The WEBBlog

Finally...It's Time!

2011-01-31T18:35:00.000-06:00

Would you believe me if I told you that you can head over to the new site today?! There are still some parts under construction and a few kinks to work out, but we're close enough that I feel good about launching over at Collected! So if you wouldn't mind, would you please update your links/bookmarks? It should only take a minute! Or you can now subscribe on the right of the new blog. I just don't want to lose you, so don't forget to save the new site! This site will remain up for a little while, but all the content from here has been transferred over.

Click here to head on over to Collected!

Rue

2011-01-28T02:08:00.001-06:00

I'm so happy about all these fantastic online magazines at our virtual fingertips these days. Rue just came out with their 3rd issue and it does not disappoint.

Doesn't this apartment just scream New York to you?

I'll take this whole outfit, thanks.

Love the mid-century modern pieces below.

Cute styling in this feature section!

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See more from this issue and past issues here. Have a great weekend!

Tea Towels

2011-01-27T01:28:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking about ways to add some more color into the kitchen. We have some accessories in orange and yellow and I decided that a fun tea towel would add something extra in to the kitchen. Here are some options I found on Etsy:

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And speaking of the kitchen, it is 99% done. I would like to wait to post until the new blog is (finally) up and running. We've been working on some minor coding issues but they should be resolved ASAP. Do you feel like I'm that guy who says he's going to call, but never does and is just totally leading you on?! Because that is how I feel right now. I don't want to make any more promises on the launch of the new blog or the kitchen reveal or I might have to break out into my favorite 3LW song..."I'm gettin real tired of your broken promises, promises". A song which I sing to Adam all the time. I sincerely hope it's up on Monday and I can show the kitchen Tuesday but I'm not getting my hopes up!

Chocolate + Good Packaging

2011-01-26T10:04:00.000-06:00

Check out this cute chocolate company, Curious Chocolate. With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought these might be a relevant share. I appreciate the cute packaging and overall feel of their brand and website! To order or see more products, go here.

They also have fun little packages and cards.

{found via Creature Comforts, images}

Pirate Room

2011-01-25T01:12:00.000-06:00

Talk about a ~~kid's~~ my dream room! Complete with a rope into the closet and a bridge, this pirate themed room wins for best kids room in my book. I was excited to find this because it coordinates with another real kids room I'll be sharing next week!

{found via Morgan, images via Kuhl Design Build}

This room was designed and executed by Kuhl Design Build. Check out their site to see more creative and inventive ideas (including a secret spiral slide in a house) here.

Alt Recap

2011-01-24T03:18:00.000-06:00

First of all, as you can see, we are not up and running on the new blog. We are working out a few kinks, but I will let you know as soon as we're live over there!

Secondly, I have to tell you how much fun I had at Alt! I feel refreshed, inspired and overwhelmed by all the knowledge from the panel speakers. I loved meeting new people and seeing some familiar faces. Overall, the conference was a complete blast. Here are some (really bad) pictures:

Mondo and Seth Aaron from Project Runway

The perfectly planned Kate Spade + Girls With Glasses sponsor party. They certainly knew who they were marketing to!

{photo c/o Angela and Ithyle}

I could go on and on about all the great people I met and all that I learned. Instead I will just tell you that if you have the opportunity to go next year, go!

Alt Part 2

2011-01-21T08:39:00.001-06:00

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I'm having so much fun at Alt. listening to the great panel members and meeting the faces behind some of my favorite blogs. I'm also loving being introduced to so many new to me blogs. During lunch, Mondo and Seth Aaron from Project Runway did a little interview and then stayed to meet and greet. Mondo was darling!

I will share pictures, recaps and new blogs with you all soon! Also, the last minute touches are going on the new blog. I'll send you over there today! If you want to follow along today or any day, I finally got a Twitter account for the new blog. You can find me @collectedblog!

Alt

2011-01-20T08:28:00.000-06:00

Here I go! The new site will launch later today or tomorrow morning so check back in!!

Here's the after of my skirt and my outfit for the day:

Have a good day and hope to see some of you at Alt!

To Do's

2011-01-19T10:47:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the late/lame post today but I have been frantically trying to get things together! I have a grocery list and meal planner from Knock Knock but I'm thinking I could really benefit from one of their To Do lists. With all this technology, I still prefer to write things down...I think it helps me remember things better that way.

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I am picking up my new business cards for my NEW BLOG that will hopefully launch in part, tomorrow or Friday! I'll be bringing them to Alt to hand out. When I get back from the printer, I'll try and get a post up showing you them.

I also stopped by Savers (thrift store) and bought some great stuff the other day to wear at Alt. Gotta look your best for this you know. I'm in the process of hemming this crazy floral skirt. Its before is quite hideous, but when it's just at the top of my knee, it turns into this totally cute flouncy little thing!

I'll show you the final skirt/outfit hopefully tomorrow, before I head to Alt.!

And check out these amazing shoes I found at Savers that were very sadly, NOT in my size. I even brought them to the checkout counter because I didn't want to part with them. If anyone is a size 6-6.5 run to the Orem Savers and grab these. It would make me so happy to see them with a good home!

Adam has been so amazing and has been working on the kitchen. The backsplash just needs to be grouted and then a final coat of paint needs to go on the walls. I would love for the reveal to be on Monday, but I'm being realistic since we are quite busy this weekend. I will bet on next week for sure though!

I am off to complete all the little things on my To Do list! Have a great Wednesday!

Valentines Chair Pouches

2011-01-18T10:11:00.000-06:00

So who forgot to tell me Valentine's Day is only a few weeks away!? With the kitchen, design work, Alt. and one crazy little girl who is one month away from 1, I completely forgot that it is quickly approaching! I loved these pouches when I saw them in Pottery Barn and really like this adaptation from The Polka Dot Chair. I'm not making any promises, but after this week, I hope to at least make one thing for Valentine's Day. Once this week is over, I *think* things may calm down around here!

{old Pottery Barn}

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Paint, Paint, Paint...

2011-01-17T10:50:00.000-06:00

At least I hope that's what we do today! Between Adam's school stuff and some major cleaning I need to do, I'm hoping we can get the kitchen mostly finished up. I'm also hoping to get everything together for Alt., which is Thursday! Enjoy MLK Jr. Day! I'll leave you with this old Sony Bravia commercial...the paint seems fitting for our plans today.

And if you haven't seen the Sony Bravia video with the bouncy balls, you must see it here. Such happy commercials.

DIY Cake Stands

2011-01-14T01:11:00.002-06:00

This whole 1st birthday party is coming together in my head and I am loving it so far. I had just been lamenting over the fact that I don't have a pretty cake stand for the fabulous cake I'm getting when I saw a post on DIY Cake Stands on You Are My Fave. Perfect! Simple and really cute. And I'm assuming much cheaper than all the ones I've been looking at. I'll have to see if Adam is in the mood for another project...

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Oh and speaking of the cake! Back during Bloggers Give Back, I bid and won on a cake from Pink Peach Cakes. I tried some of her cake at Bijou Market and it was delish! Plus her cakes are so unique and beautiful. I'm sure whatever Darcie comes up with for the party will be fantastic! Here's a sample of her work:

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Happy Friday! We are trying to get this kitchen finished up over this long weekend!

Indie Lyn

2011-01-13T10:00:00.001-06:00

Here is teeny tiny little Indie Lyn. She is only 5 lbs, but oh so cute. Meet Indie...

I can't tell you how happy I was to get to finally see little Indie Lyn. She has been long awaited and much anticipated and I'm so excited for Trey and Jami.

Subway Tile

2011-01-12T01:41:00.000-06:00

The more I look at pictures of kitchens, the more I lean towards wanting to put in white subway tile as our backsplash. It's so clean and classic! I have to check out some of my options before I make a decision though.

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Headboard Inspiration

2011-01-11T02:09:00.000-06:00

I mentioned awhile ago that I'm hoping to upholster a headboard and change up our bedroom a bit. Spotted these two headboards on Alice Lane and loved them. I have been going back and forth between wanting a faux leather headboard or a velvety/soft material. I think I'll have to head to Home Fabrics and see what jumps out at me. Once we finish up the kitchen, I'm definitely moving on to the bedroom!

Here's a great tufted leather option.

And a great mohair fabric with nailhead trim. I'm loving this coral color right now!

This house is really beautifully done. To see more of the house, click here.

Giveaway Winner: New Year's Resolution Art Print

2011-01-10T15:51:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Katie! Contact me at: briannajmwebb@gmail.com so we can get started on your print!

Kitchen Stools

2011-01-10T09:46:00.001-06:00

Well, the kitchen is in! We're at about 85% finished. All the major things are done (cabinets, sink faucet, appliances), but we still need to paint, pick out hardware, tile our backsplash and get stools. I think a full reveal will be in order next week.

I've been looking at bar stools for our island. We don't have a ton of space, so I'd like stools that are pretty slim so they can be tucked away. Here are some options I found:

Simple Ikea chairs. Great price and easily tucked into island area.

Love these knock-off Tolix chairs from Overstock, though reviews say it's painted metallic not the galvanized metal look it appears to have in the pictures.

These are knock off chairs too. I happen to really like them, but the price is dissuading me. I'd like to keep these budget friendly.

These last ones are from eBay. Totally plays into the lucite trend, and because they are clear, will appear to not take up much space. But the shipping is $20 more than the start price on these, and I just can't justify paying $100 in shipping!

And a quick look at part of the island! I have drawers!!

Magic Milk Straws

2011-01-07T01:32:00.000-06:00

I'm kind of in love with these milk straws and I have never even tried them. As you sip through the magic straw, it turns your milk into one of 4 flavors: chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream or vanilla. Adam and I happen to LOVE milk. I'm thinking these might make a fun little gift for his upcoming birthday. And I'm even thinking about using these for Rilo's first birthday party!

{found/image via Oh Joy}

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Last night while putting Rilo to bed, I came with my final ideas for Rilo's first birthday party theme. As the date gets closer, I'm sure I'll share more. In addition to the milk straws, I was also thinking about getting some of these biodegradable straws. I haven't quite figured out the color scheme just yet, but I think the red might be a good fit.

Well, wish us luck this weekend. By Monday I should have a whole new kitchen!! We didn't have a chance to paint yet, but that will be a quick night project maybe for Monday or Tuesday. Can't wait to share some progress pictures and hopefully a full reveal next week!

Pocket Calendar

2011-01-06T09:36:00.000-06:00

Oh Blogger, I won't be sad to say goodbye to you in a few weeks, when my new blog launches. Last night, Blogger was having some issue and would not even let me post, and I wasn't the only one! Boo.

Anyway, I saw this adorable pocket calendar on Oh Hello Friend. She is even offering to send you one, if you either send her a self-addressed stamped envelope or just pay $1.00 through PayPal. I would love to have this to stick in my purse!

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I'm still on the hunt for a larger calendar for the new year, but I'm overwhelmed by all of the great options on Etsy. There are so many beautiful ones to choose from.

Doll House Suitcase

2011-01-05T01:07:00.000-06:00

I posted a few weeks ago about my friends Stacy's cute felt animal headbands she made for her daughter. Well I had to share this other project she made for her little girl. A handmade doll, a suitcase home and some clothes and accessories. I can't wait until Rilo is a bit older, so she can appreciate fun gifts like this!

That is one stylish little doll! To see and read more about Stacy's doll and doll house, see here.

Giveaway: New Year's Resolution Print

2011-01-04T00:08:00.001-06:00

I don't know about you, but every year I start out with good intentions with New Year's resolutions. It seems that by Jan. 31st, they are already gone and out of my mind. So this year, I came up with an idea. I decided to take my most important resolution, along with Adam's, and create art prints based on these resolutions. That way we can frame them and have them displayed all year. Plus, we can always use more prints for our living room wall. I'll be sure to share them when I'm finished! But I also thought, if you're like me, and maybe need a nice reminder all year long, you might want something like this too!

I'm planning on framing ours, but you could always put it on the fridge or on a bulletin board. Or just tuck it into a notebook you look at frequently. So, if you'd like a chance to win a custom print with your New Year's resolution/theme for the year/motto to live by, leave me a comment letting me know one of your resolutions. I'll have it printed on high quality paper and shipped out to you, wherever you are!

To enter the giveaway:

Leave a comment telling me one of your resolutions this year. Include your email address if your comment doesn't link back to you.
For one extra entry, blog/tweet/Facebook about the giveaway and let me know in a separate comment.
Giveaway will be open until Sunday, January 8th at 11:59 PM MST. Winner will be announced on Monday.
Open to anyone, anywhere!

Kitchen Sink/Faucet

2011-01-03T01:48:00.001-06:00

I just ordered our new kitchen sink and faucet because guess what? We should have a new kitchen this weekend! I am over the moon excited for it to happen! The holidays really had me wishing for more counterspace and storage and now I will have it!

This is the faucet we chose. Simple and modern, which we like.

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I think we have also decided to paint the kitchen white, if we have some spare time this week. While I like the yellow, I'm excited for white to really modernize the space and make it feel clean and new. After looking through some of my saved inspiration photos, I noticed that almost all of them had white walls. We'll just use other accessories for the pops of yellow and orange.

I should have my New Year's resolutions post and giveaway up later today so don't forget to stop back by!

2010: A Year in Review

2010-12-31T14:34:00.001-06:00

I hope you all had a great Christmas! We had a great Christmas together and I will get around to sharing what thoughtful and amazing presents I received from Adam.

I've really enjoyed this little break but I'm glad to be back to the regular posting schedule! I thought I would do a quick review of our year.

We finished the nursery...

finished up our bathroom...

created a free birthday calendar printable...

had Rilo Jane on Feb. 20th...

added a gutter bookshelf to the nursery...

gave a house tour...

created a t-shirt dress tutoria l (hello post-baby body, so glad you're gone)...

moved to Chicago for the summer...

threw a graduation party for my sister...

threw a fabulous 50th birthday party...

switched to cloth diapers...

finished our $200 summer rental redesign project...

came back home and made plans for our kitchen renovation...

fell hard for photography...

finished some Christmas crafts...

and had the best Christmas yet!

What a year! It has flown by, especially now that we have a cute little girl to occupy our time. I can only imagine that time will seemingly pass by faster and faster each year. With a kitchen remodel in a week, a few quick room revamps, a new blog/website and tons more, I am so looking forward to 2011! I'll be smooching someone special at midnight tonight and hope that you will be too! Here's to the new year!

See you Monday for a fun giveaway tied to helping you keep your New Year's resolutions!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T12:49:00.000-06:00

Well, as you can tell from the lack of posts yesterday, I am happy to be enjoying time with my little family. I have a few treats to make, a yummy dinner to prepare for and there is lots of snuggling to be had, so I'll be ditching the regular daily post until after New Year's. I may hop in from time to time until then though! I hope to have my new site up sometime in the beginning of January...I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product! I hope you'll be willing to make the jump over to the new site with me!

I feel so grateful this year for all that we have. So happy to be spending our first Christmas with Rilo Jane! Thanks for spending time here on this blog. I really love this space that I have to call my own. Merry Christmas and see you next year!

Our Christmas card from this year (if you're on the East coast and still haven't received it, don't peek!):

All Wrapped Up

2010-12-22T17:23:00.000-06:00

I finally finished up all my wrapping! Here is the final product...brown paper and doilies from the dollar store, twine from Savers, tags and peacock ribbon from Hobby Lobby. Everything else I already had on hand. Total cost for all of my wrapping supplies this year...under $10!

And here they will stay for just a few more days!

Isn't it the most perfect brown paper? Thanks Dollar Store!

Snow Day

2010-12-22T01:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had a lovely snowstorm, just in time for Christmas. I think holiday snowstorms are pretty much the only good kind! We finally took Rilo to play in the snow and we all had so much fun. I am still on a mission to document our house for the holidays and also show you my wrapped presents, so I'm starting off with this filler post, in hopes I come back later today with more pictures.

More over on Rilo's blog! See you later today!

Trader Joe's Wrapping Paper

2010-12-21T00:05:00.000-06:00

For many more reasons than I can probably even count, I wish there was a Trader Joe's somewhere in this state. Most recently it's because I would love to utilize their bags to use as wrapping paper, just like I spotted over at Mer Mag.

I picked up the best brown paper with a great floral pattern at the Dollar Store. I just ran out and am crossing my fingers they still have it. I am thinking about by several rolls...I want to use it for everything and anything all year long!

Lindsey and Kit

2010-12-20T09:08:00.001-06:00

Lindsey is Katie's sister. We did her family shoot right after Katie and Mike. They were troopers because it was FRIGID outside! I an still loving the beautiful mountains in the background!

I realized I need to document our house decorated for the holidays today. I can't believe Christmas is only 5 days away! Are you ready?

DIY Stocking Holders

2010-12-17T01:29:00.001-06:00

This year Adam and I were on the hunt for stocking holders! However, we were striking out left and right every where we looked. Nothing screamed "us". Plus, most were in sets and were rather pricey. Our family is not near complete, so what happens if we buy a set, and next year we have another addition to our family?! We would just have to cross our fingers the set was still around, or splurge on another set. Anyway, all these factors led us to the decision to just make quick temporary ones.

We stopped by Hobby Lobby and grabbed 3 little wooden boxes and then browsed their knob section. We decided on white monogrammed knobs. Using silver spray paint we had left over from the summer, we sprayed each box. Then we (and when I say "we" in all of this, I really mean Adam...just thought I should give him the credit he deserves) drilled a small hole in each box and screwed in the knobs. Ta da! Simple and extremely inexpensive stocking holders.

They hold the stockings up really well, but for a fun touch and some added weight, I threw in some Hershey Kisses!

And an inside view.

I think they are the perfect solution for this year! I only wish I had finished up new stockings to hang on them. Oh well, next year I guess!

Hope you finish up all your last minute Christmas details so you can enjoy the next week! Or maybe that's just my own wishful thinking...Happy weekend!

Wrapping Paper Holders

2010-12-16T01:34:00.000-06:00

Ever since I saw a similar idea from Martha Stewart, I knew I needed something to hold my wrapping paper. And I even had the perfect spot! Next to my desk/craft area is a odd side door that NEVER gets used. We've toyed with the idea of drywalling it, but it would be a big pain. So instead, I will put the door to good use.

This project was cheap and probably took less than 10 minutes to complete. I bought the dowels at Hobby Lobby for $0.99 and the hooks at Home Depot for $0.79! And now I have a nice place to keep my wrapping paper. I can't wait to put some of my favorite ones on there, after the holidays are over!

Bloggers Give Back: TODAY!

2010-12-15T01:52:00.000-06:00

Don't forget, today is the day to bid on all of the great items for the Bloggers Give Back auction! Bidding ends at 10 PM MST tonight! In case you're in the market for a card or invitation, I am listed as item #24. Happy bidding!

Go here to participate.

Kate Schintzius

2010-12-14T01:30:00.001-06:00

I saw this house tour on Design Sponge a few weeks ago and was amazed! This apartment belongs to Kate Schintzius, a designer for M. Design Interiors. I just love her use of color! So bold and bright! I don't know that I could quite pull off this bold, but I'm using it as great inspiration.

I've really been loving this coral color lately in clothing and design. And I can't get over it with the blue!

Check out more here.

Katie and Mike

2010-12-13T11:52:00.000-06:00

I met up with our friends Katie and Mike to take some family photos. We are so excited for them...they are expecting a little boy in May! They also have two really fun dogs, Birdie and Bucky. Birdie was our dog Sawyer's first love. Katie was also one of my first practice photography subjects a year and half ago!

We are home safe and sound now! I'm excited to show you 2 quick, simple projects for the holidays!

Felt Animal Headbands

2010-12-10T00:05:00.002-06:00

Wouldn't these make the sweestest gift for those little animal lovers you know? Stacy from Hart + Sew made these felt animal headbands for her little girl.

I like to make a few handmade gifts each year. Adam and I have a fun gift idea up our sleeves, if we can hurry and finish them for our nieces and nephews. Are you making anything handmade this year? We also have 2 Christmas related projects we should have finished to share next week! Have a great weekend!

Oscar De La Renta Love

2010-12-09T00:05:00.002-06:00

I love browsing the images from runway shows. Not because there is any hope of me wearing any of the clothes, but I love feeling inspired by the colors and textures from the lines. I can't get over the gorgeous colors and feminine styles of these dresses from Oscar de la Renta. And I love how wearable this collection feels. These make me want to use that bold teal color somewhere ASAP!

I would wear this dress in a heartbeat. I love the 50's vibe.

{images via Habitually Chic via Style.com}

Bloggers Give Back

2010-12-08T00:05:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited to be a part of Bloggers Give Back Project. If you haven't heard about it yet, you can read all about it here. In a brief summary, bloggers are coming together, donating goods and services for a family in need. You will be able to bid so many great items, just in time for the holidays! Not only will you have a chance to win something wonderful, but you'll also be helping out someone else during this season. I'll be offering a custom card/invitation. Christmas card, baby shower, bridal shower, birthday...you name it, I'll make it! But go here to check out all the other awesome things up for bid! Bidding will begin December 15th!

Sheena's Advent Calendar

2010-12-07T02:46:00.000-06:00

Sheena whipped up a tutorial for an adorable envelope Advent calendar. Who needs to buy one when there are so many easy DIY ones around?! I already made my calendar, but I kind of want to make some envelopes just because they're so darn cute!

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Full tutorial here.

Snow Style Shoot

2010-12-06T01:58:00.000-06:00

On the drive to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's house, we always pass these abandoned structures tucked in the mountains. I've always wanted to do a shoot down there. So who better to ask then my tall, attractive, married friends, Lauren and Michael?! And it doesn't hurt that Lauren works at J.Crew and has the perfect wardrobe!

Ashmae

2010-12-03T12:20:00.000-06:00

I love these prints from Ashmae. She does the perfet watercolors of animals, but I especially love her custom portraits. I'm in the process of sending her a picture for a certain family member's Christmas present. I can't wait to see what she does with it! Here's some of her work:

Here's a custom house painting for someone. Such a cute idea.

Check out her Etsy here.

Advent Calendar

2010-12-02T11:44:00.000-06:00

I have almost finished up making this advent calendar I saw in a Country Living magazine last year. It cost a whopping $3. The matchboxes I found are a little on the small side, so I'm going to be on the look out for a bigger size. I'm also looking for a small numbered stamp set to put numbers on each box. Has anyone seen a small stamp set that might work?

I am borrowing Jordan's idea to fill the calendar with slips of paper with activities for the month. She has activities like drink hot chocolate, go ice skating, drive around see the lights. To see her full list, click here.

We're spending a day and a half in Vegas. Nicole and I are hitting up all the Savers in the area for some fun thrift shopping!

Felt Balls

2010-12-01T02:58:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like I need to order a big lot of felted balls because everywhere I look, I'm in love with a new project involving them!

This wreath from Pickles is darling. I think I'm all wreathed out though...I currently have 5 around the house. Yikes!

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And here's a felt garland from Jordan of Oh Happy Day.

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I love that these are not necessarily only holiday related too. The bright colors can work for all year-round!

Oh, Christmas Tree

2010-11-30T00:00:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned yesterday, we spent Saturday hunting and chopping down our Christmas tree. We purchased a special permit to go up a mountain to find the perfect tree. We LOVED the experience! It's so fun to hike around in the snow with so many different types of trees to choose from. Once we finally found "the one", we chopped it down and pulled it back to the car. I can't wait until Rilo has a say in the perfect tree!

Here it is! This was our pick.

Okay, so Adam may have cheated a little and used his gas powered pruner.

Don't worry, the sparse spot is hidden in the corner.

And Nicole, Dane and Dash found their perfect tree too!

And a few cute ones of their family.

Thanks to Nicole for taking some pictures of us on my camera!

Are you a real or artificial tree kind of person? We always had a real tree growing up and I don't know if I can switch to a fake one. I know it's easier, but I love the whole process of getting a real tree!

Yarn Wrapped Christmas Wreath

2010-11-29T00:05:00.014-06:00

How was your Thanksgiving? We ended up eating 2 Thanksgiving dinners...and we've been enjoying the leftovers ever since! Saturday morning we chopped down our Christmas tree and finished up our decorating yesterday. I also finished up some projects I've been working on, including this wreath.

A few weeks ago, Nicole and I started working on these yarn wrapped wreaths. They are so simple to make, but they do take some time. Plus, I had to go to 3 different stores until I found one with peacock feathers! We have a gorgeous peacock tree skirt, so we're going with that color theme this year. We started with that idea last year, but this year we're going all out. Next year I think we'll go with a different color theme.

Anyway, here it is. (I'm actually going to hang it in the living room.)

Thanksgiving Eve

2010-11-24T18:45:00.002-06:00

I am almost drooling over the thought of all the yummy dishes to be consumed tomorrow! Especially this Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake (recipe found here) I just made. It has a layer of cheesecake, a layer of pumpkin pie and then is topped with a mixture of chocolate chunks, pecans, brown sugar and maple syrup. Sounds divine to me!

Also, if anyone needs a custom Christmas card design in the next few weeks, send me an email at: briannajmwebb@gmail.com. I'm charging $15 for the design and then you are free to print wherever you like! Here's one I just finished up:

I'm signing off for the week so I can enjoy the holiday with my family and friends. I'm feeling so thankful right now. I'm so lucky to have the most motivated, caring and loving husband...the sweetest and most adorable little girl...and a fun group family and friends. I've been reflecting on all that I have and I couldn't feel more blessed right now. I wanted to say thank you to all my readers for keeping up with me on my little space on the internet. Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Postponed Post

2010-11-24T01:46:00.000-06:00

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I wanted to get a nice picture of my new Christmas wreath and yummy Thanksgiving pumpkin pie cheesecake in good light, so I'll be posting a little later today. Hope you're not snowed in, wherever you are!

Thanksgiving Tablescape

2010-11-23T01:50:00.000-06:00

This year will be the first year Adam and I will be doing Thanksgiving dinner here at our house (with just us, and maybe a few friends who can't go home). I'll be sad to not be with most of our family, but with all the traveling we've done in the past month and half, we just wanted to stick around here for a bit.

I've never really had a Thanksgiving with a thought out tablescape, but I think it's a fun idea. Perhaps I'll throw something together for Thursday. Here is a tablescape from Hostess with the Mostess:

Bijou Finds

2010-11-22T00:04:00.001-06:00

What a weekend! Bijou Market was Friday and Saturday and I spent most of both days helping Melanie with her booth. Melanie's booth was a smashing success! It was so fun to see the vendors plus see everyone who came to check it out. I picked up more than a few items while I was there too! Here's what I got:

Baby moccasins from Freshly Picked, naturally.

A shirt from Autumn Dame

A print from Sugar Fresh

And probably my favorite purchase...a wooden toy camera for Rilo from Twig. I love wooden toys. Plus the best part about it is that the strap is the same exact fabric as my camera strap. When I saw the houndstooth strap, I knew it had to be mine!

And of course, some of Melanie's perfect cards!

What a great weekend. Can't wait to finish up some Christmas projects that I'll be sharing!

Picket Fence

2010-11-19T00:05:00.000-06:00

When we returned from Chicago, our yard (that someone was supposedly taking care of) was completely overgrown with weeds and was dead as dead can be. Our new neighbor thought our house was abandoned, until she peeked in our windows and saw my curtains and wreath. Then she just thought we must've died inside. Embarrassing! So we quickly sodded our lawn, which helped it's curb appeal tremendously. Now, we've added a cute picket fence out front. It's perfect in so many ways. Now Sawyer (our dog) can run around freely in the front yard. Plus it's great for us to play with Rilo with a little more privacy. Last night we put up our porch swing too...I'll have to get an updated picture soon.

Here is a before picture I pulled from a real estate website. I didn't take one of the yard when it was a mess. I don't know that I could stand to look at the picture.

And now it looks like this:

Don't Forget: Bijou

2010-11-18T23:30:00.000-06:00

Don't forget to stop by the Bijou Market Friday and Saturday! Grab one of these uber cute tote bags while you're there and stuff your bags with all of your goodies. I've already been sporting mine around town, but you can pick up one at the market for only $2! See you there!

{photo via Nicole}

Christmas Gift Giving

2010-11-18T01:35:00.000-06:00

With Christmas just around the corner, I've been planning and preparing for holiday gifts. Now that we have Rilo, we decided to institute the "Want, Need, Wear, Read" gift giving idea. I'm not going to strictly adhere to only 4 presents, but I like the idea of keeping it simple. Any other gifts will most likely be small or handmade. And we'll still keep our Christmas Eve pajamas tradition as well. I really like these gift tags from Dandee Designs. I'm thinking of doing something similar this year.

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Ollie, Ava and Baby Opal

2010-11-17T00:05:00.002-06:00

Just before our trip to St. George, we stopped to see our new baby niece, Opal. Jamie, my rockstar sister-in-law, had just given birth to Opal in a birthing center without any medication. Just hearing her birth story got me all excited for whenever my next birth may be!

I also had a chance to play outside with Ollie and Ava in their magical backyard. Ava showed me the fairy meadow, the crystal forest and her stage (an old stump).

Inspired Co's Christmas Issue

2010-11-16T01:14:00.003-06:00

I'm a firm believer in waiting until the day after Thanksgiving to start decorating and listening to Christmas music. BUT, I have no qualms gathering lots of ideas and starting on some projects! My sister-in-law Jamie sent me a link to Inspire Co.'s Christmas Issue. It's an online flip-through magazine of the best Christmas ideas. It's well over 100 pages of awesome holiday-ness! You can check out the issue here (make sure to click on the image to view the full version).

I am in LOVE with these silhouette gift tags.

I now have about 5 more projects added to my growing list! I can't believe the holiday season is just around the corner!

Bijou Market

2010-11-15T00:05:00.003-06:00

I've been looking forward to the Bijou Market for the last couple of weeks. I can't wait to grab some Christmas gifts! They have the best of the best of local vendors with handmade gifts. There's nothing like supporting locals! Be sure to check out the blog to see a sample of the awesome products. If you're in the area, you better be there this weekend!!

I'm pretty sure I'll be picking up a print or two from Sugar Fresh. Love these!

Bedroom Arrangement

2010-11-12T02:43:00.000-06:00

I've been struggling to figure out how to rearrange our bedroom. We only have one long wall (the other walls have a closet, windows, and sliding doors). I had been toying with the idea of centering our bed and using our long dresser as a nightstand. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it until I saw a few pictures on Little Green Notebook. I think it might work!

And here's the image that really helped convince me it could work...

{images via LGN}

I have to do some measuring because I have a few other furniture arrangement ideas in mind, but I really thinking I'm leaning towards something like the above pictures.

I'm also looking for a duvet cover to use during the winter months. I love our Pottery Barn duvet but I like the idea of bringing it out in the spring since it's so bright and cheery. I found this West Elm duvet on clearance and I think I'm going to order it. At $49.99, it's a steal! It's just plain white but I think some textured pillows and a nice throw could really winterize the bedding.

Busy weekend ahead but lots of fun mixed in! Happy Friday!

Jess Puck and Josie

2010-11-11T02:03:00.001-06:00

We just got back from spending some time with these guys in St. George. We had a blast eating too much food, playing Funglish and Buzz Word, shopping and laughing at our kids trying to play together. These guys are some of our favorite friends!

I took these a few weeks ago a couple blocks from my house. Jess is expecting baby girl #2 in January!

Jess and Puck call this next one "the evolution" photo. This was totally unplanned!

Ikea Styling

2010-11-10T00:05:00.001-06:00

Melanie (whose website just launched) reminded me of a Decor8 post featuring designer Lo Bjurulf's take on Ikea products. The styling is just beautiful and I love how it displays Ikea products in a whole new way.

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DIY Ironing Board Cover

2010-11-09T00:05:00.001-06:00

Adam was just lamenting that we needed a new ironing board cover. Ours is just the generic board cover and it hardly stays on. I was actually going to purchase a whole new board when I happened to stumble upon this easy cover tutorial.

{via Say Yes to Hoboken via Momtastic}

I feel as though I've been posting a whole slew of projects and not actually completing them. I should have a bunch of projects to share in the next few weeks. Our lawn makeover, a quick living room revamp, a bedroom restyle, our kitchen overhaul and a handful of other sewing/crafty projects. I finally am feeling settled and back into a routine. Thanks for sticking around!

Mini-Vacation

2010-11-08T10:49:00.000-06:00

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We had a great weekend and are still enjoying the "weekend". We're with friends down in St. George for the next couple of days. Regular posting should start up tomorrow!

Suprise Industries

2010-11-05T02:02:00.002-06:00

Back when we visited California, we went to lunch with one of Adam's friends (hi Mano!). She told us about this awesome company called Surprise Industries. After filling out a survey about your interests, likes and dislikes, Surprise Industries plans out, well, a surprise. They show up and often blindfold you and take you to your adventure. From their site, "It could be anything from a fire eating class to an ice sculpting lesson, but you won't know what to expect till you get there." Amanda, Adam's friend, got to learn how to swing on a trapeze (which is something I've always wanted to do) for her mini-surprise. Doesn't this sound like the most fun idea? They keep most of their surprises a secret but they did share a few photos from a surprise hunt they arranged over the summer.

They are based out of New York City...next time I'm in the area I am 100% going to go on a surprise adventure. I can't think of a better way to try out something new!

Happy Friday! We have a busy but fun weekend ahead of us...a charity race, work parties, meeting our new little niece Opal and heading down to St. George to spend a few days with friends!

Fifth & Hazel Design Tips

2010-11-04T01:08:00.000-06:00

My dear friend Melanie is an amazing graphic designer. She is getting ready to launch her website, full of the best cards, stationary and invitations that I promise you will love. She brought over some of her stuff to check out and I couldn't put them down I loved them so much! Melanie will also be sharing her wealth of graphic design knowledge on her blog. She is starting out with some of the basics and will go into further detail on lots of different aspects of design. I think one of the reasons Melanie and I get along well because we both happen to be design nerds. You know I will be checking out her blog daily to catch up on her design tips! I just love people who are so willing to share what they know!

Melanie has recently been working on the Altitude Design Summit site. I mean, how much more design cred does she need?!

Post-Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T00:05:00.001-06:00

Adam came up with the brilliant idea for our costumes a few months ago. We wanted to do something coordinated and while brainstorming, Adam thought of one of the super popular YouTube videos of the summer. If you haven't seen the Double Rainbow video, you can check it out here.

I picked up some felt, styrofoam and sequins and that was about it! We had everything else for the costumes so they ended up being pretty inexpensive. I can't believe I didn't take any of my own pictures of our costumes! Saturday we went to an adorable birthday party for sweet Olivia, followed by a fun party hosted by the fantastic Nicole. Here we are in dim light at Nicole's party:

The sun, the rain and a double rainbow! What's funny is we ran into Melissa at the birthday party and saw her family's cute double rainbow t-shirts. Great minds think alike!

Adam and I were laughing because this was Adam's third time as a raindrop! Two years ago, we went as Rihanna and a raindrop (you know, standing under my umbrella...ella, ella. eh). The other time was in high school. In southern California students get together and create these elaborate airband perfomances. Adam's group was the triple crown winner and won states! The whole airband concept is pretty hilarious to me. It seems so fun but so much work! If you want a good laugh, watch the video below. (Adam is in the red during the "Rock You Like a Hurricane" segment and then later gets tossed in the air as a raindrop on the left)

The Kitchen Remodel

2010-11-02T12:19:00.000-06:00

While our kitchen may not be the ugliest kitchen (believe me, we lived in an apartment with the most hideous kitchen I've ever seen), but has to be one of the least functional kitchens out there. We have dirty, old cabinets that were never intended for this house. They must have gotten them from a showroom, or a different house or something. I have one very small drawer in my whole kitchen. We have our utensils in an upper cabinet because of it. Two of the cabinet doors had to come off because they forgot to factor in the bump-out in the wall. The doors wouldn't even open because they hit each other. My pantry is a joke! It's next to the fridge and extremely hard to get anything from there. Needless to say, we can't wait to start working on our new kitchen!

Here are some before pictures:

If you're thinking there are a million things on the counter...you're right!

Yep, check out that awesome little drawer that is missing a drawer front. Or how about checking out the corner cabinet that has a Lazy Susan that you can't get to because the doors open into the oven and side cabinet.

Just reach your hand next to the fridge to get to the back of the pantry...it's very convenient!

And here is what my Dad has come up with to make our kitchen ten billion times better!

This section stays mostly the same, except there is a nice corner upper cabinet that will actually function.

Now here's where it gets exciting, for me anyways. An island! With drawers!! We'll also have a little space for 2 stools. Plus our fridge will be rotated and we will have an actual pantry cabinet that I can easily reach and organize!

Kitchen Countertops

2010-11-01T00:45:00.000-06:00

We're getting so close to redoing our kitchen. My Dad sent over the final drawings of how our kitchen will look! Once I take some before pictures for reference, I'll share what he came up with. Adam and I have been looking at countertops and we have been leaning towards black or gray. We'll have white cabinets and will keep the yellow paint color for now. Here are some kitchens with white cabinets and black/gray countertops.

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I'll post our Halloween pictures as soon as I can. We forgot to take some of our own, but luckily Nicole snapped some of us!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-29T01:10:00.000-06:00

Rilo says "Happy Halloween"!

Have a great weekend!

Lewis, Muriel and Lily

2010-10-29T00:32:00.001-06:00

We met Muriel and Lewis right after we got married, while we were living in St. Louis. Now they have adorable Lily. Lily was so happy and smiley the whole time. Plus, she has the best hair!

Halloween Decor

2010-10-28T00:09:00.001-06:00

My Halloween decor is a little lackluster considering I just threw it up a few days ago. And sadly, nothing new got added to the collection this year. I really really wanted to make those fabric pumpkins. Maybe if I can finish our Halloween costumes today, I'll have time to make one or two! I suppose they could carry into Thanksgiving anyway.

Love this dolled up skeleton lady. We got her in Mexico. Can I tell you how mortified Adam was last year when she was accidentally still on the shelf when I took pictures with the Christmas decorations up?! He wanted me to reshoot because she was in the picture!

I love shopping the after holiday sales, mostly because I completely forget that I bought new decorations. It's like I'm getting presents when I open my box the next year! These candles and candlestick holders were a few of the things I have no recollection of purchasing!

Annily Green

2010-10-27T00:05:00.000-06:00

I think I love pretty much everything in the Etsy shop Annily Green. I can't wait to see what she has at the Bijou Market!

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I finally decorated for Halloween...you know, a few days before I have to take it all down! My house is finally clean and in order!

Helvetica T-shirts

2010-10-26T00:56:00.003-06:00

I do love a good font and I love it even better when it's on a cute kids t-shirt. American Apparel is carrying these alphabet shirts in the beloved font Helvetica.

{image found via Design Mom}

How fierce is this little girl in her gold spandex?

I promise you, there are good and bad fonts. And some realllly bad fonts. Poor font choice honestly makes me cringe. This is a great post on Good Look Cookbook (and here is another one) if you are needing some help discerning between a good and bad font! And you should probably spend the rest of your time on the blog because there are lots of great graphic design tips and tricks, plus tutorials and freebies. Such a great resource!

Edit: I just checked Design Sponge today and it looks like they are having a font day today! Check it out here.

Coffee Filter Pendant Light

2010-10-25T07:15:00.001-06:00

This light makes such an incredible statement in the room. I can't believe it was made out of coffee filters. What a beautiful, yet cost effective DIY project!

{found via Made By Girl, images by Nichole}

I am soooo ready to have a clean and organized house. Between moving back from Chicago and going on vacation for a week and a half, my house has been a mess! And it makes me feel crazy. But we are just about all put back together. A couple more loads of laundry and then I need to clear my desk so I can start working on our Halloween costumes. Oh and I need to hurry and get our Halloween decorations up before Halloween is over!! The holidays have come up so quickly. I've already starting thinking about Christmas presents. Yikes!

Alex and Brian

2010-10-22T07:15:00.003-06:00

I'm so glad I finally got to meet Alex! She is a friend of a friend and we've been reading each other's blogs for awhile now. We met up in Arizona for a quick photo session. How cute are Alex and her husband?

Good Design: Kids in Mind

2010-10-21T07:15:00.001-06:00

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Have you been following the series "Good Design: Kids in Mind" over on 6th Street Design School? I've really loved reading the opinions of many talented design bloggers on tips and tricks for decorating with kids around. This has especially been on my mind as Rilo is starting to crawl and pull herself up on things. We have a lot of babyproofing to do around here!

Be sure to check all of the posts here.

Studio/Office

2010-10-20T07:15:00.000-06:00

Caroline Armelle has been working on her studio/office and it is turning out absolutely gorgeous. The aqua floors and the butterfly wallpaper are just perfect. I'm not normally a fan of butterfly things, but this wallpaper is lovely. Can't wait to see the finished product!

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Doorway Puppet Theater

2010-10-19T11:31:00.000-06:00

We're still out and about visiting family and friends, but I have internet now! Woo hoo! Sorry for the no show yesterday.

Two summers ago I saw an idea for a puppet theater in a Country Living magazine. I loved the idea and decided to make it for my niece and nephews. I never took any pictures of it before I sent it off for their birthdays. While we were visiting them last week in California, they put the theater up and got out their puppets. Here is the one from the Country Living magazine.

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And here is the one I made in action.

It was a really simple project! Plus, what's better than a gift that inspires imagination and creativity! For instructions on how to make a doorway puppet theater, see here.

2010-10-18T10:07:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! I'm hoping to get my posts up soon. I am currently without Internet though! Happy Monday!

Fall Family Photos

2010-10-15T07:15:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Nicole for taking these family photos for us! We love them! You can see more of Nicole's work here.

Enjoy your weekend! We are still on a little vacation and are enjoying every moment of it!

Katie's Bedroom Inspiration Board

2010-10-14T07:15:00.000-06:00

My friend Katie asked if I could come up with some ideas for her bedroom. I love making inspiration boards, so of course I said yes! Here is a quick before picture of the bedroom:

(Thanks for modeling Mike!)

Katie wanted something clean and modern for her room. She is hoping to DIY a lot of things and keep most of their existing furniture in the room, but spruce it up a bit. She already has the great green patterned duvet from Ikea, so I used that as my jumping off point.

I found some inspiration rooms in that had a blue, green, white and cream color palette. The space is kind of dark, so I thought it would be best to keep it light and fresh using those colors.

I suggested adding lots of pillows in fun patterns. Home Fabrics is great for really cheap home decorator fabric. I would paint the nightstands white and the lamps blue. I would also replace her lampshades for a more modern style. I thought it would be nice and classic if she upholstered the headboard in a cream linen fabric.

Katie has the Ikea Hopen dresser. The dresser has drawer fronts that are kind of frosted, so I thought it she could find a cool paper to line them with. I found this one from Paper Source that would coordinate. To balance the room a little better, since it has that offset window on the left, I suggested hanging curtains on either side. Then it would appear to have another window. Katie took some really great black and white photos in a photography class that I thought she could hang above her bed...or perhaps some cool prints or family photos.

I sent Katie some more ideas for the rest of the room but they are probably more relevant to her than to you! I'm sure Katie will let me show you some pictures of whatever she ends up doing to the room!

If you are interested in an inspiration board, send me an email at: briannajmwebb@gmail.com. I love doing these! Sometimes it's just nice to have a fresh pair of eyes look at your space!

Jenn Ski Prints

2010-10-13T07:15:00.000-06:00

Really like the mid-century modern feel of these prints by Jenn Ski. I'm still committed to adding more prints to my living room art wall!

Fabric Pumpkins

2010-10-12T07:15:00.000-06:00

Stacy linked to a great kitschy house tour a few days ago and upon browsing I found this tutorial for fabric pumpkins. These are now number 1 on my project list! We're actually on a little vacation in California, but I was thinking I might even make these in my downtime since you can make these by hand sewing.

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Find the tutorial here.

We're off to the beach today! Hopefully it will be sunnier and a bit warmer than yesterday afternoon. Rilo didn't seem to mind the weather though...it looks like we have a little beach baby on our hands! Pictures to follow!

Nicole's Fall Photos

2010-10-11T07:15:00.002-06:00

Can I tell you how happy I am that Nicole and her family moved in across the street? So nice to have fun neighbors! Did I mention she is an amazing photographer? I love her work! We decided to do a photo swap on Friday in their cool jungle-like backyard. Here are some of her family photos. Isn't is her family adorable?

My Baby Shoes

2010-10-08T07:15:00.001-06:00

When I went home to Pennsylvania a few weeks ago, my Mom sent me back with some of my old clothes and shoes. I'll have to take some pictures of the clothes sometime. There are some adorable dresses my Great-Grandma made and a few coats that I wish still fit me. For now, I'm dying over these 3 pairs of shoes!

This pair was my first pair of shoes.

And I am in LOVE with these little moccasins. They are just Rilo's size right now!

This pair of high tops are on display in Rilo's room until she gets a little older. They are killer!

So much more meaningful and special than my usual thrift store finds!

Personalized Words Book

2010-10-07T07:15:00.002-06:00

This is such a thoughtful and sweet idea for your children. I have loved this personalized words book since Liz first posted it! She took photos of things that were special or familiar to her son and then put them into a book.

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I think it would be fun to make it an alphabet book, but then what do you do with letters like 'x', besides "xylophone"?! As soon as I have a better grasp on Rilo's likes/dislikes, I am most definitely making one of these!

Candy Corn Pudding Parfaits

2010-10-06T07:15:00.001-06:00

How cute are these pudding parfaits from Baked Bree (spotted via Tangled and True)? What a great holiday treat! I happen to love pudding, though I rarely ever make it. I have a bunch of pudding packets in my pantry...maybe I ought to put them to good use!

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And on the homefront, we are finally (mostly) unpacked. Let me tell you, I dread the day we actually move. I apparently cannot handle living in a messy, transient state. I feel much better now that I can see my floors. All that's left is some laundry and organizing my craft/sewing area so I can get to work. I've missed creating these last few weeks! Oh, and we are finally getting some grass in our front yard. After 2 summers of dead weeds and grass, we will no longer look like the abandoned house on the block. Yippee! With that getting done, I can think about more projects. Projects on the horizon include a bedroom makeover, a new kitchen, a revamped photo wall and some small improvements here and there.

Kenziepoo: Turn this room into an outfit

2010-10-05T07:15:00.002-06:00

I love this regular feature over on Kenziepoo. Each week she selects a gorgeous image of a room and then selects children's clothing that mimic the style, colors and feel of the room. It doesn't help that she finds the most darling kids clothes. Sometimes I wish I could get the outfits in my size.

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See more posts, with links to the clothing sources here.

Outdoor Party

2010-10-04T07:15:00.004-06:00

I have just about given up on Blogger's scheduled post feature. Last week and now today it has completely failed me. Is anyone else having issues or success with it?

Well, I had a few of my old roommates over for the outdoor party I had been hoping to host. If there is a time you shouldn't have a party, it's when your husband surprises you by driving 22 hours straight through and then unloads 2 car loads of stuff all over your house and your lawn is dead and your baby does not want to be put down all day and you burnt the chocolate cake. This party was pretty much nothing like I was hoping for, but it was still nice to see everyone and catch up.

This is the serving tray Adam got me for my birthday. It has a little candle underneath to keep your food warm. I love it.

We ate butternut squash soup, asparagus, salad, french bread and then some cheesecake that Adam was nice enough to run out and get after I ruined the chocolate cake. A very vegetable-y fall meal!

Blonde Designs: Halloween

2010-10-01T08:42:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it is October! We normally come home the end of August so I feel a bit thrown off that we are in Halloween season. I think that's my reason for all of these Halloween related posts. This party from Blonde Designs is the perfect children's Halloween party. So clever!

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You can see more creative party ideas here.

So happy to be home! I love having overhead lighting...can you believe the apartments we were in didn't have lights in the living room or bedrooms. All we had was light from our lamps. I love my washer and dryer...they are so much better to wash cloth diapers in. I love rediscovering clothes and shoes. It's like Christmas! I like having more than 4 plates and cups and having gadgets galore. I really love seeing friends and learning that I have fun new neighbors! Now I all I need is for Adam to get here....just a few more days!

Altitude Design Summit

2010-09-30T07:15:00.002-06:00

Is anyone else planning on going to the Altitude Design Summit in January? I wanted to go last year but I wasn't sure how I would fair being 9 months pregnant. I heard great things about it and can't wait to attend the 2011 conference. You can read more about it here. The early registration discount ends today!

And here's something fun...if you check out the blog for the conference, you might recognize a picture.

There's my dining room in the second photo! Thanks to my friend Melanie for including me in the website design.

Country Living: Halloween

2010-09-29T18:44:00.000-06:00

I love these ideas from Country Living magazine. It makes me wish I was throwing a Halloween party. The white sheets over the chairs are perfect. It makes the room look eerie but not cheesy.

See more ideas here.

Coralie Classics

2010-09-28T05:31:00.000-06:00

Another designer has taken classic novels and redesigned their covers. I blogged about the first set here. This set, by Coralie Bickford-Smith, is so glamorous looking. The metallics and great geometric patterns would look so nice out on display.

{imagesm found via Creature Comforts}

Rilo and I are headed home! Can't wait to get back to our house!

Little Green Notebook

2010-09-27T07:15:00.001-06:00

Am I the only one who thinks everything Jenny from Little Green Notebook does is perfection? I love how she makes a room look designer but still lived in. Her rooms are never overstyled. And I love how she puts so many colors together that I would never think, but it just works. Here are some pictures from her recent work at Joanna Goddard's house.

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Check out more on Jenny's blog and even more on Joanna's blog (you must look at the nursery they collaborated on).

We're headed to downtown Chicago for a few hours this morning. Today is my last day here! Can't wait to be back in my house! Happy Monday!

Herringbone

2010-09-24T07:15:00.000-06:00

Adam and I have an affinity for herringbone patterns. Clothes, fabrics, furniture...you name it, we like it. Our couch even has a herringbone pattern. I had never contemplated herringbone painted on a wall though. I saw this on Design Sponge and loved it! I think this would only work in nice neutral colors, like the ones used here.

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And though it's not a "need", I've always wished our house had an entry way. Our front door just opens into the living room so I can't have a little side table, accented wall and a place to store my rain boots. Maybe in our next house...

My Family

2010-09-23T14:45:00.001-06:00

While I was in PA, we were hoping to find a fun location and take some nice pictures. Well, obviously other things came up, but we did manage to head to the backyard for some quick photos. Tali and Shane dressed up in their Sunday best...kind of. Unfortunately Cyle had to go to a meeting, so he's not in any of these. I love these crazy people.

Please note they posed themselves in these next three. :)

Tali is very proud of her calf muscle I guess...

Tomorrow I'll be back with regular posting! Thanks for hanging in there while I took a little break.

Baby Ava

2010-09-21T14:35:00.004-06:00

And on a happier note, here are some pictures of sweet baby Ava. She is the granddaughter of one of my Mom's friends. We took a few pictures of her while I was in Pennsylvania. I forgot how little newborns are...even though she's not a very little newborn. She was almost 10 lbs. at birth and at 2 weeks was 11 lbs!

How gorgeous is Ava's mom, Ashtyn?

In Loving Memory: John Robb Jr.

2010-09-20T07:15:00.001-06:00

My Grandpa Robb moved to Pennsylvania in May to live with my family. They were about 2 days away from finishing his apartment in the basement. Yesterday, while getting ready to leave for my sister Tali's soccer game, we found my Grandpa upstairs. He had passed away peacefully, doing one of his favorite things...napping. It was shocking and so unexpected. He was 70 years young and had just been working in the yard and eating the world's largest apple.

It is no coincidence that Rilo and I came here to Pennsylvania right now. I tried to book my ticket to leave on Sunday, then Monday and finally settled on Tuesday because the rates were better. I'm so grateful that I was here...that I could be here with my family...that Rilo and I were able to see him one last time. While I am deeply saddened, I feel peace and comfort. I'm thankful for the knowledge that families can be together forever, that this isn't the end. I am thankful for the happy memories I have and will continue to hold onto.

Posting will be a bit light this week.

Halloween Already?

2010-09-17T07:15:00.002-06:00

I keep seeing talk of Halloween and thinking it is way too soon. But I just realized it's the middle of September!! So when I get home in a few weeks, I'll need to get my fall/Halloween stuff up right away. And if I want anything new, I need to start making it now. Here are some things I'm thinking of crafting:

I actually bought the gourds to do this last year, but never got around to it.

{Via Martha}

Simple. Cheap. Cute.

{Via Be Different Act Normal via Family Fun}

I really like these frames...I think you could do something like this for other holidays too!

{Via Tatortots and Jello}

Adam and I brainstormed and came up with a great family costume idea. I think we'll keep it a surprise though! I can't wait to begin making them. Have you figured out what you will be this year?

Celebrate Yellow

2010-09-16T07:15:00.002-06:00

I reallly wish Google could get it together and fix the glitch that turns my scheduled blog posts back to drafts. Sorry for the late post!

Dana over at MADE is dedicating the next few weeks to all thing yellow. Is it getting redundant to say I love yellow? I pretty much wanted to re-post everything she's already posted because I love it all.

I really love the way her chevron pillow looks, though I'd probably save myself the headache and buy the fabric already in the chevron pattern. Then again, I think the quilted look adds something extra. And really, I still love this whole chevron thing and don't care that so does everyone else. It just looks so fun!

{images}

If you are also a lover of yellow, be sure to check her site daily for new yellow posts.

Granola Cookies

2010-09-15T07:15:00.001-06:00

I started off my morning yesterday with my favorite breakfast of cottage cheese, yogurt, fruit and some granola. I was looking at the back of the box for the granola and saw a recipe for cookies. They sounded too good to pass up so Rilo and I made them together. Well, Rilo watched while I made them. They have a nice texture and just a touch of the maple flavor. The recipe called for nuts, but I'm not a fan of nuts in cookies...so I added chocolate chips instead.

Granola Cookies

1 c butter
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 c granola (I use Cascadian Farm Organic Granola Maple Brown Sugar)

optional: chocolate chips, nuts

Combine butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until creamy. Add in flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in granola and chocolate chips (or nuts). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Delicious!

Thrifty

2010-09-14T07:15:00.003-06:00

Rilo and I needed to get out of the house on Saturday, so I decided to stop by the thrift store. I was really hoping to find some vintage clothing for Rilo. I saw this beautiful vintage coat on Dear Baby and it pushed me to head out and see what I could find.

{image}

Isn't this the most perfect coat? She got it for only $5 on eBay!

Unfortunately, there weren't a whole lot of vintage items at this store, but I was still able to find some great clothes in good condition. I spent $27 and got: 2 dresses, 4 winter skirts and 3 belts for me and 1 pair of pants, 4 pairs of shorts, 2 dresses, 1 shirt and 2 hand knit sweaters for Rilo. So in case you weren't counting, that's 19 items for $27! Pretty awesome. All of Rilo's items were from Gap, Gymboree, Old Navy or Target.

This particular thrift store also must have some sort of partnership with Target because they have a whole section full of Target items in all different sizes that have never been worn. Tags and stickers were still on. They have so many of each item, you feel like you're at Target (except for the dim lighting and weird smells). So 3 of the shorts I picked up for Rilo were from this past season at Target and were only $2. I got them in sizes for next summer! They were my most expensive items!

And aren't these hand knit sweaters adorable? I couldn't pass them up!

I need to remind myself to stop by more often!

25

2010-09-13T07:15:00.004-06:00

I had such a nice birthday weekend! Adam surprised me by getting a babysitter (thanks Tianna!) on Saturday night and taking me out to a yummy dinner. Following dinner, he took me to get some old-fashioned ice cream. It's always nice to spend time, just the two of us. We spent Sunday, just lounging around and hanging out as a little family.

Adam is always an excellent present giver. He got me a new lens I've been wanting, some camera related equipment and this super cool vintage serving piece (that I should've taken a picture of). Overall, a perfect birthday...so glad I could spend it with Adam and Rilo!

{Adam knows I love a nicely packaged gift. I wish I would've taken a picture of the coordinating wrapping paper he used as well. So thoughtful.}

I also went to the thrift store on Saturday afternoon and scored big time. I'll share what I got tomorrow. And don't forget to check out Rilo's blog...my new favorite pictures are up today!

Cake

2010-09-10T07:15:00.000-06:00

I love these paintings done by Paul Ferney, husband of Jordan from Oh Happy Day. I love the way they styled the gallery show. It looks like a great party has just happened! I would be worried to have one of these paintings in my house because I think I'd want to eat cake every day. You can have your cake and buy one too here (haha, so cheesy).

{images}

I'm excited to see what Adam has up his sleeve for this weekend. I have no clue what we're doing, but I know whatever we do, it will be fun. And maybe there will be some yummy cake involved...

Have a good one!

Garden Dinner Party

2010-09-09T07:15:00.002-06:00

Early this summer I dreamed up the idea of a birthday dinner party in my backyard. I had come up with several ideas but we decided to stay out in Chicago for a few more weeks, so we'll celebrate my birthday out here. Here is what I was imagining:

{Martha Stewart Weddings}

{The Cotorie}

I am considering doing it when we get back in October, but we have a lot of plans that I want to get done when we get back (like redoing our kitchen!). I don't want to give up on the ideas I had though. I'm thinking maybe I'll wait until Spring!