thoughtfulday

Blossom Pendant

2008-07-23T08:27:00.001-04:00

This little blossom pendant would help make any sweltering hot day feel fresh and smell lovely.

{photo from mob}

Colorful & Casual

2008-07-22T08:53:00.004-04:00

I just love all of the colorful and fun details from this backyard wedding, it brings out so much playful charm!

{photos from cooley photography via wedding party}

Lace Tape

2008-07-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

This lace tape from Boiler Design Office would look so pretty sealing favor boxes or any gift for that matter. Available in both black and white, it would make a solid color paper look delicately finessed.

{{image from boiler design office}

Cherry Blossoms

2008-07-18T08:24:00.002-04:00

This photo of Japanese Cherry Blossoms is just too pretty.

Have a great weekend!

{photo from buntekuh's flickr site}

Jen Murphy Cake Toppers on Etsy!!!

2008-07-17T08:00:00.004-04:00

I am so excited to see that Jen has started selling her cake toppers on Etsy! We were lucky enough to have her make one for our wedding and I am happy to see more couples will now have the opportunity to have their own little JM creation. Not only is she making them for wedding cakes, but also for baby cakes too. The bottom image is a cake topper on top of a ring box. How cute!

{images from jen murphy's etsy shop}

Lego Cake Topper

2008-07-16T08:25:00.006-04:00

I came across this groom's flickr site and how sweet is it that he built a cake topper and a pair of swans from legos. The bride even has a bustle! I love when the groom puts forth a creative effort in wedding planning especially towards a cake topper.

{photos from random groom's flickr site site}

Jen Renninger

2008-07-15T08:00:00.002-04:00

I love these prints from Etsy seller Jen Renninger, what lovely prints to stare at on this fine Tuesday morning. The colors are fantastic!

{images from Jen Renninger}

Food + Flower + Style

2008-07-14T08:00:00.008-04:00

I came across Food + Flower + Style this weekend through A Cup Of Joe and I am so glad I did. Their site has so many fun and creative diy kits to aid in throwing a festive and stylish party or a great reference for anyone to grab inspiration from! They have their bases covered with food, flowers and decor, so be sure to check out their website. They even have flower classes and will print your own custom designed fabric! The above banner kit is such a cute and cost effective way to decorate a celebratory event, it would also be incredibly easy to make yourself; some pinking shears, fabric and string...

These sunburst balloons are fantastic and prove that balloons don't have to be just for kids!

After inquiring about what kind of flowers these were, Anna from Food + Flower + Style sent this step by step process on how to achieve this gorgeous arrangement:

The flowers are a mass of tulips photographed from a birds eye view. They're actually really easy to arrange just start by making almost a fan shape with all of the tulips that bend left on one side, those that are straight in the center and then the ones that bend to the right next to them. Next keep placing row after row in that order. Finally gather them all together in your hands and slip a rubber band around the stems. Trim stems and place in a container. Voila the easiest arrangement in the world!

Thanks Anna!

{images from food + flower + style via a cup of joe}

Back Next Week!

2008-07-08T21:58:00.001-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!

This past holiday weekend I went back to my hometown Peoria, Illinois for some nice R & R. Come to find out my parent's internet connection was down so I couldn't post anything, and now that I am back in Brooklyn I have decided to take the rest of the week off to organize and look for a studio space. I'll be back next week and in the meantime look forward to catching up on all of my daily blog reads.

Have a great rest of the week! But before you go, you must check out this great blog: The Engaged Guy, it is a hilarious account of a guys take on planning a wedding. It is a must read! This couple is awesome!

{found via 122 loves me}

New Beginnings & Sad Goodbyes

2008-07-03T08:01:00.004-04:00

Today is my last day as a product designer for Jonathan Adler, I have worked for him for almost the last 2 years and am leaving to pursue my own creative endeavors. I am a little sad as working with Jonathan and all of my friends there has been amazing, but so excited and ready to start my stationery and paper product business.

I look forward to keeping you all updated - my new website will launch this Fall!

{photo from jonathan adler}

You + Me

2008-07-02T07:40:00.000-04:00

I love this poster from Village - everyone knows her iconic For Like Ever poster, and this You + Me is a great addition to her collection. The carved like font with the textural tape heart makes for a sweet and innocent composition.

{photos from Village}

Hello Naomi

2008-07-01T07:30:00.004-04:00

Hello Naomi's gorgeous cupcake photos have definitely made the blog rounds, but here is her first wedding cake! She is so talented, how great is that cake topper?!?! I have searched the web far and wide for more information on her and found this great interview at Cupcakes Take The Cake. She happens to be a computer engineer by day and cupcake ninja by night!

Her cupcakes are so visually tasty I think I would feel guilty eating one.

{images from hello naomi's flickr site}

Colorstrology

2008-06-26T07:40:00.001-04:00

If you happen to be questioning your wedding colors, a fun way to determine your Pantone fate is Colorstrology. Try out your birthday and if no luck, your husbands, and then last but not least, your wedding date, it may help you seal the deal!

{image from colorstrology}

Painted Rock Favors

2008-06-25T07:40:00.000-04:00

These hand painted rocks by Geninne would make great favors and could act as paper weights during your wedding to weigh down programs, menus, etc. on a windy day.

If you don't have a painterly hand like Geninne, it would be easy to cut a stencil and either paint roll or sponge acrylic paint onto the rock.

{images from blogdelanine}

An excerpt from our vows

2008-06-24T07:45:00.003-04:00

To marry is to form an equal partnership, tied together by the tenuous bonds of emotion and love. It is at once the most fragile of relationships and the strongest. Fragile because it requires exactly the right mix of freedom and inter-dependence, of caring and of sharing, of being together and of being alone. But it is strong because it involves the unseen forces of something we call love - mutual devotion, concern for the happiness of the other, and joy in each other's company. For there is no stronger force involving human relationships that this silent bond love.

Remember that this wedding day is only a symbol, a celebration, a public recognition of what already exists in the silent places of your hearts. It is your marriage and not something created by the state or the Church - it is yours to define, yours to make real, yours to live. Nothing I can say can make it anything more than what already exists in your hearts. Remember also that marriage is a shared relationship, not a matter of possession. It is a means of showing your commitment to one another, not a blind surrendering of personality. It is not an excuse to become limited in your outlook; it is an opportunity for mutual growth.

I thought I would share part of our wedding vows as it may be helpful for any brides looking for readings or to be inspired to write your own. Unfortunately I do not have the writer's name, but wanted to share it anyway. Patrick and I had been together for almost 8 years prior to our wedding, so we wanted a reading that didn't talk about starting our lives together, as we were well underway, but more about the mutual respect we have towards one another and about what has existed in our hearts for so long.

Sprout Studio

2008-06-23T07:46:00.002-04:00

Last week attending the Renegade Craft Fair, I came across the amazing Sprout Studio, a designer of hairpins, brooches and earrings and I couldn't resist picking up a pair of hairpins for myself. Although I am not a big hair pin person, I will definitely slide these little gems onto a jacket or purse as I am a huge fan of subtle accessories and pops of color.

{photos from thoughtful day}

Fancy Cupcake Wrappers

2008-06-23T07:45:00.000-04:00

I love cupcakes and I would love them so much more if they all came in cute little wrappers like these.

{images from fancy flours}

Dance Party!

2008-06-18T07:45:00.001-04:00

I absolutely love all of these dance party photos, taken by Mike, Anna's boyfriend/b-roll rockstar! At any given point he was jumping around, dancing, moonwalking, you name it, while taking these shots. I don't think I ever once saw him look through the lens, he was just wildly pointing and shooting, and they turned out fantastic, some of the best moments of the weekend were captured out on that dance floor!

Our First Dance

2008-06-18T07:40:00.001-04:00

For our first dance as husband and wife, we had the deejay play Taj Mahal's "Queen Bee", a song that we both love and saw them live shortly after we moved to NYC. We didn't want a slow and serious song, but something a little more upbeat, so it was perfect. Luckily for us, we were joined on the dance floor by my niece and nephew and they proved to be a great distraction from us stepping on each other's toes!

{photos by anna wolf}

more Renegade

2008-06-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

I am loving these small meadow drawing dishes by Beehive, a nice little ring holder for your bedside table or even better, a great and affordable gift for your bridal party!

I just had to pick up one of these fantastic pins by the Pin Pals, such a great way to colorfully accessorize your clothing; a nice little take on the modern brooch.

{photos by thoughtful day}

Renegade '08

2008-06-16T07:45:00.004-04:00

The printed vintage handkerchiefs by Bird and Banner were even more beautiful in person, and I loved their vintage stamped envelopes, a perfect find for a bride to be!

All of Wonting's prints were just too cute in person, I am really loving her new illustrations.

I hope you were able to make it out to the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend, despite getting caught in the rain (and being Vané's p.u.h.) it was well worth the trip! Above are some photos from a couple of my favorite booths, Bird and Banner and Wonting. There are just too many to post in one day so I will be sharing some of my other favorites throughout the week.

{photos from thoughtful day}

California Ranch Wedding

2008-06-13T07:45:00.004-04:00

Our friends, Terese and Tom just got married at his family ranch near Santa Barbara on May 25. I can't get over how gorgeous their wedding photos are, all shot by the incredibly talented Nancy Neil.

Here are more details of their day:

Location of Wedding: El Chorro Ranch located in Lompoc, California (just north of Santa Barbara).

My husband's family ranch:
In March 2006, the Isaacson Family, California Rangeland Trust and the Wildlife Conservation Board secured a conservation easement on the 817-acre El Chorro Ranch.The conservation easement fulfills the desire of Esther Isaacson and her sons Bill, Deming and Bob to keep the land as a working cattle ranch in perpetuity.The Isaacson family purchased the scenic ranch at a public auction held on the steps of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in 1939. Located along Highway 1 in Santa Barbara County, the El Chorro Ranch possesses unique grazing, farming and ranching resources; remarkable wildlife habitat; and rich oak woodland and riparian areas.The project is one of several collaborative projects between California Rangeland Trust and the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County.

{photos by Nancy Neil}

Renegade Craft Fair

2008-06-12T07:56:00.005-04:00

Be sure to check out the 4th annual Renegade Craft Fair this weekend at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg, June 14 + 15, from 11 am - 7 pm. I'll be there on Sunday!

Lladró

2008-06-11T07:48:00.003-04:00

I absolutely love these incredibly detailed and delicate porcelain figurines by Lladró. I saw them last week over at Future Perfect in Williamsburg. What a nice little wedding gift to give or to receive. I wish I could give it, and I dream of receiving it!

{images from moco loco}

Ceremony

2008-06-11T07:46:00.004-04:00

These top pics are from our ceremony. I love how our sisters matched the flowers, and stood out against the ocean tones. If you notice the top right photo, it is of our ring bearer (my nephew) trying to deconstruct the pillow. Advice to all brides, this probably isn't earth shattering, but I had never thought about it before, DO NOT HAVE YOUR WEDDING RINGS ATTACHED TO THE PILLOW WHEN IT IS IN THE HANDS OF A SMALL CHILD. At any given time, he was untying the ribbon, twirling it around, swinging it in people's faces, throwing it on the ground, you name it, if the rings had been on it during the ceremony, they would've been lost. With that said, I still recommend having a ring pillow, they are such a great element that add to your design story.

I was apprehensive about sharing the photo of me tearing up. Never in a million years did I think I would tear up, but boy did I. Here I had spent so many hours of dedication to all of the elements of the wedding weekend, but the actual ceremony I left in the hands of the Reverend. We didn't write our own vows, it wasn't something we felt the need to do. But I can't begin to tell you how profound that moment was, I didn't think I would lose it, and I did. So ladies, have your handkerchief ready, I didn't think I would cry and I did.

{photos by Anna Wolf}