poladream

i have really been jonesin' for a polaroid camera like this sx70... i mean, it's on it's way to becoming a lost art form. the excitement when it spits out your picture. the anticipation of shaking the film. waiting to see what develops. there's just something magical about a polaroid.
*for some dreamy polaroid browsing check this out.

(image via polapremium)

it's the little things

i was inspired to make my own little list after reading some of the wonderful things that make people happy over at rockstar diaries.

10 things that make me terribly happy...

1. cracking open a new book
2. the smell of the desert after it rains
3. asu rugby girls (past, present and future)
4. trips to new zealand
5. watching jeopardy with kiwi
6. lemons
7. black and white photos of my grandparents
8. down comforters
9. my noisy, loving, amazing family
10. sunsets

*i liked this little exercise sooooo much, i just might have to make it a weekly activity.

the world is yours

*let's make the most of each brand new day. with all the crazy things happening all around us, i am still just pretty darn excited about life.

(via ffffound!)

que bonita

i really hope our wedding turns out like this. a little latin flair and lots of class... my grandma saved her mother's mantilla (spanish veil) from her wedding, and i am thinking of wearing it during the ceremony. i think the vibe is perfect for the dress and the shoes. que bonita!

(images via snippet & ink)

OMG shoes!

i ordered these sassy little jeffrey campbell numbers a while back and i just love them. they are so soft and lovely and turquoise. since kiwi decided to totally veto the cowboy boots idea i'm thinking of sporting the jc pair instead. wouldn't they look amazing with this dress and these flowers? i tried it on this weekend and loved it. the girls at uptown bridal call it the senorita dress which i pretty much adore.

*for more unconventional bridal footwear, check this out.

mr. pitiful

last night my sweet friend kathryn butler and i went to see matt costa at martini ranch. oh matt costa, how i heart you in your skinny jeans and flannel shirt. the opening band, the 88 was pretty adorable as well. this morning i am dreaming of moving to california and riding my beach cruiser while listening to matt costa on my transistor radio... happy monday!

*see him in action here and here... no idea how to post a video.

i heart friday

i really really heart fridays. today i have already been to the gym and met with my wedding planner. it's off to a great start! i'm headed to meet christy for lunch at el zocalo (i dream about the chile rellenos) and to try on wedding dresses at uptown bridal. have a happy happy weekend!

bridal bootcamp: week three

this week i sort of fell off the wagon, after doing so well on week one and two... i skipped monday and went to olive & ivy with kiwi instead! it was totally worth it, we don't get many date nights these days and it was fun to go out for cocktails and dinner. that being said, everyday you get to start fresh.

so tuesday kelly and i met at the track and did a light cardio workout. yesterday, kelly came to the gym armed with the next phase of our workout plan... and on the back, a calendar complete with an inspirational photo of carmen electra and the words bikini season is upon us below. oh how i love working out with that girl. this got me thinking about my own fitness inspiration, which lead me right to one of my favorite role models lokelani mcmichael. this girl is amazing. at 18 she became the youngest woman to complete the hawaii iron man. "I've been told my muscles are too big for fashion magazines," says McMichael, who has modeled for Elle, Self, Shape, Esquire, and Nike's latest ad campaign. seriously cool.

below is the addition to this week... rob added a leg program for friday, because kelly and i requested some glamorous gams for all those summer skirts and shorts.

legs: friday
step ups with med ball- 3x10
leg press- 3x10

lunges-walking with glute lift-3x10
lunges-regular-3x10
lunges-three second holds-3x10

leg extension-3x10
leg curl-3x10
calf raises-3x10

parisi warm up/ 5 min abs before every workout
every workout must finish with 10-15 min of cardio
*we are going to attempt to do this on fridays before work... we'll see how that goes!

this little light of mine

so, i may have purchased about a million (okay, 60) whirly hanging candleholders from my new favorite store cb2... but i think they will look amazing hanging from the trees at the wedding. plus, we can reuse them (see post below) after the big day and hang them chandelier style in the house.

(image found here)

sweet dreams

west elm

india rose

anthropologie

i have been flirting with the idea of a new duvet set... i've had my old one forever and white feels so right. fresh and clean, everything spring is about. above are the top three contenders. the west elm set gets bonus points for being organic, i love that. don't you just want to jump right in?

(images found here, here and here)

do you yudu?

for some reason kiwi has always been fascinated with screen printing. it started with this book and just didn't stop. so for his birthday i decided to surprise him with his very own personal screen printing machine... the yudu. i read an awesome review on design mom and i just couldn't resist. the sad thing is, we've been so busy lately we have yet to take it out of the box (his birthday was march 9th) maybe this weekend instead of doing home projects we can let our creative juices flow! any ideas for a rockin' t-shirt motif? let's get excited and make things!

(images found here and here)

good luck!

kiwi is starting a new job today! i keep asking him if he is nervous or excited, but he just plays it cool and says he is not worried. i would be a nervous wreck, it's like the first day of school all over again. good luck kiwi, i know you'll be great.
(image via we heart it)

a desert love song

sometimes i envision our wedding as a hybrid of these two inspiration boards... equal parts desert fete and bluegrass love song... a desert love song perhaps?

(via snippet & ink )

paris je t'aime

joanna over at a cup of jo is heading to paris in a few days with her fiance. oh how i wish kiwi and i were going! the last time i was in paris it was only for a few days... definitely not long enough. one of my favorite memories was eating fresh crepes under the eiffel tower, just as the lights began to sparkle. oh paris, je t'aime.
*for a little taste of paris, watch this movie. you'll love it.
(images found here)

home envy

(stephanie vogler via design sponge)

(sarah hartill via design sponge)

lately kiwi and i have doing very domestic things like talking about hardwood floors and paint colors... i admit, i might be nesting. but, i am becoming fully aware that kiwi and i have very different aesthetic tastes. he is fundamentally against the cookie cutter, pottery barn look... which i happen to love. individuality is so important... however, when he starts throwing around words like pop art and alice in wonderland i begin to get very nervous. he is slowing killing my dream of living within the pages of metropolitan home. i've got my work cut out for me.

life is pretty amazing

(via fffound!)

*try to remember this as you are scrambling to finish your taxes...

say hello to my little friend

kiwi found me a sweet deal on a macbook from micro center. the original price was $999 but they were offering a $200 rebate and they upgraded all the systems to match the new macbook air. i tease kiwi about being a tech nerd because he is always on gizmodo, but sometimes it comes in handy. i don't think i've ever loved anything more... except kiwi of course.

*instead of buying a sweet computer like mine, kiwi has decided to build his own. sometimes i do not understand boys.

bridal bootcamp: week two

week one of operation: healthy bride went surprisingly well... i already feel stronger and more energized. i actually look forward to the gym, mostly because kelly and i gossip the entire time. for week two i am adding leslie's leg workout. leslie is a fellow kinesiology major and overall motivational lady. she yells at me when i try to use the little weights... leslie and i usually do this on tues/thursdays because it is such a light day on the workout plan. week two, here we go...

leslie's leg workout: *warning i am usually so sore post workout that i can't sit down without assistance. this feeling generally lasts all weekend and i try to talk kiwi into carrying me up and down stairs. this side effect is normal, do not be alarmed.

iso warm up: (from week one)

box step up with dumbbells-3x20
stationary lunge-3x20

hamstring curls-3x20
single leg dead lifts-3x20

front loaded squat-3x20
leg press-3x20

standing calf raises-3x20 (you are almost done, and your legs will feel like jello right about now)

5 min abs: (from week one)
post stretch: take 5 min to stretch muscle groups used

*good luck! if this is too much try just adding it on thursdays... i am just working up to two days/week for leslie's leg workout. remember, baby steps. baby steps.

can't get enough

i can't get enough... this real bride is sporting the aforementioned stephanie james couture. how adorable is she? and with the tea length you can show off your sweet shoes that no one will get to see otherwise.

*if you know of any other tea length styles let me know! they are hard to find...

(photos via stephanie james)

here comes the bride: part III

i recently became obsessed with the tea length wedding dress after seeing photos of my grandmother in hers. 50 years later she still looks chic and glamorous. the sassy dresses above are from stephanie james couture... and there is a boutique in the valley that carries her pieces! i will definitely have to check it out.

*i already have a dress tucked away in my closet. but there seems to be a wedding dress ambivalence epidemic going around. i've caught the bug. apparently i'm not alone.

(photos via stephanie james)

i love you mom

happy birthday! i love you mom. when i grow up i want to be just like you.
*my mom is the youngest of six kids... i just found out that when she was little my grandmother called her the savage. i love it.

happy easter

have a wonderful weekend. i'm looking forward to spending time with my lovely family, coloring some easter eggs and going to church. i heart easter.
*if i'm feeling ambitious, i might try to make this for brunch.
(image found here)

scent of a woman

did you wear your signature fragrance on the big day? or buy a special scent just for the wedding? fragrance has the power to evoke so many memories and emotions... i've worn this for years, because i just love the smell of gardenias. what's a bride to do?

(photo found here )

i believe

"i believe in love. i believe people make mistakes. i believe people are selfish and generous at the same time. i believe in happy endings."

*i read this quote in the february issue of vogue. i liked it so much, i tore it out and have been carrying it around in my wallet.

*for more wise words, check out simple lovely.

(image via le love)

bridal bootcamp: week one

( doutzen kroes looking buff in the vogue shape issue)

yesterday i began operation: healthy bride. there will be no crash dieting or get skinny schemes. i've got about six months before the wedding and i would just like to be my healthiest, most fabulous self. i hope that by posting this it will make me more accountable/motivated. wish me luck! here goes nothing...

iso warm up: squat-15, side lunge- 15 sec, leg out- 15 sec, push up-15 sec, arm circles-30 sec (2x through)

shoulders + arms: monday super set: front raise -10, side raise-10, 45 degree raise-10 (3x through) overhead press- 3x10, lat pull downs -3x8, vert pullback (rows)-3x8, shoulder shrugs- 2x15

movement: tuesday 4 laps or 1 mile (slow jog on turns, brisk run on straights)

chest + back: wednesday bench -3x8, flys -3x10, bicep curls- 3x10, triceps extension- 3x12

movement: thursday 4 laps or 1 mile (slow jog on turns, brisk run on straights)

legs: friday stadiums- 3 sets, step up squat (repeat) to the top (yikes, this might kill me)

post stretch: take 5 min to stretch the muscle groups used

5 min abs: (choose three from list) russian twist, crunch holds (3 sec), bicycles (20 reps), v-up, full sit-ups, plank, front leg raises, sit up twists (10 reps each unless otherwise noted)

*thank you to big rob and kelly for this awesome workout plan. i look forward to being a buff (not too buff, mind you) and beautiful bride! note: we are not health or fitness professionals (blah blah blah disclaimer disclaimer)

kicks for kids

toms shoes are just pretty rad. for every pair you buy, toms will donate a pair to a child in need. check out this video featured on cnbc or visit the website to learn more about them. i own the lovely silver numbers pictured above. kiwi says they look like disco balls, i love them. i'm jonesin' for another pair. if that's not mindful spending i don't know what is.

(photos via toms and flickr)

spring cleaning

i spent the weekend helping kiwi clean his (soon to be our) house. i am such a good girlfriend. what did you do this weekend?
*and i used trader joe's eco friendly cleaning products! you're welcome mother earth.
(image found here)

a desert wedding at dusk

i just love this stunning desert wedding. isn't arizona beautiful? can't wait for november.
(photos via rock 'n roll bride)

diamonds aren't always a girl's best friend

christy and i are going to check out a trunk show over at jewel ya today! she made all the jewelry for christy's wedding party. hopefully, i can find some lovely earrings to wear on the big day. i'm rather partial to her turquoise pieces.
(image found here)

i like to ride my bicycle

i spent an amazing summer studying abroad in both austria and holland. i remember riding bikes that looked just like this all around the little town of breda. now you can have a gazelle classic dutch bike of your very own for just $995 from club monaco! i'm putting this on my birthday (never gonna happen) wish list.

(photos and story via style.com)

dos gardenias para ti

these beauties came in the mail from smitten today! i'm torn between the ban.do and the gardenias for the ceremony. what did we do before etsy?
*check out a cup of jo for more wedding hair inspiration.
*or visit east side bride and make your own!
(photo via smittenxoxo)