Il était une fois

Huckleberry Creative is live!!!

2011-04-04T15:51:00.000-04:00

I can't wipe the smile off my face today because our Huckleberry Creative site is live!

Check it out here.

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bonnaroo + fleet foxes

2011-03-31T08:36:00.004-04:00

This summer Chels, Will and I will be road tripping our little hearts out to Manchester, TN for the Bonnaroo music festival! We are so excited! This is the first festival I've ever really gone too

In other exciting music news, Fleet Foxes has a new album coming out this summer! Here's their new video:

Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean from Fleet Foxes on Vimeo.

Do you have any fun music related plans this summer?

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wish list wednesday

2011-03-30T11:29:00.000-04:00

the other day i noticed that an unusual number of my hearts on etsy were arrow related, so i thought i'd put together a wish list just for them:

i love these little notecards from Ashley Pahl's shop

and this No Jazz at the Alter polaroid is just about perfect

i think these dainty earrings by Melanie Favreau are super cute

and last but perhaps my fave of the bunch are these arrows from Verlaivan

what are you lusting after lately?

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weekend.

2011-03-29T08:16:00.000-04:00

we had amazing weather this weekend!

i even got to wear my first sun dress of the season:

the huckleberry crew got together and worked hard on an upcoming project... with a little help from a glass of prosecco

....and tried a new mexican restaurant that had the prettiest fiesta pennants and most delish enchiladas under the sun.

how was your weekend? i'd love to hear.

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huckleberry on the farm

2011-03-25T08:08:00.000-04:00

i mentioned that huckleberry has been keeping me pretty busy lately. one of those busy days was spent taking photos of the crew for our upcoming site. here are some of the out takes:

anyone else as excited as I am for the weekend? my plans include a breathing and meditation yoga class and devouring the last of these bacon chocolate chip cookies. what do you have in store?

happy friday friends!

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The TxSCC!

2011-03-23T15:53:00.002-04:00

I've been absent from here for ages and I think a lot of it has to do with my crazy busy schedule, super legit huckleberry happenings and my never ending to-do list, but also because I'm in desperate need of a blog make over! One's coming soon yipeee!!

Anyway, the Texas Style Council Conference was so much fun! Indiana and Gretchen did an amazing job organizing and orchestrating the whole event. Rach was my wonderful partner in crime for the event which made it even more fun!

Here are a few photos from Sunday:

Next year I hope to go to the whole weekend's festivities because they sure sounded fun!

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texas style council conference

2011-01-20T09:05:00.026-05:00

i've marked my calendar for march 12 & 13th for the Texas Style Council Conference! i'm pretty excited to attend the first ever TxSCC! while i can by no means call myself a style blogger i'm really looking forward to hearing some of my fave bloggers speak!

will you be attending or have you ever been to a blogger/social media conference?

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welcome will!

2011-01-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

big news friends!

will is joining Huckleberry! chels and i are over the moon happy to have the talented and wonderful will working with us full time!

woohoo!

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austin: food fest

2011-01-19T08:29:00.003-05:00

this weekend i visited rach in austin to catch up and exchange christmas gifts. it also seemed to turn into a delicious food fest...

our first stop was P. Terry's and then over to Sugar Mama's for cupcakes

since it was pouring all weekend we had try our james brown and southern bell in the car, but they were wonderful nonetheless

trying to find something for a night out while it's raining is kind of rough.

sunday morning we tried Gourdough's...these donuts are out of control delish. we decided that next time sharing is the way to go since they're giant.

freshly made and huge!

bubble tea + instax!

we fancy ourselves bubble tea connoisseurs and these have been the best outside of China!

there was also shopping, wine and dancing!

my weekend sure was wonderful, how was yours? i'd love to hear!

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swoon

2011-01-18T09:21:00.000-05:00

most precious engagement story of all time:

all photos by Josh Goleman

he proposed with a handmade wooden ring. swoon.

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golden globes

2011-01-17T11:19:00.000-05:00

my faves from last night's award show:

all photos found here

did you watch the awards? who were your faves?

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january desktop calendar

2011-01-10T15:36:00.001-05:00

huckleberry has a new desktop calendar if you're looking for a new one...

click here to download it!

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happy friday

2011-01-07T16:24:00.001-05:00

happy friday friends!

this weekend i plan on working on Huckleberry happenings, baking something from my new (to me) cookbook, practicing my very recent crochet skills and going to the movies.

{a gift to my from my auntie who knows how much i love her copy she got as a wedding gift in 1973!}

do you have any wonderful plans for this weekend?

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warby parker

2011-01-05T12:43:00.000-05:00

i'm in desperate need of a new pair of glasses and i've been dying to try some warby parker's

{who not only have fab glasses that are only $95 but also do the buy a pair, give a pair thing!}

over the christmas holiday i did a home try on, so chels, will, will and i decided to play dress up:

there were arm wrestling matches

but i mostly hung out with Buffalo

he reminds me of elvis costello here...

unfortunately i think the tortoise shell is too dark for me, but they recently got a lighter version in so maybe i'll sport the Huxley's soon enough.

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huckleberry blog

2011-01-02T16:08:00.000-05:00

have you seen the new huckleberry blog? we moved to blogger and redesigned a little.

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the year in photos

2010-12-30T11:59:00.002-05:00

a few images from the past year

some from big events and others that are everyday sort of happenings...

january

{chels and will visited me in DC}

february

{i was hip deep in snow in DC}

march

{it finally melted, mostly, and rach came to visit me}

april

{the cherry blossoms bloomed}

may

{i met one of my fave bands}

june

{sprinkles came to texas and so did i}

july

{i made a strawberry rhubarb pie for 4th of july}

august

{chels, rach, and i at my cousins baby shower}

september

{i road tripped to austin to visit rach and eat P.Terry's}

october

{rach got married!}

november

{my aunt made the most delicious birthday cake for me+those sparklers!}

december

{i wrapped lots of gifts}

happy new year!!!!

i hope 2011 is the best one yet.

christmas!

2010-12-29T15:49:00.001-05:00

i can't believe christmas is over already and the new year is upon us!

chirstmas eve was spent finishing up all the wrapping i'd neglected. opps! and exchanging gifts with chels. after which i was positive i'd won the bff lottery.

we celebrated christmas at my aunts country house.... a glimpse of our dessert table + grandparents photo

it was finally chilly so we ended the night with new pajamas +champagne+a big fire

how was your holiday weekend? i hope it was lovely and filled with delicious cookies and family time!

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letter press pretties

2010-12-21T19:39:00.000-05:00

it's no secret that i love letter press

while browsing through etsy for christmas gifts i came across a few i'm particularly smitten with

a pretty + simple thank you note

{via RubyPress}

a beautiful coaster

{also from RubyPress}

a good reminder for just before you leave the house

{from TheBigHarumph}

and the prettiest 2011 calender i've seen yet

{by 1canoe2}

are you done christmas shopping?

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weekend

2010-12-20T12:02:00.000-05:00

this weekend was so full laughs and baked treats my heart is still warm from it

it also included...

devouring this delicious Star pizza with Chels and her Will

making shortbread cookies

having a Christmas extravaganza that included holiday wreath making, Love Actually watching, and gift creating

how was your weekend? are you ready for the holidays?

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12 days of cupcakes: day 2 + 3

2010-12-16T11:09:00.003-05:00

luckily when negotiating this homemade gift we decided that it'd be best to spread out the cupcakes over the whole 25 days of Christmas!

here's the second cupcake:

mint filled brownie cupcake

*when making these go with York Peppermint Patties... Junior Mints won't cut it and results in only a hint of mint

cupcake #3

the streusel cupcake with milk glaze

if you like coffeecake and/or super moist cakes this is your recipe!

{oh and yes, those are strawberry shortcake liners ;) }

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lights in the heights

2010-12-15T11:08:00.002-05:00

this weekend chels + will + fam and i strolled around the Lights in the Heights holiday street festival

chels & i enjoying the chilly weather and Texas christmas ale

we waited in line only for them to sell out

so we wondered around and saw more pretty lights

and eventually stumbled upon this fried* deliciousness!

{*chels and i shared this, but i'll admit to having wanted to eat it all myself!}

this weekend we're planning a little christmas extravaganza in which we watch Elf, decorate ginger bread houses, bake cookies, listen to some awesome christmas music, and drink hot chocolate. i can hardly wait!

do you have any other fun traditions we should add to our christmas adventure weekend?

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12 days of cupcakes: day 1

2010-12-09T16:04:00.001-05:00

i mentioned last time that i was setting out on a cupcake baking adventure in which i bake 12 different cupcakes over the 25 days of christmas for a friend's gift this year...

first up: the black forest cupcake

i'm crossing my fingers i can get through all 12 recipes!

do you have any fun gift plans this year?

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huckleberry + weekend happenings

2010-12-06T15:53:00.004-05:00

what we've been up to recently:

how was your weekend?

mine was filled with live music, taking on the first of the 12 days of cupcakes {promised as a christmas gift to a friend!}, and new glittery shoes!

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birthdays

2010-12-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

my 24th birthday was saturday so my dearest chels threw me a little surprise get together! it was a chilly night we spent on the patio of her beautiful apartment drinking champagne and attempting to make s'mores. i don't have a single photo* to show for it but it sure was wonderful!

*above photo from the previous weeks celebration

a little glimpse at my list of 24 before 25 list

{inspired by elsie}

-make a stop motion movie

-read 10 classic books

-learn to make granny squares and turn them into an afghan

-write an original recipe

a big thanks to rachii and chels for making my birthday extra special this year.

i hope your wednesday is a beautiful wonderful day!

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thanksgiving weekend

2010-11-29T16:17:00.000-05:00

how was your thanksgiving weekend?

we had a delicious dinner of fried turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing.

the gratitude books were a huge success; i teared up when i read mine! if i'm ever feeling down it'll be the perfect pick me up.

we opted to decorate for christmas rather than venture out into the black friday shopping madness. we're also planning to decorate gingerbread houses this week... my fave holiday treat!

have you started getting ready for the holidays?

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thanksgiving

2010-11-25T12:07:00.001-05:00

wishing everyone the happiest of thanksgiving feasts!

i hope your day is filled with delicious food, beautiful family, and happiness!

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sparklers+bubbly

2010-11-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

scenes from this weekends mini festivities celebrating my 24th year (a bit early)

huge thank you to rachii for driving down from austin!

how was your weekend?

i hope it was filled with happiness and sparkles!

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thanksgiving

2010-11-19T11:49:00.001-05:00

can you believe thanksgiving is less than a week away?

inspired by liz, my aunt and i made these gratitude books

i can't wait to fill them up with sweet words while eating turkey and cranberry sauce!

also, this morning anabela drew the winner of this super awesome giveaway and it was me! i can't wait to wear this pretty necklace by A Lovely Little Shop

thanks again anabela and chelsea!

any wonderful plans this weekend? we're doing a little huckleberry event and i can't wait to see how everything comes together!

have a beautiful friday!

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tutu

2010-11-17T12:09:00.000-05:00

yesterday i bought my first christmas gift of the season

tickets to see the nutcracker for my aunt and i

i'm pretty excited as we've never been

in honor of the exciting occasion i thought i'd put together some pretty ballet inspired items i'm loving:

a pretty black tutu

{via asos}

the perfect accessory for your ballet flats

{a la the ban.do girls}

a delicate bow for your waist

{found here}

have you started your chirstmas shopping yet?

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work work work

2010-11-16T17:56:00.001-05:00

there's a new post over at huckleberry about one of our fave clients and blogger supreme busy bee lauren

is everyone having a wonderful day? i'm spending mine crafting and at a dinner meeting; hooray for tuesdays!

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rain

2010-11-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

unfortunately we were rained out this weekend so there were no s'more to be had. luckily there was lots of glitter, extravagant celebratory dinners with red wine, and lunch time donuts!

getting ready for a hucklberry party happening this upcoming weekend.

i'm not exaggerating when i say there was glitter ev-uh-ry-where.

chels and i having a glass of wine before going to a celebratory dinner in honor of her brand new car!

donuts to make up for the lack of chocolate and marshmallow goodness this weekend.

and maybe for some inspiration for the aforementioned event.

how was your weekend? i sure hope it was beautiful and relaxing

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we're going camping!

2010-11-12T14:37:00.001-05:00

this weekend chels, rach, and i are going camping!

i haven't been in ages and i can't tell you how excited i am to get out there and make s'mores {truth be told, it's the whole reason i'm going}.

[photo from my 4th of july family reunion]

i'm crossing my fingers the weather is just right for campfires

what are you up to this weekend?

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inspiration

2010-11-10T11:08:00.004-05:00

while searching for inspiration for an upcoming huckleberry event i remembered a certain 20's inspired wedding i'd come across... ginny+ed's beautiful beautiful wedding... i'm sure you've seen it, but in case you haven't here's a feast for your eyes:

{images found on once wed, photos by josh goleman}

did you know she also has a blog? she sure does and i've got a pretty serious little blog crush on it cause it's as dreamy as you'd imagine. check it out here

and if you're curious to see some of the other images we pulled together for the aforementioned event check it out here

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good advice

2010-11-09T10:12:00.001-05:00

this weekend my aunt gave me some good advice:
stop measuring yourself by other's accomplishments.
something to remember, no? it was exactly the thing i needed to hear too.

when i was younger i had a million ideas about what i wanted to be when i grew up. at {nearly} 24 i'm just now truly figuring out what that might be. for a while i wanted to be the president of the united states, a lion tamer, a ballerina...
the ballerina idea stuck with me up to high school but after seeing these photos i have to say, i kind of still wish i could be a ballet dancer. they take my breath away.

{images from the ballerina project, first spotted on Taza's blog}

needless to say, i'm not on track to be a ballerina, the first woman president or even what i intended to do with my life last year, but i'm thankful to have the chance to try and figure it out.

i've been told over and over that you rarely end up in the career you got your degree in... anyone else have this same thing going on?
what did/do you want to be when you grow up?

i hope everyone is having a beautiful tuesday!
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simone's shower

2010-11-08T13:02:00.000-05:00

we're sharing some more photos from Simone's shower over at the huckleberry blog!

we made classic Madeleine's and red velvet cake balls for the occasion

the giant white balloons were so pretty in the autumn breeze

the cake was recreated to look like the invitation that we designed

parents to the bebe who's sure to be the prettiest there ever was

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my best friend's wedding

2010-11-05T11:45:00.000-04:00

the beautiful bride and one of my dearest friends, rach

she was pretty much glowing the whole day

the bridesmaids and bride being silly

just the bridesmaids

peacock feathers and guest favors

the happy couple

cake!

off to vegas!

rach and i had a full day getting ready. luckily we took time to have cream cheese stuffed pumpkin muffins and girl chat along the way!
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the time i threw a bridal shower-meets-bachelorette-party

2010-11-04T09:13:00.040-04:00

as the maid of honor i was the lucky lady in charge of throwing rachi a bachelorette party

i knew she wanted to have her mom, grandmas and aunties involved so we did a little bridal shower meets bachelorette party where we met for cupcakes and cocktails before heading downtown

and here's a mini video clip of the occasion

{an expanded video is coming to the huckleberry blog in the next day or so!}

it was so much fun putting this together. i loved that it was a perfect balance between crazy-dance-till-dawn and garden-tea party!

what did you do before your wedding? or hope to do?
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125+mates of state

2010-11-02T19:05:00.001-04:00

last week my university turned 125 years old! to celebrate they had a huge party and invited Mates of State to play. rach and i attended and it was magical seeing them play with the austin skyline in the distance. shows are a million times better outside, no?

i felt so sentimental being back on campus, but it was such a fun time. i'm glad i got to share it with rachi as she was the one who introduced mates of state to me our freshmen year!

have you been back to your university post graduation?

how was your weekend?

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open

2010-10-28T15:17:00.000-04:00

remember when i mentioned there was something exciting in the works? (see here and here)

we're ready for the big reveal!

chels and i decided to start a little something:

we’re Huckleberry Creative!

huck·le·ber·ry

noun:

1. The dark blue or black edible berry of any of various shrubs belonging to the genus Gaylussacia, of the heath family.

2. A Texas based design firm dishing out interactive design, company branding, blog design and marketing, even styling and inspiration, baking, photography and general aesthetic pleasures!

verb:

3. indication that you’re the right person for the job, as noted in Doc Holiday’s famous line, “I’ll be your huckleberry…”

We’re glad you’re considering us to be your huckleberry. We’re whatever you need us to be, creatively that is.

can you tell how excited we are to be new business owners?

yep, super excited!

you can find out more about us on our blog here
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whew it's been a crazy busy month! we did our first events and designed a blog layout for miss busy bee herself (here)! now we're working on getting our business cards printed and planning a little photo shoot... just to name a few of the things on our ever expanding to-do list.

how've you been this month? i can't wait to catch up with all my blog reading; i really missed it!

oh, and a little sneak peek from one of our first events and from the Huckleberry blog:

{this photo was snapped with my iphone before we were even done setting up. more legit ones to come!}

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the cruise

2010-09-27T11:07:00.000-04:00

in photos

{mostly}

leaving galveston

my preferred way to spend the day

where we had tea

chels taking photos of the waves

and the food

i might have eaten this chocolate cake just about every day

progresso

margaritas

chels and i laughing uncontrollably

the ocean

how was your week?

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sailing away

2010-09-17T08:02:00.004-04:00

this week chels and i have been gathering ideas and taste testing for a little event we're going to be involved with

check out some of our hard work:

it's a tough life, no?

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on saturday my fam, chels and i are sailing away on a cruise to mexico!

we're pretty excited about it.

{though, it'll be disorienting to be so disconnected for five days}

what are your plans for the weekend?

i hope it's a wonderful one.

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rachel in austin

2010-09-15T11:03:00.025-04:00

my dear friend rachi recently started a little blog

to read about her adventures in austin, thrifting and generally being awesome

see exhibit a, b, and c... oh and don't forget to visit her here

my fave photo of the three of us

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sweet potato fries and rain and sunday

2010-09-14T11:08:00.019-04:00

on sunday chels, will and i had one of those days that's simultaneously easy breezy-laid back-bliss and wonderfully productive

do you know the kind i mean?

we started with a working lunch at ruggles green that mainly turned into a discussion of why they're aren't more electrical sockets on patios and how this working lunch quickly turned into just a delicious lunch

my grilled cheese, sweet potato fries and iced coffee on the patio

it had both brie and goat cheese. mmm!

chels and i wondered around the gallery that surrounds will's office while he grabbed some work files

do you dream of having an equally lovely office hallway? i do.

i think they might just be madly in love

and that smile confirms it

then we worked {yep, still on that exciting top secret thing} while the sky opened up

don't you think it's weird when it pours rain but it's still sunny out?

apart from having to find someone to cover for me at my other job, this is exactly the kind of sunday i love

what's your fave kind of sunday?

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gala

2010-09-13T11:27:00.000-04:00

this saturday my fam and i went to a gala to celebrate my aunt's women of excellence award

{she's the prez of a charter of the american business women's association}

unfortunately the only photo i have of all four of us looks like it belongs on this site so i'll spare you, but here are a few of the night:

my uncle peter and i

the most glittery shoes ever

and aunt suz, the women of excellence herself

i'm over the moon proud of her!

how was your weekend?

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anna&rach vs. food

2010-09-09T08:16:00.007-04:00

do you ever watch man vs. food?

when i saw adam visit austin i was in dc still and seriously lusting after some legit texas food

this last weekend rach and i decided to try out one of the food challenge locales:

Juan in a Million

neither of us took on the challenge but, we had the most delish migas

just thinking about it has me ready for another road trip and breakfast with my bff
have you ever done a food challenge?
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sneak peak: part deux

2010-09-08T08:34:00.005-04:00

remember when i mentioned something exciting was going on?

here's another little peek!

anyone have any guesses so far?

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austin

2010-09-07T01:12:00.001-04:00

when rach and i get together we make it a point to eat at all our fave places

our first stop upon my arrival this weekend was p.terry's

if you're ever in austin you must stop by it's delicious and they have dublin dr. pepper in the fountain

we also had the chance to get bachelorette parties planned, vintage shop, and put some other exciting things in order

do you have a go to place for lunch?

how was your weekend?

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sneak peek: part 1

2010-08-30T23:20:00.001-04:00

chels and i have started a little something

though right now it's a little hush hush, here's sneak peek:

so many choices!

me, hard at work

how was your weekend?

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jenny&johnny

2010-08-25T12:35:00.002-04:00

i'm so looking forward to jenny lewis' new album she did with her bf jonathan rice

jenny & johnny

i'm having fun now

{image via pitchfork}

i might have pre-ordered

and i might also be crossing my fingers in hopes of the stars aligning for me to sneek away to see them in austin sept. 29th...

are you looking forward to any upcoming shows?

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i'm so excited to announce...

2010-08-22T23:28:00.001-04:00

...that i'm an auntie!

my cousin michelle {who's more like a sister--we lived together till i moved away to college at 18}

had bebe ella at 6 lbs and 11 oz

saturday afternoon!

{photo of michelle -on the right- and i on our first day of kindergarten}

now she's all grown up and mama to this sweet little girl

was your weekend filled with as much excitement and love?

i sure hope so.

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pin cushion+friday

2010-08-20T15:32:00.000-04:00

i made a pin cushion!

with lots of help from Chels, Suz, and the Home Ec class!

i can't wait to get started on the next lesson

oh, and happy happy friday!

any wonderful plans for this weekend?

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blueberry cupcakes w. maple icing

2010-08-19T00:31:00.002-04:00

if you're reading this post i've decided that throwing our internet router out the window wouldn't actually be very helpful, though certainly therapeutic...

anyway i've been baking and sewing nonstop the last few days

here's my most favorite creation:

blueberry cupcakes with browned butter maple frosting

yeah, maple frosting

it's oh, so good

i found the recipe on the adorable ming makes cupcakes site

recipe:

Blueberry Cupcakes with Maple Brown Butter Frosting

By: Ming Makes Cupcakes

Ingredients

For cupcakes:

1 ½ cups flour

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ stick butter, melted

1 egg

¾ cup buttermilk

¼ cup milk

1 cup blueberries

For icing:

1 stick butter

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

¼ cup milk

3 tablespoons syrup

Cupcake method:

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl mix butter and egg lightly. Add buttermilk and milk. Add milk mixture to flour and mix until just blended. Toss blueberries into tablespoon of flour and fold into batter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Icing method:

In a saucepan, melt butter at medium temperature until golden brown. In a bowl, add butter to sugar then add milk and syrup. Beat until smooth.

tomorrow i'll show you my first ever sewing project

done with the help of LA and Rachel's Home Ec class

are you taking the course or do you already know how to sew?

how've you been?

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scenes from paris, texas

2010-08-06T16:11:00.000-04:00

over 4th of july weekend my fam and i went to paris, texas

{birthplace of my grandparents, home to a mini Eiffel Tower and an enormous fake cow}

for a reunion...

while my gram cultivated an english cottage feel her neighbors went with a more traditionally texas style ranch

here are the photos i took of the area with my diana:

happy friday! any wonderful plans for this weekend?

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whew it's hot!

2010-08-03T14:41:00.005-04:00

the weather in texas has been pretty brutal

chels and i

have counteracted it with extra chilled pinot grigio, industrial fans, and otter pops

and listening to this mumford and sons song on repeat:

how's the weather in your area?

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scenes from this weekend

2010-08-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

i spent saturday in the kitchen baking all sorts of treats for my cousins baby shower

{i think chels has photos of said treats, so those are coming soon!}

we decided against the rainbow cake mentioned here and instead opted for cupcakes and cakepops

here are a few scenes from the shower:

tiny little michelle {about to pop--only 18 more days!} and my dear chels

beautiful rach trying out the red velvet cakepops

chels, rach, and i being silly

perhaps my fave photo of all time

{photo taken with the incredibooth app}

michelle with our gram

i think little ella is pretty well covered for the first year of her life

how was your weekend?

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wishlist wednesday: home addition

2010-07-28T16:20:00.001-04:00

inspired by miss danielle's wishlist wednesday

here's what i'm lusting after for my {imaginary} home:

a beautiful print by brandi strickland to hand above the mantel

a stash of vintage housewares to display jewelry and other little odds and ends
from le vintage maison

these measuring spoons to help me in the kitchen
from bee hive kitchen wares

and this pretty vintage afghan to throw over the couch
from see saw vintage
are you lusting after anything today?
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hello again!

2010-07-27T03:16:00.000-04:00

wow it's been ages since i've been here! this unintended hiatus has gone on entirely too long

adjusting to life in texas with all these distractions has been slow going

and i've terribly missed blogging and most especially reading blogs

but with new excitement and my new trusty iPhone to help, i'm back!

here are a few things i've been up to this past month:

kitten cuddling

patio dwelling

paper folding

wine drinking

tea party hosting

moon gazing

and puppy dancing

{i won't over do the hipstomatic shots from here on out, promise}

now, to catch up on all that reading...

how have you been? i've missed you!

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p.s.--a huge t h a n k y o u to chels for the new blog design! i'm kind of in love with it.

sprinkles

2010-06-24T20:11:00.000-04:00

sprinkles cupcakes recently opened in houston

while suz and i were out running errands yesterday we stopped in...

{the line out the door was completely worth the wait...i'd rank them up there with georgetown cupcakes}

i had a classic {and oh, so delicious} red velvet with cream cheese frosting but the chocolate marshmallow was wonderful too

i think we're going to add it to the baby shower treats list

do you have a favorite cupcake?

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etsy craft party

2010-06-21T12:46:00.001-04:00

this saturday was etsy's 5th birthday

to celebrate they held craft parties all over the u.s.

unfortunately i forgot my camera, but luckily roxy had some to share:

and a slide show

etsy houston craft party from roxy rodriguez on Vimeo.

and my little head band i made

did you go to an etsy party?
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<3

macarons: 1, anna: 0

2010-06-17T11:10:00.002-04:00

this weekend i tried my hand at french macaron baking

via this martha recipe

i was intimidated from the start

{...i spent $12 on almond flour}

{i have since learned that you can make your own for much cheaper}

i was hoping with all my heart that they'd turn out like these beauties

{image via}

unfortunately, they didn't. not even close in fact.

mine ended up wrinkled looking and flat

i was mildly devastated, but gave them a try anyway:

i can't say that i've ever had a proper macaron, so i don't know what to compare it to, but still i don't think mine were right.

anyone have a good tip?

i have a feeling it's the oven temp but maybe you've given these a try and know the secret?

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pin-it-forward

2010-06-16T08:00:00.003-04:00

i'm so excited to share a few of my pin interest

pin-it-forward

{hosted by the wonderful sfgirlbybay}

what home means to me

board:

all day bake-a-thons

{via}

rustic details meets glamourous ones

{via}

hand me down collections

{via}

kittens

{via}

books

{via}

texas

{print via this shop}

fresh flowers

{via}

and last but certainly not least,

BFFs

{images via facebook}

[i hope you guys don't mind i stole a few]

what are a few things that mean home to you?

or did you sign up to pin-it-forward too?

speaking of which, don't forget to check out diary of a smart chick's pin board tomorrow!

p.s. if you'd like an invite to pin interest, send me an e-mail and i'll send you one! it's a great site, like weheartit, but far more organized.

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thao+mirah with the most of all

2010-06-15T00:23:00.003-04:00

saturday evening thao+mirah with the most of all played at the orange show

{by far the best venue i've ever been too}

{those are in fact sparklers, given out to people who answered the trivia intermission questions correctly

fact: as a child thao had a pet chicken named jennifer...a little inside info, in case you want a sparkler when you see the show}

and this is me with thao herself!

{please over look the star-struck-heat-stroke look i'm rocking}

the show was incredible and i highly recommend seeing them if they're in your city!

i'll end with a video she did {directed by dianna agron, yes quinn from glee}

for oxfam america

how was your weekend?

is anyone else participating in an etsy party?

or pin-it-forward?
i know i'm so looking forward to both

hope everyone had a beautiful monday!

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did you know...

2010-06-08T10:08:00.000-04:00

that rhianne is hosting another photo swap?

you have until june 18th to sign up

i'm so excited to participate this time!

how was your weekend?

i spent most of mine recovering from having my wisdom teeth removed. whew, so glad that's over with!

hope everyone is having a wonderful tuesday!

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how does your garden grow?

2010-06-02T22:41:00.001-04:00

suz and i started a little herb+tomato+ jalapeno garden last week

watering this tiny garden has quickly become one of my favorite things to do in the mornings

{photos via the fuji mini instax}

i kind of love our red swing too

did you plant anything this summer? this is my first time, but i'm really loving it

i think next, we'll do flowers... if it's not too late in the season yet

this weekend suz is giving me my very first sewing lesson. and our next baking adventure is going to be french macrons! i can barely wait.

do you have any fun plans?

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distractions

2010-06-01T16:34:00.001-04:00

it seems i'm not so good at blogging in texas

there are so many distractions here:

little cousins in cowboy boots

luau themed play dates

making red velvet cake truffles with bff, rachi

{this is pre-paraffin. so they're a bit messy, this batch.}

here's the recipe i adapted {from bakerlla}:

Red Velvet Cake Balls

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)

1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)

1 box paraffin

1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)

wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate and paraffin wax in double boiler per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a toothpick to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

Only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

how's your summer going so far?

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bon voyage

2010-05-24T03:40:00.000-04:00

bon voyage dear chels!

wishing you the most beautiful time en españa!!

{photo of chels and her william during their trip to DC in january}

i admit, i'm a bit jealous of your trip...

who wouldn't want to spend a month in spain studying, eating delicious food and playing on the mediterranean?

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a road trip and other things

2010-05-24T03:28:00.002-04:00

we survived, really we did.

you can tell because i'm pretty sure i just flooded all your inboxes with comments on your lovely little blogs as it took us days and days to make it back to TX...

i'm sad to say i don't have a photo to share.

can you believe that? 1,500 miles and not a-one?

it's true though.

anyway, here i am. back in texas and kind of excited to get back into a semi-normal schedule

well at least one that includes time to keep my bloglovin' below 721 unread

{photo via}
the tennessee smoky mountains we drove through; i could get used to those views

some of my fave things about texas so far:

spending time with my little cousins

planning my {much older} cousins baby shower

we're going to make this cake:

{image via}

it's sure to be amazing, or at least an adventure

running with our pup, molly

chips and salsa

{i'm not ashamed to say i've had it everyday}

more updates to come, with proper photos and everything

how have you been?

i've really missed you!

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some news

2010-05-11T17:46:00.001-04:00

i made it through my first year of grad school!

whew, i am so so so happy to be over it

i've decided not to go back next semester

{you see, i started a master's program right.after. finishing my undergrad

and maybe that wasn't the best idea ever for me}

in other news, i'll road tripping it back to TX with my dear aunt for some much needed relaxation and regrouping

{i'm hoping to learn to sew, crochet, maybe a few fancy web design skills from chels, and learning more about teacher certification}

some things i'm looking forward to:

seeing this guy

photo of Digger taken with expired polaroid film, summer 2009

{cause you see, he's got diamonds in his eyes}

spending full days in the kitchen baking delicious treats

seeing Eclipse and Sex and the City II with Rachi

{we might have already discussed pre-ordering tickets. yeah.}

having breakfast with Suz {the aforementioned dear aunt} and UP {Uncle Peter}

reading just to read

girl talk

eating mexican food until i can't eat.one.more.bite.

picnics

laying by the pool

learning

not wearing jeans, not even once

taking more photos with the diana and mini instax

house of pies

what are you looking forward to?

and happy summer to those all finished up!

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dreamcats

2010-05-03T18:37:00.000-04:00

have you seen anabela's dreamcat?

i'm in love

she describes it as:

girls & cats, cats in soft focus, cats on film, dream cat

{all images via dreamcat}

if you have a dream kitten of your very own you can submit them to her

speaking of anabela did i ever show you the tie i bought bf for valentine's day from her etsy shop?

i love the pretty stitching

i hope everyone's having a beautiful monday

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fill-in-the-_______-friday

2010-05-02T16:37:00.003-04:00

fill-in-the-_______-friday

{sunday edition}

link up at lauren's the little things we do to play along

{image via}
1. My absolute favorite movie of all time is it's still pretty new, but i really loved An Education, it's pretty close to my most fave ever .

2. My favorite movie as a child was Good News, it's a musical from the late 40's it's amazing. my fave disney movie was Sleeping Beauty, i watched it so many times i wore the tape out .

3. The best movie quote ever is "and so the lion fell in love with the lamb" oh i couldn't resist...i actually can't think of one at the moment...maybe something will come to me .

4. My favorite actress is meryl streep, have you seen Out of Africa? she's wonderful in it .

5. The movie I could watch over and over is 16 Candles and/or Bridget Jones's Diary these two always make me feel better when i'm down .

6. My favorite movie genre is i like romantic (read: girlie) movies of any sort, the french, indie, classic, comedy, or period inspired variety are my faves .

7. A movie I'd like to watch this weekend is The Fantastic Mr. Fox...i've heard a million wonderful things about it, i can't wait .

happy weekend!
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<3

emma or zooey?

2010-04-30T14:20:00.006-04:00

so saturday i'm getting my hair colored but i can't decide if i should stick with red

something like jayma's maybe:

or to go brunette

something like zooey's:

what do you think?

happy weekend!

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who wants to have a dance party?

2010-04-28T01:51:00.001-04:00

i have about a million (ok, 7 really...) things to do, but what i'd SO much rather be doing is having a glee dance party!

i'll supply the music and treats.
who's in?

maybe it has to do with my mini crush on mr. schuster and finn
oh and all of emma's clothes
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<3

baking queen, young and sweet....

2010-04-26T01:05:00.000-04:00

this weekend was filled with lots and lots of baking, it was wonderful!

unfortunately i'm still terrible about taking photos but here's a little glimpse:

....that's right

lemon meringue pie

sea salt brownies

AND

walnut banana bread

luckily we had friends over to celebrate bf's birthday so only some of it was eaten by me

i've also discovered glee which is just amazing and sure to be terrible for my remaining two weeks of finals!

how was your weekend?

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letterpress +

2010-04-20T22:42:00.004-04:00

oh, hello friend is hosting letterpress week april 26-30

and i can't wait to see all the goodness that's posted

letterpress week at oh,hello friend!
image by: slimjim

since working (read: encouraged and/or acted as head cheerleader) with chels on rach's wedding invites i've had a thing for letterpress. i even spent an entire evening on ebay pricing and daydreaming about becoming a fancy letterpress lady myself, but alas someday perhaps

in other news, i've been wildly unproductive despite looming presentations, research papers, and exams. i lack motivation, maybe because i've decided not to go back next semester?

i have been listening to a lot of this though:

and baking (we might have gone through TWO batches of miss chelsea's to die
for blueberry muffins this weekend....)

now just have to get through the rest of the week/one big presentation
and then, celebrate bf's birthday
with lemon meringue pie and friends over the weekend

how's your week shaping up?

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graffiti love letters

2010-04-17T12:21:00.000-04:00

how sweet are these graffiti love letters?

"Love Letter is an unprecedented public art project by Steve Powersand The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. It is funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative."

pretty no? maybe worth driving to philli just to see them.

{all images via}

i hope everyone is having a beautiful weekend!

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have you seen anything good lately?

2010-04-13T23:53:00.003-04:00

we had a very movie centric kind of weekend

bf and i saw:

i'd wanted to see it forever

and i'm happy to report that it did not disappoint

it was beautiful and tragic and hopeful all at once

next, we saw Clue. can you believe bf had never seen it before?

this was practically a staple in my childhood

and finally The Edge of Love:

i really loved this one too. it has a similar tragic and beautiful thing happening

and the clothes, swoon!

they rock wellies and floral dress and fedoras

and now i've an overwhelming desire to run away to wales or somewhere else
equally wonderful and rainy

have you seen anything good lately?

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