Oh And P.S.

I have totally failed to mention that the "Blog it Forward" mashup starts TOMORROW!! Be sure to check out the schedule, and be prepared for plenty of inspiring posts! Since there is a total of 300 (yup 300!) bloggers participating in this crazy adventure it will be kicking off on 10 different blogs (Creature Comforts, Design for Mankind, Heart Fish, Hula Seventy, ink on my fingers, oh, hello friend, the paper pony, Poppytalk, sfgirlbybay and Smile and Wave). My post will be coming to you on Monday the 15th, and you should also be sure to check out my friend Elizabeth's post (of Beer Barn fame!) when it hits on Wednesday the 24th... it will be featured on her new craftalicious blog Button & Bean!


And p.s. sorry for all the link madness in this post! I just needed to make sure everyone got credit where credit was due!

Do Brides Have More Fun?

I'm currently convinced that brides have more fun... well more design fun that is! I could be completely wrong about this, having never actually been a bride I don't really know. However, my stints as a bridesmaid did allow me to get my feet wet in the world of wedding planning, and I must say the design lover in me enjoyed every minute of it! It seems like every time I turn around these days there is a new wedding magazine or blog popping onto the scene, and of course all are filled with countless pieces of design inspiration to share. And while I am nowhere near becoming a bride (I'd have to find that special Mr. Someone first!), I can't help but drool over all the amazing pictures that fill these blogs and magazines. Even though these things are being written with brides and weddings in mind, they are still able to provide plenty of design inspirations that can be applied anywhere. So instead of thinking bridal when I look at these things, I instead think how can I translate the ideas and design elements into something that can work for my everyday life, whether it be in fashion, in my house, or something else all together. So be sure to check out some of the blogs and magazines listed below for some beautiful bits of design inspiration... and on the upside, you'll get to leave all the stress of wedding planning to someone else! Hope you enjoy! All photos are from their associated websites.


The Cool New Kid On The Block:
Nonpareil is a brand spanking new e-zine that is already garnering lots of love and attention in the blogosphere, and even though they only have one issue under their belt, they have already outdone themselves with beautiful imagery and plenty of inexpensive DIY projects!

The Tried And True Elegant Standby:

Martha Stewart Weddings is pretty much any bride's bible. This magazine is filled with a little of this and a little of that, but it packs a whole lot of wow and glamour. And with an equally fabulous website, now anyone can have a little touch of Martha on their special day!

        

The Cult Classic:

Style Me Pretty is an absolutely phenomenal blog, filled with endless awe inspiring photography, and oodles of real weddings. While most posts "feature" a specific vendor, the focus is always on the absolutely stunning pieces that come together to make a truly personal, special, and lovely day.

                  

The Unattainable Crush:

Utterly Engaged is like that high-school crush you admired from afar: simply stunning, can do no wrong, and absolutely perfect! This e-zine is filled to the brim with the most amazing styling ever seen, and since it covers all different aspects of planning a wedding there is truly something for everyone. 

                  

  

The Sophisticated Girl Next Door:

100 Layer Cake is a lovely blog bursting with beauty and style, and with plenty of DIY tutorials and mood boards, there is plenty of eye candy to inspire your every whim and fancy. 

        

Honorable Mentions: Merci New York, Snippet & Ink, and The Sweetest Occasion.

Windows To My Soul

The windows to my soul, well not exactly. However, the windows to my bedroom are finally dressed, and ready to show themselves off, and I've officially closed the books on this project! In the past months I've: changed out the curtains twice; spackled the sills and painted them white; tore open the plaster on the sills, patched them back up, and painted them gray; hung and rehung the curtain rods at least 20 different times; added curtain tie backs, only to decide I preferred none; continually patched and re-patched all the holes I made, not to mention sanded and painted each of these patched holes; and traveled up and down the ladder one too many times. The windows now each have one set of blinds on them, and a floor length curtain... and I'm finally happy with them!

When I moved in I inherited the rather awkward "curtains" pictured on the left. They weren't really curtains, but they were pieces of ugly fish fabric, with holes cut in the top to fit a curtain rod. My first attempt at painting and patching up the uneven sills was a bust, and unfortunately required a second round of DIY fun!

I guess I should probably mention that attempt number two was probably required due to my tendency to poke and prod at chipping paint and bubbling plaster, but oh well. And now in an attempt to distract you from this fact... doesn't that bucket of plaster just look like so much fun to play in... kind of like marshmallow fluff... but not as tasty!

And finally the completed project! The blinds cover up the lumpiness of the quicky fix it job I did, and in the end I actually think that all the plaster I had to slap back up on the sills made them sturdy enough to hold the blinds in place (I am keeping my fingers crossed they don't fall out though, just in case!). 

I'm Dreaming Of Muffins

I'm seriously craving muffins right now! I'm not quite sure why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that I've been a total slacker in the breakfast department recently, and this is SO NOT good. So I hit up the grocery store today, made sure to stock up on a couple key ingredients (butter, flour, sugar), and now I'm ready to bake up a storm, and fulfill my muffin dreams! I'll leave you with these lovely images, and perhaps it will spark some muffin obsessions of your own!

Top to Bottom, Left to Right: bitterlemons, lauren {elycerose}, sonicwalker, strph, Zoë Austin, aloalo*, Delairen, Catherine Reyes, the boastful baker

Blog Mashup

Ugh... sigh... hmph. So unfortunately the babysitting job that I had set up for this week fell through at the last moment, as the family decided to cancel, and have some friend watch their children instead. Again, ugh... sigh... hmph. With that said, I do get to bring you the details of the special blog project (the one I hinted at on Friday) all that much earlier!

Before I give you the details though, let me quickly give you the back story as to how this project was born (this is my favorite part!). I happened to be cruising through Twitter-land when I stumbled upon sfgirlbybay's brainstorming session on how to spread the blog love. She and some friends of hers were throwing ideas back and forth on how to incorporate each other's blogs in a new and fresh way. Immediately thoughts of music mashups and crossover TV shows popped into my head. I mustered up 140 characters of courage, and replied to her tweet for help with this:  "a sort of blog mashup! Or like when TV shows collide, you could start a post on one blog, only to have it end on another..." Somehow this was immediately responded to, people clapped, and the "Blog it Forward" mashup was born. It all happened rather fast (thanks social media!), and now I can't wait to read all the posts that will be gracing the blogosphere in the upcoming months. 

And now for the actual "Blog it Forward" mashup details! Be sure to check out sfgirlbybay's post, because she is the amazing lady in charge of this huge project (not to mention she has graciously taken on all the organizing). But basically, if you blog, you are more than welcome to join the mashup! We are all going to be writing about what inspires us, so no matter what type of blog you have the theme will remain consistent. Should you choose to join, just be sure to email Victoria at sfgirlbybay no later then Friday of this week. After that just sit back and take it all in!

Stay Tuned

So I'm not quite sure where exactly this day has gone, and I truly need to go be more productive, because quite honestly the only "real" things I've accomplished thus far have been: showering, moving my car to a new space and back again for street cleaning, and successfully securing a temporary babysitting job for Monday-Thursday of next week. However, I wanted to quickly introduce you all to a fun new project that's brewing out in blog land. The lovely Victoria over at sfgirlbybay is organizing this whole BIG event, and she'll be kicking off the project on her blog sometime in February. It will be a way for ANY and ALL bloggers to come together and really embrace each other, and the blogging community (so my fellow blogger friends, if the fancy strikes you once you hear the details, be sure to sign up)! I am SUPER EXCITED about this project, so be sure to check back next week when I'll reveal to you all the real details! In the meantime I will leave you with this AMAZING mashup by DJ Earworm (which may or may not be a small clue to the new blog project)!

United State of Pop 2009 Mashup - "Blame it on the Pop," and be sure to check out the original from 2007, it's my personal fave! 

I Changed My Mind

Okay, so I've changed my mind, and hopefully you all won't mind. I've decided that the original lineup for Swoonette, the one that I so carefully thought out, just isn't working for me. I'm sure this probably comes as no shock since the only day I actually ever hold myself to is Wednesdays. However, even the past few roundups haven't exactly fit into the mold of my original description, and thoughts on what The Wonderful Wednesday Roundup would be. So anyway, from now on things will be a little different, but hopefully still just as lovely and enjoyable. I much prefer blogging "on the fly," and when the whimsy strikes me. Holding myself to a schedule for blogging is clearly NOT working! From now on I'll simply post whatever and whenever. It will still be the same stuff, just hopefully more of it, and more often... and hopefully a bit better! So even though I'm scratching that original lineup off the list, I'm still thinking more design inspirations, more of my swoonettes, and more of The Apartment (obviously!) are in store for you all! In addition I'm also thinking of adding in a few "extra" things, but we'll see! I still plan on doing roundups, because I really enjoy that aspect of the original lineup (maybe they just won't be on Wednesdays, and maybe they just won't be about design related things). And also, once I eventually find my way back to Photoshop (it's gone missing in all my computer drama) I'll be bringing back my favorite color combos, mood boards included. Soooo that is all my friends, I'm not going anywhere, but I am hoping to be a bit of a better blogger for my own personal sake! Thank you to everyone for reading, and always being so supportive and kind with your blog love and comments, I appreciate it always!