Eco-gloves

If I were having bridesmaids, or a winter wedding, I would definitely be incorporating these fingerless gloves into my bridal party attire:But since I'm not, I might just have to get myself a pair as an early Christmas present.

Stewart + Brown gloves made of Mongolian cashmere and found via White Apricot.

#1: Love is...

having this come home to you in the wee hours of the morning: puke margaritas all over your bed, and still having the patience the next morning to run and get her "mini-baby mcnuggets" to cure the hangover.

A Juicy Couture track suit? Really?

(this picture taken by my friend after a night at The Gold last fall. I'm making leaf angels- sort of.)

Vintage Cake Stands

I recently mentioned that I plan to use this idea for displaying my cakes at my wedding. Since then my mom and I have been on a vintage cake stand lookout. Well the hunt has been good and I have a feeling come wedding time we'll have a few more than three to choose from (my mom is a bargain shopaholic. Ebay beware!). For anyone else who is interested in using vintage cake stands at their wedding, here are some enjoyable finds:On Etsy here $12.95

On Etsy here $58

On Ebay here $59.99

On Ebay here

Found on Etsy here $24

When at a loss for words, flick boogers

The older I get, the more obnoxious I find it to be approached with cheesy pick-up lines and unsolicited propositions. I used to be flattered when I got hit on. Then flattery quickly turned into irritation (don't check out my ass when I'm comparing brands of cat litter please). Now that I am engaged it's practically maddening. I'm getting married. I'm done looking. Leave me alone!

What makes things even worse is that jellyfish have more backbone than I do. When most women could simply say, "please leave me alone," I simply smile and clench my jaw with impatience. If someone doesn't take the time to note the engagement ring on my finger I may nonchalantly scratch my forehead with my left hand to get the point across. This usually does the trick.

When it doesn't, I am forced to use a more obvious approach... (a skill that I happen to master)

Image from here

Guys don't like it when girls pick their noses. Ever. Even my little Nick-Knack grimaces and shoos me away when I pick a big one then proudly move my finger in his direction (it's a bad habit I picked up after 'Drop Dead Fred' and haven't been able to shake. The best time was when he caught me goin' to town in public then leaned over and whispered, "What the hell are you doing? We're in a buffet line for Christ's sake!").

Not that long ago I had a problem with a guy that worked in my building following me onto the MAX after work and pestering me (there is a fine line between being friendly and being...slimy). I tried scratching my forehead a couple times to no avail. A few times I got to the MAX, saw him waiting, then decided I would rather hoof it the twenty-something blocks home in 3" heels than endure the harassment. Finally, one day I was left with no other option than to show him I meant business. I brought my ring finger to my face while he was telling me about his daily workout routine, smiled sweetly, then proceeded to work it up my nose while he spoke.

I don't know if it was that he finally noticed the disco ball sparkling on my ring finger, or the fact that I had a whole knuckle jammed up my nostril, but he quickly furrowed his brows, grew silent mid-sentence, then politely excused himself from my company. He hasn't bothered me since.

Works. Every. Time.

Not the best solution, but a lifesaver for a girl who can't just simply say, "beat it".

Boogers: 1

Creepy guy with monthly pass to 24hr fitness: 0

More Birds

Silk & Lace Lovebirds, Gold & Ivory Lovebirds, Floral Fabric Bird, Italian Map Bird

They aren't cheap, but they are amazing (you know how I feel about birds).

From Cotton Bird Designs on Etsy.

Better Than Coffee

MatéVana
I live off this stuff. Nutty, rich, and most important- caffeinated. They claim it "creates the energy (of coffee) without jitteriness or addictive tendencies". I agree. When I need a good pick-me-up sans the sometimes awkward side-effects of a nonfat latte *cough*, I whip up a cup of MatéVana and am good to go. (Plus, for the price of two large lattes you can get enough mate to make 20-30 cups.)

For those brides with weddings quickly approaching, I definitely recommend sipping some of this instead of coffee on the morning of your big day. I know I will.

Can be purchased at: Teavana.

Groucho

I think I just found my new hero Image from here

"I've long been of the opinion that life is too serious to be taken seriously, and if that is my religion, then Groucho is the pope." -Shalom Auslander

Butt...er

I was tagged by Jenny.Lee and now it's time to fess up (plus, blogging works wonders on my insomnia).

Bookworm Award:
The rules are as follows...
Pass it on to six other bloggers, and tell them to open the nearest book to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence on that page as well as the following few sentences.

Right now I'm reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (per request of Nick-Knack. It's one of his favorites... and I am rather enjoying it myself). To be honest, I don't feel comfortable writing what's on the fifth line and the following sentences after it on here. I wouldn't want to cheapen this lovely blog with words like "balls" or "butt". :/

Damn. Oh well.

Kreativ Blogger Award:
The rules are to list 6 things you value and 6 things you don't and then pass this award on to 6 people!

I value (in no particular order):
1. Saturday date-days with Nick-Knack
2. Living in the beautiful NW (specifically, Portland)
3. My supportive family
4. All books. Even ridiculous ones (*cough*cough* Ms. Rand I want my money back!)
5. A sense of humor
6. My ability to not sweat the small things (this proves especially handy when it comes to wedding planning)

I don't value:
1. Slow
2. Ass
3. People
4. Who
5. Can't
6. Drive
(one of the many reasons why the city of Portland is safer without me behind the wheel of a vehicle. Car-free is the way to be)

I tag.... ?

Holy Bajeezus!

Still a couple Holy Bajeezus! dresses by Leanimal available at the online boutique Makool Loves You (yes, that is Leanimal AKA Leanne Marshall of Project Runway!)Only $128

I was lucky enough to catch this on their blog today. Get one while you can!

P.S. Sorry, but I snatched up the last size small.

P.S.S. I am so jealous of Myra right now...

Boots

I need these boots:

Banana. Size 7.5. Discovered on What I Wore.

I've scoured ebay to no avail.

Hellllp meeeeee!

Owl ♥

Hoot the baby barn owl from Feltmeup Designs on Etsy

Stick a fork in me

The other night I had a nightmare that my mom planned a library/halloween themed wedding for me. It took place in the public library of the town where I grew up. There were kitschy halloween decorations aplenty and even a few hired actors to play zombies. Or were they real zombies? I don't remember.

Image here

225 days to go!

Eco-Sale

Now through October 30th, use coupon code APRICOT08 to receive 30% off all products at Ecoskin!
Coral $164

Arden $195 (kinda reminds me of the dress that gorgeous Portland bride wore in her "cool as hell wedding" featured here)

Rainer $195

Verbena $90

All dresses come in an array of colors and are made of eco-friendly materials. From Whiteapricot.

I think Rainer in the white hemp satin would make the most amazing wedding dress. I'm tempted!

Yes, Please!

This may be old news to some, but when I headed over to play my daily game of Wait, Wait... on NPR I was tickled pink to discover Mail Goggles. For those of you like me that are living under a rock, this is a program that was recently launched by Google to help avoid those embarassing and awkward drunk-emails I know we've all been tempted *ahem* to send from time to time. So, I'm curious, when are Blogger and Verizon going to follow suite? Or maybe Hotmail?

I need to cover all my bases here!

Eco-Shoes

Because eco-friendly shoes don't have to be boring. A few of my favorite selections from Charmone
Ginseng $179

Marco Polo $229

Dragonwell $249

Cinnamon $249

Juilia $159

First comes marriage, then comes...

Kids?

My mom keeps hinting at the idea of the fiance and I producing a grandchild for her once we are married. Yikes. I don't know, I like kids and all, I just can't shake the feeling that I still am a kid. The fiance and I both. We're big kids. Big kids with bills, and jobs, and adult responsibilities. Case in point:

(ouch, talk about the most unflattering photo of me ever)

I've always said never. No way. No kids, ever. I don't feel responsible enough to raise a child anytime soon. The fiance insists that once I start getting into my early thirties I'll feel like I need one. He says it's just biological. I'm not so sure I believe that.

My best friend brought her daughter over to our apartment last night for dinner. I forgot how much I missed seing her (she's four years old and insanely adorable). I told her the FH's new nickname is Nick-Knack and she loved it.

Steph to the FH- "Nick-Knack, sing with me!"
NK- "Umm.... ok"
Steph- "I like to make up songs with words that don't make any sense!"
NK- "Oh do you?"
Steph- "Yeah! Follow me. Do lah fah seee-oh duh-dohhhh!"

Nick-Knack proceeded to clear his throat then sheepishly play along. This went on for a few minutes until (as most kids do) Steph got bored and moved on to squeezing our cats.

Watching them made me think, maybe kids. Someday. Maybe. You know, when I'm done being a big kid myself...

(ten years from now)

*sigh*

I ♥ Portland, and Squirrels

They're all over our neighborhood. Once one followed me home- scurrying along a telephone wire above the sidewalk. Every once in a while it would stop and stare down at me. I peered back up at it. This went on for over three blocks until it finally vanished up into a tree. I wish I had a camera then. When I repeated this story a few weeks later Nick laughed, joking that the little squirrel must have been my spirit animal. My friend Lisa claimed I was just hallucinating after consuming a monstrous chicken-fried steak filled omelet at Stepping Stone.

Either way, it was pretty freakin' cool.

Funny Sh... Stuff

It seems lately when I log into my Hotmail in the mornings they're featuring a lot of wedding related articles on MSN. Pre-engagement I would have simply rolled my eyes and moved on, but now that I'm knee-deep in wedding planning I've grown a little curious. I'll admit, I chuckled a bit when reading their latest article: True Tales of Wedding Sabotage.

My favorite is probably this one (short but sweet):
"My mom said that she was going to wear her old wedding dress to my wedding because I couldn't outdo her!"

It's so awful it's hilarious. Hilariously disturbing. I would just die if my mom tried to pull something like that on me... but she wouldn't, 'cause she's not crazy (ok, all the women in my family are a little crazy- just not that kind of crazy)!

Speaking of funny and crazy, my partner in horror-flick-watching crime Lisa sent me this in an email the other day and it made my day: ZombieHarmony "...because the apocalypse doesn't have to be lonely."Did I ever mention that I have an unhealthy fear of zombies? Really. One of my friends got me a gag gift of 'The Zombie Survival Guide' and I read through it, you know, just in case.

Seriously good stuff.

Eco-Bling: Necklaces

I was happy to receive a newlsetter in my inbox from White Apricot the other afternoon that was packed with information about some gorgeous eco-friendly jewelry. I am currently on the lookout for some eco-bling to incorporate into my wedding day look and wanted to share some of my favorite finds.

Alkemie Jewelry is located in California and run by a husband and wife team who create their beautiful accessories from 100% recycled materials. Their jewelry can be found for sale online at the EcoConscious Market.

Owl necklace $94

Rose necklace $146

Bird Mandala necklace $143


These eco-friendly necklaces are made by celebrity wardrobe stylist turned jewelry designer Nola Singer. She creates her one-of-a-kind pieces using vintage baubles (and oh are they lovely). Retail locations can be found at her site:

That owl necklace is just dying to come home with me!

[pink]

I've been having major insomnia since the wedding planning began, and as I lie (or is it lay? sometimes I hate grammar- and punctuation). Anyway, as I lie/lay in bed I wonder the craziest things.

For instance: why do I have so much pink on my blog? I don't have a particular fondness for the color. I think I have, like, one pink shirt that I wear sometimes. It's not bad. It's girlie. But what I really like is black. Classic, hides most stains, and matches with practically everything (don't quote me on this. I make no claims to being fashionably inclined).

Pink. I blame it all on my love for peonies. Pink peonies. Mrs. FDR to be exact.
Thank you Tylenol PM. I have a feeling we will become good friends til next June.

P.S. I'm also on the hunt for a good natural/herbal way to help me sleep (I'm trying to avoid taking too many medications). So, if anyone has any good alternatives to Tylenol PM, please share!

Play in the Rain in Style

AmyJean recently asked where I purchased these lovely cowboy rain boots, and seeing that rainy weather is shortly upon us (at least here in the damp city of Portland) I thought I would share with the rest of you. While I found mine at a little shop over on Hawthorne, the boots are made by Nomad Footwear and can be found online here. When I headed over to check out the goods I was excited to see some new styles that I will surely have to add to my colllection:Yippy blue plaid for $55

Harness brown plaid for $49

Harness in Navy only $49 (also comes in black/red and brown/black)

Yippy in black with cards $55

And of course my favorite:Yippy natural/rose $55

I should also mention that they run a bit big. I'm normally a 7.5 but in these a 7 is comfy.

I'm so glad it's finally Fall!

*Four Things*

The lovely Ms.Bekapaige pointed out to me this morning that some of my Etsy ideas made an appearance over at the Etsy Wedding Blog this morning. Yay!

If you get a chance, head over and check it out: four things i *will* use...

Swoop in white and various other ceramic creations like him can be found at runnybunny on Etsy.

MIA

Sorry, I've been feeling completely blah since last Thursday and haven't been in the mood for blogging much...

Last week when I got to work I was horrified to discover an awful case of hives all over my face, neck, and ears. I shrieked and went home ill, blaming it on the only (not so)plausible explanation that I must be suffering from an allergic reaction to a potassium supplement I've been taking (nevermind that I've been taking it for weeks now with no reactions other than wonderfully stable blood pressure).

I went home and scoured the internet for evidence of all the horrible things that must be happening to me. I was convinced I was dying. Kidney failure maybe. A heart attack. I was sure it was going to be slow and painful. I curled up on the couch for days watching Fearnet On Demand- only getting up occassionally to slip on my infamous black track suit and scurry across the street to buy snacks (I only wear the track suit on the weekends when 1. I'm ill or 2. I want to pretend I'm a Beaverton soccer mom for a day and pair it with some teal Pumas and oversized sunglasses).

Nick occassionally looked up from his game of Warhammer to chuckle in amusement as I squeezed our cats and shouted at the t.v. in a Benadryl induced haze. (He knows I'm a hypochondriac and has dealt with many self-diagnosis ranging from ulcers, to melanoma, to brain tumors throughout the years of our relationship)

Needless to say, I didn't die. In fact, through a simple act of patch testing I discovered I was just allergic to a hair product I purchased from Aveda last week. That's all. Hours upon hours of internet research. Frantic phone calls and texts to my loved ones letting them know how much I adore them. Missed time from work. Valuable wedding blogging time wasted. Boxes of consumed animal crackers and half a dozen horror movies later... hair gel.

But on the plus side, I discovered that this stuff works better than Benadryl on itchy hives:

Epicuren Acidophilus Pro-Biotic Emulsion