Archive for 2011

Wedding Bells a-ringin’: John + Lindsey

This past weekend, Atlanta skies were filled with clouds, rain and blustery wind, but that didn’t dampen the spirits at John and Lindsey’s wedding. There was enough love and happiness in that place to shake off even the toughest winter chill.

You see, John and I have been friends since 9th grade. We had all the same classes, many of the same friends and enough in common to sit in his driveway and talk for hours on end. Needless to say, he’s one of my best friends. We have the type of friendship that time doesn’t change. We can go months without seeing or talking to each other and then pick back up like we haven’t skipped a beat.

When I heard the news of his engagement, I was so happy for him and couldn’t wait to help in any way. I was beyond flattered when his mom asked me to help with the florals at the rehearsal dinner.

The dinner was held at the historic Mary Gay House in Decatur, Georgia. With the home’s quintessential Southern charm, I just knew the center pieces should be soft and romantic, with a bit of a vintage vibe. I used vintage mason jars with white disbud footballs, white ranunculus, seeded and weeping eucalyptus with a touch of dusty miller. Soft, lush, gorgeous.

Each table number was adorned with a different combination of twine, buttons and doily embellishments. The stands were created from the lids of paper mache trinket boxes. Just a quick slice down the middle and it made a perfect table card holder.

John’s mother made homemade jam and fig preserves to accompany the arrangements on the table. It was a Southern feast for the eyes, y’all.

Words can’t explain how much it meant to me to have a part in John and Lindsey’s big day. Just seeing the smiles on their faces as she walked down the aisle. Just when I thought John’s dimples couldn’t get any deeper! I have never seen him so happy.

A big congrats to you two love birds. May this happy day be the first of many, many more.

Photos by {Blue Eyed Yonder}

Posted 3/8/11, Topic: Blog

Paint on Canvas

It’s inevitable. As we travel, we’re faced with an abundance of meaningless, mass-produced souvenirs. From the airport to rest stops, stores are packed with key chains, shot glasses, snow globes and of course those teeny little spoons. Now, I have to admit, I’ve been guilty of buying these little trinkets over the years, but in the end just how much meaning can a keychain stamped “Made in China” have?

The next time you and your sweetie hit the road, why not bring back something with a story of its own. Dig down deep, ﬁnd that artist hidden inside of you and paint a memory the two of you won’t soon forget. You don’t have to be a snazzy artist, it’s actually more fun if you’re not.

When Mr. Blue Eyed Yonder and I planned our anniversary trip, we knew we wanted to bring home something special, something that really spoke of the memories of our ﬁrst anniversary and our ﬁrst trip to France. With plans to visit St. Remy de Provence, once home to Vincent Van Gogh, we decided what better way to capture that memory than to paint it – a la Van Gogh style.

What You Will Need:
Two small art canvases
Package of small art brushes
Artist board or paper plate
Acrylic paint set
Small cloth to dry brushes
Glass of water for brush rinsing

You should know I’m a busy-body and when I travel I like to pack in as much as possible. If there’s a sight to be seen, I want to see it. So as you can imagine, it was a little hard for me to give up an afternoon to just sit around and paint. But would you believe, this was one of my favorite memories of the entire trip!

It gave me the opportunity to slow down and just live in the moment. We spent the afternoon lounging in the warm sun, eating pastries we picked up at the morning market, while dabbing away at our paintings. We decided to both focus on the same lawn for our painting’s inspiration, but no peeking at each other’s work until the paintings were complete. This gave the project an element of surprise, which was fun.
A couple hours later… and voila!

Now we have these two similar, yet beautifully unique paintings to hang in our home. His being very detailed, ﬁne-lined and meticulous while is mine more splotchy and abstract. Each such a perfect representation of us as individuals. Unpacking these canvases brought back a ﬂutter of warm memories from our afternoon in St. Remy, memories I’m sure you can’t buy in a souvenir shop.

So whip out those artist boards and get inspired! Tell me – if you were to paint a memory with your sweetheart, what would you paint or where would you paint it? If the two of you have painted together before, by all means share your story!

Posted 3/6/11, Topic: Blog

Oh My Mercy

Video by the very talented Lisa Blonder Ohlenkamp and Sean Ohlenkamp

With warmer weather right around the corner and spring cleaning on the brain, I couldn’t resist posting this amazing “Organizing the Bookcase” video. I found this video on the lovely blog, What Katie Ate. As she mentions, it has nothing to do with food, but I am so glad she posted it.

If anything, this video is a lesson in patience. Can you imagine moving each one of those books one by one. Hats off to Lisa and Sean!

I’m such a sucker for books, so naturally this video made my heart pitter patter. I hope it inspires you to create, organize or just make your jaw drop a little.

Posted 3/4/11, Topic: Blog

Ranunculus

I am pretty sure I could wander for hours in a garden center. I especially like to visit when the first of the spring flowers arrive. The weather is just starting to warm up, people are eager to get out and work in their yards, and there’s just a happy buzz in the air.

During my first garden center visit of the year, I was lucky enough to score these little lovelies…

Gorgeous, lush ranunculus. One of my all-time favorite flowers and the first time I had ever seen them for sale at Home Depot. There was no thought needed – into the cart they went.

There’s nothing like big, gorgeous blooms to brighten a gloomy patio. Now I just have to work to make sure they stay this beautiful all season long. You’d think I’d have done a little research before rushing home with new flowers, but like I said, I just had to have them. Turns out, they need lots and lots of sun. Hmph, this could be a problem. I might have to relocate them to our front yard. Our back patio is not “sunny” to say the least.

So if you get the urge to go on a ranunculus rampage like I did, you might enjoy these handy-dandy tips.

Tips for growing and enjoying Ranunculus

They love the sun. They can handle a little shade in the morning, but need full sunlight for the better part of the day.
They need water, but do not like to be saturated. Keep soil moist and avoid over watering.
They’re annuals, but if you really want to test out your green thumb, their creepy octopus tubers can be harvested and planted next year.
Feel free to cut your ranunculus blooms for bouquets. The more you cut, the more the ranunculus will bloom. Snip away!
They have a long vase life. Blooms often look great for a week or more.

Photos by {Blue Eyed Yonder}

With Spring just around the corner, I’d love to know what you have planned for your garden/yard this year.

Posted 3/2/11, Topic: Blog

DIY: Drawer Liners

As promised, I’ve got a fun DIY to share. I spent quite some time searching the web for unique drawer liners when I finally decided to make them myself.

I found this fun fabric on sale and just had to buy it. I didn’t know what I would do with it, but after seeing how funky and fresh it was inside the dresser, I just knew a purpose had been found.

It’s not like many people will ever see the inside of my drawers, not to mention, I plan to have clothes and other odds and ends in the there, but details matter. It’s little hidden surprises like funky, scented drawer liners that puts a smile on my face.

What You Will Need:

Fabric (enough to cover drawer bottoms)

Liquid Fabric Stiffener

Mrs. Meyer’s Ironing Spray

Double Sided Tape or Spray Adhesive

Begin by diluting the Liquid Fabric Stiffener with water in a large bowl.

Submerge fabric in the stiffener mixture until completely coated.

Ring all excess liquid from the fabric and then lay completely flat to dry. Once dry, the diluted fabric stiffener will make the fabric feel heavily starched, with the flexibility similar to cardstock paper.

Before the fabric was completely dry, I sprayed it with Mrs. Meyer’s Lavender Ironing Spray and gave it a quick press with the iron to smooth out all of the wrinkles.

At this point, the fabric will be dry and stiff, making it very easy to cut. Measure your drawer bottoms and cut fabric accordingly.

To secure fabric in the bottom of the drawers, you can either use double sided tape around the edges or a light application of spray adhesive. I chose to use the double sided tape so I can easily change the fabric later with no sticky residue.

Easy peezy lemon squeezy. Now I have darling drawer liners with the wonderful aroma of lavender.

While searching for drawer liners, scented sachets and such, I stumbled upon many wonderful and clever ways to freshen up dresser drawers. Here are a few of my favorites:

Place a new bar of scented soap in your drawer. Not only will it fill your drawer with a delightful smell, it will also give the soap time to dry out making it last much longer in the shower.
Give drawers a fresh air fragrance by tucking a new dryer sheet under drawer liner or tape one to the back of each drawer.
Have empty perfume bottles? Remove the cap and leave the empty bottle open in your drawer, your clothes will thank you.
Save perfume samples from magazines. It’s and easy and free way to freshen up a drawer.

Do you have any tips or tricks you would like to add? What’s your secret to great smelling drawers?