Bright Idea for Wedding Cards!

I spotted this absolutely fantastic idea for our wedding cards: a DIY wedding card mini-album! I loved all of our thoughtful handwritten cards we received from our wedding and this is such a creative way to keep them all neat and organized. Right now, we are still stashing all of our wedding cards in the card box we used at our wedding (a wooden antique-looking little chest) but this is such a great idea to transform them into a keepsake! Definitely a project I will be working on soon.

via somethingturqoise and studio11

Happy Love Day!

I am so lucky to be able to spend this day with my forever valentine, my husband!

I am so blessed! 

The Artist and The Ebell on the big screen!

Can you believe it? I haven't seen a movie in theaters for over a year. With netflicks and itunes at our fingertips, Will and I always ended up deciding to stay in for movies-- but last night we finally dragged outselves off the comforts of our couch and ventured out to the movies-- and for a great one! We saw The Artist and absolutely loved it! We were not quite sure what to expect since we had never seen a silent black-and-white film in theaters before; but the talented actors, fantastic music, and clever yet moving story really captured my heart. And the icing on top was seeing The Ebell, where we held our wedding reception last September, in several scenes in the movie!

We first recognized The Ebell in the auction scene; the art salon where we held our cocktail hour served as the auction house. Then, there was a scene of Valentino running down the iconic grand staircase of the Ebell Lounge, where Will and I made our grand entrace into our reception! We also spotted the Ebell in scenes of Peppy Miller's house, a courtyard garden, and the hospital. It was so cool and perfect for the movie because

It was so cool and perfect for the movie because the Ebell dates right back to late 1920's Los Angeles, when the movie is set-- and it has stayed pretty much the same since then...

 

circa 1929

today

The Ebell was such a memorable venue for our wedding and will always hold a special place in my heart.

A Pair of Toms

I am actually considering getting a pair of TOMS. To be honest, Toms were never really my style and the first time I saw them, I thought they looked like Chinese peasant shoes….like these on Mulan~ 

My go-to casual flats have always been a pair of black steve maddens but quite sadly, they are just about worn through. So, I have been on the search for another pair of casual, comfortable flats that I can wear to work (lab shoes…meaning completely closed, not open at the top like most flats). I spotted this adorable pair of crochet Toms at Nordstroms: 

So cute! I started browsing and actually found quite a few pairs that caught my eye. I think there will be a pair of "sock-shoes" in my near future… but which one? 

love the pink sole! 

such a pretty mint color~ 

Nordstrom also exclusively carries these cozy-looking fleece lined Toms. These could be my uggs for springtime! 

Of course the best thing about Toms is their One for One program that gives a pair of new shoes to a child in need for every pair of Toms that is sold. I was reminded of my father telling me about one of his trips to China back in the early 80s. He visited a remote rural village in China that was very poor with no paved roads and the children did not have any shoes. He said he left the village with only the clothes on his back...he gave all of his luggage, extra clothes, and shoes to the children and villagers. That's why I think its so wonderful that Toms are giving shoes to children!