Gifting on the mind

With Halloween here today, I've decided to start thinking about all of the holiday gifting that we'll need to do in the upcoming months. I must say that I've found that sticking to a theme and replicating it with personality for my friends has worked wonders in the past. It's so hard to find good gifts these days if you're not made of money, so I make mine instead. And this year... I'm following through with an idea I couldn't execute last year.
I'll be using my trusty Gocco and some etching creme and my fingers are crossed for a wonderous result! And since most of the gifts will be sent via USPS, I'm investigating the best ways to present and package the gifts. I'm thinking that my paper shredder, some velum and Martha Stewart twine or ric-rac will do the trick!
Don't you just love holiday planning?

20 x 200

You really can't get too much for $20 these days. Heck, we wanted to decorate the apartment with some picture frames and we could only buy 3 frames that we liked for $21...

I love scouring etsy for amazing prints and fun things, but here's art that's even easier to find. Every Tuesday and Wednesday at 2pm, new art is posted for sale on 20x200, and each edition has 200 8x11 prints available for $20! If you're really enamored with the work, you can buy the full size for $2000 or the 13x19 size for $200.

A wonderful idea, and great eye candy for the soul every week.

my first etsy items

So I went ahead and made some of those photo-notebooks this weekend, and I've added them to my Etsy shop. Listing is only the beginning, as I won't be a bonified "real" etsyian until an item actually sells.

My first experimental notebook used a couple of photos from Amsterdam, and the cover featured the oldest house in the city (built in the 1520's I seem to recall).
Then I printed up some photos at Costco (gotta love their online system... makes a weekend trip to the store that much better when you don't have to wait an hour for the photos!) and made some cute sets from some of my favorite non-commercial photos:

I'm really digging the giraffe right now... and these adorable little Boston Terrier ones that have yet to be created! My shop should be nice and full tomorrow... after I find someone else to cut the paper instead of my tired little hands!

I got a little crafty yesterday in my jobless lull, so I decided to make a long overdue "Thank You" present for a friend. Mrs. Bee @ Weddingbee.com granted me my wish last year and anointed me last year as Mrs. Lemon, the crafty and blue/gold obsessed 7/7/7 bride. WB made life a lot of fun while I was planning my wedding, and it still is something I'm very proud to be a part of. So, I made this little kitschy thing out of felt and I hope she'll like it!

I'm searching the house for cool 4x6 photos and dragging my papercutter from the craft box to make some of these beauties this afternoon. Photojojo has a great video tutorial on how to make a reclaimed notebook from two photos and a stack of paper. The genius behind the tutorial is the lovely Judy of five and a half. I'm so happy that someone who creates such beautiful things is passing down to art to others!

If only I had a good profile, then I'd get my mom a silhouette necklace of moi for her birthday (Happy Birthday mom!). But somewhere around age 15, my nose got its trademark Lewis bump and my shadow has never been the same. Mr. Lemon dislikes his profile as well... so I guess this little gem that etsy seller luckymebead is selling will not be purchased by our family. It is a glorious idea though... and the chalkboard display is just too precious.

I habitually add flavors to my H20 in any way that I could. In college, it was adding a little bit of lemon/lime Gatorade mix to each bottle of water or perhaps a bit of NesTea. Not enough to actually create the other beverage, but enough to take away the bland taste of water. Then they came out with individual bottle mixes, which was still way too much flavor for my taste buds.

And then... came the wonders of the Pur Flavor Options filter.

We bought ours two weeks ago for the new apartment and are currently enjoying 8 glasses of raspberry water each day. Peach is sitting around in the cabinet waiting for its turn. At $50, it's a bit pricy to start, but much better than paying $5 for silly little powders that dry up much too fast for my conservative use of them. Mmm... berries.

During the relocation/moving process, my mom left me with some cooking tips to help me along as the new domestic goddess of Northern California. Well...they are not exactly hers nor are they quite Top Chef level, they are quality recipes and tips from our Apple Pie Queen, Martha Stewart.

The little "Everday Food" magazines are great digest level size, and are filled with lots of great/simple weekday menus and lots of colorful photos. In fact, I'm now faced with the dilemma of how exactly to store the recipes... should I just tag the pages or cut them out and store them in a binder? Oh the decisions...

Either way, I'm signing up for a subscription before I'm tempted to pay $3.50 at the grocery store for the latest edition.

I fell in love with Peter Lik's artwork when I went into his Lahaina gallery and was mesmerized by the presentation of his work. Let's just say I'd die if could own and display one of his panoramic prints in my home... especially with a frame like that!

Alas, the funds for my art collection are currently lacking, so instead I may just invest in the IKEA print of his artwork:

I guess what you wear influences your purchases on some days. I went to Bloomingdale's in search of a new wallet, and due to my wardrobe choices (pink tank top/pink flip flops of the J.Crew variety), I walked out of the store with a new pink clutch. Well... maybe the fact that it was 40% + 15% off helped a bunch... and that it's final price of $40 fit perfectly on my $50 gift card. Hmm....

Hobo International 'Lauren' Double Frame Clutch

I left Bloomie's to pick up my necklace at Intuition, and even received some fun little pink goodies in my shopping bag. Nothing I'd spend money on, but hey... free is always good!

I'm thinking this would be too good of a souvenir to pass up before leaving Los Angeles. It's the "Magic Castle" necklace from the Kidada for Disney Couture line... and it's just too precious not to grab up. They're sold out online at most boutiques, but I just called and they've got one at Intuition and they've graciously said they'd hold it for me. What am I going to do when I'm not 2 miles away from stores like this???

I'll be changing my name at the DMV office in only an hour, and my photo from 7 years ago will be going away with my name. *sigh* So in an attempt to save my youth, I went in search of some tips to making my photo the best it could be... and thank god for Tyra Banks devoting a show to just this issue. Her tips are as follows:

1. Posture: twist your body away from the camera, but keep your face looking forward.

2. Pose: get your entire body into it. If you pose from the toes up, you’ll be able to see the difference in the final result even though it’s only a headshot.

3. Bling: wear long earrings and let them show through your hair. This will add sparkle and shine to any picture.

4. Hair: make it look like you have more hair by parting it down the middle and bringing it forward on both sides. This will give you a full, sexy look!

5. Relax: try not to let your nervousness show. Relax your mouth and part your lips a little bit.

6. No Blinking: close your eyes for three seconds before taking a picture. This will ensure that you don’t blink when the flash goes off.

Hmm.... before and after photos will be posted in 2 weeks time, to see if I won!

When I was younger, my brother used to bring me knit slippers with leather bottoms everytime he visited Central America. So when I saw these at Nordstrom the other day, I couldn't help but try them on!

Darn me that these Uggs happen to be the most comfortable shoes I've tried on in forever. They're not extremely flattering on my size-10 feet, but I still may grab a pair just for lounging and post-gym shoes.

I had the chance to be a part of a neat photographic experience on July 29th in Laguna Beach known as a "Trash Bash" where former brides prance and play around in their wedding dresses after their wedding day. The event was sponsored by trashthedress.com, which despite the name, simply encourages brides to enjoy their dress in unusal places... usually involving water. I went to take part in the fun with a "substitute" dress, but still had an amazing time. If you're thinking of holding onto your gown in the closet forever and ever... I'd highly recommend this style of photoshoot for one last day of glory in the white!

I'm obsessed with 3191 and its utter genius of simplicity. Two photos from two women who live 3191 miles apart everyday. I yearn to be as diligent with my camera as they are.

Happiness.

My husband seems to think that just the mention of food will make me happy... and sometimes it does. But in general, a lot of things make me smile and fill my life with joy.


I just finished a marathon 9 months of blogging about all-things-wedding, and now I'm going to move onto all-things. I'll be practicing my cooking, relocating to a new city, looking for a first home, starting a new career, taking lots of doggie walks and being a wife... and that's all in the next six months!

Which is why Haagen-Dazs' banana splilt ice cream makes me so happy. It takes me back to the age of 12 and the first day I tasted my grandma's "banana split pie" dessert. Pure enjoyment of the easy life.