Hermes Wallpaper

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

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

Wedding dress? Check!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image from International Business Times

Honourary bridesmaids?

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

"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.

• Listen to the entire Jonsi Go album, streaming
• Read the lyrics to Go Do
• See the video for Go Do

In love with a Vera's bridesmaid gown

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

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

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

$6.99

$9.89

The wedding is real!

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?

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!

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?

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.

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!

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?

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

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

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

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?

1. They come in all shapes and sizes.
2. People giggle at the sight of them.
3. They are unexpected.
4. 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!

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

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

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