Sideways & Shipwrecked

Shoes = Happiness

I was inspired by Meg's blog at whatever. because she is right, shoes can always make you happy. 

(I love her blog so much. It's one of the blogs I constantly check. I love her style, her colors, her house, her adorable kids...)

I loved some of the shoes she picked out... and I decided to make my dream list of shoes.

I am digging the cute flats right now because when I get to work I have to park basically in Madagascar and heels don't make the hike very easy. (Not sure why Madagascar, but for some reason I have always wanted to go there. Oh, Meg has been to Africa- another awesome thing about her.)

Anyway, here is my dream list. There are some heels, some repeats of Meg's favorites... but shoes are shoes and you can never get tired of seeing a shoe over and over... this suddenly made me want to see In Her Shoes... 

I love this scene... it is so true...

 

My shoe choices surprise me... I have definitely added some edge to what I like... All these shoes came from Shoe Ocean, Payless and UrbanOG. 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 
I wear a size 8.5-9, feel free to send shoes, lots of them :)

It's Amazing What You Can Find Online...

 

Don't you want a gummy bear chandelier? This is amazing. Your child would fall asleep instantly trying to count gummy bears instead of sheep. 

I love it.

I want it now.

I am way to scared to ever ask for the price.

I haven't found a dress, but....

Well, I really have only looked for a dress that once in April. And that was just to get an idea for styles. I don't want to get a dress until I am smaller... so I'll keep hitting the treadmill! But anyway, I found some earrings I love for my wedding day. I guess I am not really the traditional bride, because these earrings aren't your typical pearls or diamonds. I like something with a little more personality, I guess. Not that diamonds and pearls aren't beautiful- I love them- but I want something a little more unique. 

 I have some Holly Yashi earrings (somewhere...) but never really gave her much thought... until Pioneer Woman had some of her things on her site. I forgot how much I loved her things!!! These are some of my favorite "bridal" earrings....

 

Check out some of her pieces... or all of them! They are GORGEOUS! It makes me wish I had more than one or two pairs of her earrings... maybe for the wedding? :)   

 

Hello, Charlotte!

Okay, so I have finally gotten around to updating! A few weekends ago we took our first adventure to Charlotte (cool city!... awesome city!) I loved that there were so many artistic sculptures, beautiful trees and I especially loved that they had so many literary references in the park around the library- metal book pages, brick scultpures, sky high book scultpures, road signs modeled after famous authors, hop scotch based on basic words... it was great! I loved that the city placed so much emphasis on reading- we don't place enough importance on being literate! So, even though Charlotte is stupid Bank of America's headquarters, it was pretty awesome! Without any further ado...

Not only was it our first trip to Charlotte, but it was also our first trip to.....

Can you see how excited I am? I think I was doing a little dance in this picture... So anyway, my heart went pitter patter and now I'm in love. We bought some cool things for the apartment and I finally re-did my dining room table. You see, when we first moved here I had toured a few apartments and fell in love with the idea that we needed a round, glass table for our dining area. So, before we knew where the ghetto was, we went to a store called Not Your Granny's Panties, which was basically a thrift store with lots of estate sale finds, etc. I saw this round glass table with metal chairs and decided I had to have it. Mr. Wright was not excited about the purchase (it meant work for him since the cushions were rotten and we had to create brand new seats) but hey, it was a table for $25. We made our cushions, fixed the rusty spots and made it look cute. But after I fell out of lust I felt the black iron just looked too abrasive. This is it...

It is cute, right? But I needed something with a little more color... I needed to make the room POP!!! So, I bought some fun fabric at Ikea, some spray paint and decided to have at it! We finally replaced the one last cushion that was rotten... yeah, yeah, we've been here over two years and we just got around to doing that. But hey, we also just got a desk chair for Mr. Wright's desk so now we finally have four chairs at our table!  I really wanted a square wooden bar type table, but now we have a table that's screaming, "We NEED to move to the beach!!!" Take a look, I personally, think it looks great. Pat on the back for me. :)

 
What do you think? I think they add a bit of fun and whimsy... plus since I have been giving the rest of the room a bit of a beachy feel I figure they add to it. I just love those little crabs! Thanks Ikea for some fun fabric! Miss Asia benefited from the Ikea trip too, as she got some fabric and a pillow to make a new cushion from her bed that was falling flat. (Literally, it was flat and uncomfortable even for a dog!) I am so serious. She would have rather slept on the floor than her bed... Cricket of course loved it though, because fat dog loved to smoosh herself into the tiny bed. Anyway, this is Asia's new bed!

Checking out... hmm... will Crick still fit??? Maybe not...

Thanks Mom! No, thank you Ikea! Oh, and Ikea? Thanks for organizing my spice rack!

Before:

What a mess! The drawer never wanted to close!

After:

Yup. Magnets. Yup. Our refrigerator. Yup. Much more organized. Yup. I love it. I heart Ikea.

Wow, sorry for such a long post! I guess it makes up for all those others that I should've done!   

A Little Nostalgia

Isn't it funny how a smell can remind you of a feeling, a place, a person or just a certain point in time? Songs can do that to, as well as a lot of other things that evoke the stirrings of the past. I recently bought some perfume from Sunny Caribbee, which is one of my favorite little shops on the island of Tortola in the BVI. I wasn't sure what to expect from the description of the scent, but I went for it- just wanting that island feeling.

Well, I received the bottle (a very, very tiny bottle might I add) and at first wasn't sure how I felt about the smell- a little strong. It's funny though how a scent from the bottle smells different with each person's body chemistry. I put it on and a few minutes later the smell and feeling that overcame me just felt so warm and familiar. After about an hour of smelling my wrist I suddenly realized what the smell was... my Aunt Doris. She wasn't really my aunt, but she was a good friend of my grandmother's and was like my second grandmother. (I have only known one real set of grandparents my entire life, so she was my grandmother's best friend and my Aunt Doris- she was just more of a rebel than my grandmother... something you can't be around your real grandchildren!)

Every time we went to pick her up at her house to go out for a girl's day I always took a deep breath- she always smelled so good. There was something about my Aunt Doris that always made me feel so good- she was funny, naughty and just all around a wonderful person. She never met a single person that didn't like her- anyone who had ever known her would have a funny story to tell you about being with her. (Even the woman who had an affair with her husband probably had good things to say... unless she had known Aunt Doris threw fistfuls of pebbles at her car every day she walked past it!) Anyway, Aunt Doris was just an all around fun woman, a woman who always said things like, "A little powder and paint make me look like what I ain't..." as she was always getting herself dolled up, or that she was going to "go shed a tear," rather than saying she was using the restroom.

It's hard because Aunt Doris got Alzheimer's many years ago, and it has been difficult for me to remember all those feelings I had about her. It was so tough to see the wonderfully dressed, totally made up, funny woman I once knew slipping away. It was so hard to remember the real Aunt Doris, when I saw this tiny frail woman in front of me, a woman who use to have her hair frosted and done every single week, unmade up, hair gray and uncurled... and not smelling the way she use to. Oh god, do I miss her.I can't imagine how it felt to my grandmother to lose her best friend, my mom to lose what was probably her other mother, her real family to lose mother and grandmother... I knew how I felt watching her slip away...  and then being at her funeral, when I knew she was really gone. Trying to remember all the good times we had shared...

As soon as I put this perfume on though, the smell of the Aunt Doris I remembered washed over me. I have been wearing it everyday since, and it always makes me smile and think of my Aunt Doris. (I smell my wrist a million times a day and smile... someday I will share more stories with you!) I love you Aunt Doris, I miss you... I hope that while you are up there in heaven  you are having a good time... getting your hair done, putting on your makeup, smelling good and chasing the men... even like you did in your worst days! :) And hopefully, once a person becomes an angel you no longer have to shed a tear... because man, going to the ladies room can be such a chore sometimes! I feel comforted that I can still smell you near me.

 
Aunt Doris, me on my 5th birthday and my grandmother, Lucy (love how they are both wearing pink sneakers!)

A Shock to the Fashion World

There was a time in my life when I wanted to be a fashion designer… in the worst way. (Among many, many, many other things! Maybe I’ll share the list with you one of these days!) I mean I literally ate Vogue for breakfast… thanks mom for the joint subscription! I guess the idea of wanting to be a fashion designer runs in the family. My mom had wanted to be a fashion designer- she even drove to Texas in her broken down car to interview at a college!- but mothers at that time (or my grandmother rather) said that women were supposed to be teachers or secretaries… and guess what? My mom is a teacher. Probably (not probably she IS) the greatest teacher ever, but I don’t think she followed her creative dream. (And my baby sis is in school to become an architect… designing houses, or designing dresses… what’s the dif? (Besides that a house can fall down around you and kill you, wicked witch style!))

 

Anyway. Thank the lord I don’t live back then… a teacher or secretary? BORING choices… well, maybe not being a teacher- inspiring the creative minds of the future is an amazing, wonderful, under appreciated position (football players get paid more to throw a ball? Say what??) Part of me wants to be a teacher, but I hate the politics of it all now, no room for creativity!- so maybe one of these days I will go back to school and open my own nursery school. I have the application filled out, got accepted… just have not gotten around to that horrible thing parents of college students shudder at… FASFA.

 

Whoa, mega ramble. The whole point of this was how sad and shocked I was to first, hear of Alexander McQueen’s death and secondly, that he had hung himself in his London home the day before his mother’s funeral. He was known to be a controversial designer, a rebel… I remember seeing his designs in Vogue and just thinking, “Wow.” It makes you realize that even if you are a well known designer, creating outrageous fashion and making mucho dinero you may not always be happy. He was so devastated by the loss of his mother (and maybe so overwhelmed by Spring Fashion week starting Friday) that he took his own life.

 

It really shows you that life is precious, and family is even more precious… so appreciate your loved ones, show them you love them and realize everyday is important. It’s also a great reminder that money and fame doesn’t always make a person happy. So anyway, I always thought being a designer would be the ultimate happiness, but it really isn’t what you do, how much you make… it just matters that you enjoy who and what you have around you and appreciate them and show them you love them every single day.

 

Rest in peace Mr. McQueen, you have made a huge impact on the fashion industry and hopefully where ever you are in fashion heaven you are finally happy and with the mother you loved so much.

 

I’m going to leave you with these outrageous designs (and a fashion show clip!) that left an impression on the fashion world, and me, a young little Vogue reader aspiring to be a designer…

 

The famous lobster claw stilettos (far left and far right)... 10 inch heels! Totally crazy!

 

And the ones I want... hey, they were $669 and are now only $169... don't you think they'd be cute under my wedding dress? A little heart for love... you know me, I will totally be wearing hot pink stilettos under my dress, no white shoes for me! Or maybe... polka dot sandals? I so love thes- I could rock 5 inches!!!

UGH. Apparently I can't just post a photo because typepad just wants to keep freezing on me when I upload it... so check them out here!

 

 

xoxo's!

 

Be Stylin'

Okay, so there are so many cool, funky, gorgeous, amazing handcrafted items out there... especially on my favorite, ETSY. One of my  favorite blogs, DOOCE, has a daily style section and I freakin' love it. She finds (and receives- oh to reach that blogger status!) the neatest things. So I have decided to feature my own favorites...

The best part of this (or what makes me feel best) is that you are buying something that someone worked hard to make, that they love to make and it helps our local artists. We need to help our local artists! I love Etsy and am hoping that I will have some time soon to add my to my Etsy store. So here are some of my favorite!

Gorgeous ring made by Nataliaraya... I love pretty much every piece I see in her Etsy store. Some are similar and yet I would take every single one. I love the grace and simplicity... they are so feminine... and pretty. Simply gorgeous... and each one is made to order. I mean really, can it get any better?  check her out here

Beautiful earrings, made by Nataliaraya  also. See, I mean really, every girl needs a matching set. Check them out here

Pretty coral necklace from EzzaExclusive... there are lots of funky pieces here!

I love a beautifully decorated table! I love to find new place settings and these give it such a pop! Check out Party Poms.... and everything is so reasonably priced too! Aren't they pretty? I want all of them... and the large ones? Perfect for a corner that needs a little fun! Maybe perfect for our wedding, agreed?

We spoil ourselves with 600 count sheets... shouldn't our sweet pups be spoiled too? I think these are so adorable! Check out this Posh Bed by Sophie's Threads... I wish I could buy everything on ETSY! 

I think these dresses are so cute! When I have a little girl, and I will, I must, she will wear one of these adorable little dresses. I had just better hope that this shop by LilMissMuffinis on Etsy in, oh, six years! Maybe I should just stock up now? Maybe I will try to make my own, but they won't be as nice as these! 

Oh my word, again, in six years when I have that girl... I don't know what it is about these headbands with flowers bigger than the baby's head- but I LOVE them. They are created by BannerBoutiqueOnEtsyand I think I want one for my head too... would that be too over the top? Nah.... Big enough for my head is the real question though.... probably not. :(

 Etsy is such an awesome site full of wonderful artists! Go support them! And luckily for me, they all give me something to aspire to with their stores. Isn't everything beautiful?? Enjoy! Shop 'til you drop!!!

Do You Take Mr. Wright... Yes!... I Mean, I Do...

So originally my idea for this blog was to essentially write about what our plans were for our wedding. For people to share their ideas with me, let me know what they like, don't like, etc. etc. However, you know me by now, and I like to go off on tangents. We have set our second date, yup second, which is now July 7, 2011. Gives me plenty of time to plan and look good in a wedding dress... I think. We have already been engaged 3 years and my mind has changed about things probably 20 times or more on different things. That date might change depending on Mr. Wright's school schedule so don't write it in your planner yet... and if you do my suggestion is to just pencil it in. Whoa, shows you how far behind I am... people are probably penning it into their Palm Pilot or Blackberry... while I still write things on a calendar and carry around my Filofax. (Note to self: it's time to get 2010 calendar and Filofax calendar.)

So yeah, anyway, I thought I would just share a bunch of the pictures of the things I love for weddings. I sort of have this love hate relationship with the internet because I get an idea, love it and then find a million and twenty other great ideas online. So here's the scenario: wedding on the coast of Maine. Everything is expensive as far as locations go, so we are going to try and be creative. Ideas? Let me know! I love formal weddings, but as far as ours goes it will probably be more casual, after all, it is a summer in Maine wedding. I am kind of a preppy girl, so I love the Lilly Pulitzer style... Mr. Wright is not so preppy... and I can't blame him- he will NOT be wearing pink and green plaid patchwork ties. But I think a Vineyard Vines tie, such as their sea scallops or whales would look so nice with a khaki suit. If I were a man you wouldn't have to tell me twice that a tux wasn't necessary on a summer day! For my girls I would love Lilly dresses, but they can be so expensive... but these are some I love... this, this, this, this, that, this, especially this, that (minus the men's ties), this, this, this, are you sick of these yet?, too bad!  especially this, (this woman's face made me laugh...)

And then when you put it all together... you get something like this...

Here are some more images on The Preppy Wedding blog... check out the pages in the archives too- great ideas there as well! This was the old one I loved... too formal for a summer wedding. Now we just have to sell Mr. Wright on a khaki or navy blue suit :) I think he and his "boys" would look great, help me out people! :) I'll post more ideas at a later time, but as mentioned months ago Sunday is supposed to be homemade pizza night and we haven't done it since the last post... time for me to think of something to throw on a pizza!

Jolly Holidays...

...or holidaze, rather! I felt like I was in a daze with everything there was to get ready for the Holidays! So it's been quite awhile since I updated. I got to spend a wonderful 4 1/2 days with my mom and sister when they came to NC. Unfortunately no Maine Christmas for the second year in a row. And poor dad got left behind with Miss Poppy the puppy and his new Wii... which is what's keeping me busy tonight in this quiet apartment.

So I broke my rule of no wine on weeknights (unless I have a really good meal) and poured myself a large glass of wine and am now snuggled under my new fuzzy blanket, a gift from Mr. Wright. And viola, here I am! It's going to take me a little bit of time to show you all the fun gifts I made for Christmas, but here's a sneak preview to the calendars I crafted. Boy, did they take a lot of time, but I loved the finished product- and they were a lot of fun to make!

I made a Christmas Advent one for my mom, since I know she loves Christmas as much as I do! Here are a few pictures:

 
The other two I made were for Mr. Wright's mother and sister-in-law. They were both a year 'round calendar with photos of each family member for their birthdays, different shapes for different days of the year, cupcakes for birthdays that weren't immediate family, quotes, etc. They are both pictured below. Sorry, I took dozens of photos!

And the second calendar...

 
  I am still in the Christmas mood (I am on my second Christmas movie of the night), however, and it was totally unfortunate- but I had to take down my tree tonight. I guess it was starting to get a little too droppy, afterall, it was over a month old. I miss it already. I guess I would miss my apartment more though if it happened to burn  down our little 2 bedroom. Poor Cricket had a strange fascination with the tree and has no idea what to do with herself now that she has nothing to whine at and crawl under. So, the holidays are coming to a close and it depresses me a little bit. I am going to pack everything up this weekend- the up side? It always so exciting to open up all your Christmas stuff the next year and rediscover ornaments and decorations! Plus, everything is on sale now so I can stock up for next year. I guess it's time to take my little pups to bed and finish our movies under the warmth of the comforter- it's a chilly 24 degrees here tonight! Brrr... it's almost like we did make it to Maine!

Hey ya'll! I just had to do it... picture me in the kitchen with Paula Dean while saying ya'll and I bet you are a little more understanding of the phrase! God, I love that woman!

Anyway, I have been super busy sewing, painting, designing... and of course I can't tell you what I have been doing because most of it is Christmas gifts... and some of ya'll who might be reading this could be recipients! Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, but I'll be the first to tell you- they're good, reeeeaaalllll good. At least I like to think so!

So anyway, watch for pictures soon of the Ugly Christmas Sweater party, which was a blast! They take forever to download so once I pick out the best ones they'll be posted here! Stay tuned!