Santa Barbara Is My Friend

We went camping and here is the proof:
What's that you say? You don't see anything of substance? Well, there's the bottom of the tent, and the bf's feet. If you look closely, he's wearing his only pair of pajama pants. Anyone who's anyone will conclude that we slept in the tent the night before. Duh. Besides, the camera ran out of batteries after I snapped this test shot.

I swear we went camping at Carpinteria State Beach. The facilities were nice, we had a brief staring contest with a fat raccoon, we (OK, I) indulged in challah all morning, were kept awake by the trains rolling by all night and saw the most beautiful night sky. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

The Day Our Orchid Died

I sort of disappeared for a while, but I am back and with post ideas to boot! Work and travel has taken up the majority of my time, and the rest has been sucked up in books from the lovely Santa Monica library.

I'll start off my return to blogging with a photo:
Here lies an ordinary view from our balcony and a random stick. However here in the Bride Concierge household, a stick most likely had a previous life serving another object or purpose. Today, it serves as support for our new heirloom tomato plant. The bf has been working diligently on our humble garden with the rich castings from our compost bin. Not too long ago, this stick was supporting the gorgeous orchid we received as a housewarming present. Today is the day that the orchid officially died in the bf's mind (note: I declared it doomed before the last flower fell). I'm not one to cast blame, but given that I was forbidden to touch the plant, I'd say there's only one possible suspect.

Moving forward, we have a modest urban garden of carrots, parsley, basil and heirloom tomatos to enjoy in the future.

New Design, Old Design, New Tricks

I spent all Sunday locked indoors, and this is what I have to show for it:

Plus some pecan shortbread cookies. Yes, I am still justifying buying that stand mixer. Any requests?

How I Spend My Free Time

Today was the first open Saturday in a long summer of festivities. After running my errands and doing my chores, came this fun little number. Plus some pecan shortbread cookie dough to boot.

Honey Makes Flowers Smell Sweeter

OK, not really. So here's the deal - I only own one vase and it's gigantic. Ana Marie came over and brought me a single rose. Naturally, I put it in the most decent vase I could find. It's perfect.

The Challah Saga Part 2

As promised, here is the loaf of challah after its two rises and full of poppy seeds.

Unfortunately, the bread did not have the light, airy texture of the challah we love. It was still sweet, and oh so good toasted up with peanut butter (major bonus points!). No challah though. Boo! We'll be purchasing our challah from here on out.

Worth a Post

I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw this picture. Check out the rest of the wedding photos via Inspired by This.

Heal the Bay 2009

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The results are in the '09 Heal the Bay event last weekend. Volunteers came out to help clean up the beaches and the waters of our hometown. Collectively, we picked up 300,000 pounds of trash. If only I could say that that's all which exists in and around our oceans.

At any rate, I am still very excited that the bf and I could participate on the kayak crew once again. Go UCLA Marine Aquatic Center! Plus, we ran into our favorite ladies Lauren & Tracy at Your Daily Thread.

The Challah Saga, Part I

I would like to begin this post by saying that this is my first (and last) time making challah. We love challah in this household, in fact I don't think it would be much of a stretch to say that we live for challah. Therefore it makes perfect sense to make our own. The only problem with this logic is "make." These arms were not maid for kneading, and patience is not my middle name. I am pooped, and I haven't even started baking!!!!





Stay tuned folks, for the next part of the saga. There will be poppy seeds flying. Yea.

These pants were made for sleeping

I'm on my last class, so these bad boys will be operational by Tuesday morning.

Farewell Spike

Spike's her name, and she is our stray black cat. Was. I had heard that when cats die, they go through everything they can to make sure their last breath is taken at home. Spike disappeared completely last week without a trace. The house seems quieter, and the rats are probably relieved. No one's scratching the back screen door anymore. After ten or so years, the void is going to take some getting used to.

Sparklers

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I've never been a big fan of sparklers for weddings, but I have to admit that this idea is pretty darn cool. Have a great weekend everybody!

Sorry posting has been light, but stay tuned for recaps from my recent sewing class!

New Order

I am working with a bride located in Italy on a new pillow design. This will be my first time shipping internationally, and I have a question - can I ship myself with the pillow? I want to get married in Italy!!

An Open Letter to Ted

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Dear Mr. Baker,

Did you not get my memo about the budget crisis? No, not the California budget. I'm talking about the TC crisis - the one where I'm not supposed to spend money anymore? You see, I've got dreams and a future to save for. That is why you cannot open shop in Santa Monica next year. I know it's a whole year away, but by then I'll be broke. If you seriously go through with it, I will be forced to stand outside your windows to stalk you. You'll have to mop up the drool from the floor. No, don't bring your gorgeous prints and flattering cuts to my neighborhood. You know I love you, sweetheart, but I can't afford to live with you. Please don't get the wrong idea when I stalk your website, we need to remain internet buddies and nothing more beyond it.

xoxo,

Tracy

What We Inevitably Learned From Duncan

I think as adults, at any age, we tend to think that we have it all down. We know everything, we know what we want and how to get it. You've heard me time and time again mention the dog that we wanted to adopt, and just couldn't wait for. Well guys, you win. We give up, at least for now anyway.

We spent the full weekend dogsitting for our friends. His name is Duncan, and Duncan took over all 814 square feet of our humble abode. He took away our sleep every night - growling through night #1, crying through night #2 and topped it off with the weirdest growl-cry (aka dog language) I've ever heard on night #3. Yes, he is a puppy and was sore for attention the entire time. He wasn't happy with just being in the same room with us while we were sleeping, no sir. You had to play with him constantly. And when I tried to sneak off for a nap Saturday afternoon, he sat outside my door crying, and wouldn't even play fetch with my parents. Loyalty and devotion is adorable, but only to a certain extent. Beyond that point, it's just stalker-status. Duncan = stalker.

As you can see, the bf was exhausted by Sunday morning. I was in the kitchen cooking up simple syrup (cuz I had to have me some booze later) after the 6:30a walk with Duncan.

Aside from learning that we never ever want to get a puppy, we've sworn off long-haired dogs. White fur? Get outta our way! After only 2 1/2 days with us, Duncan was looking like a bum. Luckily, he behaved during his bath...

For his good behavior, I rewarded him with a nice helping of peanut butter. Apparently it was too big of a helping. He had the craziest sugar high. Hopefully these pictures capture just how insane the game of fetch turned out to be.

He looks like a siberian husky here, but he's totally not. He's just a hyper mess.

After a crazy morning of super fetch and 2 1/2 days of not sleeping, we exhausted Duncan. He knocked out Sunday afternoon, leg twitches and all.

In conclusion, no dog for us. At least not now.... We couldn't shed the feeling that not having any privacy and alone time would be a big strain on our relationship. I love the bf, and it's our private conversations that make me love him. So in the end, we couldn't commit to something or someone. We're going to look into fostering instead. We still want to make an impact on a shelter dog's life, one way or another.

Lace Never Looked So Good

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Check out this cute lace necklace! It's nothing short of delicious.

One Man's Treasure, Is Another's....

Yep, I picked up all these great finds at garage sales this weekend! Keep your eyes out for their debut in my Etsy shop soon. It's amazing what great vintage treasures there are.

Oh, and that first picture? It's a beautiful ceramic bowl that we'll be using as a dog food dish. You know, for our non-existent doggie. I'm pathetic, I know...

Talk About a Cutie

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I love this guy, his name is Jin, and he is looking for a permanent family to love. He's currently residing at Lange Foundation. The bf and I did some volunteering on Sunday and took him for a fun walk. He looked so cute and innocent in his kennel, wagging his tail and looking up at us with the sweetest eyes. Boy was he a different story once I opened the kennel gate! He's so funny and curious. Unfortunately, he's got too much energy to be cooped up in our little condo. Everyone should visit him now and play tug-o-war with his ducky toy!

Random Tidbits About Me

The weekend is upon us, and I'm so excited! I thought I'd share a few random facts on my mind right now:

> I got my very first Macbook 7 months ago, and I love it. It is so pretty! I don't think I'll ever go back to a PC again. Oh, and it terrifies me. Confession: I have no idea how to really use it. In my defense, I never really understood my PC that well either. Mac does get major bonus points in my book for having no viruses (so far). I <3

> I can't wait to adopt our very first dog. We're looking at an October time frame. We have been so patient, I swear. Yes, we stalk our favorite dog adoption sites in WLA EVERYDAY, but we've managed to hold back since May. We wanted to be in the right situation to make sure that the newest member of our family got the proper attention and care he or she deserves. We've fallen in love with so many dogs at first sight, and then watched them disappear from the listings. It's torture. It's like watching that perfect pair of shoes for weeks, only to find that they're out of your size. We're also on the lookout for a dog carrier and playpen on the Los Angeles Craigslist board, because if we're gonna do this, we have to do it the green way.

> When you become a homeowner (or in my case, step-homeowner as the condo does not belong to me rightfully), you realize that no place is perfect. The recycling bins fill up by the second day after collection. The hallways are dim. There's a possible roach problem in the building as of this week. However, it's great to have an HOA that is so on top of the issues. I love coming home to a warm and inviting place. Our neighbors are great, and when I forgot to roll up my windows to the car and left it there for days, it was still there! No one took anything, damaged anything, and my awesome brown hoodie was still there. I love that I can take the Big Blue Bus to work everyday. Not having a lot of homeless people on my line is a major plus too. Despite the fact that the bf dominates every single closet in the condo (seriously, shouldn't it be the other way around), I still love everyday we spend together in our home.

> I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again - yoga is amazing. When I first started a couple years ago, my hands barely reached down to my ankles. Now, I am so close to laying my hands flat on the floor. I no longer need to go to Dr. Cooper to adjust my back, although I'll miss his friendly chatter. OK, and the fact that the awesome Eilat bakery was just downstairs from him and I can no longer get my challah fix taken care of. I just need to fix my old lady knees.

> We've now spoiled ourselves so much that we can't eat store-bought tortillas or pizza dough, or even granola. There's so much satisfaction in knowing exactly what goes into the food you put into your mouth.

> I love food blogs, but they all make me so hungry when I am at work. Like right now, I am imagining how the peach & goat cheese rustic pizza will taste when we test it out Sunday night.

Today's Pretty Find

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Loving this butterfly mobile!

It's all in the details - wreaths

When I was a kid growing up, I always thought of wreaths as decoration you only pull out around Christmas. Leave it to a band of creative geniuses (not to exclude Ms. Martha Stewart, of course) to turn it into a decor element fit for a wedding. I love the look of them hung on tree trunks, pews and doorways. Without further ado, here are a ton of examples:

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All I Ever Needed

Seriously? This is too cute. One of my clients sent me this picture of my "Love Bee" pillow in action! The ring bearer loved it so much, he keeps it in his room now. How sweet is that?

Love

I found this poem on Big Sur Wedding's blog, and found it so fitting for myself and the bf. Happy anniversary, babe. =)

Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog
By Taylor Mali

First of all, it's a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York.
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand,
love gives you a sense of security:
when you're walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain't no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?

On cold winter nights,
love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn't like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time?
No! No! Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!

Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you're all wound up and can't move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.

Renegade Craft Fair

For all you craft-obsessed mavens (including myself), it's the Renegade Craft Fair for the first time EVER in LA!!

I know I don't need this dress, but...

seriously, how awesome is this dress???

Wedding Love

Weddings are so emotional and filled with love. When I work at weddings, sometimes I come close to tears from all the energy and thoughtfulness of ceremonies and speeches. But when this wedding is one of someone near and dear to you, oh it means so much more. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house at my brother's wedding. The ceremony was perfect, and I am honestly so happy for them. I know it's been a long road to get to this point, but I am so thankful to have a new sister-in-law entering into our family.

So not to bore ya'll with my touchy feely musings, I give you the details! My SIL is so creative, I loved all the touches!The ceremony programs were newsletters. Isn't it the cutest??





We celebrated in style at Strawberry Farms for the reception.
I loved loved LOVED the sweetheart table!
The escort cards doubled as favors, as they were packets of Chinese Forget-Me-Not seeds.
Check out that handsome couple on the left, that's my mommy and daddy 35 years ago!!!
The cake topper was this cute rat couple, which is so fitting because they've all got pet rats!!!