It's time to Yoga-cise

Oh hello friends, it's been a while.  A lot has happened since we last talked.  There has been house-hunting, new businesses arising, a one year anniversary (WHAT?!) and a collection of events that are (finally) leading to inspiration. 

First things first, check out my new toy!

My point and shoot was stolen about a year ago and I have finally gotten around to replacing it with something way more fun.  Thank you Chase points system! 

I've always wanted to try out photography, but have been too scared of failing miserably at it.  Well, now I'm taking the plunge, so please be kind as I learn and share pictures with you.

In news of new businesses, I just want to tell you all that my mom is a rockstar.  She has found her passion and is running after it full speed ahead.  A woman of many talents and interests, after years of preschool teaching, preschool music, and various office jobs, she began training to be a yoga teacher.  She has now just opened her own yoga studio, and we spent Sunday evening drinking tea, listening to music and chatting with people who came out to her open house to see what it's all about.

Here are some highlights from the night.

I'm so proud of my mom!  She inspires me to pursue the things I'm passionate about, even if I'm still figuring them out. 

If you live around the Dublin, Ohio area and would like more information about her studio and what it's all about, check out her website here.

All you need is Love.

Well hello there, it's been quite a while.  A lot has happened since we last chatted.  It's been a fun few weeks full of weddings, job changes and the subject of today's post, showers.  No, not a literal shower, a bridal shower, one in particular that I have been delighting in planning for a while now and of which most of my projects and brainstorming has been devoted.  As I have mentioned before, a dear friend of mine is getting married (in t-minus 3 weeks! Woot!) and it has been my joy to plan a shower for her.


I just love they joy and excitement that comes with a good wedding.  I love the process of planning a wedding and listening to the floating ideas.  I love the camaraderie and support of friends and family coming around the couple to celebrate their union.  And of course, I love the decor and the way it tends to express the couple.  This is  what I looked forward to most about throwing a shower.

That being said, my favorite part of the shower (besides the actual party itself!) was setting up for it.   After months of daydreaming about it, the day finally came, and besides not quite giving myself enough time for prep (as is one of my less flattering traits), it turned out just as I had imagined.  Take a looksie.

Ben, being tall like he is, and an excellent helper when I'm in pursuit of an idea, hung the frame in the  tree for me.  It added a sense of whimsy to the display and also made for some fun picture taking later!

I painted an old bed spring white and used it to display pictures of Dan and Sonja.  The vintage suitcase (I love vintage suitcases) held all the prizes which rest nicely on a lace tablecloth I filled the bottom with.  

In an effort to protect us from the harsh warmth from the sun (I use the word "effort" because let's face it, it is July in hot humid Ohio), my Dad put up a tent for my living room display.   It also allowed me to hang some of my paper fans, adding some additional whimsy to the day - a tutorial for the paper fans will follow at a later date.

I displayed one of the games we played, using the letters of Sonja and Dan's names to give practical and funny advice, on a vintage frame.

The living room with gifts including the fantastic white trunk I found at my favorite antique spot.

Drinks were served on the porch.  I forgot to take the lid off the "Sneaky Pete" for the picture, but I assure you it is a pretty and delicious adult treat perfect for a hot summer day.  Recipe to follow in an upcoming post.

Everyone came with recipes that they filled out on these fancy pants recipe cards from Rifle Paper Co.  They later were purposed to fill this fabulous recipe box that was a gift from everyone to Sonja.

She LOVED her box.  Her exact words were "I've been pining for this forever!"  Which makes for a comical statement when thinking in the context of another game which took her statements as she opened gifts and used them as statements for the honeymoon talk.

A great group of women to share in this exciting experience.

What a fun day it was.  I can't wait to celebrate the real deal!  Let the countdown begin.

An affair to remember.

Weddings make me happy.  The design, the friends, the excuse to get all dolled up and dance all night (I've become a recent convert to the joys of dancing.  Know me? Be surprised)  As one of my dearest friends was recently engaged, I have been doing a lot of thinking about weddings.  I've already begun plans for her shower and I can't wait to help set up a beautiful affair in her backyard not to mention run with the excuse to do crafty wedding projects!

As I have been helping her get ready for her big day, I can't help but reminisce about my own.  Dreaming up tablescapes.... 

....remembering what it was like to shop for the dress.... 

...and the seemingly endless hours of craft time with my now hubby.  I miss it.  Is one year too soon to renew vows?

I learned a lot about myself during the process.  Of course, something I already new was that time management is not my best quality.  We had a short engagement and I had a lot of plans that I was not able to put into action since delegating is also one of my weaknesses.  Advice to all you brides out there:  Don't be afraid to share tasks with people!  More than likely, they want to help and you will be far more likely to achieve everything you want with far less anxiety.


Without a doubt, the most time consuming process was also what turned out to be my favorite representation of the wedding.  My wedding invitations.  I don't even want to know how many hours Ben and I spent trimming and sticking, punching and weaving, but it was worth it in the end.  I was proud to send out my hard work to my loved ones.  All that time was an expression of my love to them and the product was a representation of me.

You've heard me say it before.  Texture, texture, texture!  Surprised?

I used a crochet ribbon that I wove jute through on the main invitation.  For the text, I used a typewriter font and distressed the paper using Tim Holtz distress ink.  Awesome stuff.  Buy it, and make stuff.  The edges of the paper in which the text lies were "deckled"  to achieve a torn look.

Again, we deckled the edges of the postcard, text was distressed.  I used masking tape to ensure that when we got the postcard back, we knew who was or wasn't coming.  Double points, turned out to look great.  We also used a variety of tissue tape to line the edges.  Again, buy it and use it on everything, really.

The information card edges were trimmed with something like this.  Not my greatest idea.  Looked just as I wanted it to, but I was certainly thankful to be marrying a man like Ben who took that punching head on.  Haha, get it?  Punching?  Head on? No?  Ok, you're right, bad joke.

My favorite part.  The back of the invitation.  We stamped them with the awesome oak and then used a customizable stamp we found at staples to inscribe "Handmade with love by Ben and Ashley."  PLUS we were able to use that same stamp to do all our return addresses.  GENIUS!  

The postcard stamp was one of my favorite finds.  I had the idea in my head, but I find that my ideas often don't exist in reality.  I was overflowing with joy when I found this one at hobby lobby.

The finished product was arranged just so and paper-clipped together with a small gold clip.  Hoorah!  Finished!

When I told people I was making my own invitations, I know this isn't what came to mind.  Not the average wedding invitation, but worth every minute invested into it, and that's what I wanted the whole affair to be about.  I was about to bind my life with Bens' and wanted to invest in all the people that have invested in me and been a part of who I have become.  That's what it's all about.