frustration.

Today has just been a frustrating day in general.  I was supposed to get our engagement pictures today, but of course they didn't come.  I am completely overwhelmed with work and am planning to stay up as late tonight as I have to in order to finish one of my projects.  With all this mounting school work I feel like I haven't really thought about the wedding in weeks which is both frustrating and worrisome.  I'm very concerned that I will fall behind in wedding planning and find myself in a bind.  Fingers crossed that doesn't happen!  I really need to book a rental company ASAP but I just haven't been able to look around because I'm so busy.  Sigh, that's life I guess.  I think I just have to keep remembering {the little things}, which tonight has been the scent of my fall festival candle, a glass of pinot noir, and the sounds of TSO.

I will leave you with something a little different.  I've been looking at a lot of home decor things recently... blogs, online stores, etc. Probably because I've recently developed a longing to have a place that I don't have to move out of in a year that I can decorate and call my own.  So here are some pretty home decor pictures!

love love LOVE the table. the combination of antique style with contemporary color is just so fun! 

there's something about getting into a bed with a white comforter and white sheets that i just love. it feels clean and comfortable. i also love the pillows here - i want to make pillows SO badly!

 neutral with subtle pops of color

everything about this is lovely, comfortable and light... again, loving the array of fabrics in the pillows!

tree ring cake stands

My friend Lauren showed me these gorgeous tree ring cake stands and i love them!  The ones below are from roxyheartvintage's Etsy show and they're pretty pricey, but these could definitely be done for cheaper!  I just need to find a fallen tree... haha.  That usually isn't a property on our land, but now since I want to do this I'm sure no trees will fall!

These would also be really cute as decor in your home!

the little things

As the end of the semester approaches and the work piles up, I'm trying not to lose my mind by just appreciating the little things, like spending nights at home with a glass of wine, making comfort food, and enjoying my awesome $1 candles that smell like the holidays.  Speaking of the holidays, I can't believe the effect Christmas music has on improving my mood.  Happy Monday, everyone!

 A couple of hot chocolates -- extra marshmallows.  In cups that remind me of home.

$1 :) {They burn way faster than Yankee Candles, though.}

 You can find the recipe for these peanut butter cocoa crisp treats here - the marshmallows were our touch :) {and they're much better if you heat them up before eating!}

inspiration: handmade wedding

It's a busy Sunday with lots of studio work to be done, but I wanted to post some photos I came across recently that inspired me.  These photos are of a "handmade wedding" that I found on the Style Me Pretty's blog, and it really makes me eager to do some DIY projects for my own wedding.  I just wish I had more time!

 I just love the birds on the ribbon!  And it would work great considering that's our theme :)

 I always love mason jars, but this is especially cute with the simple touch of adding a ribbon and a graphic straw.

The bottom picture is adorable.  Love the sign - and it would be SO EASY (and cheap!)

so much to do!

I never realized just how much it takes to plan a wedding until I actually had to start trying to tackle it myself.  Of course I knew it was no small task:  I've been a fan of theknot.com for a while because I loved looking at the decor, and that gave me a sense of just how many decorating decisions have to be made, but there's SO MUCH MORE!  This post is kind of going to be for me, but if can give everyone else a sense of all the things I have to do!

These are the most important things that need to be done ASAP:

- reserve a rental company for a tent, chairs, tables, and a dance floor.

- send in the deposit for the photographer

- pick an officiant

- decide exactly where on the farm I want to have the wedding (right now the front yard is my first choice but i have to make sure it works)

- figure out the music for the ceremony and the reception

I'm sure there's more, but I'm working on a pin up right now.  I will come back and finish this later! :)

And for something pretty, here's an inspiration board I like:

ceremony decor

I've been a little inconsistent with blogging lately.  I hope that, with time, I will become better at balancing school work and wedding planning.  It's just difficult because I seem to enjoy wedding planning much more than grad school, so it's a constant struggle to make me focus on work.  Oh well, such is life.

I am still trying to decide exactly where on the farm we are going to have our ceremony, but depending on the evenness of the land I think it might be nice to have it in the font yard of the farm house under the big tree.  Once I pick a spot, I am going to have to decide on the layout and decor, so I have been gathering some ideas that I like.

Bowls of water filled with flower petals and tied with a colorful ribbon lining the aisle is a nice alternative to the traditional flowers, especially with it being so hot!

If we do have it in the front yard, I want to take full advantage of the trees and the fence.  Since my theme is love birds, I think a string of oragami paper birds would be a cute (and easy!) way of incorporating birds into the cermony.

Pretty sure I've already mentioned this, but I love the idea of signage.

 I can't get enough of the letters!

These paper flowers are a cute way of incorporate your wedding colors into the ceremony.  Some upsides?  They cost much less than fresh flowers and you don't have to worry about them wilting!

These flower balls (that can't be the name, haha) are simple and elegant!

I'm sure this is expensive with all the fresh flowers, but I really like the hanging vases.  If I did it I think I would go with mason jars instead of real vases for that rustic farm look.

engagement pictures [preview]

It was a great experience getting our engagement pictures done.  Our photographer, Kristin Partin (her website is here), was great and had lots of unique ideas and ways to use the different settings.  So far we have just seen a few preview pictures, but we love them!  Can't wait for the rest of them!

inspiration: milk & cookies

I stumbled across this shoot on one of the wedding blogs I read and it is the cutest thing ever.  It is a "milk and cookies" inspired wedding, and oh my gosh, every detail is absolutely adorable.  Enjoy!

  This makes whole shoot makes me so hungry!

 I love the idea of using old boards. I don't know how difficult it'd be, but it really adds a nice touch.

 Cutest. Cake. Ever.

 Cookie ingredients as a favor? I love it!

(cup)cakes

For my wedding cake, I am thinking about doing something a little less traditional.  I haven't decided for sure, but I really like the idea of having a small cake and cupcakes.  I'm not sure if this would help us save money, but if it does that would be great!  Here are some cute small cake/cupcake pictures that I've found:

I love the idea of having a little cut out or flat or something in each cupcake, but that might be too tedious.

LOVE this one!  It may be partially because I really like orange for wedding colors too. but I also think it's very clean and elegant.

 I am obsessed with the letters.  Totally doing that.

These last pictures are just some regular cakes I think, which could be the style of the small top cake:

i wish...

I've been feeling kind of down recently which has led me to do some reflecting on what I really want to do and what is important to ME.  I am in grad school because I thought it would be a smart career move, but I'm starting to think about it differently.  I feel like I need to have a deep passion for interior design to be in grad school, and while I enjoy it, I don't want it to consume my life.  I don't think I am one of those people who can be okay having her job be her whole life.  One day when I was walking to school I started making a running list of things I'm interested in doing, trying, or changing.

I wish...

... I was a better multi-tasker.

... I had the time to explore things outside of grad school.

... I had a really good camera.  I am really interested in photography, which is probably a topic better saved for its own post.

... I could experiment with cooking.

... I had time to read books for pleasure.

... I could learn a craft.

... I could have an Etsy shop for stationery.  I love looking at peoples' invitations and graphic designs, and they get to work for themselves - my dream!

... I was able to travel more, even if it was just day trips to nearby places, like a winery or the pumpkin patch or something.

... I was one of those people who really embraces the seasons and decorates, cooks seasonal foods, etc.

... I was happier with where I am right now.

It's a strange feeling, because half of me is really happy and excited about our wedding, but then when it comes to grad school I am very discouraged.  Planning for our wedding has exposed me to a lot of different lifestyles, occupations, and blogs, which has made me question the path that I am on.  I don't know what it's going to take for me to accomplish those things that I want, but it seems like a lot of it comes down to time and money, neither of which I have right now.  I know I have the desire, but without the other resources I'm just left feeling frustrated and unfulfilled.

/debbie downer

inspiration board

I found this inspiration board which fits me perfectly!  I love everything about it.  Of course the colors would have to be adjusted (although I do really like the orange), but it really embodies the feel I want to achieve.

love love love it!

wedding signage

I am really excited to design signage for our wedding.  There are so many opportunities to customize and personalize, so I hope I can find the time to design some things myself.  I found these on a modern wedding blog: she designs various stationery (which is all adorable, by the way), but I feel like I could take a lot of these ideas and design and print my own version myself.

I think this is so sweet.  Instead of having a menu at the place settings (since I am having a buffet), how about putting custom thank you letters to the people who came to enjoy your special day?  This idea could be used in many different ways!

 These ideas are so easy and I think really add a great personal touch.  They would be so easy to print and assemble yourself and they can easily play up whatever theme you're going for!

 So so cute.  I can't wait to design my own!