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Source: toryburch.tumblr.com via Chris on Pinterest
What are you doing for the last long weekend of summer? I've got a Pinterest picnic with recipes, drinks, and summer-y party styles to make the big weekend festive and fun.
Continue reading "A Pinterest Picnic (Recipes and Party Ideas for the Long Weekend)" »
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Match an Instagram filter with a dreamy image and you can create photo magic. In this Get The Look post I used the Lo Fi filter to boost the saturated colors in nature. The changing fall colors makes this the perfect time to play with Instagram. By adjusting the position of the focus in Instagram I enhanced the naturally golden lighting. Check out the image above for step-by-step directions to create the photo magic. Have fun!
Do you have any favorite Instagram filters? I would love to hear about your faves, just add them to the comment section. Or connect via Momathon Blog on Facebook.
Image above by me, Chris Olson using an iPhone 4 + Instagram, Lo Fi filter.
You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:
Get The Look series: Add Some Glam in Instagram
Day 6: Sierra Filter
Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter
More Instagram tips for all of the 18 filters after the jump below.
Continue reading "Get the Look: Create Some Magic with Instagram" »
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I'm thinking of my friends in the path of the Hurricane Isaac today. Praying for the sunshine to come soon. xo Chris
Below are two music video versions of the song Here Comes the Sun—plus one more favorite sunny song by Zooey Deschanel -- She & Him.
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Yesterday I mentioned a new app for doodle lovers. Doodle.ly for iPad is a sketchbook app that turns your iPad into a doodle canvas for sharing on Facebook and Twitter. You can see what Doodle.ly doodlers are creating here. If you like to doodle on paper, then this is a great app for you—and your kids. Check out my list of things I like about the app below. Plus I have some suggestions for ways get the most out of doodling using this app.
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Did the weekend treat you well? My weekend zipped by much too quickly. I'm starting out a bit slow today. Sorting through my emails. Walking my three dogs—yes, three! And baking a batch of blueberry muffins. Yum!
Sharing a bit of doodle-ly letter love—with polka dots—today. Is doodle-ly a word? I hope so. I like to say it ;)
Not only is doodle-ly a word, it's an app! I'll have more on this app tomorrow.
Image: The DOODLE-LY POLKA DOT ART at the top of the post is by me, Chris Olson. The app image on the left is from iTunes. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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A sleepless night will never seem the same after you watch this music video—a stop motion—by Oren Lavie and featuring photos by Eyal Landesman. The film is a classic—earning a nomination in the 52nd Grammy Awards.
2096 still photos.
One mattress.
One photo angle.
48 hours of shooting.
These are just a few of the elements that came together to make the dreamworld of the music video Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie. Watch the movie below. See how the movie was made in this behind the scenes glimpse.
You can own a bit of history and buy a one frame of the 2096 still photos in the film. Details at HMEgallery.com
Image at the top of post by me and features the film Her Morning Elegance.
Credits: Her Morning Elegance, Directed by: Oren Lavie, Yuval & Merav Nathan. Featuring: Shir Shomron. Photography: Eyal Landesman.
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Here's a handy checklist to use when writing and editing an essay. The checklist includes tips on checking formatting, grammar, punctuation and style. I hope this short guide I put together is helpful.
More grammar tips and homework help are available in my posts
How to Write a Theme Statement
How to Edit an Essay {Checklist }
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Image: HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY graphic is by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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I can't get enough polka dots. And the leggings with dots are even kid-approved. You can find them at the always cool CrewCuts at J.Crew. Gotta love the sparkly glitter MacAlister boots too. Can I get them in my size, please?
A three-quarter sleeve dress is my go-to style in the fall. Easy and chic, the gathered supplice dress made of fluid crepe jersey floats over your curves. Pair it with a supima cardi. Probably the best riding boot value in anywhere, the Blakeley is on my list. You can get the look at Lands' End.
{This is not a sponsored post. All fashions included are products I admire and that is the basis for including them in this post.}
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Image: STYLE CRUSH graphic is by me, Chris Olson, and features J.Crew CrewCuts (for kids) and the Blakely dress by Lands' End. . Feel free to Pin them Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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Sending a personalized card on the fly from your phone is a great way to stay in touch. While on a trip to Washington, I used the Red Stamp app to send a personal message with a photo to the grandparents. It was a quick way to say thanks and share a photo from the trip. If you want to get your message delivered immediately, many card apps give you the option to send a digital card via email, text or Facebook—for free. Or for a minimal charge, some of the apps will send your greetings the old-fashioned way via snail mail. Here's a roundup of my faves for creating cards using a smart phone.
RED STAMP
The stunning cards created by the Red Stamp app tops my list for ease of use and a wide variety of designs to fit your mood. The app's user-friendly interface turns you into a designer—well, almost. The card you create looks amazing because the clever designers at Red Stamp give you all the tools to create a lovely card. How does the app work? First you select one of your own photos for your card, next add some text from a selection of awesome fonts, then choose a recipient list and send the cards by email, text, Facebook, Twitter AND snail mail. Digital cards are free. The app's interface gives you tons of designs to choose from, but like many apps the "thumbnails" of the layout options such as changing font colors are very tiny and a bit hard to see. The more you use the app, the easier it is to navigate the app. The app also includes a handy tool to help you if you have any questions. The cost of printed postcards starts at $1.99.
CARTOLINA
On Friday I shared a photo card I created with Cartolina. If you like cards with a hint of nostalgia, then the Cartolina cards are perfect for thank yous, birthday congrats, or any message you want to send. You can pick from a selection of gorgeous designs with a vintage vibe. You can add your own photos and a personal message. Cartolina has two apps: 1) If you want to send an actual postcard use the Cartolina Postale iPhone app and the fee for printing and mailing is $1.99. 2) If you want to create a card to post via email, text or on Facebook, then check out the Cartolina iPhone app. I love Cartolina paper stationery because they use environmentally friendly paper products. You can find the Cartolina stationery line at fab stores like Anthropology, Urban Outfitters, Selfridges, Paper Chase. and Harvey Nichols (London).
INKLY
Next week the Inkly app will be launched. I didn't get to test it out, but based on the PR (see my graphic above) the app adds a new twist that many will enjoy. The app's unique message feature lets you send your "handwritten" message in a greeting card via the app on your phone. The card you create does not feature REAL handwriting—just an image of your writing added to a card. So how does it work? First, you write a message on paper—make the handwriting neat because in the next step you take a photo of your message. Then you add your photographed message to an Inkly designed card via the app, finally the app will send a printed card via snail mail to the recipient. I haven' tried this service out yet, but it sounds interesting.
SINCERELY INK
From the makers of Postagram, PopBooth, Ink and Ship Library, the app Sincerely has a wide selection of card layouts. The app is free and the cost of sending a printed card in the US is $1.99. I like the fact the postcards are printed on heavyweight 5x7 inch glossy postcards. If you don't have one of your own photos to include in the card—no worries. Sincerely has a selection of lovely card layouts that you can personalize just with your own message.
Here are a few more apps you might want to check out:
Paperless Post - Online Invitations and Stationery
Shutterfly: Photo Books, Holiday Cards, Photo Cards, Birth Announcements
Note to readers: This was not a sponsored post.
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Image: RED STAMP photo at the top of this post is by me, Chris Olson, from a recent trip. I created the the app diptics that featuring the card options. Feel free to Pin them Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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Laughter is a secret ingredient to living better and longer. According to a study done by Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Indiana, laughter lowers levels of cortisol in the body and that helps the immune system work more efficiently. Laughing is even a form of exercise. You get approximately the same benefits from laughing 100 times a day, as you get from 10 minutes of using a rowing machine or riding a stationary bike for 15 minutes. And the more you laugh during the day, the more rested and refreshed you will feel. So go ahead, laugh long and you'll live longer.
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Image: LAUGH MORE graphic image by me, Chris Olson. The pretty pink color that pops through the lettering is from a flower photo by the awesome photographer D. Sharon Pruitt. Feel free to Pin my poster on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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If you like to scrapbook or add embellishments to note cards, then including styled hand lettering is a fun addition. One of the easiest lettering options to try is ribbon lettering. My mom first taught me the ribbon lettering technique when I was a kid. The OH HAPPY DAY letter art above started out just black and white, then I added the color. (I was was inspired by @jordanferney blog called OH HAPPY DAY.)
Want to try some lettering? First, don't worry about rules. Have fun! Play with letters, doodle a bit, and see what styles you like. The best part of ribbon lettering is you can make the letters as unique as you want. Plus you can try it with printing or cursive handwriting. Check out my tutorial below.
The graphic I created above gives the 3 basic steps to create each letter. One tip to make the lettering stand out is to make the foundation for each letter a bit wider than you normally write. The wider your letters, the more noticeable the ribbons will be. The narrower or tighter your letters, the smaller your ribbons will be.
When you get to step 3 above, you can draw the ribbon edge line on either the outside or the inside of each letter. If you draw the line on the outside of the edge of a letter you will need to add a little "bridge" to close the top and the bottom of the ribbon. Does that make sense? If you have any questions, just add them to the comment sections.
Have fun! And if you want, try this activity with your kids. That is how I learned to make interesting letters—with my mom. xo Chris O.
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Images: OH HAPPY DAY and 3 STEPS TO CREATE RIBBON LETTERS images are by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
DO YOU LIKE TO DO CRAFTS WITH YOUR KIDS?
You might be interested in the following "quiet time" craft activity to do with kids:
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Early breakfasts. School drop offs before dawn. Ok, I exaggerate, but setting my alarm this early makes me grumpy. I have the back-to-school blues. AND it's a Monday! I definitely need a couple extra shots of espresso today. So I thought a little combo of fantasy + humor is required this morning. Here's a post about an ad George Clooney did for a Norwegian bank. First a few of my favorite images from the ad... You can watch the entire commercial in a video at the end of the post.
So what does George Clooney have to do with a Norwegian bank? And why cast a committed bachelor to be the one getting married? Talk amongst yourselves... But if you want my highly opinionated opinion, Clooney is the perfect fantasy husband. And in the ad, Clooney is looking more charming than ever.
Watch the Norwegian Bank DnB NOR ad below:
I've got some more Clooney goodness on the blog here with a house tour.
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Image: VANCOUVER MORNING photo at the top of this post is by me, Chris Olson, from a recent trip. I created the two CLOONEY ad diptics that feature the Norwegian Bank DnB NOR ad. Feel free to Pin them Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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Yay! It's the weekend. Saturday mornings at my house are times to catch up on everything forgotten during the week and sneak in a few loads of laundry. And while I'm waiting for the spin cycle to end, why not catch up on my favorite stop motion films on my iPhone. I thought the Sorry I'm Late short film would be the perfect pick for the last day of Shark Week.
And while we are talking about diversions from completing the Saturday morning chores, check out the lovely Cartolina iPhone app that creates an eco-friendly card to send via your phone using your favorite photos. Check out the card above I created in seconds featuring my pal Gizmo.
I do love everything about dogs and stationery, but I digress... Back to watching the film on your phone or laptop. The stop motion short film Sorry I'm Late by Tomas Mankovsky is a whimsical 2-minute film about "being late for an important date. The movie was shot in an auditorium in London with a stills camera in the ceiling and pointing straight at the floor. Be sure to watch the credits portion at the end of the film because it gives a glimpse into the technique for making this innovative movie. You can watch the short film below.
Check out this link for a more detailed explanation with photos on the how the filmakers made the stop motion video.
Film Credits: Sorry I'm Late stop motion film was produced by Tomas Mankovsky. You can also view it on Vimeo.
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Image: Cartolina card featuring Gizmo is by me, Chris Olson and CARTOLINA. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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Freestyle sewing has always interested me—especially when I want to create something quickly that really fits me. With 101 easy projects, the new sewing book by Nicole Blum and Debra Immergut, Improv Sewing, is the perfect addition a DIY library.
The book's fast, fun, and fearless sewing projects include dresses, tunics, scarves, skirts, accessories, pillows, curtains, and more. Today's post features clothing projects. You can read more about creating decor items and gifts using the book in a future post. Be sure to watch the book trailer below for more inspiration.
CONNECT WITH NICOLE AND DEBRA
The book blog Improv Diary
On Facebook: Improv Sewing
Nicole's blog: One Golden Apple
Debra's blog: evergood workshop
Nicole on Twitter @nicoleblum
Debra on Twitter: @debraimmergut
BOOK TRAILER
Watch the Improv Sewing book trailer below or view it here on YouTube.
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Image: IMPROV SEWING image by me, Chris Olson, featuring pages from the book. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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The first week in August, bloggers from around the globe came to NYC for the 8th annual BlogHer.com conference. I missed this year's conference but I kept in touch via Twitter updates and the BlogHer '12 Virtual Conference. Twitter updates from Laurie White—the @BlogHerAtHome host—and other bloggers are available via Twitter and at BlogHer.com. You can find Laurie on Twitter here and online here.
The conference always has an amazing list of speakers and presenters from the blogging world. And each year the keynotes are awesome too. Imagine this, on Thursday afternoon, BlogHer co-founders Lisa Stone and Elisa Camahort Page welcomed conference participants with a very special guest via a live video address from President Barack Obama. You can watch this video here. As a nonpartisan group, BlogHer also extended an invitation to candidate Governor Romney, but he was unable to participate via a live video address.
Martha—yes, that Martha!—was the keynote speaker at BlogHer12 and she shares her thoughts in her personal blog here. And Martha puts BlogHer on her list of "good things" when she says:
BlogHer has become the largest community of women who blog: 40 million unique visitors per month. They are drawn there to seek and share advice, opinions, and recommendations. If you’re a female blogger, or are interested in blogging, visit BlogHer.
Katie Couric was Lunch Keynote Speaker on Saturday. You can watch the presentation here and find out how you can participate in Couric's new daytime show.
Julie Ross Godar, the executive editor of BlogHer, shares the must-watch conference highlights here in a video.
Section editor for BlogHer Family, Jenna Hatfield has a nice round up of what happened here.
We all know bloggers are a style savvy group. On Saturday, a BlogHer Fashion Show MC’ed by BlogHer’s editor-at-large, Kathryn Finney featured women from BlogHer’s Style community and guests from across the BlogHer community. BlogHer rocks the fashion runway in video here.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME INSPIRATION?
One of the most inspiring part of reading blogs is when a blog post is about turning lemons into lemonade. That's exactly what Linda Doty did when she couldn't get to the NYC conference—but she was able to stay connected and make lemonade via the virtual BlogHer12 conference at home. Linda writes the awesome blog Just Linda. She blogged about the BlogHer12 and packed her post with loads of blogging inspiration and tips here.
Looking for more BlogHer12 inspiration? You can find the BlogHer virtual conference liveblog posts here and conference videos from the event here.
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE BLOGGERS ON BLOGHER
I would love to include the hundreds and hundreds of amazing bloggers at the conference, but today I'll give a sampling of the many bloggers that continue to impress me from BlogHer12 and BlogHerAtHome. In no particular order, here are a few faves in the list below:
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Happy Birthday, Julia Child! She would have turned 100 years old today. Thought my poster above would be perfect to honor her big day. Kudos to Julia for introducing French cuisine to American homes and reminding us that almost everything is better with some butter! When Child returned from Paris with her husband Paul, she shared her love of butter and French cooking in the best-selling book Mastering the Art of French Cooking she co-authored with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle in 1961. Of course I love the account of her cookbook writing told through a film and a book.
LINKS CELEBRATING JULIA'S 100TH!
Julia Child died back in 2004, but she will live forever in cookbooks in our kitchens. The Smithsonian is honoring Julia Child's kitchen with a lovely display.
If you want to bake something in her honor, please use loads of butter. And one of her lovely cookbooks. You can find a nice summary of her culinary tips here.
If you want to toast her 100th birthday, check out Julia's favorite cocktail recipe here.
Google marks all things honorary with a doodle—check out the Julia Child Google Doodle.
You can read a nice tribute to Julia here with lots of little known facts about her life and a link to a new biography about her.
Summer ends in my neighborhood today. And the dreaded "S" word begins tomorrow. School!!! Yikes! Time to go outside and soak up some Vitamin D—and tonight I'll toast to Julie and indulge in buttery treats!
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Image: IF YOU'RE AFRAID OF BUTTER, USE CREAM image by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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Playing around with Instagram filters is the best way to add a personal touch that you like to your photos. In my GET THE LOOK Instagram image above, I used the Amaro filter and the "tear drop" icon (aka the Tilt-Shift focus icon) located up on the upper right corner of the Instagram camera interface.
ADJUSTING THE FOCUS AREA
For the Vespa photo above I used the line effect focus. To do this in Instagram, just tap the tear drop icon at the top of the Instagram camera interface, next select the line effect, then tap or drag/rotate the image to preview how this feature adjusts the in-focus area. I used my fingers to play with the width of the focus and the placement of the the line to make it slightly slant to the right. You can read more about tips on using the Amaro filter here.
Do you have any favorite Instagram filters? I would love to hear about your faves, just add them to the comment section. Or connect via Momathon Blog on Facebook.
Images above by me, Chris Olson using an iPhone 4 + Instagram, Amaro Filter.
You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:
Day 1: No Filter
Day 2: Amaro Filter
Day 3: Rise Filter
Day 4: Hudson Filter
Day 5: X-Pro II Filter
Day 6: Sierra Filter
Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter
Day 8: Earlybird Filter
Day 9: Sutro Filter
Day 10: Toaster Filter
Day 11: Brannan Filter
Day 12: Inkwell Filter
Day 13: Walden Filter
Day 14: Hefe Filter
Day 15: Valencia Filter
Day 16: Nashville Filter
Day 17: 1977 Filter
Day 18: Kelvin Filter
Get The Look: Add Some Glam in Instagram
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All Instagram photos are by me, Chris Olson at Chris CoCo Media. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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A few things I'm thinking about as summer winds down...
KITES
In Colorado the weather changes quickly. Plenty of sunshine is the norm, but the winds can kick up in the afternoon bringing in clouds and thunderstorms. And I won't complain because we need rain here. Is it windy near your house today? If it is, how about making a kite. Check out a great tutorial that shows you how here.
SIDEWALK PAINT
Creating chalk drawings outside on the sidewalk or a driveway is a favorite summer activity. Today feels like the perfect day to decorate the sidewalk. You can even make your own sidewalk paint—find my post on making the paint and other summer crafts with kids here. And if you want to get uber creative, try out some of the fancy chalk lettering ideas here by the talented Dana Tanamachi.
YOGA FOR KIDS
Nothing helps me calm down and feel better like yoga breathing exercises. I'm hoping my kids can take a few yoga class too. Here's the scoop on why yoga can be great for kids of all ages.
A PHOTO A DAY
Do you like to get outside and run? I love to go for a spin on my bike in the morning. Of course the exercise is wonderful, but getting outside is amazing for the mind too. Photographer and blogger Maura runs every morning and she shares some amazing things she sees on those runs on her Tumblr blog Found Thing.
Image: GIRLS RULE graphic above is by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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Yay! It's Friday, and the 'Nice to Meet You' linky party officially begins. Today's question is:
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO AT HOME?
OK, now it's your turn. Come and join the blog fun. Not sure what a linky party is? I think blogger Lindsay at Shrimp Salad Circus sums it up best:
"Well, it's party one of my very busy Friday, and it's a collaboration with a super-creative group of ladies I 'met' at one of the Alt Summit classes I told you about. We decided to try to introduce our readers to the whole group and get everybody together for some blog hopping. First, I'm going to show you six pictures of how I love to spend my time at home. When you get to the end, I'll tell you how to share your own blog!"
Do you like Alt Design Summit and their classes? I L-O-V-E them. Each class truly inspires me and I am meeting so many creative bloggers and designers. If you would like to meet some awesome bloggers in the ALT community, come join the fun. Browse the links below and join the fun. Directions for joining the party at the end of this post.
So go link-up! Visit some new blogs--see the list below. Meet some new friends! If you like someone's post, be sure to leave a comment saying, "It was nice to meet you!" If you link up, be sure to let your readers know by sharing the button below in your blog post or on your sidebar! And say HI and connect on my Facebook page and on Twitter.
One of the amazing things about blogging is the opportunity to meet interesting people in the blogging community. This summer I finally met my nephew's lovely bride Suzannah—she writes the splendid blog Adventures in Dressmaking—and I was so excited to find out she likes ALT too. This week Suzannah and some of her clever blogging friends are hosting the first link-up for the 'Nice To Meet You" group.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
In addition to Suzannah and Lindsay, Erika over at Foxtrot Press, Jeanette at Artchoo! and Lauren at Elleby Design have posts with lovely images to inspire you too! You can find a complete list of bloggers that are hosting the link-up party listed at the end of my post.
You can find out more about this linky party below.
Continue reading "Nice to Meet You {A Linky Party for Bloggers}" »
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Source: weddingchicks.com via Chris on Pinterest
A few years ago on this date—well, 21 years ago to be exact—I tied the knot to my DH on a very warm afternoon in Minneapolis. I wish we had Pinterest back then for all that lovely wedding planning inspiration. Here are a few pretty wedding inspiration pins from my Tie the Knot board on Pinterest.
I did manage to find a current photo on Pinterest of the Gale Mansion––the same place where we had our reception. You can see an adorable image of a wedding party jumping at the Gale Mansion by the talented folks at DnK Photography.
Source: DnK Photography: Wedding and Portrait Photographers and the Gale Mansion
Source: adventuresindressmaking.com via Chris on Pinterest
Source: diybride.com via Chris on Pinterest
Source: bridalguide.com via Chris on Pinterest
Source: adventuresindressmaking.com via Chris on Pinterest
Here's another lovely photo by DnK Photography inside the Gale Mansion. Don't you love her shoes and her dress. The photographer captured the moment perfectly.
Source: dnkphotography.com via Chris on Pinterest
A QUICK WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE...
My wedding dress was Laura Ashley and my colors were lilac and a light green. I'm sure today's wedding planners would frown at that color combination, but it seemed to work. My two sister-in-laws were my bridesmades. They each picked out a dress from the same designer and each one was unique to fit her own style and figure—one of my bridesmaids was 7 months pregnant. Fortunately my parents are pros at planning festive events and they found the perfect place for the reception--the Gale Mansion which is a lovely home built back in 1912. The house is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places for its classic Italian Renaissance architecture. See image #2 for a recent photo of this historic place. One of my favorite parts of my reception was the Kransekake, a Norwegian Ring Cake (see image #4 of a yummy Kransekake).
The lovely wedding images #3 and #6 feature the talented Suzannah who writes the always inspiring blog Adventures in Dressmaking. The images are from her wedding last year. And she married my nephew!. (I know what you are thinking... Yes, I am that old!) Here's a bit of fun trivia, Jason was the ring bearer at my wedding 21 years ago! Is it even possible that he has grown up so fast? I need to add some images from my wedding in a future post ;)
Want to see more WEDDING PINSPIRATION ? Check out my Pinterest board Tie the Knot.
Images: All photos from my Pinterest boards with links to original sources.
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Earlier this summer my family and I went on a hike to view the restoration of the Elwah River in the Olympic Peninsula. The entire valley was transformed last year after the removal of the Elwha dam. The enormous trees towering over the path filter the light in ways that remind me of The Forbidden Forest that borders the Hogwarts School in Harry Potter books.
Did you know that the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest produce three times the biomass (living or once living material) of tropical rain forests?
Image: IN THE WOODS graphic above is by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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School is over a week away, but already I'm waking up thinking about packing lunches, catching the school bus, and the dreaded homework. What do you do to relax and forget about the back-to-school blues?
Image: SLEEP LESS AND DREAM MORE graphic above is by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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Kitty Karma is the theme of my It's So Etsy picks this week:
1) Safe Plants for Kitty Cats Archival art print by Rebekka Seale, $30
2) Cat Collars with Bow Tie or Flower by LearnedStitchworks, $18
3) Cat Bed Cat Cave Cat House Felted Wool by LoveCatCaves, £36.50 GBP, Approx. $59 USD
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Graphic above created by me and featuring photos via 1) Rebekka Seale, 2) LearnedStitchworks, 3) LoveCatCaves.
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It's obvious I heart dogs. The illustration above by me will be available in my shop LunaBlueStudio on Etsy this weekend. It's almost the weekend and here's a few lovely links for Friday:
Looking for home decor inspiration, check out Reese Witherspoon’s sweet retreat in Ojai via Hooked on Houses and Elle Decor.
This refreshing chocolat-y dessert sounds delicious. See how to make it via Amy at She Wears Many Hats.
How to get that fab look that cost $515 for only a fraction of the price via the stylish Say Yes to Hoboken.
Image: I HEART DOGS graphic above is by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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Oh my! It's hard to believe August is here already! At my house, August signals a change in routine. The kids go back to school. Days at the pool are numbered. I'll be sure to savor the leisurely pace before homework and stuffy classrooms take over.
Do you have special plans for August?
Of course, I will be watching the Olympics. Missy Franklin is from my home state of Colorado so I absolutely have to read and watch everything about her. She rocks! And I am kinda addicted to London. You can read more about my fascination with London here: Flower Drama in London and London Calling and The Story of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" Poster—or on my Facebook page.
Many of my blogging friends--and Martha Stewart!--are at BlogHer12 this week in NYC. I wish I was there, but thanks to Laurie at BlogHer at Home you can hear the scoop on the conference and make new BlogHer connections right at home. So cool. Hang out with awesome bloggers via @BlogHerAtHome on Twitter. And you can grab a BlogHerAtHome badge here. (And maybe Martha will blog about BlogHer here.)
Image: HELLO, AUGUST! photo graphic above is by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
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