Image by Leo Reynolds
I've been stalling on my list of goals for the year. I've had them since the New Year, but spent most of January wrapping my brain around my new project and the business of getting organized. After my birthday last week, I had a renewed optimism which always makes me feel extra motivated and I thought it'd be fun to pen a list of 31 things to accomplish in my 31st year. And why not? I aim to get better with age. This list is ambitious and scares me a little, which is exactly how I like it. Here goes... 1. Stop biting my cuticles. (My worst habit) 2. Learn Spanish (originally on my 2011 list) 3. Crossfit four times a week. 4. WRITE! MORE! OFTEN! . 5. Take a photography class. 6. Enroll in graphic design courses. 7. Do one unassisted pullup. 8. Redesign my blog by June. 9. Blog business cards. 10. Handmade wedding. October 13, 2012!! 11. Honeymoon in Chile and Peru this November. 12. Lose four pounds in February. (small manageable goals. You'll see this again down the list) 13. Finish my short story and submit it. (Another 2011 transfer) 14. Take photos of my vintage clothing collection. 15. Open Etsy shop. 16. Lose three pounds in March. (a little bit at a time, so I don't freak out and quit) 17. NYC in the summer. 18. Handmade birthday wishes for my besties. 19. Meet more local bloggers. Create more support locally. 20. Blogging Your Way 2.0 21. Make a brooch bouquet. 22. Pay off student loan debt. 23. Lose three pounds in April. (I have a wedding dress to get into in 7 months!) 24. Save $300/month minimum. 25. Write poems. 26. Take a sewing class. 27. Cook a fabulous Indian meal from scratch. 28. Read at least 12 books in 2012. 29. More handwritten correspondence. 30. Learn to can my own produce. 31. DIY boutonnieresHave you a list of things you want to accomplish this year? List em' in the comments below. I'd love to see your endeavors and hear about your progress. Oh, and remember not to take yourself too seriously. It takes all the fun out of it. xoxo,Keia
via inspiremyday.tumblr
 Print by Howdy, Mates Hello, friends! It's a beautiful, chilly Sunday here in North Carolina. The sun is shining. I have a beautiful day ahead of me, no doubt, but I do have to say I'm missing one good snow which is why I chose the image above for today's visual hello. The weather has been a fickle thing and can't seem to make up its mind in the least bit. That's alright, I'll take this lovely print by Howdy, Mates and daydream about a fluffy, white snowscapes and the crunch of the land under my feet. The Mister and I are off to go drink some strong coffee and catch an afternoon movie. After that? There's no telling where our happy feet will take us. I hope you have a wonderful day planned whether it's lounging around the house or chock full of Sunday Funday adventures. Enjoy the day! For those of you opting to hang around the house, here are a few links from my week... Pretty winter wedding dress. Turn a canning jar into a travel mug. New dessert cookbook! I bought the Mister this shirt so I can laugh. Have you seen this amazing 3-D typographic poster? People on Trampolines, 1960. I love this tote bag and the rest of the goodies in this shop. Did you know it was my birthday?? Been listening to this mix.
I don't eat much swine, but I sure do love me some Fatback Band. This song is exactly what the funky doctor ordered. I figured since I'm a grown woman of 31 years now, that I should be posting only the finest booty-shakin' tunes. This year, music is a top priority. Mixes, music and the business of dancing. Serious, serious business. It is essential for the sunny lifestyle purported here on this blog. So, let's get on with it!
Are you read-ay?! Happy Friday, peeps!
 Birthday Girl!
I know, I know. That picture to the left is totally NOT food, but can I tell you something? I had a most amazing birthday yesterday. It was perfect in every way and if the Mister hadn't proposed to me last year I would have said that this year was the best birthday ever.
It was an impeccably constructed day complete with the perfect amount of social interaction and alone time. There was conversation and shopping, birthday dresses and flowers, handmade cards and a bazillion lovely messages from all my buddies, near and far, on Facebook. I felt loved.
Now for the foodlove. I couldn't possibly have posted a Foodlove post the day after my birthday without talking about this quintessential combination of food and love given to me by the Mister. He really outdid himself.
I knew something was going down in the kitchen when I spotted clams, mussels, and crab legs in my refrigerator. I returned home from my annual birthday shopping excursion, got comfy in the living room and burned my favorite candle while the Mister made magic in the kitchen. The smells were amazing. Garlic, tomatoes, herb and seafood infused broth. The Mister grilled a few pieces of bread and voila! Birthday cioppino! If you're not familiar, cioppino (pronounced "chop-ee-no") is a seafood stew of sorts. It originated in San Francisco where the Portuguese and Italian fisherman would "chop" leftovers from the day's catch and make a stew. I've had the dish in restaurants but never in my life has someone made me a personal batch of this seafood laden stew. It was full of flavor and packed with shellfish and seafood. Best. Meal. Ever.
Birthday Cioppino
Next came dessert and the Mister's first ever attempt at baking a cake. Oh. Mah. Gah. It was amazing. I had a slice with vanilla ice cream and reveled happily in a birthday food coma for the rest of the evening. I had a piece for breakfast this morning and may or may not have had a piece this afternoon. I love you chocolate cake. I hate you. I also got a new cookbook from a dear friend called Pure Desserts. Looks like I'll have some more foodlove fodder coming up real soon. It's also quite possible that I'll be making some new friends with all the new dessert recipes I'll have to share. Regular Foodlove returns next week. This meal was just too good to not share. What is the best thing someone has made for you in the kitchen? Share away! xoxo
Photo by Ania Dudek
I love everything about a fresh start. I love the mornings (maybe a little too much). I love the New Year. I love starting over every week and flipping my desk calendar to begin a new month. I love wiping my whiteboard clean and penning a fresh to-do list. I love the crisp pages in a new journal and working on new projects. I love being the first to dip my knife into a fresh jar of peanut butter and I can think of nothing better than opening a new book. I love birthdays for this reason too. It's all of these things wrapped into one.
I wake up every birthday bursting at the seams with happiness. Apparently, my year starts twice. Once on the first of January and then again when I turn another year older, 25 days later. Obviously, moderation is not my thing. I rather like it that way.
Last year, I had one gigantic gift of a year. I entered a new decade, got engaged, started a blog and decided to follow my creative heart. This year is a continuation of that journey. Today, I am 31 and the possibilities are endless.
Happy Day!!
Yep, that pretty much sums it up. As I continue my happiness project, I will keep these things in mind. They are the ideals toward which I strive and hope to improve upon with each passing year. Speaking of years passing, someone's birthday is in two days. I've got 48 hours left as a 30-year old and then it's onward and upward. Gravity be damned! Have a wonderful week!
Isn't this work amazing? I had the opportunity to catch the Sheila Hicks retrospective exhibit at The Mint Museum and fell in love with this woman's colorful work. Boy, did she do some WORK! Fifty years of it. Heavily influenced by South American textiles and weaving techniques, Hicks works with handcrafted linen dyed by hand and creates stunning visuals with color and scale. One of her pieces, "Mega Footprint Near the Hutch" extended 50 feet from the ceiling of the Mint down three flights to the lobby floor. Truly amazing. If you're in the Charlotte area, the exhibit is here for one more week, closing on January 29. Catch it if you can! Here some other links from my week worth noting... This movie hits the Queen City this week. Get your tickets! This computer movie made me happy. The way you click determines how the story will go. Purchased this delicious Greek Yogurt made right next door in Atlanta. Local and handmade, my favorite. SOPA explained. You had me at nutella. This book looks like my cuppa coffee. Great posts for aspiring bloggers (like me!) Love this honeycomb necklace. R.I.P. Etta JamesI hope you had a lovely weekend. I can't believe January 2012 is almost a wrap. I'll be turning 31 this week. Eep! Looking forward to a homemade dinner from the Mister and beginning the next month of the Inside Job. Happy reading!
 Hello and Happy Friday! How is the New Year treating you? Excellent, I hope. We are twenty days into 2012 and I am nearly three weeks into my self-imposed happiness project, The Inside Job. I decided to begin the year getting organized and dedicated the month of January to the cause. So, how am I doing? In all honesty, getting organized and documenting the process has felt a little like herding cats. I rounded up all my organizational desires and set goals for tackling my environment and schedule and then…well, then all the bits and pieces started wandering off in all directions. There was an organized desk here, a well-written to-do list there, keen journal entries for three consecutive days and then nothing, a revamped whiteboard complete with a fine list of creative ideas but nebulous deadlines. I cleaned out cabinets and then my mom brought me a giant box full of my deceased Grandmother’s dusty miscellany. See? Herding cats, I tell you.
The most interesting part of the project, too, is trying to “do” while simultaneously observing and documenting myself. It’s a little strange and begs a different kind of focus. I need a camera crew or maybe a butler named Geoffrey. Back to herding cats... What keeps coming to mind is not the elusive and completely false ideal of perfection, although maybe I entertain that idea more than I care to admit, but rhythm. I’ve GOT to find a rhythm, a routine of some sort. Yes, I have some of the pieces in place, but I’m looking for the well-oiled machine kind of rhythm, hence the desire for organization. The thought was that if I organized my environment and schedule, I could create the right formula for productivity in every area of my life. Right now, it feels sporadic and wonky. Maybe it takes more than twenty days. Patience has never been a virtue of mine. N-E-V-E-R. Whatever the case may be, I’m still on the hunt for my rhythm and in honor of that, I give you one of my favorite videos of all time. The choreography in this video blew me away back in the day. I had never seen anything like it. All I knew is that I wanted to be a part of a Rhythm Nation. Part of me still does.
How do you stay organized? Do you have a rhythm to your days? Tips, comments and suggestions are welcome. Holler!
Our wedding is nearly nine months away and I am in full-on planning mode. The venue is rented, photographer is a lock, caterer has been called and rental estimates are in. What's been weighing on my mind, though, is not the large to-do's but the little details that create the heart and soul of our wedding, the stuff that gives each wedding its own personality. Besides being on a budget, DIY projects allow us to express our personality and create an intimate, personal experience for us and the people we love. Here are some of my favorites. These five were chosen based on the likelihood that I would complete them by the Big Day. Boho Bunting
I've been looking for a way to honor the people who will be with us in spirit on our wedding day and this delicate and thoughtful bunting seems the perfect way to display our loved ones lost. I love the vintage lace and precious pictures. Although there will probably be some other garland/bunting type decor, this special DIY will be a personal labor of love.  Rosemary Apple Butter via Roost Blog Mason Jar Favors
It's no secret that I love to cook and what better way to show some love than to make a little something for my guests. I'm thinking some sort of apple butter or maple pumpkin butter will be perfectly appropriate for our fall wedding. Plus, any opportunity to use a mini-mason jar and burlap details is a winner in my book. I've got a few coffee sacks looking for a job.  Photos by Christina Richards Fringe GarlandsWe're getting married under a tree and these fringe garlands or maybe their fabric counterpart (I've got a garbage bag full of vintage tulle that needs a home) look like a sweet and colorful detail to the ceremony. A friend of mine gave me the sturdiest branch that she foraged from her neighborhood and I'm ready to make a fun, fringey curtain for your viewing pleasure. Head over to Oh Happy Day! for the skinny on these easy-to-make garlands. Lace Doilie Votive HoldersI think I was reading a Martha Stewart Living magazine when I found this project and then I found the beautiful example above via Pinterest and I was hooked. I've been collecting various mercury glass candleholders and want a variety of pretty lighting scattered about. This seems to fit with our rustic vintage backyard style. I also like this idea for a table runner although it might have to be one or the other lest we have Attack of the Doilies. Burlap BoutonniereYes, I will have flowers at my wedding but I am determined to have handcrafted pieces for the groomsmen rather than traditional floral boutonnieres. I hate that flowers are so temporary. I love that these pieces will last and I just love the burlap detail and vintage buttons on display here. Find the full and very informative tutorial here. So....what do you think? Are these projects manageable? Do you like the ideas? If you were to name a style for our wedding based on these projects, what would you call it? Tell me, tell me, tell me! I'm looking forward to making lasting memories during these next few months while I craft with some of my favorite ladies. How neat is it to see all the little details come together and know that it was all made with love. After all, isn't that what the Big Happy Day is all about? Happy Wednesday!
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