i vow...

to get back on my blogging schedule. 

happy ears sundays

52 project thursdays 

and photobooth fridays

i promise i promise i promise!  (maybe if i say it enough times it will be so...)

oh, and i got new hair today!  thanks gwen, i love it! :]

happy hump day!  i hope you are doing something wonderful, whimisical and creative to get through your wednesday!  it's off to work for me...  :]  see you lovelies tomorrow!

lovelove

emjay

so i've been thinking...

which, if you ask my dad, is never a good thing... :]

all kidding aside, i think i'm going to pick up the 365 challenge again...but with a little twist.  i have the *hardest* time keeping up with taking a photo every single day...with a full time "real" job, it's virtually impossible.  buuuutttttt, i definitely think i'm capable of 1 photo a week.  so with that, i bring you

drum roll please...

the 52 challenge!  (yessssssss!!!)  i will be adding this to my newly budding blogging schedule.  i thought about sundays, but since "happy ears" has already taken that spot, i think i'm going to settle for thursdays.  so be on the lookout!  and i urge anyone who wants to jump on the wagon to do so and let me know!  we can keep track of each other's progress via flickr or blogs! :]

soooo enjoying my new tattoo!  thanks elsie! :]

(i got done writing this post and just as i was about to publish it, i realized it was thursday...haha.  so i'm going to be lame since it's 1 in the morning and cheat for my first one...photobooth!)

ok kiddos...i've got a super long weekend ahead of the "real" job.  :/  i've so enjoyed these last ten days!  but, vacations have to end sometime!  hopefully i'll find a tiny piece of time to come back at some point over the weekend with a real post and a peek at a fuuuuunnnn project i've been working on since yesterday :]  

lovelove!

emjay

a new day...

things are still crazy around here, and they probably will be for some time, but i'm feeling a little better about it today than i was yesterday.  mostly thanks to this photo:

(jacked from janel)

it definitely put a smile on my face.

for today, i think i'm going to do the following things:

1.  be lazy

2.  lay around and watch movies

3.  be lazy some more

4.  maybe rest for a little while

5.  a little more laziness

i think that about covers it! :]  hope you all have a splendid day! 

lovelove

emjay

today...

has been interesting, to say the least.  our day didn't even begin until 4pm, but we were ok with that.  we got some muuuuch needed rest.  so here's how the rest of the day went:

sushi

tattoo

moxie

bad news

hotel

left over sushi

good movie

girl talk

and that's where we're at.  i wanted to leave some photos and fun stuff for you to look at, but unfortunately some things that came about this evening have left me both physically and emotionally drained.  i'll post more springfield/rva fun-ness when i'm feeling better, and maybe i'll share my woes with the blogging world one day, but for now, i'm curling up with a 20 ounce of dr pepper, my left over sushi and pride and prejudice via my macbook's dvd player.  i just need a night where i don't have to think of the stupid things going on in my life.  and that night is tonight...starting *now*

goodnight fellow bloggers and blogreaders. 

emjay

greetings from springfield :]

cecily and i are having sooooo much fun in springfield, it's unbelievable!  we're glad we took elsie and rachel's advice last time to come back and visit and spend a bit more time around here.  it was definitely worth it!  last time we were here, it was on such short notice that there wasn't much to do (although elsie and rachel remedied that with a lovely breakfast date at gailey's :] )  this weekend, we have met so many special people, spent more time with special people we've met before, and have had experiences that will be remembered forever.  classes with elsie, emma, rachel and LA have been so rewarding, informative, inspiring and just plain fun!!  here are a few photos from hanging out at elsie's loft and enjoying a private concert in jeremy larson's studio...

her home is so incredibly lovely!

jeremy's concert was so magical.  it was an intimate gathering of close family and friends, and of course us crafty girls :]  we all sat around his piano in the studio, and listened to him play a short set of songs.  requests were taken, stories were told, and we even got to hear a few that aren't on any albums, and some that were written specifically for elsie.  jeremy is so completely adorable - they are such a perfect fit. :]

here are a few more photos that we took to send to brittany so that she wouldn't feel like she was completely left out :]  we wish she could have been here with us!

eating lunch at nonna's and hanging out at big mamma's

cecily can't stop talking to "the boy" :]

big momma's coffee house.. delicious!!!

we were ichat-ing with brit thursday night and we couldn't figure out how to snap shot the screen.  haha...she secretly did it while we weren't expecting it and this is the result.  we look so confused!  :]

and this was, by far, the most delicious sandwhich i have EVER eaten.  i've had two this weekend already, and i'm pretty much ready for a third.  :]  turkey, pesto, honey mustard, provolone, sprouts...oh my goodness it's heaven on focaccia bread. :]

oh, and one last thing to share...

this is going to become something very special.  it's a secret for now, but i'm sure i'll be sharing soon :]

lovelove

emjay

ahhhhhhhh...finally

we're here!  after a 3 hour late start, spending too much time at the target in ridgland, ms, and missing a turn somewhere in arkansas, we finally arrived in springfield around midnight and got settled in to our hotel around 1ish this morning.  excitement kept me awake until almost 3, and we were going to sleep late this morning, but for some reason my body decided that 5 hours was plenty of rest for such a busy busy weekend (dumb body) so here i am, awake at 8am.   

but... there are so many great things planned for this week!  we get to meet a ton of wonderful crafters from across the country, hang out with rachel and elsie again, meet emma and LA (finally!) and make lovely things!  there might be a few other surprises up our sleeves, but rest assured that i will be posting every step of the way...so that you, (and brit who couldn't make it ) can enjoy this week with us!

make something pretty today!

lovelove

emjay

:]

soooo...

lovelove!!!

happy ears :]

it's been a busy busy week, but it's sunday, so i've paused for a quick post.  there's been lots of work this week at the restaurant...and just as much starting up again tomorrow!  i'm spending tonight finishing up the spring cleaning i started this morning, and if time permits, working on a few items for an etsy update - hopefully...  there will be lots of coffee involved, and most likely no sleep, but sometimes those types of nights are the most fun! :]  sleep is for old people, right?  haha.  ok, so now the moment you've all been waiting for...music!

my most listened to music this week:

1.  Animal Collective:  after reading about them via elsie's blog, i looked these guys up, and i'm really enjoying it...

2.  Margot and the Nuclear So and So's:  holy crap, i love this band.  definitely one of my new faves!

3.  Lisa Loeb:  an old standby, but wonderful all the same.  i can never get enough of her simple melodies, acoustic sound and awesome lyrics.  i can seriously listen to her album, firecracker, over and over and over and never tire of it.  ahhhh...

4.  The Doves:  i've always been a far-away fan of the doves...always liking what i hear, but never really going out of my way to aquire their music in my library...but a while back, my friend brad (who has more knowledge about indie music than anyone ever i think) brought them to the forefront of my mind, and i'm totally loving their new album.  winterhill is my fave song i believe.  well, at least for today :]

5.  The Duke Spirit:  i love their 60's hippie scene throwback sound...i'm a huge hippie music fan, particularly the british stuff, and they honestly sound like they just arrived in the 21st century on a time machine expedition from 1967...if i didn't know they were a modern band, i'd swear it was my dad's music! :]

well folks, it's after midnight now and i've got a lot of things on my todo list to knock off before 7am!  see you next time!

lovelove

emjay

happy ears sunday and a little inspiration

i decided to move happy ears to sunday.  no good reason, frankly, it's just a better day for me :]  so, for the first part of this post, here you go:

i apparently have been really into the indie chicks this week.  top five songs played on my tunes are from the following ladies...

1.  Brooke Waggoner.  She's actually from the same area as i am, but has relocated to cali to pursue her music career.  she's a good friend of a really good friend of mine, and her music is quite lovely.  check her out on itunes, my favorite song is "lungs speed, lungs sped"

2.  She and Him.  I absolutely adore Zooey Deschanel, both on screen and off.  She's gorgeous, funny, and has a unique voice too.  my favorite song by this duo is "why do you let me stay here"

3.  Jenny Lewis...again.  i know she was on the list last week, but i really can't get enough of her.  i can't wait to go see her in nola in june, and i'll probably be listening to a lot of her and her other band, rilo kiley, until then. :]  all time fave of hers is a tie between "you are what you love" and "rise up with fists".  plus, she's a gorgeous redhead with fabulous style...that's reason enough to dig her! :]

4.  The Watson Twins.  mostly known for teaming up with the aforementioned ms. lewis on her first album, "rabbit fur coat", these two girls (identical twins) finally released their first solo album last year i believe.  it's called "fire songs" and i'm so in love.  favorite song from the album right now is "dig a little deeper".  "how am i to be" is a great one too.

5.  lastly, Rilo Kiley.  like i said before, i'm soaking up as much jenny lewis as i can.  i love both styles of music she delivers.  rilo kiley is a bit less bluegrassy than her solo project, but i love it just the same!  top three tracks of this group that have been playing in loop in my head all week are "silver lining", "money maker" and "dejalo", all from their latest album.  "paint's peeling" is one of my all time favorite songs as well.

part two:  inspiration.

i should be getting sleep, since i have to be up in less than 6 hours to be at work, but instead of tackling the ever-growing to-do list, or actually getting a decent night's sleep, i've been perusing design blogs and etsy and getting more and more inspired by the minute.  i have so many ideas for new projects now, i think my head might split from the inability to contain it all!  

here are some of my most recent favorite etsy finds...

(sorry the photos are a bit small)

this is just about the coolest key hook i've ever seen:

awesome vintage pumps from thrush:

my heart aches every time i see this ring.  i want it so badly, but it's out of my price range :[

another favorite from thrush...i need to have this dress!

a print by matte stephens that i will definitely be purchasing once all the bills for this month are paid!

part two of part two... :]  here are a few photos that have inspired me this week...hope they do the same for you

this is from the home of sfgirlbybay blogger, victoria smith.  her house is so crisp and whimsical.  i wish i had the guts to do something like this in my home...

i am pretty much in love with all things orla kiely.  here is a display at one of her stores in the uk.  i love the patterns she creates...i actually recently purchased a table cloth from her target line with the intentions of using it as fabric to embellish a tote.  keep your eyes out, you might see it on my etsy soon! :]

i recently stumbled across this photographer, tim walker and i looooooove...here's one of my favorites

and lastly, i came across this after reading elsie's blog and finding out that she'd be visiting this photographer on a last minute trip to NYC (jealous!).  needless to say, after seeing Candace's photos, my jealousy only grew.  i love this and wish i could get my hands on a print!

 ok, i believe that's going to be all for now...it's already after midnight, and i still have to shower, wrap up a commissioned piece for Merc so that i may deliver it to her on time, and do another load of laundry.  ick, 6 am is going to come very very early!

lovelove

emjay

happy ears

i've decided that every sunday will be happy ears day, where i share the top 5 bands that have had the most play on my ipod the past week.  starting today!

1.  copeland

2.  jenny lewis

3.  amos lee

4.  ray lamontagne

5.  missy higgins

check them out!

and i really do promise to post about brit's move soon.  i just have to find the time!

lovelove, and happy new week!

emjay