Sporadic Posts, Wedding Stuff, and Life...

Hello, Hello Lovelies!

How is everyone's week going?

So sorry that the posting has be sporadic if you have been checking.

Things have been very busy with lots of wedding decisions.  I went for a tasting with my parents at Guapos which is a family owned Mexican restaurant in the D.C. area.

We have been hammering down drink details, I have been writing the ceremony, talking to friends that are flying in, and being all around wedding obsessed!

I figure it is not that bad since we are only about a month away from the big day!

However, though the wedding is a BIG DEAL, to me and Meridyth at least, other life things still happen.  How dare they, right?!

Meridyth's car broke down today for the third time in the last six months and she had a appointment to go to so I had to rush home, I did a nice U-turn (don't tell!) and she had to drive me to work and take my car.

I am still taking massive amounts of steroids and am finally not waking up with raised red rashes everywhere...benadryl is still being taken!

I hope to start blogging regularly again after the wedding!  I have come to enjoy sharing my adventures, crafts, internet finds, and life on these pages.

Until then I will be posting as much as I can!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Wedding updates and a picture of Buddy

Happy Rainy Saturday!

I feel like I have already had a whole day done and it's only 12:37 in the afternoon!

I finally finished addressing all of the envelopes for the wedding invitations.  I have to say that this has been the most stressful part of wedding planning so far because there is so much etiquette involved.  More than I realized!

I am NOT good at etiquette.  This realization came to me as I started to address the Save the Dates.  Do you put Mrs. or Ms., how do you address invites for a gay couple, what if the person is widowed; do you still put Mrs.?! How do you address for a doctor or someone in the military...Uhhhgggg.....

The problem with me and etiquette is that I don't want to offend anyone but I also don't particularly care about doing things "right".  Once a free spirit, always a free spirit.  The problem is when everyone else needs you do to things "right"!

Regardless, they are done!  Photographer is booked!  Tasting for catering is tomorrow, and D.J./Music is in the works.

For the next month I will be wedding obsessed but I can't wait for May 5th!

I also wanted to share a picture of Buddy/best friend/kitty cat.  Meridyth took it last night.

Isn't he adorable?!  He's giving his, "Mom put me down" grumpy face.

He is my little man and snuggles with me every night.

Lots of love,

Jess

Artist Friday Showcase: Heike Weber

Thank goodness it's Friday!

I wanted to do the artist showcase today since blogging has not been high on the list this week.

To give you an update, I am feeling a little better from the allergic reaction, but yesterday I woke up with a horrible cold with a capital H!  This morning my throat might actually be on fire.  I am hoping that means when I someone makes me made today that fire will actually come out of my mouth...

Onto the artist!

Heike Weber is a Swedish artist that does amazing installation work.  She uses permanent markers on acrylic floors and walls.  Many of her installations cover the whole room.

I think I was first drawn to her work because I love the idea of being surrounded and enveloped by a work of art.  It takes artwork to a different place. 

Aren't these installations amazing?!

I am blown away by the intricate details of the design and the patience it takes to make something like this.

I love the photograph that is the third from the bottom, done in blue.  Walking on that I think would make me feel like I was walking on water.

Lots of Love,

Jess

What has been going on this week...

O.k. People...I have have not been blogging this week for one reason.

Don't get too excited, Meridyth and I did not run off to D.C. And get married and no I did not quit my job and decide to move back to Venice.

Truthfully I wish it was something great and exciting.

Instead it as been my health...Horrible pain, a horrendous allergic reaction, enough steroids to probably kill a small dog, and lots and lots of Benadryl. Needless to say, I am already lying in bed and other than an update don't have any pictures or fun things to share.

On an upbeat note our wedding invites went out this week and I am so grateful to Mer and my family for major support in the last few days. So much to be grateful for.

I just wish this rash would go away!

Until tomorrow,

Love,

Jess

Small Letterpress Prints now available on LoveUPaperly

Good Morning Everyone!

I had to post this because I am very excited!  I have been working on some new things for LoveUPaperly and  I wanted to show you a new product that I am going to be offering in my shop as of today.

They are very small letterpress prints in handmade frames!

This is the first one I am offering but look for more to come!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Artist Saturday featuring Kiva Ford

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

I just came home from my soon to be sister in laws house where I ate my first corn beef and cabbage! Thank you Elizabeth, it was delicious!  I had no idea what I was missing!

I also wanted to feature an amazing artist tonight named Kiva Ford who I had posted one image from earlier in the week.  Do you remember the tiny heart in a glass jar?

I have to say that I have been going back to his etsy shop all week after discovering that image.

His name is Kiva Ford and you can go to his etsy shop here or to his website here.

Let me first explain to you that I LOVE miniatures.  Ever since I was little and had a tiny pink plastic soap that came with my barbie house.  I used to carry that soap around.  I was devastated when I lost it.

That obsession in my life has never dissipated and I have been fascinated by smaller pieces of art in all forms forever.

Kiva Ford takes glass and turns it into works of art.  He creates hand blown glass pendants, art glass, glass ornaments, and miniature bottles.

I am going to focus on the miniatures because that is what I like, but definitely click on the links to look at all of his amazing pieces.

They are all so beautiful, tiny, and perfect.  I seriously want to buy every single one!  I think Meridyth might strangle me if she comes home to find our house filled with miniature bottles!

Hope everyone has a safe night!

Lots of love,

Jess

Tiny eco friendly houses and why I love them...

Happy almost Friday!  We have all almost made it until the end of the week.

However, I think I have a world record of crying at work for the week.  I have cried, not one, not two, not three, but all four days so far this week!  If I cry tomorrow I will have cried for some reason or another EVERY SINGLE DAY of the work week!

It is o.k. though because I have continued to work through the crying and I have not left work to go home because I can't stop.

Does anyone else cry a lot?  I know it bothers or makes some people uncomfortable, but if I don't get out the tears I never feel better.

On a different note, I came across this Eco Perch on the website WHATTHECOOL and it reminded me that for awhile I was absolutely obsessed with tiny houses.

Not only are most of them very environmentally friendly but who wouldn't want to live in a tiny/adorably cute house?

Here are some of my favorite examples:

Eco Perch by BlueForest

Tumble Weed Tiny Wooden House

Rustic homes on wheels designed by architect Tom Kundig

Tiny colorful cottages by the town of Hartteras taken by Bill Dickinson on Flickr

Inside a tiny house on Elle & Blair Blog

Tiny House Interior found on the website Tiny House Design

Wouldn't you want to live in one of these tiny houses?  I could see myself using it for a personal escape, or an artist cottage.

I love small spaces, maybe I was a cat in a past life, also remember I lived in Venice, Italy and the apartments are not that big!

I love how you can take a very tiny/simple space and make it usable and beautiful.  Maybe one day!  We have to finish decorating our townhouse first!

Love,

Jess

So utterly, crazy, emotionally and physically exhausted...

Hi Guys/Gals/People...

I don't have a lot to say tonight.  I am sooo tired.  I have to take an exam tomorrow for one of my classes, and I have been trying to work full days (i.e not go home early if I don't feel good!).

So I worked a full day and then came home, ate dinner with Mer (Thank you $5 subway subs!), and studied until right this minute.

I have to confess I have been putting off the studying so now I am having to cram it in, so yes that is definitely my fault!

Also, as most of you know I work at a medical practice and I had my first patient that I was close with pass away yesterday.  I didn't realize how affected I would be.  All I could keep asking the nurses I work with was, "Does this get easier?".  None of them could really answer.  I think it is different for each person.

So now I have an awesomely cold icepack on my neck and am lying with one snoring cat on the pillow next to me, and a warm purring cat stretched out across my legs.  I refer to the one on my legs as my purring heating pad.

I love that no matter how tired, hurt, or stressed I am I can always enjoy our kitties, eating dinner with my sweetheart, and watching an old 20/20 on ID.

It is definitely the small things.

Now I will leave you with two thoughts.

One:

 Two:

I hope everyone else is enjoying the small things tonight, and don't worry, I have so many good posts coming up so check back!

Lots of love,

Jess

Favorite Pinterest posts of the last week and surprised packages at home

Hello My Lovelies!

I was so excited to come home today and find not one but two packages waiting for me!

One package was from my bestest friend who was also my roommate in Italy for graduate school and is like a little sister.  She sends the best packages and tomorrow I will do highlights of the amazing things she sent!

The second is a present I bought myself for surviving this past year/months/few days! 

I bought myself a UV light and photopolymer plates!  If you are not a nerdy photographer/printmaking artist you wouldn't be as ridiculously excited as I am for this...BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO USE IT!

Supplies found on Whole Lotta Whimsy

I have a few project ideas swirling around in my head so expect in the next month for new and different items for sale on LoveUPaperly.

Who's ready for some Pinterest recap?!

Tumblr page abelamazin

The Pretty Blog photos by Marianne Taylor

Photograph found on How Sweet Are You Tumblr

Drag Queens giving a reading at a wedding by photographer Amber Marlow

$32 on Anthropologie

It is interesting to see what I have pinned and liked in the last week.  It is definitely a weirdly insightful look in to my crazy brain!

This week it is obvious that I am thinking about centerpieces for our wedding, loving quirky wedding photography, obsessed with cute animals (did you check out the hamster in a suitcase?!), and thinking about getting my ears re-pierced since the holes have closed.

You should try putting all the things together you have pinned.  It is so funny how accurate a picture it is into your thought process!

Until tomorrow,

Love,

Jess

Oh, and don't forget you can follow me on Pinterest!  The button is on the right side of the screen.

Lovely Sunday Photograph

It's Sunday night, is anyone else really messed up by this time change?

I always have a harder time going forward than backwards.  (I mean when the clock changes, but isn't that also a great quote?)

I am going to bring you two photographs today.  One is lovely and one is just cool.

Cool one first:

Item for sale on Etsy by kivaford

 I have a thing for hearts.  Especially miniature, anatomically correct ones!

Here is the Lovely:

Gorgeous photograph by Nirav Photography

Until tomorrow,

Love,

Jess

Artist Saturday Showcase: Nidhi Chanani

Good Morning Everyone! 

When you read this it might not be morning, but since I went to sleep at 7 pm last night I woke up at 5 am, so it is morning to me! 

Yes, when most of you were eating dinner or getting ready to go out I was in bed fast asleep!  I never realized how much sleep a person needs as their body is healing.  I think about sleep all day at work and can't wait to come home to put an icepack on my neck and get into bed.  Hopefully this need for sleep will dissipate at some point because I barely get to see my honey!

Now onto the artist for this week!  Her name is Nidhi Chanani.  I found her on Etsy but she also has her own blog.

Here is what she say's about herself:
"My name is Nidhi (like nitty, rhymes with kitty). I am an Indian-American artist and designer.
I was born in Calcutta and raised in suburban California, I create art because it makes me happy - with hopes it can make others happy, too. I create a new illustration every week day."

She makes amazing illustrations, but she also does original wood burnings which is what initially drew me to her work.  They are really, really, really cool.  As you all know I love printmaking and this technique has the same sort of feel to it.  I love the detail, the white and black, the use of white space.  She's good people...really good!

"You, You, You"

"You, You, You" detail

"Basuri"

"Protected"

"Protected" detail

"Queenie"

"Queenie" detail

Aren't they beautiful?

Here is one of her illustrations I also thought was great.  I always want/do this in the rain.

"City in the Rain"

I am seriously contemplating buying one of her wood burnings!

Until tomorrow,

Love,

Jess

Reminders to see the joy in the world...

I have a lot going on in my little world this week my lovelies...

Not all great stuff, mostly not great stuff, but I am trying to keep my head up, a smile on, and a little zip to my step.

I'm still working out how much personal stuff I want to share on this blog.  The whole reason of setting up this blog was for me to share the wonder and amazement I see in the world.

I really wanted this blog to be totally immersed in happiness and joy.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy but still stuff has been pretty shitty the past few months and the crap keeps on a piling it seems.

The way I mostly deal with crappy stuff is
1.  To talk it out.  I have to say that I have some great, great friends/family that let me complain, and cry, and talk it out until finally I am told to  GET OVER IT!
2.  To look at gorgeous, amazingly stunning images and remind myself of the beauty I love and covet and share.

That is why this week has been full of pretty pictures.  Again today I am going to share some images that I think are gorgeous/fun/cute...the world makes me happy.

"Real Friends" by Ksuksa Raykova

OpenHeartPictures

Image found on Endless Nightmare Tumblr

"Peace and Freedom" by Nhuthanh

catavioletacamposdiaz tumblr

Peter Pan Movie Quote

LooLoo and Darby Doodle

Kitten

Faces of Dad

Birds in Flight

The last four images were taken my me.

Love,

Jess