best lunch ever! cards

what, it's thursday already?! it's been such a busy week that seems to have flown by without any notice, to which i have no complaints considering it leads into the long holiday weekend. woo hoo! this morning as i was leaving for work, joe called out to me not to forget to eat a real lunch. seems like a weird request at first, but it's because he knows too well on days i don't pack our lunches i will easily opt for my favorite kind of brown bag lunch...


the flavor of the moment at sprinkles happens to be salted caramel right now - so delicious (and dangerous)! goal #20: find a salted caramel cupcake recipe with slightly less sweet butteriness so yellow kitchenaid standing mixer will know it's loved for more than just its good looks.

but in the meantime, here are some yummy cards inspired by the cupcake with milk i wish i was eating right now.

have a sweet day!

farewell address to a dress

dear wedding dress,

thank you for being such a perfect dress - simple and elegant in your beautiful silk organza, tulle and satin layers. i was really nervous about taking you apart to make crafts, but it ended up being such a fun experience and now everyone who was there can forever be a part of the sisterhood of the trashed wedding dress, like that movie with the jeans...sort of. so now commending you to my fondest memories, i bid you affectionate farewell!

love,
rosie

ps- here are some photos from our trash the dress crafty party.




the first cut // bags for your loot // supplies!


janice working on her apron


angie models her hairpin // a scrapalicious mess // my necklace

paper love

i've been seeing lots of pretty posts and pics from the national stationery show in ny this week and imagining how awesome it would be to be there, surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of oh so beautiful paper stations. anywhere that dedicates square footage to a "pen pavilion" is a place i know i'd like to be.

maybe i'll get a chance to visit one of these days, but for now i'm filling up on secondhand admiration and cruising the web in search of the oodles of other paper people out there.

one that made me smile recently - the future mrs. darcy - creates wedding invitations inspired by famous fictional couples. love it!


pam + jim of the office


ginny weasley + harry potter


sloane peterson + ferris bueller

i hope there's one for anne shirley and gilbert blythe (swoon~) in the works!

which fictional couple is tops in your books?

sunday's bests

sundays are always such a treat, with solid preaching at church (where i usually also score a nice donut) and refreshing times with friends. yesterday the latter took place at the long beach flea market where a whole gang of us went and scoured through the maze of booths in search of the items on our wish lists.

nautical clock and bottle carrier, unfortunately both out of my price range

another wire carrier, also out of my price range...i may need to start collecting clothes hangers and make this a DIY project haha...

what a relief to find this sign at one of my stops! and i did find myself a globe (goal #36) by day's end, as did cathie.

afterwards a few of us went over to the gym to watch our guys play ball. one by one everyone left and i was the last cheerleader in the bleachers, pooped and in major need of a pedicure (eek!), but happy :)

to market, to market

super excited for the flea market with some of my fav friends this weekend! i'm one of those impossible shoppers who mentally formulates a pro/con list accompanied by 5-page essay before committing to a purchase, whether it be a new car or a napkin holder. sometimes it's good because i'm not impulsive but most of the time it's just annoying. i know.

so i thought it'd be helpful to think through a few things to look for in advance. here's my flea market shopping list...

milk jugs & glass bottles. usually love mason jars too but find at times the mouth is too wide for smaller flower arrangements. this photo display is a cool idea too.

wire jar/bottle carrier. love everything about this centerpiece!

accent chair for small desk in living room. something charming and colorful to replace the dingy burgundy spinning office chair sorely missing its matching college student somewhere.

here's hoping! have a great weekend!

1, 2, 3 cheese!

we've been debating whether or not to invest in a dslr camera. i really am a creature of habit, so as much as i see how much better the quality of photos are, i hesitate to make the jump.

here are the players we currently have on hand...

1.  blackberry bold 9700
stats:  3.2 megapixels
last at bat:  photo-greeting to email mom
added value:  it packs a decent punch for its small size.
and the yellow cover makes me happy.

2.  canon powershot sd750
stats:  7.1 megapixels
last at bat:  everything and anything
added value:  super easy shmeezy to use

3.  old school nikon camera
stats:  no idea
last at bat:  nsync concert 10 years ago to get a closer view of
justin timberlake (ok i'm a little embarrassed)
added value:  my parents bought this the year i was born and
gave it to me when i left for college.

i don't know...i might just take upon the task of learning how to shoot with the nikon (more than its paparazzi zoom capabilities) for now. be sure to let me know if you have any photography tips, warnings, recommendations, stories, or jokes!

{eye} try : everyday container vase

with so much fabulous stuff out there in the blog world, it's so easy for me to get intimidated or revert to pure stalker status. but i remember reading somewhere that "originality is overrated!" which totally inspires me to dig up all those saved jpgs and tutorials to try concocting my own versions, no matter how awkward or weird it may turn out.

this DIY project from design sponge caught my eye a couple months back and got me looking for my own everyday containers to use as vases. here's a sugarbowl from the thrift store that seems to fit the bill quite nicely...

ps - goal #36: find a vintage globe with an interesting history. (interesting history optional or can be made up, depending on how cool the globe looks).

goal #9: friday crossword puzzle

one of my goals in life is to finish the la times friday crossword puzzle. i don't really know what #1-8 are, but #9 seems about right for now until i figure the rest out. also in there somewhere is to be a contestant on wheel of fortune, but i'll save that exciting topic for another day haha.

my thing for crossword puzzles started back in freshman year of college with the good ol' daily cal when it was the only thing that separated my forehead from the cold desk in those 8am bio classes where the prof had to dim the lights to use his projector. then a couple years later when i realized i wasn't going to grow up to be a doctor, i switched majors to mass communications where my credits were earned analyzing radiohead songs and writing about the political workings within "the godfather" - i even took a whole an entire class about the history and power of food in media! anyways, the courses changed, but my love for crosswords stuck and to this day i try to sneak in the la times' puzzle whenever i can at work. the feeling you get when you figure out the puzzle's theme and those other clever clues, especially at friday's difficulty level, is what i could imagine it feels like to finish a marathon. my version just goes better with cupcakes.

happy friday! do you have any goals for today?

lessons i learned from my mom

1.  never compromise, especially when looking for a parking spot. it's better to wait it out than walk from the other side of the lot.

2.  don't fear others' opinions when returning something you've changed your mind on. if you bring your husband, he will feel shame enough for both of you, as he tries to stand camouflaged by the nearest clothing rack.

3.  when all else fails, use sunblock, drink lots of water and/or get a bob haircut.

ok really though, from her surprise themed dinners for the family and the little notes she would slip into my lunch, to her berenstain bears book collection and cross-stitching artwork, my mom has taught and inspired me more than any blog or magazine ever could. she's shown me the joy in making others feel special and filling her home with love - all with the strength that comes from understanding God's true love and not having wasted energy from walking from that really really far parking spot.