Other Musings

Guest Post: Ginny from My Favorite Color Is Shiny

Okay, so technically Ginny is way more than just the blogger behind My Favorite Color is Shiny-she is also an amazingly talented stylist whose work can be found all over- both on the internet and in print. In addition to her styling company and her blog she also writes the "What's in Your Toolbox" column over at Design*Sponge -which is one of my personal favorites because the focus is on creatives. (I know what you're thinking. When does she find time to sleep? Answer- I still don't know.) I was lucky enough to meet her at Lavish last December and was instantly taken with her laid back, easy going- yet still somehow bubbly- personality. A lover of sequins and love (she married her childhood sweetheart) her blog focuses on the romantic and the beauty of the past. Thanks so much for dropping by Ginny!

currently i am beyond obsessed with the lost generation during the 1920s in paris( thank you midnight in paris). i have been reading hemingway and visualizing what life must have been like during that golden era. can you imagine being surrounded by those artistic icons during their heyday? my husband argues he'd rather live in 1960s detroit during the birth of motown. anyway, this is a collection of treasures i would love to pack in a steamer trunk and time travel to la rive gauche in 1926. and i sure wouldn't mind rubbing elbows with the fitzgeralds, picasso, and gertrude stein.

sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Guest Post: Kelly from Design Crush

Kelly was one of the first people I "met" in the blog world. She ran a giveaway of my note cards waaay back when and we've kept in touch pretty much ever since (thanks, Twitter.) Through new logos, new layouts, and various hair cuts, I've watched Kelly's blog morph and grow into the amazing-ness it is today and have loved every second of it. She always finds the coolest things! So if you haven't checked out Design Crush yet, make sure you do that asap. (fyi- Kelly posts all day long whenever she finds inspiration so feel free to check more than once a day.) Thanks for stopping by Kelly!

10 Summer Essentials:
-iced tea
-copious amounts of fresh fruit
-cocktails, cocktails, cocktails
-plenty of fans close at hand
-at least two pairs of big sunglasses
-my super wide-brimmed white canvas sunhat
-black flip flops
-as many sundresses and skirts as possible
-at least one good roadtrip
-a lightweight quilt on my bed
Thanks so much for having me visit, Courtney!

Guest Post: Melanie from You Are My Fave

Normally on Fridays I would do a round up of cool things I've seen around the internet, but given that the national park system is not known for their high speed connections, I decided it would be more fun to have some of my favorite blogger friends stop by and share something summer related with you all. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I do! First up is Melanie from You Are My Fave. Not only is she sweet and genuine, but she also has an awesome sense of humor. (I know this of course because she gets my jokes haha...) So if you don't read her blog yet, go right now. Well read this, then go because you'll never want to leave. It's like getting a little dose of beauty every day. But enough of me rambling, here's Melanie.

via Hooray for Summer, watermelon on a stick, lawn and blankets, firefly jar

An ode to summer
Swim holes.Starry skies. Nighttime walks. Thunderstorms. High waisted skirts. Coral painted toes. Strings of lights. Fireflies. Road trips. Watermelon. Ice cream for dinner. Wildflowers. Green grass. Afternoon reads. Beach towels. Lemonade. Sparklers. Bike rides. Picnics.
Summer, I'm so glad we're best friends.

Weekend Links: Ways to help Japan

Instead of my normal, "hey how cool are these?" links, in light of the recent devastation Japan has experienced, I wanted instead to share unique ways to help helping.

My friend Neil Summerour developed SOGO Japan in order to give money directly to Japanese charities as opposed to outside sources. As Neil put it, “Money will not go to outside organizations looking in, but rather we will put it in the hands of the people who were there first, know the land, know the people and their actual needs.” $5 and $10 donations are appreciated, but if you donate $30 or $50 you'll also receive a copy of Neil's Angel Script Font.

Photographer Tex Jernigan took this photo as part of a collaborative series with Jared Wilson. The two of them will be installing large flags across the world beginning today, and you can purchase this print for $25. All proceeds go to the American Red Cross to help Japan.

Online retailer Alibaba is providing certain items to be purchased AT COST for those in need. (Alibaba will ship them to Japan free of cost to those in need.) Items include, tents, sleeping bags, blankets, flashlights, rain jackets, etc. Just make sure to put “Japan Earthquake Relief” as the address at checkout.

Designed by Max Erdenberger and printed by Steve Denekas and Walker Cahall, this poster is given to all who donate $25 to the Red Cross through W+K Studio's site.

This copper necklace was created by the father and daughter team wsake to represent the rising sun of Japan. 75% of the proceeds go to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief through the Japan Red Cross Society and the remaining 25% covers the production cost of the necklace.

Signalnoise is selling this print, of the rising sun "cracking," for $30. All proceeds will go to Japanese Disaster Relief.

All proceeds from this print (designed by Rob Dobi) will go to disaster relief as well.

yokomono studio is donating 100% of the proceeds from their Sankaku Sachets sales.

All proceeds from Daniel Freytag's print "Japan" will go to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Relief.

Bloggers around the world wanted to help too. Today is Bloggers Day of Silence. Hundreds of bloggers will not post, tweet, etc. today as a sign of respect for all of those affected by the disasters. Set up by UtterlyEngaged and Ever Ours, any donations received at www.forjapanwithlove.com will go to purchase shelter boxes for those in need. For more information, please click on the link. (I received the memo a little late so I figured I'd do the next best thing and share ways to help.)

And on a happier note, did you hear about the 4 month old who was found under debris and delivered back to her parents? What about the man who was rescued 10 miles out in the sea? With so much sadness around, I always find it amazing and comforting to hear of a few miracles.

Another thing I'd like to bring attention to is the overall character of the Japanese. People are searching through debris where grocery stores once stood for water etc. and when anyone finds it, if there happens to be an elderly citizen around, the "discoverer" always gives the water to the elderly first and only then goes back to search for themselves. People are waiting in line for aid as opposed to committing crimes and looting; people are taking care of each other... it's just amazing to see after the horrendous disasters they've faced that they are still respectful, courteous, and grateful. You can't control what happens, but you can control how you react. Seeing how we reacted after Katrina, I think we all should take a lesson in humanity from the Japanese and do whatever we can to help rebuild their nation.

And as always (said best at Apartment Therapy) If you're unsure whether to donate to an organization, we recommend checking their standing and credentials via charity research organizations, such as GiveWell and Charity Navigator. File any fraud complaints with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Known as IC3, the Center is a partnership of the FBI, National White Collar Crime Center and Bureau of Justice Assistance. Also, call the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 1-866-720-5721 to report the fraud.

weekend round up

via here seen on Design Crush

J's last day for the semester was this past Monday so between celebratory brunches, holiday parties, and running "weekend" errands mid week, I had to remind myself that today was indeed Friday (not Tuesday or Thursday) and it was finally the weekend. We have Christmas parties all weekend long (some overlapping so we'll see what we can do) and our anniversary is Monday (and then Christmas is Friday) so it's bound to be a busy next few days. Before we jump into all of that though, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things from the web this week.

Like I mentioned, Christmas is only 7 days away. Still not sure what to buy that certain someone? Check out the multitude of Design*Sponge gift guides for ideas.

A unique twist to my birthstone

One of the most beautiful wedding (or any day) dresses I've seen in awhile

More reasons to love December (as if I needed any!)

Tired of the same ol' same ol' Christmas tunes? Check out the Flashdance for something with more of a twist.

With NYE just around the corner, let's all wear one of these and make the resolution to live a life without these regrets.

And to end it on a light note, one material- a ton of ideas.

Happy weekend everyone!

baby it's cold outside

styling via twig hutchinson found on dress, design, & decor

Today hit a high of 29 degrees and after brunch with the hubs at sun in my belly (the honey glazed bacon calls to me) a "quick" trip to the farmers market and getting lost on the unmarked streets of Inman Park, the first thing I did when we walked through our front door was to strip off my boots and curl up underneath a blanket. I know some people hate the cold, but seriously this is my favorite time of the year.

And did I mention it snowed Sunday? Heavenly.

the what ifs

I had a whole post started for today about this past weekend, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Mostly, because somewhere out there, there is someone that needs to read this. I read a post over on A Practical Wedding a few weeks back that has really stuck in my mind. It was all about "little deaths" and how life is a series of births, deaths, rebirths etc. It also stressed the importance of taking the time to mourn the path NOT chosen in our lives.

To me, I think that some of the happiest moments of all of our lives are also accompanied by a little bit of sadness, but most of the time we are all too afraid to express our sadness because we feel people might not understand and may judge us or misinterpret our recognition of the bits of sadness as regret for our choices- though in no way is that actually the case.

Simply stated, just because we pick one path in life (whether that is to attend or not attend college, which major to hold, to get married or not, to have children or not, to move to one city versus another, to take one job over another, etc) doesn't mean that we are not allowed to recognize what was "given up" by not taking the other path. And by recognizing it, it doesn't mean we have regrets or have changed our minds or anything like that, it simply means that we have fully thought about what our decisions mean to us and our lives.

Anyhow, here is the post. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and that everyone has a great Monday!

*speaking of A Practical Wedding, if you don't already read it, you definitely should. Not only is Meg just an awesome person, but she (and her amazing team) tackle issues that normally are not addressed in the wedding industry. Things like the reality of stress and hurt feelings when combining family traditions, what to do if you feel lonely during the engagement, how to handle the emotions that come with changing your name or not changing your name, how to deal with the emotions behind joint checking accounts/financial independence... you know, all the messy stuff.)

clothes pin

via here

Saw this installation over on A Cup of Jo. Isn't this cool? I think there is something wonderfully innocent in being able to view the world like this- as though bumps and curves were made by simply pinching the land. That mountains were just gathered piles of rock; schmooshed together into something breathtaking and beautiful.

You know, instead of simply saying it's because of glaciers and plates shifting.

This is also why I answer "clouds" whenever my husband wonders what is being produced when we pass factory smokestacks. Sounds better than " a lot of pollution."

thankfulness

I meant to write this yesterday, but I think I got wrapped up in my reconnect challenge and never got around to logging on to anything besides my email! I’m not sure how many of you decided to take me up on the challenge, but for me it was a wonderful (and much needed) break. Last night as we were falling asleep, I happened to put my arm down by my side at the exact time J. did and without saying anything he took my hand in his and held it until I fell asleep. It’s kind of hard to put into words, but it’s those little things that make all my stress and worries disappear. While I was drifting off I started thinking about all of the other things I’m so thankful for that sometimes get forgotten when everyday stresses begin to mount. Things like how lucky I am to have found J., to own my own business and to be able to do what I love everyday; to have such amazing friends who don’t laugh at how long my stories take to tell (yea. I know. I love unnecessary details.) and don’t mind when our lunch date turns into a “let’s go grocery shopping” date (like it did today!)

How lucky I am to be so close with my parents and my sister and the rest of my family, to be relatively healthy (I only say relatively because I went back to the doctor today to get rid of this pesky sinus infection once and for all only to find out it's allergies. Well thanks for letting me know that now.) and how lucky we are to have our whole lives ahead of us. The list could go on and on, but I think you all get the point.

The biggest thing I realized though (and what I wanted to share) was that while it’s so easy to stress and worry and complain when things aren’t going right, you have to take a moment to remember how good life still is...because for the most part, despite the ups and downs, life is indeed pretty awesome.

Happy Tuesday everyone.

reconnect project

via designcrush

Jon Hamm is on Gilmore Girls.

Yes, I just admitted that I actually do (occasionally) watch Gilmore Girls. Even though I find the conversations a little…wordy? It’s still decent background noise while I work. Not to mention it’s that or (checking guide) Overhaulin’, Wedding Day Makeover (which creeps me out) or Divorce Court. So you see, my options are kind of limited. And when Gilmore Girls has Jon Hamm? Well it beats every other option.

And they just mentioned the Augusta Nationals. Hello hometown shout out.

Anyhow, yesterday I went to lunch with Kathleen at Metrofresh and ended up talking for something like 2 hours. She’s a really cool person (as I thought she’d be. I mean, she sings with the ASO and has sung at Carnegie Hall. Impressive, I know!) so I’m happy we finally got to meet in person instead of just talking via comments and tweets. (The fact we met online-even though we eventually discovered that our older sisters are friends as well- led to a conversation about the whole blogging world and I thought I'd expand on that here.)

With the whole blogging/twitter/facebook world sometimes it feels like there is a strange disconnect between people. Mostly because you can know someone’s intimate thoughts, see their vacation photos, and know exactly what has happened in their life since high school without every really having to speak with them. Now when you run into someone and ask “how are you? what's new?!” you don’t really need them to answer. You know they just got back from Hawaii (thanks to the 200 recently uploaded photos) what they had for dinner last night (thanks to their twitter updates) and whether or not they are seeing someone, married, or single (thanks to the fact that it's not really official until it's on facebook.)

While the internet is great at making the world seem smaller (how else would I have made friends on the west coast without actually traveling to every city there?) and is a wonderful way to get your work seen worldwide (I have readers in Chile!) sadly, it’s also blurred a lot of boundaries (should I friend my boss? my parents?) and lessened some human interaction.

Now I’m not saying the internet isn’t awesome, because it is. I’ve “met” some great people, been inspired by amazing photos and artwork, found new restaurants and boutiques (plus saved a lot of money) thanks to sites like Scoutmob and of course added a whole heck of a lot to my music collection.

But I still kind of miss the days of getting a phone call when someone was engaged instead of a text (or worse, finding out on facebook) as well as opening your mail box to find a handwritten postcard from traveling friends as opposed to a quick email sent from someone’s smart phone. (That doesn't mean I don't like emails... it's just, well it's not the same.)

So given that it is Friday, I have decided to challenge you all this weekend. Let’s call it the “reconnect project.”

Here are the guidelines:

-Saturday and Sunday spend no more than one hour online each day.

-Cook something (I agree with Kelly that scones are REALLY easy, but even slice and bake cookies would work. There is something rewarding with the instant gratification of cooking)

-Ask someone you don’t know how their day is going and actually wait for the answer.

-Mail a letter to a friend or a family member. It doesn’t have to be long (or on my stationery haha), just a “wanted to let you know I was thinking about you” is enough.

-Do something outside. Eat lunch, play a game, take a walk, whatever it is, get outside.

-And lastly, challenge someone else to take this on. (And given that it's Friday you can do this via twitter without taking away from your hour tomorrow!) See? Nothing too painful.

So there it is. Good luck and have a great weekend!!