Fill em' up!

I wanted to share with you some of the images that I already have/plan on buying for our art wall:


Already purchased.




This is from our wedding - isn't it beautiful? Do you see the tiny little us in the background? Credit: Michael Norwood (mnpblog.com)


One of my favorite wedding pictures - you can really read on our faces what we were feeling at that moment. (would this be too much "us" to be an 8x10?)

I'd love to put one of my great grandmother's art in the large middle frame.... maybe in the size of a 6x8 with a large mat. Does anyone know how to turn a canvas painting into a print? I'll need to research that...

Anyway that's what I have so far! As a re-fresher - this is the wall that it will be on:

Simply Updates.

Today was a productive day. The Aaron Brothers 1 cent sale has started, and is now through July 20th. I headed over to our local store to pick up frames for our black office wall. I got all these frames (plus one for my desk at work) for $98!



I've come up with the arrangement, now I just need to get art/wedding photos together to fill the frames! I cannot wait to finish this inexpensive and meaningful project.

After I left Aaron Brothers, I walked over to our Linens N Things, which is one of the unfortunate stores that is closing (well not too unfortunate, I usually go to Bed Bath and Beyond instead). I picked up some new pillows for our TV couch - All three for a total of $30!


I got two steel gray pillows and an adorable knit sweater textured white pillow. If we can't wear sweaters in Souther California we mine as well decorate with them!

Last but not lease, I finally uploaded some old pictures of some gorgeous Trader Joe's peonies I bought when we hosted Fathers Day:





And my signed Katy Perry cd (sorry I was too lazy to rotate....):

Freaky Friday Confession

I haven't gotten my hair cut since....................









September 2007.








Needless to say it's on my to-do list. This is the reason I wear my hair like this almost every single day:

SEXY!!!!


Matt is requesting a short do' - we'll see.... holy hell I have the case of the Fridays.

Have a great weekend!

Babysitting

Look at the cutie I'm babysitting while his mom is out to lunch.





I love char, but it makes me want to get a little dog that will hang out with me while I work.

Vlog

I'm back in action - 2 posts in one day. I wanted to share this adorable "vlog"/video blog with you from Katy Perry - it has inspired me to maybe someday soon make my own. Too bad I don't have such exciting things to say....

Cube Art

I was checking out Etsy again and found the perfect mini-art for my cube at work.

I've been loving the "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters that have been circulating the design world for a while, but I've never known what to do with such a large poster. Thankfully, I found a small mini-sized version perfect for my workspace.



It's 5x7, and I ordered it in lime green text from here. What a perfect phrase for those crazy hectic stressful days at work.

PSA for those print collectors out there like me - Aaron's Brothers is having their bi-annual one cent sale. I plan on hitting up the place to get some frames for a photo collage in the office. Details here. And examples here.

Remember?

Remember back in the day (okay a couple months ago) I would post once, sometimes twice a day? I miss those days.

My current days (especially work) are so busy now, my blog has suffered. I also need to do one of two things:

1. Find my point-and-shoot camera charger.
or
2. Remember to get MIL's connector cord for her SLR.

Once I do one of those, my posts will be much better (with pictures). But while I'm here writing a post, I'll do a Cliff Notes version of an update:

• Vegas was fun! It was fun hanging with the guys, and especially getting some quality fun time with my Matt (including a riveting game of bowling and beer).
• Work has been busy, challenging but also rewarding.
• I have a new boss who is Taiwanese; she has introduced me to some amazing new foods:

These googled images are examples of all the amazing new things I have eaten with her thus far.... the bottom image is Korean tofu pot, which I have loved for a while now but I've gotten to eat it a lot more now!

• My mom is coming out from Texas mid July - I'm very excited!
  
• Ruth Chris is having a amazing Summer special right now - $89 for a couple, we are going with Sterin Saturday night.
• Matt is officially 1/4th a century old... his birthday was Friday, Happy Birthday M!
  

That is all I have for now, I hope to have more consistent (maybe even daily?) updates soon.

Vegas Here I Come...........Again!

Talk about last minute!

Matt left for Vegas this morning for his birthday weekend. He went with two of his friends who are tournament-level poker players, and they will be playing poker all weekend (leaving Matt with not much to do, but it was a free trip). Matt called me tonight and joked about having me come out to Vegas to keep him company - well I checked Southwest.com while on the phone with Matt, found a cheap flight, got the "go" from Matt's buds, and I fly out Saturday morning and drive back Sunday night with Matt!

Talk about a last minute "get-away", but I'm so glad I get see my husband on his sort-of birthday :)

We did so well (roulette) in Vegas for my birthday, I'm not going to get my hopes up this time....

Etsy Stuff

Here are some gorgeous Etsy things that I have my little eye on....


I LOVE the Beatles, and this quote sums up so much about life.
Beatles Print by LostandFawned


Poppies are one of my favorite flowers... how great would this be in a neutral room?
Large Poppy Bowl by whitneysmith


For the Delta Gamma in me, this vintage anchor bar set is to die for!
4 Piece Bar Set from atouchofvintage


This makes my heart pitter patter - I imagine it with jeans, a plain white v-neck tee and some flats.
Necklace by milaradesigns

This one's for Matt...

There are a lot of great new spaces up on HGTV's Rate My Space (I wonder if it has to do with the new Rate My Space show that is airing soon?) but I thought since it's Matt's birthday this Friday, I'll dedicate this Rate My Space room to him!

So here you go Matt, a great Rate My Space room you'll love!!!

Cute Summer Outfit!

Although Gisele could wear a Potato sack and still look amazing, I still think this outfit would be really cute for summer on a normal girl. I've never been a fan of skinny jeans... but skinny cropped jeans are much better.

On a side note, Katy Perry's cd came out today and it rocks. (Yes I pre-ordered my signed copy!)

I've been super busy at work - but I've been loving my job and I am so thankful for that!

Painting House

I've been talking with an artist I teamed up with to give Matt & Madeline a special gift (further explanation here)... and I got to thinking about the artists/painters in my family and what art means to me. I come from two generations of talented artists, and art has a special meaning to me.

In college I picked up a little hobby of painting houses on canvases. Everyone knows I love homes, and what better way to remember a home than to immortalize it on canvas. Here are some I did for my husband's family (these are all the homes they've lived in):



I was a 'starving college student' so to speak, so these were created with cheap acrylic craft paints, not oil based paint (which is unfortunately why the quality isn't that great....) I also never was able to finish the series (they've lived in MANY homes and I had finals), but once I do I'd love to become serious about the hobby.

Here are some homes I'd love to paint in the future, although I'm not sure what steps to go through to make sure there is no copyright infringements....

I.O.T.D

Image Of The Day.... this arrangement makes my heart race, found on apartmenttherapy.com.

Fabulous

I am in love with this daybed from Z Gallerie:



If I had $700 to throw down to decorate the guest room we never use, I'd purchase this bed with plans of it being alone in the room for now... but building a nursery around it in the (far) future.

I think this bed would look fabulous in this room:

Although we are years and years away from having kids, I am obsessed with this nursery and filing it away for the future!

Here is another adorable nursery with a daybed option:

(Compliments of nestie jstitzer).

So you all don't think I'm TOTALLY crazy for looking at nurseries, I'll take this moment to announce...........

Our best buds and neighbors, Sterin, are pregnant!

We are so excited and happy for them, and because we see them so often, it feels a little bit like we are having a baby too!

This is the little peanut about a month ago:


The mom and dad to be:


Here's to a happy and healthy 6 more months!

A Life In Pictures

This past weekend was one of those priceless Orange County weekends...

Our apricot tree and rose bushes:














and my new summer purchases... :)

Lighting Post 2458348

I've found a deal!


Bettina Pendant - Pottery Barn - $149


Marrakesh Melon Pendant - Ballard Designs - $120

(I wonder if shipping would change the prices dramatically on these?)

If only I could get this pendant:

Featured in this month's Home issue.

Welcome, Summer!

Every morning lately I put on some clothes and then stare at my shoes trying to figure out what to put on - the truth is, I have not bought shoes in a LONG long time. This is actually a good thing, I used to have a problem with shoe purchases, and it was a huge effort "cleansing" unnecessary shoes out of my life.

Fast forward a couple years, I now realize there is a huge need of some classic summer additions, esp to go with my new clothes (found here and here).

Here are my new purchases, from dsw.com:





On a side note - I will be out of town for work until Friday, so no posts/blog reading until then. Have a great rest of the week, readers!