Saturday, December 7, 2013

WE ARE HEADING NORTH



Promise there is a reason for my recent silence. Some big things have been stirring in our life. A few weeks ago, Kim and I made the ENORMOUS decision to leave California and head back to our roots in the Midwest. In two days we will be packing up our car, putting Otis in the back seat and heading home - just in time for the holidays. It's a really exciting time but it also comes with a lot of mixed emotions. On one end we are starting fresh in a place we are pretty familiar with, we will be very close to family and Kim is starting a great new career. On the other hand, it's cold, we are leaving everything we have known together as a couple and it's going to be incredibly hard to be so far from the friends who have essentially become family.

I know change is typically a good thing and I'm looking forward to all these next few years have in store as we make the big transition. I figure if I can make it through this first Minnesota winter I can make it through the rest. It's crazy how quickly things change but can't wait to give this blog a little more attention in the upcoming months and share our journey a bit more. I probably won't be blogging much until we get settled but you can follow along on Instagram (@LovelyStruck) as always. Here we go!

(The print above is from YouDollDesign on Etsy and seemed very fitting)

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

OUR WEDDING PHOTOS // PART ONE



Hard to believe that it's already been almost four months since we tied the knot back in August. I've been itching to share my wedding photos by We Call This Love Photography and am thrilled to do so today. Kimberly and Andre did a ridiculously great job and I'm so happy we had them there to capture every moment of the day. After planning every last detail of our big day for over a year, it was amazing to see it all come together. It was such a labor of love from my friends, family and vendors. Although much of our family is from the Midwest, we wanted to share our city with everyone - considering California is really all we have known together as a couple - and decided to have it at Leo Carrillo Ranch in Carlsbad. It was the perfect backdrop for our laid-back, rustic wedding. And although it's true what they say about the whole day being a blur, I can say with certainty it was one of the happiest in the books by far. Hope you enjoy! (Vendors listed below)








Vendors: Venue: Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park, Photography: We Call This Love, Coordinator: The Green Ribbon Party Planning Co., Flowers: Green Fresh Florals, Rentals:  Party Production Rentals, Catering: Bar None BBQ, Bartenders/Servers: The Traveling Tavern, DJ: Sunset Mobile Music, Acoustic/Vocals: Billy James Blue, Cupcakes/Cake: Pure Cupcakes, Vintage Rentals: Other Sister Design & Restoration, Minister: Lisa Reynolds (message me for her info)

I also accumulated most of the vintage linens, air plants and vases and made the fabric garland and wood table runners. Kim's mom handmade the flags. If you have any questions about our wedding, leave a message below!



Saturday, September 28, 2013

LOVING: H&M HOME



I'm having a bit of fun nesting into our apartment. We have been there a year but with all the wedding plans and a busy year in general, I failed to make our house a "home", if you will. I'm apparently really late on the H&M home bandwagon (let alone H&M now being online -what!) but am in love with their current choices. A little industrial, a little rustic, a little glam, affordable - sold. My favorite picks at the moment include:

1. Hand Towel $72. Hanger 2-Pack $10
3. Linen Pillow Cover $18
4. Clear Candle $7
5. Fox & Owl Candles $4
6. Linen Tablecloth $50
7. Storage Basket $15
8. Metal Jar $13

Saturday, September 21, 2013

BUILD A BRASSY BAR // FAB $15

One of my favorite 50s revivals has been the bar cart. I don't know, maybe it never really went away but I do love how they are popping up in stores all over the place over the past few years. A few years back I found an old one at a yard sale for $7. It's nothing special, but I always have fun stocking it and styling it. It's the perfect way to display great glassware and to get people gathered around at a party to mix up a cocktail. I dream of someday owning one from Society Social but am loving the new bar cart collection they have going on at Target right now. If you have read this blog for any period of time, you know I'm a sucker for all things gold, brass or copper and these foxy bar-tastic accessories are no exception! All accessories (sadly not the cart!) are under $15. Cheers.


Buy these gems for yourself:

ONE: Bar Cart, $130
TWO: Faux Marble Coasters, $15
THREE: Brass Fox Wine Accessory Set, $13
FOUR: Brass Dot Cocktail Decanter, $15
FIVE: Brass Fox Cocktail Shaker, $13

Thursday, September 12, 2013

THE CAN CAN CLUB


Some days, you just need to let out your inner Martha. A few weeks ago I was invited to my friend Melissa's canning club. Having never been a canner myself, but always being intrigued by the process, I made sure to clear the day for it. 

First, let me tell you - Melissa is the hostess with the mostest! Not only does her fabulous bungalow set the perfect background for a gathering, but the girl knows how to entertain. The guests were lovely, the drinks were flowing, the food was somehow simultaneously simple and over-the-top good and she still managed to be a great canning teacher for us newbies.

On this particular day, the menu consisted of Prosecco Passionfruit (fresh from her backyard garden!) Jam and Brandied Cherries. For the jam, I've had it on toast, on cheese plates and maybe even snuck in a few spoon-fulls of it by itself - it's wonderful. For the cherries, we've so far mixed them into a few Old Fashioned drinks and plan to keep playing around with them in other cocktail recipes. We used the oven to seal the cans and it was so simple once it got going. Thinking I might do a few batches of each for Christmas presents!

Lucky for us, Melissa has graciously shared the recipes with us (end of post) and my friend and uber-talented photographer, Angie, the lady behind the camera at Infatuated Eye Photography, has shared some of her beautiful pics from the day. Thank you ladies, you really are the best!

Enjoy.




Saturday, September 7, 2013

HARVEST MOON // FAB $50 PICKS



Although Fall may not yet be "in the air" with this 90 degree weather every day, I'm certainly happy it's here and I'm ready for all it will bring. There are the certain things that Fall always brings - and I look forward to these things.

Pumpkin-spiced everything // wearing sweaters even though it's still 70 degrees because you feel like you should // the excitement of the holidays being right around the corner // and having a legitimate excuse to eat pizza and drink beer every Sunday and Monday while I casually whine to Kim about how much longer the football game will go. This October I'll even get the treat of going to the Midwest for a brief weekend where I will with no doubt soak up every ounce of that crisp air.

It's so close I can almost feel it! To hold me over until this heat subsides, I've pulled together a collection of some items that have been getting me into the Autumn spirit.  Oh, and they are all under $50! We shall call this new series... Fab $50 - obviously!

What sends you over the (harvest) moon about this time of the year? (Pssst. I'm obsessed with the Poolside version of Harvest Moon - it was the theme song to my summer.)

My Fab $50 picks include:

1. Love this dress on Etsy. Pair it with a cute scarf and it would be perfect-o for a San Diego Autmn.

2.  Simplistic leather ring designed by Jet van Dril via byAprilandMay.

3. A mug that is cute AND useful by Yield Design.

4. Simple cape from She Inside. Ordered this beauty last week and can't wait until she arrives!

5. Classic & stylish pair of ankle boots from Target.

6. Hey, your couch needs to feel like it's Fall too.  I think this kilim pillow on eBay would do the trick.

7. I'm in the major mood for a house re-decoration party. This hexagon hook from Urban Outfitters would definitely be a good addition to our guest bathroom.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

SO MANY PLANTS, SO LITTLE SPACE

You know how they say your house turns into a tornado of a mess before your wedding? Well, I recently found out the same is true for the weeks (ok, the month!) following it. While we rented a lot of the items for our big day from Kim's company, we also bought a boat load of vases, candles, vintage accents and plants on our own - all of which are still in boxes scattered throughout our place.

What to do? A garage sale or 100 Layer Cake's Marketplace seems like a perfect way to sell the vases, etc. but I want to utilize the air plants and succulents in our house as much as possible. We seriously have tons. Those pretty little suckers live forever and I'm not willing to throw them out.

I have no more room on the surfaces of our home so am on a serious hunt for hanging vases and orbs to display them in. I came across these beauties (below) on Etsy last week from HRUSKAA. Once the wedding funds replenish themselves, I will definitely be picking up a few of these to hang around the house and keep at least a few of these little wedding momentos alive.

Have you seen any cute ideas for displaying air plants or succulents around the house? Please do share!





Saturday, August 31, 2013

HOW IS SUMMER ALREADY OVER?


Hello, hello! I don't even know where to begin. It's been over two months since I've sat down and posted anything on here. This summer was quite literally a blur in every sense of the word and packed full of some life changing events in my life - events that had every second of my time consumed and rendered me unable to stop by here more. Lots of ups and downs, lefts, rights and back arounds.

One big "up" was that on August 9th Kim and I tied the knot! I now have a new name AND a husband. The day was absolutely perfect and a huge labor of love of everyone involved. The way it all came together was incredible and I cannot wait to share the photos on here soon! We keep talking about how we wish we could re-live the day over and over again.

Shortly after the wedding, we were able to hop a plane and go down to Sayulita, Mexico for a few days in the hot hot hot (did I say hot?) sun. It was a totally magical little town and I can't wait to share more pictures from the trip on here as well. I'm not even skimming the surface of this summer but hope to get back on here more and begin sharing with you all again! Stay tuned for lots of pictures, stories and more in the weeks and months to come.

I truly hope you all had a wonderful summer and were able to relax and rejuvenate. Remember to eat lots of hot dogs and burgers and sleep in this weekend. See you back here real soon.

xo,
Marit

(Photo taken on my iPhone from our room balcony at Playa Escondida Resort in Sayulita)

Monday, June 24, 2013

FOUND

Grab a cup of coffee and get your "Pin It" button ready. Simply named Found, National Geographic has created a Tumbler page featuring photography from their archives. Depicting everything from everyday life to war photography, the images are all amazing. I love how some of the photos taken in 1944 look like they could be from yesterday. These are a few of my favorites.

 Photograph by Wilhelm Tobien, National Geographic
 Photograph by James P. Blair, National Geographic
Photograph by Edwin L. Wisherd, National Geographic

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

WEDDING WEDNESDAYS // DREAMING OF MEXICO

I have a confession to make... I live 15 miles from the Mexican border and have NEVER been. Right around the time I moved to San Diego is when people stopped venturing down to Tijuana for the weekend. Kim and I contemplated where we would go for our honeymoon -  Europe, Hawaii, a mini-moon up the coast of California or maybe even back home to the Midwest for a cabin week away. Ultimately, we decided on Mexico - not only because its a fairly short plane ride, but also because I know I need to r.e.l.a.x. after the wedding. Not once in my life have I gone on a vacation where I can actually chill out on the beach, shut off my phone and do nothing! After looking all over Mexico for a spot we decided on Sayulita, a little ways outside of Puerta Vallarta. Its beaches, hotels and vibe are apparently to-die-for and I can't wait to take it all in.

Below are some vacation clothes and accessories that seem very fitting for this trip as long as a gorgeous photo I found by Sara K. Bryne Photography! Did you take a honeymoon? Where did you go?




Sayulita photo by Sara K. Bryne Photography
Sources: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6