owl & pear

When we were planning our wedding, one of the first sites that really spoke to me with it’s down-to-earth advice and seriously sassy attitude was The Broke-Ass Bride. Dana & Hunter are so much fun, and watching how they’ve taken their entire existence to the next level is so inspiring. I found out about Lara Casey’s Making Things Happen intensive through Dana’s moving video post about MTH on the night she got back, and now I’m going in November! So thanks to Dana (@BrokeAssBride) & Hunter (@FreshHubby) for being all-around bad-asses!

Back to the whole reason for this post. Dana has a series called {DIY or DIE} that’s, well, to die for! Recently she featured two Louboutin-inspired projects by Love, Meagan, and here’s the result:

Broke-AssBride {DIY or DIE} Petal Bag and Sandals, photo by Love, Maegan

Is that photo not simply HEAVENLY?!?! If you’re like me and your brain is screaming “WANT! WANT! WANT!” at the top of it’s lungs, then go find out how to make them yourself!

On The Broke-Ass Bride:

• {DIY or DIE} Louboutin Petal Bag
• {DIY or DIE} Louboutin Petal Sandals

Thanks to Dana for letting me use that delectable shot! Now go forth and make lovely things, y’all!

anthropologie: Alice In Autumn Sweatercoat

Came across this little lovely today and thought I’d share. Of course, I love all things grey, and all things coat… The ruffle details around the neck, the big pearly buttons, and the … what are those things called around the waist? Well, they all make for such a toasty little gem of a sweatercoat. For some reason everything I’m seeing lately I think would be great for an engagement shoot. Or actually, for me, a newlywed shoot (now that we’re all settled back in after our honeymoon water disaster move out/move in!)

Speaking of newlywed shoots, Southern Weddings has an adorable “Life as a Newlywed” feature up today – I love the shots of the couple painting their new digs, and playfully lounging on the mattress in the empty fireplace room with a bottle of wine to the side. They’re Hew House Camping! We can’t do that, so we do Backyard Camping every once in a while. But someday…

I love the handmade movement. It emphasizes slowing down, and it places a higher value on items that are carefully crafted as opposed to quickly or cheaply made. It’s about building and supporting a community of crafters, and one way that Etsy brings this “home” is through their “Shop Local” feature.

You can make a conscious effort to buy from local sellers, thereby becoming an active member of your community, and it helps all of us. The stronger your local crafting community, the better. Not to mention, just shopping locally introduces you to talented crafters in your own neck-of-the-woods that you probably didn’t even know existed! I love pulling up Shop Local: San Francisco; I can keep a finger on the pulse of what crafters in my area are creating, and I find new and interesting objects every time. Today, I discovered this:

pixiebird: Soft Jersey Pirate Kerchief

A lovely scarf in fiery colors with sparkly embellishments, made by a talented artisan (pixiebird) in my area (who also makes great postcards and t-shirts). How great is that?

Here’s another example: I love Austin, TX. It’s where I married John, it’s the home of SXSW, it’s where I’ve seen some of the best live music and enjoyed some of the best food & drinks with some of my best friends. I want to support Austin artists! So today I checked out Shop Local: Austin, TX and found this:

kanokwalee: Barley Mega Loops Hand Crocheted Unique Art Scarf

A bulky, crocheted wool scarf with fabulous, quirky loops (hmmm… Two scarves. I must be a little chilly today…) and I’ve never seen this style before either! Crafted by another talented artisan (kanokwalee) in a location that I want to support.

Shopping local is a great way to participate in your community, and by doing so you are creating an even better community! Everybody wins!

I adore this 60′s-style Beach Picnic Dress in Afternoon from modcloth! The thick waist-belt, big buttons from neck to knee, rounded corners on the collars, and soft pleats are simply delectable. In my mind, I’m already lounging on a picnic blanket in this beauty, sharing a refreshing fruit dessert with my love & sipping a glass of Vin de Glaciere (I could drink that stuff by the bottle – mmmm… dessert wine…)

Beach Picnic Dress in Afternoon, from modcloth

If you haven’t joined modcloth yet – you really should. When a one-of-a-kind vintage piece comes up one day that is *perfect* for you, you’ll be glad you did.