it's beginning to look a lot like...

My family and I finally got the chance to get our tree this weekend. Just in the nick of time, too. My dad went with me down the street from our house to pick it up Saturday afternoon. And today, I bought new and bigger light bulbs to decorate with, only to find out I didn't buy enough, so I had to combine them with older and smaller ones.

Overall, everything worked out. And I only broke one ornament this year, so I'd say Mission Christmas Tree 2009 was fairly successful. Next year though, I'm going for zero casualties.

Lilyja + life's biggest lessons

Some lovely wearables from Lilyja.

. . . . .

I have been devouring this bag of salty dried prunes for the last few days now, and I really should stop. Why? Because it's like eating a spoonful of salt for each piece I pop in my mouth. But then again, there's this semi-sweet and salty aftertaste that lingers on my tongue, which I really like, a lot. So I keep eating, and eating, and eating. And I think my thought process is that I have to deal with the painful stages first before I can get to the pleasant ending. Now, isn't that the same for most situations in life?! I think so...

Good to know I'm applying one of life's biggest lessons into one of my daily not-so-healthy food consumptions. That, to me, is equilibrium baby!

little girls in Trafalgar's Square

Darling little girl prints from Trafalgar's Square.

Cotton Idea Studio in Newport Beach

Designs by Night Owl Paper Goods, That Sky Blue, Little Oranges of California, and Cotton Idea Studio.

. . . . .

During my recent trip to California, I had an opportunity to visit Cotton Idea Studio, a tiny but lovely boutique in the seaside town of Newport Beach. Owned and operated by Mindy Gayer, the studio carries her line of letterpress paper designs, as well as a collection of sweetly-made paper goods and crafty accessories from a handful of other designers scattered all over. Everything in her shop had its own little charm, and if I didn't have to worry about my bank account depleting, I would have bought one of each item in the store!

So, in the spirit of the holiday season, I picked out a few holiday card collections and accessories from her shop to share with you all.

And if you're ever visiting the quaint town of Newport Beach, don't forget to stop by Mindy's little shop. You wont be disappointed.

and so it begins

I've been a little busy bee in my workshop lately, playing with paint and creating samples. And when I'm not crafting up things, I'm going store to store picking up supplies and trying out different paper stocks and textures. It's kind of hard driving around town and going from one craft store to another this time of year. For one thing it's freezing in Seattle right now, but the other is having to trek through the busy holiday traffic and shoppers. But I guess all that is worth it when I walk out of a store with a bag full of pretty, and sometimes unexpected, artsy supplies. And not to mention that all this work is going toward my shop, which I hope to debut in early 2010. 

It's been quite an adventure if you ask me, even if I've only barely begun. Just the whole idea of starting up a new shop and making paper goods that I adore and want to share are enough reasons to be excited. And I'm sure if you ask any other boutique shop owners, they'd feel the exact same way.

Hannah Nunn + happy Friday!

These are oh so pretty from Hannah Nunn. Owning one of these will probably cozy up any corner in the house. Swoon galore!

. . . . .

Today's Friday could not come any sooner. Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

a pair of pairs

Once Wed, headed by Emily Newman, features some of the most beautiful real weddings, DIY tips and tricks, and photos I've seen on the web. My recent favs are photos from Seattle-based photographer Ben Blood of a wedding located in Whidbey Island, Washington, and a vintage engagement session captured by Brandon Patoc, and post-processed by Yuri Manchik. 

. . . . .

This year feels like it's the ultimate year to get engaged or married. Well, at least that's how I feel based on the number of my friends (both near and far) who have been proposed to or tied the knot. It kind of feels like the domino effect—one person starts and the cycle begins. And this year, it just happens to be friends within my network.

And in light of the wedding and engagement photos above, I'd also like to share similar phases from two of my friends: Rachel of Elephantine, a classy gal whom I met in college, just recently got engaged, and Sharleen of mmm-fruit, a wonderful young lady whom I've never met but have corresponded with via the web since our high school days, is getting married in February. 

These ladies' creative work is just darling, and not to mention they're both sweet as can be. So, congratulations to you both!

if I lived here

How absolutely gorgeous is this house?! Nancy's renovation of this mid-century home (featured as a house tour on Apartment Therapy Re-Nest) has got me swooning all over. I just love everything about this modular piece of architecture, from the over-sized stairwell wall with scattered windows, to the bright and open living room, to the simplistic approach of mixing vintage and rustic decor with modern aesthetics.

And just look at that porch. Just charming as can be! I can totally imagine myself having a little Sunday brunch with the girlfriends in that area, stuffing ourselves with sliders and sipping on fresh lemonade. Or maybe move the furniture around so there's enough space for a little evening cocktail soiree filled with hanging lanterns, music, and dancing. Oh, wouldn't that be nice...

shades of white + what a surprise

Beautiful creations from Paloma's Nest. 

. . . . .

Recently, I've made a personal decision to avoid meat until further notice due to an unpleasant encounter during the recent holiday weekend. No it's not because of the turkey, 'cause man, that would haunt me for future Thanksgivings to come.

But fast forward a few days, and there I am in the kitchen fiddling through the fridge to find something that was sans meat. Nothing. Next stop was the pantry and ah ha! The ultimate quick hunger fix: Cup Noodles! There were two left, both shrimp flavored. Score!....Or so I thought...

Little did I know that waiting for me was a beetle, the size of a sesame seed, floating effortlessly in the middle of the cup, legless, probably because it was incinerated from the hot, boiling water. For a moment I second guessed myself, and thought it was probably one of those weird herb seeds from the flavoring. But no, my female intuition was correct (and should never be compromised), because I fished the little guy out using the tip of my fork, poked it, and its wings began to spread.

How's that for my first attempt at going vegetarian? And if you were wondering, yes, I ate the other cup. But slowly and cautiously, of course.

lovelies from Anthropologie

Some lovely finds from Anthroplogie. My shelf would really appreciate that ferris wheel.