Everybody likes Favors

My second and last sneak peak into the wedding decor is, drum roll please....the wedding favors! Ryan and I have tried to stick with a very organic, natural feel in everything for the wedding and the favors were no exception. To enhance this feeling for our guests we decided to use wildflower seeds as the favor de jour.

Using vintage floral fabrics I sewed each bag to be filled with wildflower seeds. I also used my collection of wood veneer gift tags and stamped them with a queen anne's lace rubber stamp. Then I wrote "Thanks," along each stem and strung the tags with twine. Each bag was filled with two tablespoons of wildflower seeds and tied together. These were a labor of love that I can't wait to share! big kiss, bekuh

Sam's Pool Table Birthday

Recently our friend Sam had a birthday and a couple of our friends decided to surprise him at a local spot, the CI. It was a glorious birthday with butterfly cake and all.

The boys played a lot of pool, the girls talked a lot and Sam was celebrated. Enough said. It was a little cold while I was home that weekend so I actually got to pull out the tights and Katie had her moccasins on. big kiss, bekuh

Signs of pending Marriage

I can't believe I'm getting married on Saturday! In honor of this being the week I'm getting married I thought I'd share a couple of last minute items I've been working on. 

First up today are the signs guiding guests to wedding site.

A neighbor down the street was doing some remodeling and had thrown some beat up wooden planks to the curb. Seeing the potential in these beauties I had Ryan chop them down to size and nail them to pine stakes purchased at Lowe's. I grabbed some white paint and a paintbrush and got to work. I'm quite pleased with the finished product. big kiss, bekuh

Greek Festival

Ryan and I love food, have you noticed? So when there are food festivals in our hometown we get a little excited, so far this year indian, bbq and greek. In the middle of September for the last 5 years there's been a Greek Festival held at the Greek Orthodox church, and though I haven't gone every year it's one of my favorites to attend!

We went with a few of our favorite people: Sam, Shelley and their three gorgeous children. We ate kabobs, spanakopita and drank greek beer. It was a great afternoon, even with a little bit of Fall chill in the air. big kiss, bekuh 

Weekly Obsession

To be honest this week's obsessions didn't come very easily to me. I don't have a lot of eye candy floating around in my brain and I really had to pull out the stops to come up with this. What I decided to do was highlight a quote by Ira Glass and that's it. His words resinate on occasions such as these. So sorry if this week disappoints, I didn't mean too. 

This quote characterizes where Im at right now both in work and in life, and where a lot of people I know are at. I'm still creating work that sucks. It's kind of nice saying it out loud. You should too. big kiss, bekuh

What's in my bag? Traveling

When I leave for travel I always carry a few essentials in my purse to make the journey a little easier. I thought I'd share what I brought a long with me this time so you can get a sense of what a "Day in the life of Bekuh," is like on the road.

1. I always have a book with me while I travel. It serves two purposes, one being entertainment and the other distraction. Long lay overs require a book for the entertainment value and eating alone requires a book to distract you from the loneliness that you often feeling dining alone.

2. My planner. This has been essential to me this year as I'm leading a dual life and have to keep up with not only my work schedule but also my schedule of responsibilities pertaining to the wedding.

3. Breath mints. I love garlic, A LOT and I find myself eating an exorbitant amount of it when Ryan's not around to kiss. I use the breath mints so people aren't afraid to get close in meetings.

4. Rental Car Keys. I've come quite accustomed to the awkwardly large keychain attached to these things and it definitely makes them easier to find in a stuffed bag.

5. An umbrella. 

6. Sketch pad and notepad.

7. A wallet that doubles as a purse.

8. A black pen.

9. Sunglasses.

Birmingham Store: What's on Second?

On my Saturday off in Birmingham I got the chance to visit a pretty amazing Vintage store called What's on Second. Located on 2nd St its name is a little obvious but what I found inside was a treasure trove of unique collections and beautiful antique pieces.

What I found most useful about this shop is that everything was displayed in collections of items. The View Masters were all in one place, same with the records, the clothes, buttons, ad so much more. A lot of Antique stores just throw everything together but at What's on Second everything had its place.

The outside of the store was equally as charming as the inside with window displays filled with it's goodies and a pub covered in ivy next door. I can see why this store is a local favorite! big kiss, bekuh

Birmingham Looks

I found this amazing 80s blouse in a Birmingham thrift shop last week and decided to style it for my adventure to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The shirt is rayon and proved to be a little unbreathable as the temperatures climbed and I began to "glisten." All and all it was a gorgeous day and I'm quite happy with this recent closet acquisition. 

shirt: vintage, thrifted

skirt: Anthropologie

Bag: Dooney & Burke vintage, thrifted

Earrings: Gift from Natalie

Shoes: TJMaxx last year.

Birmingham Botanical Garden Adventure

Last weekend I had a day off in a new city I'd never been to before; Birmingham. I took the opportunity to stop into a couple of vintage/thrift stores and wander through the Botanical Gardens. It was a gorgeous Saturday and I ate lunch among the flowers.

I always enjoy getting lost in a new place and Birmingham was no exception. There are pockets of great neighborhoods to explore and the parks there are high on my list of places to relax in. big kiss, bekuh

Fork in the City

Getting to be home with Ryan this weekend was wonderful. I was reminded how much fun it is to spend time just the two of us, something easy to forget amidst wedding planning and work travel. It reminded me of a lunch we had at Fork in the City on sunny day this summer.

Fork in the City and its sister company Fork in the Alley both have amazing organic menus and my personal favorite is the SoCal salad with the avocado-lime dressing. Ryan likes their pizzas. big kiss, bekuh

Weekly Obsessions: The Smalls

This week's obsessions are a little all over the place but the emphasis is certainly on the smalls all around us . I've been watching a lot of those "picker" shoes on TV and I've been utterly shocked at the number of little items we overlook everyday that hold great value.

1. Patrick Ryan's Living Room

I love everything about this living room; the crowded artwork on the walls, the stacks of books against the window and the happily worn vintage furniture. Sigh.

Found via Apartment Therapy

2. Spray Painted Silverware

When I spotted this super easy DIY on Creature Comforts I fell instantly in love with the idea; how easy! I think I will be finding a use for this in my future.

3. Vintage Office Supplies

I'm loving all the old metal office supplies on Etsy. I want to fill my hypothetical office with these goodies.

4. The children's room in Nanny McPhee Returns

I loved the layers of textures and the sweet dream-like mural on the wall in the children's room. I kept wanting to freeze frame the TV and take in every last detail. The movie dripped with country charm and gorgeous 1940s pieces.

5.  Bagel and Lox

I am obsessed with eating Bagel and Lox. It's not good for the diet but lox is salmon so it's good for the heart, right? Well whether it is or isn't good for me, the bagel and lox I ate in Georgia last week was good for the soul. Yummy coral colored salmon highlighted by capers and a perfect everything bagel.

Now I'm hungry, off to eat something delicious. big kiss, bekuh

Friday's Bits

I have been eerily calm lately; not stressed, not particularly tired, not grumpy. It's a nice change from the last couple of months but I'm secretly a little worried all this "calm" could come back to haunt me in the few days I'm home this month. How do you combat the anxiety that you're missing something?

Last year I was so high strung during my heavy travel season there was NO WAY I'd be able to sit here and exclaim that I'm the picture of a stress free bride/recruiter/person.I attribute this calm to a couple of new habits I've picked up on the road this year.

1. When I do have a down moment, I do something for myself. This can be as silly as driving through a neighborhood that looks interesting or as serious as taking a nap.

2. I'm getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night. I was able to plan my travel so that I'm actually getting the rest I need to do the job I have in front of me.

3. I'm blogging. As opposed to feeling irritated that I have yet another to-do on my list, blogging is actually a kind of release because it acts as a journal. It keeps my head clear and allows me to still connect to home in a bizarre way.

4. I've been doing a lot of thrifting. Last year I spent loads of money on new clothes but this year I'm focusing my efforts towards saving some green and finding unique shops in other states and different towns. (Hint: This will be showing up in later posts)

5. I'm working out. Pretty much every other day that I'm out here you'll catch me in the hotel gym breaking a sweat, and I really do believe that working out makes me people happier. If anyone has tips on how to keep this trend going at home I'd love to hear them!

So there you have it, 5 little things making a pretty big difference for me while I travel. Now if only I could stop missing the most amazing man I know (Ryan) or just have him with me which would be all the better. big kiss, bekuh