Upon checking out the new and shiny Bright Yellow World, I have been inspired. I have been having some blog woes as of late. I cant update my wordpress…my code is wonky..and I’m not a computer expert. I’ve been toying with the idea of paying to have a blog redesign, and since the folks at Splendid Sparrow did such a great job with Abby’s blog…I went for it. You only live once right?

She has sent me some thoughts and ideas for me to ponder thus far…but I am eagerly awaiting a new shiny blog that I can call my own. A blog where all I have to do is push a button…and viola! an update occurs.

So stay tuned my devoted few. Change…she is a coming.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world”

Anne Frank Diary of a Young Girl, 1952

Someone tweeted this today, and it really stuck out to me. I think that I’m a pretty positive person, but every once in a while I get in my pessimistic states. My “things aren’t going my way” moods. I saw this quote today and it really made me think. Every second of every day is a chance to start over…to recreate yourself into the type of person that you want to be and wish you could be. I know that the quote says “the world,” but I think that it accounts for people on an individual level as well.

Do something about it. Instead of walking over that piece of trash on the sidewalk, pick it up. Instead of complaining about the state of our animal shelters, volunteer one hour a week. Instead of worrying about your old age and weight, change your diet, start a daily walk, put money into a retirement account.  We have the power to change…you just have to actually get out there and do it.

No time like the present.

What inspires you?

Maybe I’m making excuses, maybe I just need to justify my actions, but honestly, sometimes I feel like someone is out to get me.

• A few months back I was gifted a bootcamp experience.  The day before I was going to do it, I got food poisining. I will take advantage of the next session…but have yet to go.

• I started doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. My XBox (aka my DVD player) broke. I have recently been informed that its on demand too, so Ill do that while waiting for a new DVD player.

• This weekend I am flying down to SD to participate in the Shamrock Run 5K with my sorority sisters (one of whom I’ve mentioned is Biggest Loser 9′s Stephanie Anderson). I have since come down with a chest cold, am out sick today, and will likely just be walking the 5K while hacking along the way.

My immediate goal…after I beat this chest issue, is to actually run a 5K…even if its just on a treadmill or if I successfully run around Lake Merritt. I think the distance is about 3.5 miles. I owe that to myself after not being able to run this weekend. My preparation for this will be continuing the Couch to 5K program that I have downloaded from iTunes. Its actually really great and I highly recommend it..I just hope I feel better, and start motivating myself to go. I did head to the gym during lunch the other day, which is a start in the right direction, but I had to get off the treadmill due to the cold getting the best of me.

I really just need to stop whining and blaming others. “I’d work out if I had a treadmill. I’d workout if I wasn’t sick. I’d work out for longer if I had the time”….I need to STOP making excuses, and just be my own motivator. You would think that watching and knowing someone on The Biggest Loser would be enough, but I think that my problem is that the 10 lbs I could lose is pocket change, and my real motivator needs to be my level of fitness…thats the part that takes work. Thats what I need to do. Stop talking about it. Just do it. (haha)

As you may know, I have a thing for paper lanterns. I have also been drooling over my newest obsession…pom poms. Not the cheerleading, rah rah kind…but tissue paper pom poms. There are numerous Etsy sellers that sell them pre-made, but the great thing about these pom poms, is that they are totally DIY too. And…CHEAP. Figure, I can get 100 sheets of tissue paper for $7. It takes 8 sheets to make 1 pom pom. Thats approximately 12 pom poms for $7, whereas the Etsy shops are selling 10 for $35. Do the math. When budgeting for extra decor, and doing research…if I have to sacrifice my lanterns, maybe I’ll just substitute for some pom poms.

There is a great tutorial on Martha Stewart that I might try. Has anyone had success making their own?

Maybe hang them above our ceremony?

What do you think? Cheap looking or lovely?

Martha Stewart lays out the prep in a very easy to manage way…

Look at the party they had to put them together!!

Do I feel a paper party in the works???

As I have said before, I am a HUGE fan of loads of color at a wedding. Though sometimes when I browse through my very large list of wedding blogs, and I see 2 color combos, I doubt my decision to incorporate 4 colors into our wedding. Imagine my delight when  I came across this photo featured in this blog entry by Rock ‘n Roll Bride. Granted this wedding was in Chile, but Oakland deserves a little color too. I am adoring her pink dress, the garland, those random flower things on the side….All of it.

So, after finding my dress I realized that the next stylistic challenge will be my hair and veil. I am not a classic bride (though my dress was not what I had originally sought out). There are so many beautiful veils out there, but I just don’t think that a lot of them are my style. I don’t feel like a long veil kind of girl.  I actually asked the woman at the bridal shop if she thought that my dress would work with a birdcage veil, because I just love the way they look.  Our venue is somewhat Art Deco, and my dress has a somewhat vintage feel to it, so I thought that the birdcage would be a nice touch. I’m going to stick with that assessment and go with it.

But herein lies the question. If I’m going with vintage, do I want to skip the veil all together, and just go with a headband? A flower or feather in my hair? A combination of all of the above? I have been browsing up a storm, getting inspiration from specific designers, so I thought I’d share a few that I’ve found. Some of these are a little pricey, and I would love to find something just as lovely on Etsy for less.

This is the Fall 2009 collection by Jennifer Behr. They are all lovely.

Headpieces by Claudia Griffiths

These by Twigs and Honey would be fun if I decided to incorporate color into my look

I don't know where this came from, but I like it.

This blog entry is inspired by this dress I happened upon this morning. Made with close to 2,009 pieces of peacock feathers, the dress took eight sewers forty days to make, and can be yours for $1.5 million. This dress is intense.

The detail is actually really beautiful, but I’m not sure I know anyone who would ever wear this…especially with a hefty price tag like $1.5 million.

I did find more reasonable items that were peacock inspired. I think its a beautiful color palette, and if you are into feathers, could make for some beautiful accessories and decor.

clockwise from top

Veronica Reis dress
Peacock feather bobby pins by Emily Wootton
Boutonniere by Erica Cavanagh
Butterfly fascinator by DinoFleur designs
Chloe Feather fascinator by Portobello
Peacock feather clutch by Red Ruby Rose
Blue Peacoque by Sweet Grass Mill
Minerva Peacock collar by Hayashi Beads

I’m not going to even show you the state of affairs of my crafting area. Most times I end up working in the living room with my needle and thread and hand stitching the Wunzees. I have a sewing machine in our guest room. I also have an Expedit from Ikea, and you would think that would be enough to keep me organized. WRONG. I dont know how to keep everything in order, and have a place for everything. I feel like I’m not experienced enough to have an idea of what my craft area SHOULD look like, but I’m inspired to get a pegboard and do something organized and awesome. I found a few examples of other peoples pegboard projects, and they just look clean, simple, and though they are inexpensive, dont look cheap.

Craft Addict used her pegboard to keep her jewlery making stuff accessable and off the floor.

Mandi Shandi has all sorts of cool stuff hanging from her colorful pegboard. I just love the way it makes everything look. The pegboard and hardware cost her under $10 and the storage below was on its way to the garbage!

Love the clean lines, love the color, love the shelves next to the pegboard. All sorts of ideas forming in my lil mind right now. Ottoman Handmade posted this pegboard project.

I also love the kitchen that Apartment Therapy has featured in this photo. Another great use of the pegboard. Adds a nice asthetic to the kitchen, and keeps the pots and pans organized and easy to find.

Design Sponge also features a nice kitchen pegboard.

How do you all keep yourself organized??

Yesterday was the first day of fall, though in San Francisco you would never know it. We got a heat wave, and I believe it was throughout California. It got me thinking about the fact that I’ve never really known seasons. I’ve experienced them, but having grown up in California my whole life, the transition is minimal, and the year passes by without any real visible changes.

This past year, we drove up to Seattle on a whirl-wind errand that we had to run for Mick’s office. We literally left Saturday morning, and flew back Sunday. Though the drive up was worth the 15 hours + we spent in the car. We drove the long way for the pure sake of the scenery, and considering our trip was in October-ish, the highway was amazing. The colors in the Northwest were at their boldest, and you could definitely tell it was fall. I think that if I lived anywhere the seasons were a bit more prevalent, I’d be more likely to take the inspiration of the leaves and use that as a theme for a wedding, though the timing and location would have to be perfect. Its so warm and inviting…isn’t it?

I’ve always loved bright colors. When I was in college, my mom and I made a patchwork quilt for me to use as my comforter. My room was bursting with color all the  time. I used that and continued with the bold colors throughout. The art I painted was bright, the art I bought was bright, the furniture that I had in my apartments was always bold.  My future being bright as well. This is where I find my inspiration. Wedding: Bright colors; Kids rooms: Bright colors. They make me smile. They make the room feel warm and lived in. They make me feel at home.