triple digits (that's not too much to ask, is it??), and a nice loooong vacation.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Oh, and I bought these shoes.....

How to be fair to your guests..... even if they ARE family :)

2009-09-23T09:27:00.000-04:00

This post, from Sara at $2000 Wedding, about the benefits of NOT being the perfect host at your wedding got me thinking. I could see that as my real downfall - I tend to get anxious about keeping everyone happy when we have a party, and I can totally see myself worrying more about whether things are running according to schedule than actually experiencing the day. So today I am trying to let my inner control freak go, and figure out a way to delegate, delegate, delegate.

I've already foreseen this problem, to an extent. I pictured us, at the end of the ceremony, surrounded by loving friends and relatives, trying to hug us and congratulate us, and me being distracted by wondering if there's enough ice at the bar, or trying to figure out how to get people to move to the reception hall. So I asked two of my cousins (who are actually more like sisters) to be my "day-of coordinators." I trust them implicitly, we think the same way, and I know they won't resent me for asking! I've made sure that their duties will be as light as possible - in fact they probably won't have to do much at all, just the knowledge that they're there with their gettin-shit-done hats on will help me relax.

But at the end of the night... our venue is a Unitarian Church, and they need the decorations taken down before Sunday morning. They have their own cleaning crew and all, but we need to remove the bunting, pom-poms, garlands, string lights, centerpieces, balloons, and photobooth before we leave the place. Originally I was planning to divide the jobs up, and give them out to willing family. One thing per person, so it wouldn't be overwhelming. But then I started writing it out, and it felt like a lot to ask my uncles and aunts and cousins to take half an hour in the middle of festivities (the reception is from 5-10, and then the afterparty will immediately follow at the hotel) to pull down decorations. So I'm thinking about asking my little brother (who's a senior in high school) if he has any (responsible!) friends who want to make a few bucks by taking them all down for us. What do you think? I think it's genius :)

So that's what's on my mind today, 17 days before the wedding. The actual nuts and bolts of the day, how it will flow, who will do what, and how do I make sure I am fully present and centered, without putting too much of a burden on my loved ones.

Wah.

2009-09-22T18:00:00.002-04:00

I'm finding it hard not to feel sorry for myself right now. I found out today that two, and potentially three of my favorite family members aren't coming to the wedding. I didn't think it would upset me so much to have people decline the invitation, but it does make me sad :(

Another reason to elope - you don't have to feel disappointed when people can't make it!

Miscellaneous Prettiness

2009-09-22T08:28:00.000-04:00

Our apartment right now? Not so pretty. Dirty dishes in the sink. Clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away. Pile of dirty laundry threatening to mingle with clean laundry. Kitchen table covered in wedding to-do lists and in-progress artwork. A layer of dust on, um, everything.
Me? Not so pretty. Hair that hasn't been washed in so long it is standing on end. Frumpy bathrobe, granny panties and holey sweats.
These shoes? PRETTY.

These little pieces of awesome are all via ModCloth - I feel like I've been living under a rock or something, because there is no other way I could have missed this store!! Seriously, I don't want to sound like I'm advertising for them, but if you haven't already, you need to check them out. Not just shoes, dresses, pants, tops... the whole kit and kaboodle. LOVE!!

Nineteen Days!!

2009-09-21T08:12:00.003-04:00

Sheesh. Nineteen days. And my calm cool exterior is beginning to show some cracks! I had my first anxiety dream about the wedding last night. I dreamed that right before the ceremony, my dress ripped, and my sister and I were frantically going through her closet to try and find a suitable alternative. I remember that horrible feeling of having people waiting for me, while I realize I'm nowhere NEAR ready for them, and that weird dream feeling of everything slowing down, just as you're trying so desperately to speed up. I woke up feeling like a basket case!!

In real life, I suppose what's happening is that it's dawning on me how very very close the wedding is, and how many more details we have to take care of. I know, really, that it will all be fine, that I have enough time, that we've worked out our schedule so that everything will get done. But it's really like something has clicked - that holy-crap-I-only-have-two-weekends-between-now-and-the-wedding-and-holy-moses-I-can't-put-anything-off-anymore-yikes-yikes-yikes!! feeling. You know that feeling?

AAAAnyway......... I also need some part time employment. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?? Artist/Illustrator/Nanny/Errand girl for hire!!

Thats all for now.... I promise to be better this week and get back to regular posting. With pretty pictures and everything!!

Oh, and what do you think of these shoes?
The battle between flats and heels is still raging. I need to come to a resolution soon!!

Dirty Dancing

2009-09-15T09:38:00.003-04:00

I was so sad to hear about Patrick Swayze yesterday. And in perusing some of the deluge of Swayze pictures, articles, and quotes this morning, I came across this little gem from the man himself. About his marriage, he said (among other great things):

"arguments are okay as long as it's not about your ego, but it's about a mutual goal – trying to create something special."

Love it. His 30+ year marriage really is a testament to what a good man he was. May we all be so blessed, and so smart about what it takes to make a marriage work.

Shoes shoes shoes

2009-09-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

Okay. So my beautiful bridesmaids will be wearing yellow dresses of their own choosing. In an effort to avoid dictating wardrobe decisions, I asked them to just get "colorful" shoes. They, very obligingly, all got either pink or teal/blue shoes. Aren't they the sweetest? I, on the other hand, still have no shoes. I want yellow. I didn't think about the fact that this is fall, and yellow is not a fall color, and it is freaking impossible to find yellow shoes in the stores right now. So I am relegated to internet shopping. Here's what I've come up with......

Now, I'm not a heels kind of girl, but I love both of these.... Matt is not the tallest guy though, and I'd like to not be as tall as him - maybe that's shallow, but hey. Sometimes a girl's allowed to be shallow! Oh, and I haven't credited these because some of them are etsy or vintage one-of-a-kind type deals, and I don't want them to get snatched up!

Opinions please!!

Twenty-nine days!!

2009-09-11T11:29:00.008-04:00

I have been a very very naughty blogger lately.

Can I just say, I have heard a lot of lamentation about the end-of-summer, but personally, I am in love with this crisp autumn air we've been experiencing lately. And I'm SO happy that we chose to get married in the fall, because it really is my favorite time of year. The colors of the trees, the cold-but-not-too-cold air, the snuggly sweaters, the apple cider, the holidays (halloween! thanksgiving!!) - what's not to love?

We're officially less than one month from the wedding. I know I should have lots to say, but I'm sort of at a loss. APW's posting about f*ck-it moments is really resonating with me today. There are a bunch of little details to take care of, and sure some are vital details (um, hello wedding rings!), but I feel good. I feel like we've got this. And now I'm just really really looking forward to it. And to after!

Speaking of APW resonating with me, Meg quoted this wise and wonderful lady today, and it describes my mood to a T:

"You get to a point where there's not much you can do but put on your fancy party dress, a pair of fabulous shoes and grab a bottle of cheap champagne to swig with your girls on the way to meet your groom." - Cyd

Tonight I am going down to my parents place. I'm going to spend some quality time with my sister aka best friend in the whole world. On Saturday I'm traveling with one of my oldest and dearest friends and her wonderful husband to the wedding reception of another old and dear friend who got married last weekend in Canada. On Sunday my Mattie will be joining me at my parents place, and on Monday we're off to get our marriage license! After which we'll be going to Honey's for lunch with my sis and another great friend to celebrate. Yay and Yum!!

Look for a post tomorrow, all about yellow shoes!!

My vision

2009-09-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

So as all my millions of ideas have percolated down into the ultimate vision of our wedding, I though I would share some that made the final cut.

Centerpieces: I posted this image a few months ago, and for whatever reason, it stuck with me. It's just so simple, but so elegant and romantic and calm. Matt and I started saving our used glass jars, in order to make this element a little greener. Now my parents, my sister, and some of our family friends are saving theirs as well! I love the idea that all these people we love are going to contribute something from their everyday lives to our wedding tables.

via apartment therapy

Our ceremony is going to be outside, in a little clearing called The Bell Garden. I saw this next image about six months ago, right after we got engaged, and it's a large part of why I was so gung-ho about getting married outdoors. One of my favorite things about this wedding (which is also one of my favorite weddings) is the cranes they had hanging behind them during the ceremony.

"Cranes have always occupied a special place in Asian history and culture. Cranes are considered auspicious and symbolize longevity & good health. It is believed that cranes mate for life and both male & female work together to build their nest. Thus, cranes may be the perfect symbol for your wedding. They say that if you fold 1000 paper cranes, then your heart’s desire will come true"(source).

This couple had friends and family fold as many cranes as they could in the months leading up to the wedding. They then collected them, and used them to decorate their ceremony and reception sites. Don't you love it? Matt and I decided early on that we wanted to do this... only we haven't QUITE gotten around to sending paper out to anyone. EEK! This is now moving to the top of my to-do list....

via green wedding shoes

And finally (for now) here is my own version of an inspiration board - everything on here is (hopefully) going to be incorporated in some way:

(from top left) The first two pictures are from this amazing wedding, posted on snippet and ink a while back. The theme was sunshine! Too awesome. The next picture is from yet another awesome yellow wedding, via once wed, via one love photography. My super talented cousin is making us flag garlands, just like in the picture, only with lots of different colors - like a quilt!! The blue and yellow bird garland is from redbird crafts - I am making something similar myself. The print is from Freya's etsy shop (really, check it out). I'm ashamed to say that I can't remember where the pom-pom picture came from (if you know, please tell me so I can link it!) but I'm really feeling them in yellow and white. So festive! The happy balloon pictures are via jerry yoon photography. And the sunflowers are, well, sunflowers :)

That's enough for now... there are more plans in the works, but this post is getting too long! More later - including our invitations!

Happy Friday!

See? I'm not crazy!!

2009-09-03T22:58:00.004-04:00

via snippet and ink

This wedding is proof that rain and outdoor ceremonies are not mutually exclusive.

Whatever the weather, our wedding will be beautiful! Yay!

That is all. Good night.

thirty-seven

2009-09-03T10:10:00.007-04:00

Is it too early to start a countdown?

We have 37 days until the wedding, and while things are - for the most part - under control, I can't help but feel overwhelmed sometimes but the number of little things left to organize. I just try to keep breathing, and remember that I'm not going to get it all done in a day, and trust that Matt and I are smart and capable, and that it will all be fine. Breathe.

My sister, my mother and my bridesmaids threw me a wedding shower this past Sunday. It was a total blast! I will say, though, that I felt very out of sorts during and after the party. Not in a bad way, I'm just not very comfortable being the center of so much attention, and I was totally exhausted by it! It felt a bit strange, having all those women go out of their way to come to a party in my honor, and give me gifts, for no other reason than that I am getting married. I felt humbled and giddy and overstimulated and loved. I had a hard time accepting all that generosity, because I felt like I hadn't done anything to deserve it. And maybe that's just a deeper personal issue being brought to light (in fact, I know it is - aren't you all so lucky? You get to be my therapists now!), but it's got me a tad nervous about the actual wedding. I'm slightly afraid that I will feel so overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of people looking at me, doing things for me, loving me, that I won't be able to get grounded and fully experience the ceremony. Matt points out, very wisely, that on the wedding day he and I will actually be sharing the attention, so it won't be all on me the way it was at the shower, and he's right. But still. I get so overstimulated and giddy when I'm around a critical mass of people whom I love.

I suppose I will just have to continue my current strategy of breathing and trusting. Breathe!

And now, my big reveal - yes this is me, wearing my very fashionable shower hat. I figured, the ribbons obscure my face enough that it's only a partial reveal :) Don't ask why I'm playing the tiny guitar. Just don't.

Tah Dah!

Stay tuned tomorrow for my wedding vision!

La Vie En Rose

2009-08-28T11:41:00.005-04:00

Such a pretty picture, from One Love Photography. It just fills me with peaceful joy :) This is what I hope Matt and I will look like in 20 years. Happy and gorgeous! And they're not even the couple getting married! Go check out the rest of this cozy, yummy-looking wedding.

Oh! And I got an exciting email today! You may remember awhile back I posted about Julene's INCREDIBLE paper-cut work. Well she's got some laser-cut pieces freshly up in her etsy shop! For a fraction of the price of one of her original, hand-made numbers, you can have this gorgeousness all for yourself.

It's raining cats and dogs outside my window... but I'm feeling mellow and content. It's nice. We're heading down to my parent's house tonight, and tomorrow I'm taking Matt to see our venue (he's such a brave, trusting soul for taking my word and the pictures as proof of its awesomeness) - the one and only time I've ever seen it was on a rainy day, and now it looks like tomorrow will be more of the same. Hopefully this means mother nature is getting it all out of her system so that October 10 will be dry and sunny. Then on Sunday, my beautiful sister is throwing me a bridal shower!! I feel so lucky :)

Enjoy the weekend, and I'll be back on Monday!

Forty-Five!!

2009-08-26T11:40:00.007-04:00

Meg over at A Practical wedding wrote a wonderful post today, and it's just pumped a little more excitement and happiness into me :) Go read it. It's a little wedding graduate wisdom, delivered in an elegant and completely gut-hitting way. Seriously, read it.

So we had a flood in our basement two nights ago. Matt was washing dishes and I was drying them and putting them away. Matt turned off the water, and weirdly, I kept hearing it. We realized it was coming from the basement, and ran down... my poor Matt has his office down there, and there was a small pond under his desk, soaking the bottom of his computer tower, his battery back-up, and a bunch of his papers he had piled on the floor, in true Matt-fashion. He also had his amp down there, and it was actually filled with water. He was not a happy camper. So we were up until almost 2am cleaning up the mess and calling/texting the landlords. Finally crashed. Matt's new blackberry slept next to us, and woke us up every half hour with new emails. Then the alarm went off at 5:30 so that Matt could make it to his shoot in time. At that point I had had such a restless night of sleep, I couldn't stand being in bed anymore, so I got up as well. Then it was a day of dealing with landlords, sewer guys, maintenance people, and my fellow tenants (I had to beg them not to flush their toilets or use any water, cause every time they did, nasty sewage filled my basement and I had to take it outside, one bucket at a time). Super fun!! But by 5:00 it was all fixed, all handled, and I seriously felt awesome. Sometimes it takes a huge pain in the ass situation like that one to make you appreciate the so-called "little" things. Like having clean, indoor, running water. Like having toilets that flush. Definitely a mood booster :)

And now it's almost noon, and I've only been awake for two and a half hours, and I haven't gotten anything done, other than catching up on my blog reading, researching little coastal towns in Oregon (just because there is a part of me that fantasizes about escaping the dirt and noise and millions of people per square mile that is New York). But that's okay. I'm giving myself a pass for this morning. I'm just feeling good and lucky and blessed. And I also know that everything will be well. So I'm going to enjoy myself!

Speaking of which, the wedding is 45 days away!! Zoinks!! This week, I've found that all the bazillions of decor ideas that have been simmering for months, but still hadn't formed a cohesive plan, have suddenly started to fall into place. In my head at least, hah! But yeah, I'm not really sweating it... we'll be getting our marriage license in the next few weeks, and the rings, and after that, everything else is just icing, so to speak. And decorations or no, we have the most amazing family and friends in the world, and we'll have a beautiful location, good food, good music, good booze, and it will be fantastic. And you know what? Even if all that somehow fell through, it will still be fantastic, because WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!!

And sunflowers will be in season. Single bloom per maid?? I think so!!

You really CAN'T please everyone!!

2009-08-23T18:01:00.004-04:00

Okay, so this post is mostly a copy-and-paste job, but I just came across this post by Bride in Exile over at Wedding Planning in Exile, and it made bells of joy go off inside me. That's a strange image, but really - it resonated!! So I just wanted to share them, in case there is anyone out there who missed them. I myself am a newbie to her fantastic blog - and if you haven't read it yet, go there now (or after you read this)!!

"If you throw a Saturday night wedding in the summer and limit your guest list to family and close friends, some people will claim you're being selfish by having a "fancy" wedding at the expense of including more people. If you throw a lunchtime wedding on a Sunday for 300 people, including everyone's dates and roommates and pets, some people will gripe that they barely got to see the bride and groom and wonder why you needed to have so many people there. Hire a live band, and you're sure to hear someone complaining that the "real" songs played by a DJ are more fun. Hire a DJ, and someone will tell you a live band is always better. And if you throw the fanciest Saturday night wedding imaginable for 300 guests, have a ten-hour reception so you can visit with all of them, and you somehow manage to have a DJ and a live band, someone will sniff that you shouldn't have "wasted" all that money.

So accept now that whatever choice you make, someone somewhere on your guest list probably won't like it. Guess what? It doesn't matter. It's your wedding, and you get to set the priorities."

Ah. Can you feel the fresh air? She's put into words what I felt in my gut but was having trouble expressing in a non-violent way :) Check out the rest of this post for more refreshingly clear, wise, guilt-relieving words...

Money money money

2009-08-22T12:38:00.004-04:00

Matt and I sat down to have a "financial summit" yesterday. Ack. As money is apparently the number one cause of marriage failures (or something like that), we felt like it was important to tackle it pre-wedding. You know, bring to the table all the cold hard numbers: what we owe, what our personal bills are, what we make (we had rough ideas of one anothers stats, but we'd never actually laid it all out on the table). And dear readers, it was frightening. Few things can break me down into a quivering blob of tears faster than talking about my insane debt and pathetic income. Combine that with a career-ly frustrated Matt who's freelance work has felt the effects of the recession, and you get something of a powder keg. Deciding how to merge our (in my case very messy) finances is proving to be stressful, to say the least. I've been repeating the mantra "we are a team, we are a team, we are a team" and it's helping. I have to admit though, that as the partner with the shabby finances, my difficulty is in believing that marrying me is actually a prudent move on his part. And the old insecurity rises again! Ah well. He's nothing but reassuring on that front. And I know all will be well - it's just the getting there that has me a bit tense today.

Anyone have any words of wisdom about constructing a joint financial system?

Back in the saddle?

2009-08-20T11:58:00.003-04:00

So I'm veeeeery slowly getting back into the swing of things. As I wrote that I felt physical relief come over me - I've been stressing myself out, berating myself for not being on top of things yet - and the idea that I could give myself permission to take it slow is kind of mid-blowing. But it's true... the world is not going to end if I take a week to get back in control of my life, rather than doing it in a day. Right??

I've noticed that my last few posts have been a) not very wedding-y AT ALL, and b) preeetty bitter and unhappy sounding. SO. I would like to change that. Admittedly, I haven't been in the greatest of moods (or mind-sets) over the past few weeks. But sometimes I forget that I DO have control over my moods - sometimes I give them too much power. It's all about your outlook - I'm a firm believer in life reflecting the energy you put out. So here I am, trying to reign in the pessimism and poor-little-me attitude that I've been unconsciously wallowing in. Wish me luck!

Along those lines, I've been catching up on my favorite blogs - and came across a completely awesome-looking wedding on snippet and ink. It seems so down to earth, and cozy, and happy... and they did something I found rather kick-ass - they gave each guest a mason jar to use as their drinking glass all night.

Jenna Walker Photography

Am I crazy? Or is this not completely cool-looking, neato, green (re: reuseable), and budget friendly? My question is, since we're using the paper plates and plastic utensils provided by our caterer (neither pretty nor environmentally friendly - but certainly budget friendly, as it is included in our cost, and with our drop in income, we just can't afford to rent china and silverware), would it be TOO casual to use mason jars as glassware?

Also, I think I may be hopping on the pom-pom bandwagon. I was UTTERLY opposed to them for so long, but I'm beginning to be swayed... thinking of them more as mexican paper flowers has helped, and when used in a more casual, less fussy wedding, they seem like an easy way to up the festivity. Thoughts?

via a practical wedding

In yellows and turquoise, maybe some white ones as well? I think I love it :)

popping in

2009-08-19T13:04:00.003-04:00

just to say hello....

been away too long.... spent the last five days in toronto, which was lovely, only now i'm behind on my life :)

and i need a little positivity in my life. anyone have some words of wisdom for me?

back soon.

xo

Just Quickly

2009-08-12T08:12:00.003-04:00

Hi! I've been missing for ages, haven't I? My schedule is so whack-a-doodle these days, it's sometimes hard for me to keep up with the posts... although these lovely ladies have been keeping me company (anna and the ring, snippet and ink, the broke-ass-bride, $2000 wedding, a practical bride, and a surprise wedding to name but a few - how could I get by without them????). But I feel slightly guilty for reading them so voraciously, and yet being so lax in my own posting.

So here we go - just a quick one this morning, and then more to follow this afternoon or evening. I apologize in advance, as this one is not pretty (no visuals) and not light and fluffy and yummy. This is about something that's crunchy and sticks in my throat. And yes, I'm being figurative here. Basically, it's one of those really freaking annoying things that seem to pop up when one is planning a wedding. Now I am CERTAINLY not a stickler for etiquette. At least not "traditional" wedding etiquette (which is kind of a misnomer, as I'm discovering everybody has their own ideas about what "traditional" wedding etiquette means, and expects that everyone else to share their holy code. In fact, it varies a great deal from person to person, resulting in a shitstorm of conflict). In my view, as long as everyone is respectful, and adheres to normal, everyday etiquette, all is sunny. BUT. Get this. And tell me if I'm being crazy.

A friend of Matt's had RSVP'd for the reception. But NOT for the ceremony. I assumed this was an oversight on his part, and put him and his wife down as a yes for both. Then Matt made a comment about Alan (not his real name) saying to him that he wasn't coming to the ceremony because he didn't feel comfortable in a church. WHAT??? So I emailed Alan, to say, in a non-aggressive way, whats up? We just noticed you didn't RSVP for the ceremony - that was just an oversight, right? And he emails back something to the effect of "I haven't been to a wedding or to church in ages, what's the protocol" (okay, it was actually pretty much those exact words). Seriously?? What's the protocol?? Um, someone invites you to their WEDDING, so that you can see them get MARRIED. If you're uncomfortable with the venue, you either don't go at all (what is this "we're not coming to the ceremony but we'll eat your food and drink your booze afterwards" bullshit????) or you SUCK IT UP because they're your friends and you love them and want to share the moment with them! I was kind of at a loss for what to say in response, so I wrote something like "well, we're NOT having it in a church (it's insulting that I even have to say that - first because he knows us and knows we're not religious, and second because it shouldn't matter, and at this point I feel like I'm begging him to come, which I REALLY shouldn't have to do), and it's going to be really relaxed and low key. We don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with, but it would definitely be our preference to have you at the ceremony." Then he writes back one line "I'll talk to Elaine (also not her real name)."

What? WHAT?? Seriously, at this point I just want to tell him not to bother. Please tell me if I'm blowing this out of proportion. Although I have to say you'll have a reeeally hard time convincing me not to be deeply insulted and pissed off. Who DOES that??

ALSO, please please please, what do I say to him if he says he's not coming to the ceremony? He is a good friend of Matt's and they often work together, so we really can't do anything that would burn bridges. But I don't know that I can let it go....

I suppose that really wasn't so short. OR quick :) Thanks for listening...

Quick like a bunny!! I need your input!!

2009-08-03T09:40:00.004-04:00

If I were fancy, I'd figure out how to have a voting application on here - but I'm not, and I'm in a hurry!! So quick! Tell me which name you prefer for my wedding invitation (and probably future stationary) etsy shop!!

**note: sadly, the other names I had posted here earlier are taken :(

TurtlebirdPaper (ties in with my other shop, TurtleBird - but I wonder if papermoon is prettier...)

PaperAndBird

BirdAndPaper

LoveBirdPaper

PaperBirdPaper

Or are these crap and you have a better idea?

Thank you thank you thank you......

xo

perspective

2009-07-31T13:49:00.006-04:00

So I'm here today, in the office, and it's my last day with these shady characters who don't deserve me. At this point I just can't wait to get the hell out the door. But I wanted to share this with y'all. I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself, and I came across this post by the broke-ass bride (one of my favorites - always good for a healthy dose of lighten-the-hell-up!!). It's incredibly moving - and so brave of her to be so shatteringly honest and vulnerable. And it REALLY woke me up. Hello!!!! The world is so not out to get me. Crap things happen to good people sometimes, thats all. And the crap that's happened to me in my life - while all truly crappy and trying - is really really REALLY not that bad. And the good stuff that's happened, well, there's been a whole lot of it, and it's been REALLY good.

So, I kind of got over myself.

(phew).

Next week I am totally without work. So next week, I launch my get-back-to-working-out-and-doing-daily-yoga-and-meditating-and-no-longer-eating-like-a-pig routine. Well, the goal is that it's not so much a routine as it is a lifestyle. So yeah. Also next week - it's back to the drawing board. Literally. I'm supposedly an illustrator and artist by trade, but I haven't felt like one in quite a while. The goal is to finish my first line of wedding invitations next week. Make the mock ups and shoot them the week after. And then open the new etsy shop the week after that.

It feels like I'm stepping into a new beginning.

a peaceful garden (with snacks!) to suit my mood.... via wren handmade.

p.s. any ideas for my new shop name?

laid off

2009-07-30T12:09:00.008-04:00

I'm feeling pretty low today. I was laid off from my office job on Tuesday. It was completely unexpected, and they handled the whole thing pretty badly - I was given less than a weeks notice and a pretty shoddy explanation. They are fairly full of shit, and I am pretty sure there is some shadiness going on, but what can I, a lowly part-time receptionist, really do about it? I think it's best to wash my hands of them and move forward. They will be left with their bad karma and their mean little lives. I don't need that kind of nastiness in my life.

I wasn't really sure how to write about this turn of events. There is so much going through my head. I'm hurt and shocked and feeling more than a little put-upon - there is definitely this, "damn it, universe, what did I ever do to you?" feeling. I mean, I was, for the first time in my life, actually enjoying work. Both of my part time gigs, and my freelance work, were all pretty satisfying. I was LOVING the fact that I didn't get filled with dread every Sunday evening, as had been the case for pretty much my entire working life. And then the rug just got pulled out from under me. So there's anger. And then fear. A lot of fear. Like how am I going to pay my bills? I'm losing 60% of my income! And I was just making it before. So this means it's back to monthly panic attacks while I try to figure out where the money for my school loans is coming from. Where rent money is coming from. How I'm going to pay for food. And on and on. This means I have to lean way too heavily on Matt for financial support - and frankly, things aren't so good for him either, so I'm afraid he won't be able to stretch his money far enough to cover us both. So I'm terrified. Not to mention the job market is looking pretty bleak these days, so it's difficult to even pep myself up with talk about how I'll find some great job any day now. And on top of that, I'm fairly humiliated. I couldn't hold on to a receptionist job. Not to knock the job - receptionists and admins are the unsung heroes of the business world. Fatcat execs have hardly an inkling of what these people do for them every day. Without them entire industries would come crashing to the ground. BUT. I have two college degrees. I'm smart! And talented! And my reception job, in particular, was a total breeze. And I was going above and beyond what I had been trained to do. So it feels pretty shitty that with all my innate intelligence, all my fancy education, and all my effort to make a niche for myself, I was deemed not enough. Anyway, there's the self pity.

Okay, I honestly didn't know this was going to turn into such a diatribe. I'll get to the point now.

So I'm having to reassess things. Figure out my next step. And I'm thinking I need to re-focus on the illustration and design career that had always been my goal, but had kind of receded into the background a bit. And this is what I'm thinking: wedding invitations. I've played around with this idea before, but now that I've done my own, I feel like I have new insight. I have a clear idea about what it takes to put them together, and based on some freelance work I've done in that vein, I have a better idea of how to best run such a business.

So this is just to tell everyone - I'm going to be putting together a line of wedding suites in the next few weeks, and selling them on etsy. I'll be opening a new etsy shop, dedicated to this endeavor. So spread the word, and keep your eye out for the shop opening!

And here, to end, is a picture my father sent me the other day - some of my early work. Circa 1983.

behind the ball on this one, but still...

2009-07-24T17:11:00.001-04:00

Watch this!!

When I first clicked on this I had mixed feelings - but by the end I was all choked up and wanted to watch their whole wedding!!

Happy Birthday Matt!!

2009-07-24T16:38:00.002-04:00

Today is a good day. Today is the 29th anniversary of my future-husband's birth!!

Thanks for being born shmoo :)

(the great artwork is by freya - thanks for turning me on to her, anna!)

Color Swoon!

2009-07-21T14:52:00.004-04:00

via green wedding shoes

Love love LOVE these colors... especially the top right picture. So bright and happy! I'm on the lookout for anything that color turquoise to use in our decor....

*happy sigh*

Gemma and Tim, 1978, Continued

2009-07-21T11:45:00.010-04:00

Okay, as promised, some more pics of my parents on their wedding day....

I'm not sure if this is before or after the ceremony, but somehow it has a distinct "waiting" kind of vibe, so I'm guessing it's pre-nuptuals. Thats my Dad on the left, sporting the sweet Jimminey Cricket tails, and my Uncle Barnabas on the right, sporting the beard to end all beards. Would you believe he's now rocking a completely shaved head and face?

Tim and Gemma were married on July 15, 1978, in Toronto. My Uncle Peter was the Best Man, and my Mom's friend Debbie was her MOH. In the front row, to the right of the priest, you can see my two Grannies!

Another angle on the ceremony. See the dress Debbie's wearing? My Mom told me the coolest story about that. The year my parents were married, Debbie was also married. So Mom and Debbie bought this dress together, and then they each wore it to the others wedding. How awesome is that??

The newlyweds, leaving the church... by the way, my Mom was wearing giant heels here - she's 5'4" to his 6'3" :)

And doing the meet-and-greet, post ceremony (their friend Mike rocking a sweet blue suit!).

Cutting the cake!

My Mom got her dress off the rack for like $30. She bought a whole whack of wine and cheese and a cake. Friends of their parents lent them their home and yard for the party. Simple simple simple!!
And now 31 years later, they're still together and happy - they're my marriage role models, to be sure.

Tuesday: the new Monday?

2009-07-21T08:50:00.001-04:00

I just killed a roach the size of my hand in the ladies room at work. Good morning to you too, world!

It stained the tile. Just saying.

how does your garden grow?

2009-07-20T15:40:00.012-04:00

Yay! First day of quasi-vacation is off to a great start. I'm feeling pretty productive today, even if I am avoiding certain (house cleaning) tasks...

I know I promised more pictures from my parent's wedding, but if you don't mind terribly, I'm going to wait until tomorrow to post those. Because today, my wonderful, handsome, TALENTED husband-to-be (who just happens to be a professional photographer - lucky me!) went out and took some beautiful shots of our garden! Let me share....

The bird feeder and random old weatherbeaten wood table that the previous tenant left.... we're either going to chuck it, or I'm going to put loads of potted plants on it....

The Echinacea flowers...

and our yellow rosebush!

More of the Echinacea - and Daisies!

Come on, these pictures are so amazing it's almost obscene. I mean, the garden is lovely, but Matt made it look like magic! It's so great having an outdoor space - this morning I actually did some yoga out there, and I swear it's put me in a good mood for the entire day. It's easy to feel disconnected in NYC - but nothing cures it like some greenery!

Gemma and Tim, 1978

2009-07-19T17:22:00.005-04:00

A few weeks back, I was visiting my parents, and found myself looking through their wedding album. Probably because I'm planning my own wedding, I felt freshly fascinated by the story of their wedding day. I had never really been that interested in the logistics of the day; who was in their bridal party, what they wore, what was the ceremony like, where they had the reception (did they HAVE a reception??), what kind of flowers my mother had, who helped put it all together, etc. etc. And so I picked their brains a little, and got to hear (for the first time) about how they and their friends and family gathered at the house of a family friend with a giant backyard, and had wine and cheese and cake, and how spontaneous dancing broke out when someone brought a radio (record player? I can't remember... this was 1978 after all.... did they even have electricity??) outside. I should probably get my pops to write about it, but for now, I just wanted to put up a little teaser, as I'm not feeling especially eloquent right now, and want to make sure I do this very important wedding justice in the re-telling :)

So here they are, my favorite married couple, on their wedding day: July 17, 1978 (there is a chance, being the degenerate daughter I am, that I'm wrong about the exact date.... but I'm pretty sure.... definitely '78 though!!)

I sure do love them :)

Stay tuned for more!!

lovely lovely love

2009-07-17T10:11:00.009-04:00

Photography by Tec Petaja

These are from forever ago - they're from a wedding featured on Once Wed, and they just capture, for me, the essence of things. The way they're leaning their heads together as he reads - it's such a real and loving gesture... it makes me feel all warm and mushy! It cuts through all the hooplah and bullshit, you know? These people are getting married because they love each other enough to want to formally commit to spending the rest of their lives together. That's it, end of story. Yes!! It really is a beautiful wedding - go check it out, if you haven't already!

Now that we're 99% moved into the new place, and what with tomorrow being my first day off and at home since we moved (can you hear the angels sing? hahhh-leluja!!!) I'm finding my brain turning back to all things wedding. Specifically all things OUR wedding. Specifically, I am at the point now, with less than three months to go, where all those things, all those thoughts and maybes and possibilities that have been floating around in my head, need to actually be sorted out, cut down, and put into action. It's time to organize, edit and act! And yes, I just said the same thing in two different ways. AND, in one hour and twenty minutes, I'll be on quasi-vacation for three whole weeks!! What that means, if you're wondering, is I am holiday from one of my two jobs - as a result I'll only be working two days a week. And that sounds pretty much like heaven. So I plan to sleep in, FINALLY get a chance to enjoy our garden in the mornings, catch up on projects, play around with some art, draw a lot, and hop to the wedding planning!

And hopefully, have more time and energy to pour into my neglected little blog :)

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

three months!!

2009-07-10T16:43:00.002-04:00

Holy macaroni - it JUST hit me that the wedding is EXACTLY 3 months away, as of today.

wow.

on moving and exhaustion

2009-07-10T14:53:00.007-04:00

via design sponge

So, I am way overdue for a post, and yet feel completely at a loss as to what to say. I'm exhausted, and have been for all of July, in fact. This is largely due to the move, I suppose, coupled with the fact that I've had early mornings every day for the past two weeks, but have been finding it difficult to get to bed before midnight. I have to say though, that I've gotten a lot done in these few weeks.... maybe I'll just brag a bit :)

1. Move into a new apartment? check (ok, so Matt did most of it, since I was working every day, but still!! I did a lot!
2. Design, print, assemble, hand-address, and mail 88 invitations? check!
3. Force myself to go for an annual doctor checkup that was almost 2 years overdue, and that I was dreading? check! (hey, i'm proud of myself, okay?)

Okay, so that's only three things. Three measly little things. But each one entailed so much work!! ANYWAY I'm even boring myself now, so I'll shutup about this.

What I need to do is go home and take pictures of my beautiful new backyard and garden and rosebushes so that I can show off a bit. Yeah.

Did I mention that I'm completely thrilled to have gotten the invitations out?? Now I'm antsy for people to start RSVPing on our website! Yay! If you're reading this and you got an invite, go RSVP now!! And if would be super fantastic if you were to sign the guest book too :)

Tomorrow will be a busy day - working from 9:00 to 1:00 and then trekking to Jersey City for a wedding party - but after that I am DEEPLY excited about sleeping in on Sunday. I feel like I could sleep for about a week. Oy!

Happy weekend everyone! Enjoy!!

too much

2009-07-01T14:18:00.002-04:00

too much to do and not enough time.... stupid holiday weekend! stupid plans! all i want to do is get moved into our new apartment. no time no time. the stress is getting to me.

ack!

back to the fun stuff!!

2009-06-30T14:41:00.024-04:00

After that rather heavy post on friday, I'm ready for something light and airy...

Isn't this gorgeous? So cosy and elegant all at once. Via Once Wed.

There's a lot going on these days! Obviously, the wedding: preparations roll on. We're trying to get all the invitations printed (check!), mounted (check!), wrapped, addressed, and mailed today. I bought the most awesome stamps yesterday:

I could eat them they are so freaking sweet!

I'll post pictures of the invites as soon as everyone's received theirs.

Also, we found out TODAY that we got the apartment! We're moving! I mean, we're just moving downstairs, so that's pretty rad, but moving nonetheless. And since our neighbor just moved out yesterday, the place is open NOW. So hopefully we can get the keys ASAP and do a gradual move over the course of the week. Which means I can clean the hell out of both places fairly easily. And the neat freak in me does a little jig. I'm stilling trying to wrap my brain around the fact that we're going to have a BACKYARD!! I can plant things!! I can have a vegetable garden!! I'm not even going to TRY and comprehend the fact that we're going to have a washer and dryer. One major life adjustment at a time, please! Hahaha, I just realized how ridiculous that sounds coming from me right now.

And trust, there WILL be pictures posted up here of our lovely new apartment very soon.

ALSO. i stumbled on this selection of dishware from Anthropologie. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that they make me DROOL. I have never lusted after dishes before. NEVER. But these.... holy moses. Needless to say, I figured out a way to register for them :)

Check it:

Be still my heart. I want a little of everything - the mixy matchyness would be so pretty. LOVE!

Oh, and if you need some help with keeping your perspective, or if you just want to giggle, check out this great article via 2000 wedding, via mental floss.

ttfn!!

feeling grateful

2009-06-26T14:44:00.010-04:00

Every time I write the word "grateful" I have to pause - and not for any deep meaningful reason, but because I can never remember which one is the Greatful Dead spelling (it's that one, hehe) and which is the correct spelling. So I always end up thinking about the Greatful Dead. Which makes me think about high school. And, in particular, a kid I used to know who was a huge deadhead. And then I always remember this one day, riding kind of aimlessly with a bunch of friends in his car, listening to these bootleg Dead tapes (yes, cassette tapes).

According to weather.com, this is the 19th day of rain this month. What means we've had 7 dry days in June. And 3 of those days were overcast. That means there have been a total of 4 sunny, rain-free days. No wonder I've been feeling groggy and sleepy and generally undewhelmed. But today, as I sit here, the sun is peeking out, and I'm feeling deeply deeply grateful for my life.

This may sound ridiculous, but to be honest, I'm not really bothered if it does. All the celebrity death in the past 2 days (Farrah and MJ in one day?!? As a friend of mine said, it looks like God was greedy for celebrities yesterday) has got me thinking. Last night as I was trying to fall asleep, I started to feel panicky. It was weird enough to think that Michael Jackson was dead. But the fact that at any moment, someone I actually LOVE could be gone, just became so large and terrifying. I felt paralyzed by it. It is so easy to feel distant from the reality of death, especially when you're young and healthy and lucky enough to have had limited exposure to it. It's hard to know how to function with a hightened awareness of death. But for some reason, this afternoon, I'm feeling a sort of equilibrium settling in. A comfort with the unpredictable nature of our time on the planet. There's almost a sense of freedom that comes with this perspective: things that would normally bug me, or make me feel self-conscious and anxious, I'm able to let roll off me. I'm released from giving a crap about things that don't really matter. And I have SO much to be thankful for. Trite but true. I have an amazing life, and I can honestly say that I have no regrets at this point. If something were to happen to me (a pretty way of saying "if I die tomorrow"), I would have no last minute pang of "crap!! why the hell did i spend my days working at Job X?!?!" or whatever. And that's a pretty amazing feeling.

What a rambly post this is. Unrelated to all things art and wedding. Ha ha. Hey, I'm alive, and healthy, and happy, and I'm free to write whatever I like, and really, that is just so damn cool I could spit.

Happy Friday everyone. And don't forget to tell them you love them.

getting married in the forest!!!!

2009-06-23T09:40:00.027-04:00

look at this magical forest wonderfulness!!

so our venue came through in the end - although it meant we had to switch caterers.... but in the end i think we're actually getting a better deal. so this week we're sending a lot of checks out - eek!!

oh saturday i went to look at the ceremony site and reception hall - they're on the same property, which was very important to us. all weekend it was rainy and grey, and the grounds were muddy, but it was still beautiful!! maybe it's just because living in new york makes me crave greenery, but i LOVE our ceremony site. it's a registered arboretum, and i can't think of anything better for our october wedding than a tree garden. if it ends up raining, we have an indoor option, but the only thing that'll make us give up on the outdoor ceremony is a torrential downpour! we're keeping it pretty short, so even if there's a light drizzle, we might make people come out with umbrellas (which we'll provide, of course!). of course, i've totally tempted fate now, with this elaborate post, and of course now it's going to rain buckets, and probably hail on our wedding day. but i'll be brave and laugh in the face of superstition; on with the pictures!!

theres a freshly paved pathway that you follow down from the reception hall:

and then it branches off to a dirt path:

a few feet down the path, you see this on your right:

it's a circular clearing called the bell garden. it's a little overgrown right now, but it will be mowed for the ceremony. there are a couple of wooden benches around the perimeter:

this is the back of the reception hall:

this is the side of the building - there's another door into the hall down there, under the awning:

and this is the front of the building - it's an historic farmhouse that was restored and added onto:

this is the room where my girls and i will get ready (it's the living room of the original farmhouse pictured above):

i am so relieved and happy to have this settled! i would have loved having our wedding in my parent's backyard, but i would have been way more stressed if we had gone that route. there would have been so many logistical things to figure out, and it would have been a lot less comfortable fitting 150 people in that space than in this one.

now i get to start thinking about the fun stuff!

wedding venue!!

2009-06-23T08:57:00.004-04:00

my tea is weirdly bitter this morning. and it's still grey and gloomy in nyc.

BUT

we have a wedding venue!! so things are feeling much sunnier :)

i took a million pictures of the ceremony site and the surrounding grounds on saturday. more pictures (and general info) will be up a little later today, but here's a teaser....

yippee!!!!

randomly

2009-06-19T13:47:00.003-04:00

i have to say that i hate engagement pictures. i think they're stupid as all get-out. i just don't get the whole concept. what is the point? other than to spend more money? what could be a better example of a silly convention created by the wic, designed to do nothing but add to your budget?? maybe i'm just a freak, maybe it's because the whole idea seems over-the-top sugary sweet to me. and maybe i'm missing some vital piece of important information. i'm certainly not maligning those who have chosen (or will choose) to have engagment photos taken - to each his own and all that good stuff. i simply felt the need to express my deeply felt WTF moment. REALLY!!!!! i feel like a crazy person here!! ick. engagement pictures. blargh. barf.

oh my goodness, things are looking up

2009-06-19T11:04:00.009-04:00

yes, it's true. i may be completely jinxing myself by writing about this, but i can't contain myself.

i think we might have a venue.

and a caterer.

that won't put us into debt.

and are still awesome.

keep your fingers and toes and eyes crossed please.

in other news, how great are these programs????

via mint design.

loving the colors. and the patterns. makes me almost reconsider my decision about programs (not doing them). Our ceremony (in the early stages of it's planning) is going to be very short and simple... programs might be a little too formal for us.

but they are so pretty.....

not in the mood

2009-06-16T13:30:00.013-04:00

i'm finding myself in a non-blogging kind of mood today... but then, sometimes the talky, random-thought blogs are the ones i most enjoy reading. so i thought i'd do one of those. hopefully you won't be bored to tears (all three of you!). if you don't enjoy talky rambly blog posts, then you may want to go look at something else. like this. or this. or this. all yummy.

ok, fair warning.

so, random thoughts.

1) Wren handmade. I found her wedding on Once Wed (sooooo pretty), and it made me want to look at her blog, and her blog made me want to be a crafter. to buy a sewing machine and have a craft room with cubbies full of fabric. if we end up moving, maybe i will. which leads me to....

2) moving. potentially? i haven't wanted to write about this, because i fear i will jinx it, but there is a good chance we will be moving into another apartment in our building very soon. as in like 2 weeks. the apartment in question is HUGE (relatively - i mean this is nyc, and we aren't millionaires), it has a basement, with a (gasp!!) washer and dryer (the equivalent to solid bars of gold in this town), a beautiful backyard (another nyc holy grail), and enough room for matt and i to have separate offices. the catch is that our rent would go up three or four hundred dollars. which we can handle, it's just a little scary when he's a freelancer and i'm a multiple-part-timer-cum-freelancer. things have been slow on the freelancing end lately, and we have a wedding to pay for in the next few months, so it's a little anxious-making. we'll likely know for sure this weekend.

3) speaking of things i am aiming to have done/decided by this weekend, we MUST have our venue figured out. so i can send invitations. gah.

4) i had (amazing) indian food for lunch today. and my hands still smell.

5) should i start another blog? just for wedding stuff? and really get into the nitty gritty? not just my random thoughts, but a more detailed blow-by-blow? because this is what i'm thinking: i'm thinking that i need some help staying sane in the face of the ridiculous pressure i feel sometimes to conform to the wic or diy "norms." i'm thinking that it might be helpful to have a dedicated blog for that purpose, with a mission statement and everything. i'm thinking it would be cathartic to vent wedding trials and tribulations to my hearts content without worrying that i was abandoning the other parts of myself (you know, the NON-WEDDING parts. sometimes it's hard to believe they exist, but they really really do) - like my art, my illustration.... you know, the reason i started this blog :) i'm thinking....

6) also, i would like a wallet that looks like this:

that's all for now, dear readers. i hope this wasn't too dull. please accept my apologies for the lack of anything resembling a point.

if you have gotten this far, you are either a saint or my mother (although i suppose that's a bit redundant:)).

friday blog love awards

2009-06-12T11:21:00.013-04:00

as i mentioned a few days ago, anna of anna and the ring recently bestowed on me the honor of a "One Lovely Blog" award :) and so, as requested, i now submit my own awards. lets call them "the bird's best blogs." heh heh.

The instructions are as follows:
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to 10 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

i confess these are not all "newly discovered," but they are my favorites!!

in no particular order.....

*my first wedding blog discovery/ wedding-related-thing-that-caused-me-to-heave-a-huge-sigh-of-relief: a $2,000 wedding

*a model of sanity in an insane wedding world: a practical wedding

*my go-to for wedding inspiration: snippet and ink

*non-wedding related, but SO much fun (who doesn't want to sneak a peak into other people's home? especially when those other people are artfully inclined!): the selby

*lovely lovely inspiring artwork by the yellow owl workshop

*i just stumbled on this the other day - and ten spent the entire afternoon reading her archives. such fun!! and so happy making!! color me katie

*this sweet blog offers really yummy tidbits of inspiration: abigail goes design scouting

*a fantastic, funny, intelligent wedding blog: $10,000 wedding

*a good place to vent wedding frustrations, as well as get good advice and the occasional reality check: indie bride

*and finally, another blog full of tasty eye treats: nest

hooray for blog love!!

illustration friday

2009-06-10T12:24:00.007-04:00

for the first time in ages i'm actually posting something illustration-related :)

this weeks illustration friday topic is craving.... of course i thought of cupcakes, and then of course it can't be simple, right? if it were so easy to get, i feel like it wouldn't elicit such longing. then again, maybe i just wanted to draw some funny little cars.

beep beep!!

blog awards coming soon....

it must be tuesday

2009-06-09T13:42:00.006-04:00

because i am writing a million posts.

i can't believe i've never seen this before, but holy-moley-freaking-what-the-dang-sweet-baby-jesus, this is easily one of the best things ever. top five. not to be superlative, but i am awed by the technical prowess it displays, and the sheer prettiness of it, and the quote! the perfect wonderful quote! just went right into my heart :)

run, don't walk, over to MadeByJulene to see more...... i am just floored by julene's work!

case in point:

REALLY??????? unbelievable.

i found these via the wonderful nest. now go look.

blog awards!!

2009-06-09T13:00:00.002-04:00

awwww.....

the very sweet and lovely anna, from anna and the ring, has given me her "one lovely blog" award!! who knew anyone was actually reading my ramblings?

i'll be posting some awards of my very own soon.....

thank you anna!!

more invitations.....

2009-06-09T11:57:00.002-04:00

oh wow, i found these yummy things this morning, from RIFLE:

basically, yeah. ours will have to be a little simpler (3 gallons of turquoise printer ink? not so much in the budget), but dang are these beautiful! and they capture the feeling i'm looking for perfectly. check out rifle's other stuff for sure..... so stinking awesome!!

also, i mentioned that we want to have people rsvp via phone and email/website - but i'm a little concerned about that being unwieldy..... anyone have any advice or words of wisdom about that?

candle glow

2009-06-05T16:16:00.002-04:00

maybe it's especially appealing to me right now, in this cold grey city, but i might have to swipe this idea for our centerpieces.......

via apartment therapy

rainy day in brooklyn town

2009-06-05T15:14:00.001-04:00

*sigh* it's rainy and gloomy in nyc today (source).......

i stumbled on these today, and they cheered me up a bit:

aren't these invitations yummy?? i am so going to "borrow" the trifold and ribbon idea.... they're by Libby Smith, and i found them at once wed (who have an awesome new site design - check it out!).

also from once wed:

i don't know... it just made me happy.

tomorrow i'm going to the renegade craft fair in mccarren park with my dear friends patti and liz..... the poster alone is reason enough to get excited!!

it's sponsered in part by etsy, and there's gonna be a treats truck there, so you know it's going to be awesome :) they have them in LA, chicago, and san fran too, so check it out! i'll report back next week.....

stay dry and warm, new york!! happy weekend!!

shoes

2009-06-02T14:33:00.001-04:00

i wonder... is it worth shopping for shoes when i'm probably just going to end up barefoot?

these are making me reconsider my hippy instinct......

and these.... although heels would probably be a bad idea (they don't really mix with outdoor weddings, right?)

and even though our "colors" are yellow, orange and teal, there's something about the color of these j.crew flats that makes me drool....

and then there are these..... so pretty!!! but again with the heels..... also, bare feet are much much cheaper :)

why i'm marrying him

2009-06-02T12:10:00.002-04:00

via adventures in daily living.... i'll have to take my own picture tonight!!

he came home yesterday with a big bunch of pink peonies.... for no reason in particular :)

130 days to go

2009-06-02T09:14:00.001-04:00

isn't the knot just so delightfully helpful? i log on ( i am using it for it's guest list feature! thats ALL, i swear!!), and it blares 130 DAYS TO GO!!!! all i have to say about that is zoinks.

granted, we are having a pretty short engagement (about 6 months - which seems kind of ridiculous to me, that 6 months is short, but anyway, thats another post altogether), but it is definitely freaking me out a little bit that we can't seem to nail down our venue.

here's the saga: first, we looked all over jersey, but realized pretty quickly that we were never going to be able to afford a typical wedding venue for the number of people we wanted to invite. we weren't willing to cut our guest list (as it is, we've trimmed it a few times, and in order to afford a traditional wedding, we would have to at least cut the guest list in half, and since our families alone make up almost 50% of the list, that was not really possible), so we decided to explore less traditional venues. like my parent's suburban backyard! long story short, i got insecure about that plan, and started looking at some other options, and two possibilities magically popped up. things started to align themselves for one of these places; they were affordable, available, and had indoor AND outdoor space. but we didn't want to put the deposit down until my sister had a chance to look at it (it's a few hours away from us), but it seemed like a go. our officiant saved the date, our caterer saved the date, all seemed well. i felt like the stars were aligning! but then, glitch. our caterer is a family friend, and she is able to give us a great price, partly b/c she was assuming we were holding it at my parents place, and so she wouldn't have to charge us for insurance. silly me, i assumed that she had insurance. so when i asked her to show the venue her license, well, obviously i found out that wouldn't be possible. SO. basically i had a minor breakdown.

i called my parents, and my dad said "give me this guy's (the contact at our desired venue) name and number, and maybe i'll go talk to him in person, and see if something can't be worked out." matt thought this was great ("what is he, don corleone?"), and i agree. we've been getting so much support throughout this process, it's really pretty amazing. i never would have thought to ask my pops to do such a thing, and i was pretty touched that he offered. we're a very lucky couple :)

so who knows at this point what's going to happen. i'm revisiting the pot-luck or bbq at my parents place idea. in a way this might be a good thing, because it may force us to remember our original intentions for the day - simple simple simple!! the trimmings are not important to us... but it is so easy to get caught up in wedding shenanigans. so now i'm concentrating on being zen. whatever happens will happen. the important thing is that matt and i are getting married. as long as that happens, the rest is just details.

this is helping.....

via a practical wedding via Hannah of Stonehouse Photo.

disheartened

2009-05-30T17:18:00.003-04:00

sometimes, it feels impossible....

also..... please don't get complacent about this....

2009-05-29T11:04:00.001-04:00

apparently today is a blogging day for me.... a completely unoriginal day, one where all i'm really doing is re-posting other people's wonderfulness, but still. blogging nonetheless :)

i just wanted to share this amazingly heartfelt post from meg over at a practical wedding.

it breaks my heart that there are so many people in this country who are not afforded the right to legally marry. it makes me feel guilty for being able to marry whenever i want, wherever i want (although not WHOever i want... and thats the crux of it, for me. how can the government tell me who i can and cannot marry?). when matt and i get married, it will be with an acute awareness of our blessings.

as meg says:
It is both a great privilege and a huge responsibility to be getting married in the middle of this fight for civil rights, this fight for marriage.

i know how easy it is to get complacent about such things, so i was super grateful to meg for blogging so beautifully about this issue. do yourself a favor and read it!

i must remember this......

2009-05-29T10:32:00.001-04:00

sara over at 2000 wedding offered this wonderful post about the trickiness of the wedding industry last week, and somehow i missed it until today....

here's a taste of her wisdom:

The really sick part is that the wedding industry tries to tap into our psyches by feeding us crap about our weddings being "The best day" of our lives and our one chance to have "The perfect day." With that kind of pressure, of course we're going to think that the benefit of hiring profesionals outweighs the cost. We become convinced that we need a professional to write our friends' and families' addresses on invitation envelopes or to put flowers in a vase or cover the chairs at our receptions.

Suddenly, all of these things that would never seem necessary for a regular party feel like non-negotiables for our W-E-D-D-I-N-G-S. We start to doubt our ability to have a meaningful and memorable wedding if we can't afford all the professional services (or--gasp!--choose not to use them).

really, i'm posting this so that i will always have it nearby when i find myself overcome by wedding insanity :) reality check, please!!

balloon love

2009-05-29T09:18:00.001-04:00

love this!! these are our colors!! via jerry yoon photography.

also.....

2009-05-26T13:46:00.001-04:00

lovely anna left me this comment - and it just sums up my feelings about the wedding so nicely (my bolding)....

I hate the word cheap – just because someone chooses the cheaper avenue does not mean they haven’t spent just as much time on their wedding. If anything they have often needed to think more to make it a beautiful or individual event.

Oh dear I feel a mini rant coming on! I want to make my own invites. I want to print them on my gocco and then type them on my typewriter. Oh I’m being cheap again – just because I detest the cookie cutter wedding and want to be different does not mean I am skimping on my materials!

CAKE CUTTING FEES – In London I’ve had hotels quote me up to $12 per person – really, really?!!!!!

I was sucked in by wedding magazines – but now have seen the light – I hate how they force the perfect wedding onto everyone. I have no desire for my wedding to be perfect. I just want my closest family and friends to see me marry the man I love and help us celebrate the first day of the rest of our life. Preferably with great unpretentious food and yummy wine.

hooray anna!!

as i see over and over in my obsessive reading-of-wedding-blogs, this getting-sucked-into-wedding-bullshit is SO common, and SO commonly something that really intelligent women have to fight against (internally and externally). as meg at a practical wedding calls, it, "losing the plot". even the brightest and most evolved among us lose the plot in the planning process. just remember YOUR plot points, and breathe...

and that concludes another rambling think from yours truly :)

prop 8 - rhymes with hate

2009-05-26T13:22:00.001-04:00

Really?? Dude!! California!! I am SO disappointed in you. You're supposed to be a bastion of lefty politics! A sunny liberal paradise! A forward thinking, envelope-pushing pioneer! If you of all states can't get your heads into the 21st century, if you of all states insist on passing and upholding hateful, discriminatory laws, what hope does the rest of the country have?? Thank God for Iowa.....

I suppose it's a good thing that the couples who were married won't have their marriages nullified, but that hardly feels like a victory. I really cannot believe how hard headed and completely unreasonable people can be. This is a policy informed by ignorance and fear. One day we'll tell our grandchildren about this, and it will blow their minds that we lived in a time when only straight people were allowed to be married.

WE can do better than this.

wedding invitations

2009-05-19T14:52:00.002-04:00

so we've decided to skip the save-the-dates. it just seemed like a lot of unnecessary money, paper, and time to waste. we're being a little more earth friendly and just doing invitations on the early side. i'm just making sure i let family, long distance peeps, and the bridal party know by phone or email that it's going to be on OCTOBER 10!! at least, unless something happens in the next couple of planning steps that makes that date impossible :)

so i'm trying to come up with ideas for the invitation. i've been searching online for inspiration, and after a while, they all start to kind of look the same..... i saw a cool indian-inspired letterpress invite, and it made me think.... our colors (more on colors later) have a coincedentally southwest/mexican flavor (yellow, orange, turquoise and white, essentially), so i thought, why not do something sort of mexican-folk-artsy? kind of along these lines:

the colors would be different, obviously, but the image is just what i was picturing.... by the way, this comes from a quilt made by one of my favorite etsy sellers, badbird.

what do you think?

the wedding industry is a piece of crap and totally disgusts me

2009-05-12T11:07:00.001-04:00

i know this isn't news to most people, and this has been written about many many times (see here, and here, and here, for some of the best examples) - but GAH!!!!!!! i just have to vent a little bit!! i've been researching wedding stuff all morning (in other words, it has been a completely typical day for me so far), and am about ready to puke.

matt and i have decided to buck convention and have the ceremony and reception in my ever-loving-parent's backyard. sure, it means that there are a million more details for me to obsess over (and believe me, the control freak in me is doing the happy dance and clocking in some overtime), and since my parents live in suburbia there is a privacy issue to deal with, and neighbors to butter up, and who knows what kind of noise permits we might have to russle up, but it means that we'll be able to make our wedding that more personal and fabulous without taking out a $50,000 loan. which is not even a SLIGHT exaggeration of what we would very easily spend on a "standard" wedding these days.

ANYWAY, this morning i woke up swimming in anxiety - convinced that we were doing something completely ridiculous and insane. i was worried that the music would be too loud, causing our reception will be interrupted and shut down by the police. i worried that we wouldn't be able to come up with an asthetically pleasing and affordable way to block the yard from passersby and that our ceremony would become a street spectacle. i worried that 150 people wouldn't fit into my parent's yard. and yes, i worried that people would tsk tsk us for being cheap (the word i imagined them using) and untraditional.

and so i found myself this morning at work, resuming my hunt for the perfect venue: somewhere spacious and beautiful, with enough indoor and outdoor space, somewhere that would allow us to bring our own caterer in and basically have total control over the day. oh, and someplace we could actually afford. needless to say, my search was as fruitless today as it has been for the past month. HOWEVER, it was not a total loss, as i now find myself even more thoroughly disgusted by the cost and expectations of a "typical" wedding, and my anger has me totally gung-ho about our little backyard diy-fest.

a little taste of what made my blood boil: an historic home with surrounding gardens, in the bronx, informs ever so matter-of-factly on it's website that in order to have your wedding there, you must:

a) become a member (for one year) at a cost of $5000
b) pay an additional $1500 site rental fee
c) use their own caterer - at an AVERAGE cost of $250 per person

that, ladies and gentleman, is over $40,000. and, if you're having a "traditional" wedding, that means you still have to spend thousands on a dress, a tux or suit for the groom, a band or dj, a photog, a videog, invitations, save-the-dates, programs, flowers, an officiant, bridal party gifts, and favors. not to mention decorations, a guest book, CAKE CUTTING FEES (seriously? how can anyone even say that with a straight face??), shoes and jewelry for the bride, hair and makeup for the bride, and a wedding planner. the fact that anybody does this drives me batty (it is really, REALLY hard for me to refrain from certain four-letter-words right now). all i can think about are the people who are working 3 jobs to feed their families, kids who are starving, all the suffering in the world, and people choose to spend tens of thousands of dollars on one day, on all this shit (oops, that one slipped out) that usually just ends up obscuring the whole point of the day. i understand that people dream about their weddings, i understand the desire to make the day important and special and unforgettable. i TOTALLY understand getting caught up in the wedding frenzy and suddenly feeling like you absolutely, positively MUST have those $200 table runners. it's such a big, convincing, culturally ingrained machine (the wedding machine, that is). i myself have been sucked in many times. but today i feel like i've been slapped in the face (in the best possible way :)) - i don't give a flying rats ass what anyone thinks we should or shouldn't be doing/spending. this is about me and matt loving each other and wanting to make a formal committment to each other, in front of everyone we love. thats it. it's not about the food or the flowers or the music or even the party.

so there.

a little whingeing and also some wedding stuff....

2009-04-20T10:33:00.002-04:00

i haven't updated in ages and ages, and now i'm ready to rant! i'll try and keep it short. let's just say that you should never ever ever get a loan with sallie mae. at least not a student loan. because they are horrible. disorganized and unhelpful. just don't so it. if you want more detailed reasons, just email me and i'll fill you in.
ANYWAY that's so not what this blog is supposed to be about. SO. i got engaged a few weeks ago! that's pretty yay!! and now i'm spending a LOT of time looking at internet "wedding porn" - mom, that means wedding blogs, not naked ladies. so forgive me if my blogs and links for a few months are all wedding related :)
speaking of which, i'm considering using spoonflower to get some of my prints in fabric, and using that in my decor..... i'm DEFINITELY using some of my prints in the invites and save-the-dates. i'm thinking something like this:

anyway, i have lots and lots to say about weddings, and i'll ramble on about my plans in later posts, i'm sure. but for now, here's something i've done recently...

check out today's eyecandy!!
have a happy monday!

it's been awhile....

2009-03-18T10:09:00.001-04:00

this week's illustration friday topic is "legendary." this guy would be pretty legendary, i think :)

thats all i got today.

oh wait, eye candy..... here you go.

it's going to be 60 degrees here in nyc today.... maybe that'll perk me up....

how to avoid doing real work 101

2009-02-26T10:35:00.001-05:00

this is how i procrastinate now. i make color boards. here's a pink one! i normally don't go gaga for pink, but i was feeling it this morning....

el creditos (from top left):
1. i love hedgehogs!! this one is from Madison Craft.
2. this candle is AMAAAZING. i bought one when i was in chicago, visiting adrian and sharon, and i love it to pieces. i should have bought 10 of them, cause we went through the one in no time. it's a soy candle that doubles as a moisturizer - and the smell (quince) is super duper yummy. order online at www.mojospa.com, or if you're in the area, go see them! really, that place is a sensory delight :)
3. i stumbled on these online - really lovely packaging, and they're for a good cause! more at Gianna Rose Atelier.
4. (underneath the soaps) this screenprint from linocutboy is awesome :)
5. a pink hibiscus!
6. yummy sugar cookies from Cream Bakery!
7. i love this adorable little girl's peasant dress from MissMe Boutique! and you can't beat the price!
8. betsey johnson designed this pink apartment. Betsey Johnson. need i say more? read about it here. and here.
9. this is a poppy retro print from KathGood that makes me happy!
10. COME ON. how stinkin adorable can you get? these mini easter bunny cards are from seasonal delights, over at etsy. i want to eat them!!!
11. some pale pink hydrangeas....

man, i love making these.... finding new artists and sharing old favorites.... i wonder if i could get paid to do THIS? anyone? anyone?

we are pretty much out of food at chez matt and liz, so i'm going to get creative and make some rice pudding for lunch. nutritious? not so much. delicious? you betcha!

as for eye candy, i think you've had more than enough for one day, don't you?

happy thursday!

illustration friday: instinct

2009-02-21T22:02:00.001-05:00

here we go.... this week's IF topic is "instinct"......

lets just say, you should always consider your.....

... yes, your gut reaction :) you know, because that's probably your best bet for realizing what your instinct is......

more eye candy for today: poppytalk!

and don't forget to check out my etsy shop. support the handmade revolution!!

back to basics

2009-02-21T17:08:00.002-05:00

i just felt like DRAWING yesterday... so i DID. i just sat there and drew from my imagination, and i felt like a kid again. i used to spend hours just drawing... no agenda, no plans to ever show anyone what i was doing, just drawing for the sheer pleasure of it.

this is one of the things i came up with, and i actually kind of like it......

take a look at this fun blog, lili and jojo..... it got my creative juices flowing......

the blues

2009-02-20T11:12:00.001-05:00

today i have a full on case of the blues.

here is some blue stuff.....

from top left:
1. Lily Moon's etsy shop : www.LilyMoon.etsy.com
2. Baabaa Creation's etsy shop: www.baabaacreations.etsy.com
3. bluejay (reminds me of home)
4. Miles Davis's Kind of Blue (one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time)
5. bluebells
6. Phi phi island (this has been my dream vacation spot for at least 8 years now)
7. some random blue flowers
8. Cozy Blue's etsy shop: www.cozyblue.etsy.com
9. cornflowers....

2009-02-10T13:27:00.002-05:00

i'm adding lots of new stuff to my shop.... i'm playing around a lot - hopefully something decent will come out of it :)

this illo came from an idea i had for an album cover i'm working on - the idea was discarded for that project, but i couldn't shake it, and this image grew out of that kernel.....

i'm going to put up some small paintings i've done as well... keep an eye out!!

oh! and i got a haircut yesterday! i wanted it short, but she kind of went berzerk and made it REAL short - closer to pixie than bob. i look a little bit like a young boy. but i also think it's kind of cute - plus it's totally out of my face, and i am my mother's daughter, and not having to think about my hair is pretty awesome :)

i'm going to try and give you a fun site to scope out every time i post.... from now on! then at least it's not just ME rambling about ME every time! ok, so here's today's eye candy :)

happy tuesday!

time

2009-02-08T00:40:00.001-05:00

this week's illustration friday topic is, appropriately enough, time (appropriate because of my earlier post today - you know, living in the moment and all - i'm so self-referential). anyway, it made me think of how infrequently most of us take the time to just be still and absorb our surroundings.

here and now

2009-02-07T15:40:00.001-05:00

i really struggle with being present.... it's the biggest obstacle to my happiness, for sure. i found this great article at psychology today. when my brain becomes a runaway train on the track to panic-land, it helps to ground myself in the moment... it's especially important to know that it's something that needs to be worked at constantly. it's lucky the universe is so good at sending reminders :)

i'm working on some pendants to sell in my shop.... it's fun to be working with my hands again - so much of what i've been doing lately revolves around the computer....

it's warmish today, and the days are getting longer... i'm excited for spring (she says, after waxing about living in the moment, haha).

happy saturday!

lists

2009-01-31T13:38:00.001-05:00

i've been sick sick sick all week long... totally out of commish (that's short for commission people). so i haven't been doing anything but watching friday night lights, and now i have a backlog of plans/ to-dos/ and ideas.....

1. i get so many ideas from cruising etsy about what i can sell in my shop. like, for example, i want to make a children's book. i came up with this little girl for my main superhero character (well not superhero in that she'll have powers, but superhero in that she'll totally be awesome and rad). lulu begonia is her name. but i haven't really figured out her game yet....

2. i need to start working on the album cover for babette's new cd. (listen to it - it's really beautiful).
3. i need to finish laura's wedding invitations....
4. i need to work up some idea's for another wedding commission (for someone i don't even know! progress, people!)
5. i want to go to ikea and get a bunch of cheapo frames so that i can do this in my apartment:

the first image is from an old design sponge sneak peak, and the second is from the selby - i especially love this interior from the selby - i want my living space to be this family oriented and cozy!
6. playing with pattern-making: if nina and i are going to get into this for real, i have to for real get into it :) here are some that i came up with a few weeks ago (before the plague hit):

7. i'm also hoping to put some paintings up on etsy.... i just have to figure out what i want to paint.... if i want to go more decorative (something that's fun and seems to do well on etsy) or something more explorative, figurative, creative (all ways for me to avoid saying artsy - worst word ever).
8. make more work for my new yorker portfolio drop-off in march.... i'm planning to do more ink+pattern and texture stuff, along the lines of this piece i did a few months ago:

9. make something for illustration friday. this week's word: flawed.
10. and of course, as always, clean the house. unnngh.

fatties

2009-01-24T20:29:00.002-05:00

some new stuff.....

they're my funny fat bird series :) not so serious, but then, who wants to be serious all the time?

happy weekend
xx

printsource 2009

2009-01-18T10:39:00.001-05:00

warning: i cannot seem to think of any synonyms for the words inspiring and super. my brain power is on low today... so prep yourself to hear loads of supers and inspirings.

nina and i went to printsource last week, and wowza! we came away feeling SO inspired! it was great to meet creative souls from all over the place, especially those BRAVE creative souls who were there, doing their thing without a big company backing them, just promoting their amazing work all by themselves. it was super inspiring. we got to chat for a while with jessica gonacha, an independent artist and textile designer who was so friendly and great, not to mention super talented. check out her stuff, you won't be disappointed! she's an etsy-ite, too :) i love her
just-do-it attitude, and her willingness to put herself and her work out there. inspiring!

also, jillian phillips, a lovely artist with lilla rogers (a SUPER awesome studio - check them out for other phenomenal artists), was incredibly sweet and chatty. and i'm COMPLETELY in love with her work! check it out here.

all in all, a worthwhile use of my time :) nina and i are making plans to be as bold as jessica next year, and try and get our very own booth at printsource!!

treasure hunting

2009-01-09T16:56:00.001-05:00

the past few days i've spent hours being sucked into interweb land..... i feel like time is flying by and i'm getting nothing done, but then i remember that i need to stock up on inspiration. i'm like a squirrel right now, collecting my nuts, hahah. and then i go into a brief hibernation and when i wake up i have new ideas! wah-hoo! anyway, i spent some of my non-existent disposable income today on an amazing pendant from OlaDesign (check out her etsy shop - it's chock full of beautiful things!). i won't tell you which one cause it's a surprise present for someone special...

i've been researching my booty off, trying to figure out how i can make my own pendant necklaces, using my art. seriously, what did anyone DO before the internet? i found resources galore, and hopefully in the next few weeks you should see some original jewelry popping up in my etsy shop. and yes, i realize i'm very etsy-centric right now. i love it. so sue me.

if anyone is looking for info on making their own resin jewelry, check out this really informative e-how video by yet another etsy-ite.

ALSO, check out these awesome papers i found at the paper studio.

pretty sweet.

craft robo!!

2009-01-07T10:21:00.001-05:00

i want one of these.
see the great etsy article about them here.

happy new year!

2009-01-02T17:22:00.001-05:00

i can't believe it's 2009. time really does go by faster when you get old :) 2008 was a good year, all told - there were some seriously rough patches, but i feel like i got spit out the other end of it in pretty good shape. i'm in such a positive place now - it's a nice way to start a new year.

i never did go in much for new years resolutions. they always seemed to bring more negativity than anything else, because they were always about "fixing" something i didn't like about myself. they inevitably arose from some negativity i was nurturing (i'm not thin enough, i'm not disciplined enough, i'm not a good enough friend, i'm lazy, etc.), and were always way too intense and lofty to be realized in any real or lasting way, so they only brought me disappointment and some seriously mean inner dialog. so i threw the whole idea of resolutions out the window a few years ago. this year though, it seems that a different kind of resolution has snuck its way past my anti-resolution guards. it's not so much a resolution as a recognition of something that has been brewing for a while, and that the beginning of a new year is a nice way to bring it more clearly into the light. it's a pretty simple idea; i am being kind to myself. i'm forgiving myself, and more than anything, cultivating a loving attitude. and it's having huge and unexpected results. i'm happier, more relaxed, and more motivated to work my butt off. it's basically pretty rad.

so anyway, here's to a new year and a new kind of resolution. may 2009 bring you peace of mind, and may you be super duper sweet to yourself and others!

jingle bells, batman smells

2008-12-14T15:07:00.001-05:00

So much for bi-weekly blog updates. I'm finding that the days seem to have fewer and fewer hours lately (and I'm not just talking hours of daylight)- and I think it's a good thing, because it's a result of my increased enthusiasm for, well, life in general. I have so many things that I want to do, so many projects I want to work on, stuff to create - it's exciting but it also means I'm constantly overestimating how much I can do in a day, so I'm always feeling a little behind my brain. Really, it's like a switch has been flipped, and my little brain is on overdrive! Sometimes steam comes out of my ears.
Anyway, it seems that the christmas season has been slipping by without me noticing, and all the holiday type things I wanted to do are not getting done. I'm being pretty zen about it though... I let go of the idea that I was going to be able to make and send christmas cards to everyone (sorry guys) - and I'm running out of time to decorate the apartment (although I'm having fun "researching" for inspiration - check out nest and design sponge)! Never mind all the hand-made gifts I'm planning to magically whip out of my tuchas in the next week or so. Oy! But I did manage to get some holiday-related stuff up on my etsy sh op - although I haven't had any bites, and I'm thinking it might be too late at this point to hope for any! Nevertheless, this is my place to share artistic brain farts, so here are some things I'm playing with....

Also, Matt and I bought some sumi paper and are playing around with making our own wrapping paper - here's one I came up with....

If I don't post again before the new year - have a really happy holiday!!

xx

ooooooh, etsy

2008-12-05T10:34:00.002-05:00

so my etsy shop is now officially open... well it has been since monday, actually. and, amazingly, i've made some sales! to non family members!! three cheers!! anyway, i'm having a LOT of fun with it - it's really freed me up, creatively. i'm finding that i'm way more willing to experiment, and much less worried about sticking to "a style" or making stuff thats going to fit into specific markets. it's an awesome feeling, and i'm suddenly super productive. yay! so here are some things i've been playing around with......

.... doing more elaborate drawings before i work on them in photoshop - well maybe not so ELABORATE as just using some shading... but for me, a former member if the i-hate-shaded-pencil-drawings, it's pretty elaborate.

now i'm trying to come up with some christmas cards to sell on etsy, but i don't know if i'll have time to get them up there fast enough. we'll see..... and you will too! if you keep checking this awesome blog!

xo

that's like, your opinion, man

2008-11-23T18:01:00.002-05:00

this week's illustration friday is "opinion." of course, opinions fuel arguments and wars, but they also make up the fabric of communication. anyway, too many words from me will kill anything, hehe. so i'll zip it and let you form your own OPINION. oh i am so tricky!!

and YES, thats a quote from the big lebowski. the dude! i love it. it's so stinkin multi-purpose.

i'm working on some wedding invitations for lovely laura - look for some art from that soon. also, with T-day around the corner, maybe i'll work up some gobble gobble...

booty-licious project

2008-11-22T22:24:00.001-05:00

A good friend of mine is in a burlesque troop here in nyc -the dilettaunts - and i recently did their promo card.... check it! my SUPER DUPER TALENTED matt did the pictures!

more owly time

2008-11-12T23:59:00.001-05:00

my teacher-mentor-friend nina mentioned that she would be curious to see my treatment of an owl drawn from observation.... so here is my illustration of "late," part deux. and of course, nina was right... i think it's much more me. you really can't beat having awesome feedback people in your life - especially as an artist. go team!!

night owl baby

2008-10-21T13:00:00.001-04:00

this week the illustration friday challenge is "late." i have a thing for owls, so this was a good excuse to get owly.