Floating Paper Lanterns

I was going to wait to post any pictures from the wedding on here, but I can't help it. I adore these two. I loved the whole affair down to the tiniest details, from the handmade tree stump cake stand to the floating paper lanterns shaped like hearts.

It was completely lovely from top to bottom. 

These were the last two shots of the night, just before they hopped in their truck and made a break for their honeymoon.

...sigh....you two are just the cutest.

xx

(more to come, as soon as I get the real Photoshop on my computer and not the silly online editor that keeps crashing my browser!) 

A Brief Affair with Exercise

Last night I had an amazing dream where I ran for miles and it felt so awesome that when I woke up I tried it. Unfortunately in real life it was not awesome.  I had only gone maybe a quarter mile when it started raining and my legs hurt so bad I had to cut them off and carry them home. Well not really. But I did consider dragging myself home on my arms, army style. As the rain was soaking through my jacket and stabbing pains were shooting through my calves, this was going through my head:

I managed to hobble two miles just to make it count for something but I can't say I'm going to try it again soon. Call me a quitter but OW. SERIOUSLY.

...sigh...I guess I have to become vegan because clearly I'm not cut out for exercise...

Anyway, that's my success story for the day. It's cold and raining again so if anyone needs me, I'll be inside hanging some new prints and listening to my Françoise Hardy playlist on Spotify on repeat.  I'll probably even practice this later.

Happy Saturday, fellow slugs. :)

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Food for Thought

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I'm very much down to earth, just not this earth.

-Karl Lagerfeld

Wordless Wednesday

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Test Drive

So yesterday I finally took the plunge and upgraded my photography gear to include a Nikon D5100 with a few accessories.

I'm going to be working hard to pay it off but man....what a beaut.

Obviously I had to take it out for a test drive immediately. And then blog about it (duh).

But just to warn you, I don't have Photoshop yet so none of these pictures would make it on Instagram. 

oh the sky....everytime I look up, I fall in love with the universe all over again.

(cheesy? maybe. but you'll get over it.)

This patch of alyssum (white flowers in the foreground) is kind of amazing. Why? Because I planted the seeds LAST SPRING (like, of 2011) when I went through a gardening phase and they never bloomed. Not a single sprout. Until this summer. You cheeky flowers!

Artsy-fartsy shot of the evening sun peering through a bush and I regret nothing.

But since I'm solo-shooting my very first wedding in FIVE DAYS (panicking just a bit here), I thought I should probably take some people shots to practice. Unfortunately, I don't have a bride and groom just hanging out in my living room so I bribed my little brother with chocolate so he would model for me.

 Obviously he's very cooperative.

And photogenic. I don't know why this kid wasn't a Gerber baby.

But he can give me that runway model stare when he needs to.

Here he's demonstrating the importance of keeping those facial muscles limber.

But we were losing light so I told him to get serious. This is him thinking about war and pestilence in foreign nations.

 FINALLY a decent smile.

 ...and then he knocked me to the ground and laughed like a loon so I knew we were probably done for the day.

Oh well, thanks for being a good sport for 10 minutes, Sp. 

S'more, Please!

Not counting the part where I was in my pajamas until 11 am, today was a really busy day. 

I finally started redoing that dresser I bought over a month ago from Craigslist. It took all afternoon and it's still not done. Turns out refinishing furniture is way harder than re-pinning fancy pictures to Pinterest. You actually have to, like, break a sweat. Ugh, drama.

But another post on that later.

Then I went out, sold a few kidneys, and bought a fancy new camera. I'm talking a legitimate DSLR with more megapixels than I have fingers. I'm so excited to join the ranks of all the other amateur photographers out there who take super sharp pictures with a really expensive camera only to ruin them with Photoshop filters so they look like they were taken with a disposable camera that somebody stepped on. #sorryI'mnotsorry

AND THEN I tried one of those recipes I blogged about the other day.  The Smore Bars. It's a perfect September dessert: it screams camping trips and flannel shirts and sticky fingers, without all the hassle of having to start a campfire. Plus it's crazy simple: you make a graham cracker cookie base, slap down two of the biggest chocolate bars you've ever seen, slather it in marshmallowy goodness, and then squish it all together with one more layer of graham cracker cookie delight. Bake for 30 minutes and then sit back smugly as your household praises you endlessly between bites. 

It smelled so good coming out of the oven, that even the vegans wanted some. And there's BUTTER in it! AND WHITE SUGAR, LIKE STRAIGHT UP PROCESSED.

I mean, I love my mom, but her "black bean brownies" don't cut it as dessert. It sounds like something they make you eat at a yoga retreat to cleanse your aura, not a tasty treat after dinner. 

At least she lets me occasionally tempt her back to the way of the unhealthy. Thanks, Mom. Maybe I'll go running with you tomorrow.*

*Let's not kid ourselves, I probably won't. But don't let that hold you back.

Food for Thought

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Llama Love

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Ten on Tuesday

Happy September! I hope everyone had an awesome long weekend (well, those of you in the States, anyway).

I haven't done one of these in awhile but here are ten random questions (from the Roots and Rings blog) for this gloomy Tuesday morning.

1. What is your favorite Pixar movie? Have you seen all of them?It’s a tie between Monsters, Inc. and Up.  I have seen all of them except for Ratatouille and Brave.

2. Do you enjoy soccer?

Yes, it’s exciting to watch and even more exciting to play! It was the sport I always secretly wished I could play when I was in school.

3. Are you musical?

Yes. I love to sing! Also I played the flute and piano through middle school and high school.

4. How many push-ups can you do?

Like 10. So, try not to be impressed with my massive upper body strength.

5. Did you have braces when you were younger?

Yes, I suffered through a year of metal mouth.  I think anyone who didn’t have braces during their childhood missed out on a classic character building experience.  Nothing humbles you quite like grinning at people all day, only realize hours later that you had a huge chunk of broccoli wedged in your braces for all to see.

6. Summer or winter? Coffee or tea? Wedges or flats?

Actually I prefer spring and fall…less extreme temperatures.

TEA. All day, errday.

Wedges.

7. Do you buy new or used cars?

I have not yet purchased a car on my own but used is the way to go. The minute you drive it off the lot, it's worth less than what you paid for so why would anyone buy a brand new car?

8. Are you afraid of needles?

No, I don’t mind them at all. In fact, I think I would have gone into the medical field, were it not for my huge distaste for bodily fluids.

9. Do you get cranky when you’re tired or hungry?

Yes.

My friend Jillian coined the term that unfortunately applies to me on a regular basis: hangry. You know when you get so hungry you are filled with a blinding rage that is only mitigated by a sandwich? That is hangry.  And I suppose I also get cranky when I’m tired but if I’m too far gone, I get really really goofy. Like slapstick, soft-shoe dancing goofy.  It’s embarrassing.

10. Write your newest favorite recipe.

I haven't had a new favorite in a while but here are a few recipes from my Pinterest food board that I would like to try over the next couple of weeks:

Smore Bars

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

Pretzel Rolls