THIS PHOTO

pretty much sums up my mood.

mildly interested, but... dubious.

happy wednesday! (LOOK! I BLOGGED!)

image via sawako beerens. anyone know who took it?

Blog of the Week(ish): CAPTAIN PANCAKES!

Okay, it's not a blog. It's Gracie Hagen's instagram feed.

HER CAT IS NAMED CAPTAIN PANCAKES

Blog of the Week(ish): Maddie the Coonhound

Have y'all already met Maddie the Coonhound?

I might officially be the last one to know.





p.s. Happy Halloween! I'm planning to a) drag H to a dive bar in Austin, or b) stay home at my MIL's and give candy to her neighbors' grandchildren. Probably b.

via EVERYONE ON PINTEREST

Blog of the Week(ish): Brick House

It's been a while, eh?

I'll be honest, I got a little bored with the internet over the summer.... But now that we own a motherfucking HOUSE, the whole wide world has opened up.

Enter: Brick House

I spent approximately 6 hours on this blog yesterday.

Creating a "for the tiny house" board mostly just so I could pin the FAUXDENZA. Obsessing about kilim pillows (and ducking over to ebay to browse kilim pillows). Debating about whether we really need a new duvet cover (we do not really need a new duvet cover). Realizing we do, in fact, need a pillow-y headboard (Jamie was way ahead of me on this).



Morgan gives me a bit of a complex because she is constantly re-shopping and rearranging rooms that were already gorg. Her house will never be finished. Which is also what is fascinating about it.

Bonus: CUTE DOGS ALL OVER THE PLACE

Photo by Morgan Satterfield for Brick House

OMG KITTEH!

I feel you, kitteh. It is so fucking hot in our house I've pretty much been in this position for a week.

Photo swiped from One Love Photo's feed

By special request.........

A BHLDN bride in barefoot shoes.

ALISON, YOU RULE.


Also, a few other things you need to check out:

A very lovely post about marriage

A shopping trip to Shareen Vintage (parts one + two)

Baby Pug Bath Time

Because I'm a sucker for wedding polaroids (And: Other people's pets)

I had to share a few polis from Rebecca + Dustin's teensy Colorado wedding.

This one they planned it two weeks. Would you believe that dress is from Forever 21?

Photos by Live It Out (see tons more over on their blog)

Via The Present Company Project

What should I do with these damn diamonds?

Hi ESB,

My aunt's ex-husband gave her a pair of diamond stud earrings (3 mm diamonds) when they got married (no ring) and she gave them to me when they got divorced. She told me that she didn't care if I ever wore them, but she didn't want them anymore and thought that of everyone in the family, I should have them.

A few years later, her adult son (from a different marriage) passed away as a result of chronic health problems. A few months after that, her ex husband committed suicide (after receiving a poor health diagnosis) and she wound up with his dog. She wasn't the most emotionally put-together before all of this and after the divorce and two losses, it's worse.

I've never worn the earrings because they aren't my style (prong-set in yellow gold) and I get uncomfortable looking at them. Fast-forward to today, my FH and I are designing an engagement+band set with a local artist. They will re-use stones in their designs. Do I use the diamonds as accents?

On the one hand, I don't care that much about a multi-stone ring. The artist does amazing metalworking that makes you totally forget how many stones there are and we are already purchasing a larger stone for the main setting. Also, if the earrings give me the willies when they're in my sock drawer, how will I feel about looking at the stones every day?

On the other hand, when the artist does have more than one stone to work with, the work gets even better. Also, what the hell else am I supposed to do with these earrings? Can't give them to anyone else in the family and wouldn't want to saddle anyone anyway.

If I do use them, do I need to tell anyone besides my FH (who already knows)? Do I tell the aunt? My mother?

Thanks,
Diamond Dilemma

*****

Put em in a collar for the dog.

Image via The Life Files

Marc by Marc Jacobs IMPROVED BY CATS

Not sure exactly when I started turning into this crazy cat lady but whatevs.

You probably need to see the complete 12 Spring Ad Campaigns Improved by Cats

via fieldguided

GREETINGS FROM BAJA

A few people (okay, Tonia) said "less wedding talk, more vacation updates!!!!" so I thought I'd give you a wee update in bullet-point form.

↣ The Whales, Amazing. The word "amazing" doesn't even begin to describe. I petted a baby whale, people. I rubbed it under the chin.

↣ La Paz, Cute. Dusty. And full of dogs. Between 1 and 4am they all go into a barking FRENZY. Never again will I complain about all the barking dogs in Echo Park.

↣ The Food, Delicioso. Tacos, Sopes, Huaraches, Vampiros. Muy Muy Delicioso.

↣ My Husband, Working Too Much. Which, I knew he would be. A client brought us down here, so what do I have to complain about?

↣ Me, Aimless. Spending too much time on my iphone in btwn chapters of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test/taking myself for walks.

↣ Tomorrow, WHALE SHARKS. No idea what they are, but I'm pretty sure I need to write a comedy about them.

(Photo of Hembra by H-town. Hembra lives in the crazy, dusty, terrific house where we're staying. Or in the courtyard, to be precise.)

on the Catbird set

I can't tell you how much fun we all had making our short.

Can this man rock jewelry, or can he rock jewelry??

I didn't even notice the heart tattoo when I cast him. (And by "cast him," I mean..... accosted him on the Lower East Side two days before the shoot and made him PROMISE TO CALL ME. Thank fuck he did.)

We ladies almost died when he started trying on wedding bands.

Funny story.

Teepee's mama told me that bananas were her favorite food, so all day we kept trying to use bananas to get Teepee to jump up on the bed and interrupt the smooching.

No go.

That is one polite chihuahua.

It was finally a little bit of leftover BEEF from my nacho lunch that did the trick.

And Anya is adorable, no? I knew we had the right girl when H's friends kept asking him if they could see ALL THE FOOTAGE.

Photos by Cary Tijerina

HAPPY FUCKING FRIDAY

there's a cranky one for you up on 100 layer cake. (and by cranky, i mean AWESOME.) 

v. interested to see how the cakelets respond this time.

i'm holding off on posting feather love's "vintage wedding" guest post til monday, so you've got that to look forward to.

photo of frances, my spirit animal, via cevd

They're heeeeeeere: CHIHUAHUA IN A FAUX FUR wedding pics!!!

(click to enlarge)

Okay, yeah. So basically I am obsessed with Parker.  But me melodia + the new hubs are pretty cute, too.

It was a fluke 86 degrees in Boston in October. Say Byebye to my fox stole.

I wanted to go with a cabinet of wonder theme. Bones, geodes and curiosities.

The boy had his suit custom made. Yay Irish tweeds and vintage buttons. (Poor guy didn't think it'd be that warm.)

I went for a simple raw silk nautical inspired dress (Jorge Manuel). I'm sorta considering recycling. I'd like some splurge cash and I'm sure the gown would make someone happy.

Anyways, we got married in the largest bird sanctuary in the NE, the John James Audubon Habitat in Belmont, MA. Lots of flora and fauna.

We borrowed a 57 porsche speedster... We were pleased to spot a huge buck on our newlywed drive. So sexy.

After the wedding we went back to the Lenox Hotel, smooched on the rooftop and then were surprised by love knots left on our bed. The last shot is us in our "Judy Garland" suite. The door was so bling that it had a camera. 

The guys we worked with just "got us." They gave us the flat Victorian marital portrait shot we wanted. Just perfect!

Ayyyyyyy! 

(Photos by Avena Studios. Check out a bunch more here and here)

Speaking of Holiday Cards

I received THIS ONE in the mail on Saturday.

Andy & Jennifer & Heidi-May & Bonnie-Blue clearly made it just to help me prove my point.

Can we put a wedding pic on our xmas card?

Dear ESB...

My husband and I were recently married in July and would like to send out Christmas cards with our favorite pic from the wedding. We had a somewhat small reception and did not invite all of our friends. 

Is it rude (or inconsiderate) to send a Christmas card (with the wedding pic) to people who were not invited?

Thanks for any advice you can provide...

-Am I Scrooged?

*****

Even if I had been in attendance, I wouldn't want to see your damn wedding photo on a Christmas card.

Wedding, Christmas. Christmas, Wedding. TWO ENTIRELY SEPARATE OCCASIONS, mkay?

Why don't you take a newlywed holiday pic with your cat.

Photo by Melina via dreamcats

Teepee!

Our little lady (okay Leigh's little lady) is getting ready to be in our movie tomorrow, and she is SUPER EXCITED.

g'morning, you guys.

I just stirred my coffee with a fork.

To say our house is in chaos post-arrival-home-from-Vancouver would be an understatement. Also: We may or may not have contracted SARS from a director just back from Argentina who coughed all over us at the VIFF closing gala.

KIDDING. But if I don't get rid of this cold before I fly to New York on Friday I'm gonna be p-i-s-s-e-d.




Bwahahaha. I HATE that bloggers feel the need to inform their readers each and every time they contract any sort of virus. (My theory: It's a captive audience. And NO ONE ELSE CARES.)

But now I went and did it.


At least I didn't describe my phlegm.

(Pony photo courtesy of the lovely fieldguided.)

Blog of the Week(ish): Mamma Biscuit

Yes, that is her real tongue.

I dare you to go visit the blog and not scroll past EVERY SINGLE PHOTO.

 



Go on. I dare you.

p.s. Gracie, you rule.

enough already with the HEART-SHAPED PROPS

Just a little rant...

When in god's name will the trend of using stupid props in wedding pictures die?! I feel like your wedding or engagement pictures should be a reflection of who you are as a couple, and not a reflection of the photographer's collection of pinwheels/vintage tea cups/old globes/etc.

While i am happy that more creative brides, grooms and photographers are stepping out into the bright lights of the blogosphere, I swear to baby jeebus I'm going to scream if i see any more couples pretending to enjoy a tiny cake or handful of heart shaped pebbles.

Xo
Lanie

*****

I have to say I couldn't agree more.

It used to be that too many photo shoots were being passed off as weddings. But my problem lately is that a lot of weddings are starting to like photo shoots.

(Cats, however, that voluntarily pose with amps and guitars... Awesomesauce!)

HOW CAN I NOT POST THIS PHOTO?

Srsly.

I dunno what it is with me and little funny faced dogs lately but if H doesn't stop working these shit-ass hours he's gonna come home and find me with one.

Image courtesy of The Blah, Blah, Blahg... (Incidentally, if you need to know HOW TO GET YOUR DOG OFF THE SOFA, Miss B can tell you.)