in a nutshell. | shel and stone

Baby love : Surfing babe.

2012-02-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

We are gearing up our baby boy to be the ultimate surfer... or at least he will look like it :) When we were in Kauai (by the way, I will most definitely be sharing more stories and photos from our trip... we shot everything on film so it is in the process of being developed!) we picked up a great Billabong baby tee designed by Andy Davis that I think will fit in perfectly with our beach boy's wardrobe. On another note, I am looking for some creative ideas to decorate onesies. Something easy and not too cheesy... thoughts?

1 and 2

Gift Guide : Love.

2012-02-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Yup. It's that time of the year again. Truly, I think the holiday is a little silly, but it is a great excuse to get flowers, eat chocolate, and go on a hot date so I can't be too cynical. Stone and I usually have a chocolate heavy brunch at home, grab dinner at one of our favorite spots, and then head to the movie theater. Is that lame? Probably, but I used to be one of those girls that expected the world on a silver platter for Valentine's Day and those expectations usually left me upset and dear husband (boyfriend at the time) defeated. So, simple is best for us. I would not complain about some pretty flowers though (hint, hint). Do you like to celebrate Valentine's? If you are like us, then here is the recipe for a lovely, simply perfect day...

1 : Handmade LOVE gifts or cards. These are so sweet I thought, perhaps something I could try and make myself one day.

2 : Some love poems, songs, stories, letters... all of the above work. Shakespeare perfected it, but you could give it a shot too!

3 : Heart shaped pancakes... preferably with chocolate chips!

4 : Fresh flowers... I don't know any girl who would not want a sweet bouquet especially if it is sent to work so others can ooo and ahhh :)

5 : Chocolate. Of course.

xo.

Travel Guide : Kauai

2012-02-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

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2012-02-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

We made it to Kauai and so far it is as amazing as everyone told me it would be! Just beautiful. Stone and I are totally wiped out after our 6 hours of flying today... but, I will be keeping you updated on our adventures :)

xo.

Tuesday Tunes : T Swift.

2012-01-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

I know. Taylor Swift... really? Yes. Really.

Who does not love a good T Swift video, especially when it stars one of my favorite characters from Friday Night Lights. Happy Tuesday and enjoy :)

Weekend wrap up.

2012-01-30T14:30:00.000-08:00

Our weekend consisted of soaking up the sun on the beach, going on walks, eating sandwiches from Whole Foods (we went twice), and getting fro-yo (I am too embarrassed to tell you how many times we went)! Pretty easy and relaxing! I have to say my appetite is pretty ferocious these days and all a pregnant woman can do is satiate it as healthily as possible... clearly why I am choosing fro-yo over ice cream, right?

Welcome to Monday, the sun is shining and I think it's going to be a fabulous week! xo.

Baby love : Dreaming of a nursery.

2012-01-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

It's time for me to start thinking of ideas for baby boy's nursery and let's be honest, from the day I first found out I was pregnant I have been decorating that room in my head. But, I was not sure whether to decorate for a girl or boy and now that it has been confirmed twice I can be sure that this nursery is going to have a masculine edge to it. The tricky thing is that Stone and I would like to have more kiddos after this one and I do not want to be buying all new decor (maybe just some things) if we have a girl next so it needs to work for both. My plan is to have someone make the bedding from fabric I pick out and I am loving a grey gingham for the bumper and a soft burlap-type cloth for the crib skirt. Stone and I do not want to get too stuck on a theme, but love these animal prints and will probably carry that idea over into a few other things. Lastly, we are planning on getting one or two rugs (I like the look of overlapping rugs) to make the floor nice and soft for baby boy to play on.

So, as of now, this is what I've got... I am sure there will be many more touches to add later on and I will keep you updated when I find them :)

PS Anyone know of a good place to find an inexpensive rocker... those things are so pricey!

Food to love : Lunch.

2012-01-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

Wooohooooo! I am finally starting to feel better and now it is time to start eating better... right? I don't know about you, but I have always had a hard time coming up with something easy and healthy for lunches.

But the other day I made a poached egg with avocado and salsa on an english muffin and have to say I was pretty proud... I think our little babe liked it too :) This beats an apple with peanut butter and a handful of popcorn any day!

Tuesday Tunes : San Francisco.

2012-01-24T13:42:00.000-08:00

My Dad informed me this morning that yesterday was the 50th Anniversary of the song 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco', by Tony Bennett, which he unveiled on stage at The Fairmont Hotel (one of our favorite places to stay when we are there). So in honor of Tony and because I love San Fran, here are a few tunes about the city...

SanFran by Shelby Crandall on Grooveshark

Weekend wrap up.

2012-01-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

I made a cake.

It was my very first full on double-layer cake to make and I have to say it turned out pretty great! We had a small baby reveal for a couple of our closest friends the other night and I was in charge of baking the reveal cake :) I got the recipe here!

In other news... how was your weekend? Ours was pretty jam packed, but really great! Stone and I woke up Saturday morning with the sudden realization that I am halfway through my pregnancy and we have done nothing. Literally. We have not registered for classes or even begun to think about registering for the things our little guy will need. And a nursery? Well, yes, I have all sorts of ideas for the nursery, but have I actually purchased anything for it... nope! So we got to work, making a registry! I love picking out all of the little things for our son and knowing he will be here so soon to try it all out. Pretty fun.

We also got our fill at some of our favorite restaurants and some new ones! All worth trying if you live in the area or are planning a visit. Stone and I had dinner with our friends Travis and Ashlyn here. They are expecting a little boy at the end of next month and I cannot wait to meet the guy. Stone and I are so thrilled that we have a handful of good friends all pregnant right now, it has been a huge source of comfort for us both! We then had Del Mar Pizza on Saturday for lunch with friends, this is no doubt one of our favorite pizza spots. That night I met up with some girls at Craft and Commerce, which has the coolest atmosphere (almost too hip for a girl like me) and delicious biscuits. Lastly, we tried out a new burger place with a couple we met through church (also expecting a little boy!), any organic burger with all the fixins' is good in my book :)

Happy Tuesday all. xo.

Have a fun-filled weekend.

2012-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

We made it to the weekend! Hooray. Do you have something fun planned? Stone and I got our weekend kicked off a bit early last night with a concert at La Paloma here in Encinitas. Such a great concert, it was called For the Sender and included a group of local musicians such as Switchfoot, New Found Glory, Nickel Creek, Jack Tempchin, Molly Jenson, Nena Anderson, and Alex Woodard. All of the songs in this concert were written from four letters that were sent to the songwriter through the course of a year from different strangers. You can read more about it and listen to tidbits from each song here. As soon as I get the music I will be sharing it because it was incredible and I know you will want to hear!

As for the rest of our weekend? We have a 20 week ultrasound in a couple of hours (I have to drink 32 oz of fluid without peeing for 2 hours! Wish me luck), a couple of fun dinners planned, plus a beach day in Del Mar with friends :) Cannot wait.

Hope your weekend is perfect. xo.

The bump.

2012-01-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Stone and I had an engagement shoot yesterday in Ocean Beach and I cannot wait to share the photos with you! This couple was so relaxed and fun, and we just took photos in and around their cute little neighborhood. It was awesome, plus we ended the night at Bo-Beau where the groom is a bartender... major bonus. If you ever make it to OB I highly recommend this restaurant, especially the brussels sprouts. Mmmmm.

Anyway, Stone took this photo while we were shooting yesterday to send to our family since they don't get to see my ever growing belly. I won't be doing these 'bump pictures' too often, just when there are major changes. As of now I am just beginning to show, but it probably looks to anyone that does not know me like I indulge in a bit too many late night ice cream treats. Which, unfortunately is not the case right now because ice cream makes me feel ill.

Happy Thursday. xo.

Etsy picks : Pillows & Poufs

2012-01-18T21:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of things that I have found recently on Etsy that have quickly been dropped into my shopping wish list folder are these incredible pillows by Sukan, which you can see here and here, and these poufs. I am hoping to buy/find/make a pouf for baby boys' room and these would fit the bill quite perfectly. Also, I am constantly hunting for new pillows, we have had the same two on our couch since we got married and I am ready to invest in some new ones! Oh, how I wish I could sew...

xo.

Tuesday Tunes : Expensive Looks.

2012-01-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

Stone has really been liking this song by Expensive Looks lately so I thought you might too!

Hope you had a wonderful Tuesday. Enjoy.

Look of the week : Hawaii love.

2012-01-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

Husband and I are headed to Kauai in a couple of weeks and I am counting down the days... for many reasons...

1. I have never been to Hawaii before and have heard incredible things, I just know it will live up to the hype!

2. While we have been traveling a lot lately (holidays and the arrival of my niece and nephew) we have not had a ton of alone time for the two of us so I cannot wait for that.

3. I am finally starting to feel better! So bring on the delicious island food...

4 . We are staying at an incredible boutique hotel, which was a splurge, but they had excellent bathrooms and that is our number one priority when booking a hotel!

5. I need some sun on my skin, badly.

6. I have never stood under a waterfall and that is top of my list to do while we are there, I know every tourist in Hawaii gets that classic pic, and well, I want one too!

7. My belly has not quite popped yet, but I imagine as soon as it does I will be way more uncomfortable, so I may as well soak up this time before everything goes out of whack.

8. The hotel has pre-natal massages!

9. I will most likely need to do some trip shopping before we leave :)

10. Did I mention the massage?

Some things topping my list for the trip are a couple of great LemLem scarves that can double as sarongs. I'm on the hunt for a new bikini, even though my belly looks like I have played too much beer pong, I will still bare it :) I also think a sweet piece of jewelry from this designer would be a great accent to wear, they all seem so beachy to me. A must for this trip are easy and comfortable sundresses like this one from Calypso. Lastly I will definitely be packing a couple of flat sandals that I can wear all day!

Any Kauai tips for us?

xo.

Weekend wrap up : Work + Play!

2012-01-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

How was your weekend? Oh, that is right, the weekend is still chugging along for most of you. Unless you work from home, then all holidays are still considered workdays. Dang! That is okay because some workdays we spend on the beach.

Stone and I spent the weekend celebrating his birthday, shooting a wedding in Malibu, and sleeping in on Sunday. Seriously sleeping in, like I did not get out of bed til noon. Yikes. I have some terrible allergies at the moment and have read that when you are pregnant they only get worse. Great. What other terrible things are they going to throw at a woman who is already dealing with morning sickness, backaches, headaches, exhaustion, and becoming larger than life (literally). Well, all this to say I could complain for days about all of the special things that happen when you are pregnant and the even more awesome things waiting for your body after you have that little bundle of joy. But, I won't. Maybe another post. This post is dedicated to the cuteness that will be my child when he sports all of the new duds I got for him from Zara. They were having a massive sale and I had not bought much at all for the little guy so I went a little crazy. The truth is baby boy clothes just don't even compare in cuteness as baby girl. So when I see something good, and it is on mega clearance, I snatch it :) Elbow patches, corduroy overalls, and wool shorts with belt. Yes, please!

Stone and I also started up our 2012 weddings with a bang this past weekend. We headed to Malibu and photographed one of the cutest couples in a truly epic location. What more could you ask for?

And a quote in celebration of the holiday...

"human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless effort and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be co-workers with God." -MLK Jr, 1966

(Thank you Caitlyn for posting this earlier!)

Happy birthday husband!

2012-01-13T21:48:00.000-08:00

Today was husband's birthday. He really does not like celebrating himself, but he married the wrong girl if he truly wants to bypass January 13 every year without a parade and fireworks. Okay, I actually have never gone to that extreme, but I love birthdays so much that I would not put it past me. We actually spent this afternoon at the beach and then grabbed pizza at one of our favorite spots in Del Mar. Simple enough :) Then we celebrated with great friends and good food tonight for dinner! It was perfect, even without all the bells and whistles (I did put a banner up in our kitchen).

Husband, happy birthday. This year is going to be a big one for us and I am so thankful that our son will have such an incredible dad. He is one lucky guy. Same goes for me too ;) I love you tons.

Food to love : Craving a dog...

2012-01-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

One of the first questions people ask me besides 'how are you feeling?' 'when are you due?' and my favorite 'are you ready for a baby?' (I mean let's be honest here, is anyone actually ready to bring a child into this world? I didn't think so... Excited? yes. Ready? never.) is 'have you had any cravings?'. And honestly I have not. I think that is mostly due to the fact that I have barely been keeping food down, much less craving anything beyond stale saltine crackers. But, just in the past week all I want is a hot dog. Now, I know you are thinking that is absolutely the worst thing I could put into my body when trying to grow a healthy strong baby, I agree, this is why I have not had one yet! But, my mouth waters every time I think about them. Anyone know of a good veggie-dog alternative? Probably won't be nearly as good as over processed pig parts, but it might satisfy the craving :) It is actually pretty funny because I am very, very particular when it comes to what meat I will and will not eat. I even swore off red meat in college. But, I have always been able to eat a hot dog, and not Whole Foods Hot Dogs... ballpark hot dogs and even movie theater hot dogs... I am a bit ashamed to admit that one. Ha.

Either way, gourmet dogs are a new thing I hear and I have been having vivid dreams of them lately.

Some interesting topping combos I found that are shown above are...

The Greek Dog : Hummus and Cucumber Relish

The Chicago Dog : Pepper, Pickle slice, Tomato and Homemade Mustard

The Chili Dog : Homemade Chili and Classic Coleslaw

The Breakfast Dog : Homemade Egg Salad and Crispy Bacon

The Piccalilli Dog : British Curried Relish

Paella Dog : Spanish Paella and Saffron Sauce

You can see the recipes here and here!

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2012-01-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

You must of thought that I let the Southern California mentality get to my head a little too much and swore off all electronics including computers. Well that is not true, but kinda true. I took the month (and then some) of December off from blogging, emailing (except with clients of course), online shopping (well, it was Christmas so this one is not totally a truth), tweeting, facebooking and reading other blogs. It was quite nice, but has definitely been difficult for me to introduce my laptop back into my life. I truthfully did not miss it much. Have you ever taken a hiatus from technology? You get a bit shaky at first, which is to be expected, worrying about your inbox filling up and having your small, but dedicated group of blog readers be disappointed with your lack of posts. Soon enough you forget all of that and it becomes the norm, then you get annoyed with everyone else on their phones tweeting, answering emails, and keeping up with the techno savvy society. People like husband, that is :)

Alas, I am back though, and happy to be blogging again. It feels good, and I have oh so much to tell you. Including the biggest news of all, which you may or may not have seen from husband's tweets...

Yup, that's right, we found out end of October that we had a little (big) surprise on the way! Crazy. Stone and I are thrilled to be welcoming a little baby boy (we found that out recently too) this coming June. Truthfully, it took a while for me to get to the emotion of being thrilled, I had a few more I had to cover before getting there. After taking 5 (yes, 5) pregnancy tests just to be sure this was actually happening I went into panic mode first (But, how are we supposed to put a kid through college? Will we ever get to go on the European vacation we have wanted to take? How did this happen again?) The morning and following weeks after the panic turned more into a tearful hysteria... trust me you would not have wanted to be around me during this phase. Husband was a saint throughout of course. After I began to tell people about our little babe that phase turned into more of a 'scared to be a mom, but excited all at the same time' phase. Then I got the morning (which, really is all morning, day and night) sickness, and it hit me hard. Just now, I feel like I am coming out of that and every day I get more and more excited about welcoming this little guy into our lives.

I hope he looks like his dad :)

We also spent the past month preparing to be parents by welcoming our new little niece, Ruthie and nephew Liam into the world.

Stone photographed the C-section, changed his first diaper, and fed and burped the babes like a champ.

I learned all about other lovely post pregnancy things from my sister... things nobody really prepares you for when you are blissfully pregnant. Like the fact you spend more time with your motorized breast pump (which looks way too similar to how farmer's milk cows... way too similar) than you do sleeping in the first months.

We could not have been more happy being able to spend so much time with them and have serious heartaches every time we miss them, which is a lot. We are a bit obsessed with being an aunt and uncle... I cannot even imagine what it will be like being a parent!

I mean, how could you not have a heartache when you are not spending every waking minute with this little one...

it is just impossible!

Sooo we got a lot of Texas family and friend time in...

(Stone, me, my sister Lindsay and her husband Preston)

and then also, headed to Colorado for about 10 days to spend time with our family and friends there too...

(Stone and the boys headed up to their cabin one night for a man's night)

This is definitely one of the benefits of owning our own business, and it does not go unnoticed. We realize it is a huge luxury for us to be able to pack up and leave for a month to spend the holiday with both of our families in two different states and we are ever so grateful for that. I know I say this often, but we just love what we do and could not be more tickled (okay, Stone would never use the word tickled, but that is how I feel at least... my grandma, Nonnie, uses the word a lot and I am trying to bring it back...) by the fact that we are able to make a living doing it!

By the way, I hope you had a Merry Christmas and wonderful New Years!

Some of the highlights of our holiday were...

- Picking out a Christmas tree with my sister and Preston.

- Having my mom take care of me when I was voming from nausea!

- Meeting little Ruthie and Liam.

- Going to the Nasher with my dad.

- Indulging in homemade food for a month straight (thank you mom and Wendy!).

- Seeing all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents at my dad's annual Christmas dinner.

- Getting great seats at A Christmas Carol for less than half of what everyone else spent on their tickets.

- Having a dinner reunion with all my college friends at Oddfellows in Dallas. I highly recommend this place!

- Enjoying a few days of snow in Colorado.

- Getting a manicure with my mother in law and two sister in laws!

- Playing games with the Crandalls... this is a rarity, but we found a game that everyone loves! Hooray.

- New Year's eve at my sister-in-law Kelsey's house complete with sparklers and non-alcoholic champagne. She and her husband, Buck, are the best hosts... she even made homemade Indian food that was insanely good!

We have a lot to look forward to this coming 2012 and I hope you have not given up on me and this blog already because I promise if you stick around things are going to get good. I will be posting some baby inspiration, but this will not become a blog all about baby... promise :)

Talk to you soon. xo.

Tuesday Tunes : Be healed.

2011-11-29T15:27:00.000-08:00

Another great video from Serial Box! This is Stone's favorite as of late and I hope you enjoy it too :) xo.

Weekend wrap up : Let the Christmas fun begin!

2011-11-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

It officially took me 3 hours to sort through all of my email from the four day vacation... yikes! I know that I work from my home, so perhaps I have no excuse to not be answering emails over Thanksgiving, but I figure if people with office jobs get to have a holiday then I am going to give myself one too. This does not really bode well with my boss (husband), but to me holidays are meant for sleeping in, shopping, going out with friends and family, and doing anything but work. So that's what I did and I suppose today I paid the price. I have not moved from the computer all morning. Oofta!

Oh well, I now have a clean inbox and am all rested for the week ahead! How was your Thanksgiving holiday? Mine was pretty great, some of the highlights were :

- Making Thanksgiving dinner with Lacey, our dishes included stuffed mushrooms, two pies, roasted veggies, corn casserole, and chocolate bark! Yowza.

- Having a Thanksgiving slumber party with our friends, The Dodds :)

- Shopping for the first time ever on Black Friday... like hard core, a couple of friends and I woke up when it was still dark outside and waited in line to reap the benefits of Anthropologie's 50% off sale. It was pretty great!

- Watching not one, not two, but three Christmas movies! (Elf, Santa Clause 2 and Polar Express)

- Laying in bed and reading.

- Meeting up with friends for dinner and camp fire at San Elijo campgrounds!

- Getting our gifts ready to bring to church for Operation Christmas Child!

- Going hunting in the tide pools near our house and actually finding a huge star fish! I wanted to bring it home, but husband told me it was illegal. Dang.

- Getting our Christmas cards designed and ordered... feels good to get that done!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Christmas is in full swing and I could not be more excited. xo.

Food to Love : A feast!

2011-11-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

Do you usually cook for the holidays? Or do you leave it up to other family members... maybe even restaurants to pick up the slack? My mom is the queen of holiday meal planning and cooking. She has it down to a science and I dare not interrupt her flow, however since we have grown up a bit Stone and I have taken on a little more responsibility in preparing food for our family holiday meals. We have to travel for the holidays, which limits us a little, but I still love being in charge of at least one dish! I just love an excuse to cook something a little more fancier than the norm. This Thanksgiving I am making stuffed mushrooms (my mom's recipe, which I will share with you soon) and a small dessert. I need to figure that one out still. Yes, this means I have yet to go to the grocery store. Husband and I were just deciding that maybe a late night grocery run would be best to grab the things we need. Hopefully they do not run out of mushrooms. Other than that, we will be good :) We are headed to our friends' family Thanksgiving here and I just cannot wait to sample all of the tasty dishes. If you are like me and still have yet to decide exactly what you are making then have no fear, I compiled a list of incredible options that would be the show piece of any holiday spread. The best reward of cooking is getting the compliments, right? Ha. So hope you have a lovely holiday and that you find yourself in the kitchen creating something delicious! xo.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Kale and Sausage Stuffed Turkey

Crusted Butternut Squash

Brie and Pear Tart

Parker House Rolls

Sausage and Sage Stuffing with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Hazlenuts

Today I am thankful for spending time with good friends!

Tuesday Tunes : I could start fires with what I feel for you.

2011-11-22T16:26:00.000-08:00

This song gives me chills. Every. Time.

To see more videos like this one and an interview with David Ramirez go here!

Weekend wrap up : "There is always money in the banana stand."

2011-11-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Stone and I had a busy and long weekend filled with good friends, good food, and a great engagement shoot. Nothing to complain about here :) Yesterday (I know it was a Monday, but it felt like a weekend to me because we were away shooting all day) we headed to Newport Beach to shoot the most darling (seriously) couple ever. Stone and I got there a bit early and I immediately fell in love with this charming little town. So quaint. It also has an abundance of ice cream shoppes, candy stores, and banana stands. Yup, banana stands. We had to try it out, the bananas were great and the stands had us quoting Arrested Development for a good hour after. If you are unfamiliar with what I am talking about watch this short clip and get caught up! We then headed over to Balboa Island with our clients and had one of our favorite engagement shoots to date. This is from a combination of great weather, beautiful location, and the fact that we just truly loved spending time with this couple. We even grabbed dinner after at a delicious little italian spot Mama Ds... if you are ever in the area I highly recommend. Other highlights of my weekend included dinner with great friends (we always love hanging with the Carter's and Dodd's!) at BO+Beau (now on our list of fav restaurants) and getting my nails done with my friend Jenni! Have you ever gotten a Shellac manicure... I don't think I will ever wear plain old polish again, it is that good.

Happy short week you guys! Something I am thankful for this Tuesday is being able to work with my sweet husband doing something we love! xo.

Yup, this happened.

2011-11-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

We were just dying to have the scent of pine in our house... call us crazy, but last night we pulled out the Christmas decorations, bought a mini pine tree, and went to town :) I just love it and wish we could keep it up year round. I belong in the North Pole.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend! xo.

Food to Love : Warms the soul.

2011-11-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those weeks where the mere thought of cooking meals for the next 5 days is so daunting that you almost want to give in to spending hundreds of dollars at restaurants instead. Well, this Monday felt like that for me. Sometimes I just run out of steam to cook. And I truly love cooking. I love finding new recipes and love the look on husbands face when I have made something new and delicious! But, I only love that when I have unlimited time and have all of the ingredients at my fingertips to create such beautiful meals. It has been a little chilly this week and we have been hiding under a rock hurrying to finish all of our projects before our niece and nephew are born AND the holidays begin. We are so excited about both of these occasions that we want to have as little work to do so we can soak this time up as much as we can :)

Anyway, all this to say I made a mean pot of potato soup and it has lasted us four, yes FOUR, nights. Husband even says he is not tired of it (which, I only half way believe) and I am pretty sure I am going to scrape the pot clean today for lunch. It is so easy and so delish! So if you find yourself wanting to save up all of your cooking energy for this coming Thursday (gobble, gobble) then whip this up for yourself, I promise it won't disappoint. xo.

Country Potato Soup

1/8 cup butter

green onion sliced thinly

1 large onion sliced thinly

1/2 quarts chicken stock (I mixed part stock part milk)

6 large peeled and chopped potatoes

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 cup heavy cream

10 slices of bacon cooked crispy and crumbled

shredded cheddar cheese

s&p to taste

In a large stock pot boil sliced potatoes until soft (about 15 minutes). Drain and return to pot. In a saucepan add butter and onions until caramelized and translucent. Add chicken stock (and/or milk) and cream to potatoes and blend with hand mixer until a smooth soupy (is that a word?) consistency forms. I just kept adding liquid until I felt it was just right. Stir in onions, salt, pepper, and thyme. Divvy up in bowls and enjoy with bacon, cheddar and a few chopped green onions on top!

PATTERN and POP!

2011-11-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

I am looking to add some new things to my winter wardrobe and have been loving animal print shoes to add a PATTERN to any black outfit, but I have to say nothing makes a statement more than a POP of metallic on your feetsies! xo.

Tuesday Tunes : Just a couple

2011-11-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

Husband and Brady (my brother in law) found these tunes for you all today. Both very different, but I love them both! Hope you are having a beautiful Tuesday. Enjoy! xo.

11/15 by Shelby Crandall on Grooveshark

She + He : Mmmmmm.

2011-11-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

There is nothing better than doughnut dates in the morning with husband... puts a smile on both of our faces :)

Gift Guide : A Kate Spade Christmas.

2011-11-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to one of my favorite emails to receive... the Kate Spade Holiday Gift Guide! I am not usually one to shop at Kate Spade year round, but when their gift guide rolls out I just cannot resist. They have the most perfect stocking stuffers, just send your loved one the link and you are bound to get something great on the 25th! Stone and I usually only get things for each others stockings (all surprises) and then beyond that maybe one bigger item that each of us has been wanting (not a surprise). So, I decided to get a jump start on all of my stocking surprises this year and make a little collage of some of my favorite things from Ms. Spade! Love them all :)

Go here to start creating your Christmas wish list! xo.

She + He : Celebrating 3 years.

2011-11-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

Stone and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary the first of this month and I cannot believe we are now headed in our fourth year of marriage. We are so old news :) I always wondered when will I stop feeling like a newlywed, I thought surely after two years, but no... it all still seems so new and fun for us.

On our actual anniversary day we headed to the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. Embarrassingly enough we have lived in California for over a year now and had yet to visit any of the museums, the zoo, SeaWorld, or even Disneyland! Goodness. We were pleasantly surprised with this museum, they had a lovely little outdoor cafe with delicious black bean soup (if anyone has a good recipe for this, please send along I have been craving it ever since!), a great collection of modern art that was all about light, and some beautiful views of the ocean! Following that we headed out to dinner at one of our favorite pizza places called Blue Ribbon Pizza. So, so yummy! Husband surprised me with some Frye boots, which I have wanted for years and years and am so happy to finally have a pair. I gave him a new leather dopp kit with some nice men's product in it... kind of random, but definitely something he would never buy for himself and he will love having.

Spending fun time with husband is the best, especially since we work together. Date nights are a must for us :)

xo.

Inspiration board : Baby, it's cold outside.

2011-11-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

This is true even for us Californians! Today is the kind of day that my one and only wish would be to have a fire place to snuggle right next to. But, because we neither have AC or Heat in our little mansion, I am bundled up with a mug of hot tea (and listening to Christmas music... which is a given). One of my favorite stores, especially during this season, to find all things cozy is Terrain. I always go there for great gifts as well as adding a few things from there to my own wish list. Also on my wish list is a great pair of slippers from Anthropologie, aren't those precious? I really love the polka dot style, but the fur ones do look way more comfy... i'm torn.

Lastly, my favorite indulgence is my furry robe (husband has a matching one, they were necessary for Colorado winters) and this one also looks like it would be so nice and warm. It is even cute enough to wear around with leggings on those days when putting on an actual outfit is just too much effort. Let's be honest, we all have those days!

Hope you are enjoying this season and staying warm! xoxo

PS All of the home items you can find at Terrain!

Food to love : Cinnamon Scones.

2011-11-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was in Dallas visiting family and throwing a baby shower for my sister. It was so good to be home. Right now is the perfect time to be in Texas, it is sunny and crisp outside... it almost makes you forget about the miserable heat this past summer (almost). Well, I also took full advantage of being in Dallas by eating at a couple of great restaurants MoMo's (a family favorite for as long as I can remember) and Company Cafe (this was my first time here, and I will definitely be going again!). But, I have to say, the best part of being home is getting spoiled by my mom's incredible cooking. I know everyone says that their mom is the best cook, but they are wrong, because my mom is. No doubt :) She made an incredible homemade chili, delicious scones, and two amazing quiches. I only hope one day to be as good as she is in the kitchen. It would be a dream to see her open a bakery then everyone can enjoy her food!

I thought I would share the scone recipe for a perfect fall breakfast. Enjoy!

Sweet Cinnamon Scones

Scones

3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 sticks unsalted butter

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 whole egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup cinnamon chips

Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder. Cut butter into pieces then cut into dry ingredients with pastry cutter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in cinnamon chips. Mix together cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour into flour/butter mixture, stirring gently with a fork to combine. Turn onto work surface (mixture will be very crumbly and falling apart). Gently press together on the sides as you flatten or roll the top. Form either into a large circle or a large rectangle. Mix together topping ingredients, stirring with a fork. Sprinkle over the top of the dough, lightly pressing. Cut into wedges or triangles. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Yummmm!

Tuesday (or maybe Wednesday) Tunes : What's that you say? Time for Christmas music?!

2011-11-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yup, that is right, Halloween is over and that means it is time to start listening to Christmas music. I am officially in the holiday spirit and these new Christmas tunes are going to be on constant rotation in our home until 2012 rolls in :) I think it is worth purchasing these too rather than just listening to them on the computer, nothing beats cds full of holiday cheer while you are driving around looking at lights or grabbing some peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks. The best.

xo.

She + He : 3 Year Anniversary!

2011-11-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today is Stone and my 3 year anniversary. We are out celebrating, but I wanted to share a little quick video of our nuptials! Seems like it was just yesterday.

I love you husband, with all of my heart and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to get to spend life with you.

Inspiration board : For the men.

2011-10-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Our three year anniversary is right around the corner (November 1) and I have been contemplating what to get husband as a treat. He deserves it. We usually use the traditional anniversary gift material as a guide and then go from there. This year it is leather, which I am excited about. I have had two leather items on my lust list for a couple of years now and if I hint enough I just might be getting one of them :)

The first year was paper, and Stone gave me a few of these classic books, while I gave him a group of books he had been wanting as well. Second year was cotton and we stretched the rules a bit. I gave Stone a new wetsuit and he gave me a gift card to the spa (which he wrote in the card I would be putting on a cozy cotton robe for the day). It was lovely.

Here are some ideas I have tucked away for gifts for husband, do you do that? Whenever I think of a good gift idea for a friend or family member I try to write it down so that when it comes time I will have ideas! While none of these gifts are leather (I have some leather ideas, but could not spoil the surprise!) I know Stone would be so excited to receive any of them. Especially the motorcycle... which is only in his dreams :)

1 : I saw this beach cruiser and that is what began my idea for a manly inspiration board... Stone would look so good riding around on one of these. Maybe one day :)

2 : The Tie Shop ties. The only tie your guy should be wearing. Trust me.

3 : Stone loves this Julian hard cider. A perfect drink with a kick for fall. I like the branding too, it is very hard core looking!

4 : I am looking to replace Stone's dop kit with something with way more style then the one he got at Target in college and this one fits the bill perfectly.

5 : When we bought our iPhones we just grabbed the cheapest case we could find and told ourselves we would get cooler ones later. Well it is later and our phones want a new outfit. I like these.

6 : Husband already owns them, but they are my favorite shoes of his so I thought I would share them with you. Plus they are designed by a local Encinitas artist!

7 : This is mega on Stone's wish list. He would be forever happy to receive a subscription!

xo.

Food to love : Apple crisp.

2011-10-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry the photos are pretty bad, it tasted much better than it looks!

Stone and I decided to make use of the bounty of apples we got from Julian this past weekend and made apple crisp last night. More like I made apple crisp and Stone sat in the kitchen sipping on hard apple cider that we got from the store. Men ;)

Anyway, it turned out delicious and we enjoyed it while watching Parenthood and dreaming of having a big family. That show will do it to you. It is such a great show, if you have not watched it I highly recommend it!

Back to the crisp. It is the perfect easy fall dessert, and I added some pears for an added kick. Actually I used to really dislike warm fruit of any variation, so now that I am easing into it the softer I can make the fruit the better. I cut very thin slices of the apples and used pears because they are already so soft to begin with.

Apple Crisp

3 sliced apples (small) 2 sliced pears

1/2 c butter softened

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c flour

1 cup oats

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix topping until blended. I really got in there with my hands and smooshed (yup, smooshed) it all together until it was crumbly/buttery goodness. Place apples and pears in a buttered bread pan. Add topping. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Tuesday (or maybe Wednesday) Tunes : In the light house.

2011-10-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

Love this video and doubly love Ben Howard's tunes.

Enjoy!

Weekend wrap up : Much needed family time.

2011-10-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have gone silent these past few days. We had family in town and yesterday was spent doing loads of laundry and answering loads of emails. I hate that this weekend has already past. Stone and I have had these dates on the calendar since early last summer and have been so looking forward to it. His sister Kelsey and her husband Ryan (also known as Buck) and Stone's brother Brady and his fiance Stephanie all came in for a weekend filled with family time and unfortunately cold gloomy weather. C'mon California! Every time we have visitors you bring out the clouds... whats up with that? We are trying to convince our fam to move out here and nice beautiful sunny California weather would definitely give us an advantage! Oh well.

We did take the fam to Julian, CA to pick apples, pears and indulge in some delicious BBQ. Stone and I are always in awe of how we can drive an hour from where we live and be in a totally different climate. It is so fun. I have yet to make anything with all of the apples we brought home, but hopefully this week I can create an apple crisp of some sort. Yummmm!

I think the highlight of the week, however, was our last night bonfire on the beach with friends. This was our first time doing this and it was so fun that it makes me wonder why we waited so long! We had s'mores, told stories, and laughed... a lot! Definitely a memory I will tuck away.

Hope you are enjoying your week, I am happy to be back :) xo.

Food to love : Warms the soul.

2011-10-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

The other night Stone and I were invited to dinner at our friends Lacey and Patrick's home. I love having dinner with these two, not only because Lacey is an incredible cook and always teaches me new recipes, but because we can spend hours chatting with them and then we don't want to leave so we all snuggle in bed together and watch Modern Family together. Ha. That sounds weird, but it wasn't, and we really did do that :)

This week Lacey found the perfect Fall recipe to recreate and it was perfection. I mean really, so yummy. It reminds me of that old Campbell's Soup commercial where the snowman comes in his house and as he is eating the soup it slowly melts off and he turns into a little warm boy. So cute. I miss those old Christmas commercials. Well it felt like that kind of meal... if I was covered in snow it would have melted right off of me. So wait for a chilly night and whip up this meal. It's delish.

xo.

Lacey's Pot Pie

4 pounds chicken breasts with skin and bones (we made a veggie version and chicken version)
4 to 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 butternut squash cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (we used purple and yukon gold potatoes)
Handful of Brussel Sprouts chopped in quarters
1 cup peas

1 frozen pie crust thawed
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced
2 large shallots, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons rosemary
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup whipping cream

Butter 4-quart oval baking dish. Place chicken breasts in heavy large pot. Add just enough broth to cover chicken. Bring broth to boil; reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, skimming surface occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate and cool.

Add veggies to chicken broth in pot. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are just tender, about 10-15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to prepared baking dish.

Strain broth; reserve 4 cups. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Cut meat into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces. Add chicken to vegetables in baking dish.

Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add leeks, shallots and thyme. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Stir in 4 cups broth and white wine. Increase heat to high and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add cream and boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking frequently, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour gravy over mixture in dish. Stir to blend.

Position 1 rack in top third of oven and place baking sheet on bottom rack in oven; preheat to 400F. Roll out crust dough on parchment paper to 15x10 1/2-inch rectangle. Using paper as aid, turn dough over onto filling. Trim dough overhang; tuck dough edge inside dish and press rosemary into dough. Cut slits in crust to allow steam to escape.

Place pot pie on top rack and bake until crust is golden and gravy is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long!).

Look of the week : Snuggle in to fall.

2011-10-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hooray for fall!

One thing I miss most about living in Colorado is having seasons. I love the leaves changing and the first snow. I just don't like that point when you realize the snow is just going to keep on dumping. Truly though, the first snow is pretty magical. When the entire town is white and no one was quite prepared so things are closed and everything is still. I love that.

But, alas, Stone and I have left the snow for a much warmer climate. I will say, however, there is kind of a briskness to the air here and it is making me dream of all things warm, cozy, and pumpkin scented. I know... such a girl :) What can I say? This is our favorite time of the year and it is obvious why...

I am loving the fall fashion this season, but I do have a bone to pick with the trend-makers. Cable knit sweaters? Really? Just two years ago I dropped off two bags full of cable knit sweaters to be donated and they are back in style now. That was a fast turn around, and one that I am frankly not prepared for. Isn't that always the case. I don't think I will hop on that bandwagon this season as I was pretty happy to purge those sweaters and am not ready to invite them back in. But, they are cute I must say...

So put on a sweater, and get cozy... it's fall!

One, Two, Three, Four, and Five

Tuesday tunes : Metals.

2011-10-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

I am loving Feist's new album Metals. Especially the first one I put on this playlist... so good! If you need a little background music for work this would be perfect!

Enjoy! xo.

Weekend wrap up : Shooting and resting.

2011-10-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was wonderful!

Stone and I have been putting the finishing touches on our home and I am happy to announce that I am working from my new desk. No, not the kitchen table anymore, a real desk with a real desk chair! Eeeeeeeeee! We had a couple of shoots this past weekend one located in the middle of the ocean and the other in a grapefruit grove. Win and win. They were awesome! Our car also decided to play tricks on us on our drive back home from our shoot in Temecula and did not go into park... but then told us it was kidding and went into park once we got back to Encinitas. That jokester. It was not funny to us, but it did give Stone a reason to find other uses for my yoga mat...

We also enjoyed a few dinners with friends, which is my favorite thing ever. One recipe that my friend Lacey made for us I will be sharing later on this week because it was perfection on a plate. For real.

Sorry I am a day late posting, but we got a bunch of prints in the mail yesterday and got busy framing and hanging around our house, so I was much too distracted! We will hopefully get some pics of our new place on here soon :)

xo.

Have a fun weekend.

2011-10-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

What are you up to this weekend? Stone and I are on the last lap of finishing up our home organizing/decorating! It really is starting to feel so cozy and I just love it. Cannot wait to show you all photos. We are also headed up to Temecula to shoot an engagement session, which I cannot wait for :) We have never been there and I hear it is beautiful. Speaking of shooting weddings, the photo above is from a recent wedding we shot, Stone and I snuck into the photo booth... so professional, I know.

Hope your weekend is lovely. xo.

That's a wrap : Bonnie + Ed

2011-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

I do not even have enough words to tell you how awesome this wedding was. From all of the details that Ed and Bonnie poured a year of creating, designing, and planning to the beautiful venue, this wedding was definitely a favorite of the season for us. Stone listed out some of the things that they did to make their wedding special and unique to the both of them as artists and as a couple...

hand printed wood save the dates and invitations, custom painted ping-pong table, custom printed ping-pong paddles, hundreds of custom painted birds, hand-cut wood circle "flowers," hand-cut and painted table birds, hand-made wood centerpiece boxes, stamped napkins, ceremony bell shakers, and on and on ... they also made their own bouquet and boutonniere

... crazy, right? Crazy awesome.

These, of course are just some of my favorite shots, but there is so much more to see! Go HERE and check in out, it is worth your while :)

Inspiration board : Dreaming of Seattle.

2011-10-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Really I am dreaming of a vacation with husband... without computers, without having to paint walls, and without having to unpack boxes.

We are hoping to go to Seattle this fall to visit our good friends Gus & Lacey and to celebrate the end of another great wedding season! Neither of us have been to Seattle and all I can think about is good coffee and relaxing rain (with some cute boots to stomp around in puddles). The last two days in Encinitas has been pretty gloomy and rainy, which has been great for hunkering down and organizing our new home. I love nesting and while I am continuing to unpack I am thinking that I should pop on Sleepless in Seattle (Meg Ryan is my all time fav) and get excited about the possibility of our upcoming trip... fingers crossed!

By the way, isn't that poster of Seattle awesome?!

Tuesday tunes : Make a noise.

2011-10-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

I have said it before and I am sure that I will say it again many times more, but, my brother-in-law (Brady) knows his music. I have been the happy recipient of many emails with new songs to jam to. Yup, I just said 'jam to'. These are no exception, enjoy them, and jam on :)

xo.

Look of the week : 100 years of style.

2011-10-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Saw this here and had to share it! Love the clothes, love the music, and love the dancing :)

I miss dancing...

Weekend wrap up : Movin' on up.

2011-09-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Oh man, where do I even begin? We spent the last weekend, along with the help of our generous friends, moving furniture, boxes, and clothing from our old home into our new home. You would think that moving out of a 580 square foot place would not take too much time or energy. But, you would be wrong. How do we accumulate all of this stuff, I am not quite sure. What I am very sure of though is that our next move will be permanent :)

I think what really affected us the most this weekend was the task of painting the walls of our new (very old) home. It was a lovely shade of yellow, green, and purple before we got our hands on it. Now it is a fresh mint green and grey. I love it. And just like I predicted, we feel like we moved into a mansion. Stone and I keep laughing at the fact that we sometimes will try and say something to the other and don't know what room to find each other in! It is awesome.

Speaking of awesome things. Ikea. We have been building things from Ikea this weekend like crazy and I have to say I am pretty impressed with their instructions, it means four girls can piece together a sleeper sofa in one hour flat. Sounds like a riddle :)

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and HAPPY OCTOBER! xo.

That's a wrap : Kate + Jeff

2011-09-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

Above are just a few frames we shot at a recent wedding in Boulder. That last one is a favorite of mine, I just love the movement, it is very romantic.

Go here to see more! xo.

Food to love : Moscow Mule (kinda)

2011-09-29T12:33:00.001-07:00

Stone and I are not big drinkers. I do like a glass of wine here and there, but other than that we are clueless when it comes drinks. Especially mixed drinks.

That is until we tried a Moscow Mule for the first time at one of our favorite restaurants Starlite. It was delicious enough for us to attempt making our own version at home. While nothing we make will be as good as having the real thing out of a copper mug, it is a good alternative. Perfect cocktail for entertaining!

We kind of eye the amounts until it tastes right to us. Also, it is important to note that a true Moscow Mule is made with vodka instead of rum and does not have agave or bitters (those are just an extra special treat).

You can find the mugs here, but it will cost you a pretty penny! Start with a few cubes of ice and poor in about half of a bottle of ginger beer and 2 oz of rum. Next add agave (about 1 teaspoon), bitters (two dashes), and lime (a good squeeze) to taste.

Enjoy!

Look of the week : 1960s.

2011-09-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm... The MET museum's vintage Dior dress collection. So beautiful!

Stone and I have been into all of these new 1960s era tv shows like Mad Men, Pan Am, and Playboy Club. The clothing of that time period makes me feel like a total schlub (yup, I don't know if that is a word, or if it is I don't think I spelled it correctly). I need to step it up!

Go here to see more of these gorgeous gowns.

Feeling Crafty : Falling in love.

2011-09-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

Leaf Identification Guide found HERE

Let's be honest. As much as we all love summer with it's lazy beach days, late sunsets, and sweet fruit, really it is fall that takes the cake. There is nothing better than crisp winter air, cozy sweaters, and leaves changing... nothing.

Stone and I always joke that if you want to sell something to a girl all you have to do is say the word 'cozy' or describe it as something you can 'tuck into'. Seriously, if Stone waned me to go to a greasy taco shop in a sketchy neighborhood, but he described it as cozy then I am sold. Done. That is kinda like what fall is. A cozy season where you can tuck away and read a good book. Precisely why we all love it. I have a few fun crafts on my to do list this fall and I am hoping to try them all out.

Homemade Vanilla : We recently shot a wedding where the bride made Madagascar Vanilla as gifts for all of her guests. Not only was it so cute, but it is something people will actually use! I thought it would be the perfect hostess gift for all of the Christmas parties coming up this season.

Hanging Leaves : I really want to make a leafy garland, but I want to use real leaves. The fake stuff just does not cut it. Of course Martha has the best idea for keeping your leaves colorful and sturdy. Dip them in wax!

Pine Cone Door Hanger : Thought this was a colorful and fun little craft. I don't think it is front door worthy, but perhaps if you have a little side or back door it could be a nice fall touch!

Twig Wrapped Candle Holders : Just a cute touch!

Fall Foliage Wreath : A great alternative to a fresh wreath. This could be perfect for the indoors. Our new front door has a big 'ol window in it so I thought I could put a fresh wreath outside and a more crafty one inside! Getting wreath crazy....

'Thanks' Bottles : Love, love this idea for an easy and cheap home decoration. You could put it on your mantle, bookshelves, or as a centerpiece on your buffet table at Thanksgiving!

Get crafting :) xo.

Tuesday tunes : You and tequila make me crazy.

2011-09-27T14:28:00.001-07:00

I am not usually a huge Kenny Chesney fan, but every time this song comes on the radio (and yes, I do usually have country on in my car thanks to my husband) I love it more and more. Nice rainy day music. Enjoy!

Week wrap up : Life according to my phone.

2011-09-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a while since I have been here! Sometimes it feels like a week goes by in a giant blur without much explanation of what I did with my time. The only proof I have that I did in fact do some things, are the photos on my phone :) For starters, last week, we traveled. Stone and I jumped on a plane to Colorado to see his grandpa (who has been in the hospital the past two weeks) and shoot a wedding. Now we are gearing up for our big move! We have done all of the major things to prepare... we went to Ikea, we purchased a new sofa (one we have been dying for and found on Craigslist!), and even started collecting boxes. Stone and I just have to actually fill those boxes now. I think that will be my job, as he needs to edit like crazy so that he can help with the move. Oofta! So much to do, so little time!

Hope you have had a wonderful start to your week, I am happy to be back. xo.

Inspiration board : Take me home.

2011-09-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

It is two weeks and counting until we move into our new place. TWO!

Stone and I are so excited and our minds are reeling with ideas of what we can do to make a rental into a home. That is my immediate goal whenever I move into a new place... make it cozy! I never thought I would be a girl willing to invite vibrant colors into my home. Always the one to choose olive green over grass green OR rust red over cherry red when decorating. Husband changed all of that. When I first met Stone and saw his college room I was blinded, literally, by the four bright blue walls that he had painted himself.

Since then he has been seeping color (bright color) into my life little by little. NOW I am drooling over mint green sofas, light up marquee arrows, and orange metal clocks. Love it all and cannot wait to have it in my home!

1 : We do not hunt, obviously. But, I am down for hanging these modern animal heads in our home. Rhino is my favorite!

2 : Love all of my magazines. Hate trying to figure out where to put them. Problem solved!

3 : This one came from husband's furniture list, I love that he also likes to furnish and decorate.

4 : Just a little funk for the office! It is a bit pricey, but I think it will make a great statement in the room. Also, debating whether or not to get the 'C' instead.

5 : When Stone and I saw this we knew it had to be ours. It would be an investment piece for us and hopefully would last a lifetime with lots of fabric changes.

6 : Love the poms.

7 : We have never owned a clock... clearly from the iPhone generation!

8 : Eames purists would be disappointed, but these knock-offs are pretty convincing!

xo.

Food to love : Cinnamon drop biscuits

2011-09-14T10:09:00.001-07:00

You know those mornings when you wake up and think 'crap, we have absolutely nothing in our house for breakfast...'

Do you have those mornings? Or is it just me? Usually this happens when Stone and I have been traveling and we get home and go straight to bed then the next morning I wake up praying that while we were gone someone came and re-stocked our house with a fresh load of groceries. Actually that would creep me out if someone just came in our house while we were away, but I suppose if they were delivering coffee creamer, eggs, fresh fruit and other essentials that I would allow it.

The good news is you will always be able to scrounge up enough ingredients to make drop biscuits, so that is precisely what I did. The morning after we got home from Sacramento I whipped these babies up and they were so delicious I thought I had to share them with you. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Drop Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 cup buttermilk (can be low-fat)

2 tsp cinnamon sugar

Heat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives held crisscross fashion, or your fingertips, add the butter to the flour mixture and mix until crumbly. Add the buttermilk and, with a wooden spoon, stir until combined. The dough should be very sticky. sprinkle cinnamon sugar and work into the dough.

Using the spoon or your fingertips, drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Tuesday tunes : I feel alright.

2011-09-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law sent over some pretty great tunes for you to listen to this Tuesday. This guy always knows the new upcoming artists and songs, so you are going to want to take this playlist seriously ;)

Look over your shoulder, make sure nobody is watching while you are perusing blogs at work, pop on your headphones and ENJOY!

Thanks Brady for the suggestions.

That's a wrap : Kelda + Eric

2011-09-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

This is just a small (very small) taste of Kelda and Eric's beautiful wedding in San Francisco. These three photos above are up there with my favorite that we have shot at a wedding ever. There is just something about the fog that makes photos look so romantic. Go here to see the full post from their wedding, trust me you won't be disappointed ;)

xo.

9/11

2011-09-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Stone and I were in the car driving for most of the day yesterday and had a lot of time to talk about September 11th. Every year, I always think back to where I was and what I was doing. I was definitely too young and naive to realize the weight of what had just happened and I will never know the heartache that a lot of people went through and are still going through because of what happened that day. Anyway, I always believe that God can use the terrible things that happen on this world for good, this is just one of the millions of stories of a hero from that day. We watched this a couple of times this morning and I still have goosebumps. God is good, there is not denying that. Watch and enjoy.

Weekend wrap up : The land of beauty.

2011-09-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

This wedding season Stone and I have traveled to well over half of our weddings. It is a strange feeling for us to go to a wedding without having met the bride and groom before. Of course there is the phone calls and on occasion we video chat with clients, but really we barely know them and we are about to be the two faces that they see the most throughout their wedding day. Weird, right? Well, this was one of those weddings. All we knew was that we were shooting a wedding in Nevada City, CA and we needed to be there at 10 in the morning. So that is what we did. We showed up at the grooms' childhood home and were absolutely blown away with all of the incredible thought and detail that was put into transforming this backyard. I seriously cannot wait for you to see photos of this place and the awesome couple (I secretly, but not so secretly, want to be best friends with them).

On another note, I have never been to Sacramento and had no idea how beautiful it is. I kept having to remind myself we were not in Colorado because it is very similar. Stone and I had our first B&B experience... I have to admit that I was a little nervous. The photos of this place involved a lot of porcelain dolls and frilly old bedspreads, but we were down to try it out and we loved it. It felt like we were staying at our grandparents house complete with a hot homemade breakfast. If you have never stayed at one I highly recommend it!

... Oh ya, then we drove the 9 hours back home. Husband is a trooper :)

Tuesday Tunes : Okay, Thursday Tunes...

2011-09-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

A little treat for your ears. Stone and I heard this song just this morning and both fell in love! We hope you like it just as much.

I have had it on repeat since! xo.

Happy Birthday dad.

2011-09-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

We love you and wish we could be celebrating in San Fran with you today :) Hope you are having a wonderful day so far.

Food to love : Asparagus + Gruyere Tart.

2011-09-07T00:07:00.000-07:00

(Photo was taken with my iPhone, and did not turn out too well, but you get the idea!)

Side dishes are always a tough thing for me. If a friend is hosting and asks for me to contribute to the meal I always end up bringing an appetizer, salad, or dessert. I think I just never really know what is a good side dish. Veggies, obviously are great, but I don't really make any fancy veggie dishes that I feel deserve to be shared with friends. So I did my research this time. My friend Ashlyn was cooking grilled chicken with rosemary olive oil bread, and our friend Lacey had already claimed to bring the salad. I was left with sides... yikes! But, chicken is any easy meat to pair with and I brought sweet potatoes that we chopped up and baked with olive oil and rosemary. So yummy. And then thought I would be a bit more gourmet and tried this Martha Stewart recipe. It was a hit, and so easy! Next time you have a dinner party, invite me and I will bring it along ;)

Asparagus + Gruyere Tart

Flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy! xo.

Weekend wrap up : People watching.

2011-09-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend my mom (Becky) and sister (Lindsay) came to visit! I knew I had to convince them to make it out to the west coast before the babies were born or else it was likely that it would not happen for a while. So, they flew in on Thursday and we spent the long weekend hanging on the beach, cooking, showing them our favorite spots in Encinitas, talking about life with the babies (less than 3 months away!) and taking long walks. It seems that Encinitas likes to play tricks on us because Stone and I are always raving about the incredible weather, but then every time we have visitors it is gloomy as all get out. So our day on the beach did little in the way of bronzing us, but it was still warm and fun people watching. Does that sound creepy? I love to people watch and usually I try and figure them out, I can write a whole story about a person just by watching them. Not that it would actually be accurate, but interesting none the less. I wonder what people watchers come up with when they see Stone and I?

Either way it was a lovely weekend ending on a great note with a delicious dinner at our good friends' The Carters house! Can't beat that.

Welcome back to work. xo.

That's a wrap : Stephen + Amy

2011-09-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

I so wish that I could have been here for this wedding! But, alas, I was fulfilling bridesmaid duties in Texas (which, I have to say, was a total blast as well!) while Stone was in Boulder with Stephen and Amy taking photos of their beautiful wedding day complete with mountain views and incredible dance moves. Go here to see the complete wedding and the reception that looked more like an awesome breakdance party! Enjoy.

Inspiration board : Clothing and color.

2011-08-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm, I have to say this is prob one of my favorite inspiration boards that I have made so far. Stone and I have all sorts of new things on the horizon... moving into a larger home, becoming an aunt and uncle (times 4), and of course FALL. This is one of my favorite seasons to shop for, as I am sure is the same with most of you. So if you go to my favorite shops across the world wide web you will find shopping carts full of boots, cable knit sweaters, felt hats, and warm colors. Love it all. You would also come across some shopping carts full of baby goodies for my nieces and nephews to come! I just cannot even wait to meet them. And lastly, there are thousands of dollars worth of items in online bags of home furnishings, rugs, lamps, and all things home decor. Basically I would need to be somewhere on the level of Donald Trump to afford the things I have saved to purchase online. Oofta. Not gonna happen, but you can't blame a girl for dreaming can you?

Hope you enjoy just a taste of my shopping carts ;)

xo.

1 : This dress is perfection, if only I worked in a really swanky office in Manhatten. There is not much need for it when I literally walk from my bedroom to my living room to work. Ha!

2 : A must for this Fall. A must.

3 : I mean, who would not want to throw this on as their PJs, love it.

4 : Okay, I have to get one for each of my future nephews and nieces. They are just the cutest little animals, the hard part is deciding which one to choose!

5 : A little splash of color for your Fall wardrobe. Arm candy!

6 : Is it too much to ask for our next living room to replicate everything from this room? The wall color, bookshelves, and comfy seating is pretty awesome!

7 : As Rachel Ray would say 'Yummo'. The perfect fall cake, I have huge doubts I could recreate this one to look so pretty though.

8 : I am still STILL trying to find the best shade of red for my lips. On another note, I cannot wait for Glee to be back on!

Food to love : Jenni's Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies.

2011-08-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

This girl can bake. Since she and her husband moved out west (just a quick jaunt from where Stone and I live!) she has made us incredible cookies and scones. I mean who really makes scones from scratch? Jenni does. And they are awesome.

We were over at their house recently and she offered us these delicious cookies, which I know so many of us have had and loved for years. There was something different about these though, something that made me go back for seconds and even thirds. So I thought I must share the recipe with you all too so we can stop sticking Hershey Kisses in store bought Peanut Butter cookie dough and calling it good :) Hope you feel inspired to get in the kitchen and bake something. I know I do.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 cup butter

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 doz chocolate kisses

Beat margarine, peanut butter, 1/2 cup granulated and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add and blend into creamed mixture. Place the 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1" balls, roll in sugar to coat. Place balls 2" apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven, quickly top each with a kiss, press down firmly. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely, store airtight. Makes about 3 dozen.

Enjoy!

Tuesday Tunes : The Cave.

2011-08-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

I had not seen this video until recently when it was nominated for a mtv music video award. Mumford and Sons can really do no wrong in my eyes and they lived up to the hype with this video as well. Hope you like it :)

Some of my other favorite nominated videos were :

Justin Bieber 'U Smile'

Adele 'Rolling in the Deep'

The Black Keys 'Howlin for You'

Bruno Mars 'Grenade'

My bones are tired...

2011-08-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hope you are having a wonderful Monday so far. Stone and I are back home finally from our weddings in San Francisco, Boulder, and LA. Whew! It was definitely a whirlwind, but oh so fun. All three weddings were totally unique and beautiful... we feel pretty blessed to be working in this business and to have such incredible clients! I cannot wait to begin sharing all of these photos with you. But, a secret, just between you and me I slept until almost 11 today.

Whoops! It is hard having such a demanding boss not only do I assist him at weddings all around this great country, but he also expects me to answer emails, blog, AND have dinner on the table at the end of the day! Goodness, who knew working for your husband could be so tiring :) Seriously though, this girl needs some rest. I will be back tomorrow, don't you worry. xo.

If you want to see a little shoot we did of our good friends The Grovers while we were in Sonoma this past week, head over here! Enjoy!

Have an adventurous weekend!

2011-08-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Stone and I are currently sitting in the airport delayed. Ugh. Oh well! We are so pumped to be there, it has been two years since we were in San Francisco and we just love it. We are shooting a wedding this weekend and then off to Sonoma for a little bit of R+R. Cannot wait.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend and if you get the chance head over here to see photos from the last time we visited San Francisco! xo.

Food to love : Corn and Bean Salsa.

2011-08-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Alright, so the recipe I am sharing today really does not involve cooking or even skills in the kitchen. It is simple and it is oh so good. My mom has actually been making this salsa for years and it has always been a family fav. When we were in Crested Butte with them just recently my husband, while devouring his 80th chip full of this stuff, asked me to please get the recipe and start making this for us at home. So I did. And husband is happy.

You should make it too. It will make you happy!

Becky's Corn and Bean Salsa

2 cans unsalted black beans, drained

2 ears roasted corn cut off cob, or 1 can corn, drained

1 jar corn, or corn and bean salsa

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 bunch cilantro

fresh cherry tomatoes, cut up small, to taste

fresh lime juice, to taste

add chopped avocado before eating because it will not keep overnight

Combine all of the ingredients from above into a large bowl, mix it up, and serve! Easy peasy!

Enjoy.

Inspiration board : Just some things...

2011-08-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

So, my inspiration board this week is kind of a cluster, but that is what an inspiration board is supposed to be, right? Just some things I have seen lately and liked. I kind of have all things 'home decor' on the brain since we signed a lease at our new place! We do not move for another month and a half and I just don't know how Stone and I are going to contain our excitement for that long. We really are bursting at the seams to be in a place with TWO WHOLE BEDROOMS! I mean, I just do not even know what I will do with that much space. And on top of that, the kitchen, living room, and dining room are all separate areas of the house. Right now, our office, kitchen, dining room, and living room are all one space! We did the best we could to make it comfortable and stylish (I will take photos to show you before we move), but we will feel like kings and queens in this new place and we both have so many design ideas for it too. If you want a constant feed of the things we are both scheming for our new home you can follow our Pinterest 'Home' pages.

Stone and Shel

1 : We just finished Friday Night Lights last night. I cannot believe it is over, I spent last night re-writing some of the conclusions in my head so that it all ended the way I wanted it to (Is that weird? No. Very normal I am sure). Anyone have any suggestions of what we should start watching now, I am open!

2 : Babies are one the brain. Not my own, but the multitude of nieces and nephews that Stone and I are about to have! If you are feeling generous, go here to donate to Stone's brother and his wife's adoption fund.

3 : Love pretty much everything about this house.

4 : I am trying to find a fan similar in style but not in price? Anyone have a good suggestions? Why are there not more design-y fans out there for those of us without ones installed in our ceilings?

5 : I think these are pretty great. I would probably spray paint them some color and maybe hang my necklaces off.

6 : Cool retro chairs for when you are entertaining extra guests!

7 : A great way to store your specs.

Tuesday Tunes : Pumped Up Kicks.

2011-08-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

I have been liking this song for a while now, and ever since I saw their video I think I like them even more! One of my favorite things is when a band makes their video more like a documentary on the road with them playing at concerts, riding on their tour bus, and visiting different cities. I like it because you can get a sense of the kind of people they are and I think that Stone and I would totally want to be friends with these guys. Rather, Stone would want to surf with them and I would want them to play music around a campfire :) Hope this pumps you up for another Tuesday!

Enjoy. xo.

Look of the week : Summer in the wine country.

2011-08-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

Stone and I are headed out at the end of this week to shoot a wedding in San Francisco and then have some down time with friends and wine in Sonoma Valley. Not bad, right? We are so excited! We went to Sonoma a little over a year ago and fell in love with the town and of course the wineries. Last time we went it was May so it was a bit early for grapes to actually be on the vine, but this time around it should be close to picking season! Hopefully we can spend at least a day perusing vineyards, I have already checked out the forecast and it looks beautiful! So, I decided the look of the week would be for grape picking and wine tasting :)

Hope you enjoy.

Hat : Nordstrom

Necklace : Calypso

Top : Quicksilver

Shorts : Steven Alan

Bag : Steven Alan

Shoes : Repetto

Wine Bag : Tipsy

Weekend wrap up : 'You is kind, you is smart, you is important.'

2011-08-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

I am a little late on blogging today, mostly because I avoided my inbox all weekend and had to play major catch up all morning/afternoon. Truly, it is 4 and I JUST finished writing back all of the emails. Craziness!

How was your weekend? Stone and I had the first weekend in months without a wedding. As much as we love our job and shooting weddings, it was pretty great to have a small break from it all. We took full advantage of it too! We had dinner/game night with friends and ate delicious burgers + drinks at one of our favorite restaurants Starlite, we found a house to rent when our lease is up in October (yup, that's right, a HOUSE! we are going crazy with all of the possibilities...), and we went to see The Help at a swanky new theater in town. Have you ever been to these new deluxe theaters. They are more expensive, but have the most comfortable reclining seats and a waiter that brings things like lattes and gourmet popcorn to you while you are watching! Not something we will do often, but definitely a treat!

I loved the movie, by the way. Obviously not as much as the book, but still Emma Stone is the perfect Skeeter... exactly how I imagined her to be.

So on to another week, I have a 'To Do' list about a mile long... things are not looking good if my emails took me more than half the day, hopefully I can pick up the pace!

xo.

That's a wrap : Rachael + Mike

2011-08-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

A little while back now, Stone and I headed to Yorkville, IL to meet Rachael and Mike. This is a place many of you will probably never have the privilege of actually visiting. Yorkville is a small farm town right outside of Chicago and while we got to spend some time exploring the city, I have to say we probably loved discovering some of the unique areas of this little town even more!

LOVE the invites by Posh Paperie!

We had the best time shooting their portraits! Go HERE to see more.

Beautiful decor and flowers by some of our favorite planners and friends Carter&Cook!

Inspiration board : Feeling crafty.

2011-08-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

I have talked about Pinterest many times in the past, but recently my inspiration folder on my desktop has been exploding with craft ideas mostly. The problem with living in such a small space like I do, is that there is barely room enough for the things we already have let alone new crafts and such. Hummmphhh. So in the future these are on my to do list and I hope that they inspire you to get crafting.

BTW... I am very aware that these 'Keep Calm And...' posters are way overdone, but I had to use it this once! It just fit the post too well.

Wreath : I am always on the hunt for a wreath that will transcend all seasons. Like I said before, our little home does not come with much storage for things like wreaths, so I need one that will look fitting year round AND that I wont get tired of. I think something like this one would do the trick!

Lampshade : Made of PAINT STICKS?! Who would have known. I feel like I would have bought this from Pottery Barn, I love tricking people into thinking I paid tons for something when really I just made it myself :)

Planter : I have seen this around for a while now and just need to do it. It wont take up much space and looks very modern and cool. I would definitely have to fill it with succulents as my history of keeping plants alive is not good.

Bracelets : Okay these for sure won't take up too much room in out home and they are so trendy, I love them!

xo.

Happy birthday mom.

2011-08-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Tunes : Rolling in the Deep.

2011-08-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know this song is nothing new. We have all loved it since her album released, but have you seen this video? Maybe I am just behind, but I had not seen it until this morning and I just love it. So beautifully made. I love the glasses of water vibrating to the drum beat, pretty awesome.

This girl gives me chills everytime. Enjoy!

UPDATE

My friend, Gus, just sent me this video of a military group singing 'Rolling in the Deep' and they sound so similar!

Food to love : Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork.

2011-08-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

I have been on a roll lately making new recipes! One of my favorite places to be inspired is Pinterest, which I am sure most of you have heard of and are even using. I am all about seeing photos of recipes before I actually cook them, and Pinterest does just that. Sometimes I will dust off my big 'ol cookbooks and pick out something, but only a few of my books actually contain photos and like I said... that is a necessity!

This delicious recipe in particular I found on Pinterest. Stone and I felt super swanky because this meal is a far cry from the normal pizza or sandwiches we are used to making :) Enjoy!

Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Recipe found here.

4-5 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pork tenderloins

Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over pork. If you have time, marinate overnight... we did not and it still tasted great!

Sear the tenderloins on all sides. then grill for about 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.

Let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing! Serve with pilaf and a salad!

Delish.

Weekend wrap up : Hanging with the Swedes!

2011-08-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

I am not a lover of doughnuts. Well, homemade doughnuts are another story. My dad used to make the best homemade doughnuts covered in cinnamon sugar, but for some reason every time I have tried to make them I have failed miserably. Yesterday I woke up with hankering for a rainbow sprinkles doughnut... so random. But, it was all I could think of and husband was laying next to me sleeping soundly and I could not wait! So I "accidentally" kicked him and he woke up! It worked. 5 minutes later we had gathered as much change as we could find around the house (this is a CASH ONLY type place, and unfortunately we never have cash) and headed to Leucadia doughnut shop. There they were, perfectly sprinkled and ready for me to take! We came home ate doughnuts, made eggs, and had coffee. Then we watched Friday Night Lights for at least 2 hours. The best.

By the way, have you watched that show? Stone and I are almost finished with the last season and it is well worth the many hours we have spent watching it. I mean who does not love a show about Texas football?! Anyway, you should check it out.

I have to tell you about the wedding we shot on Saturday! When the groom walked out in his tan linen suit, in which he had hemmed the pants into shorts, we knew this was going to be an awesome wedding. I did not know this before, but I am into suits with shorts... definitely. Pierre (the groom) was born and raised in Sweden and moved to New York 2 years ago where he met his beautiful new wife Cleshawn. We loved this couple from the start and felt so honored to be a part of the marriage of their two very different worlds. The Swedes came to LA for the wedding and could not have been a more friendly and beautiful family. They also brought traditional Swedish candy, which made us like them even more :) Best thing about this wedding? It turned into a pool party after dinner and the bride and groom did the inaugural plunge dressed in their wedding attire! So fun.

We ended the weekend at our friends Sean and Brianne's house. They made an incredible salmon and we spent the night laughing and chatting... don't you love having friends like that? We feel very fortunate to know them, you should check out their blog here!

Happy Monday. xo.

Have a delicious weekend!

2011-08-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

Have you seen this beautiful recipe video? It makes a simple ribboned asparagus salad look absolutely mouthwatering. Love it. I have been working on my culinary skills and am just so inspired by all of the food blogs, videos, and books that are out there now. All I need is a sweet kitchen and then I have a feeling my cooking will really take flight :)

Stone and I are off to LA this weekend to shoot a wedding that we have been looking forward to all season. Want to know the best part? After dinner, drinks, and dancing the reception is turning into an all out pool party. I cannot wait! We also are hoping to find time to see this movie. I have heard good reviews and since it has been ages since we have been to see a movie in the theaters I feel like it is about time. Going to movie theaters is one of my favorite things, unfortunately there are not theaters near our house and the one that finally opened decided to be all swanky and charge people an arm and a leg to go. Hummmphhh.

ENJOY these links to love and have a delicious weekend.

Stone and I feel like two geezers lately, sitting on the front row and squinting to read the projector at church. It is time for some specs, maybe from here.

I thought this video was pretty hilarious.

Love these for s+p.

It might be imperative for us to buy one of these soon! Our lives seem to be captured on our iPhone.

A fun new do. Cannot wait to try it out...

xo.

Inspiration board : Color blocking.

2011-08-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

I am very much into this new trend of color blocking. Have you gotten the latest JCrew catalog? That is pretty much the theme for an updated fall wardrobe and I love it!

Whether I am decorating my home or dressing myself it is a very modern and vibrant twist. The good thing about this trend is that is can be done with things you already own. Just take solid colored things and go a little crazy... think you have too many colors on? Add one more and you will be good :)

I gathered some of my favorite color blocking ideas for this season and I hope you will feel inspired to put on those hot pink pants, bright yellow sweater, and purple flats and wear them together proudly! xo.

1 : I AM IN LOVE WITH THESE WEDGES! Seriously. Anyone know a good knock off pair? These are a bit pricey, but oh so cute.

2 : Pink, orange, and nude has to be one of my favorite color blocking combos! I think a dress like this could carry well through all seasons too. Again... anyone know of a similar, less expensive dress?

3 : Love this piece by Jonathan Adler. Makes me want to go buy a bucket of paint in every color and go to town on all of our furniture!

4 : Ooo la la. You are bound to turn heads with shades like these.

5 : A great update for your bookshelves!

6 : Another reminder that I have got to learn how to sew. It would be so easy to create cute color blocked pillows like this one.

7 : Again with the pink, orange, and nude color combo. It just works.

8 : A different color for every finger nail? Why not.

9 : A line up of some of my favorite color blocking looks by JCrew :)

That's a wrap : Blog love!

2011-08-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hello lovies!

Stone and I feel so unbelievably blessed by every one of our clients and the opportunities that we have had. Since the last time we talked, Stone and I have shot a bunch of absolutely incredible weddings and I cannot wait to share them with you. Until then, if you get a chance check out these wedding blogs to find some of our recent shoots! Enjoy!

Snippet and Ink and Green Wedding Shoes

Style Icons : Courtin-Clarins Sisters

2011-08-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

After reading the large spread on these sisters in the newest Vogue, I would be lying if I did not say I have a style crush on these two. At first glance I thought, I could never pull off the wild outfits that these two seem to look flawless in. And while I still would have a hard time with the tie-dye leggings and neon green heels, I thought I would try to put a spin on these outfits for the every day girl. With Fall soon approaching I have noticed that there are absolutely zero rules this season. White? Sure. Pastel? Why not. Color? LOTS of it. In the past it seems like the stores have tried to keep us in muted and dark colors when the weather turned cold, but now it is another story and I love it. I am going to try to keep this a regular thing on the blog taking high fashion and spinning into an affordable, similar look. Every now and again I may even try and find some pieces in my own closet that would work, while my efforts to complete the 30 for 30 were weak (I know, I know...) I still would like to try and figure out new ways to wear my clothes so I do not get so bored with them so quickly!

SO introducing the newest style icons... I hope you love them as much as I do :) xo.

Virginie Courtin-Clarins

Raen Sunglasses

JCrew Sweater

Marc by Marc Jacobs Bag

Calypso Skirt

Madewell Shoes

Claire Courtin-Clarins

JCrew Hoodie

Urban Outfitters Tank

Elson Jeans

Dolce Vita Shoes

Food to love : Egg in the hole.

2011-08-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

So there may not be a lot in our fridge at the moment, but at least we have bread and eggs! This morning I was feeling creative and thought I would try out this spin on the classic toast and eggs. Delicious! Husband was very impressed too so I made sure not to tell him how easy it was :) Enjoy.

Egg in the hole

(recipe found in The Pioneer Woman Cookbook)

Sliced Bread (next time I want to try it with sourdough)

Butter

Large Eggs

Salt

Pepper

Using a juice glass cut a hole in the center of the bread. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, then place the bread into skillet and allow it to begin toasting (bring heat up to medium). After a couple of minutes crack a large egg into the hole, sprinkle with s+p and then cook for about 1 minute. Using a spatula flip the bread, the top should be nice and toasted and the egg white should have cooked through. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper then cook for about 1-2 minutes until egg white is firm and the yolk is just beginning to harden. Serve with fruit and coffee!

Yummm.

Oh, hello there!

2011-08-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Woah. Three weeks of traveling can really take a lot out out of a girl! But, alas, we are home and feel like we are drowning in 'to do' lists...

- edit 2 weddings

- complete 4 wedding albums

- unpack (ugh!)

- clean, clean, CLEAN

- grocery shop so we can stop eating out

- water plants that died while we were gone in effort to try and revive them

- prepare for wedding this weekend

- catch up on photo blog

- catch up on 'in a nutshell' blog

- shower

- exercise to burn off the calories from the delicious homemade food i spent the last three weeks inhaling

You see! Lots of things! But, oh did it feel good to see our family, catch up with friends, and sleep in. Dallas was wonderful, minus the 112 degree weather (I do not think that there was a moment the entire time I was there that I was not sweating). My time in Dallas was spent celebrating the marriage of my sweet friend and college roommate Lauren, seeing my sister's pregnant belly in person (we found out is is a boy & girl, so exciting), eating at some of my favorite Dallas restaurants, going to an outdoor concert at the arboretum, and spending as much time in the pool as I possibly could!

As soon as my plane touched down in Colorado, husband picked me up and whisked me off to the mountains where we spent a week with his family in Crested Butte. My family drove up the next week so we had back to back family vacations, so fun! The weather was perfect and we biked, hiked, read books, shot a wedding, played on the lake, picnicked, played dominoes, talked about the babies and drank more coffee from here than was probably healthy.

I have to say it feels wonderful to be back. As much as I enjoyed my time away from blogging (I suggest all bloggers take breaks here and there), I feel like I am coming back with plenty of new, fresh, and fun ideas that I cannot wait to share with you. Thanks for being a loyal reader and sticking with me through my short hiatus from the blog community. xo.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

2011-07-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hello there lovies!

I have some news. Lately, I have felt a little un-inspired and writing blog posts has begun to feel more like a chore than a creative outlet. So, for the next few weeks as Stone and I are traveling around shooting weddings, vacationing with family, and going to weddings I will be taking time off from blogging. I will post every now and then, but not as regularly as I usually do. Also, if you have any post ideas or would like to guest post I would just love that! Please email me at shelandstone@gmail.com and we can plan it out :) Until then, I am excited to see what new and exciting ideas I can come up with for this blog and I hope you meet me back here in three weeks... we'll make it a date!

xoxo.

Inspiration board : Your summertime reading log.

2011-07-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ever since my dad gave me a Kindle last Christmas I have been flying through books. I know some of you stick your noses up to Kindles, Nooks, iPad... etc. But, I will say it has been a great thing for me to carry around wherever I am and just pull out and read a couple of pages (yup, I am that girl that is reading at stop lights in my car). I do still buy books that I think are worth adding to our library, but, as you can see above there are some titles that really do not fit on the shelves in a living room :)

So, here are my recommendations for your summertime reading list. Do you remember when you were a kid and the local library would give you a reading list with goals and you could win prizes for how many books you read. I never really won any of the big time prizes, I always got the lame things like a stack of bookmarks or $5 off at Cici's Pizza. Anyway, if only they did that for adults, I am pretty sure I would be a front runner for this summer.

Some of these books I have yet to read and have been on my list, others I read forever ago and would love to read again. And, guys, just a warning, about half of them are intended for the female population... chick lit if you will. Enjoy!

The Help : Such a great book. Truly, one I could not put down, unfortunately the ending was pretty abrupt. I am hoping the movie (coming out soon) makes up for that!

The Pioneer Woman, Black Heels and Tractor Wheels : My sister sent me this for my birthday and I cannot wait to dive in, a love story between two states... sounds familiar!

Twenties Girl : I am a big fan of Sophie Kinsella and would recommend all of her books, seriously! This is one of my favorites because it combines mystery with romance.

The Overnight Socialite : A modern day Cinderella story, what could be better?

Cutting For Stone : I have heard rave reviews for this book and cannot wait to read it for myself.

The Time Travelers Wife : Honestly, I have started this book about 4 times and never finished, but I loved the movie and am hoping that 5th time's a charm.

Heaven is For Real : Stone literally read this entire book on our flight to D.C. and he has recommended it to everyone since. I have not read it yet, but again, it is on my list!

Creative, Inc. : For anyone who has the dream of having a small business in the creative field, this is your book. It answers ever question you may have on how to become successful!

The Art of Racing in the Rain : I am bringing this book to Colorado and am so excited to read it, I have heard great things. I think it will make me want to get a pup even that much more!

Water for Elephants : We just saw the movie and I would love to read the book.

Bergdorf Blondes : I read this in college and think Plum Syke's is a great chick lit writer!

Bossypants : Hilarious! This book has both Stone and I rolling, you can really hear Tina Fey's voice in the book and if you are a 30 Rock or SNL fan, you will love this book.

Food to love : Summer pasta.

2011-07-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Some nights Stone and I just need something quick and easy for dinner... actually, most nights that is what we need! I found this recipe here and as soon as I saw the main ingredients of goat cheese and asparagus I knew it was right up my ally. Yumm yumm! I actually really liked it as cold leftovers the next day too, a perfect little lunch.

Summer Pasta

Spiral Noodles

Skinny Asparagus

Log of Goat Cheese

Lemon

Salt + Pepper

Olive Oil

Cook noodles as directed adding in chopped asparagus 10 minutes before pasta is finished. Pasta should be al dente and asparagus should be pretty soft. Strain. Add chopped up goat cheese log into hot pasta/asparagus mixture and stir. The cheese should melt making a nice cream sauce. Squeeze one half lemon on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add olive oil if you prefer sauce to be a little creamier. Enjoy!

Weekend wrap up : Happy Fourth!

2011-07-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend!

Stone and I had a blast this weekend celebrating Independence Day... probably my favorite Fourth yet! We woke up and enjoyed our sweet neighborhood parade, rode to the beach to have tacos and hang with friends for the day, and then headed over to our friends' house for BBQ and fireworks! Just perfect.

xo.

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Even though this is sung by a bunch of Canadians and written by a Somalian, I still thought it was relevant for today! Wave your flag and have a happy fourth of July!

xo.

30 for 30 : Seven, Eight, and Nine!

2011-07-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have some outfits to catch you up on! Wooohoooooooo!

Similar Top , Dress , Similar Belt

I rarely get to dress up in our profession (which is something I love to do!), except for weddings of course. So I try to snazz (yup, just said that) it up a bit when we are meeting with clients or going to walk throughs. There are just so many cute dresses in my closet that are being neglected, so I have to pull them out sometimes... this outfit was different for me because I layered a top over a dress and belted. I thought it worked out pretty well!

WHITE JEANS! Yikes. I was super scared to start incorporating these into my wardrobe, but, I live in California now and they just seemed appropriate :) Lately I have been wearing them with longer tops like this one, it is a very fresh look, I think :)

Just a casual look. This really was not pushing any boundaries for me. I have just recently pulled this purse out of the depths of my closet and love it!

xo.

Week wrap up : Girl time!

2011-06-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Kels has been in town for the past few days, which is why I have been a bit missing in the blog world. I thought I would catch you up on some of our happenings. We have had such an incredible time including, but not limited to, the beach, paddle boarding, craft night (I did not know I was capable of making such incredible necklaces... more on that to come!), making homemade mango salsa, the spa, seeing Bridesmaids (round 2), and pool time! Can't get better than that can it?

xo.

Tuesday (or Wednesday, rather) Tunes : Splitscreen love.

2011-06-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law, Brady, sent me this beautiful video and I love it, I probably watched it four times to try and catch everything that was happening between the two screens! It was just beautiful, and also touched a soft spot in my heart for people in long distance relationships... Enjoy!

xo.

Have a beautiful weekend.

2011-06-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello!

What are your plans for this weekend? Stone and I are headed out today to shoot a wedding at the San Diego Safari Park! How cool is that?

So I don't have much time at the moment to post any links to love, but hopefully I can later tonight... until then, happy Friday, I hope it's a good one :)

xo.

30 for 30 : Four, Five, and Six!

2011-06-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hello loves! I have combined a few more 30 for 30 outfits for you. Enjoy!

For this outfit I am "remixing" the striped silk dress. I usually try and keep casual fabrics together and dressy fabrics together, so it was a bit different for me to pair a silk dress with messy bun and sneakers. I liked it!

Dress (shirt) , Similar Skirt , Similar Scarf , Similar Shoes

I have never in my life tucked a dress into a skirt (or any bottoms for that matter) and called it an outfit. But, this striped dress is so versatile, and I have been wanting a top similar that I thought 'why not?'. It worked well for this outfit, but doubt it would look as nicely when tucked into pants or shorts :)

These were my first pair of wide leg jeans and I love them! They are so comfy and a great alternative to skinny jeans (for days when there is no way on this earth you would even think about wearing skinny jeans... we all have those days). I have found that tucking things into wide leg jeans looks more polished, if I do wear something untucked I at least make sure to belt it so I have some body definition!

Happy Re-Mixing! To see more about 30for30 go here.

Why am I doing it? Read here.

Inspiration board : Hot fun in the summertime.

2011-06-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

Stone and I spent some time last night coming up with our favorite things of summer. While the list was way too long to represent above, I did compile some of my favorites from the list for the inspiration board today! Summer is so nostalgic for me (as I am sure it is with many of you too), all I think about is riding my bike outside for hours, having lemonade stands (we also did a shaved ice stand, which really was the money maker), playing on the many lakes Texas has to offer, and of course family vacations where we spent over 2 days together in the car traveling! And here we are again, like clockwork, it is summer and time to make new traditions. Stone and I think we want to start doing a beach bonfire at least once each summer :)

Hope you find this list inspiring! xo.

1 : The fruit that summer produces is the best! Our fridge is constantly stocked with fresh cut up fruit (I have to make it easy and accessible for husband to eat it!).

2 : Cocktail hour! Enough said.

3 : This was obviously one of Stone's choices... riding around in a kind of car with the top off, probably picking up the ladies :)

4 : Beach bonfire. I am a bit intimidated by this summertime activity only because I am not fire savvy at all, but I can't wait to try!

5 : Just a good movie.

6 : BBQs! This is the best summertime activity, good food and good friends cannot be beat!

7 : FroYo for obvious reasons.

8 : Have you ever been to a drive in movie theater? There is one in the town that Stone grew up in that we have been to, they are pretty fun and are always double features so you can just lazy the night away.

9 : Bare feet. This was another of husbands, he grew up in Colorado where you really do not take off you socks but for about 4 months each year. But, I have to agree, walking on the beach with bare feet is pretty great.

That's a wrap : Hello, Summer!

2011-06-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday was officially the first day of summer! I am just waiting for the California weather to hear the news and start acting like it :) It is overcast and breezy. Husband took this photo (go HERE to see the rest of the shoot) above for a couple's engagement shoot and it pretty much is the idyllic summertime photo. I have always loved it! I just wish that our summer could be nothing more than lounging in the pool chatting and soaking in some rays!

xo.