Blah Blah Blog

So, generally on this blog I try to avoid excessive blahblahblah-ing. I know reading every little detail of someone's life can be a little tiresome, so generally I just keep my posts to photos and a little creative writing. With that being said, I have no photos to upload as my camera got thoroughly drenched in Chick-Fil-A Polynesian sauce (more on that later) and is getting cleaned, and I've been feeling rather uncreative these past few days, so I don't have any writing either. Let the blah blah blah-ing commence. I've included some illustrations just to keep your attention :P 

A few blahs of note:

• I ran out of gas on a major road yesterday, and nearly pee'd my pants waiting for Calvin to come get me.

• I officially have written over thirty posts for this here blog, which is probably the most dedication I've shown towards a project since 4th grade science fair, before I realized it was all rigged and the popular son of the principal would always get first place.

• When pressured into singing karaoke, I turn into a big, sweaty monster of panic.

• I really hope someone invents a public toilet seat covering system that involves less accidental touching of toilet seat.

• The Yeti and I are FINALLY taking our honeymoon, iinnn eight days! :D Wizarding World of Harry Potter here we come!

• I very much enjoy this list of 100 Best First Lines from Novels.

• I am, for sure, getting a Yeti tattoo, and very soon :)

• It is a bad idea to let your husband save the extras of his favorite condiment in your purse, and then forget it exists. It will be very hot in the car, and it will explode all over everything that you hold dear.

• This photo collection of Birds With Arms is both disturbing and hilarious.

 Also, here is a webcam picture of my face, ya' know, to hold you over until my camera is fixed :P

Promise to have a normal blog soon! Have a lovely day :)

Petit Ours Solitaire

This is mostly how I feel today.

"A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference."
-Eeyore

Safe and Sound.

They were just kids really, when they fell in love.

He was just a boy who painted his skin with the squished juice of lightning bugs and wore his sheet like a cape, tied tight around his neck.

She wanted to be braver and act older, like her sister, and have boys trip falling over her feet like drunk blind men. But she was too afraid. Afraid of falling too hard, and getting hurt, and the thunderstorm outside her window.

So she sat on window sills and rooftops and lived through the pages of books, safe and sound.

When they met, their eyes ran into each other's for a second, maybe less.
From then, they wrote to each other. Letters full of their future plans and hopes and beliefs and feelings on topics, but never for each other. She read them over and over before replying carefully and articulately; safe and soundly.

He read hers, in a dark basement with eyes watching even when there were none, and replied slowly and carefully, with dictionary words and exaggerated truths.

Three years later, their eyes trip stumbled on to each other's again, but this time they wouldn't let go.

When she told him they couldn't be together because she was too afraid, of falling too hard, and getting hurt, and the storm outside her window, he told her,

"Don't be afraid, I'll catch you if you fall. I'm painted with the juice of lightning, the thunderstorm won't hurt you."

All writing (C) Grace McConnell. Image Source.

Delicious Downtown

Last night, Yeti took me on a fun little date downtown. We walked around in the lovely sunny weather, saw a bunch of beautiful flowers, and had some tasty unhealthy food :) Downtown is just dripping with history and richness. Aside from the majorly touristy areas, I really love it.

I also love it there because there are people doing something all the time. My city is safe and quiet, but pretty darn dull when you get down to it. In parts like this though, there seems to be a sense of liveliness and commotion. And really beautiful landscaping! :)

Most of these pictures were taken at the historic Pioneer Museum. While, to be honest, I don't find pioneers of Colorado terribly interesting, it still is such a cool opportunity to see things of age and story. I love being able to look up and see buildings that people generations ago also looked upon, while living a completely different way of life.

I wore: a teal and black native patterened Billabong dress, Target gladiator sandals and cardigan, and a Forever 21 bear claw necklace.

After walking around for while, our stomachs were a 'grumblin so we got some amazing stone oven style pizza at Il Vicino's.

My mouth is watering just looking at this picture! It was truly delicious :) After pizza we decided to be even MORE unhealthy and get some ice cream for dessert. It was a rough day at work, okay? :P

We went to Josh and John's, a crazy delicious cute little ice cream place just down to street. We got chocolate chip cookie dough and mint girl scout cookie cones :) They were darn good. They also have a big chalk board to draw on while you wait, so I drew a Yeti and Vamp, tehe. :)

It was such a nice night with my sweet husband. There's nothing better :)

I hope you, too, are having a wonderful summer, but for now,
have a wonderful night.

Dandelion Wine

Hello Readers! I hope your Wednesday goes well, and if not, then quickly :) Today I wanted to feature a book I'm reading, which is actually one of my favorite books in the known universe, called Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury.

Ray Bradbury is my very favorite science fiction writer. He also wrote Fahrenheit 451, and The Illustrated Man, which are another two of my favorites. I love Dandelion Wine for completely different reasons than those though. This book is warm and dewy and just perfect for summer reading. To prove it, here is an excerpt.

(If you don't read it, I won't feel bad heh. Sci-fi is not for everyone, and there will be an outfit post coming soon :)

 Chapter One
It was a quiet morning, the town covered over with darkness and at ease in bed. Summer gathered in the weather, the wind had the proper touch, the breathing of the world was long and warm and slow. You had only to rise, lean from your window, and know that this indeed was the first real time of freedom and living, this was the first morning of summer.


Douglas Spaulding, twelve, freshly wakened, let summer idle him on its early-morning stream. Lying in his third-story cupola bedroom, he felt the tall power it gave him, riding high in the June wind, the grandest tower in town. At night, when the trees washed together, he flashed his gaze like a beacon from this lighthouse in all directions over swarming seas of elm and oak and maple. Now . . .


"Boy," whispered Douglas.


A whole summer ahead to cross off the calendar, day by day. Like the goddess Siva in the travel books, he saw his hands jump everywhere, pluck sour apples, peaches, and midnight plums. He would be clothed in trees and bushes and rivers. He would freeze, gladly, in the hoarfrosted icehouse door. He would bake, happily, with ten thousand chickens, in Grandma's kitchen.


But now-a familiar task awaited him.


One night each week he was allowed to leave his father, his mother, and his younger brother Tom asleep in their small house next door and run here, up the dark spiral stairs to his grandparents' cupola, and in this sorcerer's tower sleep with thunders and visions, to wake before the crystal jingle of milk bottles and perform his ritual magic. He stood at the open window in the dark, took a deep breath and exhaled.


The street lights, like candles on a black cake, went out. He exhaled again and again and the stars began to vanish.


Douglas smiled. He pointed a finger.


There, and there. Now over here, and here . . .


Yellow squares were cut in the dim morning earth as house lights winked slowly on. A sprinkle of windows came suddenly alight miles off in dawn country.


"Everyone yawn. Everyone up."


The great house stirred below.


"Grandpa, get your teeth from the water glass!" He waited a decent interval. "Grandma and Great-grandma, fry hot cakes!"


The warm scent of fried batter rose in the drafty halls to stir the boarders, the aunts, the uncles, the visiting cousins, in their rooms.


"Street where all the Old People live, wake up! Miss Helen Loomis, Colonel Freeleigh, Miss Bentley! Cough, get up, take pills, move around! Mr. Jonas, hitch up your horse, get your junk wagon out and around!"


The bleak mansions across the town ravine opened baleful dragon eyes. Soon, in the morning avenues below, two old women would glide their electric Green Machine, waving at all the dogs. "Mr. Tridden, run to the carbarn!" Soon, scattering hot blue sparks above it, the town trolley would sail the rivering brick streets.


"Ready John Huff, Charlie Woodman?" whispered Douglas to the Street of Children. "Ready!" to baseballssponged deep in wet lawns, to rope swings hung empty in trees.


"Mom, Dad, Tom, wake up."


Clock alarms tinkled faintly. The courthouse clock boomed. Birds leaped from trees like a net thrown by his hand, singing. Douglas, conducting an orchestra, pointed to the eastern sky.


The sun began to rise.


He folded his arms and smiled a magician's smile. Yes, sir, he thought, everyone jumps, everyone runs when I yell. It'll be a fine season.


He gave the town a last snap of his fingers.


Doors slammed open; people stepped out.


Summer 1928 began.

{The foregoing is excerpted from Dandelion Wine By Ray Bradbury. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission from HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022}

I think that is just stinking lovely :) How completely it captures the invincibility and magic of being a kid in the summer time. I hope your day goes well, readers. I hope you have time to run barefoot in wet grass and pick sour apples. This is a truly beautiful life we lead, and I sincerely hope your day goes accordingly.

picture credit.

Tatuesday

Today has been a slow day at work, mostly spent looking at tattoo pictures on vi.sualize.us. Holy cow, there are some that I am seriously coveting! I wanted to share a few with you as well as some of my own ink plans and ideas.

I really love this picture, as well as the tattoo:

I learned how to fold cranes a few years ago by a friend, and have been passing it along ever since. I love origami because you can do it anywhere, using most anything, and it creates something so entirely different from its origin. I've seen a gum wrapper go from trash to a little crane that makes someone's day. Me and Ms. Victoria have plans to make this tattoo idea a reality sometime in the future :)

I also just adore this swirly speckled octopus tattoo. I know, I know, octopus love is a fad just like owls and deer and bikes. But you know what? I really genuinely like octopi and owls and deer and bikes, and I think not liking something because its a fad is just as bad as liking something just for its fad status. I'm not in the business of letting the opinions of people I don't know or care about control my own. I like the sea. I like the mystery and dark and surprising beauty of it. And as such, I like the sea inhabitants. From crazy beautiful cuttlefish to scary misunderstood angler fish, to, yes, octopi. With their huge reserved eyes and dangerous tentacles. I think there is a lot to be learned from them. I digress, this tattoo is awesome, and I very much want it :)

Speaking of deer,

 These two done by Sandi Calistro are just freaking amazing. She's actually one of my favorite artists too! I hope some day I can get a tattoo done by her, she's so darn talented.

She also did these two sets of memorial feet tattoos that I am in love with:

All Images (C) Sandi Calistro.

I like the first a lot because I'm a huge fan of sugar skulls and greasers, and I really love the timeless beauty captured in the second set. What a lovely way to remember who taught those feet to walk :)

I also really love couple tattoos like these nerdy color spectrum ones :) It says to me that you know your love is as permanent as ink. The Yeti and I actually have little matching inifinity symbols on our inner biceps.

Infinity (symbol: ∞)  refers to a quantity without bound or end: <3

As far as my personal ink plans for the future, I don't want to get too detailed because of all those silly idea stealers out there, but I see silhouettes and wind and hot air balloons and punctuation in our future.

It is a bright future indeed :P

Have a beautiful day, everyone.

Orange Creamsicle

As all of you know, yesterday was Fathers Day! My Dad literally taught me almost everything I know. From reading (the words 'biggie sized' on a burger king menu to be exact) to being brave and loyal. He is strong and bright and such a leader. Ever since I can remember I've been crazy proud to have him as a Dad.

He is one of those people who has everything he wants though, so I painted him a picture for the occasion instead :P



Yeah, it's super childish :)

We all went to church, lunch, and a movie to celebrate our wonderful Papa :) While we were waiting for everyone to show up for the movie, Yeti, Vikki, and I went to this completely adorable cupcake shop next door.



Orange creamsicle cupcake :)

They had the cutest assortment of cupcakes, and retro decor to top it off?! Yes please :P

It even matched my little blog with a crazy cute, cupcake themed bunting:



Warning: Pink Overload. May cause retinal damage.

And look at those little newspaper flower holders! :D Ah! I wore Charolotte Russe wedges, a glittery gold and pastel gemmed owl necklace and one of my very favorite Target dresses. It is actually a very tasteful salmon color, not electric orange as these photos would lead you to believe :P I was chaneling sort of a Jackie O meets Elsiecake from A Beautiful Mess. I think overall it was a pretty great day. We saw The Green Lantern, which was not as terrible as I expected it to be. Don't get me wrong, I love comic book movies, but animated purple aliens? Not my cup of tea. One movie I am crazy excited for though is the new Harry Potter!! :D Only one more month!! We are truly geeking out.

I hope you all had a very sweet Father's Day weekend as well. I know for a lot of us, that day can be a sad reminder of what you've lost. I hope instead, you were reminded of how loved you are by the people that you do have, and as always I hope you have a beautiful day :)

Preserves

I wanted to share with you guys today this little piece of writing a did a few months ago which was the inspiration for the blog you see here:

I store your facial expressions up in mason jar memories and organize them on my shelf. Your finger creases and forest brown eyeflecks and soft rosy red ear curves. I have it all. Alphabetized and organized, folded, stacked, and preserved like spring peaches and zuccini and yellow white corn cob kernels. I'll never miss a thing, I'll never go hungry.

Image (C) piccsy.com



Deco Daydreams

Happy Thursday, readers!

Mine is made a little brighter by daydreaming about a few wishlist items, such as:

1. These two painfully gorgeous dresses, The Deco Pocket, and Bird by Dona Monroe at Steven Alan

Oh, where is $360 dollars when you need it :P I also love this description of her collection, "Designed for the discerning woman seeking something unique, New York-based designer Dona Monroe's collection is driven by vintage silhouettes, while her obsession with cinematography and fashion from 70's films influences nearly every collection."

Ah, someone finally gets it! :D

2. This Quote by Maya Angelou.

I agree with this, so much. I struggle with bitterness every day and know just how destructive it can be. I'm also so tired of everyone looking upon anger as some irrational fanatical response. Anger is just caring about something so much your heart spills over.

3. These two twisty necklaces.

Left Infinity Necklace, right Nautical Necklace 

4. This completely crazy beautiful bird's egg clock tutorial that I am SO excited to do :D

You don't even understand. I love this clock so much.

----------------

On a slightly different note, I also love this childrens book, you may remember it.

It's the story of a Mom and her son. I don't remember most of it, except that the Mother would hold the boy and say, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be." Then, after the boy grows up and the Mother becomes frail, he holds her and says, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my Mommy you'll be." At the very end of the story, the mother passes away and her son is the father of a little girl, rocking her to sleep; singing the same song that his mother used to sing to him.

It's sappy as heck, but makes my cry forever every time. I love you Momma!

This concludes the June 16th edition of Things I Love Thursday, stay tuned for next week :P

Have a lovely day, readers!

Our Winter Wedding

Yesterday was a light, breezy, sunshine-while-its-raining kind of day. It was the Yeti and I's 6 months-of-being-married-aversary! :D In honor of these past six lovely months, I wanted to do a post featuring all the details of that crazy beautiful day in December, where we stood before each other and promised to never let go.

Most of you by now have heard the beginning of our love story. If not, look back through the posts, you'll find it :P So I'll start this story with a sunny day in October 2010. The Yeti told me he wanted to go on a walk up to a little mountain spot we'd discovered that summer. He said he wanted to take some pictures since we were gussied up for our 10 months-of-dating-aversary. So we get up there, I set the camera's timer and skip to get next to him for the photo, and to my surprise when I look over, he's on one knee! :D



Progression of extreme happiness.

It was so darn exciting! I was totally surprised, and now we have pictures of that moment forever. My mister did good :) In all of our wisdom, we decided that we just neeeddeddd to have our wedding be on exactly one year from the day we started dating, which would fall on December 14, two months from then.

A little wedding sounded easy enough to do in two months, but boy, those two months were stressful!

First, I found my wedding dress online at PoshGirlVintage.com

I wish I'd saved the original listing, as it's long been removed by now, but just take my word for it, it was stunning. A vintage 1950's creme and lace scoop-necked beauty. I was terrified ordering online a vintage dress I couldn't see and try on first, but basically our whole wedding/marriage theme was to dive in head first, so I clicked order. A few weeks later it showed up, and fit like an absolute dream.

Original crinoline! :D Yes please!

I also ordered a vintage crystal brooch online which I put in my hair, some skyscraper high creme heels with pearl accents, and my very favorite of all, a little pearl and wrapped wire bird's nest necklace from Lan0Crystal's Etsy shop.

While I was busy ordering and fretting away, my Mom helped tons by researching venues and planning decor. I wanted to go with a rustic vintage bird theme, but I didn't really know how to pull it off. She did wonders and found a crazy beautiful location in Manitou Springs called the The Cliff House at Pikes Peak.

The view there is breathtaking, and the building itself is this huge towering vintage 1800's Victorian. The wedding ceremony was preformed in one of it's spiral towers, and I couldn't have felt more like a queen.

Everything else fell together in the nick of time. We decided my Dad would officiate the ceremony himself, which was such an honor for us. There could not have been anyone better for the job. Before we knew it, the time had come, it was our wedding day. Honestly, everything went perfectly. We got ready in our seperate rooms, the photographer took pictures of us individually, and the guests started arriving. The cake and flowers arrived as well, and were gorgeous.

I spent my time alone being wickedly nervous that I was going to fall or mess up reading my vows or a million other irrational fears, but by then it was all too late, and we were walking to the room, and it was all happening, and I was frantic. Canon in D played throughout the room while me and my Dad stood behind a partitioning screen. He held my hand as I held his arm, and he told me it was all going to be okay, even though he was also extremely nervous to do the ceremony himself. It was our time to walk then, and we came out of the partition and, while I knew my family and friends were sitting all around us and watching, I only saw one person. My handsome Calvin stood at the altar, with such love and joy in his eyes I swear I could not look away if I had to. 

My Dad did the ceremony wonderfully. Everything was genuine and true and I was so proud. Calvin read his vows and I cried like a baby. He told me that his love for me could not be contained by all the space in the universe. It came time for me to read and I completely bawled my way through them. I'm pretty sure only about 5 people heard them in their entirety because I basically sobbed them out. But heres a hint: I talked about Pokemon, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. 

We exchanged our rings and I Do's, smooched, and before we knew it, we were walking back down the aisle. The ceremony was over in a flash and, to be honest, I was so relieved!

Next, the photographer had us take a bunch of family pictures, couple pictures, and then on to the lunch and cake! :)

My big new family :)

Our cake was just perfect. It was exactly what we wanted. Simple, cute, and delicious! We ordered this adorable bride and groom bird cake topper, and placed the cake on a little slice of rustic looking wood for a stand.

Me and my Mom did the majority of the decor ourselves. To make the centerpieces, we ordered these crazy cute birch bark vases with our initials burned into them from NH Wood Creation's Etsy shop. We filled each one with moss, then an assortment of flowers, pearl twigs, and branches. We even attached little teeny purple birds to the branches :) The napkins each had a little card of thanks that I designed in Illustrator with two birds on a branch whose bodies make a heart. If anyone is interested in a free .pdf of that design email me :) Each place setting also had a little nest full of jordan almonds to look like eggs :)

My Mom and I also set up a candy bar in one corner, with all sorts of candies and little bird stamped paper bags to scoop it into :)

I honestly don't really remember what exactly the lunch menu was, I was just so ecstatic it was all happening, finally. I think there was something involving chicken and skewers and really great iced tea.

After we dined and caked to our heart's content, everyone packed up and said their goodbyes and it really sank in: we were married. His eyes are the eyes I will wake up to every morning. I could not have been more happy. I want to say it was the greatest day of my life, but I think more accurately, it was just the beginning of the greatest days. That moment set in motion our lives together and every morning that I get up I am thankful.

Today and every day Yeti, I will marry you.

Happy Half Year, Babe.

<3

Readers, thank you for sticking with me. I realize this was the longest post in history, if you made it here, you did good. I hope you find the Aang to your Katara. And as always, I hope you have a beautiful day.


All wedding photos (C) Katharine Bicket.