September 28, 2011

fashionista || drew does fall

proof that drew barrymore can rock any designer out there . . . she's absolutely stunning.






drew barrymore for neiman marcus  ||  photography by norman jean roy  ||  spotted via fashion gone rogue

care to name a fave? i'm dying over that valentino gem!

September 27, 2011

perfect package || bran and crisps

who wouldn't be drawn to this delightfully colorful packaging upon seeing rows and rows of it on the shelves??




type tuesday || the way she moves

keeping it simple this type tuesday. i hate to do the old "source unknown" and be okay with it, but this is just too beautiful not to post. if anyone knows whose gorgeous calligraphy this is, i'm pretty sure we all need to see the rest of their work!

found via pinterest

September 26, 2011

the i am project :: i am kind

The I Am Project on Facebook || Etsy Shop

The I Am Project :: Our wish is to affirm and inspire the beauty in every woman, to celebrate the uniqueness in each of us, as well as the commonalities that unite us as women. We want to create a space to confront the dark places that come with growth; to witness women being valued for more than their bodies, clothes, or societal projections; to feel inspired by stories and images; and to become more deeply rooted in who we are as women. We want to become a net of resources that will nurture and fortify each other's confidence, and fill women with awareness of the extraordinary beauty that each of us uniquely brings to the world.

Questions, thoughts or feedback about The I Am Series? Send them to iamproject.us@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

We welcome you to repost and/or share these images if you wish! We also respectfully request that you credit and, preferably, link back to Because It's Awesome as you do so. It's easy to do, and it's good blogger practice. Many thanks!

September 23, 2011

interiors || on approachability

initially, i wasn't that drawn to this space. 


 sure, i love the airiness, the pops of color, the mix of furniture and patterns -- okay, maybe i am drawn to this space!


but what i really love is the ease of these rooms.


they're clean and likely styled, but they look so everyday to me. very natural, very obtainable.


very inspired.


there's something very welcoming about rooms that aren't just so, don't you think?


i have to say, i like the jewels, too.
my kitten would have a heyday with this display, so it will never really be an option for me. but such a beautiful solution to dress up your dresser or nightstand with your jewelry!

happy friday, all!


images of jacqui getty's home for c magazine, photography by douglas friedman
spotted via escapade

September 22, 2011

artist || lulie wallace

adore these paintings by artist lulie wallace. just look at all of that color!


images via lulie wallace  ||  spotted via arthound

perfect package || saxton cider

i don't know about you guys, but this cider packaging definitely makes my heart skip a beat. imagine yourself on a picnic on a cool fall day . . . pulling one out of the basket . . . i would just feel so fancy.





saxton cider packaging by new zealand design firm supply  ||  via the dieline

September 21, 2011

guest posting || here and there

hey, party people. i'm guesting for a couple of delightful ladies today, and, of course, i think you should go check it out.

first, i'm super honored to be babbling about myself with victoria of vmac&cheese. you might learn something you don't already know (like how i've jumped out of airplanes, climbed mountains and what i daydream about in meetings my free time), so please feel free to come by. plus, victoria's blog has quickly become one of my favorites. her daily discussions of the good life are often quite compelling, totally relatable and beautifully illustrated with all forms of eye candy.


 aaaaaaaand to carry on the wedding theme from monday's post, i'm over at blending beautiful today while the lovely kim is off honeymooning. i'm discussing how simple and manly we kept our wedding party (although, we did have 5 flower girls and a femme ring bearer, so i guess the ladies technically outnumbered). i've also pulled together some gift ideas for the men in our lives. i find this to be a challenge sometimes. how about you? come see my picks and let me know how i did!


big thanks to victoria and kim for having me over!
and extra huge congrats to kim on becoming a mrs!!!

September 20, 2011

the i am project :: who i'm becoming

The I Am Project on Facebook || Etsy Shop

The I Am Project :: Our wish is to affirm and inspire the beauty in every woman, to celebrate the uniqueness in each of us, as well as the commonalities that unite us as women. We want to create a space to confront the dark places that come with growth; to witness women being valued for more than their bodies, clothes, or societal projections; to feel inspired by stories and images; and to become more deeply rooted in who we are as women. We want to become a net of resources that will nurture and fortify each other's confidence, and fill women with awareness of the extraordinary beauty that each of us uniquely brings to the world.

Questions, thoughts or feedback about The I Am Series? Send them to iamproject.us@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

We welcome you to repost and/or share these images if you wish! We also respectfully request that you credit and, preferably, link back to Because It's Awesome as you do so. It's easy to do, and it's good blogger practice. Many thanks!

September 19, 2011

happy anniversary!

we interrupt this regularly scheduled program to inform you that 2 short years ago TODAY, i married the most amazing man i've ever met. well, that i'm not already related to. i have to admit here that the whole wedding process was possibly a little much for me and if i had it to do all over again, i almost certainly would have run off and done it quietly and come back to throw one mean-ass party. i'm not going to lie, i'm pretty good at throwing parties.

but we didn't do that because there were some broken-hearteds that hated the idea. so we threw an $11K wedding that represented us well, complete with a B&B hilltop outdoor setting, authentic mexican cuisine from one of our favorite local restaurants, a patio reception with an unattended bar due to a language barrier with our authentic mexican "caterer," and 130 of our nearest and dearest partying with us until we were too tired to party any more. well, really until midnight, because that's when they had to leave. but i was tired by 2 pm, so it felt like i'd been partying for 100 hours.

so humor me as i share some goodness from that day. let me start with 10 seconds after the ceremony. that should just about sum it up.

photo by april alcorn

GOD, how happy do we look?!


no, but really. there were beautiful things going on, i swear.



photos by april alcorn and misha kligman

we hired a whopping three legit vendors (hence the pricetag), and DIYed the bejesus out of everything else. flowers? friends and fam. dj? ipod. i was up until midnight the night before finishing the mix. you'll be able to tell by how half dead i look here in a minute. caterer? el cheapo (but massively delicious) local restaurant. desserts? family. wedding cake? designed by two of my insanely talented friends. one of my best friends performed "on a night like this" by dave barnes when i came down the aisle, and it was everything i could do not to cry like a baby, i was so happy he agreed to do it. eric's dad married us. we had a photobooth situation going on, which doubled as our guestbook (total hit). the photog was a good friend from college, and the videographers we flew in from florida. because they were amazing. and it would have been a much cheaper wedding if we'd opted out of that, but my sentimental self couldn't leave it out. and i'll NEVER regret that decision.

here's why:


as you can imagine, my brother's toast stole the show. we're not really that close. jk, we're bfs. and he was my man of honor/entire bridal party. we bought eric's CK suit (a twofer deal - he has a matching one in charcoal and looks delectable in both, if i do say so myself) and since the other gentlemen had black suits, we just bought them ties and called it good. plus some pretty awesome manly gifts, of course.

anyway, the point is, two years later, i can't imagine my life without him. everyone says that, i know, but it's completely true. i really hope everyone knows what it's like to have a real, true, honest love in their lives. the kind that doesn't judge, doesn't hold you back, sees you and appreciates you for everything you are, is your perfect complement and just loves the hell out of you. i mean, eric really said it best a few years ago when we were discussing relationships and how amazing it is to find that one....he said "honestly? all of you (women) are crazy. it's just a matter of finding someone that can handle the right amount of crazy."

and so he did.

September 15, 2011

interiors || lacquered walls

yes. i'm talking about our house hunt. again. though we still haven't found a winner, hubs and i did check out a great 60s ranch last night that kind of stole my heart. it had great potential for expansion (the master bath was not impressive as-is, but totally liveable until we could afford to make changes down the road), and it featured the coziest wood paneled tv room in all of history. fireplace, great built-ins and giant windows along one whole wall. i, of course, suggested that it would be totally badass to paint the entire room in a rich blue lacquer. which scored me some sideways glances from hubs and our realtor, who was so intrigued that he requested photos.

which he liked.

of course.





if i liked red enough, the latest lonny mag would have had me dreaming of something like this:



even though the owners were crafty enough to bake an apple pie during our visit, this one was ultimately crossed off the list.* i have to say, i highly, highly recommend that trick if you're selling. the three of us wanted nothing more than to break out some silverware and stay awhile!

* great location for me, not so much for husband's commute. t'was also on a pretty high traffic street. and calling one of the rooms a bedroom was a bit of a stretch. but we're getting closer!

image sources: 1  ||  ||  3  ||  4  ||  5&6

September 13, 2011

type tuesday || ira glass on perservering

a little different spin on type tuesday today . . . some motivation for the beginners, and a healthy reminder for those that just aren't meeting their own expectations. we're hardest on ourselves, you know!


spotted via pink and blue blog

September 12, 2011

fashionista || scout and catalogue

hellooooooooooo, scout and catalogue fall 2011 lookbook . . . .





i'll take one of each, please. check out the entire collection here.

the i am project :: diamond in the rough

The I Am Project on Facebook || Etsy Shop

The I Am Project :: Our wish is to affirm and inspire the beauty in every woman, to celebrate the uniqueness in each of us, as well as the commonalities that unite us as women. We want to create a space to confront the dark places that come with growth; to witness women being valued for more than their bodies, clothes, or societal projections; to feel inspired by stories and images; and to become more deeply rooted in who we are as women. We want to become a net of resources that will nurture and fortify each other's confidence, and fill women with awareness of the extraordinary beauty that each of us uniquely brings to the world.

Questions, thoughts or feedback about The I Am Series? Send them to iamproject.us@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

We welcome you to repost and/or share these images if you wish! We also respectfully request that you credit and, preferably, link back to Because It's Awesome as you do so. It's easy to do, and it's good blogger practice. Many thanks!

September 9, 2011

perfect package || sideshow press

love this simple, chic invitation meets packaging for the 2nd annual chef's dinner in Charleston, SC.


images from sideshow press  ||  spotted via papercrave

September 8, 2011

interiors || inspired

spaces that are inspiring (and possibly hindering) the home search........YUM YUM YUM.





1  ||  2  ||  3  ||  4  ||  5

that second space would be dark dark navy or black instead of green, but you get the idea.

more of my crazy all over the place taste here.