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Tipsy Wednesday - Three Tips for Looking Picture Perfect!

Want to look fabulous in your holiday portraits and pics this year? Here are a few tips a photographer once told me - and I've tried to remember them each time someone snaps a candid shot... because no one wants to look bigger than they are... or get caught with their "bad side" towards the shutter!

Always shift your body weight to your "back" leg - or the leg that is furthest from the camera.

Never lift your chin up. Always keep your head level or pull your chin slightly down.

Always place one of your hands on your hip - believe it or not, this quick move helps to make the body look slimmer!

Finally... if you feel intimidated by cameras, it will show in your pictures. Just relax and smile!

And if you're going to be taking black & white portraits, wear reds and greens - not whites or blacks - and avoid patterns. 

Have fun recording all your special holiday memories this year! If you want to apply any of these tips while making your own digital photo holiday cards, check out this great site from Martha Stewart that has some creative ideas for your family's holiday photo-cards!

xxoo!

Warm Fuzzies!

Nothing like waking up to your house alarm blaring. Ahhh... Mondays.

One of my sisters (and her hubs and dogs) are coming into town for Thanksgiving this year - and I'm uber excited! So we've been planning our Turkey Day menu, cleaning the house, preparing the guest room, and tying up loose ends on tasks and projects we started in recent weeks.

Three cheers for productivity!!!! :)

* * * * *

While doing some shopping this weekend, I found myself whistling holiday tunes without realizing it. And while I start to consciously prepare for the holidays, I can't help but think of all the simple things each of us can do to provide some relief and happiness to others. I believe that is truly what makes this time of year feel magical...

If you want to do something to warm someone's heart this year, there are a lot of options. I've included some ideas here for you...

ONE: Collect Plastic

Gather plastic bags from your house and your neighbors' houses to donate to your local food bank. They are always in need of plastic bags to package up all the food they give to those in need. If you have any food you can donate too, that would be great!

If you want to get your neighborhood involved, visit my previous post for an idea of small flyers you can distribute to get everyone to save their bags for you to pick up and donate. :)

TWO: Give Your Time

Give some of your time by finding a volunteer opportunity near you. There are soup kitchens, food banks, children's hospitals, hospices and more! The needs of all of these groups are so varied, you are bound to find something that will work for you. There are a lot of websites out there that will help you find an opportunity that you'll enjoy and that will make the most out of any special skills you may have. VolunteerMatch is one and Serve.gov is another.

 
THREE: Run for a Cause

Sign up for a charity walk or run! The money raised for these events go to really great causes. And event coordinators ensure participants have a really great time while they're there. AND... you always get a goodies bag to take home with you! Not a bad deal if you ask me. A simple Google search will find upcoming runs and walks in your area. :)

FOUR: Save a Life

No need to don your super-hero spandex for this one. Simply donate your blood or sign up to be a bone marrow donor! This is really giving the gift of life... and I can't think of a better way to help someone else. Visit www.givelife.org for more information... I really love the banner I saw when I recently visited the site... "Starve a Vampire. Donate Blood." Ha! Very cute, especially with all the vampire frenzy going on right now!

If you are interested in joining the bone marrow registry, visit the DKMS website for more information. The initial commitment is simply a cheek swab! They will even send the swab kit to you. If you ever match anyone who is looking for a donor and you still wish to donate, you can either donate your blood or your marrow itself. Really an amazing thing that could save someone's life.

 

FIVE: Gifts that Give

When purchasing gifts this year, consider gifts that automatically give when you make a purchase.

For example, Feed Projects offers a variety of merchandise that, when purchased, will help feed the hungry. All of the money goes towards this cause... and you get some really nice merch in exchange! A pretty good deal if you ask me!

The purchase of the original feed bag feeds one child for an ENTIRE YEAR! Wow. 

 

Another cool one is the Kenya bag (which I LOVE). It feeds 2 children for a year:

 

 And for those of you who have or know kiddles, they now have this adorable bear...

 

I love it all. Please consider these as options to give to friends... and their bags make great gifts for "green" friends who who are avoiding plastic bags.

Another great company under this "umbrella" is Tom's Shoes.

Every time a pair of Tom's Shoes are purchased, a pair is donated to a child in need. Incredible. And if you don't dig any of their shoesies, they have other merch that you can purchase... and a pair of shoes will still be donated! LOVE IT!

 

AND MORE...

There are, of course, countless things you could do - these are just a few ideas. If any of you live in the Columbia area, the Salvation Army is doing Angel Trees in a few local malls again this year. You select the name of a child from the tree, purchase the gift they are asking for, and return both to the tree. It's a really neat way to make this Christmas a special one for a child in need.

I really hope you all are doing well - and are able to spend quality time with friends and family this week. Ciao for now!

Sniffles

I've spent the good part of the last three days in bed resting, trying to get over this bug that I caught. Yesterday I was sure that I was on the mend, picturing myself springing out of bed this morning, singing in the shower and attacking the day with gusto.

But... I'm still sitting here in bed, staying hydrated, and sucking down some strange orange liquid every 4 hours, thankful that my tastebuds don't seem to be working properly.

 

There is so much that needs to get done and so much that I want to get done. And Thanksgiving is just a week or so away! I can't wait to get over this cold...

I've spent some of my bed-ridden time checking some of my favorite wedding-related blogs. My current fav? Brooklyn Bride Online.

 

 

It is a really great blog for brides-to-be and anyone else looking for great wedding ideas, cute engagement photo shoots, and adorable save-the-dates and invitations.

You'll really want to check it out.

OK... Back to my bed and my icky orange medicine.

All my best,

-h-

xxoo

Pictures from Magnolia Plantation's Conservatory

Went to the Magnolia Plantation & Gardens in Charleston yesterday...

 

It was stunning... even in the rain.

My favorite was the conservatory deck that overlooked a pond. It felt secluded, quiet and was surrounded by plants in every nook and cranny...

 

 

 

Loved it.

We're going to have to go back one day when we can take it all in in the warm sunshine!

:)

 

Festive Treatery

I LOVE these creative ideas for ghoulish treats & eats...

Click on each picture for the recipe...

Vampire Bites

 

Graveyard Cakes

Link to "the Cool Whip" version.

Dancing Bones Brownies

 Fiery Eyes Ghost Cake

Of course... there are always those tasty Pumpkin Pancakes I made a few weeks ago...

 

 Boo-tiful Cake

 

 

Invisible Pops

 

Brainy Cupcakes

 

Skull Madeleines

(each photo belongs to its respective site)

Fashion Ego + Window Shopping

So I watched last night's Project Runway this morning while enjoying my morning soy latte...

And I noticed one of the designers is not like the others.

Here are just a few things this one designer has uttered about her competitors:

 

Everyone else just seems like ...they're cracking jokes every five minutes and ...a stitch will take them five minutes and then they wonder why they can't finish in time.

There are moments when I look around and the level of creativity or craftsmanship hasn't increased in any way. They're getting by on just...doing the bare minimum and I try to top what I did the previous challenge. ...Clothes should be well-made.

 

Ummmm... can we say EGO??!

Why is this girl always talking in "me versus them" speak?

Yes, it's a competition. Yes, you have opinions and have a right to voice them.

But who's going to want to work with you in the future if you keep ranting about how you think you're better than everyone else? 

That's right... I'm talking about you, Irina.

I am hoping she encounters some form of humility in future episodes...

(But of course, she'll probably win the whole darn thing! If we base it on past seasons, it seems the rudest people are always the ones who win.)

Ugh.

***

Anyhoo...

I occasionally go "window-shopping" for clothes online... perusing the likes of anthropologie, White House Black Market, and some of my other favorite online shops.

Here are a couple of my favorite finds this week:

 

For me, a lot of pieces in anthropologie's collections are hit or miss... but I would snatch up this top and jacket in a heartbeat... if I had nothing else to spend my hard-earned money on, of course! 

 

And I really love this pretty navy dress. It's fall-ready when paired with some cute tights and a cardigan. But you could also let it out of your closet again in the spring with a denim jacket and some flip-flops.

The detail in the front by the bosom is just so lovely.

J'adore.

 

Finally... anyone who knows me well, knows I am a lover of layers and stocking up on versatile pieces. So I really loved every item from this look from White House Black Market.

(Even the hat!!)

Ok... enough daydreaming. Off to have a productive Friday!

xxoo

Adorable Etsy Finds...

I've been "window shopping" on Etsy lately... and I keep stumbling across j'adorable finds. Rather than keep these to myself, I thought I should share them with you!

(photo credits go to each individual shopkeeper)
 

First, Single Stone Studio has some truly awesome decals to bring some quick interest to your walls (without the hassle of stencils, painters tape, paint and a bucket-o-patience!). One of my favs is their Nursery Growth Chart:

Take a look at their shop... you'll find you'll have a difficult time picking a favorite... and with the variety they offer, you'll find something for every room in the house!
  

A lot of Sara Harvey's work is a little somber... so this next item really stood out for me among the other items in her MultiplePersonality shop... it is just SO cute!

 

I love his little monster expression!

And finally, we take + share more pics of our wire fox terrier, Riley, than anything else in our lives! He has so much personality... and is so comical that he can easily brighten the darkest of days. So I naturally fell in love with ForeverFoxed's shop... in particular this adorable little card...

*sigh* All the items in her shop are so cute. I only wish she made more than just cards!!

Also...

Remember my post about fabulous rings on etsy a few months ago? Well, Ryan + I believe we have chosen an engagement ring designed by Sea Babe Jewelry! I can't wait to get sized and finalize our order... 

YAY!! :) 

Mind your manners!

Man... you don't watch the news for a couple of days and everyone stops minding their manners!

Things I've found out in the last 24 hours:

Our South Carolina senator doesn't know how to conduct himself while attending a speech given by the President...

Kanye West doesn't know how to conduct himself at an awards ceremony...

and Serena Williams forgot how to conduct herself at a tennis match.

What in the world??!!

Lucky for us, the Prez kept his cool, Beyonce knows how to put Kanye in his place, and Serena... well... she is a competitive athlete after all. And knowing how competitive I get when I play dominos (let alone a pro tennis game), I shudder at the thought of how I would have composed myself if I were in her shoes!! :)

Phew!

In other news... we have at least 10 butterflies who are crashing on our front porch for a couple weeks. I'm still not quite sure what makes our front porch so attractive to them... but it is kind of cool to be able to watch them shed their former caterpillar selves in exchange for a chrysalis and some wings! If I end up catching a glimpse of one as it emerges (very unlikely as it only takes a matter of a minute or so for them to do so), I'll try to snap a pic and will share it here.

And, finally, here's my favorite picture from Ryan's + my vacation a few weeks ago: 

 

Can you spot the goldilocks-puppy who stole my spot while I was out on my morning run??

Sneaky little puppy... 

xxoo!

-h-

Joe Patti's pics

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted anything. Not only does it feel like it's been forever... but a week on the internet is like a year in real-life!

So where-oh-where have I been for the last 7 days? I've been sick. So sick I can't count how many hours of sleep I've slept. So sick I woke up this morning without a clue as to what day or time it was. 

I can't believe the weekend's almost gone and I the most I've achieved is somehow remembering to take my dog out in the mornings and evenings. Oh... and I've managed to walk down to the mailbox and check the mail too. Go me.

Anyhoo... it's good to be back! :) 

I'm finally getting around to sharing all of the pictures I took at Joe Patti's fish market during our trip to Pensacola a few weeks ago. If you're a food-lover like me, you'll love this place. If you're not such a fan of seeing your food before arrives fully cooked on your dinner plate, you may want to skip some of these photos. Enjoy! 

Some of their fishing boats used to catch their bounty...

 

Although the building includes a small pantry + grocery area, a deli counter, made-to-order sushi shop and even a wine cellar, this hallway is where all the action is! You pull a number, wait to be called, and then your very own fish monger is assigned to you. They help you pick out the freshest fish and put your order together. It's always busy at Joe Patti's!

Pick a crustacean... any crustacean... from softshell crabs (YUM!) and clams to lobsters and shrimp!

 

 

 

 

 

They also have various "other" items there too...

 

 

Check out the size of those frog legs! I'd love to see the frogs they came from... they must have been the Arnold Schwarzeneggar's of the amphibian world!

And finally, they had a bunch of other fishes & products you'd expect from such a high caliber place.

 

 

The most colorful items there were their different types of roe. They had smelt roe (the small orange ones), salmon roe (the large reddish-orange ones in the small round green bowl), a red one (honestly don't remember what specific kind they were selling), and wasabi roe, a product they make by adding wasabi flavors into roe. They were gorgeous!

 

 

 

This place was truly amazing. And it really makes a girl want to pack up her things and move somewhere along the coast! 

I hope you all enjoy what's left of the rest of your weekends. I'll try to get something accomplished today before heading back to bed. But I'm not making promises. :)

xxoo!

Espalier + arborsculptures

(from en.wikipedia.org)

I was digging around on Monrovia last night (my favorite plant website) to try to get some ideas on what I can plant to cleverly hide our utility boxes. (For some ridiculous and unknown reason, the planners of our neighborhood have placed a grouping of utility boxes in the frontyards of our houses... not pretty.) When I was searching, I noticed a word under "Landscape Use" that I didn't recognize: Espalier.

 

So, I naturally Wikipedia'd it - and discovered the word refers to the practice of training trees (through pruning and grafting) to grow in a pre-selected 2D pattern, often next to a wall or building. When I started to pull up pictures, I fell in LOVE with this idea!!

 

(from www.apps.buckscc.gov.uk)

 

 

(from gapphotos.com)

 

 

(from espalier-interiordesign.com)

 

Aren't these just stunning? Apparently many fruit trees are good espalier choices - and they bear more mature fruit faster when grown in this fashion!! J'adore!

 

As a result of additional searching online, I also came across Arborsculpture, or the art of shaping trunks, branches and roots of trees and other woody plants into designs:

 

(from photos.commongate.com)

 

 

(from gardeninggiftsgalore.com)

 

 

(from homebuilding.thefuntimesguide.com)

 

 

(from treehousebydesign.com)

 

My favorites are the tree-chair (the first pic in this post) and the tree arch. :)

Call me a tree-huggin' hippie, but I really do treasure these trees - and my only disappointment in discovering these art forms is knowing that Ryan + I aren't likely to stay in one city long enough for me to try my own hand at crafting one of my own and watching it mature! *sniff sniff*

 

*****

 

On a sidenote, I was SO saddened this morning to discover that Diane Sawyer will be leaving ABC's morning news program, Good Morning America in January to take over for Charles Gibson on ABC's evening news program. I always watch news in the morning, usually pairing it with a cup of coffee as I sift through my personal emails. She's part of my morning ritual!! (Perhaps I will have to begin watching evening news in 2010... *sigh*...)

 Diane, your morning peeps will miss you. She said this morning she has been a part of around 2,500 episodes of GMA over 10.5 years... That's a lifetime of work in & of itself!

*****

 

Nothin' but love for you all this Thursday.

xxoo!!