gift guide: my mom!

had a wonderful time at home for thanksgiving... but now it's advent and everone but me in my hometown was shopping like crazy this weekend. i guess it's time to look towards the next holiday. even though I'm holding out for the alternative gift market to do major shopping, i wanted to do a little brainstorming for the folks i love.


porcelain coffee carafe for midafternoon pick-me-ups...

because she really (and truly) loves the warm, clean sheets...

a decoupaged tray for passing along her "opinions"...

something warm and snuggly to wear...


a set or two of her favorite stationary ...

a pretty recycled leather calendar so she can stay organized..

a tree. because she loves her garden and the whole world...

many thanks!!

i have so much to be thankful for... my new (and old) family, wonderful & sweet friends who make sparkleballs, being healthy, being challenged, growing up, having a life-long partner, memories of my grandmother, waaaay too many clothes in my closet, the excitement of the future...

and i've even got a reason to be extra thankful: this study found people who feel grateful often have higher levels of pschological well-being. i know.. this means we ought to have thanksgiving every week! Happy turkey day everybody!

thanksgiving image from corriebond

chalkboard delight...

i heart unexpected chalkboard paint.



see what i mean?

from here and here

don't spend ALL your money on black friday!

calling all socially conscious atlantans! next week there will be TWO chances (one on the westside of town and one on the eastside) to pick up some fantastic Christmas gifts from local nonprofit organizations.

here's the best part of purchasing these kind of gifts: you get to give a Christmas gift to your loved ones PLUS you get to support the INCREDIBLE good work of these organizations! it's a double whammy of gift-giving and it speaks to the Christmas message of God's gift to all humankind.

what are these fabulous organizations, you ask? well, here are just a few to whet your appetite...
ten thousand villages
ties that matter
metro state women's prison theological certificate program and Voices of Hope CD
trees atlanta
medshare international
youth theological initiative
global health action
childspring international
project chacocente
heifer international
wells of hope

interested? then put december 3rd and 4th on your calendars and email me for more info about which nonprofits will be at which location!

a head of the curve... (or, the weak pun)

i really like bedrooms to have as few distractions as possible... in our white and silver boudoir we've got a bed, a dresser, bedside tables, and my LOVELY, PERFECT mid 20th century vanity. the thing is, we don't have a headboard which makes the room kind of feels naked... (see below for approximation of bedroom)


i've been looking around for some easy ideas so we could have a headboard if we wanted one, and here's what I've come up with so far...



i think the burlap is my fav, but then the middle two classic ones are pretty, too...not sure about the bird, but it's definitely cool. hmpf.

1 from cafecartolina, 2 and 3 from desire to inspire, 4 from gypsypurple

i love love...

i love love. and being married and generally i love marriage.... in fact, yesterday i got to give a fake wedding sermon and it was super fun.

but with that said... sometimes it's even MORE FUN to hear all the gory details of new love and courtship... one of my most favorite and special friends is in the "butterflies in the tummy/before the first kiss stage" of a new relationship and this made me think of her and her beau. :) enjoy.

i wish all of you the "butterflies in the tummy" feeling this weekend!

happy friday!

image from photobucket

beautiful burlap!

oh oh oh! look what i found!
burlap is my favorite texture...it's scratchy, but so great looking here as upholstery.



i'm so in love with it that we used burlap as the tablecloths for our reception... anyway, what do you think? unbelievable or uncomfortable?

photos from 1stdibs and gypsypurple

biz and the almost terrible, kind of horrible, not very good, sort of bad day...

i had a little freak out today... nothing major, but i woke up on the wrong side of the bed, didn't get to wear my mom's vintage riding boots, snapped at boone on the way to the bus, got a million work related tasks to accomplish and realized that i am a zillion miles behind on my school work and job applications. then, as we were rushing out the door i took a look around the apartment and realized it looked like a huge mess.

HUGE. like mudslide plus windstorm huge.
i realized a long time ago that the way my living space looks is the way i am actually feeling... i try to keep things clutter free, clean, organized and usually succeed. but when life gets crazy, my house looks crazy. i've made some headway this afternoon on the physical clutter, but the mental clutter..not so much.
so, i thought i'd vent for a sec. and share a few photos of somebody's perfect, de-cluttered, clean and organized spaces.
now here's your moment of zen:

table top perfection...

the most perfect (ok, most fun) thanksgiving table ever.


photo from youaremyfave

too early? nope.

i know it's not really Christmas/holiday season yet, but it's coming... and since boone and i are now an official family, we're going to send an official family christmas card!!! cards take about a week to print plus addressing and mailing takes forever... so we've got to get started!

next year we'll design our own (think tacky Christmas sweaters), but this year since we're a little harried by school we're probably going to stick with a ready-made design. here are some cooler, not cookie-cutter options i've found out there in case you're in the market, too!


since a card is all about the message, today I'm focusing on wishes for Joy and Peace (my fav holiday wish.) If this isn't right for you, stay tuned for other options!

1 from the happy envelope, 2 from westwillowdesigns, 3,4 and 5 from minted, 6 from minkcards

mmm...

friends,
sorry for being MIA. real life has been keeping me from playing on the interweb! boo.
things haven't calmed down much but i was looking for something delish to make for dinner this week and found THIS... swiss chard and sweet potato gratin.


i know, right? who wants to make it with me and compare notes?

happy saturday!

we're going to the cabbagetown chomp and stomp today... jealous?

real kitchen...

finally! a home shot that isn't styled TOO perfectly. I've tried for years to get my desk and kitchen to look like the ones in magazines, but i always end up losing the battle when i realize that i actual USE my desk so pencils and paper are a must and that i actually COOK in my kitchen.
anyway, THANK YOU desire to inspire for posting a stylish (but real kitchen).

and happy friday.