giverslog

Have you visited the site giverslog?  Holy Smokes, guys.  It is such a fantastic resource.  Amber has built the most beautiful site all around great gift giving.  She is immensely talented and her tutorials, gift guides and roundups are worth gold.

I was so honored that Amber asked me to kick off a new series of interviews on - what else - great gifts. Head over to her site to check out some of my favorite gifts - given, received or dreaming about.  Thank you, Amber!

{Oh, and I think you guys will be thanking me soon for sharing this phenomenal resource!}

{images: a stack of photos: a class in calligraphy: a trip to France, a vintage book: flowers in a jar}

the wedding attire

I believe that nearly anything  "bridal" related is overpriced.  It's as if they think that brides have lost their minds and are willing to pay too much for things that are typically poorer in quality.  I specifically thinking bridesmaid dresses here, but this can apply in far more areas.  Any was that you can circumvent the "bridal boutiques" is step one in not getting ripped off.  If I was looking for cute bridesmaid dresses I would be looking at J.Crew, Anne Taylor or Banana Republic. These are all good places for pretty basic dresses that are well made and often times less expensive then their bridal counterpart.  And your friends actually might wear these again. 

We didn't really have a wedding party, per se, but for practical purposes I'll call them that here.  We asked all the guys to wear brown dress pants and a button down (white, blue, or pink).  We gave all the guys oxford stripe ties from Banana Republic.  We asked the girls to wear cocktail dresses in red, pink and/or brown. So, that was really simple and it avoided the "wedding-y" look that I was trying to avoid.  I know, I know - it was a wedding.  Again, I have issues.  

We went and picked out a nice brown suit for Sean from Men's Warehouse.  We really liked the suit but the pants had pleats.  I don't need to talk to you people about pleats do I, cause that would have to be a whole separate post.  So we spent a looong time talking the man at the store into having the pants altered to remove the pleats (Yes, they can do this.)  Great price, great suit, hard work talking the men at Men's Warehouse out of pleats.  We found Sean a great tie that corresponded with the other guys ties, but didn't match. 

I found a dress pattern for my "flower girls" and had their dresses made by a local seamstress. Including the price of all the shantung silk for their dresses I still think they cost less than half of what a similar flower girls dress costs in a bridal store.  And I was able to hand pick the fabric and colors. 

That was it.  

Pretty.  Easy.  Pretty Easy.

details

Some details from our day-

 Cigars in the mens room.

Our "flowers girls" passed out rosemary wreath boutonnieres to all of the men and ranacula wristlets to all of the women.

Sandalwood fans on the women's seats

Rose petal laden wishing well.

the budget

Sean & my wedding budget was right at the national average.  I am sure that they are many people that could have had an absolute field day with what we had to spend and others that wouldn't be able to cover their dress & shoes.  For us it was ample and extremely generous.  And yet we went over budget.  Way over budget. And it wasn't like I was just thoughtlessly spending.  I had a spreadsheet!  I was entering numbers!  I just happen to be really bad at math. And spreadsheets.  To this day I still feel sick about it.  Without a doubt, the low point of our entire wedding experience, was calling my dad to tell him I wasn't even close, finances-wise.  Not that he was anything less that wonderful, as always.  

Still, prior to that call - we had sent every wedding present back.  On our wedding night we sat on our bed and counted money in gift envelopes to make sure that we could afford to leave on our honeymoon.  That is not good, people.  How I wish I could live that part over.  How I wish I would have chosen a few less lovely details and honored my father & his generosity instead.  

For the record, I have been to many expensive & forgettable weddings and some that spent far less then us and will ever remain favorites of mine.  They were just so great.

My parents just attended a very simple wedding that they could not stop talking about.  The ceremony took place in the bride's back yard.  There was a soft rain falling and all of the guests were given umbrellas.  (My mother kept saying that money can't buy for that kind of ambiance!)  I guess the site of it just was so lovely and surely made for some great photographs.  From there they proceeded to the driveway which was entirely tented and had every gorgeous dessert lining the drive.  The whole thing was simple, beautifully done & entirely memorable. 

My top budget tips are these:

-spend 5-10% less then your actual budget and you will probably come in at budget.  It's amazing how many "little" things ended up costing big money those last couple of weeks, have the money set aside.

-we bought all of our wedding decor (candle sticks, lanterns, etc.) at a Pottery Barn Manager Sale.  The stuff cost cheaper than renting it.  We kept the original price tags and offered to sell it to a local florist for 1/3 the original price (more than we paid).  She was thrilled.  We, ahem, made money on our wedding decor. 

-go for impact. It's the little details that make a wedding so choose details you really care about.  Forget about huge bridal arrangements at the altar or the pricey favors.  My brother had a hot dog stand at his formal reception and it was fantastic. 

-it's just one day.  A wonderful day.  An important day.  But just a day.  Keep perspective.

{image from Millie Motts}

Spartan

here are my picks from Spartan in Austin:

Jamali Garden

I just popped over to Jamali Garden in search of some billy buttons and man, did they have a lot of great stuff.  Everything I ever forgot to remember I needed (more like wanted). Except, of course, billy buttons.  Still, this place goes well beyond garden goods with fantastic entertaining & decor finds as well. 

JessGM

I can't let Jess get away today with showcasing some of her fantastic work. Between her etsy shop, photography site & design portfolio I had trouble narrowing down what I like best. 

I'm loving her portraits:

And her awesome gocco paper goods:

And her exquisite custom work:

To visit Jess' website, click here. 

a few more "spots"

Here are a few more that seem to always end up on my list:  

(anyone out there hiring in any of these locations...?!)

Olympia, WA:

Tacoma, WA:

Roanoke, VA:

Asheville, NC:

What were some of your favorite spots?

 {images from prorallypix, wileygerald, shesnuckinfuts, SeattleSandy, Digital Agent, djwilliamson, klg 1309, BigAlTaz's}

The Old Farmer's Almanac

My Father-in-law, John, likes to share interesting bits of information with me from time to time. Somehow we got on the topic of the Old Farmer's Almanac and John informed me that the hole in the corner of the magazine is for hanging it on a nail in your outhouse.  Now, neither of us have an outhouse, but he does have a great barn in New Mexico. Therefore, this Christmas, John became the lucky recipient of a 2009 Old Farmer's Almanac to hang beside his john at the barn.  

I had never browsed a Farmer's Almanac prior to this but found it full of lots of things that I never knew that I wanted to know about.

Wikipedia describes it as this:  a reference book that contains weather forecasts, tide tables, planting charts, astronomical data, recipes, and articles on a number of topics including gardening, sports, astronomy, and farming. The book also features anecdotes and a section that predicts trends in fashion, food, home décor, technology, and living for the coming year.

side-note: Wikipedia also states that in 1858, Abraham Lincoln used a copy of a Farmer's Almanac to argue the innocence of his client, William ("Duff") Armstrong, who was on trial for murder in Beardstown, Illinois.  Lincoln used an almanac to refute the testimony of Charles Allen, an eyewitness who claimed he had seen the crime by the light of the moon on August 29, 1857. The book stated that not only was the Moon in the first quarter, but it was riding "low" on the horizon, about to set.  See?  Random, perhaps useful, interesting stuff.

another side-note: the term john, came to be used in America in reference to a toilet or "indoor water closet"  because it was first invented by a man named John Harrington.  The phenomenal facts just keep coming.

destination: Chicago

I am heading to chicago in a couple days with my two little ones.  My husband, Sean, sadly won't make it out there until the 23rd (it feels just like that holiday Folger's commercial) - but all of my family is in Chicago so it will be great to have some time with them.   Sean's birthday is just after New Years' so when we are in Chicago for Christmas we like to celebrate his birthday there.  We both love Chicago.  And most other large, wonderful cities.  My nice family lets us slip away from the kids for a night and we try to fill 24 hours with as much Chicago-wonderfulness as we can!  We always Priceline a hotel and then research all the fun stuff that we want to squeeze in.  

This year we are staying at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, a 1927 landmark hotel that has just been renovated.  We have never stayed there before and are excited to check it out as we have this deep, strange love for hotels.  I posted the above photo because I love the colors in that Suzani coverlet!)

{sidenote: it's a long-standing to dream of our to one day open a little hotel.}

We will definitely be eating at Zed 451, as we have a gift card from my parents that we have never gotten around to using.  It looks yummy. Kind of a modern take on the Brazilian Churrascaria, which has never been my thing, my maybe the "modern take" will change things for me. 

A few other "definites" on our list:

Museum of Science and Industry (specifically to check out their Smart Home exhibit)

Jayson Home & Garden

and of course, Jonathan Adler

Can you tell I'm excited about our lone day in Chicago?

{images from The Millennium Knickerbocker, Zed 451, the Museum of Science & Industry, Apartment Therapy, Friendly Joe}

Hyland's

My little one got sick over the holiday weekend. Runny Nose, watery eyes, fever. While I was at the store yesterday I picked up some children's cold medicine to help him be more comfortable. I am not one that likes to cover every symptom with drugs but there are definitely times when I falter at the sight of his sweet, sad, dripping face. Yesterday was one of those times. Thankfully, his father who clearly possesses a better memory than I, reminded me that the FDA nearly banned cold medicines for children last year. How did I forget that?

This morning while my little one was even more miserable then yesterday, I remembered something I had considered buying as we were preparing to move to Morocco. It's a "homeopathic remedy chest". I had nearly purchased the one sold by Hyland's but it just never happened. I feel pretty ignorant on items such as these but I am open and it comes with a manuel. I am curious if any of you have ever used something like this and what were your results. I love taking the natural course of action when I feel confident that it is relatively safe and effective.

here's what Hyland's Remedy Kit contains:

30 NATURAL REMEDIES:
1 ACONITUM NAPELLUS | for Colds & Fevers with Sudden Onset
2 ALLIUM CEPA | for Runny Nose
3 ANTIMONIUM TARTARICUM | for Coughs with Mucous in Chest
4 APIS MELLIFICA | for Bites, Stings & Swellings
5/6 ARNICA MONTANA (2 BOTTLES) | for Bruising & Muscle Soreness
7 ARSENICUM ALBUM | for Diarrhea
8 BELLADONNA | for Fevers & Inflammation
9 BRYONIA ALBA | for Dry Cough/Arthritis Pain
10 CALCAREA PHOSPHORICA | for Teething
11 CANTHARIS | for Bladder Irritation
12 CARBO VEGETABILIS | for Nausea
13 CHAMOMILLA | for Teething & Irritability
14 FERRUM PHOSPHORICUM | for Fevers & Inflammation
15 GELSEMIUM SEMPERVIRENS | for Headaches/Flus with Muscle Pain
16 HEPAR SULPHURIS CALCAREUM | for Cough & Runny Nose
17 HYPERICUM PERFOLIATUM | for Nerve Injury
18 IGNATIA AMARA | for Grief & Emotional Upset
19 IPECACUANHA | for Nausea & Vomiting
20 LEDUM PALUSTRE | for Bites, Stings & Minor Puncture Wounds
21 MAGNESIA PHOSPHORICA | for Menstrual Cramps
22 MERCURIUS VIVUS | for Sore Throat
23 NUX VOMICA | for Indigestion & Nausea
24 PHOSPHORUS | for Cough & Sore Throat
25 PULSATILLA NIGRICANS | for Colds with Runny Nose
26 RHUS TOXICODENDRON | for Arthritis Pain, Better from Motion
27 RUTA GRAVEOLENS | for Sprains & Tendonitis
28 SPONGIA TOSTA | for Coughs
29 SULPHUR | for Rashes & Eczema
30 VERATRUM ALBUM | for Diarrhea with Vomiting

Montessori: apples & chickens & goats -O my!

So...I think we are about to take the plunge. Right now my oldest child "E", she's 4.5 - is in a nice private Christian school. Nice parents, nice kids, nice curriculum - it's all very nice. So why am I itching to get her out of there? Something about it all just has not been sitting well with me. I started researching (did you know that I L-O-V-E to research?...just an aside) some other schooling options. The Montessori concept really caught my attention and the more that I learn about it the more I:

a.) wish that I had attended a Montessori as a child and  b.) want my children to attend Montessori schools while they are young.

I love the idea of children learning the concepts and skills they need to know by doing everyday tasks. Rather then sitting in a chair learning a concept they are actually doing the task at hand. There is a part of me that wishes that I could homeschool, but I am just not that mom. I feel like with Montessori, I am paying someone to have the patience to do the things with my child that I just don't have the patience to do. I know that that sounds awful. But I don't mean it that way at all. There are just certain things that my kids won't experience because I am unwilling to go there. I am grateful for a classroom that is set up to encourage kids to go there. Poring water out of a small scale glass pitcher into small glasses. A dish washing station. Shoe & silver polishing. My kids would rather do this stuff any day over playing with silly old toys. Now sweet E is gonna have her chance.

The school that we are most excited about has chickens & goats for the kids to help care for. There are fruit trees that the kids gather the fruit from and a garden that they plant and tend. Um...can I go too?

I just started to read this book to learn how to incorporate more Montessori concepts at home with my little one.

This catalog is a fascinating look at the different items that fill a Montessori classroom. There are some great finds for home too, as everything is made kid size. These are real tools, not toys, they are just made to fit in little hands. What a concept!

{image found at socializr}

Mary Jane's Farm

A couple of years ago I became familiar with a farm girl named Mary Jane through the various outlets of her empire. Mary Jane Butters is the face and founder of Mary Jane's Farm and it's subsequent magazine, website, products, forum and even this super cool "tent and breakfast". There are a lot of things that I love about this woman but the two things that are sticking out right now are:

1. She preaches that you don't have to live on a farm to be a farm girl at heart. Cultivate the life you crave wherever you are right now.

and

2. Doing laundry is a near religion to her. She finds deep satisfaction in the small moments that make up an average day.

I bought the back issues of her magazine/catalog and found something in nearly each one that really moved me.

You can check her out here.