The One for Dawson

a MUST HAVE for a family of (almost) four...living in London...serving their babies hard boiled eggs for "tea."

from KEITH BRYMER JONES via SimpleSong

The One For The Engagement Shin-Dig

One of my very best friends is getting married in February (not to be confused with my very best friend who is getting married in July - wooo hooo) so we're throwing a small get together this Saturday night. It's going to be tons of fun to get together with people I haven't seen in a while - and people who are brand new to me! Plus - it will be the first party in the new house. It's been great incentive to get our butts in gear and make it look like a legitimate place to be living.

In honor of this occasion, and the fact that I haven't blogged in about 100 years...here are a few of the things I'm hoping to include in the party planning for this weekend.

image from Once Wed, by Our Labor of Love Photography

Beautiful (and simple) floral arrangements, with burlap (is that burlap?) tablecloths. Lucky for me, my mom works at our church and is letting me tap into the chairs and tables that live there.

image from skillenlauren

Twinkle lights in trees and around the fence in our backyard. Pure magic.

image by :MPG:

Some sort of delicious sangria, margarita type thing. Something that can go in my new drink dispenser, which is not actually this gorgeous one from Pottery Barn and cost me $20 at Home Goods, maybe in my next life...

We're serving barbecue and my mom has offered to let us use her really pretty pottery as serving pieces. Score. Friends - we're going to have to take care of these!

For dessert, I'm thinking something cold and delicious. Mainly because it's been hot as blue blazes around here lately. My office door fogs up in the afternoon from all of the humidity. It's gross. Maybe something like this, or maybe this, and then this showed up in my email...YUM.

Either way, the whole night is sure to be tons of fun!!

Now...I just need to start making a playlist that will last all night. No repeats. Any suggestions?

The One About Magnets

We have a new refrigerator in our new house, I know that's really big news - HA. Wouldn't these look adorable on it?

From the MoMA

Aren't magnets the cutest way to brighten up a kitchen on the cheap. These are pretty stinkin' cute too. And look! Magnets to make your fridge look like your phone.

The One With All The Gorgeousness

I'm in love with letterpress. Basically - anything you can letterpress, I pretty much want it. I ran across these business cards on oh happy day this morning and they might be the sole reason I quit my job and go into business for myself. Granted, I'd probably have to be a dog walker or something equally focused on tasks rather than ability, but I could do it with fabulous business cards, and that would be enough for me.

I mean seriously. Anyone have their own business? Could you please order these and then let me hang out with them for awhile?

I've already talked about Etsy, and 1Canoe2 with the Texas print...but seriously. They have some of the most amazing things.

I mean - of course I want letterpress recipe cards, or letterpress coasters or a letterpress address book of sorts.

I'm pretty sure my parents are mom is already dreading picking out the invitations for my future wedding. My parents were invited to a wedding a few months ago that included the most ridiculously gorgeous save the dates. I want them.

Like, OH MY WORD.

from Dauphine Press

and those are just save the dates...

from Bella Figura (Emmy - please tell me you have this at The Scribbler)

Not to mention all of the prints that are done on letterpress. I mean, seriously - how adorable would this be in a kitchen.

from RawArtLetterpress

I've already mentioned this print, and I still think it's pretty fantastic.

from NanLawson

Or this in an office? Wouldn't it be nice - when you're all stressed out, to be reminded to just let some of the junk go?

The One About Stripes

I'm on a stripes kick apparently...

from Anthropologie, West Elm, Ikea, Ikea, Kate Spade, Piperlime, Piperlime, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Saks Fifth Avenue. Just click on the image to find the link. I mean...those shoes are seriously cute.

The One With The House

There is officially a key on my key ring.

It's so interesting how different a house looks with no furniture. I finally noticed that the color of the walls in by bedroom vaguely resembles baby poop, that the kitchen is VERY red, and some of the rooms seem smaller (or bigger).

We've got three weekends to move, paint, re-tile, re-carpet, and a whole lot of other things!

I'm looking forward to all of that...but even more than those things, and the "fixin' up" process - there are five really HUGE things I am looking forward to even more.

Like having a dishwasher, and a disposal, and trashcans that are not three horrific flights of stairs and half a mile over treacherous craters away. I'm pretty sure our kitchen is going to be 12 times as sanitary - and hopefully clean.

Or - having a thermostat, which in and of itself means that there is air conditioning and heat that is INSIDE of our house. No more crazy radiator noise....

Our precious laundry room. Won't it be nice to have actual storage for things like bleach, and cleaning supplies and an iron? Storage that isn't sitting perilously close to things we cook in or eat off of.

And speaking of pots and pans...won't it be nice not to have to wash them BEFORE using them, because our horrific cabinets are built all cattywompus and opening and closing the doors results in a nasty pile of wood shavings landing on the cookware.

I'm also really excited about having windows that close all the way instead of just ignoring the onslaught of lady bugs and refusing to acknowledge where they actually came from.

And bliss...a back yard, with a patio, and patio furniture. Grass that's ours, and a place to sit where you're not watching everyone and their mom drive down the street - or your neighbors have police-inducing screaming matches.

I do have one MAJOR goal before moving out of our apartment. It is very important that I find out who the kids are that live in the other half of the building, where they are going at all hours of the night, why they never go to school on time, where their parents are, and IF these kids are even related.

Kids...if you're reading this, come over - let's have a chat - because you're life completely confuses me.

The One About Closing Day

Wednesday is a really bid day in my apartment! My sweet roommate is responsible, and proactive and all sorts of good things that eventually lead to her buying a house! It's so stinkin' cute and I absolutely can't wait to move in! How nice that we'll have a yard (for my future puppy), a dishwasher (yes, we've been living without a dishwasher - horrendous!), a garbage disposal, normal-built in-not hanging out the window air conditioning and NO STAIRS.

Ah, bliss.

The next couple of weekends are going to be busy! I'm going to have everything (light enough for me to carry down the stairs) moved out in the next couple of weeks and then Memorial Day will result in some professional mover type people that will come get all of our heavy furniture. I've already wrangled my brother into coming up from Auburn one weekend to help (hopefully he remembers that).

I've been thinking about all the fun things we're going to do once we move in. I'm going to cook more often (it helps when you're not frightened of bug bodies getting into your food) and I want to try something really fun. I've always loved those delicious blueberry muffins that have the crumblies on top. Maybe these?

Or maybe we'll start making our own bread? HA! Don't I sound domestic? That's probably going to last all of 1 day.

We've also talked about getting patio furniture and a hammock to have in the back yard. The owners have one now but it's all moldy and disgusting...hopefully that's moving with them!

Wouldn't it be fun to have a couple of precious Adirondack chairs too!?

We'll have a grill to cook hamburgers on, the fabulous prior-owners put in outdoor speakers...so maybe making those work should be added to my brother's to-do list.

I literally cannot wait to be able to walk outside the door and be standing on grass. Right now, I walk out of my apartment door into a nasty stairwell that is generally being occupied by 15 different kinds of spiders and is constantly making me think I'm about to tumble to my death (my sister almost did once...)

Anyways, that's the update on my life - I hope y'all have had a great couple of weeks and that my absence hasn't affected you TOO much. HA!