Stamped Gift Bags

I love these handmade, stamped bags! We are planning on having some very yummy treats for everyone to take home and these fit right into our outdoor/vintage/casual-but-elegant theme. I also have some experience in making lamanent stamps from when I took an art class on Semester at Sea...

spotted on this post on Ruffled

Valentine's Day cards

Valentine's Day cards are always so sweet and lovely. Last year at this time, I was unemployed so I made Valentines for people I love and sent them out via snail mail. I think it's quite a treat to get a nice card in your mailbox from a friend. I got the idea from Julia Child, who always sent out valentines to her friends. I like the idea of sending Valentine's Day cards in lieu of Christmas cards and I really like these made by Lisa Jones across the pond in London.

I also love her owl and peacock pillows, which she named Olaf and Pablo. The black and white is so chic and the pattern is so adorable!

Oversized Headboard

I spotted these oversized headboards over on decor8. Aren't they great? I think they really frame the beds nicely. I'm not too big on the white on white but I love the shape and grandeur of the headboard.

Photos are from this post.



Lily Garland

The smell of lilies is so sweet and delectable. I have a lot of favorite flowers, but lilies are definitely near the top of my list. When I saw this gorgeous lily garland on Martha Stewart Weddings, I fell in love instantly. I'm hoping we can create this for our wedding!

Ban.do

Ban.do makes all kinds of pretty accessories for your hair, lapel, shoes, or bags. Remember this post about wedding hair? I know we all loved it! but I thought, where on earth can I get those flowers in her hair!!? Well, thank you Ban.do. Thank you very much! :)

Their bridal collection and their black label collection, although totally fabulous, are very expensive. Too expensive in my opinion. The items pictured are less expensive (even on sale!) and just as beautiful. The pom pom flower on the top left is only $15.

100 Layer Cake is hosting a give away from Ban.do products! Go enter by clicking here.

Honeymoon Wardrobe Wish List

J.Crew

For touring all those ancient Mayan temples in style

Roxy dress

Beach cover up for strolling around Caye Caulker.

  

Top Shop

A fancy night out to dinner in Placencia.

Top Shop

A cute, cover up for our sailboat adventure with Raggamuffin Tours.

Top Shop

A fun dress for a night out.

Top Shop

A versatile skirt to keep cool in the balmy Caribbean sun. 

 

J Crew
To swim in the clear, turquoise water and compliment it nicely with this bright orange color.

Piperlime

out for drinks while watching the ocean

Piperlime

Comfy dress for spotting wildlife

Piperlime

no excuse not to look pretty :)

Marc by Marc Jacobs

for sunset walks on the beach

Gap

comfortable, cute, and it has pockets! need I say more??

Banana Republic
  mainly because it goes with everything

Honeymoon in Belize

We are going to Belize for our honeymoon!!! :) We knew we wanted to spend a lot of time in cyrstal clear, warm water, take in some culture/historical sites, and visit somewhere off the beaten trail. So, Belize is a perfect fit! First we are going to relax away all our wedding stress on Caye Caulker, a little island off the coast of Belize, just one mile from the reef. Caye Caulker is known for it's slower pace and there are no cars on the island.

 Next, we are going to sail with Raggamuffin Tours for three days from Caye Caulker to Placencia. We are going to snorkel, fish, and sail during the day and camp on deserted beaches at night. This will give us the chance to see a lot of the smaller islands, as well as plenty of the reef.

Doesn't it look like heaven??

After spending a couple of days in Placencia, we will head to the Cayo district to see the rainforest and some ancient Mayan temples. We will be staying in the central town of San Ignacio and then taking excursions via horseback, canoe, and bus.

We are both so excited for our honeymoon! It will be a great way to kick off our marriage.

pictures from Belize's official tourism site and Raggamuffin Tours

The Beatles

I love this awesome illustration of The Beatles' style evolvement throughout their career as a band. This print was created by a very talented man named Max Dalton who currently resides in Buenos Aires, Argentina.



Gogobot Hotel Challenge

Social media meets travel on the fun and informative new website, Gogobot. Gogobot enables you to connect with other travelers to plan trips, ask questions, and give recommendations. I find great joy in talking about travel, telling people about awesome places I've been to or cool experiences I've had, and encouraging them to get out there and travel too! So, I love this site!!! It really is a great resource to tap into when planning any kind of trip, whether it be a weekend, week long, or even an around the world trip.

Gogobot is currently having a Hotel Challenge where you can get points to try and win an iPad or an iPod Nano. You can recieve points for writing hotel reviews, recommending hotels to people planning trips, and by getting friends to "like" your reviews. The more reviews on Gogobot, the better the site becomes so I encourage you to get connected and share your opinions, even if you only have a couple of reviews to write.

Join the community (and the fun!) and get over to Gogobot, sign up, and start sharing!

Also, like my reviews! :)

picture of The White House Inn & Spa in Napa, CA



Constellations of the Northern Hemisphere



This is so cute! What a fun way to learn about the stars...

first seen here

Dream Wedding Shoes

These shoes would go perfectly with my dress. However, they are $1,850 so my bank account says a big, fat NO.

want to buy them for me?



A Lovely Ensemble



I'm looooving this adorable outfit! Sometimes it takes me a while to start liking trends, but this whole socks-with-heels-thing is instant LOVE. <3

seen on wit + delight

She's Moving to Paris!

The gal behind Oh Happy Day, Jordan, is moving to Paris with her husband and two little boys. I am so inspired by her bold move to a foreign land. I'm really enjoying reading her blog and seeing her gradual transition from San Francisco to Paris. I've never met her but I LOVE her blog. I can't wait to see the adventures she will go on in Europe!

picture

New Years Resolution



Here's to a year filled with adventure and wonder.

get the print here ::: first seen on Abby Goes Design Scouting

Skiing at Bear Valley

 On Saturday, I went skiing for the first time and it was marvelous! The day was sunny, warm, and perfect. First, I started out on the smallest hill imaginable to get a feel for the snow and the skis. I was really nervous at first. Sliding around on the snow with things attached to my feet was a whole new experience for me. (I'd been sledding before but that's it.) Then I took a class where I learned some good technique from a very nice man named Nole and my confidence increased considerably. I left class early to go try out the lift and a real run. The first time off the lift I fell hard and couldn't get up. The guy working there had to come lift me up out of the snow and onto my skis! I was so nervous the first time down but I did it without falling! I was so proud of myself and I couldn't wait to meet up with Spencer and Carlos at lunch to tell them how well I was doing.

 me and Spencer, Bear Valley

me skiing on the "Cub" run

  Spencer hadn't been snowboarding in about 7 years and he was very happy to be back at it!

At night there was a torch light parade where a big group of people went down the mountain with flares. It was so cool to see them all skiing/boarding down surrounded by red, glowing torches. It was a beautiful, clear night which was perfect for the parade. After all the people made it down to the bottom of the mountain, the fireworks started. They were so pretty! 

It was a remarkable day; one I will never forget! I had so much fun skiing down the hills, riding the lift, and spending time with good people. I can't wait to go again!!!

Skiing

I am going to learn to ski this weekend! I am so excited to try something new and play in the snow. I hope I don't hurt myself...wish me luck!!

picture

Long Time, No Blog

I took a little (ok, a month long!) break from blogging over the holidays. It was a great holiday season and the first time Spencer and I spent holiday family event together! I have to say, waking up at his parents' house on Christmas morning instead of my own parents' house was a little strange, but his family is so loving and welcoming that it was a very lovely Christmas indeed. Christmas night was then spent with my family and it all turned out wonderfully. 

For New Years weekend, we took a trip down to our college town of San Diego to spend time with friends and see the city we have been missing SO much since we moved north last December. We had a delicious champagne dinner at Firehouse in Pacific Beach and then partied until midnight with all our friends. It was so much fun; I wish we could have spent more time visiting! 

I am getting back into the groove of every day life. The wedding (May 21, 2011) seems a LOT closer on this side of the New Year so I am busy planning all the details for our special day. I'm sure we will be doing a lot of DIY crafts for the reception since my mom is one of the most craftiest ladies I've ever met! I'll be sure to post some of that on here in the months to come.

Much love, Maggie