DIY [Cheap] Garden Stakes

Now that our raised gardens are thriving, we wanted to get some cohesive labels in the beds.

After scouring the internet, I found some amazing handmade garden stakes, but they were a bit out of my price range considering we needed over 20 stakes for our garden. After a trip to the craft store, I decided to go with popsicle sticks that look like chalkboards.

Items needed for this project:

- Popsicle sticks

- Black acrylic paint

- Paint brush

- Sharpie paint pen (white)

I painted the entire sticks with black paint (single coat) and then wrote the plant name on with the paint pen (I did 2 coats). 

I decided to use various fonts on the popsicle sticks to add more personality to the stakes. 

 

The whole project only took about 1 hour total (including the drying time) so it was perfect for a quick craft during a rainy day. I didn't put polyurethane on the garden stakes so I may have to go back and do that at some point (or just make new ones).

 We put the stakes in the garden this week and love the finished look. The stakes were simple to make and I love the simple flair they added to the vegetable beds.

Now we're just waiting on some fruits + veggies! With all this rain, it shouldn't be too long!

♥

Kiss Me Like A Man

I know I'm not alone in being insanely excited about the "New Girl" season finale tomorrow night!
It's honestly the only TV show I make an effort to watch every week - it's my favorite.

I also know that I'm not alone in being insanely excited about Nick + Jess. Also my current favorite TV couple (why can't they be together in real life!). This auto-tune video is making my day!

Apparently we'll find out some major news for either Nick + Jess or Cece + Schmidt this week!
Can't wait!

Then it's back to waiting for next season (insert sad face here).

Hope y'all had a great weekend!
xo

Eighty Percent Is Probably Plenty

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I thought I'd share this beautiful letter from Letters Of Note. Hope this letter, written by a daughter to her mother 10 years after her mother's death, reminds us all to take the time to really get to know the incredible women who raised us. I know I'm guilty of just talking about the daily trials + tribulations with my mom sometimes, but truthfully my mom is the most fascinating person I know. Her stories and her experiences are novel-worthy. I'm so lucky that I get to hear them and share memories with her. 

In 1989, 52-year-old Long Island resident Joan Cook Carpenter passed away after succumbing to breast cancer — a battle which she had chosen to keep from her loved ones until her final days. In 1999, a decade after Joan's death, her 29-year-old daughter, Karin, wrote her the following letter.

Dear Mom,

What time was I born?
When did I walk?
What was my first word?

My body has begun to look like yours. Suddenly I can see you in me. I have so many questions. I look for answers in the air. Listen for your voice. Anticipate. Find meaning in the example of your life. I imagine what you might have said or done. Sometimes I hear answers in the echo of your absence. The notion of mentor is always a little empty for me. Holding out for the hope of you. My identity has taken shape in spite of that absence. There are women I go to for advice. But advice comes from the outside. Knowing, from within. There is so much I don't know.

What were your secrets?
What was your greatest source of strength?
When did you know you were dying?

I wish I had paid closer attention. The things that really matter you gave me early on—a way of being and loving and imagining. It's the stuff of daily life that is often more challenging. I step unsure into a world of rules and etiquette, not knowing what is expected in many situations. I am lacking a certain kind of confidence. Decisions and departures are difficult. As are dinner parties. Celebrations and ceremony. Any kind of change. Small things become symbolic. Every object matters—that moth-eaten sweater, those photos. Suddenly I care about your silverware. My memory is an album of missed opportunities. The loss of you lingers.

Did you like yourself?
Who was your greatest love?
What did you fear most?

In the weeks before your death, I knew to ask questions. At nineteen, I needed to hear your hopes for me. On your deathbed, you said that you understood my love for women, just as you suggested you would have fought against it. In your absence, I have had to imagine your acceptance.

There are choices I have made that would not have been yours. Somehow that knowledge is harder for me than if I had you to fight with. My motions lack forcefulness. I back into decisions rather than forge ahead. This hesitancy leaves me wondering:

Did you ever doubt me?
Would you have accepted me?
What did you wish for me?

I know that my political choices threatened you. Your way was to keep things looking good on the outside, deny certain feelings, erase unpleasant actions. Since your death, I have exposed many of the things that you would have liked to keep hidden. I can no longer hold the family secrets for you.

I search for information about your life. Each scrapbook, letter, anecdote I come across is crucial to my desire to understand you and the choices you made. I have learned about affairs, abuse, all things you would not have wanted me to know. Yet they explain the missing blanks in my memory bank and round out your humanity.

Who did you dream you would be?
Did you ever live alone?
Why did you divorce?
Did you believe in God?

One thing you said haunts me still. When I asked about motherhood, you said that children don't need as much as you gave. "Eighty percent is probably plenty." I was shocked by your words. Did you regret having given so much of yourself? Now, those words seem like a gift. A way of offering me a model of motherhood, beyond even your own example.

Becoming a mother is something I think about a great deal, almost to the point of preoccupation. I have heard it said that constant dreaming about birth often signals a desire to birth one's self, to come into one's own. My process of grieving the loss of you has been as much about birthing myself as letting you go.

What were your last thoughts?
Were you proud?
Were you at peace?
What is it like to die?

How frightened you must have been shouldering so much of your illness alone. The level of your own isolation is a mystery to me. In my life, I try hard to reach out, to let others in. I fear loss more than anything. I turn on my computer. Make things up. I tell the truth. My daily work is toward connection. All these questions move me to search, less and less for your answers and increasingly for my own.

Love,

Karin

Such a moving letter, isn't it? I'm going to go call my mom now...Hope you do the same.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there. Especially to my mom, Shirley, I love you with all my heart and thank the lucky stars to be your daughter every day. Hope I make you proud and that you look forward to our daily chats as much as I do! I know the pictures of you from my wedding aren't your favorite, but I love them. Your beauty + kindness radiates off you.

♥♥♥

 [photo]

Daydreamer

As we finalize our plans for an upcoming beach trip, I am daydreaming of beach towels, sunglasses, and totes. Truthfully, I'm just so excited to be on the beach with J + Townes.

Anyways, I am loving the beachy assortment from Drifting Arrows. All of there stuff is so boho-chic and very colorful. The striped beach towel is my favorite, because I bet it's perfect to lay on while reading a book under a big straw hat.

Do you have any upcoming beach trips? If so, which item would you take?
xo

[Polyvore]

Lip Sync-Off

This just made my day. Swoon.

Enjoy.

xo

Palm Springs Before The Rings

I am back from a whirlwind weekend in Palm Springs and I had the best time! As soon as I landed, Lily was waiting on me and we immediately headed to In-N-Out! I had never been so I was so excited. Can we talk about how incredible the "animal-style" french fries are? Heaven!

We headed to Palm Springs and had a bit of traffic before Banning due to the insane wildfires along the side of the highway. After the traffic ceased, we headed into Palm Springs with the insane rocky mountains and windmills everywhere. After a brief stop for groceries, we arrived at the house! We immediately opened some chips + salsa and I made some sangria.

I had bought these colored wayfarers for the ladies to sport by the pool. I made tags that read "Palm Springs before the rings." I think they were a fun addition and that the girls liked them!

Can we talk about the amazing view from the backyard? We didn't want to leave!

Isn't Lily the cutest?

Once Liz, Lourika, and Ariana arrived, the party had officially started. 

We all explored the house (and it's complimentary terry cloth robes + vintage swimsuits) and then started dinner. We made amazing tacos + guacamole (California really has the best avocados). We drank the pitcher of sangria and just took it easy. 

The long drives + jet lag (for me) made for a quiet night of girl talk and maybe some "Golden Girls." Lily did open some gifts + Liz's cupcake shop made the most incredible cupcake arrangement in the shape of..well I'll let you use your imagination (unless you follow me on Instagram).

The next morning, we woke up super early to get as much pool time as possible. We had the most incredible breakfast (courtesy of the amazing Liz) of spinach + asparagus + gouda cheese omelets with avocado, roasted potatoes, and grapefruit mimosas! So yummy. Lily even celebrated by opening her first bottle of champagne!

We spent all day at the pool and had such a blast. We had all brought magazines and Liz made lemonade, mango, and gin popsicles! Can't forget the inflatable fallace!

We all took a small nap (well everyone except poor Lily) before getting up to make dinner + get ready for some dancing. Lourika made amazing mango + bean quesadillas (we obviously know how to celebrate Cinco de Mayo).

We all had a mini dance party + photo shoot before heading out to the Ace Hotel. 

 We took some photo booth shots at the Ace and danced for a while, before heading out to the Village Pub. 

The Village Pub was definitely a drastic change from the Ace. There was a line to get in and probably 10 different bachelorette parties, but it was great for people watching. The crowds got a bit much so we headed to Hunter's per the suggestion of the cutest local couple.

Hunter's was a blast and we danced so much! I think our favorite song of the night was this one:

The night ended with a small mishap involving Lily getting head-butted so we headed home right before last call + long cab rides so it worked out well. Liz made us nachos when we got home. The night was a success and so much fun!

The last morning, we came back to the Ace Hotel for brunch (due to long lines at Cheeky's) and it was perfect. The food at King's Highway was great and the diner was so cute. Perfect way to end our amazing weekend together.

I can't believe the wedding is in 5 weeks and I am so excited to get to spend more time with these lovely girls again so soon! There's even talks of making it an annual trip - yeah, it was that good. I'm so thankful to have Lily as one of my best friends in the world and I'm so happy to have made 3 new great friends (that are always welcome in Georgia)! 

♥

P.S. I flew home on Sunday and Lily and I may have stopped for In-N-Out round 2. Oops!

On The Road

Google Street View Hyperlapse

Right now we are in the midst of planning some upcoming trips for the year. J + I live to travel and are so thankful that we are able to do so (physically + financially).

J found this hyperlapse video and it makes me want to just get on the road and GO! Road trips are the best since you get to see so much and experience the destination like locals.

Are you planning any upcoming trips?

Happy weekend folks. 

I'm on a plane right now heading to Palm Springs (and crossing every finger and toe 

that we avoid any wildfires). 

Can't wait to share pics of the poolside cocktails and mountain views!

P.S. Already missing these two!

♥

Palm Springs or Bust!

I couldn't be more excited about this weekend! 

I'm flying to LAX to spend the weekend celebrating my best girl Lily's bachelorette/ girls' weekend! There had been some timing issues [surgery] originally so I wasn't sure I'd be able to go, but then once it got resolved, I knew I couldn't miss this for the world.

Lily and I became friends in English class during my first semester of sophomore year (Lily's freshman year). She is the most down-to-earth and beautiful girl ever and I'm so lucky to have her in my life. Despite living on the other end of the country, we talk almost every day these days. Pretty incredible, huh? I got to spend time with her in Santa Barbara last year and she stayed with us last Summer so it's awesome to be able to see her this weekend and then again in 5 weeks for her wedding to Jeremy!

We were such babies in these pictures!

 Here we are at my bachelorette party almost 4 years ago! And then on my wedding day!

 This one is from last June in Santa Barbara. God, California looks so good on Lily, doesn't it?

Besides getting to spend the weekend with one of my best friends in the world, did I mention we'd be drinking cocktails poolside at this incredible home? I'm also really excited to meet her friends from high school (and earlier)! It will just make the wedding that much more fun too.

We will definitely be hitting up some dance party action at the Ace Hotel and maybe some brunch at Cheeky's? 

Catch you on the flip side!

xo

CSA Wednesday

 We are officially a few weeks into the 2013 CSA program through Farmers Fresh CSA.  This is our second season with them and we are really enjoying all of the fresh fruits + veggies.

 It's exciting to see what the box holds each week! The other week we got apples, pecans, carrots, kale, brussel sprouts, and broccoli! 

 Even Townes gets excited to see what treasures lie within each CSA box.

I've really been enjoying the strawberries for the last few weeks! YUM!

By the way, the brussel sprouts are amazing. We thought it was cabbage, but under each leave, there were the sprouts! Nature is awe-inspiring!

xo