happy *spooky* weekend...

For reasons beyond my control, but mostly because I am a fearless procrastinator, I was up until 3:30 last night finishing Dylan's monster costume.  But, in my insane defense, I also made these cute Halloween wrappers to give to his teachers.  Didn't they turn out great!  I saw something like it in a store here and thought, 'I could do that'.  This is one of the very few times I've actually followed through on that thought.  I'm really happy with them though.

I am heading out early to go to Dylan's school's Parade of Costumes and I couldn't be happier!  The weather here is perfect: cool, crisp and breezy with sunny skies.  I hope you enjoy your weekend and have a very happy, frightfully delightful Halloween.

a little link love...

You must look at this house.

Pretty hangers.

A great fall tote.

Thx. Thx. Thx.

I'd love to make my grocery list on this cute little pad o' paper.

Do you watch Modern Family?  This week's episode made me laugh.  So funny.

Go see Jeana Sohn's series of Closet Visits.

xo,
steph

new hair

I've had a couple people request a photo of my new do.  I felt totally stupid taking these photos of myself, but I kept forgetting to have Paul take one.  Do you like it?  Please say yes.

You can't tell, but I got some new color, too.  For the first time since my horrible phase as a blonde, I got low-lights.  Don't worry, they've been toned.  It really does look like the color in this photo I went off of.

Thanks to my rad sister-in-law, Gwen, for doing my hair.  I really love it.  Funny though, how a dramatic hair change effects your entire wardrobe.  Pretty sure I need new clothes now.

xo,

steph

p.s. have you had a shallac manicure yet?  i did last week and it's pretty much the coolest thing ever.  it doesn't chip and dries instantly--no more anxiety over how to find your car keys in your purse!

zara

loving the looks at zara right now.  you could outfit the entire family!  now if only zara and h&m would sell online...

xo,

steph

tel aviv port

{photo by iwan baan via designboom}

The photos of Mayslits Kassif Architects' regeneration of one of Tel Aviv's most neglected ports are incredible.  The project won the esteemed Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize and has revolutionized the city's once forgotten waterfront.  Most of the news we hear in the States regarding Israel is both complicated and heavy; the complexity always unsettles me.  The beauty of this port is a welcomed change of view.  See more, here.

{photo by albi serfaty via designboom}

{photo by galia kronfeld via designboom}

xo,

steph

our wedding

Yesterday, Pictage sent me an email of our wedding photos to remind me of their holiday specials.  I took one look at the thumbnail image of our wedding and couldn't help myself: I spent the next hour and a half looking through all the photographs of our wedding.  Our photographer, Jennifer Lindberg, and her husband, Jim, did an incredible job of capturing the best moments of that day.  Paul and I have been together for six years, but he proposed to me the year we met.   After having to post-pone our wedding three different times, I finally gave up trying to plan one and waited for our lives to smooth out a bit.  In hindsight, I'm so glad my previous wedding attempts didn't work out.  Our wedding ceremony was last May at my Aunt & Uncle's home in Lago Vista, Texas and was well worth the wait.

Here are some of my favorite photos...

 

Details...

family-style seating

chandeliers in the trees

favors for the kids

the four may-poles we made bordered the dance floor

sunset view of the reception

dessert included four cakes, five pies, rose cupcakes and gelato

a big italian dinner party!

we danced to willie nelson and kimmie rhodes 

'love me like a song'

I didn't have a wedding coordinator, something I wish I had at least organized for the wedding day.  I remember feeling overwhelmed and a little frantic at times.  Mostly, I think it was just too much responsibility for me to be both the bride and the wedding planner.  {I'm too much of a perfectionist and should have known better!}  But, looking through these pictures, all I see is happiness and love and I know I'll remember that day as beautiful...from the inside out.

xo,

steph

*all photos taken by Jennifer Lindberg*

sunday perfection + modern world jokes...

happy monday to you.  and you. and you and you and you.

I must tell you: yesterday, our little family experienced what may have been the perfect Sunday.  Really, it was wonderful.  Cozy, Sunday morning coffee, a trip to the 'big city' aka Houston, lunch at tiny boxwoods with my sis, a gorgeous garden book find, an unexpected AIA Houston Home Tour stop, new red converse for Dylan, yummy spaghetti and salad for dinner and lights out.  Mix in beautiful weather, a good hair day (when sporting a new hair cut, this is vital), no temper tantrums (well, basically none that really counted) and bottomless mimosas and you've got yourself perfection.  Sprinkle in afternoon Berrypop, the dreamy nursery at Thompson + Hanson and your two-year-old serenading you with a Beck song and you made need a pinch.

I felt happy to the core.  All the crazy that can so easily consume our little existence melted away this weekend.  To-do lists? Out the door!  Monday anxieties?  Hit the road!  Weekend cleaning?  You must be kidding! 

I felt relaxed and in the moment.  And it seemed like everyone else did, too.  Life just meshed in all the right places.  Don't you love when that happens?

I hope your weekend was just as fabulous.  I hope your little heart feels recharged.  But if not, here's a little something to make you laugh, which always helps, doesn't it?

Do you like contemporary design?  I flip-flop on my feelings toward contemporary architecture and design.  To me, there is definitely a fine line between beautifully minimalistic and pretentiously cold.  So, I had to laugh when I saw Unhappy Hipsters this morning.  The site pairs modern architectural and interior design photos with cheeky, passive aggressive captions.

Aren't these funny?

 

And the children all hung on the rust-streaked mantel with care...

{photo credit: dustin aksland; dwell}

With the proper combination of palette and diffused light, there was no need for a crib.

{photo credit: takumi ota; archdaily}

Despite his recent score of the complete Depeche Mode discography, he spent countless hours staring at the ceiling, headphones unplugged.

{photo credit: roger davies; dwell}

xo,
steph