Dark Secrets of the Closet

I had the pleasure of spending last Friday night in St. Louis for a friend's birthday party. While at her house I discovered this little gem....

My adorable friend has a dark secret. She keeps a clothing log so that she will never wear the same outfit twice.

One part of me wants to tease her. The other part of me is jealous I didn't think of this first.

Wedding Sneak Peak

We've tried really hard to incorporate lots of personal touches to our wedding (which is just a few days away!!). Do you want a sneak peak?

Yes, this is what you think it is! And it is so much more stunning in person!



And, a big thank you to Amy Zaroff Events + Design for creating beautiful personalized crossword puzzles for each placesetting. Pictures of these to come later.

Word to Your Decorator

I read over on Young House Love that Vanilla Ice has a new home improvement show premiering next month on the DIY Network chronicling the renovations that he’s doing to his six-bedroom 7,000 square foot home in Florida.

Who knew someone could transition so smoothly from one-hit-wonder to interior designer. Actually, who knew he could have made enough money off "Ice, Ice, Baby" to afford a 7,000 square foot house. According to Entertainment Weekly, he's been flipping houses for 15 years.

If I hadn't canceled our cable yesterday to save money I would definitely tune in to watch this.

Weekend Round-Up

Well Hello, Friday. I felt like you would never come.

I'm leaving straight from work to go to St. Louis for a friend's birthday. It will be nice to spend my last weekend as a free woman with good friends. I've decided to eat only raw vegetables and liquids for the next week but nights out in St. Louis always inevitably end at White Castle so I'm guessing I'll have to jump back on the diet train again tomorrow.

This time next week I'll be at my rehearsal dinner. Here's what I've finally settled on to wear (Banana Republic's Linen Chevron Dress):

I won't be wearing a belt though. I have quite the statement piece necklace I'll wear instead.

I've got that Katy Perry "teenage dream" song stuck in my head and I keep finding myself humming it in my office. It's so darn catchy. "We can dance, until we die. You and I, will be young forever." Katy Perry just gets me.

Just another night talking about Skinheads

Something happened last night that is simply to charming not to share with you.

I like to read celebrity gossip websites sometimes (ok, everyday) and JJ had been telling me that he felt left out that I never share any of the fascinating facts I have in my random brain. Last night, in an effort to include him in my celebrity obsession, I started to tell JJ about how I had read that Jesse James was now dating Kat Von D.

He didn't know who either of those people were. So I started to talk about Jesse James' history and how he left Sandra Bullock for a skinhead.

J: "So she didn't have any hair?"
E: "No, she was a skinhead. Like a natzi."
J: "Right. I know what a skinhead is. They don't have hair."

We went round and round about what a skinhead is before we decided each of us could have one "phone a friend" to confirm our opinions. I won.

It was just another night at the Bennett household debating about skinheads.



P.S. This photo is from FoxNews.com so it is relevant.

Spoonflower

As you know, I've been having this internal need to "nest" in our apartment as somesort of strange way of preparing myself for being a wife. Since money is tight and fabric is expensive I've had a really hard time committing to anything.

Then I stumbled upon Spoonflower: a website that lets you upload your own designs and then they print them on fabric. Genius!

Here are a few of my favorites from their site

Maybe I'll just design my name in a repetitive pattern and have it printed on curtains. I'm sure that is the "simple" look JJ is going for!

Toilet Paper Princess

Just so you know, my mother and I are the reigning champions of the "toilet paper wedding dress" contest.

We had the pleasure of attending this pretty lady's wedding shower this weekend. We've been friends since the first grade!

It was worth EIGHT hours in the car to see how happy she is. Plus, it was nice to have something to take my mind off my own wedding- which is just 12 days away.

What did YOU do this weekend?

I'm just starting to realize I may have a foot obsession

Let's play a game.

It's called: What's under your desk at work.

I just came back from my third (or fourth?) run to the coffee pot and was forced to take a look at the grim state of my under-desk.

Contact Solution? Check. Booties hand-knit by someone I don't know? Check. Candle Diffuser? Check. Special K? Check. Dirty JCrew flip flops? Check. Heated Vibrating foot massager? Heck Yes!

I see a theme: feet. Weird.

What's better than vehicle vandalism? Omelets!

This was a nice surprise to wake up to (as compared to last Wednesday's morning surprise)...

It's an omelet with all of our farmer's market vegetables made fresh by my husband-to-be (or my life partner, as I've started calling him). There is no way a day can go wrong when it starts this tasty-ily.

Getting Romantic with Seth Cohen

I've always had a thing for Seth Cohen (er, I mean Adam Brody) so I was excited to see he was going to be in a new movie that looks pretty prescious. J.Crew just uploaded a new photoshoot and behind the scenes video with the cast of "The Romantics."

They're all pretty adorable, but Adam Brody doing ninja kicks in a suit is definately my fav. Click here to see more photos, watch the photo shoot and see the movie's trailer.

Can't wait....

“One of the best things about marriage is that it gets young people to bed at a decent hour.”

M.M. Musselman

quote via Katie Armour, photo via HGTV Green Home Giveaway

Chair Love

I'd been eyeing this chair ever since I saw them in the John's Journal house tour featured on the Sixth Street Design School blog.

But then I found the same chair in a color that matches my living room a little better. And, double bonus, it's  cheaper and has free shipping!

I need one of these! Actually, I need two so one can flank either side of my couch.

A reminder that I'm a grown-up

Sorry I was M.I.A. so much of last week. Lately, work has been a little....nightmare-ish. Did you miss me?



This weekend was one big fat reminder of how much I miss being a college student. Saturday I went with a few friends to the sorority house we lived in when we were in school to participate in a mock recruitment. It was fun to reminisce when I was in their shoes. They had a tray of cookies out that we really wanted to eat but were too embarrassed since none of the girls in the sorority had gained the "graduation 20" like we have. Just wait, skinny freshmen, you're day will come.


Then, on Sunday, I spent most of the day helping my younger sister move back into her sorority house. Between lots of shrieking and hugging (since these girls hadn't seen each other in 2 months) JJ and I lugged lots of boxes in the 100 degree heat. We didn't mind helping- plus we know she'll feel obligated to help us move in a few months. I'll post pictures soon of how impossibly adorable her new room is.




And I almost forgot. Also this weekend a good friend of mine took a few photos of JJ and I to use at the wedding. For having no photography training she's pretty fabulous, don't you think?!

How was your weekend?

I've Been Violated

Originally I was going to host a giveaway today in honor of my 100th post as a thank you to my sweet readers but I'll have to save that for tomorrow. Today, I've been Violated.

While parked directly outside my house last night someone tried relentlessly to break into my car. They ripped off my door handles, scraped up my doors, pulled my sunroof off with a crowbar and dented my hood. This villain wanted into my car something fierce.

I couldn't figure out what they might have been after. The contents of my seats included: last night's work out clothes, some wedding themed wrapping paper left over from last weekend, and a State Farm re-usable grocery sack that they gave me as a free-gift last Thursday when I switched my insurance to them. That's right- I've had new insurance for less than a week and I had to file a $3000 claim.

I tried not to lose it when my insurance agent informed me that there was a possibility they would drop me for filing a claim this large after such a short amount of time. She was not amused when I asked her what the point of insurance was if they could just drop you whenever anything happened. I'm pretty sure she drew a big X across my file after that.

To top it all off it is now storming outside and I have a giant hole (from where my sunroof used to be) on top of my car. JJ used a recycle bag to shield it. I feel so eco-friendly!


Thank you, blog world, I feel better now that I've vented. It is just so creepy knowing a "bad guy" had their grimy hands all over my car. Who wants to drive me to work for the next two weeks?

Lonny is Live

The newest issue of Lonny Magazine went live today. If you haven't checked it out yet then we obviously have very little in common!

This mirror was featured in the magazine and I think it would go perfectly in my bedroom! And, it's only $99!

I sent that West Elm duvet back by the way. JJ wanted plain white and I figured if I let him win this one it would give me more bargaining power with other design elements I want to use. Perhaps a ghost chair?

What's Up, J.B.!

Remember when I vaguely mentioned that I got a Justin Bieber poster at a wedding shower?

Oh yes, my friends. I am the envy of all the middle school aged girls that I work with.

5 Tidbits from my Week

Here are five tidbits with my week that I feel like sharing with you:

1. It's really hard to get license plates in a new state! I mean REALLY HARD. There is a long list of things I have to do before they'll even let me stand in line for lisense plates. The one I am currently stuck on involves proof of property tax. Problem: I don't own any property the state cares about taxing.

2. JJ and I have gotten really good at negotiating deals for small imperfections. In addition to scoring a $100 store credit after our new dresser showed up with a big nic on the corner, we've now talked our way into 10% off our new mattress because of a stain. Maybe now I can afford to get my roots done!

3. Yesterday JJ bought me flowers for no reason. This has NEVER happened before. I'm hoping this is the start of the list of goals I set for us.

4. Last night, while I lay on our new mattress (bare because I don't want to go to the trouble of washing and putting on sheets), I watched JJ play with his new stud finder. I want to thank everyone who gave us wedding gifts for the entertainment we'll have for the next year. We'll probably never leave the house now that we have things like stud finders and blenders to play with!

5. We had more than one runaway child at work this week and my heart has been so heavy. I am grateful for the childhood that I had and for never feeling like I had to run away from my problems.

You must allow me to tell you...

The famous opening proposal line from Mr. Darcy is split into two parts, front and back, on this delightful mug.

What could be more felicitous than drinking your favorite beverage from such a mug? This mug seems best suited for tea, since it is the Pride and Prejudice beverage of choice, but I'm sure Mr. Darcy would make no objection if it were filled with coffee or cocoa.

New Lonny!

Lonny Magazine has released the cover of their new magazine, which comes out August 10.

I think I'll take everything on that page, please!

No More Cupcakes

After a stressful day at work yesterday, I spent a few hours by the pool with the latest IKEA catelog and a margarita popsicle. It was bliss.

Then I ran over to a friend's house to eat a celebratory cupcake for a friend's wedding this weekend. It was a lovely cupcake- chocolate with funfetti icing- and I enjoyed every bite of it. That is, until I sat down on the couch and it went crashing to the ground from my weight. Perhaps "crashing" is a bit too strong of a word but I wanted to convey my embarrassment.

If that's not a sign I don't know what is.

The only way to cheer me up after that was to try to find an appropriate place in the apartment for the Justin Bieber poster I was gifted at our couples shower on Sunday.

A good night's sleep

I feel like I need a nap after all the mattress shopping we've been doing lately. My parents offered to buy us a mattress as a wedding gift so we felt like we would be knowledgeable consumers and lay of every mattress within a 30 mile radius. I wanted soft and JJ wanted firm which made things kind of difficult but we finally settled on this one:

Richmond by denver mattress

They tried to persuade us to upgrade to the "value pack" which included two pillows and a special spray for stains. I wish I was kidding when I tell you that this is what he said as his marketing ploy:
"It's for when you have the flu and just can't make it to the bathroom."

Thanks for the visual, mattress man.


It gets delivered tonight. I'll miss out on helping carry it up all the stairs at the apartment since I'll be at my wedding dress fitting. JJ and I have made a pact we won't sleep on it until after the wedding. I'm pretty sure I will not be able to contain myself. A good night's sleep is already calling my name.

I've always been a white duvet kind of girl....

I was feeling impulsive the other day and West Elm played on my weaknesses. I received an email with this picture on it....

And, as you may know, I've had this immense need lately to "nest" and decorate our new bedroom. I immediately feel in love with the duvet in the photo and ordered it before giving it a second thought.

Now I think I might be having buyers remorse. What do you think? Should I keep it?

August, where did you come from?

On Sunday I woke up and it was August. How/When did that happen?!

It supposed to be a heat index of 105 here today so I'm hoping to sweat off a few extra calories before my final wedding dress fitting tomorrow.

image

I love this image of Fergie at her final wedding dress fitting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed everything will fit like a glove tomorrow and I can check "Look Fab" off my to-do list.