Love this ad...

I just saw this ad for jcrew's crewcuts department. It is SO darling. I reminds me of everything sweet and innocent about childhood friendships...


The longer I look at it the happier it makes me... wait... um... now, suddenly, I am imagining my head braided to someone else's... feeling a little panicky... can't... get... loose...! Claustrophobie!!

Tidbits and Sunday Thoughts

Well, it's a warm Sunday evening, dinner is almost ready, the family is all here (minus Heidi and Bradley of course), and I am feeling a post coming on... :)


Kirstie made the most WONDERFUL biscotti today. Look at these! Amazing. She is an artist in her own right but I think it is incredible that it comes out even in her food. I wish I had a better picture of her plum galette from Friday. It was equally beautiful.


I finished the CBEST last week and I've been thinking about jobs and what life could be for me. I stumbled upon this darling picture and I started to get excited about the possibilities (not that I'm opening a store with a bunch of cute, fashion forward ladies) :). I think what I look forward to most is community. I love meeting new people and creating new relationships and I can't wait to see who I will meet and what new friendships will bloom in this new phase of my life.

Dreamy House... Dream house?

One of my favorite design blogs, desire to inspire, featured this amazing house today and I am falling in love... fast.


I may not have done all blue and white but the windows and walls and light are completely lovely... I hope my home will feel this peaceful someday.

Etsy Finds

I so enjoy browsing Etsy and finding truly beautiful things. Especially things that I could never make myself... there is something so inspiring about it. I am continually amazed by the creativity and ability of my fellow crafters. Look at some of the gems I have stumbled upon recently...


Pillow bookends. You have GOT to be kidding me. I die.


Succuphant...!!!! Gah!



There is something really beautiful about this suzy necklace... it just speaks to me... it says, "Julie, where have you been all my life? I need you! And you need me!! Come on... buy me. Take me home. Love me. I'm one of a kind..." Darn those talking necklaces... getting into my brains and making me question my budget! Quiet foolish trinket! I don't need you! You are the devil!!

Uh... sorry about that... ahem...

I'm Home Again!

Well, I'm back from the NYIGF! It was a really good show and left us feeling optimistic about sales for the rest of the year... not to mention NY is just a fun place to hang out... :)

The day after I got home Brad and I celebrated our very first anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since we first met. I can so clearly remember coming home from NY last year and thinking about how I would meet him the next day and wondering what he would be like and whether or not it would be different in person... it was better. I so enjoyed our first date and I thought I knew him then... I knew about him then. I know him now... and I love him more every day. Sigh. Ok ok... no more gushiness... I promise... It has been an amazing year, though, and I am so blessed.

NY NY

Sorry about the lack of posts (to those who actually notice... haha!). I have been in New York for the past few days for the NYIGF (New York International Gift Fair). We just finished a grueling set up tonight and I am SO happy to be sitting in Starbucks, sipping coffee, and catching up with everything online...

Baby Shower!

We girls celebrated a very special occasion on Sunday... My cousin Missy is getting ready to welcome the very first baby among 13 cousins. So amazing. It's a precious little boy and they are going to name him Jack! I can't wait to see that sweet little face and squeeze his chubby little legs (which by the looks of it will be exceedingly long).


My Aunt Susie, my Mom, and I put together the little "to do". I tried to channel my favorite event planner, Amy Atlas, though in order to really do it justice I would need considerably more time and money... I did like how the fabric pennant turned out though and the white balloons are cute!


Oh well. I think it turned out nice and it was so fun to be able to do that for Missy.





I also got a little crafty and made her a couple of onesies! It was actually easier than I was expecting... I bought a pack of onesies (at Michaels of all places!) and picked out some fabrics.



Then I thoroughly starched and ironed the fabric. Next I drew and cut out the shapes I wanted to applique and pinned them to the onesie - make sure to only go through one layer of fabric! Ha! I must have made that mistake 3 times!


Finally, I took some coordinating embroidery floss and whipstiched around the shapes to hold them together. Done!

My New Toy!

So I have finally given in... bent to the winds of progress... bowed at the foot of technology... purchased an iPhone. I've been wanting one for so long and when I went in the ATT store and learned that the 3G 8gb versions would soon be extinct I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet. ...I love it. LOVE IT. :)

On Sunday Bradley and I hiked the Devil's Slide Trail in Idllywild up to Tahquitz Peak... it was much hotter than expected but oh so gorgeous.


We had a blast, laughing, scrambling over boulders, munching on "gorp" (good old raisins and peanuts), and taking lots of pictures... lovely.


Going for a Peter Pan shot...


View from the fire lookout... so pretty. It was getting a little late at this point so we had to head back.
Coming back down the sun was casting the most beautiful light... everything was glowing... loved it. :)

Great Weekend!

My weekend started off with a bang on Friday with a friend's wedding. On Saturday I got some much needed organizing done in my room and went to see Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical version) with my sweet sister - such a fun birthday present! It was really different from the movie but still very good and very fun...