Kudos to this creative and geeky couple, Darino and Niko, for making a video game wedding invitation. The Mario Brothers-esque game requires viewers to complete the game to get the invitation.
The gamer-geek appropriate packaging for the game:
Very adorable, but I don’t think I could get away with sending something like this. For starters, I think half of my friends are too lazy and/or busy to play a game just to get info about my wedding, and the last time I checked, none of my Grandparents knew what 1337 meant.
Well this is the worst news ever. Anthropologie, only my favorite store in the entire world, is launching a wedding brand next Spring – a full YEAR after my wedding. It feels like just yesterday (oh wait, it was) that I was whining about how Anthropologie didn’t have wedding registry services. Anyway – this is great news for future brides, who will be able to take advantage of their whimsical wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, jewelry, invitations, lingerie, decorations and gifts. Basically everything you’d ever need to have the most awesome wedding ever.
Anthropologie co-president Wendy B. McDevitt said, “We have found that many brides-to-be are inspired by our aesthetic. Of course, this means something different bride to bride, but essentially she’s telling us that she wants a certain product edit that only we can provide.”
Great move on their part – this is going to be WILDLY successful. But no Anthropologie wedding gown will EVER measure up to the masterpiece my Mother and Grandmother are currently cooking up – it’s going to be incredible, I tell you!!!!
What a week it has been – I feel like I have had new life breathed into me! Maybe it’s the fact that Spring is juuuust around the corner (get here NOW), or perhaps it’s exciting new ventures that await me. Whatever it is – I have so many terrific things to share and rejoice about. First things first, my new wallpaper (new as of Friday, anyway) is truly amazing:
the way Pepper and Scout’s fur smells – not gross, I swear.
having clean laundry
Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm – so awkward it makes you cry.
going to bed early on a Friday like an old person and waking up earlier on Saturday than I do on the average weekday
watching Scout jump from cardboard box to cardboard box, ready to captain the Hardwood Floor Sea
movie theatre popcorn
my 6 year old Uggs that have paint on them but that I still wear anyways
living next door to a television star – it’s really quite entertaining, he always has something fascinating or strange going on. He also has a fantastic pompadour.
when Julian willingly goes grocery shopping with me
laughing hysterically in the aisles with him and then grossing everyone out by kissing. What? We’re young and in love.
Ready for some super awesome and mind-blowing random stuff that will send you down a rabbit hole of internet clicking? Hold onto your keyboards ladies & gentlemen, it’s time for Bits ‘n Pieces! Man, there is always so much I could put in this thing – I could do one every single day. But then when would I have time to work, and cook, and sleep, and brush my hair?
- How AMAZING do these Pie Pops look?! I want one in every flavor, but especially cherry!
- IGotNoTV – Ever since I gave up evil cable TV, I’ve been reliant on Netflix and Hulu for entertainment. It’s not half bad. Aside from not getting to watch the Grammy’s, but I’m sure I could have streamed that online if I had cared to even look. IGotNoTV is an alternative to Hulu and streams classic and new shows for free, online. Why preach about giving up cable if you’re just going to watch TV online, you ask? To that i say, shut up and watch the entire first season of Beverly Hills: 90210 with me.
– Bill Gates Foundation Donates $10 Billion in Vaccinations. This just goes to show you how long I’ve been trying to get this Bits ‘n Pieces up – this news is pretty old. But giving BILLIONS of dollars to help obliterate some of the world’s most deadly diseases will be worth talking about for years to come! This is almost as cool as when good old Gates released a jarful of mosquitoes on a room of TED attendees. He was illustrating the urgency in finding a cure for malaria, btw.
- Ever feel like you’re the only one working while everyone else gets to take a load off? Me too.
- I think I could really get into these Argentinian espadrilles by MYMU this Spring. Why are South American girls so undeniably chic?
- Here’s one way to cut costs on your wedding – DIY fabric flowers. Way presh, but I think I’ll stick with the good old fashioned kind this May. Could be super cute around the house, though!
-So they’re making another Free Willy movie, only this time, Steve Irwin’s daughter, Bindi, is the star. Apparently this time there are Pirates involved. File this one under “ENORMOUS WASTE OF MONEY.” My only question is – based on the DVD artwork – WTH kind of pirate wears Teva sandals?
- It’s funny how you never realize how badly you need something in your life until all of the sudden one day it magically appears and you wonder how you ever lived without it. That’s kind of how I feel about black glossy doors.
- A reality show about hipsters in Silver Lake? Oh brother. This is going to be ridiculous. I love that the ad for cast members specifically calls out rich 20-somethings who dress like they are homeless. There are a LOT of these in LA, take my word for it!
- I love fashion, but I rarely follow Fashion Week or new collections from designers. Who has the time? I did manage to catch a glimpse of Chanel’s SS10 collection, and all I have to say is, I wouldn’t turn ANY of these clothes away from my closet.
- Still trying to figure out why Julian didn’t give me the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond for an engagement ring. It’s touted as the most expensive diamond in the world and all 31.06 glorious carats are on display next to the hope diamond in the Smithsonian for the next eight months or so. First public appearance in 50 years! Just like JD Salinger! (ok, bad joke, bad joke)
- Business Advice in Three Words – my man Neil Patel brings it again. Reading his blog makes me understand how he became such a rich and successful VC by his early 20s. Even if he is super annoying at parties and tries to (physically) pick me up too much (creepy).
- The Bike Book Caddy – Quite possibly the worst idea ever. Whatever happened to “staying alert” when you’re riding a bike alongside much-more-powerful cars driven by much-less-aware people? SAFETY FIRST! ENTERTAINMENT SECOND!
- The Dirty Dozen – a list of fruits and vegetables that you should ALWAYS buy organic. Everyone knows that things like bananas and avocados have thick enough skin that you can get away with buying conventionally… but things with thin skin, like tomatoes and LEAFY GREENS should always be organic. Unless you don’t mind ingesting pesticides.
- The Bible of Fashion according to Cornell’s Pi Phi Sorority - This is hilarious but terribly true, I’m afraid. They make some good points – “No satin dresses. No one looks good in satin dresses unless they are from Betsey Johnson or Dolce & Gabbana, you weigh less than 130 pounds, have spanks [Ed: I think she means "Spanx" the brand] and it’s New Years Eve.” Also, no “Muffintop” and “No Sleeveless, unless you have really great arms.” Great find, FB!
- New Alice In Wonderland stills. I can’t decide if I’m getting more or less excited about this movie. One thing is for sure, the “unofficial official” soundtrack Almost Alice is kind of disappointing. Really? Avril Lavigne? These stills, however, are darling… especially this one.
- Cupcake knit hat. Cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Spotted on a little boy at Griffith Park a couple weekends ago and made J get all paparazzo so I could show my cupcake-loving-former-roomie-who-also-happens-to-be-incredibly-cute-and-sweet, Jacqueline.
Each week that goes by that I’m planning my wedding, I take on a new and exciting task that becomes my new favorite. First, it was registering. Then, it was picking a venue. Then, it was designing my wedding dress with my Mom (who is making it by hand, a replica of my favorite multi-thousand-dollar work of art), and now, it’s putting together our wedding website. Still in its humble beginning stages, we have a long way to go, but I’m prouder than a mother on her child’s first day of school. I feel like by the time all is said and done, we should win some kind of award. They give out awards for “Wedding Website of the Year,” don’t they?
I made sure to put a little something special in each and every section to make it feel a bit more like our guests are actually talking to us versus looking at a Lisa Frank-esque site with not much more than a date, a bad headshot, and list of registry stores – “here, now buy us something.” I had a LOT of fun customizing each section to tell a special story or include a bit of information about who Julian and I are as a couple and as individuals.
So now it’s ready to be unveiled, though it will still be tweaked in the coming days and weeks, especially as we add more content and finalize wedding details. Check it out: thesmithsarehere.com.
Oh, and for any of you who may have been waiting for that proposal video I promised you, well, you can find it there.
This week’s Things I Love Thursday is going to be a little more condensed, a little more rambley, with lots more tiny stuff. Kind of like a stream of consciousness, but with only stuff that is incredible. Sometimes it’s more fun to think about the little things that happen everyday in between the big stuff – the things you usually forget when you remember that you’re late on a bill or that you have a looming project deadline in front of you. Let me know if you hate this format and prefer the way I have been doing it. I love love love feedback (and e-mails!!), but chances are, I’ll just keep doing it the way I want anyway. Fair warning.
Scout hissing at Julian while he’s trying to get her out from under the bed – hilarious because she NEVER hisses!; girly smelling air fresheners in our office; my Mom getting one step closer to finally launching her online store; fiances who do the dishes for you; Trader Joe’s massive bags of frozen chicken breasts for only $7; Corner Bakery’s pesto cavatappi with red pepper flakes on really crummy weather days (the ultimate high-calorie comfort food); soft lighting in the office instead of fluorescent (SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT); going to sleep before midnight and not waking up to feeling like a zombie; having a wood-burning fireplace; mentally decorating our future newlywed lovenest; collecting inspirational photos of my wedding day; thinking about things to add to our wedding registry (so far my favorite part about planning a wedding. Everyone should get married, if not for the love and commitment part, but for the registry and free gifts part); asking all of our siblings (ten total) to be our bridesmaids and groomsmen; my sister’s reaction to me asking her to be (one of) my Maid of Honor(s); friends who are enthusiastic and willing to help me plan!; perusing Craigslist in search of bargains; coming closer to finishing The Pioneer Woman’s love story with Marlboro Man, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels; “Queen Scooba”; The way Julian looks like a 7 year old playing video games when he’s sitting on the floor working in front of his 42″ TV/monitor; mason jar lanterns and centerpieces;
Breakfast for lunch (Egg-in-a-Hole, to be exact, best breakfast ever, especially when paired with turkey bacon and gallons of coffee), which is way better than lunch for breakfast; finally watching movies I should have watched years ago (Lord of the Rings, Philadelphia); calling everything ‘my precious’; taking all my covers from the bed to the couch; Victoria’s Secret yoga pants; free wedding cakes (thank you, Nicole!!!!); pyrrha jewelry, who is opening a store in West Hollywood in March. Most incredible vintage-looking jewelry cast from 19th century wax seals AND they support local animal rescue farm Animal Acres. Perfection. Thanks to my Aunt Jenny for turning me onto them!; reminiscing about the days of middle school fashion, buying L.E.I.s and shopping at 5-7-9 and Uptons; rumors that Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston are getting back together – even the more “legitimate” tabloids like Us Weekly are saying it’s true. Not going to lie, I really want it to be; yukon gold mashed potatoes from Tender Greens; helping find a home for a girl kitten that a coworker’s friend found in the rain in a parking lot on Thursday (congrats to Stacey and Clement on your new calico kitty!); realizing I know all the words to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Fishin’ In The Dark; people who help me relax when inside I feel like I’m filling up with hot steam and am about to explode; finding out that my neighbor’s Mom is a big fan of my blog - HI CLAY’S MOM! Mrs. Morrison is it?
MY FRIENDS. My friends, my friends, my friends. And my family. You cannot put a price on having people around you who love you, care about you, and want the best for you. There are a handful of people in my life that I thank God for everyday and honestly do not know what I’d do without.
And, everyone in the world needs to watch this video. Especially if you’re having a “blah” day and could use a little joy in your life.
My favorite parts are as follows:
the orangutan somersaulting
the orangutan feeding Roscoe bananas with his mouth
the orangutan wearing a life vest in the swimming pool
the orangutan spinning around in circles
when the orangutan falls flat on his back, just for the fun of it.
Trying to find a wedding dress that is well made, beautiful, fits my style and doesn’t cost as me a month’s pay is quite a challenge. I’m thinking of saying to heck with it and following this bride’s example and going for the shiny ruffled top and white denim look.
What do you think? Could I pull it off?
In all fairness, the venue itself (”Appalachian Party Barn“) could be pretty if decorated the right way – minus the hay flooring. And seriously, what do you expect to find when you’re looking for wedding venues in the South. The photos of past weddings are half the fun of looking.
A little bit of this, a little bit of that. That’s what you’ll find in this post. Here’s a list of fun/funny/interesting/awesome/educational/snoozeworthy things I’ve come across lately. Enter at your own risk! Happy Saturday everyone!
- First up, this phenomenal Macbook cover that disguises your 21st century device as a vintage book. So distinguished.
- Before the Haiti earthquake, we had the San Francisco earthquake, and a couple weeks before the San Francisco earthquake, thousands of seals disappeared from Fisherman’s Wharf – where they had been hangin’ out for TWENTY YEARS! These smelly yet adorable seals totally knew something was up.
I find this fascinating… animal’s sixth sense! The newsroom security camera footage below shows a dog freaking out a full six seconds before the earthquake actually hit.
- Calvin & Hobbes snowmen. So much respect for this guy. I know this exact cartoon, too, because my Dad is a HUGE fan of C&H and my brother and I used to read his comic books over and over again when we were tikes. Calvin & Hobbes forever! Sidenote: I miss the snow so bad.
- Some nutcracker actually thinks Stanley Kubrick filmed NASA’s footage of the first moon landing and “revealed” his plan to the world in The Shining. This guy is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs! Imagine the time it took him to figure that out.
- My own Mother’s soap kitchen: Isn’t it the cutest? This is where she mixes, mashes, molds, cuts and labels all her soaps that she sells at the Farmer’s Market (and soon, online!) I plan on doing many, many giveaways of my Momma’s soap, because it is BY FAR the BEST soap you have ever washed yourself with. And it smells GRRRRREAT! She even makes man-friendly scents.
- Tweeting Tags for your Dog! This dog tag is a wireless device that connects to a USB receiver on your computer and transmits tweets based on your dog’s activity – barking, sleeping, eating, etc – it’s actually pretty clever! Not technically available for purchase, but when it is, it’ll only be about $25. This is pretty funny because Julian and I were just talking about putting Scout & Pepper on Twitter this morning. I know, the world doesn’t need yet another animal Twitter account, but our tweets would be SO funny I PROMISE!
- I’m totally geeking out on wedding planning at the moment, but a week ago I would have gladly flown to a foreign country and eloped. This PRECIOUS New Year’s Eve elopement was serving as major inspiration behind that idea! Now that’s how you elope in style!
- Choosing organizations to donate to after Haiti. Anytime you give your hard earned money to non-profit organizations, especially in the wake of of a natural disaster that has international attention on all levels, you have to choose wisely when deciding who to contribute to. This blog post has some sound advice from aid workers about the best ways to help, what to donate, when to donate and who to donate to. My personal advice is to NOT give to the Red Cross. I prefer Direct Relief, but there are many, many great organizations out there who will use your full donation to provide help.
- Arguing about whether Heaven will serve Chick-Fil-A or In ‘N Out (Part 1 and Part 2). This is old, but so awesome. And I really miss Chick-Fil-A.
- A YouTube enabled microwave. It chooses from millions of videos to find one that is the exact length your food is cooking, so you don’t have to just wait around with nothing to do. This is kind of sad, actually.
- Cheap, easy and beautiful Mod Podge projects. I am especially loving the $3.99 tray from Goodwill and the baby food jar magnets. Oh, and the coasters. All of this stuff was found on Flickr!
The magnets.
- Love making lists of places you want to see or go? How about a list of places you’ll never get to go? We’re talking top secret, underground, exclusive places here. Sucks, because a lot of those places look awesome.
The Vatican Archives
The trailer for the new Banksy documentary premiering at Sundance, “Exit Through The Giftshop.” First time he has ever appeared on film!
Martha Stewart pole dancing. Work it, honey!
This post is dedicated to Casper, the famous cat-riding bus, who wasrecently killed after being hit by a car. RIP, Casper! You gave the world much laughter.
Greetings readers. I’m slacking pretty hard on the Things I Love Thursday, aren’t I? Yet I have more love worthy things in my life than ever before. What gives? I know you forgive me! Let’s get this party started.
Wedding planning, and not hating it. For the first few weeks after I was engaged, I was kind of sick of people asking me “So, have you set a date? Where will it be? What kind of theme are you thinking?” etc. I looked at wedding magazines and went to theknot.com once or twice, but I was pretty overwhelmed and underenthused. There is just so much to figure out and decide on, and I personally hate making decisions (though I’m pretty stubborn… figure that one out.) Something finally clicked this week, though, and I’ve been in crazy wedding planning mode! We’ve set our date (May 8, 2010), which is not far away at all, so there is much to be done. I’m making lists, brainstorming, delegating, daydreaming, etc. I can’t wait for this day to be here – it will truly be the best ever. We’re making it very personalized and not super conventional. I’m going to try to spare my blog readers the details of wedding planning because I realize it isn’t of interest to most (I mean, I didn’t even glance at this stuff til I was actually engaged). Instead, I might post that stuff on our wedding website, which is in the process of being launched. We bought the domain this week and it is perfect… something we can use even when we’re celebrating our 5 year anniversary and start having kids!
Rain-rain-rain-rain! We’re in the midst of a torrential downpour in Los Angeles at the moment, and I’m lalalaloving it. It rains maybe less than ten times a year in LA, and almost always in the winter. Everyone is whining about awful the weather is, but I think it makes for great coziness. The constant trickling outside makes me super relaxed and I always fall asleep so easily. Last Sunday for example, I took the best nap ever with Scout after having brunch with Heather, and it was heavenly. I don’t think I’ve slept that hard in months. The rain DOES make it harder to get out of bed in the morning, though – a small price to pay.
My new girly office with Lauren. Yesterday, Alex surprised me by asking me to swap desks with him at work. Alex sits in a two-person office with my work BFF, Lauren, who agrees with me on my “fluorescent-lights-are-the-devil” stance, so when he asked, I wasted no time moving myself in. Spending most of my day writing, being in a quiet office is a HUGE improvement to sitting in a bullpen full of loud men with their dogs. The ambiance is very nice, I might add… pretty white lamps on our desks, a tropical tree with Christmas tree, things that actually smell nice, etc. My mood and my productivity are both flying high right now. As far as why Alex wanted to move, I’m still not sure, but I think it’s a guy thing. It’s easier to watch funny videos and talk about sports with other males when you’re a few feet away instead of 20 feet away behind a closed door.
This hallway.
Neighbors who are awesome and have dinner dates with you. And give you cookies. You can’t put a price on good neighbors, seriously. I am mostly blessed in the neighborhood department, but I’m especially thankful for Clay & Molly, the newlywed couple from Alabama that moved in downstairs last summer. They’re both funny and very generous (Molly gave me the most beautiful flowers in an antique bottle for our engagement, and makes GREAT cookies), but they are also really fun to talk to. Clay and Julian have the whole ‘working with cameras’ thing in common, and Molly and I both love to cook and can relate about girl stuff. Last night we had the most fabulous dinner at home and then watched Man on Wire. I’ve never had neighbors as an adult that I can hang out with on a regular basis, and it’s pretty awesome. Except when you’re running late, because you can’t use the “oh man, traffic was a nightmare” excuse.
Purple. And gold. Recently, I’ve become really fond of these two colors. I still won’t wear much gold jewelry, but I’m loving it in home decor and art and things of that nature. When I was a kid, I hated the color purple. I loved pink (surprise, surprise), but I thought purple was kind of oogalay. I sometimes wear purple on my eyes because it brings out green eyes, and it looks pretty good against my skin tone, but I don’t own many purple clothes. That might need to change. I can’t wait to find new ways to use both of these colors a lot more in my life. I think the two of these colors together especially look so, so pretty. That reminds me, I saw a purple & gold rug at Target a while back that would be PERFECT in my apartment!! Wedding registry!
These floral boots from Free People. I want!! What’s with all the 90s comeback styles? I would have hated these boots five years ago – HATED. Now I think they’re the cutest things in the world.
Also:
high wirewalking (I am amazed by Man on Wire, a must-watch. Plus, Phillipe’s life in France looks excruciatingly blissful.); dreaming up new careers for Barbie and what she’d look like (Tech Startup Barbie, Blogger Barbie, Gamer Barbie); “Honey, don’t call my cat an It.”; smoking bans in outdoor restaurants in LA, yes!; listening to 90s R&B on the radio while driving to work…; Martha Stewart’s black bean tostadas – SERIOUSLY HEAVEN ON EARTH; in fact, Martha Stewart in general; “Aroma – you know, as in “look at that aroma”; layers and layers of blankets on the bed; the fact that when Julian mocks me it makes me laugh instead of get angry; writing my to-do lists in notebooks instead of using the computer, God knows I need less computer in my life; getting rid of cable TV; finally caving and watching Lord of the Rings trilogy; making plans to make a cat face out of Christmas lights on the wall of our office;
And that’s about enough for now. Until next time! Toodles!
