Start 2010 With a Beautiful Calendar

There are less than 3 months until the new year 2010, and I've been seeing lots of pretty calendars floating around the blogosphere! I thought I would share some of them with you all so you can snatch one up for yourselves before all of the beautiful ones are sold out!

A Little Hut, $26

Egg Press, $16


Linda & Harriet, $30
{This one is my favorite! It's letterpressed and on the reverse side of each month is a post card! How cool is that?!}


Parrott Design Studio, $28



Daisy Princess Paperie, $15-16

A special thanks to Paper Crave for sharing all of these, among all of the other amazing paper goods they find! Plan to start 2010 with a beautiful calendar to keep your wedding planning and life organized! And if you don't end up starting the year organized, at least your wall or desk will look pretty!

Labor Day Weekend Barbeque

I guess my husband and I are what some people call "foodies". I blame it on him, because he loves to cook, and he's always coming up with new extravagant things to cook. (It makes my cooking seem incredibly below-par.) We sometimes find ourselves disappointed when we go out to dinner because we know we could have had better at home. Therefore, our recipe collection is forever expanding.

With this weekend being a "long" one, we're of course planning to barbeque this weekend. And since the summer is drawing to an end, I'm sure many people will be having their last summer barbeques this weekend! Why not end your summer on a tasty note and try some new recipes?

[For recipes, click on the links below photos]

Swordfish and Salmon Kabobs via Sunday Supper


Bay Area Burger

Enjoy the last of summer watermelon in a new way!


Tomato, watermelon, and basil skewers

Watermelon, feta, and basil salad via Sunday Suppers

*If you've never tried balsamic vinegar on watermelon, it's amazing! Make sure you use a good quality balsamic though, not too tart.

Of course you'll need some refreshing drinks to have. Try one of these classics-with-a-twist.


Italian Lemonade


White Peach Sangria

Finally, end your barbeque with a light, chilled dessert.


Strawberry and Angel Food Layers

Have a safe and great Labor Day weekend everyone!

Turning a House Into a Home

"Turning a house into a home". This saying has been heard many times, for many years. But I recently experienced the truth in it. My husband and I lived together before getting married, but it felt like we were just living in a "house". We had no pictures on the wall and nothing matched. The house just didn't have any sort of ebb and flow to it.

So, I talked my mom into coming down for a weekend to help me turn our house into a "home". We spent a day cleaning every nook and cranny, and the next day we set out to hunt for decorative items for the "house to home" transformation.

We actually found most of our decor items at Ross. They had a great selection of decorative items! And cheap at that! We cleaned out Ross, and within a few hours, the transformation of a house into a home was complete.

Transforming my house into a home really played a hand in our transition into being married. The house, now our home, felt cohesive and more relaxing. It's amazing what a few pieces of matching furniture and things on the wall can do to a space!

*Image via Design Formula

Image via Decor Catalog


Image via Better Homes and Gardens

*Image via Canadian House and Home


Image via LeentheGraphicsQueen Etsy shop


Image via cpearson6's Etsy shop

There are so many options when decorating! You can use photos, framed prints, vintage plates, wall hangings, decals....there are a plethora of items that can be used to create decor.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for those who are trying to transform their house into a home?

Friday's Finds: Organization Goodies

I'm about to begin a weekend project of organizing our study, which is overflowing with wedding magazines, miscellaneous wedding papers, samples of paper, notebooks, and photo paper. About 2 months before the wedding, we had everything nice and organized, but as the day came closer, organization wasn't as important as getting things done in a timely fashion.

Thus, I am faced with the repercussions of post wedding disorganization.

I've been looking at different home office organization pieces, and some are pretty fun! And the different home office designs are just gorgeous! I can't wait to eventually do a full overhaul complete with a new desk, paint, and shelving! But for now, I can stare at the computer screen while wishing.

Some stunning office decors:

Decor Design

Modern Furniture

Molton's Fitted Furniture

Violet Voice

The Inspired Room

I really like the concept of this desk from IKEA. Minimalistic yet functional at the same time.

I'm thinking that I might try to make something like this, from Pottery Barn, on my own.
A more simple version, of course.


This brocade letter tray is amazing...I think I might have to get it.
And it has other matching pieces!

And here are some great wedding organizing goodies!

By Mindy Weiss, found on Bridal Guide
Great for keeping track of RSVPs! Wish I had found this before!


By Vera Bradley; found on Bridal Guide
Great alternative to keeping your wedding papers in a binder!

Hopefully I'll get my space nice and organize this weekend! I don't think it will be nice enough to take a picture of, just because the colors are definitely not coordinated. But one day, I will have an office space of my own to post!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!