So This Is Love

Two days ago, I was having a really bad day. I came home from school, and collapsed on the love sac, completely drained and wanting to bawl my eyes out. It was one of those days. Seth snuggled up to me and did his best to comfort me, but realized I was really down. He left for a bit, and came back with... Cheesecake and Flowers!!!

In case you didn't know, cheesecake is my one true weakness. It's my favorite food. Not dessert. Food. And getting flowers is my favorite thing in the world! 

He gave me two white roses, a red rose, a couple sprays of sweet purple waxflowers, and a stem with three gorgeous lilies (my favorite flower)! Only one is open in this picture, but the others are starting to bloom! This picture looks a little funny, because we didn't have a small enough vase to hold them all together, but they really are so gorgeous.

Yes, this husband of mine is amazing. Totally brightened my day and made me feel like the most special girl in the world. My heart melted. (I'm sure that was partially due to the mass amount of cheesecake that I consumed.)

* * *

The next day, we learned how to wrap bouquets for my floral design class. So I came home with even more flowers! 

I chose the colors to go with the ones Seth had already given me, including more of the purple waxflowers (the small light purple filler flowers around the center of the arrangment). Since I'd loved receiving flowers so much the day before, I decided to give this bouquet to him. 

Sigh... Isn't he so cute??

They smell SO good.

I put all the flowers in together, and... voila! A huge beautiful bouquet! 

Now every time I walk through my kitchen, I catch the amazing scent this thing puts off. Especially the sweet brooms (the small lavender flowers on the left.) I swear, it makes me feel so alive and cheerful!

So technically, this is not the best arrangement ever. There isn't really a focal point because there is so much going on. It could be the lily, or the roses, or the gerbera. But I just love it. Since the color pallet is pretty monochromatic, it highlights the unique textures of all the different flowers, and the crazy mixture makes it look less stiff and contrived. Mostly, I love it because it was made my by sweetheart and me. 

We love each other. 

*amber*

Inspiration Everywhere

So last night we were making tuna and cheese melts for dinner and Seth asked me if I remembered the "power of cheese" commercials. No. I didn't. He was shocked, so we had to get on Youtube to watch some while we ate. We watched this one where a politician said he didn't like cheese and everyone was horrified, then BAM. The mornings paper with the shocking headline slams to the ground.

Beautiful right?? Ok, it's just a stack of newspapers, but what I saw was a beautiful newsprint pillow. Maybe it's just the journalist in me, but I think a pillow like this would be so charming. Made out of newsprint fabric, and tied with some simple string. This one's going in the future inspiration files. 

As for a newsprint fabric, how about this one from Etsy? Covered in totally iconic images and headlines. Look, there's even Audrey up in the left corner! *sigh* I love her. A lot. This fabric would be stunning.

Well, it's time for me to go to work, but I hope you have a fantastic day. Look around you today, and be inspired by something. Anything. As *ahem* cheesy as it might sound, I am constantly finding myself inspired by everyday things around me. I truly believe you don't have to spend a lot of money for beauty. God has placed it all around us. Just open your eyes.

*amber*

Christmas Card

I wanted to do Christmas cards this year. But we didn't have time with school and trying to graduate and all. So today I made a Christmas card of what we've been doing for Christmas. Just to make all of you in the snow jealous :)

Actually, I made two. You can pick your favorite.

Ok, sorry to rub it in. But we are really having a wonderful time in sunny Florida. It's been a blast so far and feels like exactly what we've needed. I feel so blessed that we were able to pull this trip off. The memories we've made are so much more precious than any gifts we could have received.

I hope you all have a wonderful time this season, and spend as much time with your loved ones as possible. 

*amber*

Dear Santa...

For Christmas I want:

1. Long luscious locks.

I miss the feel of my hair whipping in the wind. Like this.

Or this. Actually, if you could just insert my into this picture, I wouldn't mind. The hair, the dress, the cardigan, the scenery... take me there.

Or, if you can't just give me the hair, can you at least make mine grow faster? It takes FOREVER!

2. Cozy sweaters and boots. To keep me warm. 

Like this.

And these.

3. And finally, could you please just slow time down? Or maybe stop it altogether?

I need a good long vacation in Italy. So I can pass my Italian final tomorrow morning! Really, it's not a want, it's a need!

And so I can have time to work on all the projects I have planned in my head. Like making amazing reversible sweater stockings, inspired by these.

And do this to our bedroom wall.

That's all, ok? Simple requests, really. Ready... Go!

*amber*

Announcement! With some visions of sugarplums on the side.

Ok, are you ready? Here it is...

We're going to Disneyworld for Christmas!!! 

I seriously cannot wait. This is going to be me.

Yes, the one on the left. Furreals. She is my idol and I've wanted one of those dresses since I was 3. I'm determined to find one in my size this time.

We're smack in the middle of finals, but all I can think about is, "Florida, here we come!" It doesn't help that I've had major travel fever since this Summer. I've never been to Disneyworld (or Florida), so if you have and have any good advice, please share!

* * *

In other news, because of finals and the fact that we won't be here for Christmas, I decided I didn't feel like decorating. Not even our tree! I don't know if you realize how big of a deal this is for me. I'm a decorating freak. Seriously. Any given day, you can ask me what decorating projects I'm planning or thinking of and I'll talk your ear off. So it's no wonder that when I told Seth I didn't feel like putting up our tree, he asked me what I did with his wife.

Anyway, that's just how I felt this year. Then, last Saturday, I went to the Festival of Trees with some friends from work.

Yes, Seth was photoshopped in hehe. He couldn't come because he had too much homework :(

The Festival of Trees is a charity event where people donate decorated trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses, quilts, and other crafts to be silent auctioned and all of the proceeds go to Primary Children's Hospital. It's a fun Christmas event. They have some of the most creative trees I've ever seen there.

So I started getting into the Christmas tree spirit. Except, I still didn't feel like doing it. Mostly just thinking about Christmas trees. (Still weird. In my mind, any form of creativity or expression is totally worth the work.) So I decided to post some pictures of our lovely tree from last year. So I can still look at my beautiful tree. Maybe I can't bask in the warmth of the magical glow it casts throughout our house, but at least I won't be lint rolling fake snow off my clothes for the next three months.

Here you are.

Mmm... lovely. I love Christmas trees.

Merry Christmas everyone! And if you have a tree, enjoy it for me!

*amber*

Dickson Dream Home: Purple Bedrooms

Lately, I have found myself really loving purple bedrooms. It is a deep, rich, luxurious color. And on top of that, it is a restful color. Studies show that people have more restful sleep in purple rooms. How could you say no to that? The chosen color palette for this inspiration is varying shades of purple, crisp white, and a silver-gray-pewter color.

I stumbled upon this guest room photo in a Country Living photo spread, and fell in love. I've now decided that we will have a purple bedroom someday.

I love the simplicity and cleanliness of this bedroom. The light gray tulle on the sheets and curtains is so charming. And the texture and color of the throw looks ridiculously comfortable. I just want to take a nap here.

 Mmm... this photo is my absolute favorite. I'm a total sucker for upholstered headboards. With all the great tutorials for them, I'm sure I'll be making our own someday. The antique bed is beautiful. The metallicy pewter and the pattern of the wallpaper are stunning.This room is unbelievably beautiful. It feels like an amazing European retreat. That's how I'd like to feel every time I walk into my bedroom.

This is the bathroom attached to the room above. Amazing right? Look at that freestanding tub! I even love the whimsical little chandeliers, or whatever those are.

Before I decided I wanted a purple bedroom, I'd known for years that I wanted a purple master bathroom. The color is just too soothing to ignore. Now it seems obvious that we can tie the two rooms together with a related color palette.

So this room actually has the colors I would like in our master bathroom (and what we have in our bathroom now.) Deep purple, bluish sea green, and creamy white.

Also, the fireplace. Our dream is to have a fireplace in our bedroom :) And the master bathroom actually. It would be placed in the wall between the two rooms so it could heat both at the same time.

The striped wallpaper by Graham and Brown behind the fireplace is also great. I live a nice bold stripe on a wall, and those vertical stripes make your ceiling look much higher.

Around the fantasy fireplace, there would be a cozy sitting area with a small sofa and lovely little chairs like this one. Photo Credit: Amanda Nisbet Design.

With a color this deep however, lots of lightness and natural light is a must. That means big windows, gauzy white curtains that let in dreamy diffused sunlight, and crisp white furniture.

I just love the contemporary simplicity of this one (found here.) The lighting and unique artwork make this feel so sleek and chic.

A beautiful architectural mirror like this artistic circles piece, or this classic venetian mirror adds brightness and glitz to the room.

I heart these pillows from Thomas Paul. Seriously, isn't purple such a delicious color? I think my favorite color, green, may be getting jealous.

And perhaps a vase of these, no?

More purple inspiration was drawn from this wedding inspiration shoot by Victoria at The City Cradle.

* * *

Now don't get me wrong. I love our bedroom now. I mean we are still students on a tight budget, but thanks to generous wedding gifters, we were able to get a really nice bedding set.

 It's the DKNY Wildflower Field bedding. Now, don't be fooled. That's not our room. Ours was a little too messy for photography, so I had to use the catalogue picture. Our bed has the pretty comforter with some different red sheets and none of the decorative pillows. (It was all a little pricey, but I'm working on making some.) Ours is much simpler than this, but you get the idea. 

I think it's beautiful and fell in love with it the first time I saw it. Which is weird. For me. See... I'm not a huge fan of the color red. Now before you decide to kick me off the island, I do not HATE red. And in my defense, I did pick this bedding. But I'm just usually attracted to cool toned colors and red is almost too warm and overpowering for my personal taste. Don't hate me, ok? 

I just think it's interesting that I, of all people, picked red. (The contrast with the white helps.)And though I still love it, I think when it's time to get new bedding, I may have to go for something a little more me-ish.

* * *

What colors/styles/textures do you like for a bedroom? Or am I the only person that thinks so much about stuff like this? Hm... Well I need to have decided what I like before I have to decorate a house, right?

*amber*

While visions of lovely things danced in her head...

Wow, I'm blogging alot lately. That means my life is just very exciting right now! On Saturday, a friend invited me to the Bridal Fair with her. She got engaged a few weeks ago and isn't getting married til the Spring, but she wants to start getting ideas and figure out what she wants. Knowing how much I obsess over all things wedding, she graciously invited me to come with her :)

The fair was so much fun and I loved seeing all of this year's new dresses, sampling yummy cake, and checking out creative photography. Weddings are so fascinating to me. I love seeing people find their individual aesthetics as they meticulously pick each element of the biggest day of their lives so far. However, this was the first time I've ever been able to talk to a bride about what she wants, discuss details, and give suggestions on things I've seen in my years of wedding blog stalking. :) It was such a blast.

Now, I have lots of images like this floating around in my head...

Inspiration board made at Polyvore.com.

That's kind of the overall look that I picture at this point. Of course, it could be a very long shot from her vision, because so far, we haven't talked that much about it. But still... I have a feeling this will be one lovely garden tea-party inspired wedding. Congratulations my friend!

* * *

Tonight, I decided to be spontaneous and try making homemade donuts. I got home from work and felt like being a culinary genius... (ha) so I dug right in and promptly turned our kitchen into a disaster area. I used the Food Nanny's Spudnut (the dough is made with potatoes) recipe, and they turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe Liz! (This recipe isn't posted on her website yet. It will probably be in her next cookbook though.) 

The glaze is pretty good too, and I usually hate the glaze on donuts. Mmm... Tasty.

Happy Monday!

*amber*

Autumn

Honied yellow dripping gold

Leaf of autumn

in the cold

Dancing on

in crisp despair

Whirling on

enchanted air

Falling silently to

earthen tomb

Away from tree's

rooted arm

Perhaps the silence

broken then

By hollow cries

of autumn grief

 Synchronized with

the falling leaf

- S.K. Lindeman

 * * *

I just took these photos in our yard. No fancy camera. No editing. (Obviously no photography training.) Nothing but the beauty created by Mother Nature herself. Breathtaking. Autumn is truly magical.

*amber*

Dickson Dream Home- Kitchen Inspiration

...

Yep. I don't think there's anything left to say. It's beautiful. Simply beautiful. If I could have any kitchen in the world, this would be it. The whimsical designs on the windows are PERFECT. Sigh... It's as if I designed my own ideal kitchen, and happened to have the skills required to design something so breathtaking.

Mmm... i could stare at it all day.

You can see more views of this room here. 

*amber*

Gone Fishing

It has been a long time since I've been on here... I feel slightly bad, but not too bad. I've just had WAY too much going on to even think about writing on here. And having a bit too much fun too :) I'll update eventually... but for now, I thought I'd share what we've been up to most recently.

Working.

Studying.

Realizing that it's really late and we'd better get to bed if we want to make it to work in the morning (like right now.)

That's pretty much it. So the long weekend for the 4th of July was very much needed. Saturday morning, I woke up to a clean kitchen, french toast breakfast, and fresh picked flowers courtesy of Seth. He's so sweet :)

That night was when most of the big firework shows were going on in Provo. We planned on going up the canyon to watch out over the valley like we did last year, but then we got a babysitting job. I decided that we could use the extra change. Plus I miss playing with little kids. 

We babysat these triplets that are almost 3. Two boys and a girl. The boys have some hearing problems so they are just starting to talk. They were so adorable. We only played with them for an hour before it was their bedtime. I peeked outside, hoping we could see some of the fireworks but alas, the houses in that neighborhood were just too big. We couldn't see anything. So we spend they rest of the evening watching a movie. 

Monday was great because we got the day off work! We had a lazy day, then in the afternoon, went fishing with some of our friends. It was Seth's first time fishing (sort of.) We didn't catch any, and Seth is convinced that he's cursed and it was because of him. Don't worry, I'll make sure he catches a big one before the Summer's over.

Even though we didn't catch anything, it was a perfect day at the lake. The weather was beautiful and we weren't hot or cold at all. Just perfect :)

Check out those ripped traps! 

Even though he didn't catch anything, I have to say, he's got an awesome cast.

In the meantime, I got bored with waiting for a bite. So I harnessed the power of the sun.

Then I took my ring on a photoshoot. I've never gotten good pictures of my ring before. I tried when we were engaged, but I could never get any clear pictures. For some reason, the conditions that night were perfect. And for some other reason, Seth's phone takes way better pictures than my camera... I don't get it. 

Ring on a rock. One of my favorites. I love how it focused on the ring so well and blurred the background.

Ring in a tree.

Ring on a fishing bobber.

Ring on a water pump.

Ring on a leaf.

My absolute favorite. Ring in the dried up reeds that line the shore. I love all the textures.

I loved the sailboats at the dock.

And here was our spot on the shore. It was so beautiful... we just might need to go back every weekend!

 * * *

So there's your update. More will come. Maybe sooner, maybe later. We'll see. In the meantime, enjoy your Summer!

*amber*