More Summer Style

These looks, paired with the aforementioned J. Crew models' hairdos, are exciting me more than the prospect of daily ice cream cone gorging this summer.

[Zara TRF May 2010 Lookbook]

[Elle UK mag editorial]

Love! I've had this in my files for a long time.

[THE SARTORIALIST]

[blueberryshoes on etsy]

I could likely recreate these looks, let alone the feel, using pieces already in my wardrobe...even if I have to borrow a shirt from hubby...starting with my beloved vintage eyelet babydoll minidress by Anna Sui.  I'll letcha know how that goes.

Wormley, Henningsen, and Eames, oh my!

I am so excited to share with you the super-cool event Gabe and I attended on Saturday in the South Land Park area of Sacramento.  It was the first ever Mid-Century Modern Home Tour!  I only found out about it Friday afternoon via midtowngrid, and luckily was smart and Virgo enough to buy tickets that night, cuz the event sold out.  Indeed, very sad for those last-minuters who were turned down at the registration desk the day of the event.  The entire event was really well organized, and had an unbelievable turn-out (note: we very well could have been the youngest two of the bunch).  I'll take you through the day:

Registration. Exhibits. Goodies.

There was a wall of advertisements from the mid-century era announcing the newly available Eichler Homes--a 3 or 4 bedroom custom for only $20K!  It still hurts.  There was also a small theater where various commercials ads were being shown on an old film reel.  Gabe and I stepped in to get a good chuckle out of the Pream ads.  "Pream. It's better than cream!"  Basically, if you are unaware, it's a non-dairy powdered creamer that apparently made quite an impression.  One of the ads showed huge nets dumping "old" Pream into the ocean, to make way for "new" Pream.  These days, you know that shit wouldn't fly.

I only took 100+ photos during the tour, which makes it difficult to pare down, but I will try not to go overboard.  Inside the booklet (shown above) there was a very detailed map of the homes and buildings that were part of the tour.  Furthermore, there was a cute sign prominently stuck in the front lawn of every participating home, and a handful of volunteer rockabilly-clad guides posted at each home.  Love the organization.

...seriously, every home either had a red or an orange door...

...and a car that perfectly complemented the home...

...decor that fits even in today's living rooms...

 ...adorable bedrooms that make me feel inadequate (it took a lot of self-control not to walk out with that chair in tow!)...

...and unique details, like:

...a waterfall underfoot in the foyer...

and

...built-in real wood floating cabinetry and acid-treated floors...

...this was our favorite home, but unfortunately, photography was not allowed...boo.

...the homeowners devoted just as much attention to the exteriors as the interiors...

...we were told the homes were not 'staged', but c'mon, who has Tang posters hanging on the walls of their backyard?...

...this homeowner has excellent taste...

The whole day was like stepping in to a blast from the past, and one of the coolest parts was overhearing other (much older) patrons talk about how they had grown up in homes like these, with the exact same style furniture and decor.  They joked about the fireplaces and light fixtures and how they couldn't believe they were in style again.  Personally, I was majorly geekin' out over the Eames mobiles hanging from almost every homes' ceiling, and the atomic pendants hanging over the dining room tables.  Gabe and I were right at home with this era.

We're both planning on volunteering, should this turn into an annual event.  I'd love to spend a day gabbing about Wassily and Jacobsen chairs without people giving me the cocker spaniel head tilt, like 'who? wha?' 

Since we own a mid-century home in West Sacramento, we were hoping to borrow some ideas from these homes, but we didn't really see anything that we hadn't already done.  I did however see many-a-furniture-piece I could not afford, but knew I someday wanted for my own pad.  I'm talking about you, Eames daybed. 

Weekending!

Nothing is sadder than getting into my truck Monday morning to drive to work, and seeing a still-full tank of gas.  It reminds me that I didn't do anything over the weekend!  So, to get my adventurous juices flowing, and hopefully yours as well, I'm sharing some fun ideas for all of us to make the most of the next couple of days. 

*Channel your inner child and:

jump around in a bounce house with your buddy

wear tiaras to a backyard bbq

... * Hit the beach and:

 tan responsibly

 wear out the dogs

boogie board with your buddy

go boating

toss your buddy overboard

...* Or hit the road to see:

Other? Cities

... * Play ball!

catch a ballgame

 play bocce ball at sunset

...* Two words:

 Theme. Party.

Go. Enjoy your weekend!

{all photos taken by yours truly}

Doing my part ... with an added bonus!

I meant to share this with you many moons ago, so I am doing so now while I am thinking about it.  I've been participating in a program called Recycle Caps with Aveda for several months now, and I feel really really good.

In short, Aveda collects plastic threaded caps--like the ones from water bottles, many pantry items, and beauty products--and recycles them properly, something many cities' recycling programs surprisingly do not do.  Check your city's recycling guidelines.  I bet the majority of them say to remove the caps and lids from their containers before tossing them in to the recycling bin.  

What I've done is place a big bright tub on my front porch and encouraged my friends and family to drop off their caps at my house, once they've collected a decent amount either at their workplace or homes.  I promote the program through bulletins on facebook, e-mails, and word-of-mouth.  The reason for creating a hub at my house is:  the nearest Aveda store is 26 miles one-way, on a very congested freeway.  I knew more people would get involved if I made it as easy as possible to participate.  I even tell people they can drop off dirty caps, and I will clean and sift through them before taking them to the store.

On average, I've been making about 1-2 trips per month, which means I also get to sneak in a trip to Anthropologie across the street...And, bonus!  The crew at Aveda are all so sweet, they shower me with free samples when I drop by.  I have yet to use any of the 20 product samples, but the hubs tried their hair gel and gives it two thumbs up!

The details of the ramifications of trashing lids and caps are gory, so I won't go into them here.  The website (linked above) gives you a good idea, and hopefully will make you want to get involved in your area.  Several schools across the nation have partnered with Aveda to promote the program, which is awesome!  Perhaps if you are a teacher, or know someone who is in the education field, you can discuss the possibility of implementing this program with your superiors.  Let's spread the word...

...and save the cute ducks.

Side part or middle part?

That's the most consideration I give in the a.m. to my hair.  And it never looks anything like this:

 

[source]

...or this:

 

[source]

Both of which seem quite effortless to create.  My hair is a similar length, and is thick and textured, so one would think I could achieve at least one of these looks pretty easily.  Nope.  I have zero bend or curl in my head of hair.  Straight as Popsicle sticks.  Even spraying sea salt spray on my damp locks until carpal tunnel sets in doesn't do a damn thing.  I'm hoping to steal lil sister's magical curling iron when she comes to visit me next month, so I can work on replicating the above relaxed-yet-sizzling do's.  

They look like they've been out in the heat of the summer sun all day, not too done-up, and not fresh off the motel mattress...which is the look I plan on going for this summer.  

What looks are you loving this season?  Anyone planning on keeping their long untamed locks, or chopping them off to beat the heat?

P.S. Don't you just love those sandals?? They're on sale right now...

Really? It's already been a week?!

I can't remember how I spent the last seven days! Other than Father's Day shenanigans, my mind is blank.  I know I was sober, so I don't even have an exciting reason, just distracted I guess.  Anyhow, it's (already!) WEDding WEDnesday, and I haven't petered out on you yet.

Last week, I was reading Alli's blog hooray for her Father's Day gift plans, which included homemade jam and some darling cards.  It inspired this post about my wedding favors:

You guessed it.  Homemade jam.  Or, as my great grandma 'GGma' called it, preserves.  That's right, my mom and I undertook the massive task of canning +/- 120 half-pint jars of Pear Honey in her kitchen, which we completed in just a couple of days, with three arms, collectively.  My mom had just undergone surgery, so one of her arms was in a sling.  Trooper! 

My dear friend, Topher, was kind enough to bring by several bags of ripe (complimentary!) Bartlett pears to my mom's house one day, sans me, from his family's orchard in the Delta.  I honored his family's sweet gesture by printing on the backs of each favor tag: "Made with <3 by Cassi and Deb.  Thank you all for making this day perfect, and a special thanks to Wallace Chan Farms in Courtland, CA for kindly donating the pears."  Nothing corny like 'the perfect pear'--instead of 'pair'--which I see everywhere now...thank you etsy.  Oh, and if we weren't already in too deep, mom and I thought it would be a swell idea to kick the day off with canning blackberry jam, using the berries she painstakingly picks every August in the Delta, then ease into the pear honey...

Can't complain, though.  That stuff is its own food group.  And when there's only a teaspoon left in the jar, Gabe and I are not our normal accommodating selves.  Sometimes injuries are sustained.

...
The twine used to fasten the tags to each jar was hemp--a roll I've had in my crafts drawer for years and finally put to use.  The paper was the same I used for all the other paper projects, as I mentioned in my last post, as well as the same font.  Unfortunately, Office Depot does not carry it anymore, but it was this beautifully simple, and cheap!, recycled bleach-free matte card-stock paper, that I bought in two different sizes: 4-card perforated, and 8-card perforated, plus envelopes.  I used the 4-card to make the save-the-dates, invitations, RSVP cards, comment cards, and table markers; and the 8-card I used for the wedding favor tags.

I was so grateful to have my Mamaw (Cherokee for 'grandma') fly in from KY to help my mom and me assemble the favors.  It was warming to have all three generations working together on this particular task.

Of course I can't share with you the recipe, which, is not my rule.  I am happy to share any and all of my personal recipes with whomever, but I can't claim this one folks.  Apologies.  So far, none of the guests have begged me for the recipe; however, maybe half have claimed they didn't get any jam either because they left it at their seat, or there was none at their table.  Some have gotten pretty creative, but I know for a fact they are all just ploys to try and get more jam, which I will officially be out of after I give away the last jar in my cabinet.  We actually gave a jar to Gabe's grandpa for his birthday a couple of weeks ago, and he lit up like Christmas morning--and sent us home with two jars of his own yummy goods: kumquat-pineapple preserves and apricot-bing butter.

I don't remember, since it has been almost two years, whose idea it was to make and give preserves as our wedding favors, but I do remember knowing I wanted to give our guests something meaningful, usable, and memorable.  Sure, bubbles are fun for a few minutes, and when else are you going to indulge in Jordan Almonds, but I feel the pear honey was a perfect expression on mine and Gabe's style.  We never do things the easy way, we are very ambitious in our undertakings, we're proud of our families, and we're total foodies.

We just love hearing our guests share with us how they use their pear honey in various applications: on English muffins, vanilla ice cream, pork tenderloin, a la carte, etc.  I hope this inspires you to go for it in your projects, wedding-related or not, because the reward it great!  Have a peary wonderful day!  Okay, I had to throw in some corn... 

WEDding WEDnesdays: in lieu of a guestbook...

...we offered several other means for our wedding guests to write us whatever they felt like sharing--marriage advice, demands for offspring, drunken anagrams, or simply their John Hancock.  I think one of the best ideas I had, and still receive great reviews on, was the comment cards I made and had placed at each guest's seat at the reception.  I used the same recycled cardstock paper that I used for all the wedding paper goods: save the dates, invitations, RSVPs, table markers, etc. (all of which are another post), and printed at the top of each card, "Dear Gabriel and Cassi:" in a cool font called yippy skippy.  :)  This not only gave guests something to do between the ceremony and our arrival at the reception, but also allowed them the freedom and time to write.  

  
I've always disliked the herding-cattle routine of quickly scribbling "Congrats! Love, [enter name]" in the guest book as you're walking through the door of the reception, all the while preoccupied with scoping out the room and buffet status.  These cards were the perfect anecdote, and they were a huge hit.  I'm working on displaying all of the cards on our entry way wall that I painted with magnetic primer.  Here's that WIP (work-in-progress):

I've brought out the stack probably twelve times since our wedding and read each one, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing out loud, sometimes crying while laughing out loud. 

Another cool thing we had for people to write all over was Gabe's guitar.  He's got several, since he's a musician, so he chose one of his acoustics for people to 'decorate.'  It was placed on the gift table and people wrote on it at different times throughout the night.  Every time he plays it, it makes us smile. 

[Fischbein Photography]

Also on our gifts table was a bulletin I made showcasing gifts/activities people had already purchased for us via our honeymoon registry, along with a sheet encouraging ideas and recommendations from our guests for our honeymoon to the Napa Valley and surrounding areas.  I knew we wouldn't be able to get many chances to talk in depth with our guests who had visited the valley, so they were able to put it in writing, which we thanked them for later.

[Fischbein Photography]

The watercolors kind of warped the paper, but at that point in the planning stage, I was so over all my projects that I didn't care.  Brides, you know what I mean?  The "Honey, how do feel about eloping?" stage that usually kicks in just weeks before the big day.  

The guests placed their finished comment cards in my old vintage train case that I lined with muslin and tacked a comment card with a giant arrow facing down to the inside open lid, on display at the gifts table.  I tried to make things as easy as possible.  By the way, the crayons (photo #2) were meant to keep the kids occupied at the table, but some funny adults used them to write on the comment cards.  Here's their original intention:

[Fischbein Photography]

I designed and printed up these placemats on regular printer paper, then bought a couple 99-cent 24 packs of Crayolas and tied a strip of leftover muslin to five different colored crayons for each kids' place-setting.

Oh, and that's Taylor, our flower girl and good friends' kid--although there's an ongoing joke that she is actually mine and Gabe's lovechild.  She has all our features combined, but actually looks a great deal like her mama.  ;)

So much to share, but I'll have to refrain 'til next week.  Happy hump day!