With wedding planning in full blast, I’ve been paying special attention to all the decorating advice/suggestions/whimsies available out in this world. Garlands have caught my eye with their simple beauty and festive feel.

Etsy has plenty of folks who are making and selling cute circle garlands and bunting. Who doesn’t love bunting?

Now, I think it would also be simple enough to make on your own too. Just a sewing machine and a circle scissor would do.

Yes, I know winter is just around the corner however, with my move to Miami ever so eminent I feel entitled to being a season behind. After all, in Miami there are no seasons. Fall weather will happen sometime in December or January (we Miami-ans call that Winter).

This jacket from American Eagle is precious and in jersey fleece for those cooling-yet-not-quite-cold days.

Not sure what else to pair this with? The ladies of Refinery 29 have put together a Fall How-To Fashion Guide for you. Whew!

Kitchn had a smart article today on the benefits of having a dry erase board for your fridge. It allows you to keep two working lists:

1. Food items reminder: items about to go bad, better eat them and eat them fast

2. Working meal list

Visually tallying up all those gotta-eat-em-soon items and creating your next dinner with them seem like a natural progression. Definitely something I could use to make sure I get to my produce in time.

Dry erase not cool enough for you? Jump on the chalkboard fridge bandwagon instead! (I want one in black)

photos from apt therapy

I just don’t know what to do anymore.

I weighed myself this morning and was back up to 150 lbs. Fluke? Not sure, but regardless it’s legitimately freaked me out. I don’t buy into much of the hype around weddings (after all, mine should be rather laid back in my parent’s backyard), but I do want to be a bride that looks her best. I’ve been working toward a 125lb goal for about two years and still haven’t gotten there. Not even close.

With t-minus 4.5 weeks until wedding day, I’ve all about given up my adjusted goal of weighing 140-135lbs.

I just don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t want to give up sleep or spending precious moments with friends before leaving (besides, my gym closes at 9pm). My hours at work have increased since one of my accounts revved up in September. I’ve been able to fit in 20 minutes of working out every morning using various workout DVDs (right now I’m so into Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred) but it’s not enough.

I wish I could just have someone hand over what I need to eat in order to make the scale move in direction I want it to. I was doing Weight Watchers but stopped because I literally never used it. I’m hoping I can use Nutrition Data’s free service to make caloric ends meet, but so far I really don’t understand how to use it. A part of me wants to throw my hands up in the air and order Nutrisystem but just knowing what food flavors make it on the menu makes me throw up in my mouth a little. I know it doesn’t take much time, but work and planning for a wedding/move/school has really taken over my life.

So sad and frustrated and depressed about this whole thing.

Happy Halloween!

A little tape and paint goes a long way to making some pretty chic pumpkins for the fall.

Find the tutorial here.

I’m happy (and sad and nervous and delighted and excited) to announce a pretty big shift in my life:

I’ve been accepted into the digital design program with Miami Ad School.

I’ll be moving to Miami from NYC in late November. From there, I’ll have a week to prepare before my wedding. From there, Gaius and I will be honeymooning for a week in December. All this to settle in for design classes beginning January 4th, 2010.

I know.

Insanity.

But oh so exciting! I’ll be able to see my parents and brother whenever I please (a luxury that I sorely miss). I’ll get to drive around with the top down since winter weather never happens. And best of all, I’ll be able to explore a side of my intellect that I barely know as we’ve only dabbled in projects together.

So many positive changes and yet… I’ve had a great run in NYC. A solid first “real world” job working in search engine advertising with GroupM Search/Outrider (whose team of people are nothing short of amazing, by the way). Great friends. An awesome city to live in. Great food. I’ll miss the ability to never have to drive myself around. I’ll miss Central Park. I’ll miss 106 St and all that that implies (you can see the love for my block in our engagement photos).

It’s all so bittersweet. I know that now’s the time to try out new things – I haven’t started settling down (aside from finding someone with whom I want to spend the rest of my life). But you understand, I don’t have kids. Nor do I have the intention to have any for a long while. This creative possibility has been nagging me in the back of my head for a while, so I’ve taken the leap. Leaving the good stuff I know I have right now for new, uncharted territories.

We’ll see where I land.

I love them. They’re so classic and elegant. And who doesn’t love sipping on their favorite drink through a straw?!

Find them here.

Photo credit: bake it pretty

i love my gators. and they love one another.

Wouldn’t it be sweet to receive a bracelet like this one by Delias Thompson on a special day from that special someone?

A wedding day, an anniversary a birthday to allow a person the chance to peer down and remember they are… loved.

Add a quote from The History of Love: “Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering”

or by ee cummings:

“i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)”

…and you have sweet sweet love dripping off your arm.

I took a cab last night at 1am from work.

The cabbie hears the destination and comments with his thick faraway accent, “I’ll take you up 10th Ave. Once you get a light, they all turn green.”

“You’re the boss,” I say. “I don’t know traffic at this time.”

As we approach, the street lights lift their red skirts in sync following our rhythm. Like seasoned dancers who have performed the same tune for decades.

I get home in about ten minutes.

Night beauty is a wonderful thing.

Photo credit: ewar woowar