Wednesday, October 20, 2010

it's all in the details.

By now, it's really no surprise that I am a terrible blogger. I tried to do the 30 days - and I gave it a good attempt, but having three jobs...life gets in the way. But, I digress. I had a surprise party for my mom at my house on October 9, and it was a drunkfest amazing. This year marks her 55th birthday. I like it when numbers make sense, and if you do the math, you'll find that she was born in 1955, turned 55 and her birthday is 10/15.

My sister and I worked hard for months, getting decorations, finding addresses of mom's friends, buying champagne, sending invites, etc etc and I think the hard work paid off. Mom was genuninely surprised and I was so happy with the way everything turned out.

We had a professional photographer attend the event to capture everything and he was awesome. Check out the packaging on my cd I received in the mail from Bella Grace Studios:
So great, right? It's the little things. I was so happy to receive this, I almost didn't want to open it. Pictures from the party to come...tomorrow. Promise.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Day 23: a YouTube video

So, I don't check out YouTube frequently, so I'm just posting a YouTube video of my favorite commercial that's out right now. I love commercials. I guess it's the marketing gal in me, but I love them. I'm also a sucker for talking animals. The happy cows come from California? Love them. The KIA hamsters? Adorable. But this - this takes the cake:

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Day 22: A website

I'm totally trying to make up for lost time full of surgery, a gimpy hand/wrist and preparing for this weekend's Bourbon Ball.

So, a website. Well...I'm on websites all the time. It's pretty much what I do best. My favorite website is technically a blog.

Cupcakes and Cashmere is borderline amazing. The blog author, Emily, is a doll and has the best fashion, as well as a pretty amazing life, I might add. She not only blogs about fashion, but also fashion, travel and sometimes just life in general. She's a great photographer - and includes multiple photos with every post. I follow her religiously...and you should, too.

The following photos have all been taken directly from Emily's blog and are property of Cupcakes and Cashmere.

Day 21: A recipe

Um...I'm going to go non traditional on this one and give you a recipe for disaster.

Lindsay Lohan + $300,000 bail = Disaster.

Homegirl should be in jail or rehab for at least six months. For cereal.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Day 20 - a hobby of mine

Okay - a hobby is defined as an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation. So, I would say that the invitation design is my hobby - because I kind of feel like it is and it's not my main occupation - but I've talked about that ad nauseum the past few posts, so I'm going with working out.

I work out almost everyday and I don't feel complete if I haven't done so. I'm also a part-time personal trainer (yes, I sort of have three jobs) which I LOVE. I run a women's only fitness boot camp three days a week but I really enjoy working out in my own time, as well. I am borderline obsessed with fitness which is funny because I have such a sweet tooth.

But nothing makes my day better than pounding on the pavement, or a great spin class or an hour on the elliptical followed by strength training. My body has changed drastically over the past few years due to my love for the gym, and I love it. I definitely fluctuate at times, but I'm happiest living a healthy lifestyle.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Day 19: A Talent of Mine...

Well, I would start by stating the obvious - I feel I'm fairly creative. I mean, I did major in Studio Art in college. I'm not Picasso or anything - but I'm pretty good. I received recognition for pieces while in high school and in college.

That being said, I've not even picked up a paint brush since I graduated. It's sad. I'm trying to get back in to it, but time is really a factor. And I don't have any photos of any of my work on hand. So for today, I'm going to be a complete attention whore and direct you, once again, to my etsy shop. This is my creative outlet for the time being - designing stationery, notecards, inviations, etc.

www.etsy.com/shop/fleurdebeedesigns

Monday, September 20, 2010

Day 18: My Wedding

Get ready for a long post, because I can talk about my wedding all day long. Originally, I was opposed to the idea of a destination wedding when Kyle proposed the idea. Would everyone come? How was I going to plan a wedding from thousands of miles away? Was my Dad going to be okay with me not marrying in a Catholic church? Eventually - and by eventually, I mean not long at all - I agreed to go for it. And I'm so happy that I did. It was, hands down, the best week of my life thus far. We were married on June 6, 2009 in St. Thomas, USVI. We took 40 of our friends and family there, and it was pretty fabulous. Here are details:
The first time my Dad saw me:





















































Our kick ass reception at Havana Blue (one of my fav restaurants on the island):













Cake! Tropical carrot cake with cream cheese filling and chocolate cake with chai mascarpone cheese filling.













Custom drink menu:













My seating cards:













An impromptu first dance - our friend Emily sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow for us: 


























We were feeling good at the Rum Bar, at the after party: 























The next day, we did a Trash the Dress session (but not with my actual dress):




















































And then we had a reception back in Louisville at the Ali Center on July 11:


























































































Sunday, September 19, 2010

Day 17: An Art Piece

This one is the hardest! I was an art major and I love all things art, so I'll have to post a few.

I've mentioned several times before how much I love George Rodrigue, so here is a sample of his work:



















But, I also love Andy Warhol, and I own these plates:



















And, of course, Lichtenstein:
















So clearly, I have a love for pop art....but I'm a sucker for Impressionism, particularly Degas, as well:
















But I also have a huge appreciation for early Italian Baroque artists, like Caravaggio, and had the privelege of seeing this actual piece in the Galleria Borghese in Rome:














I'll stop there - this is truly a subject I could go on all day long....but I won't. Once I start getting in to Italian artists - I could do a 30 day blog simply on that subject!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Day 16 is...

A song that makes me cry (or nearly).

Which is tough, because I don't cry at songs. I cry at movies...books...tv shows....but not songs. I will say that I do get choked up whenever I hear the Hawaiian version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow not only because it's a beautiful song, but as I've mentioned before, I walked down the aisle to that song, so it brings back a lot of memories and feelings. So....that's my song for today!

Introducing...Fleur de Bee Designs!

Two posts in one day? Absolutely!

Some of you may know that I've been designing stationery and invitations for years now...and it's always been word of mouth. I finally decided to bite the bullet and open an etsy shop, to see where that leads. So by all means, please check it out and keep me in mind for anything paper-related you may need, tell all your friends, etc. It's something that I truly LOVE to do - so the more orders, the better!

So without further ado, introducing Fleur de Bee Designs!











I'm baaaaaaaaack! Day 15.

Hello! I'm back! Not 100% but I did get my cast off and now I just have to wear a very ugly black splint. Here's a horrendous photo of me from this weekend with the dogs - you can see my big cast/ace bandage:














Anyway, on to Day 15 - my dream house. Well....I have it. When we found this house, I told Kyle it was my dream house, and it became ours:

















Complete with the pool we just finished in May:


































These photos aren't too recent because we now have beautiful cushions from frontgate and our entire yard is in bloom, but you get the idea. It's gorgeous and I just love being at home. I have found dream bathrooms that I love....if you know me well, you know I love to read and I adore reading in a huge bubble bath to relax and wind down for the day. Here are just a few that I've found (and in all honesty - my master bath is pretty amazing...but I just love these, too):




















































Thursday, September 9, 2010

30 days...on pause!

And I was doing so good, too!

But, I had hand surgery yesterday, which leaves me typing one handed right now, and in quite a bit of pain. I had a ganglion cyst in my wrist that was fairly big and had attached itself to my joint - so the doctor not only removed that, but cleaned out my joints. I'm in a cast. Boooooo.

Oh - and the best part? I'm allergic to my pain meds. So I'm itching all over the place. YAY.

I hope to take the weekend and resume on Monday. It'll still be one handed, so you'll have to forgive me for any typos.

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Day 14 - a non fiction book...























This is non-fiction, right? Even though some of the character's names were changed to protect them, it is still a true story. I am currently reading this book - and I'm only in Italy right now - but I'm in love with what I've read so far. I love the way she writes, I'm definitely going to have to check out her other books after this. Anyone seen the movie yet?

Monday, September 6, 2010

Day 13 - A Fictional Book

As in, a favorite? Because I just did that a few days ago - scroll down. I'll just post the most recent fictional book I've read:






















It was great - it was also semi-weird, in an overly spiritual way with a storyline involving stigmata (don't let this scare you away - it really is a great book, I swear).

Here is the book description from Amazon.com:
In this disarming debut, Brian Strause has written a vastly entertaining novel about an American family transfixed by a series of mysterious events. From a comfortable suburb of Columbus, Ohio, emerges a story of rebellion, faith and hope, bridging the cultural gap between those who believe in miracles and those who wish they could.


Monroe Anderson–as quiet on the outside as he is sardonic and alive on the inside–has spent most of his eighteen years trying to fly beneath the radar. If he can remain invisible, he believes, his sadistic older brother, a rising golf star, might not torment him, his workaholic father, a renowned litigator, might not notice him long enough to be disappointed, and his mother might not have to struggle so hard to find a hopeful word. The only people who glimpse the real Monroe are his girlfriend, Emily, and his eleven-year-old sister, Annika.

On the night of his senior prom, Monroe finds Annika floating facedown in the family pool. He dives in and rescues her, but not quickly enough to prevent her from slipping into a coma. As the family copes with this crisis, Monroe’s mother turns to religion, his father turns to liquor, and Monroe himself must decide what’s worth believing in, what’s worth fighting for, and, finally, who he wants to be.

By turns humorous and heartbreaking, personal and sweeping, familiar and extraordinary, Brian Strause’s mesmerizing novel takes readers on an unforgettable emotional journey into America’s heartland.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Day 12 - Something I'm OCD About...

I'm really not that OCD about anything, that I can think of, with the exception of my appearance. I don't leave the house without make up. Ever. I just can't do it. Well, I can...I just don't want to. I try to always be precisely put together and look nice. But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing...

That's all I can think of - I don't obsessively wash my hands, or opening and closing a door a certain amount of times before I can leave the room...

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Day 11 - A Photo of Me Recently



















Here I am in Vegas in June with the Mister and some of our closest friends.We had just had an amazing dinner at Tao. Unfortunately, this was the only happy night we had there, the next morning we got the call that the Gus Man had passed away.