:: Lisa & Rodney - Part I ::

I had so much fun doing the flowers for my friend Lisa's wedding at the Newport Beach Temple. The lovely Rachel Thurston is to be thanked for the amazing photographs you are about to enjoy.









To view more photos from their afternoon at the temple, visit Rachel's blog HERE and prepare to be amazed.

:: Lisa & Rodney - Part II ::

After Rodney & Lisa's temple sealing, friends and family joined the newlyweds for a ring ceremony and a backyard reception in San Clemente. Event Planner & Painter Shauna Lewis turned their gazebo into a whimsical wonderland. She did a fabulous job setting the mood for the evening and I think my floral arrangements provided the perfect punches of citrus against the cream palette. So much flavor and fun! Again, thank the amazingly talented Rachel Thurston for the photographs...














To see the rest of the incredible photos from Lisa & Rodney's beautiful backyard reception, visit Rachel's blog HERE.

{ Love My DIY Sweater }

A few months ago I fell in love with this gorgeous designer sweater from Kate Spade. However, I did NOT fall in love with the $300 price tag. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and get my craft on!

With a simple white sweater I found in my closet I was able to take a sheet of black felt, a pair of scissors, some permanent fabric adhesive, a few black buttons, and a spool of thread and turn it all into my own designer look for a fraction of the cost.

Please excuse the expression. I tried to do the whole "deer in headlights" thing. Admittedly not a good look for me. FYI- The pattern is NOT the wrong direction. This pic was taken in a mirror by me and my iPhone. I promise I'll buy a REAL camera one of these days. But for now, this will just have to do.

{ Ladies Book Club }

Time to crack the cover on another great read. This time around I thought I'd invite the blogging world to read along with my girlfriends and me.

This month's selection: NY Times #1 Bestseller UGLIES by, Scott Westerfeld, the first in a trilogy. Never mind that it's in the teen section. It's going to be good. I hope. So feel free to read along. We'll be reviewing the book in late October, so keep up. Happy reading!

{ Friday Night Sunset }

Would you believe this was the view from the wedding reception I attended Friday night? Believe it! I'd like to go ahead and pre-order one of these for my wedding day. Please and thank you!

:: Labor Day 2009 ::

I might not have made it to the lake with everyone for Labor Day, but the BBQ & Swim Party was a good time too. Thanks for coming over and playing with me!

{ Where Do Liars Go? }

Gotta love that whole First Amendment free speech thing.

{ Why 09.09.09 Is So Special }

Remember last year when I celebrated THIS date? Well, today I'm celebrating another one of the world's rare calendrical anomalies known as 09.09.09. So what's so special about this date? Well, if you're a number nerd like me, you'd know it represents the last set of repeating, single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century (until January 1, 2101). Though technically there's nothing special about the symmetrical date, I find it interesting that September 9th also happens to be the 252nd day of the year (2+5+2=9). You've got to admit, that's kind of cool.

Need another reason to like the number 9? Did you know that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine? Check it out: 9x5=45 and 4+5=9.

Multiply nine by any other two, three, or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. Example: 9x31=279 and 2+7+9=18 and 1+8=9. I'm loving the number 9. Hope you all enjoy today's calendrical anomaly!

PS- I posted this at 9:09am...just for fun!

{ He's Baaaaack!!! }

You heard me right! Reid Rosenthal, my favorite bachelor from last season's The Bachelorette has moved from ABC on over to HGTV as the newest real estate agent on My First Place.

And don't worry, he brought his sexy glasses with him! Thanks again Jacki for the tip. I owe you one! Now if you'll please excuse me...I need to go and set my DVR.

{ Vintage . Affordable . Eco-Friendly }

I'm currently obsessing over a new clothing site called Ruche, an online based boutique that features modern pieces with a vintage feel. Moderately priced too! I found it while browsing wedding bouquets on THIS site. Quite lovely. So, after a little "window shopping" this is the outfit I picked out:

And I'd buy it, but...everything I picked out is OUT OF STOCK. Grrrrrr! Guess I'll just have to settle for this one instead:

Go ahead...pick out an outfit for yourself! And don't forget to check out their amazing homemade jewelry. Love. Love. Love. I'll take one of each please!

:: Laguna Beach Spa Day ::

Saturday was uh-mazing! I slept in, ate a delicious spinach and cheese omelette for breakfast, enjoyed a dip in the pool, and napped in the sun...all in preparation for my relaxing day at The Spa. My friend Lisa, whose wedding flowers I did a few weeks ago, sent Shauna and I to Athena Day Spa in Laguna Beach for the most incredible full body massage as a special thank you for volunteering to do her wedding. She loves us! After our personal pampering session we met up with Lisa in Newport where she gifted us with a sweet little treat from Anthropologie. Finally, it was off to Corona Del Mar where we were treated to a mani/pedi in vintage red! Definitely one of the best days I can remember in a long time. Thank you Mrs. Ashton for your love! It was well-received and greatly appreciated!

{ Anthropologie Inspired }

Finally! A design client who loves Anthropologie as much as I do. Several weeks ago a family friend approached me to assist in the re-design of her teenage daughter's bedroom. Both she and her daughter adore the urban and eclectic look of Anthropologie, so it's been fun to help search for vintage pieces with lots of style and character. I can't give away too many details because the project is a surprise and I'd hate to spoil it, but I'm excited to see everything come together!

:: Love Happens ::

Have you seen the previews for this movie? Umm, I'm pretty sure I NEED to see it. Can this be my story, please?

Synopsis: Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston star in the romantic drama Love Happens. When a se-help author arrives in Seattle to teach a sold-out seminar, he unexpectedly meets the one person who might finally be able to help him help himself. Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) is on the precipice of a major multimedia deal, but the therapist who asks his patients to openly confront their pain is seetly unable to take his own advice. Eloise Chandler (Aniston) has sworn off men and decided to focus on her floral business. However, when she meets Burke at the hotel where he's speaking, there is an instant attraction. But will two people who have met the right person at exactly the wrong time be able to give love another chance? As each struggles with the hurt of love and loss, they realize that in order to move forward, they need to let go of the past. And if they can, they'll find that, sometimes, love happens when you least expect it.

:: "It's Better To Hot Tub..." ::

Someone somewhere once told me "It's better to hot tun than to not tub." So true! However, somehow our relaxing night in the hot tub evolved into Exhibit A below. And if you look closely you might just recognize THIS. That's right. I bought it, and couldn't me more in love!

{ Las Brisas Birthday Breakfast }

Saturday morning I celebrated my friend Christa's 27th Birthday with the girls at the most beautiful place in the world for the most delicious breakfast buffet ever. If you've never had Las Brisas' $13.95 "All You Can Eat Breakfast" in Laguna Beach you haven't lived. If you ask me, it's the best kept secret in Laguna. Their omelettes are mouth-watering good! But more than the food, it's the view! Are you kidding me? You just can't beat the location. I hope it was a very happy birthday Miss Christa! Welcome to your late 20's. You're gonna LOVE it!

{ Surprise Engagement Dinner }

Saturday night I was able to be a part of the engagement celebration for Roselyn's surprise wedding proposal. She had no idea Ben would be proposing, nor did she know that all of her friends would be waiting next door at The Wine Gallery just waiting to celebrate the heck out of them. It was so fun to see the look on her face when she walked through the door. Almost as good as the look on MY face when I got a good peak at the new rock on her finger. Holy guacamole! Good job Ben. Congrats to you both!