a little miss TYPE A

Busy with pom poms

2012-01-10T22:56:00.000-05:00

I never thought I'd say that. But I am. I'm so excited to show you my latest wedding-related craft. Won't give anything away until I can show you pictures of the final look, but it includes these:

Expanding my horizons -- learning CSS

2011-12-19T15:15:00.000-05:00

I think the greatest you can do for yourself is to keep learning -- it keeps your mind nible and quick. I have long wanted to understand CSS, so I am watching Pugly Pixel videos, reading The Zen of CSS, and practicing! Don't be surprised if there are some strange changes going on...

Hermes Wallpaper

2011-12-16T11:20:00.001-05:00

I can hardly stand it! Hermes wallpaper for your desktop. My office computer just gained a few points in the "cool" category.

Totally rando playlist: Lumineers, Coldplay, Glee, M83, Justice

2011-12-09T20:08:00.000-05:00

My latest playlist additions are pretty crazy varied, but they all make me smile.

Wedding dress? Check!

2011-12-09T19:59:00.001-05:00

The wedding dress has been purchased. I don't know that I believe in "The One" when it comes to the dress, I just know that I have never felt more beautiful -- this coming from a girl who wore the same pink Ralph Lauren ball gown Gwyneth Paltrow won her Oscar in to prom!

No pictures till post-wedding. The mister watches this blog ;)

kusudama flowers

2011-11-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

I've been making origami flowers for kicks. Looking for a good paper manufacturer for thin, double-sided origami paper, but so far not much luck. Here's a bouquet with red, orange, and peach flowers.

Super pretty :) They brighten up a drab November day! These are kusudama flowers -- it takes about 20 minutes to make one flower, but isn't the result worth the time? I think so.

Back in the swing of things

2011-11-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

I haven't been online nearly as much! Huxley takes a lot of time I used to spend reading, watching tv, spending with friends, and sleeping. Now I'm up at 7am sharp and tucking him into his crate at 11:30pm. It's not enough sleep for me, but routine is routine and the migraines have kept at bay 99% of the time.

Huxley had his first haircut, but we just had his face, feet, bum, and his underbelly trimmed. So handsome!

I'll try to post more often on here. When I do, I feel productive. And I love to feel productive.

Schnoodle is a fun word that I get to say all the time now

2011-10-07T12:03:00.000-04:00

Meet Huxley, our new puppy!

Hello, my name is Huxley

He is a four-month-old Giant Schnoodle (Giant Schnauzer mixed with a Standard Poodle). Yes, he's a mutt, but he's our mutt.

I am a Giant Schnoodle

We get to bring him home next week when the vet says he is A-OK. His heart has a little murmur and we're waiting to find out if it's a forever murmur or a puppy murmur.

Can you handle my cuteness?

We're so excited, we can hardly contain ourselves!

I'm going to be HUGE!

We've been told to expect a 100-lb dog by the time Huxley is full-grown. Holy big dog, batman!

Love, please!

We picked out his collar and leash and are waiting ever so patiently for him to nuzzle his way into our lives.

DIY: Stir sticks // cupcake toppers

2011-10-07T11:26:00.003-04:00

These can be used in drinks, on cakes and cupcakes, as fruit skewers, or to pierce a slider. No matter their end design location, these little guys are super cute and can be made in a night!

I used:

grosgrain ribbon, $6/4 yds
small BBQ skewers, $3/100 sticks
a lighter to seal the ribbon ends, $3

These little guys are super easy, but take some time. Cut all your ribbon to a pre-determined length. I find the length changes based on ribbon size. Do one, cut the ribbon, unravel it, and cut everything else to match.

Watch your fingers! I burned myself more than once, so take your time!

Miss Angola's dress

2011-09-13T00:05:00.000-04:00

I was gobsmacked when I saw Miss Angola's formalwear gown on the 2011 Miss Universe Pageant.

Image from International Business Times

Honourary bridesmaids?

2011-08-31T14:06:00.002-04:00

Here's a toughie. My man and I always thought we'd just have a maid of honour and a best man up there with us. For one, you really only need two witnesses to sign the registry, so why have a bunch more people standing up there? But then there was the guilt that hit. How can we choose among friends?

Chris is adament that the numbers match. If he has his high school friends, he needs them all. But how to not include his closest friends now? For me, it's university friends out of town versus current friends in town. Your oldest friends are the easiest to choose, but are they as close as some of your current friends? Ugh.

We're getting married under this tiny tent that will barely seat all the guests, and there is not enough for more than a few people to stand. It only seats 8 across! I mean, we were going to ask the MoH and BestM to sit once I got to the end of the aisle! There would be a total of 6 maids and 6 men (plus the maid of honour and the best man and the bride and the groom) -- that's 16 people. We'd have to double-up. Tacky.

So we're wondering: can we have honourary maids and men for the pics, but give them no responsibilities, not force them to buy matching outfits, not ask them to do anything beyond be there to get ready with us and get group shots?

Music bug: Go Do by Jonsi

2011-08-26T14:58:00.000-04:00

"We should always know that we can do everything..."

Latest music bug in my ear: Jonsi, an icelandic artist. Right now I'm loving "Go do". It makes me want to get up and dance and clap, and the lyrics are so moving.

In love with a Vera's bridesmaid gown

2011-07-29T11:55:00.001-04:00

Holy mercy, is this dress a stunner!

I want it in this colour for fun.

And in this colour for my day-after brunch!

And the price? 198 USD. Shut the front door!

The nay-sayers

2011-06-28T12:37:00.000-04:00

So we're not sharing much with friends and family about this wedding, but I did share a few details about what I wanted my day to feel like with some friends. I was shocked by their negative responses.

I'm honestly surprised by how bothered I was even days later by this. It's someone's wedding; it's one of the most important days of someone's life. And someone else thinks they can just poo-poo all over it?

Boooooooooooooooo

I feel like the gossip etiquette should be keep quiet or fake happy until you've been to the wedding, then you can complain behind my back like normal gossipers!

I don't want bridesmaids. I'm not saying that anyone who has had bridesmaids is wrong, or even that I am right! Only that I plan to have my sister up there with me BECAUSE I CAN'T CHOOSE BETWEEN MY CLOSEST FRIENDS!

I believe that my wedding is our first family reunion together. A family reunion is just family coming together -- exactly what will happen. No, I'm not having games or a big informal day, but if I did, would it no longer be a wedding? The only thing that is mandatory at a wedding is that two people pledge their lives to one another, and that's happening!

I have learned my lesson. Don't talk about something if you don't want to hear someone's feelings about it. Simple as that. It's no one's fault but my own.

Here comes the bride signs

2011-06-05T00:10:00.001-04:00

I'm not big into flowers except tulips, and they won't be in bloom on my big day, so I started looking into alternatives. I'd like to have a young attendant walk down the aisle with a sign that reads "Here Comes The Bride".

Martha Stewart Weddings

Love and Lavender

Love and Lace

I'm definitely going to make my own. Just trying to decide what to go with!

Odd-ball centrepieces I'm liking

2011-05-20T23:45:00.000-04:00

$6.99

$9.89

The wedding is real!

2011-05-20T23:34:00.001-04:00

We agreed not to get engaged until Chris was done school, but we also want to get married asap! So we're in this awkward place where we're getting married next summer but I don't have a ring on my finger. We just can't afford it until we're both working full-time.

To be honest, I want the ring, but I don't need the ring to know I want to spend the rest of my life with someone and make that happen.

We've picked our location and photographer; we've made our guest list; I'm looking at dresses. It's happening. August 2012.

I don't have a ring, but I'm engaged to be married. And it doesn't feel any different.

Chiavari chairs: worth the money?

2011-05-03T13:18:00.000-04:00

I know loving a chair is a little odd, but I love love love the look of a chiavari chair. We're looking at some rustic buildings or outdoor historic properties around Ottawa and I think the contrast between the gilded chair and the rough wood walls or large field or white tent would be stunning.

Here is some inspiration:

Clockwise from top left: via Style Me Pretty; via Events by Heather Ham;
via A Million Little Details; via Landlocked Bride

The issue? In Ottawa, you're looking at about $10 to rent one chair. Let's say 100 guests, plus 20 extra chairs for the dancing area, in case extras show, or for vendors looking to rest their feet, that's 120 X $10 = $1,200. Plus taxes and delivery. For chairs.

Ouch! Don't forget we'll be renting tables, linens, dishes, utensils, lights, and more. Cha-ching. CHA-Ching. CHA-CHING!

But they're so pretty! And so comfortable! And they wouldn't hurt my bottom...just my bottom line!

General Knot & Co.: Gotta love a man in a bow tie!

2011-05-02T15:18:00.000-04:00

I gotta tell you, a man in a bow tie is HAWT. Add in suspenders and you've got me drooling. There is something so cool, so retro, so effortless of a patterned bow tie!

I have fallen in love with General Knot & Co. Just check out their stuff!

Style at Home: in-hand or online?

2011-05-02T14:55:00.000-04:00

I love me a good edition of Style at Home and am giving in and getting a subscription (instead of sitting on the patio furniture with a box of sweets reading an edition in my local grocery store once a month).

But my dilemma is, paper or digital? I like the feel of a magazine. I love flipping through. I like to dog-ear pages I can't live without. But the idea of keeping Style at Home at my finger tips (being able to search the magazine?!) is very difficult to pass up. And I do like to be "green" when possible.

But I recycle. I use my green bin for composting, and we only put out the garbage every three weeks. Surely I'm green enough already, no?

Baby products: Boon Inc.

2011-04-25T22:34:00.000-04:00

When I was at Babies R Us with Katie looking for baby goods, we spotted the cutest drying rack: it was made to look like grass!

Grass countertop drying rack, $18

It's made by a company called Boon Inc.

Flair pneumatic high chair, $280

They cover items for bath, food, accessories and more.

Odd Ducks, price TBD Spring 2011

Boon Inc. makes everything look good!

Team pink!

2011-04-18T23:12:00.001-04:00

Just found out my close friend is expecting a baby girl. So exciting! Apparently, she's breaking the all-male lineage after four generations...and she is very pleased!

I've been helping her plan the nursery and am loving the blog Lay Baby Lay. Just look at this design! I love everything about it. I was thinking about an all-navy wall or a navy-striped wall.

I also love the nurseries Sarah Richardson has designed.

I think it's clear I like rooms that don't scream boy or girl off the bat. I like rooms that can be converted easily. What if you are told you are having a girl and then, SURPRISE, it's a boy?! You would want a room that didn't need to be completely replaced!

Ribbon as a table runner?

2011-03-25T15:37:00.000-04:00

I can think of so many variations on this idea.

Table names matched to ribbon colour
Same coloured-ribbon in different patterns on each table
Matching the ribbon to a family plaid pattern

Ribbon weave tabletop, Martha Stewart

Sawyer and Sprout is open for business

2011-03-20T00:30:00.000-04:00

I keep seeing all these super fabulous items on the blogosphere but getting them in Canada is so difficult! So I have spent the last few months hunting down some of my favourite party-related items so that other Canadians -- heck, anyone! -- can get their hands on them.

Visit my new little shop on Big Cartel: Sawyer and Sprout

I've started with 36" latex balloons in five colours. Wooden utensils are next. Then cupcake accessories like flags and bunting.

36" ruby red balloon, $4.75

In Ottawa, like Toronto, we have a green bin to collect compostable/biodegradable items. My goal is that once you are done with your newly purchased goods that you can simply toss them in the green bin.

Etsy love: Filigree Creations

2011-03-16T16:12:00.000-04:00

I heart Filigree Creations on Etsy. Check out these gorgeous handmade hanging shades.

Black Romance, daylight, $55

Black Romance, lights on, $55

Aqua Turquoise, $40, daylight

Aqua Turquoise, lights on, $40

Why balloons are AWESOME

2011-03-15T23:08:00.000-04:00

You may not know this, but I like balloons.

I like small balloons. I like big balloons. I like metallic balloons. I like chains of balloons. I like balloons of all kinds, shapes and sizes.

Why are balloons so fabulous?

They come in all shapes and sizes.
People giggle at the sight of them.
They are unexpected.
They make a gathering a party!

Via Project Wedding

Via French by Design

Via Love and Lavender

Via Style Me Pretty

Quemeez baby shoes: cuter than Robeez!

2011-02-16T21:31:00.000-05:00

Watching Dragon's Den and they just showed an update on a company they put money into: Quemeez. These are handmade, leather-and-beaded baby shoes that are simply gorgeous! But furthermore, they support a native community just outside Ottawa.

a selection of Quemeez, $40

Visit Quemeez online. Way cuter than Robeez, made in Canada, made by young women on reserve, and they don't fall off. Loooooove them! They retail for $40 plus $10 shipping if you don't live close enough to a retail location.

The striped skirt

2011-02-08T15:48:00.000-05:00

A simple A-line skirt doesn't work on a curvy, petite girl like me. But these striped skirts by Anne M. Cramer would work on almost anyone! They come in five colours and are now available!

Nautical, $160

Moss, $160

Sunshine, $160

Skirts also come in ink (black) and cherry (red). Found via MSW.

Fabric and Handle

2011-02-08T15:13:00.000-05:00

My blog reader has over 130 blogs right now, which makes for a lot of reading, but also a lot of great finds! I think I'll start posting the best of what I'm seeing. You're welcome, Lorraine!

Loving right now, and purchasing tonight, is this fab tote from Fabric and Handle. The straps are adjustable AND removable! The bags are machine-washable! The straps come in different colours and widths! Le sigh.

Delmare Tote Shopping Bag, $29

Claire Tote Shopping Bag, $29

Margo Tote Shopping Bag, $29

Found thanks to Simple Song

Hidden animal cups are my next purchase

2011-01-10T14:21:00.001-05:00

I think these cups are simply stunning! Can't wait to get my hands on them :)

$17 each on Amazon. Found via My Owl Barn.

The owl and the pussycat a possible wedding reading?

2011-01-07T18:56:00.000-05:00

OK, I have always loved this book, The Owl and the Pussy-cat, and Chris remembers it as well. It's been republished so many times with different drawings, but the story remains perfectly the same.

I've been thinking I'd like to have it as a reading. The more I think about this still-fictitious-but-one-day-will-be-real wedding that Chris refuses to have in a Church, the more I think that that gives me leeway on, well, everything!

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!'

Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?'
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.'
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

Written by Edward Lear

Love for Harold and Kumar poetry

2011-01-05T14:22:00.001-05:00

I just watched Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and fell in love with the poem Kumar recites at the botched wedding. It's called The Square Root of Three and it's quirky and beautiful.

I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three
The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine
For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic
I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality
When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three
As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer
Rejoicing as an integer
We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands
Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

Save on Crafts? Yes, please!

2010-12-08T11:54:00.000-05:00

Holy Mercy! Just discovered Save On Crafts and couldn't be more excited to go shopping!

Things I love so far:


12" footed vase, $39, buy here

Natural Ram Head Pods, 5 for $3, buy here

Chalk board on a pole, $6, buy here


10" Natural Grapevine Lighted Moravian Star, $19, buy here

I've been a busy girl this holiday season...

2010-12-07T23:56:00.000-05:00

I've got a fresh idea sprouting and I can't wait to talk about it more!

Let's just say that it involves balloons, twine, and other eco-friendly goodies.

Stay tuned!

My new light fixture

2010-11-25T20:47:00.000-05:00

Bought the most beautiful lamp for the dining room from Lamp Goods on etsy. It's been featured on the designer's blog. Here is the link to the Lamp Goods blog so you can see all their fabulous makes!

Three-cord pendant lamp in our dining room

Love right now: chalkboard on my food storage bins!

2010-11-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

Since opening bite-sized I have a lot of white powder in my house: all-purpose flour, cake flour, white sugar, castor sugar, iodized salt, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder... the list goes on! I have them all in air-tight containers, but how to tell them apart? How do you write on plastic? Chalkboard paint!

my blank "canvas".
I found these buckts (that stack when not in use) at the Great Canadian Superstore for $18.

block off the section with paint tape and prime.
I used CIL ANYWHERE primer from Home Depot

once primer has dried, put on the first coat of chalkboard paint.
I used Rust-Oleum Chalkboard from Home Depot

a side view after the second coat.

the final product, alongside my new Harrod's apron

And there you have it! You'll notice the top two containers are missing labels; that's because I pulled them off when i was removing the paint tape. Be careful! I should have sanded the plastic for a better stick, so I'll do that this time around. Can't wait to use my chalkboard paint again! I'm thinking on the freezer so we can mark what went in there and when ;)

Saying "I do" to giant cupcakes

2010-10-23T21:15:00.000-04:00

I have Wilton's giant cupcake pan but never imagined it as wedding appropriate. Until now.

Aren't these gorgeous? All images via San Diego Wedding Insider.

Up-cycling burlap coffee bags? Yes, please!

2010-10-18T22:07:00.000-04:00

I keep seeing up-cycled burlap coffee bags and can't help but sigh. Oh, how I want to make my very own burlap coffee bag pillow!

Via

Loving today

2010-10-15T22:01:00.000-04:00

burlap bunting, via

paper straws, via

sparkly clothespins, via

new uses for weather balloons, via

cupcakes in a jar, via

snazzy office supplies, via

Listening to La Roux

2010-10-15T14:38:00.002-04:00

Heard this on the radio this morning and can't stop replaying it on youtube! So I'm sharing the love:

Memories of people stealing my food

2010-10-12T15:05:00.000-04:00

I saw these fabulous anti-theft lunch bags and immediately replayed days I would go to the office fridge to retrieve my lunch only to find it had already been eaten.

Via

I replay that Friends episode when Ross's boss admits it was he who stole Ross's thanksgiving turkey sandwich and that he had --gasp!-- thrown out what was left. It's all too familiar, that pang in your stomach as you long for the lunch you spent 7 minutes preparing that morning and recall how you almost missed the bus because you too-lovingly packed your sandwich in a seperate container from your fruit and snack.

But no longer! At only $8 per 25 bags, gone are the days when you couldn't make your sandwich and eat it too!

The one-millionth English word

2010-10-04T15:50:00.001-04:00

On June 25, 2009, the Global Language Monitor (GLM) announced Web 2.0 (said: Web two-point-oh) as the 1,000,000^th English word. I’m not here to discuss why the announcement was controversial (apparently some people argue there is no possible objective definition of “word”) or to discuss the English language (though I would have loved to discuss parenthetical clauses at length). I’m here to talk to you about why Web 2.0 matters, what it is, and how it affects the world around us.

You may think Web 2.0 is an evolution– that there is a Web 1.0 that’s been kicked aside and forgotten. In some regards, you are right (and not just that 1.0 has become a notion of the past): Web 2.0 is an evolution, but it’s more of an evolution in the way people think of and utilize the web and less in the technical sense.

Boring old Web 1.0 is simply web-for-information: static pages with no interactivity. But snazzy new Web 2.0 features people-for-information: sites allowing users to interact with one another or with the site itself, to modify or improve information, or to upload their own content. Way more exciting, if you ask me!

And Web 2.0 encompasses more than just social-networking sites like Facebook or mySpace. It takes content authoring to a new extreme:

Blogs allow people to share content with anyone interested in reading it. Apparently locked diaries are a thing of the past ;)
News that once would have had a CNN correspondent breaking the story are now being found on twitter before CNN knows they even need a camera crew on location – like the shooting at Discovery Channel in September 2010.
A study released earlier this year found that Wikipedia, a collaborative, online encyclopedia, was basically as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica.
In 2008, You Tube surpassed Yahoo! as the number two search engine in America.

We used to go to the web to get information. Now we can go to the information and share information. Web 2.0 is popping up everywhere!

Comment feeds after every CBC article
“like” and “share” buttons on more and more websites
Twitter feeds featured within a blog
Tagging photos in Facebook to link user accounts
Designing your own Converse sneakers or Sharpie pens online
Group consumer savings through sites like Groupon

Consumer review sites are changing the way companies handle their public relations and return policies; twitter is changing the way we think of breaking news; interactive web conferencing is changing the way organizations can perform focus testing; social media is changing the way world politicians campaign! The list of changes is endless!

Here are some Web 2.0 numbers for 2009, and remember, these numbers increase daily.

30 billion – Number of photos uploaded to Facebook per year (at the current rate)
126 million – Number of blogs on the Internet (as tracked by BlogPulse).
27.3 million – Number of tweets on Twitter per day (November, 2009)
81.9 – Percentage of embedded videos on blogs that are YouTube videos.

If you didn’t already know, our world has become Web 2.0-centric and the internet is only going to become more open – more open with regards to content, users, ideas, and sharing. Web 2.0 may or may not be the one-millionth word, but it’s the first big technological concept of the 21^st century.

How do you use Web 2.0?

Louboutin love

2010-09-30T12:02:00.000-04:00

Discount Christian Louboutin? Tell me more!

Via

Sharpies included!

2010-09-29T22:26:00.000-04:00

OMG -- just discovered that Sharpie custom orders their pens. Are you freaking kidding me?!?!?!?!

The facts:

I love Sharpies
I love anything that can be personalized
This is way cooler than putting stickies on my Sharpies that read "Hands off! These are not your Sharpie pens!"

You wish these were your Sharpies! Via

Apple Snapple

2010-09-28T16:57:00.000-04:00

First, a totally random blip: Doesn't Apple Snapple sound like "Go faster!"? I think so. "Get this done! Apple Snapple!" or "It was over Apple Snapple!" Well, I think so, anyways.

On to the point of this entry: Oh, Snapple Iced Tea, how I love thee! I have one every day with breakfast and the bottles add up. I keep looking at them wondering how I can reuse them somehow. And it hit me, just reuse them as bottles! The embossed S is perfect for my one-day-would-be last name. I could print off my own labels for a special occassion. And I could pair it with a sweet paper straw. Maybe use as escort cards? Maybe just serve as is? Here is the before. I'll post an after once I make it happen!

The lot date scratches off with a little elbow grease, and the label just peels off.

Paper straws, via

Love right now: I like you (a poem by Sandol Stoddard Warburg)

2010-09-28T15:31:00.000-04:00

[I did not write this poem, but I love it nonetheless]

I like you and I know why.
I like you because you are a good person to like.
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it's special
And you remember it a long, long time.
You say, "Remember when you told me something special?"
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
you think it's important too
We have good ideas
When I say something funny, you laugh
I think I'm funny and you think I'm funny too
Hah-hah!

I like you because you know where I'm ticklish
And you don't tickle me there except just a little tiny bit sometimes
But if you do, then I know where to tickle you too

You know how to be silly
That's why I like you
Boy are you ever silly
I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you
I like you because you know when it's time to stop being silly
Maybe day after tomorrow
Maybe never
Too late, it's a quarter past silly!

Sometimes we don't say a word
We snurkle under fences
We spy secret places
If I am a goofus on the roofus hollering my head off
You are one too
If I pretend I am drowning, you pretend you are saving me
If I am getting ready to pop a paper bag,
then you are getting ready to jump
HOORAY!

That's because you really like me
You really like me, don't you?
And I really like you back
And you like me back and I like you back
And that's the way we keep on going every day

If you go away, then I go away too
or if I stay home, you send me a postcard
You don't just say "Well see you around sometime, bye"
I like you a lot because of that
If I go away, I send you a postcard too
And I like you because if we go away together
And if we are in Grand Central Station
And if I get lost
Then you are the one that is yelling for me

And I like you because when I am feeling sad
You don't always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad
You can't stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things
It takes time
I like you because if I am mad at you
Then you are mad at me too
It's awful when the other person isn't
They are so nice and hoo-hoo you could just about punch them in the nose

I like you because if I think I am going to throw up
then you are really sorry
You don't just pretend you are busy looking at the birdies and all that
You say, maybe it was something you ate
You say, the same thing happened to me one time
And the same thing did

If you find two four-leaf clovers, you give me one
If I find four, I give you two
If we only find three, we keep on looking
Sometimes we have good luck, and sometimes we don't
If I break my arm, and if you break your arm too
Then it's fun to have a broken arm
I tell you about mine, you tell me about yours
We are both sorry
We write our names and draw pictures
We show everybody and they wish they had a broken arm too

I like you because I don't know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can't remember when I didn't like you
It must have been lonesome then
I like you because because because
I forget why I like you but I do

So many reasons
On the 4th of July I like you because it's the 4th of July
On the fifth of July, I like you too
If you and I had some drums and some horns and some horses
If we had some hats and some flags and some fire engines
We could be a HOLIDAY
We could be a CELEBRATION
We could be a WHOLE PARADE

See what I mean?
Even if it was the 999th of July
Even if it was August
Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
Even if it was no place particular in January
I would go on choosing you
And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again

That's how it would happen every time
I don't know why
I guess I don't know why I really like you
Why do I like you
I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you because I like you.

Love right now: Paper wreaths

2010-09-28T15:11:00.000-04:00

I am kicking myself for having just painted my front door red. Totally clashes with this gorgeous wreath made of paper.

Via

A sneak peak at an upcoming wedding order!

2010-09-10T14:44:00.000-04:00

I'm doing the cake and cupcakes for a wedding in a couple weeks and here's a sneak peak.Cupcakes are two flavours: my richest dark chocolate and lemon. And there is matching chocolate buttercream and lemon cream cheese icing! The wedding colours are purple and green, so I incorporated that too. (The cake is not featured today.)

Purple pansies

Lemon

Dark chocolate

Mmmmmm, which is your favourite?

To do by my 30th birthday

2010-09-07T13:12:00.003-04:00

OK, I think this post in and of itself is indication at my Type A behaviour: a to-do list with a two-year deadline. Who plans that far in advance anyways? Oh, right. Me.

I'm almost 28 and I'm starting to feel old. Not really old, just old. Like, I feel like I should have accomplished more somehow. So I started to randomly write down things I wanted to get done in the near future. OK, I started to make a list.I can't help it: I love lists!

This is in no particular order. I'll cross them off and link them as each task is completed and I'll add more as I think of them. I'm glad to have them online; it'll help get me going on completing the list!

TO DO BY AGE 30: OCTOBER 2012

Learn to felt wool
Visit the Mall of America
Take a far-away trip with Jones (one of my oldest and dearest friends)
Go to Europe with my main man
Have a girls' weekend with at least five of us (there are seven in our close-knit group)
Sew my own dress, preferably with one of my 1950s McCall patterns
Visit all the national museums in town
Redo all three bathrooms OR the kitchen
Learn to code CSS and redesign my blog myself
See my college roommate at least twice a year
~~Get promoted to the next pay scale~~ (I got an acting assignment, but there's an option to keep me permanently at the higher level. New department Nov. 1/10)
~~Clean out the basement storage~~ (completed the first weekend in Jan/11)
Make a clean, designated laundry area
~~Learn to do my own make-up for daytime~~ (My sister taught me how to do black liner with shadow. Then she told me to use a little tinted moisturizer, topped with a little bronzer on the cheeks and sweep on some near-sheer lip gloss, and voila! A daytime look in 3 minutes flat. Jan/11)
Pick any month and do yoga once a week
Get back to 130 lbs or less (Goodlife membership kicked in mid-Dec/10. It's a start!)
Redo the gardens in the front and back yards
Make my own history album from my grandmother's copy
Reset my clock to get up at 7am every day
Learn origami
Cook dinner four times per week for one month
Host a thanksgiving dinner
Make a pie from scratch
~~Start my online shop, Sawyer & Sprout. I've been procrastinating out of fear of failure :(~~ (Launched!)

How I love thee, autumn!

2010-08-29T19:43:00.000-04:00

Was perusing etsy and stumbled across these fantabulous felted wool acorns and I WANT! But instead of just purchasing them, I want to learn to make them :) I'm thinking of making a hundred and filling a candy jar -- totally unexpected, right?

Simply gorgeous:

Via

Found a great variety of wool roving for less than I could find on etsy here.

Because even the bathroom can have vintage chiq!

2010-08-23T14:43:00.000-04:00

We just ordered this print for the upstairs bathroom. We'll frame it white so it really pops.

Via

Thanks to Maggie Rose for the inspiration!

Pendant lamps

2010-08-16T14:46:00.002-04:00

The mister and I are looking at new lamps for the kitchen and dining room, and I may have just found a winner. Don't you just love it?

3 of the lights combined. Via

Runners-up include:

Via

Young blood sounds so A+

2010-08-09T18:38:00.000-04:00

Loving this song. Their debut album is yet to be released, but I can't wait!

Chair rail? Check!

2010-07-28T16:50:00.000-04:00

I have been on a crazy "we need to get our house projects done NOW" kick. I think it's because we're coming up to the one-year mark of living in our first home and we still haven't had a housewarming party (because I'm convinced the house isn't yet visitable by scrutanizing eyes).

After painting the antique chairs, every time we pushed back out of them, they'd transfer white paint on our milk chocolate walls. I thought chair rail was the answer. Chris wasn't sure. Wasn't the antique chair revamp project proof that he should listen to my design ideas?! Nevertheless, I proved right in the end -- and isn't that what matters most, ladies?

Chair rail along the worst of the scuff marks

Chair rail in the corner. We're probably going to paint the hutch white, too, to match the chairs and chair rail

Sweden good for more than just IKEA: Polarn O. Pyret

2010-07-23T15:29:00.000-04:00

Move over, Baby Gap, Polarn O. Pyret is my new fave for fab baby gear!

Clothes for Mama-to-be, newborns, babies, and kids. Everything's on sale right now, so check it out!

Gunila Axen Eco Bodysuit

POLKA DOT BLOUSE

MATERNITY ECO PAJAMA BOTTOMS

Gorgeous invite design

2010-07-23T15:14:00.000-04:00

My Google Reader grows daily, and I just discovered Paper Crave. Loooooove!

Found these there. Aren't they simply TO DIE FOR gorgeous? Sigh.

The whole suite

The invite

Find more of this suite on Paper Crave here. Find more pics posted by the bride and groom on Flickr.

Julia's cake

2010-07-21T23:47:00.000-04:00

Here is the cake I made for friend and coworker Julia's wedding. She wanted three flavours, three buttercream icings, quilted fondant, and sequined ribbon. I didn't think it would all come together in time, but I got it in under the gun!

Sure, there were mishaps: a broken 16" base, torn fondant, running out of icing sugar, misplacing my quilting tool 3 hours before the wedding starts; but it was all worth it!

Attaching the ribbon at the hall

Standing by the finished product!

A side view. That's a lot of shimmer dust...

All cut up. Chocolate, vanilla, almond.

The Fake (but one-day-will-be-real) Wedding: father-daughter dance songs

2010-07-06T21:36:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I am so loving some songs lately and they're all for the father-daughter dance.

Here they are in no particular order:

Daughter by Loudon Wainwright III (hear it) (lyrics)
My Girl by The Temptations (hear it) (lyrics)
There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney (hear it) (lyrics)
Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder (hear it) (lyrics)
Gracie by Ben Folds (hear it) (lyrics)
Then They Do by Trace Adkins (hear it) (lyrics) ...this one is perfect for my dad!
I Loved Her First by Heartland (hear it) (lyrics)

Check them with a box of Kleenex in hand. I promise you'll need them!

The Fake (but one-day-will-be-real) Wedding: seating plan

2010-06-30T01:02:00.000-04:00

Every bride I know has told me the seating chart is the hardest thing to do. I didn't believe them. So I tried.

My man has indulged me (bless his heart) and allowed me to make a guest list...you know, in case we come into some money and could get married this September!

I split the list into five categories:

Bride's family
Bride's friends
Groom's family
Groom's friends
Bride and Groom

I seated people from the same category together in groups of 7-8, and those under the Bride and Groom category (which I now realize is nonsensical as it doesn't refer to me or my man but to truly mutual friends) could be seated anywhere as they know both sets of our friends.

It took me two hours. And it only took that long because I had to copy and paste my worksheet into a Word document and out of the fabulous Knot workbook because I couldn't load all the names properly on my Macbook and I had to keep switching between apps.

Things I learned or am now considering:

This seating chart wasn't so hard BUT it will probably change 14 times as people RSVP no and I need to fill up different tables.
The memory of why two of your friends don't like each other hits you like a kick in the head when you see their names next to one another on the seating plan.
Big families make for annoying seating plans. I feel obligated to seat my family nearest me, but between us, Chris and I have over 60 members of our families within two generations! I am imagining waving to my friends sitting in the corner, waiting for their chance to get a picture and a word with us...
With divorced parents, where do I place my sister?!
We're each having one attendant. Do I want :

a head table with four of us (bride, groom, MoH, BM),
a head table with six of us (same, but with their dates),
or no head table and sit with our parents,
or no head table and sit with our friends?

Have you had difficulty with your seating plan?

Other clocks that make my heart tick, tick, tick

2010-06-22T17:13:00.000-04:00

After the Mississippi clock, I decided to roam the net for some other clocks that make my heart tick!

Here are a few I am loving right now.

This Postmaster clock adheres in 13 pieces to the wall, so you can make it as big or small as you'd like! Available here.

This clock looks like an old pocket watch, but it goes on the wall! Available here. Check eBay for more selection!

This clock looks simple, but that's what makes this coloured-block clock gorgeous! Available here.

One Mississippi, Two Mississippi...

2010-06-22T16:52:00.000-04:00

Found this clock on our vacation in VanCity and love, love, love it!

The Mississippi clock is available on amazon here.

Loving right now :: shell lamp

2010-06-08T18:09:00.000-04:00

Oh, Jordan Ferney, how I love your blog!

Check out this gorgeous lamp she pointed to on Amazon:

Get this :: The Wire Complete Series

2010-06-03T16:14:00.001-04:00

Holy good deal, Batman! Just found the Complete Series of The Wire -- aka the best show ever -- for only $90. Usually $250+. Thank you, Amazon!

Must. Buy. Now!

Thank You cupcake order

2010-05-31T11:09:00.000-04:00

An order came in for some Thank You cupcakes. Here is what I came up with.

I stamped the butterfly with "thank you very much".

Front view of the big flower. Thanks to Cake Journal for this one!

More of a side view of the big flower. Aren't they just gorgeous?

Before I closed the lid.

The final packaging.

bite-sized photo shoot

2010-05-31T10:57:00.000-04:00

Can't believe I didn't post these pics sooner! It's almost June and I'm clearly a slacker... though I did remember to post the photos to facebook in two albums, post them to my site, and send out mass emails to friends and family with the link. :S

Here is the permanent link to the shoot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcmyworks/sets/72157624004123430/

A special thanks to Marc from Marc My Works! Photography. Amazing photos, Marc!

DIY bath bombs!

2010-05-17T16:17:00.000-04:00

I am not big on baths, but when I have them, I want to relax in a pool of hot water with bubbles, scrubs, an eye mask, and my ipod. Book optional.

So when I stumbled upon this great site called Instructables, and the first link on the right was for bath bombs, I knew I had found a new addiction.

I love all things DIY, and this is my next project -- alongside the DIY tea leaf soaps ;) These could make great gifts for your wedding party as you could customize the bombs to your bridesmaids' tastes!

The woman who offered the tutorial also has her own etsy shop called Coco Island Soaps. If you don't want to make them yourself, you should definitely buy through her. Support small businesses!

A rose may smell sweet, but how does it taste?

2010-05-13T16:24:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm baking cakes, I'm curious as to what can go on them. Brides like to have flowers on the cake, but are all flowers edible? Not a chance!

There are more options if you include "petals only" compared to just "whole flowers" but there are still a good number of flowers you can stick on a cake without fear of killing your wedding guests :)

Whole flowers:

fruit blossoms
carnations
gardenias
violets
lavender
lilacs
roses
snapdragons
peonies
phlox
pansies "Johnny Jump Up"
and more!

I am very excited about this. I'm pretty good at fondant/gum paste/royal icing roses, but nothing compares to the real thing!

Giant cupcake liner

2010-04-27T13:21:00.000-04:00

What a brilliant idea! I've been wondering how to make the bottom of my GIANT cupcake look cute, and I stumbled upon this fabulous tutorial to make a candied wrapper.

Before pic (this cake serves 12!) from Wilton.com:

Process pics and tutorial thanks to Oh, Sugar!:

Is this woman amazing, or what? Love love love!

P.S. Once married, my initials would be...

2010-04-26T16:32:00.000-04:00

Totally random thought of the day:
Once my man and I get hitched, my initials will be P.S.

Is that not totally the cutest possible combination? Just imagine the stationary! Le sigh...

I'm a diamond dasher!

2010-04-15T13:06:00.000-04:00

I'm very excited to announce that Chris and I were chosen to be one of 250 couples to participate in a city-wide scavenger hunt looking for a $15,000 diamond ring! It's called the Davidson's Diamond Dash and I am super pumped.

Whether we win the ring or not, I think it will be an amazing day to spend with my man.

Here is what we could win!

I told Chris we would sell the ring if we won it, but I don't know if I could take that sparkler off!

bite-sized babies!

2010-04-12T14:48:00.000-04:00

Friday night's launch party was a success! Lots of great feedback and three orders!

Thank you to all who showed up; it was great to see you all and I hope you enjoyed the night as much as I did.

I was so frazzled that I didn't take pics until everyone had left, so unfortunately, there aren't pics of all the flavours. But here is a selection:

Four different flavours on this tea tray.

The vanilla was a little dry, so I think I might change the recipe a little.

The chocolate pound cake was not as popular as the double chocolate with the double chocolate icing, but still no complaints!

bite-sized tags

2010-04-07T13:03:00.001-04:00

So the official launch party (and first taster night) for bite-sized is this Friday and I'm making flavour tags so people know what they're eating. And they turned out so cute! I bought the manila tags for business and order cards and the theme just grows. Next I'm make a huge sign for my lawn that will look like a shipping tag with the cupcake on it.

Here are the tags:

the set

icing and half of the cake flavours

half of the cake flavours and the icing tag

the cards that will be posted with the matching cupcakes

Seating Arrangements

2010-04-06T13:30:00.001-04:00

So we got a nice old dining set from someone is Chris's family, but the chairs are falling apart and the table's two leafs have been stripped (but not the rest of the table. Argh.) But the table looks great otherwise, so instead of buying new chairs ($$$) I thought we could just take a cue from Sarah Richardson (my fave designer) and fix and paint the old chairs. I figured we could paint them bright white for a pop.

Chris wasn't so sure, so we did a tester (since we have five chairs and only use four), and he is a convert! I'm pushing for a gloss coat, but haven't yet won that battle. Chris picked one fabric and I picked a second. We'll have alternating stripes and floral. Both are outdoor fabrics which are high-wear, washable, and pretty stain-proof. Perfect since we already have a cat, are getting a dog, and plan on kids in a couple years.

Here are the chairs so far, and pics of the fabric and completed chairs will go up once everything is done!

Ready for a make-over

Patching the damaged spots

A couple coats will do the trick

Here is the finished product (updated July 22, 2010):

Horizontal stripes

Vertical stripes

Close-up of floral pattern


One of two floral-patterned chairs

What came first -- the chicken or the egg?

2010-03-26T14:45:00.001-04:00

Chickens made out of eggs? Of course!

These have got to be the frickin' cutest things I've ever seen made with eggs -- they totally beat out blown eggs at Easter!

See how to make your own fowl family at eye candy. Great idea!!!

bite-sized is better

2010-03-23T16:28:00.002-04:00

OK, so when I get interested in something, I throw myself at it. I am jumping head-first into this whole cake world and loving it!

I already have some orders to do cupcakes for special events and might even be doing a wedding cake.

I am so excited! I'll have to start posting pics of my cake creations asap.

I have created a one-woman business called bite-sized (apt for my stature) and orders can be placed through the website.

Whether you're referring to food or my brand, bite-sized is better ;)

bite-sized.ca

... if the main link doesn't work, try http://sites.google.com/site/paigeisbitesized/ instead.

My first fondant cake

2010-03-21T22:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Meg!

I am so happy to have made my first fondant cake for one of my best friends.

Here it is!

Happy Founders Day!

2010-03-17T10:17:00.000-04:00

Delta Phi Epsilon International Sorority turns 93 today. I have been in her history only nine years, but feel like I have known her forever.

The thing about a family of sisters is that there is often laughter, sometimes tears, and there are always ups and downs.

DPhiE gave me a home away from home and a second family. There are women I will call sisters for life and I have a sorority to thank for that.

I didn't pledge sisterhood for university -- I pledged a lifelong commitment. I am proud to wear my letter nearly a decade after first being pinned.

Esse Quam Videri, ladies. Be rather than to seem to be. Be D Phi E. Be you.

Office in the alcove

2010-03-15T16:03:00.001-04:00

We live in a townhouse, and though every house is similar, the builder changed something so that each was unique in some way. One thing about our home is that instead of having the stairs to the basement under the stairs to the second level, they were put at the back of house cutting off about 30 sq.ft. of the dining room but giving us a huge 2-level window that lights the basement. Strangely, the builder left the alcove where the door to the basement stairs should be.

I put those squiggly IKEA mirrors in there with an extra dining chair, but felt there was better use for such a cool, central space. Cucumbersome's blog (which I love!) planted the idea in my brain of an office in that space. I imagine the alcove with floating glass shelves and a glass desk -- all about two inches from the back wall for cords to be run back there. The extra dining chair would sit in the curve of the stairs to the second level, just next to the desk, and the desk would be hidden behind a curtain when not in use. Chris was skeptical at first, I think, but has since warmed to the idea.

This is what the desk will look like and how I'll mount the shelves:

"Nook Desk Made Simple…", Ready Made

I will post before and after shots, but for now here are some examples of cool closet offices:

The Container Store

"Closet becomes office", Sunset

"Office in a closet", Creating Organizing 101

New Peugeot lithograph

2010-03-15T15:20:00.001-04:00

We've been in the house since October, and we're finally adding big items. My mom graciously helped out with our new couch and convertible seat in December, but they are the only items in the living room!

Then I found it: a reproduction lithograph already mounted and ready to hang.

We needed something that was:

Bright -- check!
Colourful -- check!
Big enough to stand alone till we get more in the living room -- check!
Representative of both Paige (vintage) and Chris (funky) -- check and check!

Here is an image I found of the lithograph:

And here is a pic of the living room with our print:

Been gone a while...

2010-03-11T09:42:00.000-05:00

Sorry to all who read my blog regularly -- lots has been going on and I just couldn't bring myself to write for the last while.

But I'm back and my obsessive compulsive behaviour is right on track... I've started decorating cakes! And I'm taking two Wilton cake classes: one Wednesday and one Saturday. So get ready for pics of my attempts, successes, and failures. It's too bad Chris doesn't like sweets; I'll have to eat all the leftovers!

The wedding (planning) is off!

2010-02-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

Blame Lent, folks! I've decided to give up planning for my (yes, slightly far-off) wedding. I figure there is a big enough difference between knowing it's happening and actually having the ring on my finger that not planning for a 2011 ceremony until I get a diamond should be relatively easy for 40 days.

Serious emphasis on relatively!

It's funny, because one day I accost a good looking man at a water cooler, and a mere two weeks later I'm dreaming of blushers, bouquets, and happily ever after. I know it's going to happen exactly the way I imagined -- wearing the pearls he picked out for me at Birks, taking photos under a big weeping willow, my mother glowing -- but until we can afford to book a reception, or at least get past Easter, enough!

So I might post about some ideas that would be great for others, but no designing the flower girl's converse shoes, no driving by possible photo locations on the seriously-detoured route to the grocery store, and no handmade attempts at favour jars (pre-Lent I was thinking about handmade jam and local honey in little jars with paper tags stamped with our names and wedding date, but more on that after the Cadbury Bunny makes a visit).

My man will be thrilled the pressure is off for a while ;)

Wish me luck!

Charm me with tea pots!

2010-02-15T21:24:00.000-05:00

I love my great-grandmother's antique tea cups. And when I saw a tea pot charm on etsy, I was nostalgic for my favourite polka dot tea cup. I searched "tea pot necklace" on the best handmade stuff site etsy.

Tea for one, by KittyRobot

Tea for two, My Cellar Door

Mad Hatter's tea pot, Lunarra Star

High Tea, The Ardent Sparrow

Tissue Flowers

2010-02-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to try making these! I read through most of the comments and want to try alternating the tissue paper in colour -- like, pink, white, pink, white -- to see how that would turn out.

Finished look

One commenter said she made them in the 60s out of kleenex for her wedding!

Up close and personal

Get the How-To on zakka life. It's easy and the finished product is just stunning! You could make these for the wedding getaway car, for a bridal or baby shower, or attach to floral stems and keep them in a vase year-round. Happy crafting!

Really Bad Kitty

2010-02-07T21:21:00.005-05:00

OK, clearly, I have a thing for off-the-beaten-path. Especially when it comes to wedding-related floral arrangements! Found these hand-stitched, multi-coloured felt bouquets on etsy in a shop called really bad kitty.

And I love!

This is an example of a few hand-stitched felt styles.

total cuteness, I know.

And she's also got other faboo items...

boutonnieres (who needs a corsage when everyone could wear these?!?)

pomander

satin and button bouquet

different colour choices for button bouquets

Converse shoes on my (for now fictitious) wedding day

2010-02-07T14:17:00.001-05:00

OK, so as soon as I learned you could design your own Converse shoes -- any style -- for $10 more than the regular purchase price, I knew I would be busy designing for the next couple hours. And I did.

I might wear something snazzy during the church ceremony, but as soon as I can slip into something more comfortable, I intend to. And they're going to be these self-designed beauties!

You can choose the colour or pattern of every part of this shoe, from the stitching to the laces, from rubber to the inside liner. I went all-white with pink stitching, a love-filled liner and my would-be married name on the derriere.

These are so comfortable and you can design them to be anything you want them to be! Do you think I should keep the black racing stripe around the sole? I feel like it ties the inside liner perfectly.

Went ahead and had Chris design a pair for himself and I love them!

His liner pattern is super funky. He went pretty casual, but with a pop of black for the tongue to match the inside. We went with ALL CAPS for his name up the backside.

No racing stripe for him. Classy! What can I say? My man has taste.

I fit the kids' sizes since you have to go down at least a half-size in these Chucks, so my shoes are only $45 and Chris's are only $62. I'd get them made for our MOH and BM as gifts, too.

My love for Converse knows no bounds

2010-02-06T22:35:00.001-05:00

I had to wait over a year to find my white all-stars in a kid's size 3, and I am waiting for CONVERSE to do international shipping. Can't they switch to no intercontinental shipping? Sigh. Here is what I love in the kids' section right now...

Justin Alexander dress that I adore

2010-02-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

OK, I simply had to share this Justin Alexander dress I found in the Alice in Wonderland post from Wedding Paper Divas.

Tea length is back!

Can't you just see it with something off-beat like royal purple shoes? Sigh. Fabulous.

I want my own GSP

2010-02-04T12:32:00.000-05:00

I'm not talking about George St-Pierre, for all you Fight-Night fans. I want a German Shorthaired Pointer.

Chris and I did a lot of research into dogs we'd like and we settled on this breed. Needs activity and space to run around. Have you seen where we live? The Experimental Farm is across the street. No problems there. Truth be told, the biggest problem is the lifestyle change -- we'd have to wake up before 8am every day! We don't even do that on workdays...

Anyway, I wanted to post some amazing photos I found on facebook. (If you are an owner of this photo and you want it removed, let me know and I'll do so.)

"Gustav jumping hay bales" courtesy of Dave Sklareski

"Jersey showing off his skills at 5 months", courtesy of Kenny Price

Sleeping beauty, courtesy of Chris Page

Puppy, courtesy of Kate Hurkmans

Floral details you won't sneeze over: shoes

2010-01-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

I got to thinking about fabric flowers and realized I love them anywhere I can get them. They're on my cute purple shirt and my favourite headband. But, Lord, I wish they were on my shoes! So I went looking for the best flower-accented shoes for your big day. At only 89 USD, these satin shoes are a great bargain. Available in white, as shown, and in champagne, purple, black, blue.

Ivana, rsvp

A similar peeptoe version is only 78 USD and is available in ivory, as shown, and white.

Lola, rsvp

Sure, these are a little more expensive. But if the dress is budget then the shoes don't need to be!

Ceci Air Rose Sling, Cole Haan, 428 USD

Kate Spade is a brand I can count on for understated fashion.

Christa, Kate Spade, 295 USD

Why not go for flats? Stay comfortable, and if anyone catches a glimpse, a shot of colour will give them a smile.

Geneva, Romantic Soles, 65 USD

Amsale dresses that make my heart flutter

2010-01-27T22:01:00.001-05:00

I love Amsale dresses. She makes the best little white dresses that make me swoon.
Here is my favourite this season.

Amsale, Marci

But it's this drop-waist, floor-length A-line that had me at hello.

Amsale, Nicca

Cake eaters: the really bad kind.

2010-01-18T13:47:00.003-05:00

When I say cake eater, you probably think I'm going to begin a blog on how it affected my thighs, my diet, or my preference for Betty over Duncan. But that is not the cake eating to which I refer.

No, I am talking about the proverbial cake eater -- most often a man -- who wants to have his cake and eat it too.

I'm talking about the guy who says he doesn't want a relationship with you, but doesn't want you to have a relationship with anyone else. The guy who wants a break because he's afraid the relationship could be his last. "I'd like to sleep around while we're on this break, but I'd appreciate it if you could remain celibate."

Girls think that if a guy waits two weeks to call after getting her number, it's because he's nervous. Nope, he's just bored and realized you're new and shiny and could be better to drink with than himself. If he keeps asking for dates but never wants to talk commitment, he's not scared of committing to a relationship but of committing to keeping it in his pants.

Maybe you're saying to yourself "but he doesn't believe in sex before marriage". You ain't got me beat, girlfriend, it means he's just not that into you.

If he was into you:

conversation would occur face-to-face, not via

SMS,
MMS,
ICQ,
fbchat,
MSN,
any other acronym

he'd call

before 10pm,
to talk,
just because

he'd commit

to more than a once-weekly drunk booty call
to actually caring for and about you
to not sleeping with other people

you'd know it.

Women make up lots of excuses for the cake eater in their life. But you're just making excuses for why you haven't gotten what YOU really want. And let's be honest, no woman wants to admit she's getting in her own way...let alone allowing a man to stand in her way!

So wake up, ladies, and go get a man who believes cake eating requires a fork -- one you can share -- who calls when he says he will, and who thinks his life began when he met you. Believe you me, he's out there.

More non-floral bouquets

2010-01-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

I think it ironic that a button-down bride would carry a flower bouquet but a trendy bride would carry a button bouquet. Yes! I said BUTTON! While browsing etsy (a daily occurrence, truth be told) I found a stunning fabric bouquet and then found a button one!

Gorgeous fabric bouquet found at the Milkpod Studio

Matching boutonnière from Milkpod Studios

Does it get any more gorgeous than that? Plus, this crafty seller will work with your colour scheme and make something truly one-of-a-kind for your Big Day.

Found these tulle flowers next, checked the seller's other items and found the button bouquet!

Tulle bouquet from Jillian's

Button bouquet from Jillian's

Don't you just love the look? What do you think -- would you carry a fabric or button bouquet?

Baby booties

2010-01-04T14:18:00.003-05:00

As promised, my baby craft/shopping blogging begins. It's hard to beat the look of a pair of Robeez nowadays, but I think I can trump them by making my own.

Thanks to my crafting goddess, Martha, I have a free pattern to make wool felt baby slippers with an ankle strap. And they are sweet as can be!

Can't you just see these made with embroidered letters, oversized ribbon, or holiday punch-outs?

You can get a variety of different baby/child shoe patterns on etsy for $3-5 dollars apiece. From fur-lined boots to matching mommy/daughter slippers, etsy's got it all. Click here for patterns. I'm loving ManiMina Studio, Precious Patterns, and Wee Pereas.

The baby bump begins

2010-01-04T13:27:00.001-05:00

Nancy was my roommate for a single semester back in first-year university. In fact, she was an exchange student and was only in Canada for four months.

She showed up with her snoopy blanket, a couple suitcases, great shoes (but, sigh, a size bigger than my feet could fill), and fashion sense that rivaled my own. She was from Los Angeles. I loved her immediately.

Eight years later, I am proud to be able to say that a four-month living arrangement has turned into one of the greatest long-distance relationships of my life.

But now I get to build a new relationship: one with her growing family. Nancy is pregnant! True to form, I have already demanded the due date (July 12), asked for approximate date of baby shower (May), and inquired as to how soon I can learn the sex of the baby so that I can start crafting by pink or blue (instead of yellow, white, and green).

I am already gathering ideas on things to make, so expect baby blogs fairly regularly.

I "sew" love this invite design!

2009-12-29T14:30:00.005-05:00

Merriment Design does it again. I love, love, love Kathy Beimer's work. This time I have fallen in love with a sewn invitation, and even the love of my life thinks they're fabulous!

The fabric for these were purchased online at Repro Depot Fabrics. I can't find this particular pattern any more, but there are a few others that would work wonders!

For directions and even a videotaped walk-through, visit Merriment Design. This design is copywrited. Kathy Beimer, the owner of Merriment Design, asks that you email her if you are going to use this design. Bonus: if you aren't crafty enough, you can contract her to help make these invites! This is a slightly different version of Kathy's original Poppy invite.

See all of Kathy's Poppy-themed wedding items: sewn poppy fabric invitations, sewn return address envelopes with custom stamps, table numbers, guest towels, ring bearer pillow, place cards, sewn zigzagged programs, menu, reserved signs, whimsical flower garland “altar” and bridesmaid’s handbags.

Another bride has made her own version. Click here to see it!

The Fake (but one-day-will-be-real) Wedding: dresses of all kinds

2009-12-10T14:56:00.001-05:00

I have fallen in love with Jenny Yoo designs. She is brilliant! She worked for the fabulous Ann Taylor before starting her own line.

Her bridesmaids dresses are modern and simple, and they'd never be found in the back of a closet. Plus, she has a collection called "bridal alternatives" and you can get almost any of her bridesmaids dresses in white or ivory! All dresses are under a thousand bucks and most are in the $400 range!

Cards I'd love to make (and plan to!)

2009-11-25T16:24:00.003-05:00

All the cards are found on Martha Stewart web site.

Punched-Snowflake Photo Cards and Gift Tags

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Herb Garden Seed Card

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Edge-Punched Card

Paper flowers

2009-11-24T12:15:00.000-05:00

I fell in love with fabric flowers and thought they were the best. I haven't changed my mind, but I love the look of these paper flowers. I'm tempted to purchase a kit or two and see if I could use the templates for fabric versions ;) The kits provide paper, wire, and flower tape for 12-14 flowers.

I think these would be amazing as centrepieces at a wedding -- or even at your dinner table. They are stunning, easy to make, and can be changed out and saved in a box until needed again.

Thanks to Paper Source for always having the most incredible finds. Kits can be purchased online.

RUST-OLEUM: a new fave brand

2009-11-23T16:20:00.001-05:00

Wish you could magnetize a wall? You can. Want to make your kitchen table a chalk board? You can do that too. I found a company called RUST-OLEUM that makes the coolest paint products that cover any surface. You can now make any wall or item: reflective, chalkboard, magnetic, glow-in-the-dark, or dry erase.

I love it! I want to paint a section of my living room wall with magnetic paint and put an empty frame over it. Then I can use magnets to post cards I receive on my wall for all to see!

Baking and crafting together for the holidays...

2009-11-23T16:00:00.002-05:00

My friend Heather likes to bake -- and I like to craft. What better way to pair up than for her to teach me to bake, and I teach her to make gift boxes for her yummy delights? This is to make a decorative "slip" to fit over box.

Taken from the Martha Stewart website (the altar at which I pray)

Cookie Box How-To
1. Print templates at 105 percent onto heavyweight paper. On the mat, use craft knife to cut out templates, including areas around score marks.
2. On side template, crease along marks, and with the bone folder, score folds. Trim excess.
3. Crease and score front and back of house as above. Trim excess.
4. Cut slit at center of roof where marked. Knot ribbon into a loop, and pass through slit in roof, from underside.
5. Glue templates together. Adjust shape to form a cube. Let dry 30 minutes.
6. Snip two 13-by-3-inch pieces of parchment, using scallop scissors on short ends. Place strips of parchment inside box crosswise to each other to form liner. Fill with cookies, and close lid. Slip house over box. If you plan to carry or hang box, attach sleeve to box with tape.