HAPPINESS IS...

Geometric Pinatas

That's it. Next party I throw, there WILL be pinatas. Most likely fancy geometric ones.

When was the last time you played with pinatas?


{Images by Prospect Goods}

Alphabet Letter Shelves

I'm really digging these wooden letter shelves, handcrafted by Italian architect duo, Giulia and Lucio of WE ArchDesign. They're deep enough to hold books and large enough to make a statement. They sort of remind me of the alphabet furniture pieces I featured awhile back. Think of all the word possibilities. Pretty genius, don't you think?


{Images via Design Milk}

Embroidered Felt On Vintage Linen

How's this for a Monday pick-me-up? Bright and playful embroideries by Rachel Castle out of Australia. Wouldn't you love one of her hand-stitched felt letters on vintage linen? To remind us how happy and nice our places really are. Damn straight.


{Images by Castle & Things}

Wall Confetti

Stefanie decorated her entryway wall with giant copper confetti. The removable adhesive dots are only available in Germany, but this project would be relatively easy to replicate on your own. Take Beci for example. She made her own confetti wall using colored paper and blu-tack.

I really love this look. It's such a fun (and temporary) way to change up your space. Would you confetti your walls?


{Images by Ohhh Mhhh}

Hanging Tape Rolls As Party Decor

I've never seen this done before. Art director, Koji Iyama, hung thousands of rolls of Japanese masking tape from a warehouse ceiling for MT's promotional exhibition in Sendai. What a magical statement.

On a smaller scale, don't you think this would make a beautiful streamer alternative for a wedding, shower or party? As long as the tape hangs high enough to walk under. Or even a photo backdrop with tape hanging to the floor.


{Images via Design for Mankind by Koji Iyama}

Not Another Bill

Bill, junk mail, bill... surprise box! Once a month, the folks at Not Another Bill mail out beautifully packaged, specially curated exclusive gifts from up & coming and established designers, brands and artists. Some of the past prezzies include:

1. Shave Kit by Prospector Co
2. Hand-Dyed Scarves by Scarf Shop
3. Urban Gardening Kit by Alotinabox
4. Key Fold by Hard Graft
5. Stencil Set, Paper Weaving Kit, & Goodie Bag by Present & Correct
6. Chinese Scissors by All Lovely Stuff
7. Summer Scarves by Beck Sonder Gaard
8. Soap Set by Izola
9. Nutcracker by Simon Donald
10. Woven Mini Bracelet by Emma Calvert
11. Hand-carved Driftwood Boats by Victor Stuart-Graham

Such a fun subscription service. Similar to Foodzie and For The Makers, but for design lovers. Hmm, I really could have used a Not Another Bill box alongside a most unpleasant recent letter from the IRS!


{Images by Not Another Bill}

Surprise Message Boxes

Lori Marie received one of these darling surprise message boxes in the mail for the birth of her new baby girl. She calls them tiny boxes of joy. They're custom and handmade by Pamela in Paris, France. Such a sweet gift, don't you think?

P.S. They remind me of Kim's Instant Comfort Pocket Boxes.


{Images via Pretty Little Things by Pamela Loops}

Chiaozza Geometrical Shelving

Gray and drizzly Mondays like today call for bright and colorful geometrical goodies. These hand-cut Chiaozza shelves are so beautiful, I wouldn't want to place anything on them! Why clutter them up with objects?

P.S. The designers, Terri Chiao and Adam Frezza, are the same folks who built a cabin & a treehouse in their loft and turned it into a Brooklyn bed and breakfast.


{Images by Chiaozza}

Bright Beads

Just a tad bit obsessed! I've been looking for a lighting solution for our bedroom since we don't really have space for nightstands. These bohemian-style wood pendants would make my dreams come true.

They're called Bright Beads, designed by Australia's Coco Reynolds and handcrafted using FSC certified timbers. Aren't they gorge?


{Images by Marz Designs by James Braund}

The South

I have a confession to make. I have never been to the South. But all of that will change very soon. In a few weeks, 3 girlfriends and I will be taking a little trip to Charleston, South Carolina! We visited Vancouver in the past and we're trying to make it a tradition to travel some place new every year. We have the hotel nailed, but if you have any suggestions for places to go and things to see, I'm all ears!

Have a sweet weekend y'all and enjoy the links...

Today is National Grilled Cheese Day!

How to make raw stone pendants.

A rad bicycle bar cart for coctails on the go.

5 new accessories from an old leather belt.

Yum yum, stuffed rigatoni.

Can you believe these items are made of wood?

A wild rainbow house with indoor slides.

Would you go into business with your significent other?

Do what you love and do it often - free printable!

A pretty pleated wedding dress.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Wild Pulp
• Traveling In Style
• A Southern / Soul Food Feast

{Image by Southern Weddings}

Julie's Kitchen Food Collages

I happened across Julie's Instagram feed and instantly fell in love with her food collages. They started off as a way to showcase seasonal fruits, veggies and herbs from local growers at the Santa Monica farmers market, a spot near and dear to my heart. Since then, her photos have turned into a ongoing highly anticipated art form. To her, she's simply playing with her food.

Produce sure is beautiful. I think Julie should turn these pieces into wallpaper for the kitchen!


{Images by Julie Lee}

Adventures In Watercolor & Photography

How breathtaking is this editorial spread for Genlux Magazine? I'm so impressed. Katie, a watercolor illustrator, collaborated with Daniel, a fashion photographer, to design an imaginary fantasy land, "Far Far Away", for the model to adventure in.

Now how does one find the portal to this world? :)


{Images via Paper Fashion by Daniel Castro, photography, Katie Rodgers, illustration}

Vintage Inspired Science Posters

I have a big time crush on these vintage-inspired science posters. Aren't they charming?

After moving into a cabin in the woods, artist and fellow Washingtonian, Jessica Rose turned to nature for inspiration. She began digitally illustrating images found in old text books and school charts. They're printed on textured canvas stretched between two slats of wood.


{Images by Vol 25}

Mod Radio

This is how talented Jon Almeda is. Not only does he make up one-half of One Love Photo (our wedding photographers), but he's also a musician, makes pottery and most recently, revamps extra rad mod radios.

He finds them in local thrift shops and flea markets, guts them, and rebuilds each one with new high-quality speakers. They're converted from mono setup to a stereo configuration, so both left and right channels are heard, as music was originally intended. I adore them. I think my shelves at home would too.

I bet he has a few more projects under his belt that I'm unaware of. Jon, my friend, you're an inspiration! What's next?  :)


{Images via Mod Radio}

Being a BRIKA Tastemaker

Hi friends. I'm extremely honored to be featured as a BRIKA Tastemaker this week! We share a very similar aesthetic and I was overjoyed when co-founders Jen & Kena asked me to reveal my inspirations and select my favorite items from their lovely shop.

If you're unfamiliar, BRIKA is an online boutique, promoting exclusive items from hand-picked independent makers, artisans and designers. Not only do I adore their products, I'm very much in tune with their philosophies...

We are believers. Not just in life as it is now, but in the power we have to craft it into something even more beautiful. We exist to not only stand for the following values, but to support and inspire them in others:

• Everyone has a creative spark.
• A world of beauty lives in every small thing.
• Today's craft becomes tomorrow's heirloom.
• Some of life's greatest lessons are learned from one another.
• Inspiration is the engine for growth.
• We have the tools to craft a beautiful life.

{Images by Brika}

The Faraday Electric Bike

Spring is here and I've been dying to hop on a bike. But the one thing that has stopped me from getting a bicycle in Seattle, is the hills. Those damn hills. I love to bike, but not when I arrive to my destination in a sweaty mess.

Until bike lanes of the future are implemented, enter the electric bike! My dream come true. The Faraday Porteur has a pedal-assist system, a re-chargeable battery hidden within the bike’s frame, and a secret "boost mode" for an extra surge of power to help you up the hills. I'm loving the schnazzy minty retro design. Only downside, the price tag is pretty steep. I guess I'll be saving my pennies.

Would you ride an electric bike?


{Images by Faraday Bikes}

Favorite Recipes On A Tea Towel

I baked these num num cookies a few weeks ago and received a few requests for the recipe on Instagram and Facebook. So here it is: the best vegan chocolate chip cookies EVER.

My mother adapted the recipe from Daily Garnish and wrote it down for me after I gobbled up her entire batch. So I wouldn't lose it, I scanned it in and had Lindsay from Small Home Designs print the hand-written recipe on a tea towel. She did an awesome job. It now hangs sweetly on our vintage oven.

To get the cookies soft and chewy, there's a secret ingredient that replaces the eggs... banana!

SOFT & CHEWY VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or regular butter if you're not vegan)
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (or 1/4 cup - they're pretty sweet)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed (or 1/4 cup)
• 1 medium ripe banana
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp non-dairy milk (almond, lactose-free, or regular milk works fine as well)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or 3/4 cup if you like more chunks)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, salt) in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
• In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), cream together Earth Balance with brown and cane sugars.
• Once the sugar mixture is light and fluffy, add the banana, vanilla, and milk and beat until combined.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet, beating just until mixed.  Fold in chocolate chips.
• Put 12 cookie dough balls on a greased cookie sheet. Press each cookie down a little to flatten, so they aren’t so round (I didn't press, because I like them super thick).
• Bake for 10 minutes until the bottoms are browned and the tops are slightly golden.
• Set aside on a cooling rack and let them cool before eating.

TIP: My mom and I love eating the cookies COLD - they taste amazing when you store them in the fridge or freezer. Does anyone else do this too?

Comma Workshop Cursive Quilts

I'm enamoured by Kerry Larkin's cursive quilts, sewn together with words. She and her team at Comma Workshop freestyle sew original stories and poems directly onto each quilt.

My favorite excerpt...

    decidedly we will stay for the night.
    the moon has reached out for us - we nod in response.
    what passes in time {is a delightful mess} softened, just so, by the moonlight penetrating the     dust-soaked window.

    it whispers stories as we rest,
    wading towards home. molding ourselves into someone else’s dreams.

    the light slips away, and with shoes removed, the dirt relaxes under our naked feet.
    you stand at attention admiring the pines that resemble construction paper cut outs against the     almost black sky.


{Images via The NY Times by Comma Workshop}

Geometric Wood Wall Panels

Ariele's geometric wood wall panels caught my attention on their own. But then she had to throw her cat in the mix and I was done for!

All the wall panels in her shop, Brooklyn To West, have sold out. But maybe if we ask her kindly, she'll make more. Don't they look great against a plain white wall?


{Images via Brooklyn To West by Ariele Alasko}

Saving The Eames House

You wouldn't think that the Eames family would ever be in a financial bind, but apparently they need our help. The Eames Foundation is selling these 4 original limited-edition prints to help raise money to preserve Charles' and Ray's historic mid-century modern home in LA. For every $75 print sold, Herman Miller and Vitra will provide matching donations.

How cool would it be to know you've helped save a piece of architectural history? And have a rare print on the wall to show for it.

P.S. The Eames documentary, The Architect & The Painter, has been patiently waiting for me in my Netflix queue. Maybe I should move it to the top. Have you seen it yet?


{Images via Eames House 250}

My Wedding 07: The Website

For this week's wedding post, I'm revealing the website! My brother and I worked really hard on this puppy and it was one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process. Because as you can see, it ties everything together. Our colors, our engagement photos/art, the vintage nostalgia theme from our save-the-dates and the movie theme from our invitations, now all make better sense.

I definitely could have made things simpler by using one of the many pre-designed wedding websites available. What, Shannon takes the easy road? Never! Christopher built his own wedding website many moons ago, so I was thrilled when he agreed to help with mine. I shared my design ideas and with his expert coding skills, he manifested a playful and interactive website for me and Hal to enjoy for life. Yay for big brothers who happen to be photographers AND web programmers!

The coolest thing he did was the randomization code for the main photo on the homepage. I asked him to animate our head-shots so that one of us was always looking at the other at the wrong time. (This is something silly Hal and I do together for a laugh). But Christopher thought, and I now agree, that we should eventually look AT each other. He made it so we catch each other's eyes... sometimes! You have to watch for awhile to even realize our heads are turning back and forth.

For the PLOT header, we told our story. How we met, fell in love, broke up, got back together, broke up again, and reconnected for good. I don't think I've ever shared with you our full history before. So if you'd like to read up.. pour yourself a cup of tea and kick back. It's a long one!

The CAST & CREW part was extra fun. Since I already knew we'd be premiering our Amelie-inspired movie at the wedding (the video was added to the site later), I dug out our toddler photos and came up with a few more likes and dislikes that didn't make it into the movie.

We asked our bridesmaids and groomsmen to do the same. The result is a hilarious and quirky mix of cutie pie childhood photos and personality tidbits of our friends.

Christopher made a nice horizontally scrolling gallery of our engagement photos/art. This was the first time they were revealed, so I'm sure our guests were somewhat bewildered!

Hal had been collecting songs for our wedding soundtrack since before we got engaged. Combined with my own list of tunes that remind us our relationship, the list was 50 songs deep! We only wanted to give out one reasonably lengthed album as wedding favors, so we majorly cut it down to 20, plus a hidden track. It's an awesome sentimental-to-us mix of old soul, classic jazz, 90's rock and hip hop.

To save some stamps, we asked our guests to RSVP online. Christopher installed a clever form box that pulls down from the top.

As you click on each header, the body scrolls down to a new section of the site. At the very bottom of the GIFTS page, we put in a secret photo of us dangling from monkey bars. Some of our guests told us later they never knew it was there. Surprise!

So that's everything. What do you think? Are we nuts or what? To fully experience the entire website, visit:  www.shannonandhal.com

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

Custom Vintage Photo Drawings

These pieces make me smile. Aren't they sweet?

If you send Lauren a vintage photograph, she'll extend the scene as a detailed drawing to a place where the past and present meet.


{Images via Spencer Studio by Lauren Spencer King}

My New Luna Ukulele

My mom gave me a belated birthday gift. A Luna ukulele! Isn't it beautiful?

Ever since I inherited her little red vintage soprano uke, I've been itching for another. One that's larger with a slightly deeper tone. While researching brands, I fell hard for the artfully detailed Luna ukes. Their entire collection is amazing, but the concert-sized Mo'o spoke to me with its cedar laser-etched leaf design. To early Hawaiians, the mo'o (lizards) are a symbol of spirituality and good fortune. Don't you love the changing moon phases on the fretboard?

This particular uke is an acoustic-electric, so I can also plug it in to peform and record. Some fun news... I'm seriously considering making another solo album. One composed entirely of uke tunes. More details to come, but I'm super excited to begin a new musical adventure.

Do any of you play the ukulele? Or would you like to learn?

Vintage Picture Books

Swoooon! Mid-century illustrations get me every time. And these are the real deal. Mallory collects vintage children's books and sells them from her Etsy shop, Elwood & Eloise. They're all out-of-print, so each one is super rare.

Do you own any awesome picture books from the past?


{Images via Elwood & Eloise; Illustrations by: 1. Adrienne Adams; 2. Rosalind Welcher; 3. Robert E. Barry; 4. Fritz Kredel}

Wood Clutches

And my wood infatuation continues. I've seen the occasional vintage wooden bag in my day, but none as sleek as these geometric clutches. They're from design team, Testler + Mendelovitch, who created their own textile, a wood "skin" that's flexible, wearable and durable.

Would you carry a wood clutch?


{Images by Tesler + Mendelovitch}

Weekend Exploration

I hope you had a sweet Valentine's Day yesterday. Did you do anything fun? We stayed in. Keeping with the heart-shaped dinner theme, Hal cooked me this to appeal to my inner 5-year old. Good man.

U.S. friends, will you be traveling over the holiday weekend? If not, it's a perfect time to explore your own city. We hope to cross a few adventures off our stuff-we've-always-wanted-to-do-in-Seattle list.

Enjoy the links and I'll see you again on Tuesday...

I'm thinking about getting bangs like this.

A balloon bench inspired by the 1953 French film, “Le Ballon Rouge”.

Halfway to heaven peanut butter cookies.

3 pink lakes on my travel lust list.

Did you know you can dye your hair with real gold?

4 creative flavored butter recipes.

I want to blow up and frame this truly awesome photograph.

Any ladies looking to propose to their boyfriend?

How to make a cool light-up sign.

Would you eat dinner in an igloo?

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Sun Boxes
• A Bold Print Dress
• Spaghetti Nests

{Image by Wesley Bird}

My Wedding 05: DIY Invitations

Ta da! Our invitations. Lovingly letterpressed and linocut by Hal himself.

One of the few things Hal felt passionate about during wedding planning was making our invites. With the money saved by doing them ourselves, we splurged on an inexpensive at-home letterpress machine. I designed the invitation wording and uploaded it to Lifestyle Crafts for our custom printing plates.

The tree was done as a linocut. Hal has linocut before, but it was his first attempt at letterpress. It took some trial and error, but he quickly got the hang of it. For weeks, he disappeared into his man cave cranking out 100 of them, one by one.

We included a vintage postcard of Gig Harbor, where the wedding would take place. Around 75% of our guests were flying in from California and other parts of the U.S., so I wanted to give them a nostalgic view of the small town they'd be visiting. The original postcard was blank and in order to replicate it en masse, I scanned both sides, added a faux postage stamp in Photoshop, and printed it for cheap on cardstock.

A second set of postcards, with a handwriting font on the back, were sent to guests invited to our rehearsal dinner cruise around Gig Harbor.

Playing off the "green carpet premiere" invitation text, I designed a little wood ticket to announce the wedding website using our H ♥ S logo. The Etsy shop, Bullfrog Graphics, laser engraved them for me and did an excellent job.

During a weekend-long marathon of Say Yes To The Dress, all of the pieces were neatly tied together with baker's twine and placed inside an A9-sized kraft envelope with an origami paper boat (which would later play a role in our wedding).

We were happy with how they turned out. A painstaking process? Yes. Would I purchase invites if I had to do it all over again? Um, quite possibly maybe probably yes. But in my eyes, nothing beats a handmade invitation. And I hope our guests felt the love.

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

Everlasting Paper Flowers

The prettiest paper flowers I've seen. Helen makes each of them by hand and presents them in a Valentine's box with a personalized name tag. To be kept, saved and admired forever.


{Images by Frances & Francis}

Love Notes

Do you and your honey write each other love notes? We don't. After 10+ years of togetherness, everything's been said. But I suppose it's less about the words and more about the effort put in to show you care. Here's a fun idea. An entire wall of origami paper hearts. Inside each pocket holds a little love note to be opened and read. Melanie shows us how to make them right here.

Since V-Day falls on a Thursday, will you be celebrating over the weekend? I think we might visit the Seattle Aquarium down by the pier. Neither of us have been and it seems like a nice and warm romantic outing for a cold winter's day.

Have a special weekend, sweetie pies. Enjoy the lovey dovey links...

More pretty paper hearts for the wall.

And cute love letter scrolls.

Drink bubbly with heart-shaped drinking straws.

Stir up some heat with match book valentines.

Find a secret message in a bottle.

Have breakfast in bed with lace heart pancakes.

Show off your gams with DIY heart tights.

Embarrass someone with a giant printable poster.

Serenade your sweetheart with a love playlist.

Say it right with conversation heart sugar cookies.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• DIY Felt Fortune Cookies
• Heart Art
• Roller Skate Dates

{Pre-edited image via Minted by Melanie Blodgett}

Coloring Books

For the child / teenager in us all.

Wouldn't these coloring books make a fun gift for Valentine's Day? I have quite a few lady friends who'd appreciate the one devoted entirely to the "world's greatest man"... Jon Hamm!

 

{Images by Team Art}

Words To Work By

Such great 60's-inspired designs by Asia Pietrzyk to kick our bums into gear and be more productive at the office. The inspirations really work! I just put down my coffee cup and obsessively saved this post.


{Images by Asia Pietrzyk}

My Wedding 02: DIY Save-The-Date Paper Dolls

I'm thrilled to share with you our save-the-dates!

To get the guests revved up about the wedding, I wanted to send them something unexpected. Something they could play with. Our theme wasn't yet established, but we knew we would ask our guests to come dressed in their vintage best. Racking my brain, I thought about old toys that conjure up nostalgic memories for all generations. Paper dolls? I bounced the idea off my mom and her eyes lit up. Yes!

I tried to draw the paper dolls myself, but failed miserably. So instead, we Photoshopped our heads onto vintage doll bodies. My mom and I scoured eBay for the perfect bride and groom with acceptable underclothes. I scored the perfect retro set! It came with hilarious outfits and accessories for the big day, the wedding night, and the honeymoon. No black kitties, but I found another hand-drawn cat image for Bailey. She had to be included, of course.

Initially, I planned to print on magnetic paper so guests could hang us on their fridge as a reminder. But I discovered reusable adhesive fabric instead. It's more affordable, lightweight, easy to cut, ink jet printer friendly, and leaves no residue. You simply peel off the backing and stick it to any flat surface.

Do you remember the hand-carved face stamp I had made? It was put to good use on our envelopes! I also got a custom address rubber stamp from NoteTrunk and designed a very simple H ♥ S logo for our postage stamps from Zazzle.

We got great feedback from our guests. Even my grandma loved them, which could have gone either way. A few friends sent us photos of the tux on me, the gown on Hal, and the garter around Bailey's neck!

P.S. For this project, a big thank you goes out to my mom, my brainstorm and research partner, my brother, the Photoshop wizard who made sure our heads looked like they belonged on our bodies, and my husband, who agreed to be seen by the world in shorty shorts and black knee high socks.

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by Christopher Bachmann Photography}

Custom Paw Print Tiles

Sometimes, your best ideas are born by accident. While making floor tiles, ceramics artist, Helena Seget, noticed her pet rat scurry across them while still wet, creating a unique organic pattern. Instead of throwing them out, she used them in her bathroom. When she sees her little rat's prints embedded into the floor, she never feels alone.

Helena now makes custom paw print tiles for others. I want some Bailey tiles. Her paws are the cutest. It'd be a sweet way to remember her always in my home.

P.S. If you followed me during Bailey's kidney ordeal, here's a little update. She's still holding on! Despite being additionally diagnosed with thyroid disease a few months later, I finally got her on a good regimen of 2x daily pills, 2x weekly fluid injections, natural wet food, the occasional reiki session, and lots of extra love. She eats like a pig and seems happy as a clam. Fingers crossed she continues to thrive.


{Images via Remodelista}

Mini Zen Gardens

"The obstacle is your reality, and the sand is your peace.
Let your mind be free and let your fingers guide your way to creativity."

- Wendi of Wendiland

{Images via Plenty of Colour by Wendi Phan}

Hunkering Down In A Cozy Mountain Cabin

This is exactly what I plan to do next week for my birthday. Stay at this magical retreat in a cozy lodge cabin on the base of Mount Rainier. I invited a few close friends to join me in the woods to snow shoe, hot tub, feast by the roaring fire and play board games all night long. Sometimes it's nice to be born in the winter!


{Images via: 1. Winter Cabin Collection; 2. The Hunt; 3. Secret Hideout; 4. Ohalbatross}

3 Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags

Since our family had both a wedding and a baby this year, we're all about saving money and going super low key for Christmas. One gift to the spouse. One gift to Ayana, even though she's still too young to know what's going on. I found these super cute gift tags that you can print from home for free. The nordic sweaters are definitely my fave.

Have you wrapped any presents yet? What are your gift-giving plans for the holidays?


{Images by Love vs. Design}

DIY - Mid-Century Holiday Putz Houses

Have you heard of a putz house? They were miniature dime-store cardboard homes from back in the day. They're called "putz" for "puttering" around. Kate's family has a small treasured collection of them passed down from her grandmother, but she wanted to make her own, mid-century style. Aren't they darling?

If you'd like to recreate your own little retro winter village, check out her step-by-step instructions and downloadable house patterns.

They'd also make a groovy gingerbread house, don't you think?


{Pre-edited images via Retro Renovation}

Our Engagement Pics on 100 Layer Cake!

I'm so honored to be featured on one of my favorite wedding websites, 100 Layer Cake! Have you seen it? They posted our engagement photos. Blush!

A little back story. Hal was very adamant on not doing typical engagement pics. If it were up to him, we wouldn't have done them at all and I'm sure a lot of men would agree. So I tried to come up with an idea he would like, that represented us, minus the cheese. And he was down with retro graphic art.

I turned to Christopher, my photographer brother, for a sibling collaboration. He captured Hal and I goofing around in front of a green screen, doing things we actually do together in real life. Christopher then sent me the cut-outs of our bodies and I arranged them in Photoshop, adding different shapes, colors and other graphic elements.

If you've been following me for awhile, you'll know I was somewhat secretive about this and other details of our wedding. But I'm thinking about doing a new series starting in January: a weekly post about all the stages of my wedding planning, from how I asked my girlfriends to be bridesmaids, to our save-the-dates, to our website and everything in between. This will lead up to our professional photos of the big day.

What do you think? Would you be interested in learning about the behind-the-scenes of my wedding planning process?


{Photography by Christopher Bachmann}

A Recipe Wall Calendar

Calling all design-loving foodies: have you seen Liz Carver's 2013 calendar cookbook? It features a different recipe each month using fresh and seasonal ingredients. I wouldn't mind hanging this piece of lovely on my kitchen wall. 


{Images by Liz Carver Designs}

Christmas Carol Cards

How sweet are these Christmas carol cards by Shanna Murray? They make me want to sing.

Sadly, I think we'll have to skip holiday cards this year. Hal and I started a tradition of sending them out... remember these and these? But after our save-the-dates, wedding invitations and thank-you cards, the thought of addressing, stamping and sealing all over again makes me shudder. Next year, we'll get back on track.

Will you be sending out cards?


{Images via Terrain}

Bicycle Taxidermy

I've noticed that taxidermy is all the rage these days. Thankfully, faux animal heads are taking a dominance over real ones. But mounted bicycle handlebars are even more clever and humane.

Regan began making them out of his London shop to preserve a sentimental vintage bike once owned by his father. They really look like antlers, don't they?


{Images via GBlog by Regan Appleton}

Indoor Clouds

Pinterest has been blowing up my previous post on Cloud Lights. So if you were a fan of them then, you'll be happy to know that it's possible to make clouds without cotton, glue... or a potential fire!

Dutuch artist, Berndnaut Smilde, figured out how to create real cloud formations indoors. By using a fog machine in exact and controlled temperature, humidity, and lighting, a cloud will appear in the middle of a room. Sadly, it only lasts a few moments. But I suppose that's all the time you need to take one unbelievable photo.


{Images via TIME by Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk}

Illustrated Alphabets

The detail behind Anita's pencil-drawn alphabet prints are remarkable, right? You can tell she's an architect. I especially love her cities that come with a key describing each landmark. She's from Seattle, so lucky me, the Northwest is fully represented. Take a look at her Portland and Santa Fe prints as well. D.C., Chicago and San Fran are next. Wouldn't her custom illustrated alphabets make a wonderful gift?

P.S. 5 alphabet fonts.


{Images via Felt & Wire by Anita H. Lehman}

Skyfall

Can't wait to see Skyfall tonight. As you may know, I'm a James Bond fanatic. My dream is to write and sing the theme song one day. They're saying this film is the best one yet, which I can't wrap my head around because it will be hard to beat Casino Royale in my eyes.

Have a great weekend, friends! Please enjoy the links...

A collection of vintage Bond book covers.

How to make frozen ice lanterns.

This Portland home used to be a 1949 train car.

Host a hearty soup party.

Dr. Suess wedding inspiration.

A very cool cat-shaped kindergarten.

Have you heard of the Free Art Machine?

Hand-drawn TV show floor plans.

The music of stones.

What I'd like to make for dinner on Sunday.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Succulent Cork Magnets
• Beauties on Bikes
• Musical Gardens

{Image via Society6 by Arian Noveir}

Dutch Houses

How darling are Jenna Postma's tiny ceramic Dutch house necklaces?

"Travel east or travel west, one's own house is still the best."
- Dutch proverb.

{Images via Bloesom}

Saying Thanks

What are you up to this weekend? We'll be diligently devoted to wedding thank-you cards. I feel guilty for taking this long to get them done. So to our generous guests, rest assured you'll be receiving our sincerest thanks in the mail shortly!

I hope you all have a relaxing few days. Please enjoy the links...

How to make edible photo lollipops.

Reason enough to be envious of Paris.

A sweet pumpkin proposal.

Have you heard about the iTypewriter?

Keep your kitty warm in the winter.

This couple had a Rice Krispies wedding cake.

10 hearty vegetarian pasta recipes.

Android users, I want your Field Trip app.

These pretty wellies would have come in handy this week!

A creature surprise in your coffee cup.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Delicious Autumn
• Postcard Purses
• Gray

{Image by Karolin Schnoor}

Custom Animal Couple Portraits

I like Andrea. She's an NYC-based illustrator also inspired by music, nature, and vintage childrens books. Hey girl, can we be friends?

Hmm, if I were to turn Hal and I into animals for her custom portraits, I think we'd be dinosaurs: Apatosaurus for me, Ankylosaurus for him.

What animals would you be?


{Images via Paper Sparrow by Andrea Lauren}

Why I Love Him - Reason #1

He wants to spend his life with me! That's why I love him. Through highs and lows. Ebbs and flows. He will be beside me, experiencing the world, hand in hand. And it's the most comforting feeling I've known.

Today will be my last day here, but I won't leave you in the cold. I have daily guest bloggers scheduled for the next 3 weeks while I prep for the wedding and relax on my honeymoon. Please stop by to read their beautiful words, thoughts and advice on the theme of lasting love.

Thank you, my darling dears, for your incredible support over the past year. I look forward to sharing all experiences upon my return. HUG!

P.S. Happy blue moon!


{Image by Christopher Bachmann}

Nail Stickers

I'm all about simple, natural, no frills nails. I wear clear polish or a flesh-toned pink if I'm feeling feisty. Beyond elementary school, I never in a million years would have thought to decorate my fingernails with stickers. But after seeing Kate's hand-painted transfers, I'm inspired to channel my inner 3rd grade girly girl. I love the deer and bicycles.

Would you ever wear nail art?


{Images by Kate Broughton}

A Polaroid Wall Collage

It took me over a year to figure out if the vintage Polaroid land camera I picked up at the thrift store was in working condition. But I finally hunted down the proper battery and film and I happy to say... it works! Thankfully, it came with the original user guide. To take just one image, there are multiple levers to tweak, tabs to pull, and seconds to count. It's complicated and fascinating.

At the wedding, we're planning to take a Polaroid of each guest as they arrive and check in. What we're going to do with the photos is still unknown. But how fantastic would a huge wall collage be? Of the sweet faces of our favorite people in the world.


{Images via I Art You by Palihouse}