"Today was my day off so I headed to Hobby Lobby to stock up on some crafting supplies for a DIY date with Jenna. One of the employees, i.e. the same one I frequently ask for opinions, bless her heart, told me “You really are here all the time aren’t you?” and I then proceeded to zig zag up and down every single and incredibly too narrow aisle probably eight or more times. When I got home with close to seven bags bursting at the seams with enough sparkle and glitter to make any child squeal with delight, Apb looked over and I noticed that look coming across his face; the whole how-much-did-you-really-spend-on-tissue-paper-babe look. And instead of feeling guilty, I smiled. Because this is just what I do. And I wouldn’t want it any other way."

This is so inspiring to/comforting of my current lifestyle. If you don't already love this blog, work on it. She's awesome. 

Arts & Crafts

Every year at this time for the past 5-or-so years, I break out my collection of 2 oz. craft paints. The level of excitement that comes over me when I walk into that aisle of the craft store and see the thousands of different colors should be illegal. Yes, I took art classes for 17 years of my life. Yes, I know how to mix red and blue to make purple. And yes, I still buy 'grape jam' partially because I like the name, and partially because I have to have exactly 2 ounces of that hue in my shoe box paint collection.

Every year at this time for the past 5-or-so years, I also sit at a table for hours painting small pumpkins for area farms. Growing up, I painted pumpkins for Soergel Orchards. For the past few years, I've been painting pumpkins for my husband's family farm: Harvest Valley Farms. 

Every year at this time for the past 5-or-so years, I give these silly looking vegetables WAY too much TLC. They sell for 5 dollars max, and I'm painting Disney characters on them! What can I say? I'm a perfectionist. Doing things half-heartedly is not in my repertoire. Not even when it comes to slapping 99 cent paint onto a squash. 

This year, while I was researching ideas on ETSY, I stumbled across this super talented artist that takes craft painting to the next level. I absolutely adore these peacock feather wine glasses. Ah, so trendy and way less cheesy than Lolita! I'm thinking leopard print? Dear friends, would you mind receiving a set of these from yours truly for Christmas?  I think that I'll be keeping the craft paint out a few months longer this year. 

*SWOON* I love you, ETSY.

Paint and pumpkins, 

My Best Friend's Wedding

This past weekend, one of my most long-time, closest friends got married. She and I were inseparable back in the day when we were still losing our baby teeth, wearing Umbro shorts and soccer shoes to school, and got upset when we had to wear our hair down for lice checks. We went to summer camp, wrote notes to each other with sad lyrics in them about the boys that didn't 'love' us, and saw every chick flick together the week that it came out. I visited her in college with our other good friend K at the University of Michigan, and we stayed in touch often while she attended law school in Iowa. We've seen the best and worst of each other over the years.

So, with all of this history behind us, I couldn't help but get a little tear in my eye, and pride deep down in my heart to see her looking so happy and beautiful on her wedding day. She and her now husband can boast an unbelievable love story which started with her courtship of him via mutual friends back in 10th grade. They attended a dance together, sparks flew, and before we all knew it they were off to college together- showing everyone that their relationship would withstand the test of time. They graduated within a year of each other at the top of the class in both undergrad and graduate school. Now, they both have great jobs lined up in Pittsburgh- and I couldn't be more ecstatic. It's nice to grab coffee with a friend that you haven't seen in a while and feel like you were never apart- but in this case, I'm really looking forward to getting to know one of my closest friends again- and see each other on a regular basis.

Their wedding was truly one of the most beautiful events I have ever attended- and so perfect for the two of them. The ceremony was heart-felt and personal. Myself and the other bridesmaids and groomsmen were given the honor of standing around the newlyweds on the altar as they said their vows. At the end of the ceremony, the priest gave them the bible from which he read from during the service as a keepsake. The reception followed within an hour at a gorgeous venue with tall ceilings, log walls, and a gorgeous wraparound porch. The bride and her mom cashed in on the earthy feel of the venue and decorated the tables with pine cones, birch bark vases for the centerpieces, and mini twig wreaths as napkin holders. The natural feel was perfectly accented by gorgeous lighting, lush groups of white hydrangeas, and cracked crystal chargers acting as the center of focus for the perfectly arranged place settings. The couple's sweetheart table was in the center of the dance floor, and above it hung a twig wreath taller than the first floor of our house with the letters "L" and "N" hanging from the center with gorgeous blue satin ribbon. A deserving central focus to the room to remind us all why we were there.

Here are a few snapshots from my buddy's big day (J is the best because he took over photographer duty before I had arrived with the rest of the bridal party):

gorgeous trumpet lace dress with satin bow

matron of honor attending to her duties

the bride and the other stars of the show

mother of the bride getting ready to carefully place the veil 

its all about the shoes.

patiently waiting to get married in the wings of the church 

personalized wreath

seating assignments and wildflower arrangement

L + N!  Love the rustic cake stands. 

Perfect space for such a low-maintenance down-to-earth  couple.

Lovely table setting with accents of steel blue and chocolate brown

guest book and gift area

'sweetheart' table and room focal point

I am so happy that one of my best buds got to truly have the day of her dreams.  I don't think that I will ever forget how gorgeous she looked, or the look on her husband-to-be's face when he saw her walking down the aisle. The day perfectly suited them and went off without a hitch. Congrats to the new bride and groom.

Have you attended a wedding recently that perfectly suited the couple being honored? What were some of the personal touches that made this day stand out to you. 

Fairytale weddings and friendship, 

Friday Finds

Mail Art: Phase I

It's finally Friday!  This has been quite a stressful week due to many things going on in the office, as well as being busy in the evenings with freelancing, and being utterly confused about my personal finances. Nothing (nothing!) stresses me out more than bills and money.  I wish that I could have taken an "Introduction to Being an Adult" course in college that taught me all about how to choose the right insurance, how the heck to do my taxes, and a number of other responsibilities that seem to be popping up left and right these days.  Needless to say, I'm looking forward to some serious downtime this weekend; hoping to get out in the city at some point, spend time with friends, and get our house back in order.  So, to celebrate having two days to squeeze all of that in, some of my favorite links from this week in internet world:

• Did you know that Tiffany lockets open up to reveal a liner in the prettiest shade of blue?!  LOVE!
• Alicia Bock has one of my very favorite Etsy shops.  I would absolutely love to have this print hanging in my home.  Check out her full shop here.
• Totally buying this book before we go back to Vegas. 
• One of the stresses of the week at work had to do with grammar (yuck!) Grammar Girl can be a helpful tool when you are in a grammar pinch.
• This site makes me want to decorate for and host a whimsical party with all of my girlfriends! 
• I adore this letterpress calendar meant for designers, "12 Months, 12 Rules to Understand Design and Designers."  My favorite page: {Possible can be done immediately, we're already working on the impossible, and please allow 48 hours for miracles}
• Love this striped, feminine top from the spring collection at NY & Co, and this super cute color block satin dress from The Limited. 
• This yummy sangria recipe from A Cozy Kitchen not only inspired me to make sangria, but also really made me laugh. 
• Went to the pet store last night. I want this cat :) Obviously.
• The image above is one of my faves of the week, because I'm looking forward to finally sharing some of the design work that I have done.  Be on the lookout for project posts over the next few weeks, including our wedding invites and save-the-dates. 

Happy Friday, friends!

I'm Jeal.

Someday I will have a craft room that looks just like this.  Martha Stewart, watch out, here I come.