Grateful | April 29, 2013.

I am Grateful.  

I had so. much. fun. this weekend.  Perhaps a little too much fun on Friday, but life is short ;)

   

Pictures of the Week.

{clockwise from top L: flowers for a friend's engagement; license plate in the C2E2 parking lot; 

costumes from The Hunger Games (the actors are sooooo tiny!); George Michael?}

{clockwise from top L: cosplay mania! Psylocke & Deadpool; ME + a sweet Chewbacca robe; Ned Stark; Jack Skellington!  on stilts!}

{clockwise from top L: my C2E2 goodies; a pretty installation in McCormick Place; 

we have finally jumped into the Doctor Who universe, from the beginning, eek!; C browsing vintage comics}

Links Worth Sharing.

• Having recently watched this wonderful little movie, I loved living in: The Perks of Being a Wall Flower with Design*Sponge.
• So simple for so much drama: Sequin Strand Gift Embellishments via Creature Comforts.
• Katie of Paper Fashion continues to blow my mind with her creativity: this time, with her Tiny Dancer.
• Eat Drink Pretty's Easy Korean Beef with Kale looks amazing, easy and relatively healthy.  On the "to try" short-list!

Have a wonderful week.

xo. di.    

*images belong to Diane Crary

Spring Forward | The Sun!

I'm a busy bee this weekend, with visits from far-away friends and mini engagement celebrations and birthday parties and a day at C2E2, Chicago's Comic Con :)  Plus: sunshine!  60-70 degree weather!  OH am I excited.

Have a wonderful weekend.

xo. di.

*image via

Netflix Gems | Safety Not Guaranteed.

Notwithstanding the constantly growing catalog of available content on Netflix Instant, I know there are a lot of people out there who feel like they can’t find anything to watch.   With this periodic series – Netflix Gems – I aim to introduce you to movies, tv shows and documentaries you may not know are hiding in there.  While Netflix is still lagging behind where I think it should be on new releases and current seasons of television, there’s a whole bunch of awesome there as well, so let's talk about it right here.

This unusual ad found in the classifieds inspires a Seattle magazine journalist (Jake Johnson - Nick from New Girl) to track down the person behind it with two interns (Aubrey Plaza - April from Parks and Recreation and Karan Soni).  They find Kenneth (Mark Duplass - Pete from The League), a mysterious and paranoid supermarket clerk who truly believes he can travel back in time.  Directed by Colin Trevorrow, written by Derek Connolly and from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine.

Like many indie comedies, Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) has a lot of heart.  It takes its subject matter - the possibility of time travel - very seriously (after some initial skepticism by the 3 Seattle magazine employees), which I kinda love.  It also leaves you a little surprised.  Watch the trailer here.  

I already loved the main cast from their tv work, but I was happy to see they could be stretched a little farther dramatically here and sell it beautifully.  I definitely recommend adding this movie to your queue, and at only an hour and 25 minutes long, don't be afraid to hit play.

xo. di.

*image 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Wedding | A Bachelorette Weekend.

{a little note from my mom}

Heading into our double-bachelorette weekend in the north country a few weeks ago, I submitted our celebration to Minted's party ambassador program and was lucky to be gifted a unique party package :) I chose the lovely rose colored glass theme for our early spring soiree. 

{first night: lots of wine and catching up}

{our 2 beautiful brides in their matching robes from silkandmore}

{somehow a braiding party was started}

{pretty maids all in a row}

{next day group shot - it was a makeup free weekend - go easy on usme ;)}

{yoga in the living room!  I found someone to come in Saturday morning and lead us.  It was lovely}

{afternoon champagne toast}

{followed by a hike through the woods}

{dessert courtesy of my mama!}

{rounded out the weekend with a huge breakfast and our restorative favors before the drive home}

xo. di.

*images property of Diane Crary

Grateful | April 22, 2013.

I am Grateful.  

Some things for which I think we're all grateful: last week is over, Friday's Boston manhunt ended as successfully as it could, the sun has really started to shine this spring, and a new week has begun.

   

Pictures of the Week.

{side table vignette spruced up by a visit to A New Leaf}

{clockwise from left: date night at Little Goat with C; love their branding; our own Jurassic Park got a face-lift; fun new cards from a stop-in at Greer}

{yup, I bought 2 bouquets this week!}

Links Worth Sharing.

• Read this post by Channeling Contessa on doing one things at a time, and then keep it close by for frequent rereads.
• Did you see Design Love Fest's fun, colorful office tour on The Glitter Guide?
• How did anyone ever get anything done when Paul Newman was making movies? Holy handsome - via Unabashedly Prep.
• Did you read Tuck Everlasting when you were younger?  Did you see the movie with Alexis Bledel and Jonathan Jackson?  Design*Sponge is living in it.
• Ashley Nicole Catherine on authenticity.

Have a wonderful week.

xo. di.    

*images belong to Diane Crary

Spring Forward | This Week.

Gandalf's pretty wise, we should listen to him.  

I think this The Onion article pretty much sums it up for us all: ugh, this week.  We are all ready for it to be Friday for a break from daily life and some healing time, right?  Maybe with less rain and more sunshine, please Chicago?

I actually picked up my nibs and ink after a 6-month hiatus from calligraphy to write out the above quote on Wednesday night, which proved disastrous.  Much too ambitious for a rookie like me.  So here it is in my trusty pencil.  Practicing my calligraphy sounds like the perfect rainy day weekend activity to me.

Have a wonderful weekend.

xo. di.

*image property of Diane Crary

Make | Restorative Gifts.

As you saw in Monday's post, I co-hosted a double-Bachelorette party for 2 of my high school best friends last weekend at my family's cottage.  While the non-brides knew most of the particular of the weekend beforehand, I held one thing back from all as a surprise: the "relaxation/restorative favors."  

Since our weekend was in northern Michigan in mid-April, we knew the weather would be predictably unpredictable.  So we nicknamed the theme of the weekend The Bachelorette Lounge, in honor of the relaxing, restorative days we'd be having, regardless of the weather outside.  

And a homemade gift at the end to match:  

{tags from Minted; bags from Amazon; filling from random packaging}

{mini candles from Bath & Body Works in a relaxing scent}

{ingredients for Sleep Salve sourced from Whole Foods}

{labels inexpertly designed by yours truly}

{a few bags of Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea}

{Putting it all together: the candle, the tea bags, the sleep salve}

The sleep salve, featured previously on Design*Sponge, was particularly fun to source and then make one evening last week.  The jars were purchased from Crate & Barrel Outlet (though if I make the recipe again, I think I'd cut the jar size in half, from 4 oz to 2 oz.  That makes it more economical for the creator and more likely you'll get through the jar before the oils lose their potency (after about 8 months or so)).  

xo. di.

*images property of Diane Crary

Quiet.

I haven't felt very bloggy since Monday, for which I do apologize.  It is my intention to have something new and fun for you up tomorrow.

I've still been pretty active on my tumblr though, if you'd like to find me over there.  Makes it easy to leave the real world behind for a moment or two.

xo. di.

*image via

Grateful: April 15, 2013.

I am Grateful.  

The most fun celebrating our double-bachelorette party in northern Michigan.  Seriously, so much fun.  Love my hometown girlfriends.

   

Pictures of the Week.

 {clockwise from top left: sooo much wine; beautiful floral robes for each of us; prosecco!; wandering through the snow; bar decorations; morning yoga}

{clockwise from top left: walk in the woods, mimosas in hands; decor!; moreeee wine; nap time; fresh snow fall; setting up the party}

Links Worth Sharing.

• Everyone loves The Animal Print Shop, right?  Read more about Sharon Montrose, the woman behind the lens, on The Evergirl.
• Katie of PaperFashion has begun experimenting with live flowers in her artwork.  Gorgeous!
• Walk through Alaina's bathroom transformation on Live Creating Yourself.
• Jamie Beck's photography is so transportive: get lost in a weekend getaway to Paris on Ann Street Studio.

Have a wonderful week.

xo. di.    

*images belong to Diane Crary

Spring Forward: Girlfriends.

As I mentioned on Tuesday, this weekend is all about celebrating 2 fabulous friends who are getting married in the next year; this Rosemary Diamond Fizz is definitely on the menu!  We're heading up to my family's cottage in northern Michigan for the festivities, and I cannot wait to have all these ladies under one roof.  What are you up to on this rainy, "what's with this weather?" weekend?

Have a wonderful one.

xo. di.

*image via the life styled

Lilly Lover.

I couldn't let last Sunday's passing of Lilly Pulitzer go by without acknowledging her life and the beauty and fun she brought to everyone who purchased her clothing.  I am a dedicated Lilly Lover (one of my earliest posts on this blog was on her life's story, and my Lilly agenda and pencil case happen to be sitting next to my laptop as I type this), and I thank her for creating fashion that allowed the wearer to feel confident, flirty, fun, and comfortable.  You know how hard that is to achieve?  And she did it in one classic shift dress.   

It all started with a juice stand.

xo. di.

*image via

Wedding | Colored Dresses.

I've been planning a dual bachelorette party (for 2 of my lovely high school bests!) for this upcoming weekend for a couple of months now, so weddings are back on my mind (it's wedding season!).  I have also been collecting images of unorthodox (non-white) wedding dresses for over a year now, because I am so fascinated and impressed with brides who go the very nontraditional route.  I have to say, the black dresses in particular are striking.   

Clockwise from top left: Black 1 | Black 2 | Black 3 

Clockwise from top left: Blue | Pink | Green | Red | Polka Dot

So the question is: would you?  could you?

xo. di.