A Little Light

Wow, I got more comments on my post yesterday than I have in a long time -- maybe y'all like shoes as much as I do. It seems like most of us agree about going with a fun cardigan that doesn't necessarily fit in with the wedding colors, since it is for the reception. And since I am having a love affair with navy right now but haven't used it in my decor, I might as well wear it so I can get my navy fix.

As for the shoes, I'll look around and maybe pop back in with another post for some more of your opinions. I have plenty of heels that would work, I just really don't want to ruin them in a field. So stay tuned! Assuming, of course, that the dress color even works and I don't end up looking like a giant canary (it's scheduled to be delivered tomorrow). Oy. I like to do things backwards, don't I?

For today though, I just wanted to share a little rearranging project I did over the weekend. My aqua lamps have been living on the black dresser in my dining room for a while, and on a whim I decided to move them over to the sofa table in my living room instead.

Why did I move the lamps? For a few reasons: (1) I really do like to move stuff around randomly, (2) my dining room has plenty of natural light whereas the living room is a much darker space, and (3) my poor sofa table is still not decorated and needed a little love.

Notice all the empty shelves on top? Sadness. This table has made me realize just how few decorative objects I have that are shallow. I need to go buy some pretty file boxes or something, maybe. I did find a lovely lacquered box but it was the exact color of the lamps so I passed.

When you're not a garage sale/thrift store addict I guess sometimes you just have to be patient. Bah.

Are you wondering how the black dresser is faring now that it is lampless? Well, it's hanging in there...

It's even dressed up with nowhere to go while it waits for the Mario party this Saturday.

Thoughts on Bridesmaid Outfits

In September, I get to be a bridesmaid for Megan, one of my dear friends, and I'm really looking forward to it. She's a doll. Love her to bits and wish I got to see her more often.

(I also wish I had a better picture of us, but I will put that on my to do list for September.)

She has chosen some lovely fall colors for her wedding colors, and she is getting married to her fiancé outdoors. I'm sure it's going to be beautiful... like I said, reeaally looking forward to it. Instead of choosing a dress for all of her bridesmaids, she's given us free reign to pick dresses we love and feel comfortable in, as long as they're in her wedding colors. She's brave, I'm excited, her mother is probably beside herself. Ha!

Last week, Megan sent me a link for a dress as a suggestion because overanalytical me was having fits over the task. So many options! The dress suggestion she sent is actually one I've always admired, but I was never sure about the color. I wasn't sure how the ginger color would look with my skin, but I read the reviews and it said it looked great on fair skin with dark hair... so I took a chance, ordered it, and we'll see how it works when it arrives. Eep. That's a whole bunch of yellow, I'm not used to wearing that much brightness on my body.

Speaking of stepping out of comfort zones, I'm also wrangling with the decision to wear flats instead of heels. The wedding is outside in a field and the bride is something like 5 inches shorter than I am, so if I wear heels they'll sink into the dirt and I'll end up looking like a giant (my philosophy on heels is 'go big or go home' after all). So. It pains me to say this, but I might wear flats... *deep breath*

I put together a couple of quick looks for this dress, and I'm wondering what your thoughts are -- I'm going to throw a cardigan on for the reception and Megan doesn't care if it matches her wedding colors or not, but I'm not sure which way to go colorwise.

There's so much color in the dress that I'd feel much more comfortable pairing it with a neutral which is why I went with brown from the wedding colors for the cardigan. I'd rather ground the outfit than send it into fall colored orbit. I added a turquoise necklace for a little pop of color and so the outfit didn't look too matchy. I don't even know if Megan would be okay with a pop of non-wedding colored jewelry, so that's not set in stone but the outfit looked so sad without it! I could easily switch it to a green necklace that worked more with the wedding colors if she would prefer.

However, I could also choose a cardigan that doesn't match Megan's wedding colors. I used navy for this example because I love the way navy and yellow look together, but I'm flexible. I also like stripes, I just couldn't fine a fitted cardigan with stripes that I liked this morning.

What are your thoughts? Do you think I should play it safe, or get a bit creative with the cardigan color? Like I said, I'll only wear it at the reception while I party and end up in embarrassing photographs.

What about the shoes?? I didn't use heels in either of the outfits, and as much as I hate to admit it I am fond of the sandals in outfit #2. But the little flats in outfit #1 work with the retro vibe of the dress too.

Outfit #1: Dress from Modcloth.com; Necklace from Amazon.com; Cardigan from Forever21; Sandals from Zappos.com

Outfit #2: Dress from Modcloth.com; Cardigan from Urban Outfitters; Shoes from Zappos.com

Mario Party Favors

Aidan's party is this Saturday, and I am trying my very hardest to go against my procastinating nature and get through as many of the preparations in advance so I don't end up with a terrified look in my eyes while I desperately try to hang balloons while the doorbell rings. I've been there, done that, and it's overrated. (Was it rated highly to begin with? I hope not.)

Last night I finished the party favor boxes, and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.

They were really easy to put together. I made some graphics to recreate the iconic Mario question mark boxes, and bought some really inexpensive 4x4 mug gift boxes at Michael's.

 A fabulous twitter friend recommended that I use Elmer's paper gel glue to help avoid glue bumps, but I couldn't find it anywhere, so I bought some Elmer's glue that said "no wrinkle" and it worked pretty well.

I'm filling them with chocolate coins in true Mario fashion, but I'll add a few extra things like Mario gummies and maybe a red bouncy ball (hellooo, Mario throws fireballs!)

Here are the files if you want to make your own question mark box:

{click to enlarge, save to your computer and print -- yours should print closer to the full 4x4 size of the box than mine did}

Each party guest is also going to get to have a moustache and one of these...

...that I made using red hats from the dollar store, a single piece of adhesive backed felt and a template using this font. I didn't make any green Luigi ones only because I thought it would be faster and simpler come party time if the boys only had one choice! Last Halloween I shared a great and easy way to make Mario & Luigi hats using fleece, but for the party I opted for quick and easy!

I hope that when Saturday comes I will be (relatively) relaxed as I get the last minute details ready for the party. I'm a little unfamiliar with this crafty person who gets things done ahead of time, and I'm sure she won't stick around forever, but I'm happy she's visiting this week.

Now back to the cupcakes, if I don't pop these babies in the freezer soon I fear I won't have any left.

07.10 How Does Your Garden Grow

It's been almost one month exactly since our last trip to the site of my wildflower seed experiment.

On the plus side, I now have a couple flowers blooming.

Unfortunately, they're very small, there's literally only a couple of them, and otherwise the garden looks nearly idententical (which means it's covered in growth under the apple tree in the back of the first photo, and that there's hardly any plants everywhere else).

Drat. Drat. Drat. Seed shakers and I are in a fight. I'm trying not to be discouraged, but honestly this doesn't look a whole lot better than the empty gardens of last summer.

Does anyone have any sage wisdom they would like to impart right now?

Interested in following along? Go back to see the last post in the series.

What's Your Ideal Outdoor Space?

There's almost nothing better in the summer than sitting outside on a comfortable chair, eating with friends or sipping some iced tea (or mango margaritas if that's your style... and it's certainly mine!) while relaxing.

I've noticed two main styles of outdoor spaces - the outdoor living room, and the outdoor dining room. I love looking at styled photographs of either set up, but I would wager that most of us aren't lucky enough to have the space and/or the cash to accomodate both in our homes. 

So the question arises, which would you choose if you could pick just one?

I've thought of a few advantages and disadvantages for both set ups while we ponder this burning question and look at some picture candy that could make even the most hardened indoor enthusiast yearn for an outdoor space of his or her own.

Outdoor Living Room

Pros: More conducive to entertaining, more versatile, can rearrange and add seating easily

Cons: Less kid-friendly dining set up, requires side or coffee tables for drinks and plates

{1.}

{2.}

{3.}

{5.}

Outdoor Dining Room

Pros: Dedicated table means easier dining for everyone but especially children, many tables have an umbrella for shade if needed

Cons: Limited space at the table creates a less open arrangement for larger parties

{5.}

{6.}

{7.}

{8.}

Have I missed anything? Feel free to chime in with your comments and let me know your experiences with either set up... are you an outdoor liver, or an outdoor diner?

{Images 1, 5, 6 from Pottery Barn; Images 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 found via Pinterest -- below photos are direct links to the pin}