Current Web Lovin'

Did everyone have a good weekend? Wunderbar! Mammoth was a snowy heaven straight out of Narnia. Photos of our short adventure should be expected in the next day or two!

It's raining in San Diego... bliss, I tell you, bliss! So while I type away, cozy in an over-sized black sweater with a hot cup of herbal tea steaming on the table, I figured I might as well share a few things I'm loving on the web these days.

I already told you that I have a personal Pinterest account, but Ivory Sparrow launched ours today! Check it out for all things wedding, bride and love inspired. Feel free to follow us if you're in the mood.

A friend of mine posted this article from Huffington Post and I must say, if there's anything to remind a person of the shortness of life, it's a list of the top five regrets of the dying. Not to be completely morbid, but while I feel most people hope death is a long ways off, it's an inevitably for all of us, and wouldn't it be nice to die knowing you did or tried everything you wanted to?

In the "shopping I'd be doing on the Internet if I actually had the money to" department, I've found the following for future decor inspiration: Terrain. I've tried putting into words what my interior decor style is, and I tend to gravitate toward the following words: natural, funky, organic, largely muted with pops of color. How would you describe your style? It's more difficult than you'd think (or maybe I'm the only one who has issues with it?)!

Some items on Terrain I'm jonesing for:

A baker's table that may come in handy after my pastry making class this Saturday!

Reclaimed wood tray? Yes, please!

Adorable tags for homemade gifts... Feeling some Valentine's Day inspiration here!

I think every kitchen might need this sign.

These old fashioned mason jar salt shakers remind me of Grammy.

And finally, this weekend I was told my Mr. G impression from Summer Heights High doesn't actually suck, so I've been watching YouTube clips to brush up and perfect it.



I assure you I'll be looking for a headless jersey dress to add some performance art to my act. Perhaps buy a rabbit mask as well?

Wet or dry, I hope you're enjoying this fantastic Monday.

Wedding love on a Friday: Ivory Sparrow and a Call to Action

I remember what it was like being a bride... the excitement, the anxiety, the stressing over decisions and details that, as it turns out, won't stop the world from spinning on its axis. Today I had to start with this little video via The Knot because I couldn't help myself:



A few of you probably saw the title of this post and thought, "Didn't you get married almost three years ago? Haven't we already been subjected to you talking about it and sharing it and reliving it over and over and over again?! Leave us alone, woman!"

But it's actually even more exciting than my wedding, friends (ok, maybe a little less exciting, but it's up there). Today's the big reveal for a project my mother-in-law and I have been working on for the last two years... Ivory Sparrow.

When I was getting married, I was a fiend about planning our trip down the aisle. The websites and blogs I frequented and the wedding magazines I purchased... overzealous may be the word for it. I never brought myself to tally up how much money was spent on those publications from April 2008 to June 2009, which was probably a good thing for me (and my husband's sanity). I bought a cute accordion folder and loaded it to the brim with fabric swatches and brochures and mostly, tear outs from magazines filled with wedding inspiration deemed awesome by me.

During a visit to my soon-to-be in-laws all those years ago, Kyle's mom, Cyndi, and I were looking through the pages when I showed her a tiny little photo of a bride and her bridesmaids getting ready in some cute terry cloth wraps. We thought it could make for a fab gift for my girls and also create a great "getting ready" photo opportunity on the big day, so we scoured the Internet for them. We discovered the options for bridal wraps were, well, less than pleasing to the eye. They were made with cheap fabric, ugly details and provided a less than flattering fit.

Cyndi thought she could do better... and boy, did she!

The fabric she crafted them out of is superb. We spent hours discussing buttons and fit and thread: if we were gonna do this, we wanted to do it right. She developed wraps for flower girls as well, totes and quality flip flops with Swarovski crystals to round out Ivory Sparrow's collection, and plan to include robes in the near future.

Since my own wedding, we've had the honor of working with a few other bridal parties while we toiled to get Ivory Sparrow off the ground. And now that we're ready and open for business, we know other brides will love them too.

The hours leading up to a girl's wedding are special and made even more so by the people with whom the future Mrs. chooses to surround herself. Our wraps make getting hair and makeup done a breeze, and add to the overall camaraderie of the day (because, let's be honest, there's nothing better than sitting back with your girlfriends, sipping champagne and getting pampered).

Soooo, since we're friends, and I'm hoping you'll wish us a fond "Bon Voyage" as we take off on our journey, I'm hoping you'll like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter. I'm sure there's some eye-rolling going on out there, but take into consideration a few things: (1) What can it hurt? and (2) I'd do the same for you! You have to click on the link for Facebook because until we have 25 followers, it won't come up when you search for it.

On our page and blog, we'll be sharing "Ivory Sparrow Weddings," decor inspiration, DIY tips and more! Also, for any engaged or soon to be engaged ladies, we'll be doing monthly giveaways of our wraps, totes or flip-flops.

If you're worried we're going to bombard your feed with posts and links (I'm looking at my guy friends here), you can still "like us" but hide our posts from your feed... it's a win-win for all!

To sum it up, help a sista out: like us on Facebook, check out our site and have an amazing weekend!

Happiness, Lions and Bad Wigs

A few things have been on my mind as of late. One, I realized last week that I'm humming again. It's something I've done since childhood, and though it may not seem a big deal to you all, it's absence a few months back was an indicator of my stress level which was, well, ludicrously high.

I'm never the first to notice my humming because apparently, while it drives people a tad mad (as it turns out), I do it subconsciously. Honestly, I probably spend a good couple hours a day doing it and have no clue unless someone points it out to me. Usually, they are songs that no one in their right mind would want to hear, like those from the musical Wicked or one of those Maroon 5 tunes that no matter how bad and whiny, still manage to burrow itself into your brain like a tick nearly starved to death. Damn you, Adam Levine!

When I caught myself humming last week, I suddenly realized it was the first time in a long time that I felt immensely happy. Immensely wonderful. Immensely filled with joy. And it felt so great to recognize it.

In continuing this trend toward all things happy, I wanted to share something I found through StumbleUpon last week that did perpetuate those feel-good feelings (although, if I'm being honest, and we try to tell the truth here on RISD, it was really more shock than happiness). It was a series of photos showcased on this blog that Life magazine published in the 1970's about a family who had a pet lion. I haven't been able to find the accompanying text, but this is some truly crazy stuff.

"Omigod, Tricia, remember that time we stayed up ALL NIGHT
and ate an entire quart of ice cream?!"

I think most children would be horrified to have a lion nibbling on their back.
I would hope they would also be terrified of this boy's bowl cut. To each their own, I suppose.

"Bitch, please!"

"I don't know why you bother to depress yourself with the news, honestly."

I originally thought this woman was wearing a lion-inspired vest. No joke.

"You'll never get Olympic gold if you don't tuck your damn feet together!"

"I totally forgot about that! Wanna eat popcorn and do each others' nails?!"

"I told you those polka dots make you look fat. And delicious."

"You should really get the gap between your teeth looked at."

"But you said we'd go to the park! You said!"

I hope this housekeeper was paid well.

"I think my mane would make an excellent wig. What do you think?"

This last photo comment brings me to my next order of business: Kristy Swanson's shiteous wig in Flowers in the Attic, for you see friends, having a wig made from lion hair is a big no-no.

Have you seen this movie? Read this book? It is all kinds of crazy. I rewatched it this weekend and have not stopped thinking of this raggedy mop they threw on her head halfway through the movie. Is it supposed to look like real hair? I'd be crying too, Kristy!

Aside from looking like it was made from the shorn fur of an anemic lion, the only other thing it reminds me of is a "Bashful" Dwarf doll I had as a kid that was rubber except for the nice pile of "hair" that was essentially one long rasta dread that smelled of cigarettes.

And I think we can all agree this wig surely reeked of cigarettes.

May your Tuesday be filled with happiness, friendly lions and passable wigs. Namaste.

Tooting my Aris Horn

Yup, tooting my own horn to once again stall out my last Africa post. Over the summer, I had the pleasure of helping Trey Russell of Aris on The Coast redesign his website, and I have to say, it turned out fabulous!

 Austen and Ryan over at Unique Eye Marketing not only helped reconfigure the site, they also filmed this clean, artistic intro video which you can watch on the homepage as well.



If you live in south Orange County and haven't had a chance to pop in, do yourself (or the lady in your life) a favor this holiday season. For the woman who loves Alexandre Birman shoes, L'Agence clothing, Barton Perreira sunglasses, Simon Pearce crystal and Diptyque candles all in the same place, Aris is heaven on earth.

If heaven had a stylist, I suppose.

Hope you're having a simply fashionable Tuesday everyone, just like Edde, Aris' resident manager/pug extraordinaire.

Pinterest Quote Inspiration

  I realize this has been a cop out of a week.

Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to write much, ok? What I have been doing is drawing inspiration from quotes, from photos, from people I love and from people I don't know who have managed to do or create amazing things that is true to who and what they are.

So I'm sure it doesn't surprise you I'm a Pinterest junky. Especially when it comes to quotes done in a beautiful way. I guess we could consider the following a "repin" overdose... I couldn't help myself.

And you know how much I love inspired typography. I'm salivating over the font used for the first highlight (as well as the grey and yellow color combo. HELLO, beautiful!).

I think the last quote is my favorite... Which is yours?

Happy Friday, everyone. Countdown to Africa: T-minus 7 days!

Renegade Kitchen and The Next Food Network Star

Hola my little taquitos! Forgive me if I'm in the Spanish speaking mood, but my mom and sister return from Mexico today and it just hit me how much I completely miss them. Hurry home, ladies!

I was going to post about my future home office decor today and then decided against it (I have a feeling most of you are letting out a large sigh of relief at this point). You see, friends, I need to introduce you to someone who is pretty, well, fantastic.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Dan Kohler of Renegade Kitchen.

What is Renegade Kitchen, you ask? If we're playing the Obvious Game, it's a place of "serious food for the allergy bound." If we're not, it's a platform that Dan created after being diagnosed with his own food allergies. Aside from loving to cook and feed his nearest and dearest, he wanted to give people in similar situations something that wasn't "crunchy-hippie-rainbow-birdseed cookies," but rather delicious and downright indulgent food that feeds your soul.

The site is equal parts cooking show meets food blog meets sass. In heels.

How do I know Dan? He was Fantastic J's Man of Honor when she got married last year; thus, we spent a good week reveling with our wedding cohorts before the big event.

Things I feel you should know about him:

(1) He's an actor... in New York City!

(2) He was once a Blue Man. Yes, as in the Blue Man Group (not to be confused with the Blue Man Group Tobias Funke accidentally attended all those years ago on Arrested Development).

(3) He has blonde curly hair.

(4) Bitch gets serious when he starts cooking. I tried whipping out my skills at last year's wedding jamboree and when it came to caramelizing some onions, he was not pleased with my jokey joke attitude. I appreciate a person who's serious about his art.

(5) When he's not being Serious Kitchen Bitch Dan, he's hysterical theatrical make-you-piss-your-pants Dan. He's sharp as a tack, that one.

HOWEVER, as much as I love the guy and his site, the real reason I'm posting about him today is so that all of you can send him good vibes because... he's trying out for The Next Food Network Star! And based on this post on his own website, it looks like he's almost made it on (enjoy the inner dialogue he let's everyone be privy to... I sure did).

Here's a peek at his audition video:


FNS 8 Prime from Renegade Kitchen on Vimeo.

Charismatic, n'est pas? The part where he compares eggplant to "the creepy uncle in the corner?" Genius. Things like this fly out of his mouth on a minute to minute basis, and I for one, think the Food Network needs a personality that isn't a winking, cute, chubby girl or a self-absorbed asshole.

Finally, let me attest to his cooking right here, folks: the man is good. He whipped up Fantastic J's bridal brunch the morning of her wedding, swirling about the kitchen like a tall, lanky food dragon, and it was phenomenal.

So send out some positive vibes to Brooklyn... and hand me a piece of Afternoon Cake, please!

f8 and Timeline Love

I'm about to geek out on all of you in 3... 2... 1...

Was anybody else excited about the changes Facebook announced today? Anyone followin' f8?

No?

I have to admit, so far (as the summit's not over yet!), the thing I'm most stoked about is "Timeline." What is Timeline, you ask? Why allow me rip off the short demo video they've created to roll the app out to Facebook users!




Readers, let me ask you... am I the only person who's ever wanted to see their life in a 2 minute montage video of photos, footage and sound bytes backed with one of my favorite tunes?

I know some of you are freaks like me, so I take comfort in the assumption that I am not alone in this wish. I am that girl who stays up until odd hours of the morning watching home videos, flipping through photo albums or scrolling through online images that I have seen plenty of times before, but have no problem looking at over and over and over again. What is it with my obsession with the past (and the present? And the future)?!

Facebook is attempting to make itself a platform for more than just creepily stalking those whom you are no longer in touch; it's allowing us to virtually chronicle our lives and incorporate various methods to do it. I'm sure there are those of you out there who hate it, but I for one do not.

In addition, I love that social media sites are putting an emphasis on social good and change. We need more of it in the world, yes? Are we really going to complain about where it comes from or who's doing it?

I hope not.

Girl Crush Friday and Life Decisions

I'm not exactly sure how to say this, so I'll just go ahead and do it: I think I have a girl crush on Jessica Hische.

Who is Jessica Hische, you ask?

Who isn't Jessica Hische, is the real question. This wunderkind (I'm not sure if I'm using this word correctly... and upon further inspection, it looks as though wunderkind means child prodigy. She is not a prodigy, or a child in fact, but she is phenomenal) seems to be good at every web thing I love:


  !




Getting people to give her cake! 
Illustrating and designing!

But above all else, Jessica Hische is teaching me to not fear the Internet! 

Remember when I started this blog all of... three months ago? I had just quit a job that made me miserable and being unexpectedly unemployed left me with the opportunity to evaluate what my next step was in life (easy and light, I know). I made lists of what I was good at and things that made me happy and even posted a quote from Jessica Hische of all things! Want a reminder without having to do the hard work of clicking on my link? It was this:

And as silly as this sounds, this quote has become my mantra. I say it to myself whenever I start to get down about how all over the place my life is right now. I need more focus and more discipline, but I already know the things that make me happy and keep me interested, the skills I have and those I want to learn... and that's half the battle, isn't it? 

As an adult (god, I keep throwing the "a" word, around, don't I? Does this mean I'm still pretending to be one? Or that I've actually accepted the reality that I actually AM one?), I've realized that not everyone knows what makes them happy; there are some that will always find the negative in everything, no matter how blessed, successful, rich, smart or beautiful they are. Luckily, I DO know what makes me happy and in that I find comfort. 

Phew, that got a little deep for a second there, didn't it? I've decided a few things in the last week. It's been jam packed, but exciting, and I apologize if the writing's been lackluster at best. 

These decisions are (and I am putting them out there because if I don't, there's always the chance I'll cop out. I have to tattoo it onto the world wide web, people!):

I want to write. Write what, exactly, I'm not sure, but I want to make it a part of my "every day." I'm consulting with Anne LaMott (ok, ok, I'm reading her book Bird by Bird), and have already learned so much about this maddening, amazing, torturous process known as writing. She has somehow managed to put into words the thoughts that manage to bombard me when I try to create, and it has been helpful and enlightening.

I want to work for myself, but with others as well.  A friend of mine gave me an amazing opportunity a few months ago that opened my eyes to a lot of avenues I wasn't aware of; for her and for that I am grateful. 

I want to volunteer. I used to do this in college all the time, but stopped in the "real world"... What's up with that?

I want to take more time out of my day to let the people I love know it. 

I want (and need... desperately) to work out. The healthy eating I've got down pat, but the movin' and the shakin' needs to be ramped up majorly. (K, babe, refer to this post every time I try to get out of our workout plan! Furthermore, this should also act as a good test to see how often my husband reads this blog) I'm not overweight, but I am over the wiggly jiggly skin where muscle used to live.

Finally (let me guess what you're thinking: sweet Maria y Jose! This is her uplifting Friday post? What happened to raving about Jessica Hische?!), in the last couple months, I've been focusing on signs; more or less, what the world delivers to you and how you react or respond to it. 

It's a circular plane, right? 

What we send out is what we get back. I've decided to put my energy into the activities, people and things that make me feel good at the end of the day. I'm done with dread and anxiety and nervousness and people who don't take the time to think about how their actions affect others.

Life is too fucking short, people, and I intend to make the most of it.

A Monday Smile

I've been spending some time in the last week researching online videos and I have to say, this one by Improv Everywhere continues to put a smile on my face.



Personally, I'm shocked Frog lost. He seemed like the underdog contender and though he put up a good fight, couldn't pull it off in the end.

I would love to be sponsored for a carousel race... Methinks it a new addition to my bucket list.

Hope you're all smiling big on this magical Monday!

Craigslist Lovin'

I'm sure some of you have seen this post making the rounds on the Internet (Happy Place may be my new favorite go-to website, btdub).

It is HYSTERICAL. And creepy. And really sad. But mostly hysterical.

I wanted to post the ad about the mattress, but to be honest, I just couldn't go there. Anyone who thinks they can re-sell ANYTHING with afterbirth on it needs to be punched in the face. I don't care if it's in the shape of a heart.

Just sayin'.

So here are some additional faves that luckily don't have spilled bodily fluids on them.

I love that there's a question mark after the misspelled 'only.' Only showering in front of you for $200?

Sign me up!

I wear an 8.5, so I'll ignore his big foot comments, but don't these descriptions make you yearn for a photo of Mr. Chunky McGrey, Sasquatch Mole Eye and Disgruntled Unemployed Rayban Seller? My favorite quote? "He declined both politely and drove off in his Grey and rusted 1991 Cadillac DeVille. Grey like his personality, complexion, and most of his hair." 

The man has a way with words, you can't deny that...

 I love that this guy was actually surprised at the amount of feathers and crap that "approximately" 1,243 chickens can produce. Aside from clearly not knowing the definition of approximately, the poor simpleton thinks someone would be willing to purchase a 1999 Dodge minivan covered in chicken poo and feathers. 

I see a tough road ahead for him in this world.

Hey chick, I may have figured out why you only have one bridesmaid...

Nothing says "great picture frames" quite like those filled with broken dreams. I think it was necessary to warn that the frames could cause the taker's world to come crashing down too. Maybe I should introduce her to Disgruntled Unemployed Rayban Seller? They could make for one hell of an optimistic duo.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!