on my lunch break...

attempting to sketch out my new frame wall while perusing my many files of collected photos.  eating a juicy orange.  spilling that orange all over my white shirt.  liking that it is 75 degrees outside.  not that i would know because it's about 65 at my desk.  thinking about this weekend...no plans except MSU basketball domination and easter brunch at my favorite cuban restaurant with great friends.  contemplating whether i should wait to buy "peeps" until they are 50% off on Monday...
remembering what this weekend is really about.

frame wall thoughts:

I want mine to cross a corner like this.  Could be risky.

This is done by pottery barn.  I like it....but I am not obsessed.

I am inspired by the b&w consitancy and the gorgeous matted frames. 

  

Love the simplicity--my mother in law has some of her children's artwork displayed like this...along with other pieces..  Her frame wall inspired my old one :)

Another crossed corner....but this is over a kitchen banquet!!!  A kitchen banquet will be one of my top "hope fors" in my someday home. 

and this is one of my favorites....I enjoy how this gorgeously covers the wall from top to bottom...doesn't start at the tabletop or halfway point on the wall.  And that orange frame!!! perfect.  The avocado wall is about 1/2 shade darker than our new dining room color.

won't post another picture of a frame wall until it's my own!  promise.

images via design*sponge, pottery barn, elements of style, & real simple magazine

meet: emersonmade.

The perfect spring accessories.  I would like to attempt to make one of my own or find something like it.    They are all handmade and gorgeous.  I would love to meet the business owners.  They look so fun! 

enjoy :) 

the "big poppy."

not sure if i like her skirt/belt or the flowers better...

i would use these as hair pins and for wrapping gifts!

bridesmaid.

forever flowers.

fancy shots with fancy dresses.

this outfit is soooo lovely and classic!

b e a u t y.

buy it/pine over it at
http://www.emersonmade.com/

all images via emersonmade

photography i love.

2 years ago I was a senior in college.  Getting ready to wrap up the best 3.5 years of my life (thus far).  Planning my wedding.  Writing my thesis.  Collecting last minute data from the cutest little preschoolers in the world.  Trying to find more preschoolers to get data from.  My thesis studied cognative ability in children with autism--it was very difficult to find participants in a tiny town in southern michigan.  I lived with my crazy amazing friend, HS, in the Kappa house.  I missed JD like crazy, although sometimes I was bad at showing it.

One of my favorite things about senior year was the friendships that developed/deepened.  Since the love of my life was 1000 miles away, I invested a lot more time in people I hadn't known that well before.  One of those people was my friend KM, then KR.  She was from North Dakota, too.  And you know how I love North Dakotans!!! 

I wanted her to photograph my wedding...and finally one day in March or April, she said yes.  It would work out since her new boyfriend (now husband) was from a town close to my hometown...and she could stay with his family.  Not only did we become very close that year, she agreed to capture the most important day of my life on film (or should I say megapixels?).  And have I mentioned that she designed my blog header?  Miss you KM.

this is me & my MOH, GEM.  Isn't she beautiful??

after the storm. 

going to get married.

married.

photos via km, kith and kin photography

go see more at her blog---

kithandkinphotography

2 other photography blogs that you should look at---

maxwangerphotography

This jumps straight to a post that I love. 

Someday, when I am blessed with a little bundle...I hope that I can have a photo shoot kind of like this with JD and little D.

katebotwinskiphotography

Kate photographed my lovely LA's wedding in September.  She is wonderful.

love it list.

amazing fabric.

pretty colored walls (because now I have them!!!!)

this color at Jcrew, and high waisted skirts in general.

and frame walls.

I am looking for inspiration since I took mine down in my dining room and will be redoing it. It's going to be  bigger and better.

images via purl bee, architectural digest, house beautiful, jcrew, & elements of style

red & turquoise

wedding tent

 elementsofstyle

hallway hues

design*sponge

cinque terre, italy

google images

JD & I right after we were engaged, Linwood Park, OH 

photo by rebecca mapes

amy butler fabric

a martha stewart table

m s weddings

yes i'll go there

google images

wedding invites to go with the tent

m s weddings

a lighter version

house beautiful

you should wear red & turquoise this weekend :)
happy friday.

AP's blog.

speaking of AP, and her half birthday...you should really get to know her.

Here is her blog...with today's post (which happens to be about how we got to know eachother AND a really funny thing we did yesterday).  She is the most amazing writer...and friend.  God, thank you for her!

why half birthday's are worth celebrating!

to diy or to not diy??

I like doing it myself.  JD reminds me often that time is sometimes better than the money you would save "diying."  But however will you decide??

This flow chart, created by the blogger from Heart of Light, made me smile.  My friend AP could do anything herself but she and I find ourselves with overwhelming DIY lists...and we don't know where/if/when to start.

So in honor of her 23rd and 1/2 birthday (woot woot) here is a little something for her, and your, future project conundrums.

Go over to this site and click to see the full PDF version of this amazing creation!! 
DIY reality check by Rachel of www.heart-of-light.blogspot.com

image via heart of light

help him tick.

"When you marry someone, you are entrusted with the heart of another human being. Whatever else your life's great mission will entail, loving and defending this heart next to you is part of your great quest." -John Eldridge

"I speak from personal experience when I say that fighting for our spouse, even when they are imperfect, is eternally more rewarding than fighting against them and wishing they were less imperfect." -Jennifer McKinney, of MckMama fame.

Amen, sister.  But OH how I need to work on this. 

I sing a lot, giggle a lot, get super excited about really small things, clap, cheer, sometimes cry during American Idol, and want JD's opinion about/on everything.  These are things that my husband loves about me.  I know that because a) he tells me and b) he gives me this little smile that says "you're nuts.  But I really like it."  However, when he has 14 hours of studying per day and immense pressure weighing down on him constantly-it gets tough.  He's so patient.  But sometimes I can get really annoying.  And I can tell.  I should just stop, go occupy myself, and let him be.  Instead, I will say things like "JD, are you annoyed with me, what's wrong, are you okay? did I do something?"

For future law school/med school/any wives/fiances/girlfriends-here's my little tid bit:  Try letting it go.  If he's upset or hurt he will come to you (at least I hope so...and if he doesn't that's an other issue) 

I want to help him tick instead of ticking him off.

march madness!

Don't forget to fill out your bracket before the games start tomorrow.  Fill it out here if you don't like tallying the points: cbs bracket manager

I'm not a huge sports fan, although I did get into football more than ever this year.  College basketball has always been my favorite especially since I grew up in a city which is home to the best college basketball in the nation :)

GO STATE.

love it list.

the magazine, Cooks Illustrated. 

 My friend KS inspired me to read it...and now I am hooked. 

Plaid everything--but especially this anthro dress. 

I wore one of Joseph's plaid shirts on Sunday to church. 

The weather forecast for my city :)  SPRING!!!

liberty of london-still.  it's selling out like crazy here...so if you want any you should go to Target ASAP.

I would love to organize a closet with 20 of these storage bins...they come in many sizes.  Then I would paint the inside of the closet orange.

anything grey. not sure what is up with this color but I always am drawn to it. especially on this adorable spring jacket! it's from old navy!!

sleep.  this time change thing is kicking my butt. 

(this amazing quilt is 50% off at anthro!! ...but my friend AP could make a better one)

images via cooks illustrated, anthropologie, weatherchannel, target & old navy 

things you should do this weekend.

• Rent "The September Issue" documentary.  It is a film about Anna Wintour (EOC of Vogue) and the making of her magazine.  It was "a hurricane of fabulousness." (to quote NYMag)  My friend AP rented it and let me borrow it last night.  I wanted to watch it twice.  and I rewound several parts.
the gorgeous and timeless, anna w.

• Go to Target on Sunday or after and check out the Liberty of London collaboration collection.  It is amazing.  Kind of reminds me of a mixture of Ikea and Anthropologie in a variety of patterns on everything ranging from a mug, to a dress, to a throw pillow, to a bike!! 

• Spend quality time with the people you love.  I get to see my brother in law tonight..and my sister in law comes home from a biz trip.  We are going out to dinner at one of JD and I's fav restaurants and it will be sooo fun.  But I really wish I could spend time with these two:

brother & mother together this week in key west.  miss & love.

images via septemberissue.com & apartmenttherapy, photo via cg

Hot&Creamy Chicken Chile

Hot soup season is almost over but this week in Minnesota...it's perfect for chile.  Not to cold.  Cloudy and dreary..snow is melting.  I love the beginning of Spring.

Ingredients
1 or 1 1/2. boneless, skinless chicken cut into cubes
1 onion chopped
a couple cloves of garlic (4 or 5) pressed
olive oil
2 cans great northern beans, drained & rinsed
2 cans navy beans, drained & rinsed
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 cans low sodium chicken broth
1 can green chilies
½ cup jalapeño chilies (a little more if you like it spicy)
green peppers, carrots chopped/grated (optional) Use however much you like.
dash of salt, oregano, cumin
dash of White Pepper (regular is fine if you don’t have it)
big dash of Cayenne pepper
1/2 C sour cream (more/less to taste..I use a heaping 1/2 cup)
1/2 C heavy cream
1 C extra sharp cheddar cheese (more/less to taste)

Sauté the chicken, onion, and garlic in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in creams and cheese, and serve. Top with shredded cheddar and serve with cornbread!

Enjoy CZ :)

not only did my paint colors (2nd round) get approved...

but I just got an email from Jcrew advertising an extra30 on sale.  I went to peruse the boot section knowing that if they had booties...they wouldn't have my size.
But there they were...in sandy suede!!  Final Sale.  No turning back. 
They cost me next to nothing with the discount, my pile of jcrew gift cards leftover from my birthday, and christmas money from my mama.  THANK YOU!!!
I am so happy.  So what if they are suede.  I will still be wearing them in June.

back to work :)

bootie history:
http://jdswife.blogspot.com/2010/02/sunglasses-animal-print-booties.html
http://jdswife.blogspot.com/2010/02/still-longing-for.html

weekend inspiration

go see what this looked like before.

before&after

this is what MKP is going to look like...GORG.

spring is coming.

I want my picture wall to grow into something like this.

images via designsponge, joannagoddard, elementsofstyle, purestylehome (in order)

can you help this woman out?

if you can't read this, click on it.
it's pretty funny :)