a sweet wedding

i went to the wedding of a family friend last night and had the best time with so many of my favorite people. the wedding was in the cutest little white chapel and the reception was just a few steps away in an old train depot.

the decorations were so pretty and happy-making! i've thought about getting the ikea ps maskros flower light for when i move in the fall, but i've never seen it in person until last night. it's huge! but still awesome, obviously.

the bride and her mother really did an excellent job in decorating and thinking of lots of tiny details, like setting up a fun kids' table. my nieces loved it and, let's be honest, i kind of wanted to sit with them.

now let's talk about what really matters, shall we? the food was amazing. there was a popcorn station... 

with cheesy, key lime...

butterfinger (seriously no words - so. good.) and a kids' mix.

obviously, i had to try all the flavors. in the blurry background you can see some other forms of goodness: frozen peach bellinis and individual bubblegum machine favors.

sweets for the sweet. a literal candy bar. everything was so dreamy and though i almost always prefer savory over sweet, this table was pretty wonderful: jelly beans, several types of lollies, bubble gum, chocolates, marshmallows, gummy fruit slices, candy straws, rock candy sticks... too many choices.

after the cake had been served, this turned into an ice cream sundae bar.

ha! i didn't even notice that the chocolate-covered strawberries spelled out 'love' until i looked at my pictures this morning. again, the frozen peach bellinis were good...

the groom's cake was a huge hostess cupcake. awesome.

the wedding cake was a cute pink cupcake. or a 1-up if you are a gamer like my brother-in-law. score. (pun intended)

have you ever seen heart sparklers? it was such a fun way to send off the bride and the groom. such a great night!

and now if you'll excuse me, i need to go meditate to calm my nerves for the mavs game tonight. these last few games have shot my nerves - it's too much! *fingers crossed* that it all ends tonight (sorry if you are a heat fan)

what did you do this weekend?

tips & pointers // thrift stores

i've had a few comments, e-mails, and face-to-face questions about thrifting and estate sales, so, even though i am definitely not an expert (like, at all), i thought i'd do a quick round-up of tips that work well for me.

because thrift stores and estate sales are two different creatures, i think it'll be easiest to split the pointers into two posts and, when possible and when pertinent, i'll sneak in some advice about buying for reselling. i think that's it... so, let's talk about thrift stores today!

✧ if you are shopping to resell, keep up with design trends. i read a lot of vintage, design, and lifestyle blogs for inspiration, which makes spotting upcoming trends in vintage wares easier (hello, old thermoses, chevron patterns, and floral sheets). if you aren't shopping for reselling, it's still fun to browse pretty blogs and you'll get tons of ideas for your personal style.

✧ keep and update a vintage and/or thrifting wish list. jot down items you'd love to own one day in a small notebook and keep it with you. pull out your list before you go into a thrift store (or while you're standing in the middle of an aisle) for a quick refresher. it's easy to become overwhelmed in a space crowded with junk (and hidden treasures) and, though it sounds odd, a short glance at a list can help focus your search. and i just like making lists.

($2.49)

✧ research thrift stores. checking in at your local thrift store is probably your first stop, but try mapping out thrift stores just outside of your normal route. i am willing to drive about twenty minutes to visit a good thrift store. also, check out thrift stores in or around older neighborhoods. more often than not, the items in the thrift store have been donated from their surrounding neighborhoods and older neighborhoods are more likely to have older (vintage) items.

✧ bring a pen and scratch paper. you never know when you'll want to sketch a potter's symbol for further research or write down the name of a beautiful vintage china pattern (from a chipped or cracked plate - i hate when that happens).

✧ if you have one, bring a internet accessible smartphone. i use my iPhone for instant and basic research literally every time i go thrifting and, if you plan on reselling an item, it's extremely easy to check etsy and/or ebay for comparable pricing.

✧ bring hand sanitizer. trust me, things are dirrr-ty. 

✧ go often. my local thrift store is restocked on an almost continuous basis -- there are always volunteers milling around, stocking the shelves from full shopping carts, so there's always something new. i try to stop at least once or twice a week. the people working there know me; this was something i just had to get over.

✧ if you have the time, go slowly. it's easy to miss a good find when you're just scanning the surface.

($0.40)

✧ this seems redundant, but if you have the time, look again. i usually inspect an aisle or a shelf twice. some of my favorite thrifty finds were missed on a first look!

✧ use your smartphone and/or camera to take pictures. sometimes i just want a picture of the item and not the actual item. sometimes i spot things i know my friend will love, so i snap a picture and send it in an e-mail or a text. sometimes an item is so funny or so weird or so crazy that you just have to take a picture and share it on facebook. this happens.

($1.99)

✧ look through the whole store. so many times, things are misplaced or moved by other customers to a completely random part of the store before they are discarded (or hidden, more like). i found the 1950s pink plastic bread box on the office supply aisle of all places. you're also missing a lot if you limit yourself to the traditional housewares aisle. there are great vintage board games, toys, and books in the children's sections; amazing embroidery in the artwork section; floral suitcases in the luggage section; hand knitted or crocheted blankets in the linens section, etc.

✧ if possible, go alone or with a similarly-minded friend. this sounds totally anti-social, but really, there's nothing worse than worrying if your friend or spouse is having a good time. or knowing that they most certainly are not having a good time. this should be a fun outing for you!

if you have children, frecklewonder has great tips for thrifting with tots - check them out!

✧ if you are shopping with the intention of reselling, keep your profit points in mind. you don't want to pay $10.00 for an item that you can only sell for $15.00. or maybe you do, i don't know. in general, if i buy something to resell in my etsy shop, i'd like to make 3-4 times what i paid for the item to cover the cost of shopping, researching, photographing, listing, and shipping.

($1.49/set of 2)

i hope these pointers and tips are helpful! if you have any of your own tips, please leave them in the comments - i'd love to hear them!

(all the photos were taken at my local thrift store over the past few months. i listed the prices if i actually bought the item. see? wanting a picture, but not wanting the item!)




leadership

happy saturday to you! seeing as how i'm stuck at work today, plugging along on a leadership board project, i thought i'd share some totally hip and awesome records i recently acquired.

 

in all seriousness, i couldn't pass these up at the thrift store. they were super cheap and i was drawn to the nearly monochromatic illustration style. i haven't even listened to them, but perhaps i should... especially the second one.

hoping your weekend includes something infinitely more adventurous than reviewing and editing the scope of services on a bid contract,

holy yum

do you like avocados? do you like pesto? have you ever wondered what a hybrid of the two might taste like? i can tell you: it tastes like a mouthful of awesome (if that's not an accurate culinary description, i don't know what is).

sara came over for a girls' dinner last night and she prepared what has got to be my new favorite recipe ever. oh she glows creamy avocado pasta is a delicious mix of buttery avocado, tangy lemon, peppery basil, and zesty garlic. the avocado cream (sans actual cream) was prepared in a matter of minutes before it was tossed with whole wheat angel hair pasta and paired with sautéed lemon pepper shrimp. 

it was insanely delicious and it's an extremely affordable and healthful meal, which is always nice. i will be making this for as many people as possible in the near future. you should too.

for dessert, i whipped up a batch of talia christine's mini banoffee pie tarts. every time i go to london, i make it a priority to sample banoffee pie from different eateries - it's my favorite british confection. i've tried making it at home, too, but the recipes i've come across call for boiling sweetened condensed milk for approximately three hours, which is both crazy and semi-dangerous.

talia christine's recipe is dead easy and super quick. the toffee portion of the banoffee (banana + toffee) was gloriously thick and creamy and then it's just a matter of slicing up banana and squirting some whipped cream. and, bonus, they taste even better the next day for breakfast or for a mid-afternoon blogging snack. i may or may not have just had 2 4 of them while writing up this post (sara and i reckoned that five mini tarts equates to one slice of pie).

i love collaborative dinners with my friends! it's such a fun way to talk, listen to music, sip wine, and relax. 

what have you cooked lately?

and the winner is...

thank you to everybody who participated in the giveaway! the winner is cheyloe from pineapples & toe socks! congrats!

if you didn't win, don't fret - i have some ideas for more giveaways in the future. thank you again for reading and visiting!

estate sale finds // 05.28.2011



suffice it to say, the little bedroom community i call home (established in 1974) is not the best place for finding vintage wares or furniture; however, every once in awhile, you stumble upon greatness.

this past weekend, my mom and i hit up a nearby nature preserve for a bike ride and decided to stop at a local estate sale on the way home. and what did i find? not the buffet i was thinking about investing in, but an eight-piece dining set from the late 1940s/early 1950s.

after a few minutes deliberation (and a quick call to my brother to see if he could store the set until i move in the fall), i had a mid-century table, six chairs, and a buffet. the set isn't in pristine condition, but it was a great deal and it's definitely workable.

the table and the buffet both have burl wood detailing and the buffet has really interesting acrylic and metal handles. the chairs were recovered in the 1970s, so i cannot wait to remove the gold and green velvet (though i kind of love it) to see the original fabric underneath.

also at the estate sale?

this amazing dresser and headboard set. i'm a bit ashamed to admit it, but i didn't even think about these (i didn't even look at the price!) because i already have a dresser, though definitely not as classy as these.

i'm getting excited about autumn and new places!

pickin'

one of my plans for the long weekend included a tentative trip to kaufman, texas, to pick, à la american pickers.

the tentative plans were firmed up late last night and i am so happy they did; it was the perfect little memorial day adventure.



the property was dotted with sheds and buildings full of hidden treasures (and wasps -- so many wasps!)



the first building we explored was called the museum and it really lived up to its name. most of our finds came from inside.



the other buildings and their surrounding yards were just as full of everything you could ever imagine...



old carnival rides.



more carnival rides.



appliances.



radios.



cash registers.



fans.



product memorabilia.



record players.



and tons of random crazy and cool finds. it was a bit overwhelming, actually. even i gave up trying to snap pictures of everything after awhile!

so, what made it home with me?



this amazing accordion. i am in love with it big time.



a much-desired tin dollhouse. i've been kicking myself for passing up a similar dollhouse a few months ago. it just needs a little elbow grease and then it'll be a perfect conversation piece.



a beautiful paint by number.



i'm going to use this old bicycle basket as a magazine holder.



an old globe, a pink clock, and three vintage cameras. the owner wasn't ready to part with the mannequin head just yet, but how awesome is she?



this initial didn't make it home with me, either. this time.



the sweetest guy ever? yes, for sure. he was so friendly and knew so much about all of his treasures. a total sweetheart.



i am a hot, sweaty, smelly, sunburned mess, but it was definitely a great experience and i can't wait to go back. maybe in the fall next time, though...

did you have any adventures this weekend?

megs

p.s. there's still time to enter the giveaway if you haven't already!