happiness is...

... pumpkin beer and listening to the radio.

... fresh brewed coffee and discovering gorgeous vintage typewriters in second hand shops.

... the smell of clean laundry and bundles of yarn (in our wedding colors no less).

what has been making you happy lately?

(photo credits: the cheshire smile, sandra juto, ta, perfect bound, nevara, and britt - cucumbersome)

life lesson # 4

my dolls, take it from me-- a recovering people pleaser-- it's time to stop worrying about what other people think.

i have to say, one of my favorite things about getting older is that the urge to make everyone around me happy is losing steam. i don't know how or why it happens, but it just does.

one day you wake up and think to yourself: "wait a second! this is MY life."

and from that moment on, you begin the journey of loving your own ideas, your own instincts, and your own decisions.

and in case you were worried... somehow, miraculously, you still end up nurturing, adoring, and taking care of the people you love. and you still want them to be happy... but you do it effortlessly, and without resentment. you do it because you want to.

it's pretty cool.

so, tell me, are you a people pleaser?

a sweet barn wedding.

i love how intimate and anthropologie-esque this wedding is.

simply lovely.

(photography by tracie faust, found via flora)

i like this quote.

"the irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating -- in work, in play, in love. the act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around like rational hesitation. to commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life."

~anne morris

(photo credit: .thumper)

some day...

... i hope simon and i have our own little pumpkin.

(photo credit: i saw today)

what's on the menu today?

what are you doing today? here's my plan...

i hope you have a happy day :)

tuesday giveaway!

recently i've been swooning over these gorgeous prints from lola's room and now i have the pleasure of offering one as a giveaway. thank you, cassia!

to win, please visit the store and choose your favorite 8 x 8 print. a winner will be chosen randomly on friday morning! good luck.

these boots are made for nina.

these moccasin vintage boots from la vintage are one of a kind and already sold. isn't that just so sad? i can't remember the last time i coveted boots this much... woe is me.

the mantel.

simon and i are getting married in a cozy, beautiful barn, and on top of that... we will be saying our vows in front of a huge fireplace. (this works out extremely well since i am always cold, not to mention, absolutely in love with fire places.)

the only problem is i can't decide how to decorate the mantel. candles? flowers? garlands? branches? picture frames?

i'd love your creative suggestions. and p.s. thanks so much for indulging all this wedding talk too. :) you guys are lovely.

(photo credit: house and home)

wedding update.

hello dolls,

as you know, this weekend i went to try on wedding dresses for the first time and it was so much fun! i didn't pick a final one yet, but got lots of ideas. there are so many gorgeous gowns out there...

i have to confess that since simon reads the blog every day i'm probably not going to reveal it until after the big day. i hope you will all forgive me; some traditions are just too much fun. :)

however, i'd love to share some other visual yumminess related to our wedding, if you're interested! in snippet and ink style, i have created an inspiration board. i can't wait to hear what you think!

mood: casual elegance, playful romance, splashes of vintage

palette: butter yellow, graphite, vintage muted blues and wood

(to see a bigger version, click here)

our venue is a beautiful, rustic (yet elegant) barn. we are envisioning lots of organic-looking flowers, fun splashes of color, and whimsical, vintage embellishments. we are also getting married right before sunset, so i am hoping for pictures with some warm tones...

next up, i'd love your advice on a wedding related matter. please check back later!

my new favorite song. :)

birds and blooms.

i love dutch door's little etsy shop and their limited edition prints featuring all fifty states' birds and flowers. i think the massachusetts print is gorgeous with the black capped chickadee and the mayflower.

do you know what is your state bird and flower are?

(photo credit: dutch door)

on yoga.

the other day a lovely reader emailed to ask me why i had chosen kripalu yoga for my teacher training. today i'd like to share some of my thoughts on this, as well as what yoga means to me in general.

i hope you all enjoy this, and please feel free to ask me more questions! as a future teacher, this is a wonderful opportunity for me to practice articulating these concepts.

kripalu yoga is a gentle hatha practice that focuses on how to improve your daily life by connecting with your body. it emphasizes meditation, compassion, non-judgment, finding life fulfillment, and spiritual and physical health.

one of my favorite aspects of kripalu yoga is that is considered "yoga for everyone." it is a welcoming and rich experience for practitioners of all ages, sizes, and ability levels. it is also a great practice for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. it is my dream to eventually teach yoga to senior citizens, cancer patients and victims of abuse.

kripalu's practice is based on this idea that we all have an "inner knowing" and "inner truth," and that by practicing postures (asanas) we can tap into our truest, wisest selves.

the first time i arrived at the kripalu center in the berkshires, i had one of those "these are my people!" moments. i instantly felt at home. the individuals around me were of all ages and backgrounds but we were all seeking the same things: self-love, non-judgment, and wonderful, fulfilled happy lives.

as someone who has suffered from anxiety, as well as chronic "i don't know what to do with my life"- syndrome, this type of yoga has helped me in a very real and practical way.

and finally, if yoga sounds like something you're curious about, but you're still a little apprehensive, this is a great practice to try. some day, i'd love to be your teacher and make you feel comfortable and excited!

here is more information about the kripalu center, and here is a link to a kripalu dvd. please feel free to ask me questions, i'd love to try my best to answer them.

my friday.

• pumpkin bread and apple cider... for breakfast
• new painted nails
• hot cappuccino from my favorite cafe
• homemade vegetable soup
• a mason jar candle holder (and a small view of our street. i like to tell myself it looks like london. what do you think?)
  
• a quick stop at the farmer's market for some organic apples. (i am going to try to make homemade applesauce tonight! thank you, simon's mom, for the idea.)
• and finally, this 12 minute short film. (thank you, simon's brother, for sending it to me.) it's the best thing i've seen in a long time. and maybe i cried a little... check it out.

for the record.

... and i also like this bag.

(credit: mediumism)

a little wedding inspiration to brighten your thursday...

i have one word to describe this couple: hot! i love her messy bun and the fact that she's not wearing much make-up. i also adore the suit that the groom is wearing.

is it just me, or are they ridiculously gorgeous? :) what a setting... swoon.

(all photos are by the talented, lovely margaret singer)

one step at a time.

aren't these stairs gorgeous? artist and professor horst glasker painted these 112 steps in wuppertal, germany to convey a different emotion or behavior associated with relationships. some examples are "to forgive", "to cuddle", "to offer resistance", and "to seduce."

don't you love it when artists take a mundane task, or common piece of architecture and make so much more exciting? some day maybe i'll go there and run up and down them...

(found via apartment therapy)

loopty loop.

wow, gorgeous yarn like this makes me wish i was better at knitting. leg warmers would be pretty cozy right about now.

do you knit? what's your secret? i always seem to end up with holes.

(photo credit: .elsie cake)

inhale, exhale.

excerpt from my yoga teacher training application:

"about six months ago, i lost a close family member in a tragic accident. through the grieving process, i thought deeply about how i want to live my life and realized that among other things, it includes teaching yoga. simply put, i have learned that there is no better time to follow my dreams than the present moment."

ladies and gentlemen, yesterday i found out i was accepted to the kripalu teaching program! i haven't yet ironed out the details of when i'll be going, but i am giddy with excitement. thanks for all your encouragement along the way.

champagne for everyone!

(photo credit: the spiritual health)

happy monday!

good morning, loves! how are you?

sorry i was away yesterday, but simon and i spent a long weekend in maine. it was so nice to be snuggled up by the fire and playing with the dogs...

now i am back to work, with french vanilla coffee in hand and my space heater on. it's definitely fall!

first things first: the winner of the beautiful art from last week is... elizabeth from oh eliza! congratulations! :) thanks to everyone for participating and providing such great comments. piia is so grateful and happy for all the positive feedback.

second, i want to say a special welcome to all of my new readers! yay! you are all so lovely for supporting this journey of mine, and reading my little posts. you truly make my day. thank you for being here!

i have some fun posts for you later today, so stay tuned. :)

(photo credit: concrete and honey)

the good 'ol days.

i'm not gonna lie... some days i miss old phones. and how we used to sit still and really listen to the person on the other line.

and some days i miss looking in real encyclopedias. my mother used to love grabbing a world book to answer random questions.

and finally, some days i miss the sound of my grandfather's typewriter. maybe i've just been watching too much mad men!

what do you miss?

(photo credits: wheredidyoubuythat.com, sweetlovevintage, and three potato four shop.)

sweet morning.

just some tranquil images to help you through your busy morning.

(photo credits: sunnybrook farm designs)

our honeymoon.

simon and i have been brainstorming our honeymoon since the day we got engaged (priorities, you know). this weekend i think we made a final decision and we are so psyched...

can you guess where? (update: you guys are good! we're going to new zealand!)

(photo credits: amy & kimball, dubois09, colros)