Quick Update

My trip to Portland was fantastic. As soon as I find the camera cord, I'll be uploading pictures from my weekend of fun with the Chapels and the USN conference. I haven't been able to blog much this week due to a pretty big thing that happened in my office on Monday...the NWP officially took a stance on the recently passed Arizona Immigration law, and has decided not to hold any of our summer events in Arizona. Considering we have 5 events in Arizona this summer, this is a huge deal.The past week has involved lots of logistics, new venue research, and letters to participants. For the most part, everyone is in favor of this boycott (a few, on the other hand, are not). I personally am very happy that we took a stand on this issue, and am so proud of the values of inclusiveness and diversity in this organization.

So, what does that mean for me? Well, I'm off to Austin and Dallas, Texas next week! My colleague Nicki found 2 great venues there, and we get to check them out. Of course, I will be reporting our findings too, but until then, I'll leave you with photos of each place.

Oh yeah, and my 29th birthday is Monday!

The Crossings Austin

Garrett Creek Ranch

Portland or Bust

This is quite a crazy 4 weeks for me - I just returned from Chicago and am leaving for Portland tomorrow...then camping in Big Sur next weekend, and 2 more local work meetings (at the Tiburon Lodge and the Claremont Resort, no less!) I'm really looking forward to this trip, not only because the USN conference will be amazing, but I get to finally see my Portland friends - the Chapels! We will do all of the things I love to do in Portland, including visiting Powell's Books (pictured above), my favorite elementary-school-turned-brewery the Kennedy School, and a hopefully a visit to this great fabric store called Bolt Neighborhood. And of course, lots and lots of picture taking and playing with babies...

It's going to be a great time!

Doggie in the window

I want a dog. I know they are a lot of work, but I'm ready. Paul and I can't seem to agree on the breed we want. Full-bred? Mutt from the pound? Puppy from a rescue shelter? I've grown up with spaniels and labs, so either of those work for me. I'm leaning towards an English Springer or a King Charles Cavalier. What do you think?

Springer Spaniel

King Charles Cavalier

photos from the AKC

The wandering mind...

I'm here in Chicago for a work meeting, though my mind is on this summer (the amazing spring-like weather we've had lately probably has something to do with it). I'm looking forward to many awesome adventures in the upcoming months* (including, but not limited to):

1) My birthday/annual Spring Camping trip in Big Sur


2) Buying our first house(!)


3) Teaching a youth whitewater school on my favorite section of the Green River, Desolation Canyon


4) Being a part of my brother's wedding in San Diego



5) Planning a NWP retreat (at one of my all time favorite venues, Tubac Golf Resort and Spa)



6) Helping/attending my co-worker's wedding at the Teller Wildlife Refuge outside of Missoula, Montana



*this of course doesn't include the other 3 weddings we have in August, September, and October. Oh yeah, and the celebration of our 1 year anniversary!

To Dry For

Such a clever name! To Dry For makes really cute kitchen tea towels. Here are a few of my favorites - these would be so great as a bridal shower gift! Those Brits make such creative things...

Birthday wishes

I know that my birthday is about 3 weeks away (19 days to be exact), but I've already come up with my birthday wishlist. This is mostly stuff I've been wanting for a while or have seen recently online - but have held off buying because we're saving for our "almost" house:

1) Tickets to see the Avett Brothers at Mountain Winery in Saratoga.

2) This stamp set by Yellow Owl Workshop:



3) Handmade Marketplace



4) This dress from the Gap


5) Handmade Home



6) This necklace from Tamar:



and finally....A teacup pig!!

new skirt

I love this skirt tutorial by Alisa Burke. It's actually a petticoat that you can wear either under a skirt or on its own...so feminine and pretty! I could totally rock this with my cowboy boots....

Lonny my love

The new issue of Lonny Magazine is out. I wish they made a print version because I would love to turn the glossy pages myself. These 3 pages were inspirational for me on this dreary, rainy, Monday morning:




In other news, the bridal shower I planned for my soon-to-be sister in law was GREAT! I will be posting pictures of my crafty goodness soon....

Fed Up: The School Lunch Project

Has anyone else been reading Fed Up: The School Lunch Project blog? If you haven't, here's the scoop: An elementary school teacher ("Mrs. Q") from the midwest has chosen to eat a school lunch every day for the entire school year, and anonymously post photos and her thoughts on a blog. I heard about this site through one of my co-workers (a former teacher), and it has been so interesting to see the transformation this woman has gone through over the course of the year. She at first didn't mind most of the food, and admittedly didn't know much about nutrition either. As time has gone on, she is barely able to make it through her lunch. She's gotten so much publicity that she's been featured on tv and Jamie Oliver even called her! I'm very impressed with this woman's stamina and dedication to the project. Remember when it was fun to get school lunch on Friday's (i.e. pizza day)? Take a look at this "lunch" of Salisbury steak. Gross!


To think, this is what the kids of our nation are eating these days. I'm so glad she's speaking out!

I wanna win!

I wanna win these 2 new books from Ashley English (there's a contest going on at Design*Sponge):



Even if I don't win, I'm definitely going to get these two for my urban-homesteading book collection!

Etsy finds

I'm in LOVE with this garland made from recycled wool sweaters (found in lovefromchloe's etsy shop). I think I could make this myself!

Operation Hide the Speakers

Check out this creative tutorial from Needlebook on how to hide ugly stereo speakers! I will definitely try this one out - at our house, there's a constant battle over where to put the speakers. I prefer them on the bottom of our bookshelf (they blend in better down there), while Paul likes them on the top ("they sound better that way"). I can't really stand the sight of them, even though they are black. Perhaps a trip to the fabric store for some stereo fabric is in order...

Happy Easter!

We're heading up to my parents this weekend for some Groveland/Easter fun. I had the inspiration to make Cadence a little Easter present last night while watching The Office reruns. I think the chickie turned out pretty cute!


Wish I had more time to make some cute cookies like these ones. Happy Easter everyone!

from Prudent Baby

The seeds are in

In the "greenhouse", that is. I planted the following on Sunday, and some are already sprouting!

- Cosmos
- Lupine
- Sweetpeas
- Basil
- Mesclun Mix
- Cilantro
- Cucumbers
- Roma tomatoes


There's more to be planted (snowpeas, squash, peppers), but the labels suggest that they go directly into the garden (versus seeding them). We're waiting to see where are garden will be (hopefully on the side of our almost house). Fingers still crossed!

Living room inspiration

I've been telling myself *not* to start decorating our "almost" house in my head, but I just can't help it! Here's a little something I put together - unfortunately it looks kinda small on here, but if you click on the image, you'll see a bigger version. What do you think? I went with the subtle blues/grays/yellows - our "almost" living room has a lot of natural light, which I think would look great against soft, natural colors.

DIY Garland

I saw this garland on Creature Comforts (courtesy of Project Wedding), and thought it would be perfect for my soon-to-be-sister-in-law's garden themed bridal shower that my moms and I are throwing next week:

image
Here's a few shots of the process...(Sorry for the dark pics....)



And the final result!

Holy marmalade!

I've found another great use for the lemons that we keep getting from our friend's tree: Lemon Ginger Marmalade. Doesn't that sound fantastic? The thought of it makes me wanna toast up an English muffin and drink some Earl Grey. Come to think of it, that might be a nice Easter treat for our visit with my parents this weekend.

Anyway, you can find the recipe on wendolonia's blog (which I just found, and love!) Right now she has some great posts on bento box lunches - just like the one I use (my favorite Christmas present this year!)

image

Wallpaper

I have very distinct memories of helping my parents hang wallpaper as a kid. We would help prep the walls, dip the paper in the goo, and slowly seal it onto the wall. Who cares that it was the 80's, that the goo was probably way toxic, and that the wallpaper was hideous? (sorry mom!) Anyway, it seems as though there's been a wallpaper revival, and I'm actually all for it! Here are some of the favorites I've been eyeballing. Let's hope I can afford enough for a wall or two in the "almost" house!

Ferm - Retro Leaves
Ferm - Tree Bomb Blue


Kreme - Sundials A

Romo - Mirabel Wasabi

Home update

I'm sure some of you may be anxiously awaiting photos of our "almost" home. "Almost" is the term we've been using around here - Paul doesn't want me to get too attached just yet, in case something doesn't work out and the deal falls through. Unfortunately, that's just not my personality, so I'll continue to daydream about new fixtures, curtains, and couch placement until those keys are in our hands. A girl can dream, right?

Anyway, we didn't get a change to take photos this weekend of the place (too busy with the home inspection...which went well and solidified our decision), though this weekend I might be able to get up there to take a few "real" ones. Here's a somewhat crappy one I took on my phone:


Isn't it so suburban and sweet?

Appliance shopping

What am I doing on this lovely, Friday night?? Appliance shopping. Why, you ask? Because WE GOT THE HOUSE! Yes, my friends, the unbelievable is true - they accepted our offer, we are in escrow, and are 45ish days away from becoming homeowners! Yeah, it all happened a little fast, but in a good way. And now, I'm perusing Craigslist for used stoves. Yes, the previous tenant took all of the appliances. Kind of a pain, but we can make due with used, Craigslist versions for now (that is, until we win the lottery and can remodel the whole place). To be honest, (and knock on wood), the place doesn't need too much work. Which is one of the reasons why we love it. Along with the fact that it's across the street from Paul's best friend (i.e. "husband). Really, we're terribly excited....