eits[art]

Style Crush: Rachel Bilson

2012-02-10T11:56:00.000-06:00

My current style crush is Rachel Bilson. I love her casual style. Love her simplicity. Great 'Natural' look. Love the layers. Super cute shoes. Always looks comfy and relaxed. I would love to raid her closet. Needless to say I am pretty pumped about ShoeMint. In the future I hope they add clothes and accessories.

I first fell in love with Rachel as Summer on the TV series The OC. If you haven't watched this show it's pretty much a Teen Soap Opera dealing with the drama of rich high school kids. Marissa Cooper (Misha Barton) was also a fab actress to watch. Both wore super cute outfits in this show. [Funny side note: my sister learned how to tie a tie from watching this show so much]

- credits -

credits [top to bottom, left to right]

leggings and baggy shirts

Reminiscing

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Favorite Childhood memory
Spending 1 weekend a month at grandma and grandpa's house. They had the largest sandbox ever. It shouldn't even be called a [box]. It was the shape and size of a small rock quarry. There were small mountains to climb and tons of sand.

Something Random
When I was two-ish [?] I used to clear out a spot to sit in the cupboards and eat crackers.

I am blessed that my sister and I are such good friends now [best friends]. Growing up we didn't get along and we were pretty much opposites. We started getting along when she turned of age and moved out. We still have our arguments and confrontations but that's what it means to have a sibling.

Something [I know now] that I wish I had realized a long time ago
Don't waste your time on boys and focus on friendships! [until you meet your husband of course]

-credits-

Favorite Cartoons
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Smurfs
Goof Troop
Snorks
Gummi Bears
Fraggle rock
Chip - n- Dale Rescue Rangers

-credits-

Favorite Movies
Mannequin
Roger Rabbit
Ghostbusters
Revenge of the Nerds
The Gremlins [Gizmo used to be my CB handle]

Favorite Song
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice

80's music

2012-02-08T10:36:00.000-06:00

-credits-

Ha! Check this out. I'm excited I found this 80's play list because tomorrow is my birthday and yes I'm an 80's child. I totally remember and still love Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Wang Chung and Blondie.

PL: Week 5

2012-02-07T23:30:00.000-06:00

and now we are into February. [Happy February!] January was a fun and exciting month but I bet we can top it in February. Lots of amazing things going on this month!

Week in Review
warm weather [40's]
gambling on the boat
went out to eat @ Castle Rock
played on the ice @ Yellowstone
organized E's workshop

don't laugh at my Superbowl predictions. I only pretend to know anything about football.

Hello!

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Since [Mom] had to work at the office today I thought I should stop by and say Hello! It's ruff when she has to go to the office because I get cramped sleeping in my kennel. I'd much rather sleep on the couch where it's comfortable. or I could be chewing on my bone that I've been working on for a year now.

Hurry up and get home so I can snuggle on the couch and watch some TV! There are a lot of shows on tonight; Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie [both are mom's favorite, not mine], American Pickers, and Pawn Stars. I'm sad that the football season is over for now...maybe next year I could go Pro?!

PL: Week 4

2012-02-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

I'm back with week 4!

Week in Review:
Krista lab work [good]
Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert Concert
Family time!
Monster Truck Nationals
Start through the year bible
received blog party gift!

other Highlights
'29' has a special meaning to me.
Since we attended a concert I [made] E fill out the Get Down card. [Best concert, fave band, female and male artists, and fave song]. As you can see I am undecided about my favorite band and male musician. I like so many it's hard to choose! So indecisive. E on the other hand filled his out in 2 seconds [man knows what he wants]

yes those are the earplugs I wore during the Monster Truck Nationals. I did sanitize them before sticking 'em in the album. [sigh of relief].

other Highlights
photo of a gift I received [even stuck the note in behind the photos]
That's me posing by an overly large Radio Flyer. They even drove it around, super cool.
We got to sign Chalkboard Chuck, a truck driven by a woman. E wouldn't sign it so I signed it as 'K+E <3'.

PL: Week 3

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Have no fear! I have not forgotten about project life. [not yet anyways]. This is a page from week 3. I recorded some amusing photos of the [kids].

In order: E plowing the driveway. BowWow being crazy in the snow. Brothers sitting on the steps. Tobina sitting next to me while I crochet [she looks huge]. Buddy looking ferocious while eating a doggie cookie.

and a closeup shot.

Choices

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

We all have them.

We all make them.

It's a right,

It's an opportunity.

How do we know we are making the right choices?

we must trust and believe in ourselves and God!

A few choices I am proud of [as of lately]

1. in a few weeks I am getting baptized!
2. I started reading a Through the year Bible [it's going to be a year of learning]
3. I choose to be creative and put it to good use
4. I choose to cook healthy meals for my family

P.S. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks is an amazing book! I loved the ending!
pppssttt.... Check out my library tab...I've updated it.

Concert Style

2012-02-01T20:18:00.000-06:00

Remember that concert I was so excited for last week? Well it was pretty amazing, even better than I expected. My BIL was right when he said it would be a BA night. Here are a few shots...

I was pretty disappointed that my camera only got like 2 good shots. Good thing my BIL is a pro at this and has a much better camera than I. (the above shot was taken by BIL - Elias)

At the end of the song Smoke a little Smoke by Eric Church. Pretty sweet, eh?!

Even though this photo doesn't look like much it was a pretty neat moment. During the song Springsteen everyone was waving their cellphones. Lighters were so five years ago. [hehe]. An even sweeter moment was during the last song where everyone took off their cowboy boots and held them up.

Brantley Gilbert opened for Eric Church. He's pretty BA himself. I almost felt like I was at a rock concert with all the bass in his songs. That's why they call it outlaw country. None of that sappy dry stuff here.

2012 Blog Party

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

I want to introduce y'all to a new blog friend of mine, Beth over at Until Only Love Remains. I love reading her short blog entries [makes it easy for me to keep up]. She blogs daily about Faith, Love, Music, Crafts, and she somehow documents everyday life in fun and exciting ways.

I met her through the 2012 blog party that was hosted by Casey, Danielle and Alycia. It was a lot of fun, I found a new blog to read and received a wonderful gift! Check it out...

1. She passed on a book that her and her sisters enjoyed [Searching for God knows what by Donald Miller.]

2. a new book because they are always fun! [a long way gone by Ishmael Beah]

3. yarn

4. adorable bobby pins from her etsy shop.

[side note] I am thrilled about the books she sent me because they are not books I would have picked out but that makes me want to read them all that much more. Specially since she really enjoyed them.

Tunesday [Country Style]

2012-01-25T14:39:00.002-06:00

I am really excited for the Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert concert! It's happening this Thursday. Oh wait...that's tomorrow! [Awesomness] My BIL [brother in law] bought us the tickets for Christmas! I haven't been to a concert in like five years...and this will be my first country concert.

country throwdown 2010

My favorite Eric Church song is Homeboy.

and My favorite Brantley Gilbert son is Dirt Road Anthem. I love his raspy voice. I'm listening to the live version right now and am overflowing with excitement.

So lets add some country to our Tunesday playlist.

SMASH

2012-01-24T20:06:00.001-06:00

Having to work at the office Monday wasn't a total loss. I made time on my lunch hour to stop at Joann and pick up a SMASH book by K&Company, along with some accessories [of course]. Don't know what a SMASH book is? Check out this fun video.

I got the Eco style book because it contains lots of green [my fave]. Plus it had a lot of cool pages, like a deer page, a gnome page, a coffee page that reads [Stronger than you think], etc. I could go on and on...

Check out the accessories I got! SMASH tabs, a date stamper, and a SMASH pad. The SMASH Pad is full of [discussion] cards. The entertainment version topics range from [Books I want to read this year] to [Favorite Restaurants]. I think these would work great for Project Life too!

For added jazz I am using multiple colors of ink [a must if I plan on using my new stamper], decorative tape, and my cute mini stapler full of colorful staples.

Happy SMASHing

Snow Play

2012-01-21T15:10:00.000-06:00

On Friday we got more snow! Man was Bowser a happy puppy. This boy loves playing in the snow. His favorite is catching snowballs and jumping into flying snow. He is pretty good at catching the snowballs.

Do you see him? I love this photo. E was shoveling our walkway and Bowser kept jumping in the flying snow.

more leaps and bounds. I love this clown!

Buddy

2012-01-19T16:40:00.000-06:00

Don't let his name fool you. His name is Buddy but he acts more like Dr. Evil. I can't blame him 100%... maybe 70%? [Brief history] I got him when he was 1 years old [he is now 5 yrs old] from my sister and husband as a birthday present. His previous owners had a little boy who tormented him so they had to get rid of him. When I first got him he hated men and kids. He now loves his father [my husband], and most men. But he still isn't fond of kids. Just ask my nieces ;). Oh and he's oh so temperamental. I can handle that [most of the time], we just need to be careful when young kids are around.

What I can't handle is that he wets his cage every night. I'm not sure why. I think it started back in June when I started working from home. Previously he would be in his cage while we were away at work for the day. When I started working from home, of course I let him out for the day. After a month of freedom he started throwing fits at night when it was time to sleep in his cage. And then it turned into wetting his cage when we would leave the house for a few hours. ...then it turned into an every night occurrence. He's been tested for kidney problems, no issues were found. Just an expensive way to find out it must be a behavior problem.

I started putting puppy pads under his cage for easier cleaning. You can see how well that is working. I also tried putting him back in his cage during the day and that doesn't work. All he does is throws fits.

I'm ready to ship him to grandma's house...

Tunesday

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

---

Yes! Yes! It's Tunesday again. Music has been a huge boost for me at work this week. I went from being not busy whatsoever [for the past month and a half] to hectic busy. Of course I'd prefer to be busy [it makes the day go by faster] but I must admit I am not used to this.

This week I've been listening to Pandora a lot. I absolutely love Pandora because it introduces me to new music! My playlist is built around Erin McCarley. Some of the new artists I've been introduced to include; Kate Nash, Ingrid Michaelson, and Jeremy Camp.

The song There will be a day by Jeremy Camp is the first Christian contemporary music I've truly liked. It's full of [feel good] lyrics. No matter how hard life gets it's ok because there will be a day with no more hardships or fears.

What's on your playlist this week?

and I've updated the playlist. Have a listen!

Project Life: Week 2

2012-01-16T13:58:00.000-06:00

This week I had a bunch of photos I wanted to include so I added a 6x12 insert. I don't have 6x12 inserts so I took a 12x12 and cut it in half. [magic] In fact I only have 12x12's that hold six 4x6 photos. I really like Design A and Design F so I printed a bunch of my photos at half size to... [fake it]. By using this style of page protector you can make your pages look like any of the designs really.

Week in Review:

First Snow Fall (5 inches)

Ethan gets sick with a Cold

Cooked supper for my parents

Taught Kaci how to crochet a frog

Packers lose big to NY Giants (big bummer!)

Jericho Marathon

My niece Kaci spent the night Friday. I taught her how to make that cute little crochet frog. It only took her 4 hours. [and she is only 11 yrs old]. We also made time to do a little shopping and she found these goofy moustaches at Joanns. E dared us to wear them in the next store [Farm and Fleet] so we did and we embarrassed him. It was quite amusing watching people giggle.

Bow-wow made sure to get plenty of one-on-one time in with Kaci too. He shared the recliner with her when she was playing Wii. and he tried to help her crochet. and he gave her plenty of kisses. and he followed her wherever she went.

Snow Is Here

2012-01-13T10:14:00.003-06:00

It's about time Wisconsin. This year winter has been anything but normal [what I consider normal anyways]. I can remember only one other time when we didn't have snow for Christmas day. and I can't remember ever having 50°F weather in January. That just seems so unreal [to me]. I'm not complaining it just feels so weird specially when I am used to a high of 24°F in January.

The inevitable is here now. Time to dig out our boots, shovel and camera. Bowser had a blast in the snow. I think he forgot what it is because he kept digging to the ground, making sure it was still there. If you ever need a snow playmate he is the one to look up.

Let it Snow... for a little while anyways. I hope we don't have snow past February. After that it becomes depressing. It's our first snow fall and I'm already thinking about our garden. It will be our first one and I am really excited to start planning for it. I know, it's [too soon] to be thinking about spring.

Just My Style

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

---

I am currently crushing on tall socks, boots and high heels. I should make it a goal to learn how to walk in heels this year. I seriously can't walk in heels more than 2 inches high. Higher than that I start walking stiff legged and usually end up falling. [any Pointers?]

Teal heels with black pants. Totally sexy!

Dolce Vita Babette Heel

Kimchi Blue Glitter & Suede Platform Heel

Gratitude Tall Boot

Marl Buckle Tall Boot

Tall boots are and always will be my personal favorite look. Tall socks make them even sweeter. For my birthday this year all I want are heels, tall boots, and cute tall socks or leggings. And the spa day my mom has planned for me of course!

Tunesday

2012-01-11T13:19:00.001-06:00

---

You heard it here first! That's right, I'm making up a new day of the week called [Tunesday]. It comes right after Tuesday. See it on the calendar now? Music plays a vital role in my life. When I am feeling stressed or sad with a heavy heart it cheers me up. When I am a busy bee at work it makes me work faster and I am more productive. When I am tired it wakes me up. When I craft, music must be on.

What are you listening to today? I have been a bit stressed lately so I am filling my play lists with upbeat, inspiring music. Today is full of songs by Train. I [re]discovered Train after hearing their new song [Drive By] on Spotify.

I really like the chorus for the song [Words]. It doesn't really apply to my streses but it's still a feel good song.

[Skyscraper] is another song full of good lyrics. I imagine my husband and/or best friend singing this song to me.

Also worth listening to;
Bully by Shinedown
Northern Lights by Cider Sky
Dia Frampton's new CD Red [I love the whole thing]

Week 1 [Project Life]

2012-01-10T19:22:00.000-06:00

...and here is week one of Project Life. Our goal last week was to relax at home, unwinding from our holiday travels. So I focused my pages on the weekly grind. The things we tend to do after work on a weekly bases. Our life is about low-key weeknights and high energy weekends.

...a closer look... E likes to play MW3 online with one of his friends and my father. When he is playing MW3 I can be found crocheting or reading on the couch.

we also watch plenty of tv shows and movies via Netflix. Our latest [thing] was watching Burn Notice. The TV series was very interesting. I learned all sorts of [Spy tricks], whether they are real or not I'll never know [no biggie]. Plus the main characters all have dynamic personalities that keep you entertained. We watched 4 seasons in a month and a half. And we are dieing to see Season 5 that just finished airing in December.

Project Life

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

After debating the idea of starting a Project Life album... I decided [Yes]! It only took one whole day to decide, and yeah, that is kind of fast for me. In the end the answer was a no-brainer.

---

I love scrapbooking and have been doing it for the past 8 years. But in the past few years I've picked up more crafting hobbies than one can handle so I stopped making time to scrapbook. I sat down to scrap maybe two times in the last year and a half. and that is sad to me. The reason I scrap is to preserve memories [not just photos]... When you look through photo albums you see a bunch of photos and some may spark your memory of the story behind it, but a lot of the photos won't do that [not for me anyways]. So I started scrapbooking to try and remember the little details that made that particular moment special. Plus one day when I am not around someone else can look at the photos and know exactly why I took that photo.

Like I said, I stopped making time for all this because it became too time consuming. Plus the added pressure to follow the current trend. I became more obsessed with the embellishments and look of the page than the actual memory I wanted to preserve.

my cover page

I feel that project life is a hybrid between plain jane photo albums and extravagant scrapbooking. I love the idea of that. Easy minimal design work. My goal is to be able to preserve my special memories without spending a lot of time worrying about the embellishments. I will take more everyday photos. I will print them. I will preserve them in my album along with special notes. I will know exactly why I took that photo 10 years down the road.

Bits and Pieces

2012-01-05T12:49:00.003-06:00

I am really excited about a couple of projects I will be wrapping up this year.
1.] this quilt. I am a rookie when it comes to sewing and have no interest to start making quilts but I found this lovely one about 4 months ago and fell in love. For Christmas I got a bunch of handy tools that will make the process go much smoother. I hope to have a good experience because I found another quilt I would love to make someday. So maybe...just maybe...I am developing an interest in making quilts...I'm not sure yet.

2.] a granny square blanket. My initial plans were to make 600 squares for a queen size blanket. I'm realizing that my squares are a bit small for that large of a blanket. So I think I should double them in size and use only 300 - 400 squares. [this is also a bit new to me...as you probably already know I've spent the last year crocheting amigurumi animals...not blankets]
Both projects were started for the same purpose...to update the bedding in the guest room. I am starting to decorate it and make the room feel cozy for when we have guests.

and here's a new project. I decided to try and keep a personal journal this year. I really like how the cover turned out and it only took 10 min!

2012-01-01T11:44:00.000-06:00

Pug Love

2011-12-30T15:25:00.002-06:00

I am excited that I finally get to share photos of the pug I made my mom for Christmas. I am thrilled with how well he turned out! From the pug wrinkles to the pads on his feet. He looks just like my mom's real pug [Romeo].

I am even more thrilled that my mom loved it and was actually hoping for a crocheted animal from me. [Pssst...isn't it funny how protectively proud Bowser looks in the very first photo?] I love it.

Project Life

2011-12-29T15:29:00.000-06:00

---

Uh-Oh...I've been seeing "Project Life" pop up now and again on pinterest. I was curious as to what it was but didn't give it much thought...until I read about it over at Run with Scissors. Project life is basically a simplified version of scrapbooking. [a fast and easy way to get those dusty photos off of your computer] You can read more about it here.

I love scrapbooking and think this would be a great idea! Specially since I didn't make time to scrapbook very much last year. And I have a ton of photos on my computer that need to be organized and printed out. I always wondered whats the point of taking photos if they never make it past your computer? [sadly this has happened to me]

So whats the [Uh-Oh] for? I always find neat little projects fellow bloggers have done and I find it inspiring. I then add the project to my [must do list] which is great but then I never actually [do it]. The list just gets too long and out of control so then I throw it away. Does this happen to anyone else? Basically I'm nervous that I will start this and not finish it. Anyways...I am hoping 2012 will be a big year for us so I best be documenting it. [Maybe this could be a weekly Sunday 30 min. project?]

Have you started a Project Life binder? Are you going to?

Ready for 2012?

2011-12-28T11:26:00.000-06:00

---

Are you ready for a new year to begin? I think I am... This year I decided not to make too many goals or resolutions. Quality over quantity type of thing. Actually I kind of told myself not to make any goals...just enjoy the year for what it's worth and go with the flow. [for me, that is actually a pretty big goal to try and accomplish].

For the past two years, I made a goal to read X amount of books each year and have found it to be quite fun and challenging. I love reading but I read in spurts...heavy reading for a few months and then absolutely no reading for a few months. Year one I read 12 books and last year I set out to read 15 books. I did it with two weeks to spare. This next years goal is to read seven specific books....why so few? I just started reading the series A Song of Ice and Fire and each book is pretty large. There are five books in the series and they equal to almost 5,000 pages. The sixth book I want to read is Fall of Giants which is also quite large [Ive been trying to fit this one in for the last year]. Lastly the seventh book is Deadlocked.

25 Boards [Part 1]

2011-12-21T09:14:00.001-06:00

I have the privilege of working at the office for the rest of the week. [Yippee] ...so since I am at the office away from all my personal photos and files and I'm not that busy, I thought it would be a good idea to share one [1] photo from each of my boards on Pinterest. [Psstt...I currently have 25 boards, so I will break this up in 2 parts].

Holiday Cheer

2011-12-20T09:40:00.000-06:00

just wanted to drop in and share a few photos of my party decorations. I went with a simple elegant look. For table decorations I cut apart a real poinsettia plant and wrapped them around candles. Amazingly they lasted all day. The second photo is of the chandelier above the table with ornaments hanging from it.

Does anyone else have a hard time photographing their home? I have bad lighting and find it really hard to get good shots. [reason for lack of photos]

Glitter and Unicorns

2011-12-19T12:21:00.000-06:00

My 11-year old niece loves my amigurumi animals and wants to learn how to make them herself. I started teaching her how but we haven't gotten very far yet. So I knew for sure that I wanted to make one for her as part of her birthday present. I went with a unicorn because I recently found out that she loves them and wants one. Real or not, here you go!

I started by using this pattern, but changed it up a bit. I altered the ears, hair, horn, body, and leg size.

Christmas Light Show

2011-12-15T08:37:00.001-06:00

Last night was pretty exciting for our sweet lil' home! It landed a spot on our local news channel, displaying our light show. Last week the news station asked for viewers to submit photos of their decorated homes to FB. Then this week they would show off one house per show and air live from the "best" home on Friday. Of course I had to enter [my husband takes a lot of pride in decorating our home every year!] We didn't make it as the "best" home but we are pretty pleased with the review we got.

I can't wait for it to snow. The snow is going to make our home look dashing and more Wisconsin-like.

Happy Holidays!

Birdie Blue

2011-12-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

HappyHolidays! This is a shot of our Christmas tree this year! I should take a full length photo because we added a Polar Express train around the skirt. Pretty Sweet. ...Can you spot the bird?

Birdie Blue is my newest creation. I crocheted this particular bird in the past as a gift for newborn twins. Well they were such a hit that I was asked to make one as a Christmas present for a little girl who love birds and the colors bright blue and red. I love how this one turned out. The extra little details make for a spectacular birdie.

SmartPhone Photo Roundup

2011-12-02T08:06:00.001-06:00

Whoa December!

2011-12-01T08:36:00.001-06:00

---

Why hello December! You kind of snuck up on me this year...[well I guess you do every year] But I am okay with it this year because some how I got all my Christmas shopping done last month. In fact I was pretty much done before Black Friday! Now I just have to wrap them.

Since the expensive part is over, I can now focus on the Christmas parties and relaxing! E and I are hosting our yearly Christmas dinner for our families on the 17th. This is the only one we are hosting but we also have plans to attend E's work party, the Eitsert's party, the Young's party, my nieces Chuckie Cheese Birthday outing, and of course we will be visiting our individual families on Christmas Eve and Day. I seriously love how full the calender looks this month. I love visiting with family around the holidays, it just feels right!

For our party I am debating if I should get all Christmas-y and go all out with decorations. I've always dreamed of hosting a little gathering/party with lots of pretty decorations and desserts.

---

breakfast party? uh Yes!

pretty colors

or maybe I should stick to more of a formal set up

---

decisions decisions...
check out more ideas here and here

Goals

2011-11-28T08:47:00.001-06:00

Now that Thanksgiving is long gone...welcome back to busy. I have a few Christmas gifts and orders to complete which I hope to finish in the next couple weeks. Then I can think about working on my goal of reading 15 books this year. I also have a list of specific books I would like to read.

---

Books read so far [listed in no particular order]
1. Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse book 9) by Charlaine Harris
2. Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse book 10) by Charlaine Harris
3. Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse book 11) by Charlaine Harris
4. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
6. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
8. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
9. Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad
10. Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad
11. Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
12. Water for Elephants by Sara G
13. World Without End by Ken Follett
14. Fresh Blood by Jennifer Colgan

Books I would like to read
1. Fall of Giants by Ken Follette
2. The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson
3. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
4. Game of Thrones book series by George R.R. Martin
5. Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
6. Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult
7. Swamplandia by Karen Russell
8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
9. House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Any good books I should add to my list?

Trip

2011-11-22T09:39:00.001-06:00

I'm getting ready to spend a few days with family for Thanksgiving. To kick it off I am visiting my sister and we are going to scrapbook the night away! I am super uper excited...but slightly nervous too. I haven't scrapped in months [literally]. The last time I scrapped was back in May. I am nervous that I will sit and just stare at all my pretty paper and not know what to do with it [scrappers block, you could call it]. To help out I spent a little time searching the internet for inspiration.

Here is what I found...

paint and doodles, I love

I don't know what I love more, the photo or the layout?!

wonderful colors

more paint and layers

love white on white and all the different textures

layers

pretty, paint, layers, texture, I love!

My conclusion is that I really like working with layers, multiple textures and paint. Can't wait to get started. Have a wonderful holiday weekend and happy [Black Friday] shopping. I know I'll be out and about.

Weekend Bliss

2011-11-21T08:56:00.001-06:00

---

I enjoyed a fairly low key weekend. My man was away all weekend deer hunting. [He got a nice doe]. So I filled my free time with lots and lots of crocheting and movie watching.

Saturday
I went to Breaking Dawn Pt1 with my family. It was a good movie, had really cool effects throughout compared the others. Now, I really can't wait for Pt 2 because I think it will make PT1 feel more complete. Plus I can't wait to see Bella as a vampire and to watch Renesme grow up. I wonder how far in their lives PT2 will go. I need to read the book again because I can't remember where it ends.

Sunday
Sunday was my favorite day of all because I got to stay home, watch football [GO Packers!] and crochet. Oh and because my man came home Sunday night. I was surprised how incomplete the house felt without him.

During the game I started working on crocheting a lion. He's almost done, I just need to assemble him. Can't believe how fast it went. I guess I can be pretty productive when I'm home alone.

Wedding of the Year

2011-11-18T10:06:00.001-06:00

I bet you're reading all about it via twitter, facebook, and on the internet in general! The wedding of the year is here! Congratulations Edward and Isabella, soon to be Mr and Mrs Cullen [get used to it Bella].

I am not going to go on and on about all the details and about how excited I am to see Breaking Dawn part 1! [BTW I am going to an early viewing on Saturday with my parents, sister and nieces.]
Instead I am going to share my Twilight [vampire] inspired wedding invitations.

What do you think?
*The top left design can also be found on Minted's blog.

Christmas Love [part 2]

2011-11-04T16:14:00.001-05:00

and here is part 2 of my wonderful Christmas finds. To make this even more fun lets link up! At the end of this post is a spot to link your Christmas inspired blog posts. Can't wait to see them.

Part 1 was all about food and part 2 gets into the decorations! I don't know about you but part 1 put me in the mood to bake and I'm not much of a baker. Want to know why? Its pathetic really. I am quite messy when it comes to baking and I can't stand the mess it makes. So as I'm baking I'm also trying to clean and I get in a big ole rush and then it's no longer fun. If I could get over the mess and just slow down I think it could be fun.

pretty fabric wreath. Simple yet stunning.

it's a blue Christmas

Check this link out for D.I.Y Book Trees.

I wasn't sure I'd have time to fold 60 pages to make this tree but I am half way there and it's going pretty fast.

candle in cranberry jar. I love this and plan to make some for a table centerpiece.

this is quite brilliant. Frozen water balloons! They remind me of Easter eggs. If only it was cold at Easter time...

I love the large paper tree. I have plans

Who knew pine cones could be so pretty?!

I really want to make homemade stockings. Anyone know of an adorable tutorial out there?

I love love love this look!

Back in September I linked up to a bunch of Fall and Halloween decorations and then I set out to make my own. I'm doing the same for Christmas! I'm not sure whats gotten into me this year but I feel the need to decorate the inside of my home. **Don't forget to link up.**

Christmas Love [part 1]

2011-11-02T15:12:00.001-05:00

Remember this post on party ideas? Well I found some more delicious party ideas...holiday style. What I am about to share would work great for a holiday parties or family gathering.

Every year E and I invite our immediate families to our house for Christmas dinner and we hand out our gifts to everyone. This way we don't have to lug the gifts and our dogs down when we visit on Christmas day. I am definitely going to try some of these ideas out this year.

pretty pretty drink decorations

uber cute polar bear cupcakes!

Grinch punch and yogurt covered strawberries. Looks delicious and oh so pretty.

chocolate covered cherries.

this would make a great gift or kids station

lemon cupcake with blackberry and raspberry frosting, what doesn't sound good about that?!

North Pole Strawberry Smoothie. this looks amazing!

when I have kids, I think they should leave this for Santa. anyone know where I can find old style milk bottles?

Stop back tomorrow for Part 2

Fall Creations

2011-11-01T20:23:00.000-05:00

Remember this post? Well I actually created fall decor based off of my finds [and I am ready to share them with you!]

First I want to share with you my favorite wall in the house. This wall can be found in the main living room. [sorry about the the glare on a couple of picture frames]

an over-sized jar decorated with raffia and fabric. I used to use this as a piggy bank. I think this looks much better.

I got crafty and hung an old wooded coca cola crate on the wall and filled it with some fall decor and my crochet creations. I also made the leaf garland based on some tutorials found online. It was super easy and fast to make [I made it in like 15 min.]

simple yet stunning pumpkin display. I call them my pumpkin candles.

and just for fun a shot of the living room. We recently painted it, it used to be a canary yellow. I didn't mind the yellow but I absolutely love the new brown color!

Inspired Monday

2011-10-24T20:20:00.001-05:00

I start each week off with some inspiration as a kick start. This weeks inspiration is quite a bit different than my normal banter about crafts and design work. Deep breath and here we go...

source

Last week I started watching Extreme Couponing on TLC. I didn't realize how [extreme] it is until I watched a full episode. If you haven't seen it, here is what I mean by extreme [total cost = anywhere from $800 - $1,000 and only paying $0 - $50 after coupons]. So extreme that some people dumpster dive for coupons. No freaking way was and still is my reaction. After watching a few episodes it's not hard to start wondering if I can do that or if I can at least cut my grocery bill in half. I'd love to at least save a few bucks here and there specially after we started eating healthy our weekly bill has gone way up.

Don't worry I am not turning extreme and I am not converting my blog into an Extreme Couponing frenzy, I just wanted to share a few key sites I found that you might enjoy [specially if you like coupons].

The Krazy Coupon Lady great source for beginners. Explains coupon lingo, and how to use coupons to get cheap to free items.

Coupons.com, and Smartsource - great places to get coupons

CouponMom does all the work for you. Select your state and store and this site tells you what coupons to use with the current store deals to get the best price possible. Start by watching the videos here, they explain how the database works.

That's it! Do you coupon? I'd love to see what sites or techniques you use.

Giveaway #2

2011-10-22T09:55:00.002-05:00

That's right, eits[art] is taking part in another giveaway! It's over at Run With Scissors [another blog I am sponsoring this month]. This giveaway is showing off the crafty crochet side of me. I have two owl babies up for grabs. Their parents are a bit sad to let them go but it's time to leave the nest. They are great for decorating, but would also make great playmates.

Check out the details here.

side note: Mama owl's headband is removable for your own enjoyment also.

This lil' homemade owl collection is the cutest creation ever [in my opinion]! I am sad they are taking flight, so I plan on making more so I can have my own. Do you make duplicates so you can have [a copy] too? [I specially feel this way about Christmas gifts I get my sister...I have a habit of buying 2 so I can have one too].

Giveaway

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

I am excited to announce that I'm participating in my very first giveaway! eits[art] is a proud sponsor of The Wonder Forest this month and am taking part in her group giveaway. Hop on over and check out her cute blog and shop full of handmade cuties. While you're there don't forget to enter the giveaway.

eits[art] is giving away a custom business card design. I will work with the winner on designing a business card that suits his/her style and needs. Don't have a business? No worries, lets design a card promoting your blog or an artist card announcing to the world your expertise.

Check out some samples of my work here.

*winner will be responsible for printing his/her own cards.

Minted

2011-10-18T21:08:00.000-05:00

I am really excited about the wedding invitation designs I submitted for the Head Over Heels Wedding Invitation Challenge over at minted.com If you're not familiar with Minted hop on over there and check it out. They sell a large assortment of invitations, greeting cards, stationary, and more.

Here are the three designs I submitted to the contest. I would be honored if you would take a couple of minutes to vote/rate my designs. Voting consists of rating each design on a scale of 1 (meh) - 5 (love it) I'm a bit of a newbie at minted so I could really use your help. Simply click on the link below each image to vote.

vote here

Thanks so much for voting, I truly appreciate it.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-15T12:43:00.000-05:00

Remember this post on Fall Decor? Quickly after posting my ideas and inspiration I created my own fall decorations. I say [quickly] because it is not unusual for me to get super inspired, sit on it awhile and then lose interest all together. I had to whip up my creations before I moved on to the next new thing. Do you have that problem?

The pumpkin patch is one of many fall items I created. I had a blast making them because they are fast and super easy to make. Find out for yourself with this tutorial.

Mini Shoot

2011-10-12T20:28:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just have to fill time with a mini shoot! Over the past weekend we went to my cousins wedding, which turned out wonderful [by the way]. It was a perfect fall day, sunny and in the eighties. OK, so maybe not a fall day at all but it was excellent weather. Good thing because the ceremony was outside under a tent. It was beautiful.

We had about a two hour lay over period between the ceremony and reception. We hung out, talked, enjoyed some sun and did an impromptu photo shoot. In fact, it turned into a photo shoot by accident. Most of the shots are candid and a few poses to get updated photos of each other. I especially needed some new photos of E and I to update my frames and scrapbooks.

candid shot of the boys standing around talking [about vehicles I believe]

updated shots of E and I. I know we both have sunglasses on, which is no surprise to me. It's hard to get E out of his and sometimes I think I look better in photos with them on [security blanket I guess.]

my sister and her boyfriend. I love these shots because they are both so candid yet perfect. These are the shots I got in between poses. Looks like true happiness to me!

I like this photo even though there heads are totally blown out. I tried to get a sun burst in this shot but we had the wrong angle. Maybe next time.

Fall Photos

2011-10-11T20:03:00.001-05:00

Fall is my favorite season by far! I love everything about it, except for the sinus problems I get with the season change every year. I love pumpkins, the crisp air, overall color change, lattes, sweatshirts, etc. I could go on and on but instead I'll share a few photos I took this past weekend.

Pinteresting

2011-10-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

Hello Monday! I can't say I'm ready for the work week to begin yet again but I can say I had a refreshing weekend. I spent a lot of time outside and away from the computer/internet besides the occasional twitter and facebook update check via my HTC phone. It was nice to just enjoy the moments of the weekend and not have to think about design work, crochet ideas or be overwhelmed with loads of inspiration. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE working on new design and crochet projects but sometimes one just needs a little break. I just might start reserving Sundays for [go out and live freely] days.

Here is some crochet/knit inspiration for your week

wooden hooks

jersey knit bracelets

crochet love

knit cozies

keep yarn organized and clean

Randomness [story time]

2011-10-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

Hello October! Are you ready for Halloween? I'll admit it, I Love/Hate Halloween dearly. I [love] decorating for it, I love getting dressed up to hand out candy, I love pumpkins and caramel apples and corn mazes. On the flip side I [Hate] haunted houses, well I hate almost anything that is scary. and I'm not exaggerating! Just thinking about past experiences gives me chills.

Every year [up until six years ago] I used to make myself go to haunted houses [one a year]. In fact I got excited for them...until I got there. When I got there I would get very anxious and nervous. When I got inside I felt a strong need to get out as fast as possible. If you've ever been in a haunted house you know there is no [fast] way out. I think this is what bothered me most...not knowing which way is out. OH and being in the dark. and the scary sounds, screams, scary people jumping out at you. What is there to like about haunted houses?

It was six years ago I hit my low. I went to a haunted house with my mom and sister and I don't remember a thing about it. I walked through it hanging on to my sister, eyes closed, ears plugged. It was then I decided to give up trying.

---

I blame it on my mom [cheeky smile]. I clearly remember when I was fairly young she made me go into a haunted house with her and my older sister even though I was pretty scared and maybe even crying. I just remember pleading with her to take me home. ...At the very end of the house, I slid down a slide and there he was...the man with a chainsaw. I darted for the door but didn't quite make it. He cornered me for what felt like minutes before I could leave the house.

We all laugh about my fear of haunted houses and every year they ask me if I'm sure I don't want to go to one. Funny haha but I DON'T think so!

Panoramic Photo Tutorial

2011-10-06T15:42:00.000-05:00

Ever want to take a photo of a wide scene that just won't fit in your camera's view finder? Photoshop CS5 has a new amazing feature to turn a pile of photos into one panoramic photo. And it's EASY! [earlier versions have a similar option, but it does not work as well.]

Keep reading to find out how I turned this pile of photos into a panoramic view.

Before

After

This is the view from my driveway. This past summer the village re-routed the street a bit. So I had to take before and after photos. This is the [Before] shot. I still need to take the [After] shot.

Step 1: Standing in front of your scene take a large array of photos. Starting from the far right and working your way to the far left. Keep in mind to try and stand in the same spot, or take your photos from the same angle. You will get better results this way.

Step 2: Open Photoshop CS5. Go to File > Automate > Photomerge

Step 3: a dialog box will appear as shown below. A.) Make sure under Layout, the first option is selected. B.) Click on the Browse button. You are now adding the photos you shot. Find and select all the photos you want to use and C.) click OK.

a list of your files will appear in the big white box. Click OK in the Photomerge dialog box.

After you click OK, your computer will take over for a minute and compose your photo. WARNING: It will take a few minutes, depending on your machine. It took about 5 minutes on mine. So now would be a good time to go grab a cup of coffee.

When your computer is done you should have something that looks like this. Not what you wanted? Don't worry we're not done yet. Now comes the tricky part, specially if you don't know Photoshop.

Step 4: Using the Crop tool [circled in red], crop your photo, cutting off most of the blank space. Be sure not to cut off too much of your main subject. It is OK to leave some blank space because we can fill it in.

how it looks after being cropped.

Step 5: Flatten the image, so it's easier to work with. [advanced Photoshop users, you can work with individual layers if you like]. To flatten the image, click on the down arrow in the Layers Palette > Flatten Image

Step 6: Now we are ready to fill in the white spaces. There are many ways to tackle this step. One of the easiest ways is using the Patch and/or Clone Stamp tool. First you should know what each tool does.

Patch = retouches image using sampled pixels or pattern [works great for patterned areas, ie. tree leaves or gravel]

Clone Stamp = used to clone imagery from one image to another (also samples pixels)

To use the Patch tool, select it (shown below), select an area you want to sample pixels from by clicking and dragging to form a box or oval shape [ie, tree leaves, shown below]. Click and drag to the white space. You may need to play around with this a bit to get the hang of it and to see what it does exactly. You can also adjust the settings in the settings bar to get the results you want. I suggest to select a small area to start with. The larger the area you select the less control you have.

To use the Stamp tool, it is located right below the Patch tool. Select it, ALT-click (PC), Option-click (MAC) an area you want to sample pixels from. Click on white space, it should fill in your white space. It's kind of like a copy and paste feature. Once again you can adjust the settings in the settings bar to get different results.

and BAM, you have a Panoramic photo. You can't even tell where I touched up the trees.

The fine print...I'm not a professional trainer nor do I wish to be. and I'm definitely not an expert in Photoshop. I simply know how to use Photoshop through my training as a graphic designer. I tried to write the instructions out in the easiest form possible. If I left something out or if you have any questions let me know. I'd be happy to help you out. I hope you find this tutorial helpful.

the Process

2011-10-04T14:31:00.000-05:00

Design doesn't just happen, it's a process. A process where you take a mediocre design and turn it into a spectacular design. Take this wedding invite for example...

The overall design was inspired by the bride's wedding dress that was made by her mom. and Spring of course. The bride's color of choice was a bold red. Excellent!

Phase 1: Bold and Stunning. Colors are reversed making the piece [pop], demanding for your attention. A little too much attention for the look we were going for. Disadvantage; small white text is harder to read.

Phase 2: The opposite of phase 1. Still a stunning design but demands less attention. Clean and fairly simple option using same fonts and colors as above. A little [flat] for my taste.

Phase 3: Testing out different fonts and background options. I love playing with fonts and am always finding it hard to decide. The background turned this design into ordinary...looks like a template. Last I checked we were going for spectacular...[right?!]

Phase 4 [final design]: a Perfect balance. It is bold but not too demanding. and [I love this part] we were able to incorporate the actual lace from the brides dress. So fun! Now we have a spectacular design.

I hope you enjoyed my design process. Of course this isn't the whole process, phase 1 began after I did a lot of brainstorming, doodling, experimenting, and deciding. I guess you could say these are the final 4 phases of the whole process.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Monday Inspiration

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been spending a lot of time painting, rearranging furniture and updating the decor in my house. E helped with the painting and moving large furniture but I'm the master mind behind the decor choices and where the furniture goes. He goes along with most of my ideas. Truthfully he could care less what I do unless I were to paint the living room pink or teal. No worries....I would never do that...or would I?!

Check out what is fueling my inspiration. More home decor ideas can be found here.

I love the rustic look of this piece. Plus I like the comforting verse painted on it.

Psst...I totally recruited E to help me make this coffee table. Dana over at Wonder Forest made it sound so easy to make, plus I knew it would look awesome with the style I have going on in our family room. We had our challenges and wanted to quit many times in the process but in the end it all turned out and looks amazing. I blame our challenges on the pallets...they were pretty old.

I absolutely love the texture in this painting. I really enjoy painting but am not so sure I could pull this off... If I find a place in my home for a large scale painting, I just might have to hire a creative friend to make me something similar.

I love tea and I love this painting. I wish I had room for it in my kitchen. Maybe a smaller version or a print?

I need to try this! My kitchen sink is a cluttered mess.

I collect bottles and love this idea. This would look awesome as my kitchen table centerpiece. Candle lit dinners may be in our future!

It is supposed to be nice and sunny all week here in Wisconsin so I hope to get good photos of all my creations I have been claiming I made.

Randomness

2011-09-30T15:06:00.000-05:00

I'm really enjoying my Randomness Fridays! I hope you are having fun getting to know me! Don't forget to ask me any random questions you may have. I'm not typically good at talking about myself, so I really hope this helps me connect with other creative souls! [psst...everyone is creative in their own way...you just need to find that side of you].

On with it...
Above is a mish mash of me. I actually dressed in something other than PJ's, did my hair and makeup so I had to fit in a mini photo shoot this morning. Check that out, I fit in the color red, why? Tomorrow WI Badgers play Nebraska. It's sort of a big deal around here. I'll wear red again tomorrow. Badger/Wisconsin fans, please don't wear black tomorrow.

I am listening to Switchfoot new album Vise Versa and am loving some of the lyrics.

Bullet Soul
I wanna sing one for all the dreamers
I'm singing this one for the sparks
Here's one for the friction makers
We are the bleeding hearts
Don't care whoever you are

We rise and fall together
Our hearts still beat below
You can't stand by forever
You're a kid with a bullet soul
I guess I like the keywords "dreamers", "friction makers" and "soul".

Afterlife
Everyday
The world is made
A chance to change
But I feel the same

And I wonder why
would I wait till I die
to come alive?
I’m ready now
I’m not waiting for the afterlife
I admire people who live everyday as if it's their last, and the ones who truly live life to it's fullest. I wish I could say I do this but I don't. I get caught up in the everyday chores, fears, worries, etc. Everyday I tell myself I am going to let go of all my fears and worries and just live life. Everyday I get a step closer but I have a ways to go.

Tea Party

2011-09-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

Photos from my bachelorette party thrown by my sister. My only request was to follow a tea party theme and have everyone bring a recipe. At that point in time [and still to this day] I love[d] tea and trying out new recipes.

Instead of having a full meal, we had the party around tea time and served delicate finger foods... tomato sandwiches [which taste better than they sound!], keish, cupcakes, cookies, etc. Of course we served tea along with juice for the non tea drinks. Psst..I drank mimosa. Double YuM!

For the decorations; I hung pom balls from the chandelier and made butterfly tags for each guest. The tags sat nicely on their cup...or not so nicely, if you don't attach the butterfly just right it falls off no problem. and we had balloons for added fun.

I was pleased with the wonderful recipes I received. I even received a few like the one below. Is it not wonderful?! Yes, Yes it is.

Monday Inspiration

2011-09-26T09:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, Yes! It's Monday already [sigh]. Weekends and vacations just seem to fly by where the work day likes to drag on. Here is a little inspiration to kick start your week and make Monday a little sweeter.

I love Tea, specially during the cold months.

Pretty colors!

Owl Pillows in pretty fall colors!

Quilt love

Thread...more pretty colors

Yarn covered letters...I must make a few of these!

Happy Monday! Make something beautiful this week.

Randomness

2011-09-23T11:03:00.002-05:00

A. Age: 27
B. Bed size: Queen and it's not big enough. We are both bed hogs who fight for bed space.
C. Chore that you hate: Laundry
D. Dogs: Pomeranian - with a big attitude problem and an Old English Bulldog who is a huge baby.
E. Essential start to your day: Waking up. Oh and a cup of hot tea during the cold months.
F. Favorite color: Green
G. Gold or Silver: Silver for sure
I. Instruments you play: Zip. Zero. Notta. Can't even whistle!
J. Job title: Just one? I have so many, my employer just keeps tagging them on. Lead Desktop Publisher, Assistant DTP Manager and Project Manager.
K. Kids: None so far
L. Live: Wisconsin
M. Mother’s name: Cheryl
N. Nicknames: Special K (absolutely no reference to the drug), my husband likes making fun of me when I screw things up.
O. Overnight hospital stays: None, that I'm aware of
P. Pet peeves: When people don't use their turning signal. When someone says they are going to do something and never do it.
Q. Quote from a book: Oh and I suppose the apples ate the cheese? --Katniss from The Hunger Games
R. Right or left handed: I'm a Lefty
S. Siblings: Older Sister, Danielle
U. Umbrella: I have a black and white polka dot one
V. Vegetable you hate: Mushrooms, yuck! Technically they are not vegetables but I still hate them!
W. What makes you run late: believe it or not, my husband.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth and Chest. At different times of course
Y. Yummy food that you make: I'm always cooking new things, trying out new recipes. My newest favorite is grilled steak with Farmers Market Corn Toss. The corn dish is amazing!
Z. Zoo animal: Lions and rhinos!

Fall Decor

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tis the season to start filling my house with Fall decorations! Good thing because I have a long list of fall ideas to make...and it just keeps getting longer. Here are a few pieces I plan on making for sure. Above: I have 2 similar candle holders I am going to use to hold mini pumpkins.

Candle Apples? ...how about pumpkin candles? I feel that apples won't keep very long so instead I plan on using mini pumpkins for this project.

Neat idea, thankful tree. Can you guess why I love this? Because it has raffia wrapped around the jar! I can definitely pull this one off, I have an over sized jar full of sticks to put to good use. Instead of tags, how about leaves or poms?!

I love all the empty photo frame ideas I am finding. I have an old gold frame that will fit the season. I am not sure if I will fill it with leaves or instax photos...

Fabric pumpkins, my favorite craft find so far! They look super easy to make. I have a feeling I will be making a lot of these.

I already made some leaf garland. I'm thinking I need to make a few more strands of it so I can use it in multiple spots in my house.

This weekend is Apple Fest in Gays Mills, Wisconsin! I am super excited. This is where we get all of our pumpkins and eat lots of caramel apples and apple pizza.

P.S. Can't wait to show off what I make! Stay tuned...

Flower Decorations

2011-09-20T19:15:00.000-05:00

When designing my wedding invitations I fell in love with raffia and found other neat ways to incorporate it in the decorations. The flower ensemble shown above was designed to hang off the side of the church pews. I went with daisies and eucalyptus for my flower choices. I love how daisies look [plus they are fairly cheap] and the eucalyptus smells great [it pretty much doesn't die and always smells nice].

Designing reception decorations on a small budget can be quite difficult and was one of my biggest hurtles to clear. Well...I did it...and I did it well. I created the vase ensemble above using recycled Coca Cola bottles [the Christmas edition] and raffia. Total cost per vase = $1.50.

I am sad that this is the best photo I have of the reception decor. This photo is of the 'test' I did to make sure my idea a.) worked and b.) met my expectations. For the real deal I used orange and red carnations with eucalyptus [to match my bouquet...see below].

I absolutely love how my bouquet turned out. Looks fallish to me!

2nd Anniversary

2011-09-19T10:46:00.000-05:00

Today is the our [big] day. It's our second wedding anniversary. I know it's not as big of a deal as our first or as our fifth or tenth will be, but it's still fun to get excited over. I think this is my favorite day of the year. It's also exciting because every year we take this week off from work for vacation. Last year we revisited our honeymoon spot in Bayfield, WI. This year will be a little more low key. We've planned some house projects to complete [story of our lives], but today is set aside to head to the city for a date. We are going out to dinner and a movie along with some mini golf.

In blog land, I set this day aside to share some of my favorite wedding photos and moments.

officially Mr. and Mrs. Eitsert

the wedding party. [I love how we paired one bridesmaid with two groomsmen!]

the men played on the school playground across from the church while waiting for the big hour to arrive. Bottom left photo = Hollywood shot requested by my niece Kaci. Love it.

this surprised me the most. I honestly didn't think they would do it. I love that they did! P.S. a year after this was washed off...you could still see a hint of residue it left behind.

the groom giving his thanks!

left = I love my moms outfit! It was fall[ish] and perfect. right = E and his grandparents, cutest couple ever.

Random Fact[s] Friday

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

---

Recent Activities: Last night my husband and I played some tennis. I got second place! [oh wait only two of us were playing, yah - I'm not very good.] I hope to get some more game time in before the cold settles in.
Loves: Fall. I feel the need to add a touch of fall to my home decor. This is new for me...I usually don't decorate until Halloween. How can I resist ideas like these:

---

Want to make some caramel apples with me? I think this is a must this year!

new Season TV shows: yup, a new season of TV shows is starting. That means no more Rookie Blue [I'm gonna miss it], but now we get to pick back up on 90210, Gossip Girl, and Parenthood. Wow, I kind of sound like a TV junkie...but I'm not. We tape all our shows and save them for rainy days.

Reads: Yup, I even find time to read. I just started the first book in the Hunger Games series.

Upcoming Excitement: Vacation time! Off from work all next week. No big plans but lots of R&R and some house projects. I'm pretty pumped!

Don't forget to submit your random questions!

Party Ideas

2011-09-14T13:39:00.002-05:00

Oh, I just have to share some of my [pinteresting] finds with you! I have a board named Party Ideas with some excellent ideas! I really want to throw a party just so I can try some of them!

How about a Dexter themed Halloween party? I am not a huge Dexter fan, I've only seen maybe 4 episodes before I started having weird dreams. I'm a dreamer...I guess that's what happens when you have a vivid imagination? But it would also work as a Vampire themed party...

---

on the flip side, how about an upbeat balloon party?

---

I'd love to make these to hand out to everyone at my balloon party!

---

more food ideas. [found on my Food Love board] I'm getting a sweet tooth just looking at these photos!

---

Well, I'm off to raid a candy shop, cupcake shop, or maybe an ice cream shop? Or maybe I'll just get back to work [boo!] It's photos like these that make it hard to stick to a [healthy eating diet]...

Guest Books (cont'd)

2011-09-12T19:34:00.001-05:00

Here are a few more neat Guest Book alternatives.

I absolutely love this idea. I actually wish I would have done something like this.

How cool is this finger print idea? I think it would be neat for everyone to sign their print. Presto - instant artwork for your home!

This would look pretty neat on a wall also.

Guest Libs?! Yes Please! How fun would it be to read through these?!

Guest Book

2011-09-12T13:55:00.000-05:00

I couldn't justify dishing out money for a generic guest book. They range in price from $20-$50. [and that's just for a pretty hardcover book with lined pages on the inside]. I needed something a bit more custom and a lot less boring. I wanted a book I could put on my shelf and actually have the urge to look through it once in awhile [like a photo album].

Knowing I wanted something custom, fairly cheap and fast assembly I came up with a [scrapbook-like] guest book. Not only did I create plenty of space for names and addresses, I also added pages for our guests to add messages/advice to the bride and groom. ...As we enjoy our life as a married couple I may even add to this book.

I even scrapped a few photos throughout the book. [my favorite part of all]

[A pocket to hold tickets from special events; WI Badger Football games, Hockey game, etc]

The sweet little note I got with my engagement ring. This kind of has a story behind it... When we were considered friends, [just hanging out], E asked me to be his girlfriend by presenting me with a fake ring from a vending machine with a similar note to this. I thought it was pretty clever and original. I even included the fake ring in the wedding by attaching it to our ring bearer pillow.

I hope you enjoyed viewing my guest book as much as I do, and that it inspires you to think outside the box.

Random Fact[s] Friday

2011-09-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Ready to get to know me a bit better? Every Friday I will share a few random facts about me and/or my family. Some facts may be interesting and some may be right down boring. Leave a comment if you have a question you would like me to answer.

Here we go...

Full Name: Krista L.A. Eitsert

Favorite Color: Green, just about any shade except for hunter green.

Music on my ipod: a little bit of everything; The Script, Nicki Minaj, Brittney Spears, One Republic, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Eric Church, Luke Bryan... just to name a few

Current Projects: attempting my first Quilt, a logo design, crocheting baby booties

the lovely Quilt I am going to attempt. I am seriously excited to get started. I am making it to use as a comforter on the bed in our spare bedroom. I have lots and lots of cutting ahead of me.

photo of my fabric bin!

upcoming Excitement: Football season [go Greenbay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers!], 2 year wedding anniversary, Fall

Randomness: I bite my nails when I get nervous

Designing on a Budget

2011-09-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Without further ado here are my wedding invitations! I am beyond excited to be sharing them with all of you [...finally].

Remember the post about my [Save the Date] postcards? Look familiar? It is a good idea to have similar or matching Save the Date cards and Invitations. Save the Date cards set the tone and introduce your wedding for the first time. First impressions are key [even for events like a wedding].

and if you're curious about the sizes I went with...

I chose sizes that work well with mailing on a budget. All the pieces bundled together fit in an A2 envelope. I had to use a normal 42 cent stamp but where I saved money was by mailing the RSVP cards as postcards [cheaper stamp]. I also saved money during the printing process because I was able to print multiple invites on one 8.5x11 piece of paper [saving money and paper!]

This is how they look bundled together. I wrapped a fat ribbon around the invite and layered it with raffia. Psst...I'll show you later on how I also used the raffia with the table centerpieces!

one last look

Even though it was a challenge, I had a blast designing all the pieces.

Inviting Inspiration

2011-09-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Designing my wedding invitations was the most challenging part. I thought it was going to be super easy with my design background but it's a whole different story when it comes to designing for yourself. I was overloaded with inspiration and had ideas running in so many different directions. I wasn't sure what direction to go. I really had to sit down and look at all my options and decide what would suit our [Fall] wedding the best. I thought long and hard about potential decorations I would be using along with our wedding colors and the tone I was trying to set for the day. Don't get me started on all the different size options [cheeky smile].

I knew two things for sure from the get-go 1.] our wedding colors were Burnt Orange and Tealness, 2.] I wanted to design on a budget [printing invitations and mailing them can get quite pricey].

I found a lot of my inspiration from Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine[s]/website, the knot, previous designs I've done, and only if Pinterest was around back then [if it was, I was oblivious].

Here are some of my favorites!

I designed this invite for a friend of a friend who got married back in 2007. I changed the names and specific details to protect their identity. I just love this invite. The lace background is from the brides wedding dress [her talented mom was making it, AMazing!]

Left to right [one sentence per image]... I love hand drawn maps [and the colors]. Pinks and blues, oh my, they remind me of cotton candy and festivals. I like the big text and general layout. Anything artsy and illustrated has my attention. I absolutely love the text treatment on the main invite for this one. More text love. What can I say...I love decorative text!

Check out my Wedding Love board on Pinterest.

Stay tuned for my wedding invites...

Back to School [office] Cool

2011-09-06T08:44:00.000-05:00

Ok! Ok! So I'm not in school any more but it's fun to pretend [right?]. Back in June, I started working from home and I report to the office every once in awhile. Well today is one of those days where I have to report to the office [sigh]. So I thought it would be fun to do a small back to school [ah, I mean office] photo shoot.

Right now I am obsessed with layers! They look cute and keep me warm and if I get too warm they peel right off. Perfect for fall weather. Just about everything I am wearing was bought on sale, [gotta love that]. Pssst...one last detail, that shirt, is actually a Miley Cyrus dress, the top portion does not fit quite right so I cut it off and wear it as a skirt [big smile].

Beautiful Big Bold Hair

2011-09-02T08:30:00.001-05:00

big + messy = perfect

I absolutely love [big messy] hairstyles [that are low maintenance] of course. I love playing around with new hairstyles but at the same time I hate taking the time to actually do my hair. Doesn't make sense, I know. This leads me to love messy up-do's. On average you will find me with the highest, messiest ponytail possible. All other days, I have a low side ponytail or braid with a head band.

Over at Pinterest I have a board called My Style, one of my favorites. This board contains must-try hairstyles and clothes [that I would love to add to my closet].

Here are a few of my favorite styles

side braid

I LIKE

Audrey Hepburn

messy locks

the Beginning...

2011-09-01T09:00:00.011-05:00

Hello September! I am thrilled to take this month to share my wedding story [that took place 2 years ago] and all the hard work that went into it. Yup, that includes lots of inspiration and a few D.I.Y projects. Are you ready? I sure am, I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am! Instead let start with the story…at the beginning…

How we met
Every year I try and do something fun for New Years Eve. Well in 2007 at the last minute all of my plans came to a halt. What…no plans…and only a few hours until [go] time? At that point in my life, no plans felt depressing. I called up my sister to see what her and her BF plans were in hopes they had some. Ah ha, they did. They were going over to E’s parent's house for a small off the radar party [hey that’s better than nothing]. I drove an hour to my sisters’ house to get ready.

The three of us made our way to E’s house and enjoyed a night of partying. E was nice and so was his brother and friends. I enjoyed my night of mingling, dancing and being silly. It was a night I needed, a break from my usual clan.

The next day D [my sister] thought we should invite E over. Now is a good time to mention she had been trying to hook us up for the past two years even though I had a BF the first year. E came over to hang out for a while, he even brought over his motorcycle to take me for a spin. [January + Wisconsin = Cold and Snow covered]. As crazy as it was…it was pretty cool.

…pretty much after New Years I started hanging out with E [a lot], just about every day for at least a few hours [good thing we lived in neighboring cities]. A month later we were officially dating.

the Engagement
A year after we started dating E and I were spending the weekend at his parent's house visiting and enjoying the simple life. [by the simple life I mean enjoying the laid back atmosphere of a small town, getting away from the hectic city life.] Whenever we would visit, E would take me on truck rides down in the “bottoms” where he and his friends used to go bajaing when they were in high school. I really enjoyed riding around the “bottoms” listening to his “back in the day” stories.
On this truly cold weekend in February of 2008 [oohh my birthday month and Valentine day] E wanted to take his truck to the “bottoms” and play around. I really, really didn’t want to go because it was so cold out and what if he got stuck? Reluctantly I went with him [good thing]. So we are down in the “bottoms” and E starts to whip a donut and “acted” like he hit something. I told him it was the music and let just get back to the house. Instead of listening to me he jumps out of the truck and fiddles with the tailgate, then he comes to my door [and my stomach dropped because I was pretty sure what was about to come]. I was right…he opened my door and nervously asked “So will you...you know marry me?” I said “Of Course”
The whole ride home we were calling friends and family!

30 Day Challenge Recap

2011-08-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

Remember this post talking about the 30 Day Photo Challenge? Well I stuck with it and followed all the prompts for 30 consecutive days! Wahoo! I am proud of myself for completing this! [honestly, I knew for sure I could take the photos but I really wasn't sure if I would blog all of them]. I love reading blogs and looking at all the pretty pictures, [I even enjoy blogging] but blogging every day is something I am not good at. [I haven't developed the habit or routine quite yet]. Blogging takes time and discipline. I have neither of the two.

Anyways...hope you enjoy my recap! Just about every photo has a little story with it so be sure scroll through my blog to read them.

Day 30 - in Motion

2011-08-30T12:39:00.003-05:00

That's my big puppy acting crazy. He LOVES running around fetching sticks, the bigger the better [always up for a challenge]. I love how he looks like a mini deer.

Day 29 - Something Purchased

2011-08-29T08:42:00.003-05:00

My newest big purchase = Amazon Kindle. I absolutely love it.

Day 28 - Daily Routine

2011-08-29T08:40:00.002-05:00

Daily Routine = Crochet

Day 27 - After Dark

2011-08-29T08:08:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend my Nieces spent the night Saturday, so we went s'moring. Ah, yes it's a made up word that came out of my husbands mouth when reviewing what we did. Every time KC comes over she ask E to make her s'mores... so they make a few in the microwave [cheaters]. So this time we planned a campfire and made real s'mores [hence s'moring]

P.S. I took this photo with my Instax Mini 7S. I am so excited how well the photo turned out! Yeah, my camera takes great photos in the dark!

Day 26 - Something Old

2011-08-29T07:28:00.003-05:00

When my camera gives me lemons I make lemonade. [how about you?] Sadly this photo turned out blurry. Instead of tossing it [and I really wanted to] I made it into a little art project. Using marker I added in my own details. [Not so blurry now, are ya. Ha!] Well ok it's still blurry and faded but it looks much cooler. I should have taken a before and after shot [darn!]. Next time (and I'm sure there will be a next time)

Save the Date

2011-08-26T16:43:00.003-05:00

Well obviously it's too late for [September 19, 2009], but I have a nice surprise in store for September 2011! It's been two years since my wedding and I am [finally] ready to share all the details with you! What took so long? I've been asking myself this very question. The answer is quite simple... it took me a year to recover from wedding planning and another year to dig up the courage/motivation to sort everything. I found 5 CDs family members gave me with photos, a DVD with raw footage of the day, and my wedding planner [full of inspiration, and receipts]. Oh and I still have the flower girl baskets and card box that I made. Whew...this is going to be a lot of work but oh so very fun!

Are you ready for all the inside details on how I planned my wedding and how it all went down? I am uber excited about the posts I have planned. I am seriously giddy about this. I love weddings [specially my own] and am trying my hardest not to take my dress out of storage.

Day 25 - Sun flare

2011-08-25T15:17:00.005-05:00

I must share this [lovely] photo I took while vacationing in Frankenmuth, MI. Read my story and see more photos posted here.

Day 24 - Smile

2011-08-25T15:11:00.003-05:00

I love this boys toothy grin! Never gets old.

Day 23 - Sunset

2011-08-23T14:13:00.005-05:00

These photos were taken [by my husband] last month right after a big wind storm. The sky turned bright orange. It was absolutely beautiful! I am so proud of my husband for taking these amazing photos!

Day 22 - Trees

2011-08-23T13:50:00.003-05:00

This seems to happen every time we get a decent storm. Good thing most of the strong storms seem to bypass [Blanchardville]! Well, ok, this may be a slight exaggeration, we don't normally loose this big of a branch but we do loose a lot of branches.

Day 21 - Pretty Pattern

2011-08-23T13:48:00.001-05:00

This is a close-up photo of one of my new favorite shirts.

Day 20 - What I Read

2011-08-22T08:51:00.004-05:00

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. I finished reading this book a week ago and I still think about it. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors and this book is no exception. He is great at writing about relationships [creating characters with great chemistry]. Unfortunately most of his books either have sad endings or deal with some type of heartbreak. I was thrilled this book had a couple of twists and ended on a good note.

Day 19 - Where I Slept

2011-08-19T16:15:00.005-05:00

This is where I turn to for rest and relaxation. I love nothing more than snuggling up in my comfy comforter [even in the summer months] at the end of a day. I view sleep as a way to rejuvenate my body and soul. When I've had a long day sleep is my cure.

Birdie Love

2011-08-19T10:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! I am excited to share my birdie love with you all today! I crocheted these cuties for twin girls back in June. I chose purple and pink yarn because I thought the colors looked great together and I already had them on hand. Upon visiting the new twins I found out that their nursery was decked out in a similar shade of purple. EEK, could I have picked better colors? I had no idea how their nursery was decorated. This made my day, [what are the odds]? I used Vanna's Choice baby yarn by Lion Brand [I just love it].

Check out my little photo shoot I did before sending them off to their new home.
P.S. The twins have an older sister who loves taking care of the birds and carrying them around until they are old enough to take over. [so cute]

Day 18 - in my bag

2011-08-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

That's right, watch out, I carry pepper spray in my bag. [Thankfully] I've never had to use it and hope it stays that way! Plus my bag is so big that it takes me five minutes to find my car keys in it...I hope I can find the pepper spray much faster if I ever need to!

What's in your bag?

Day 17 - on a shelf

2011-08-17T14:21:00.002-05:00

A window sill is considered a shelf, right? I thought so. This is my favorite spot in the kitchen. I love the phrase [Another day in Paradise] because that is exactly where I am at. Plus I really enjoy looking out the window.

Day 16 - Something I ate

2011-08-16T16:03:00.003-05:00

Well...obviously I didn't eat straws today. I am not a big fan of taking photos of food that I eat. [sounds weird, I know]. Instead I thought I would take this opportunity to share my love for straws. I am like a kid [I drink out of a straw 99% of the time]. It's a habit that I can't break [nor do I want to even try]

Mini Vacation

2011-08-15T21:25:00.007-05:00

At the beginning of this month we took a mini vacation with the in-laws. We drove 8 hours to a little German town named Frankenmuth [Michigan]. The whole reason for the trip was to go visit the [Worlds Largest CHRISTmas] store. When we got there we quickly realized there was a whole lot more to explore than the CHRISTmas store. The whole town resembled Germany, all the store employees even dressed in traditional German clothes. Here are a few photos [I'll share more as I get them edited]. This is the hotel we stayed in. It had 5 swimming pools [one with a waterfall, an arcade room, and mini golf.

The whole town was decorated with amazing flowers. I called them plants on steroids.

Pretending to be penguins!

Day 15 - Shoes

2011-08-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

I scored these beauties at a garage sale this past spring. Every spring my husband and I attend several city-wide garage sales. I love going to garage sales because you never know what you will find! My two favorite things to [hunt] for are home decor and furniture.

Weekend Shots, Day 13 and 14

2011-08-15T09:09:00.005-05:00

Day 13 - From a distance. This is the church across from my house. I don't attend this particular church but I took a photo of it because the landscaping and street are recently new.
Day 14 - Flowers

Day 12 - Close-up

2011-08-15T09:05:00.002-05:00

The other day when I was taking a photo for Day 10 - Something I made, the first shot didn't really turn out because it ended up being a close-up shot...way close-up. So I am using that photo for my day 12 shot.

Day 11 - Some Place Fun

2011-08-11T19:08:00.002-05:00

I love how this instax turned out! I caught some great lighting! I am getting excited about my camera now! ...but could still use some tips!

Day 10 - Something I made

2011-08-11T08:40:00.003-05:00

OK, so I finally got my instax mini film in the mail! [Hooray!] I hope to learn a lot about my mini in the next 21 days. I also hope my photos start turning out every time. I've had my mini for over 6 months and have taken maybe 30 photos with it so far...but I am still not used to the way it works. My photos never look like what I see in the view finder. I find it interesting and fun when I get wonky photos but I get discouraged when my subject matter is not even in the photo.

If you have any tips or tricks please fill me in, I need all the help I can get.

[oh and a little bit about the subject matter here] I call them Moo and Oink [LOL]. I crocheted these cuties a few months ago and they look great as decoration in my living room!

Day 9 - Faceless Self Portrait

2011-08-11T08:30:00.002-05:00

Photo is of my tattoo on the inside of my right wrist. Back in November of 2010, my sister, dad and i all got tattoos together for my dad's birthday. It was a fun event. I think I want one more tattoo [on the inside of my upper arm]

Day 8 - Technology

2011-08-08T13:58:00.001-05:00

I love watching Netflix instantly on the web!

Day 7 - Something New

2011-08-08T13:54:00.004-05:00

While we were at my husbands parents house on Sunday I found this cute, goofy looking horse sitting in a dusty box in the garage. I picked the little guy up and asked if he was [for sale]. My mother-n-law was kind enough just to give it to me. So now I have a new [pet] for the shelf.

Day 6 - Childhood Memory

2011-08-08T13:45:00.004-05:00

I will always cherish this snow globe! When I was pretty young [probably around the age of 6 or 7] I colored a picture of this [Precious Moments] scene and gave it to my Grandpa for his birthday. I remember being so proud of my coloring page. Some years after my Grandpa passed away my Mom bought me this snow globe and even signed the bottom of it [I love you].

What is your favorite childhood memory?

Day 5 - Someone i Love

2011-08-05T13:21:00.004-05:00

I am dedicating Day 5 to my wonderful husband! He is the most amazing man in my life! He is my knight in shining armor, my confidant, my support system, my happiness, my home! When I said [i do] I was expecting to get a husband but I got so much more than that!

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” - Winnie the Pooh

Day 4 - Favorite Color

2011-08-04T17:04:00.003-05:00

...and there you have it...my favorite color is GREEN! I love bright greens and even better I love green and pink together! What's your favorite color[s]?

Day 3 - Clouds

2011-08-03T18:52:00.000-05:00

Hello Clouds!