January 2013 Goals

I'm back on the blogging train & two months behind on content. Bare with me as I play catch up. 

I decided to change the way I set goals this year to make my goals more measurable and to challenge myself on a continual basis. I will set three goals every month: a fitness goal, a creative goal, and a personal goal. I haven’t made any “rules” around this format, which means goals may re-appear from month to month or change throughout the month. The important part for me is that I remain both inspired and challenged.

January.

My fitness goal was to run a mile a day for the month: completed successfully (more on that, later).

My creative goal was to start and keep up with Project Life: completed & ongoing (definitely more on this, later).

My personal goal was to purge the stuff I/ we no longer need: in progress.

My fitness and creative goals are getting their own posts, so I thought I’d talk a little about January's personal goal.

Since I can remember I’ve been a pack rat hoarder collector. Throughout my life I have amassed a collection of stamps, rocks, books, magazines, clothes, DVD’s…  the list goes on. I have a hard time parting with things. I get it from my dad (who just so happens to have an amazing matchbook collection).

Simply put: I have a lot of stuff.

At this point in our lives, Ben and I live in a five-bedroom home. This means I have a lot of space to store my stuff: a scary reality. I labeled this goal “in progress” as I feel I have a ways to go. We’ve donated several large pieces of furniture; however, my hoody and shoe collections require an overhaul and are next on the chopping block. I'm inspired for a thorough spring-cleaning.

My question for you: do you “collect” stuff or am I alone in my hoarder-like tendencies? Anyone? Bueller? 

I'm back.

I feel like I haven’t blogged in a year.  Well.  I guess that’s partly true. 

Life has been insanely busy and blogging has taken a back seat for the past six months. If you’re reading this it means I still have a follower and for that I am grateful. This blog and I have shared a tumultuous journey.

When I started blogging back in 2008 I vowed to never post for the sake of posting. Although I had ambitions to churn out daily content, I never wanted to sacrifice quality for quantity. I’m the first to admit my early posts are juvenile and - in some cases – pointless. That being said, I cherish these silly blogging experiments which have brought me to where I am today: married, 27, working full time for a great employer, and freelancing as a wedding planner and designer in my spare time. Although I’ve been away from the blog for several months, I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating how I want to shape this corner of the internet and how I can integrate the experiences I’ve acquired thorough blogging trial and error to make it my own.  More original content, less fluff.  More present, less missing in action. You know the drill... it's coming. 

I truly appreciate the support I’ve received from friends old and new and the relationships I’ve formed with the people I’ve met through the blog itself. I can’t wait for what’s to come.

xo,

C. 

Our Wedding: the soundtrack

Since our wedding, we’ve had an overwhelming number of emails, texts, and face-to-face requests for the songs used throughout the day. Music is a huge part of our lives and is nearly always playing in one or more rooms in our home so we spent quite a bit of time compiling the tracks played during our ceremony and reception. I’ve compiled our selections below. Enjoy!

Ceremony | processional, signing of the registry, recessional

Music played on acoustic guitar by Mike Labelle

Free by Zac Brown Band

In Your Atmosphere by John Mayer

Reception | entrance and slideshow soundtracks, first dances

Music played by DJ Super Dave

Beggin, Modcon | wedding party entrance

Mrs. Robinson, Simon & Garfunkle | B & C entrance

Our friend Sarah created a beautiful slideshow full of many memories. She arranged the photos to follow Ben growing up, me growing up, and our adventures together.

On Top of the World, Imagine Dragons | photos of B

Tongue Tied, Grouplove | photos of C

Home, Phillip Phillips | photos of B & C

Sweet Disposition, The Temper Trap | photos of B & C

Turning Page, Sleeping at Last | first dance

My Girl, The Temptations | father-daughter dance

A Mother’s Song, T Carter | mother-son dance

This is How we do it, Montel Jordan/ Wild Ones, Flo Rida (mash-up) | wedding party/ first party song

Ho Hey, The Lumineers | second to last song

Ruby Tuesday, The Rolling Stones | last song of the night

 

Our wedding reception was one huge dance party complete with dance (& sing) offs and some pretty impressive dance moves. Thank you to every single person who was a part of it and a huge thank you to DJ Super Dave who kept the dance floor FULL the entire night. 

What music did you use/ are you planning on using for your wedding? 

(All photos are by Adrian Photography). 

the bar cart.

Like many of you, I have been infatuated with the gorgeous, vintage-inspired bar carts that have been flooding the pages of Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, and other design blogs. The recent revival of the bar cart has inspired a series of bar cart styling posts that I’ve devoured for the past year. After reading through a number of posts, I noticed an over-arching theme: the bar carts were almost all thrifted or snatched up at an estate sale or flea market. Realizing that it may take years to acquire such a piece (and that I had no immediate plans to attend the Rose Bowl Flea Market – an antique gold mine), I chalked it up to a pipe dream and went on my merry way.

You know the notion that you’ll find it when you stop looking for it?  I literally stumbled upon this bar cart. For real. I walked right into it, covered in dust and altogether tarnished, at a local thrift shop. After a double take, I pushed its squeaky wheels across the store to the cash register and down the street to my car screaming “start the CAR!!” in my head.

Once I got it home I remembered I was in the process of planning two weddings so this project was put on hold for a couple months. This fall, Ben dissembled the cart and we took the shelves to a local glass shop, hoping to have two pieces of glass cut for the shelves. Due to the shape of the shelves neither glass nor mirror worked. Enter backup plan # 3: high gloss black spray paint. After a good polishing and a few coats of spray paint, I’m really happy with how it turned out.  

Now reassembled, I’m tasked with the ever-daunting but exciting task of styling the cart.  Although there are still a few items on my wish list, I’ve hoarded cultivated several key elements over the past few months which gives me a base to work with. 

- Vintage Cocktails book - Anthropologie
- champagne glasses + drink tray - vintage
- martini shakers and wine chiller - Homesense
- paper straws - gifted from a Wedding Belle
- pink flamingo olive picks - a local party store

I'm thrilled that our bar is fully stocked just in time for the holiday season.

Do you have a bar cart/ shelf/ or hutch? What are your essentials? 

bar cart inspiration + tips on how to build a bar:

Society Social

Cupcakes and Cashmere

The Life Styled

The Glitter Guide

Matchbook Magazine

Faceted Vase DIY

As if there was any question, I am officially in full-on holiday mode (as of November 12, to be exact). This means there are decorations up in my house (for real) and that I'm lining up my holiday craft projects in an attempt to get organized before December 1. I love the idea of incorporating items you already own into holiday installations; it's cost effective and leaves you with minimal items to store.

The modern faceted vase tutorial on Oh Happy Day is this kind of project. I think it would be a perfect centerpiece for a holiday table or mantel decoration for New Years Eve, don't you?



(tutorial + photo courtesy of Oh Happy Day - photo by Kate Nicholson).

gift idea: for your favourite crafter

In the event you prescribe to the same let's-get-organized-sooner-rather-than-later school of thought as I do and/or you want to brighten the day of your favourite crafty friend and/or you’re looking for a few cost-effective and thoughtful gift ideas, you’ll be interested in the digital craft book A Hip Handmade Holiday.  Alison + Susan have compiled 18 original holiday craft ideas with tips, instructional videos, and printables.  Buy it here.  

Thanks to Natalie (of Nat the Fat Rat) who featured the book yesterday for the great gift idea. 

(image + digital craft book courtesy of the craft pack).