enJOY it

making me happy / stickygram edition.

October 25, 2013

I became hooked on Instagram in fall of 2011. Paul was deployed and I was on a trip to New York with some of my college girlfriends. We were killing time while waiting out Irene, the tropical storm that never hit the city as dramatically anticipated. I had seen people linking to their Instagram photos, but unlike many other social media platforms, it seemed like something you needed an app to use (there was no web side to it at the point) and I was confused.

But many good things on the Internet – gmail, blogging, amazon, twitter, pinterest, tumblrs of animated gifs compiled by new dads – seem confusing at first. Once I was on it, and using it, I was totally hooked.

In December 2011, I turned some of my first Instagram images into photo magnets through Stickygram. They were so rad and have lived on my fridge for nearly two years. When Stickgram contacted me to see if I wanted to order more and share them on the blog I couldn't say yes fast enough – my life has changed very much since Winter 2011 and my fridge magnets might as well reflect that. 😉

I now have 27 awesome photos of my funny family decorating the fridge. It was a challenge to pick a variety of "different" images of the exact same subject (It's still very much the Ellerie Show around here) but I love the variety of colors. I choose photos from the weekend before she was born to two weeks ago and it's fun to see little E growing right before my eyes every time I grab a beer milk.

Super sweet and totally making me happy. Highly recommend. If you want to order a set for yourself, visit Stickygram and use code FRIEND29D9 to save $2 off magnets or $5 off an iPhone photo case. (Please note, If you use the code, I'll receive affiliate credits and be able to add to my obsession collection.)

Have a great weekend…I'll see you on Instagram.
october : currently.

October 23, 2013

waking to foggy mornings.

finishing Newsroom season one.

watching Scandal season three and still totally obsessed.

loving this blog post…"you're a good mama."

and appreciating the honesty and truth in this one.

packing up calendar orders as quickly as possible.

keeping the US Postal Service in business.

hunting for the perfect t-shirt.

planning on using this photo frame for fun Christmas decor.

looking forward to working my way through the projects this book.

anticipating a very busy November.

working on saying "No" to some things to say "Yes" to others.

having hardwood floors installed in the office.

hoping to see some of you at the Queen Bee Market next week.

feeling full in a good way.

cheering on three sweet friends who are expecting babies.

listening to podcasts as we walk around the neighborhood.

brainstorming on a new idea.

turning Ellerie into a flamingo for Halloween.

flying up to Northern California today to see family and attend another wedding.
for the love of scarves.

October 22, 2013

Over the past few months, I've talked about maxi skirts and clutches. As I was thinking about posts for fall, I knew I had to write about scarves. And then I thought to myself, "that will be the end of the fashion round-ups…scarves are the only other thing I obsess over…except for good t-shirts…and bracelets…and flats." And then I realized I truly am the pickiest person on the planet. But seriously, scarves. I am a sucker for a good scarf and am thrilled when I find the perfect one.

So what makes a "perfect" scarf? Wrapability is key. It needs to be big (like the size of a beach towel) and I tend to favor lighter fabrics (even when I am in colder climates). Anything too small will not drap correctly and the bigger it is, the more forgiving and flattering it tends to be. I have seen awesome things done with square scarves, but I tend to have better luck with rectangles.

I wear scarves four ways and four ways only.

Loosely wrapped once around the neck…and not knotted. This is my go-to and I like how it looks over a tee or under a jacket or cardigan. I found this black and white scarf on clearance at Urban Outfitters last year.

Tightly wrapped and knotted. This is my go-to the rare occasion that it's actually cold and I need extra warmth. I've had this orange Gap scarf since we lived in Maryland and I still love it.

Over the shoulders. Perfect for the transition season nights when I don't want to bring a jacket. I found this wrap at Gap last year and the pattern is one of my favorites.

Doubled up. I love wide cowls that can be doubled like my lululemon infinity scarf.

As mentioned above, size totally matters. I've found that a good scarf will be 30×75 and wider (33+ inches) is better. Ideally, I like to try them on in store to be sure the drape will be right, but I keep these measurements in mind when I am shopping online. I tend to stick with just one to two main colors because then the scarf works as a neutral and generally goes with everything. (In fact, I tend to stick with one to two color patterns in all of my clothing and fabric choices.)

Below are some of my current favorites from around the web. All of these pass (or very nearly pass) the size test and if I wasn't already drowning in scarves, they'd be staples in my wardrobe.

juicy couture romantic rose scarf, echo "cities" oversized wrap $58, lemlem classic lucy wrap $125, fashionABLE genet scarf $65, echo vintage clouds wrap $38, michael stars folk art wrap $42, anthroplogie floral patchwork scarf $48, j.crew infintiy scarf $29. disclosure : links may be affiliate links.

Cheers to autumn and brisk days!
something new…

October 21, 2013

A few weeks ago I had the idea for a calendar. I wanted to create something super simple with fun photos. I played around with a few ideas and settled quickly on something 4×6 that could be cropped into two 3x4s after the month was over and added to Project Life®.

If you're not a Project Life person – awesome! It's just a small calendar to brighten up your workspace.

If you are a Project Life person – awesome! It's a small calendar…and it's 24 3×4 embellishment cards. Chop the card in half, add handwritten text and embellishments (or don't!) and tuck them into the pockets of your spreads.

The calendar portion has space to add journaling about your month (or goals for the month, or highlight a special date, etc). And the photo portion is just a great way to get some somewhat seasonal appropriate color in your spreads.

I choose photos I have taken over the past few years that felt good as a collection and seemed versatile.

The paper stock is thick (like a postcard) and semi-glossy (you'll want a sharpie or slickwriter if you do any writing on top).

Get yours here! I have a ton, but no idea if and how quickly these will sell. I do know that once they are gone they are gone for good.
project life 2013 : week 41.

October 20, 2013

It's week forty-one and I love this project.

click the photos to enlarge for a somewhat clearer image.

Week of : October 7 – October 13.

What happened this week? We were home until Friday and then went to Catalina. I decided to make the spread just hold photos from our trip since there were so many I loved.

Anything special in the spread? Just the fact that this really only covers a weekend event instead of the usual week.

Techniques this week : I tucked the wedding invitation and our photobooth strips into a 5×7 pocket page.

Overall thoughts : Love that I actually stuck to my plan and used my big camera on this trip. I need to be better about taking it out everyday and on little getaways. I am always so thrilled with the photos.

Ratio of iPhone photos to "real camera" photos : All real camera.

Ratio of photos taken by Elise to photos taken by Paul : A few by me, one by Paul, a few by friends.

Supplies used : Seafoam core kit, Midnight core kit, Freckled Fawn heart washi tape, Elise Joy stamp.

Tools used : Design A pocket pages, 5×7 pocket page, Fiskars corner rounder, Zig Millenium pen, Rotatrim paper trimmer, Office Depot date stamp, staz-on ink. All photos were printed at home on my HP Photosmart 2575 printer on Office Depot semi-gloss photo paper.

Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I use photos, text and stuff to document our life weekly. You can see all the posts from 2012 here and 2013 here. Do you have a question about how I am tackling this project (including anything about the photos)? Check here.
project life 2013 : week 40.

October 19, 2013

It’s week 40 and yes, I love this project.

I actually got a question about this the other week… do I really still LOVE putting together the spreads. The answer is yes and no. I LOVE tucking all the pieces into place. I love taking pictures. I love doing the embellishing and the journaling. I hate printing the photos – that’s my least favorite part and biggest hold up every week. If I could snap my fingers and the photos would appear, I would be obsessed all over again. This means I am going to have to figure out a new photo printing method for 2014. Stay tuned.

click the photo to enlarge for a somewhat clearer image.

Weeks of : September 30 – October 6.

What happened this week? We were home. Nothing special and not too many photos since I was working to get the eCourse out the door.

Anything special in the spread? Those two bottom photos were actually taken the following week. But since I decided to dedicate week 41 to our Catalina trip and I had so few photos I went with it.

Techniques this week : I have been using more 3×4 journaling and embellishment cards these weeks because I am so annoyed with printing photos. It’s sort of a win/win because it’s less printing AND I get to use up some of the fun cards in my stash.

Overall thoughts : It was not intentional that I had two photos of E in various animal bath towels, but they were both so great I had to use them.

Ratio of iPhone photos to “real camera” photos : 5 to 2.

Ratio of photos taken by Elise to photos taken by Paul : All Elise.

Supplies used : Seafoam core kit, Midnight core kit, Freckled Fawn wood chip arrow, Mer Carty journaling card, Evalicious badge, Paislee Press calendar card and you card.

Tools used : Design A pocket pages, Fiskars corner rounder, Zig Millenium pen, Rotatrim paper trimmer, Office Depot date stamp, staz-on ink. All photos were printed at home on my HP Photosmart 2575 printer on Office Depot semi-gloss photo paper.

Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I use photos, text and stuff to document our life weekly. You can see all the posts from 2012 here and 2013 here. Do you have a question about how I am tackling this project (including anything about the photos)? Check here.
around here.

October 18, 2013

Those last two photos are a great visual representation of my brain right now… cluttered. But the Clear Out is coming. (If I was a Game of Thrones character that would totally be my family motto.) I can feel it and it's going to be a doozy. Super excited to get my office organized.

I got home from the wedding last weekend determined to relax a bit ("determined to relax"? that hardly sounds relaxing). I have made the executive decision that I am booked job-wise through the end of the year so now I can fully focus on shortening, not lengthening, my to-do list (and hopefully have time for fun holiday DIYs slash sitting on the couch watching Hart of Dixie). There is a lot on my plate, but that's how I like it and at least I now know how big my plate is.

Look for more information about those 2014 calendars shown above soon! I am also anxious to share more details about the two in real life workshops/retreats I'll be teaching at early next year. I had two inspiring phone calls this past week and I'm filling notebooks with ideas.

And speaking of in person… I'm hosting a Project Life crop tomorrow at Paper Tales in San Diego. It will be a relaxed event of Project Life making and talking. (I'll be bringing fun new product for the goodie bags!). If you're local and want to come, more information is here. You can call 619.222.2510 to reserve a spot.

In other news…we have Paul's family coming into town today and gorgeous weather that's just begging for more than a few long walks (and hopefully runs). Good stuff.
i love october.

October 16, 2013

marabella clutch, terrain iron fire pit bowl, apple latte tiny infinity bracelet, cb2 white console table, ikea alseda stool, ikea ivar shelving, rewined scented candles, target threshold bar cart.

I'm all over the map this month… I have too many projects with too many steps running in a loop in my brain. My goal is to simplify what needs to be done (for the backyard, for the office, for everything else) and break things down. This week : I'll get quotes for hardwood flooring and I'll get the installation scheduled. I'll figure out where we can rent a power washer for the backyard and start pulling out weeds. I'll do a practice set up my booth for the Queen Bee Market and make a giant to-do list.

And in the meantime, I'll think about how I'd really like a bar cart in the dining area…
catalina island.

October 15, 2013

This past weekend, Paul, Ellerie and I headed to Catalina Island to celebrate a wedding. We had never been to Catalina. In fact, before Megan started planning her wedding, my only knowledge of it was a reference in Arrested Development. Turns out it's a gorgeous little island and well worth the ferry ride to get there.

We were fortunate that my parents were able to make a weekend trip out of it as well. This meant we got to see them and perhaps more importantly, they got to see Ellerie. It also meant Ellerie, Paul and I could hang out in the mornings, but my parents could baby-sit during the afternoon and evenings while we were at wedding events.

The main touristy part of Catalina is called Avalon. It's walkable and filled with restaurants, bars, little shops and ice cream stands. For the most part, everyone drives golf carts. We hopped off the ferry and walked right to our hotel. All weekend we walked everywhere. It was too easy and awesome to not have to worry about carseats or cab fares.

My friend, Megan, nailed it on the wedding details. I often think about how lucky I am that I got married before Pinterest. There are just way too many ideas out there now, I can imagine how easy it is to get overwhelmed. But wow, Megan picked the best of the best with this wedding; it was perfect.

Such cute details, right? And don't get me started on the joys of having a photobooth at a weddding. I wish I had access to a photobooth every single day (and not the phone app).

And, oh, it was so good to see my girlfriends and have a night out with Paul. We're nearly four months into this parenthood thing and I feel like we've turned yet another corner. It no longer feels like we're playing house or just trying to get through the day. It just feels like we're parents and it's awesome.

But we're also Paul and Elise. Best friends forever and husband and wife. This wedding was special reminder of that. I spent the weekend completely blissed out. Check plus and three cheers to this new life season.
these two.

October 13, 2013

I have a camera full of photos from a weekend full of friends and family. But we'll get to those. Right now, I'm exhausted, happy to be home and so in love with these two.