Roots

About ten years ago, a distant relative named Joel Gregory Harris compiled a book called William H. Harris: 1840-1875, Descendants of a Confederate Soldier. Within this roughly 200-page book is the outlined family history of one of my great-great-great-grandfathers. With copies of original Civil War documents, transcriptions of Wills, stories and hundreds of people named as family relations, it's one of the most fascinating books I've ever read.

As a strange and unexpected by-product to wedding planning, I've been struggling a bit with the feeling of losing my own history and identity, moving from my family to his. When Dad died, Sissy and I both had a long conversation about how we're his kids and how we need to not only embrace history, we need to consider ourselves buds on our family tree -- just waiting for the opportunity to start our own families and become our own branch. Every day that passes, I'm a little closer to becoming my own branch.

Well, I've self-proclaimed myself Family Historian...and I'm taking on the WHOLE family! I've signed up for a genealogy website and started compiling as much information as possible. Once the wedding's over and Ohio's winter is in full swing, I'm going to dedicate at least a couple of hours a week to working on it. It's going to be hard work, but if I don't do it, who will?

This begs the question: Have you ever done any family tree investigation? Where did you start? Have any advice or recommendations for someone just starting?

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OMGOMGOMG

Ninja post while at work...I HAD to post. It's a moral imperative!

Our wedding invitations arrived late yesterday and they are PERFECT!

OMGOMGOMG

So excited!!

Brain Rot

Not feeling particularly inspired today. I blame the brain rot.

For now, here's a bit of drivel to keep you going until I can come up with something glorious.

xo

I Can Has Cheezburger

Children's dental aid FAIL

Police FAIL

No, thank you for the Penicillin.

Who doesn't love a cape?

ModCloth is after my heart yet again with this baby. I have more coats than any one person ever should...if I could just donate a few and scrounge up some extra duckets, this is coming to live in my closet.

Cape of Good Hope a la Modcloth

Like a Fine Wine...

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It's coming, you know. My birthday. The Big 3-0. As I know that is a perfectly acceptable age, I must be frank for a moment and say this: Where has the time gone? My mom told me this would happen. I just thought it would happen later. Much later...akin to gray hairs. So much for that, as it looks like both are here for the duration. (Though my stylist sister and sunblock have done wonders in artfully concealing both!)

So rather than wallowing in self-pity, I am embracing my birthday fully, with grace, and for all the best reasons:

1. I've been blessed with another healthy year of life.
2. It's certainly better to be turning 30 than 18, 21 or 25 (and it takes a certain age to understand why.)
3. I'll be 30 when I get married.
4. I'm younger now and forever will be younger than D. (hee hee)
5. I've been blessed to have had the chance to be friends with both of my parents and apologize for the childish, ridiculous and sometimes bad things I did when I was young.
6. I am even more blessed to have had their forgiveness.
7. I've learned to understand the difference between wishes and dreams and how to turn them into reality.
8. I can look back on my 20s, laugh and let go.
9. I've accepted that I'll never be perfect, but neither is anyone else and that's just fine with me.
10. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I'm going to make the most of my 30th year.

And so I'm throwing myself a party in the back yard that D. has worked so hard to make beautiful, with a few people who's company I enjoy more than anything. I can't wait :)

A Pink and Green Garden Wedding! - Project Wedding

A Pink and Green Garden Wedding! - Project Wedding

Chelsea over at {frolic!} is a girl after my own heart! Pink+ green are just happy colors, don't you think? Her tablescape reads as clean, classic and feminine without any pretension or stuffiness.

If you find yourself hosting an upcoming event, whether it be a birthday party, baby or bridal shower or a ladies' luncheon, consider this perfect palette. It's almost impossible for it not to look beautiful. Go go complimentary colors! Munsell would be proud.

Shared via AddThis

Dirty Franks for Mr. M

He started it by bringing up hot dogs in an ice cream post. It only seemed right that I follow up with the tour de force that is our first trip to Dirty Franks. Now I know this isn't as interesting for those folks not in the general vicinity, but srsly. They put some weird stuff on hot dogs. Just stay with me here.

That green thing is mine -- lime slushie + sprite. They were out of cherry slushie, otherwise I would've been all over a Cowboy Curtis (aka cherry slush+ RS Cola). Goo!
I can't wait to try some alcoholic slushies. That's just brilliant.

The man. Looking ready for some franks. Or possibly he's nervous. Hmm..

Mmm. Ambiance.

Oh yes. 4 hot dots with toppings PLUS tots. We immersed ourselves in Dirty Franks. That's mine at the top, with the tots. I was a fan. Now. Onto the meat.

I got two hot dots. One Razzle Dazzle (top) and one Classy Lady (above the tots.) D.'s is the other basket -- he got a Dog From Hell (top, basket 2) and a Whoa Nellie (below)!

Here's the digs:

Razzle Dazzle = hot dog on bun with cream cheese, grilled peppers and fresh onions. [B-]

What I say: "A little more bland than I'd hoped for. The cream cheese was just weird."

What D. says: "Cream cheese on hot dogs is just weird."

The Classy Lady = Cheese sauce and crushed potato chips [A-]

What I say: "Out of my 2, I liked this much better. The cheese sauce was very cheesy but the chips added a nice crunch. Reminded me of being a kid and smashing chips onto sandwiches (which I didn't ever do as a kid, actually.)"

What D. says: "I don't remember this as being memorable."

Dog From Hell = Spicy Giardiniera pepper mix & soothing cream cheese [D]

What D. says: "Not a fan. Weird cauliflouer/carrot/vinegar topping."

What I say: "It smells."

Whoa Nellie! = Topped with pulled beef brisket & a drizzle of BBQ sauce [B]

What D. says: "Tasted like Bob Evans pot roast on a hot dog. Which I like Bob Evans pot roast, so..."

What I say: "My favorite. I liked the sweet BBQ sauce. I'd get this one for myself."

Verdict: I think I'd go back for another try. I really want that Cowboy Curtis and maybe even try my hand at making up my own hot dog (goodness only knows how many options I have to choose from!) However, it doesn't usurp the taco cart. Not even close. Good venture, though. Another taste is in order very soon.

Custom Embosser...Cheaper Than Letterpress

Truth be told, I put crazy amounts of thought into our wedding invitations suite (but c'mon...would you expect anything less from me?) I think we managed to work out exactly what we wanted for a very reasonable price, but in order to get there, we had to compromise on a few things to make that happen. That means that letterpress envelopes was completely out of the question (Hello, extra $100!) Given that my FMIL has promised to work her calligraphy mojo on the envelopes, I couldn't mess up the look with a return address label!

I considered a custom return address stamper (and how cool is this one?)
But a custom embosser won out for a few reasons -- it will give that same tactile letterpress look, it doesn't run out of ink, mess-free, I will use it a million times and it will last (big fan of things not to end up in landfills.)

Custom embossing+square flap envelopes=sexy

I went with a Three Designing Women design #3431 from Simple & Sassy. They had the best price I could find (less than $60 WITH shipping) and quick turn-around. It arrived this week and I got to work embossing every bit of paper I could find. Trick is to stand up when you depress the lever...but wow. I am impressed (har!).

Clearly not us, but you get the idea.

Wanderlust.

We are world travelers and I don't own my own luggage. How sad is that? I'm honestly a bit embarrassed, but what's a girl to do? Just last year, I bought a hot pink rolly carry-on from Target for our trip to NYC and I was so excited. It's already falling apart, but it does the job for short quickie Domestic flights. International HONEYMOON flights are a horse of another color, wouldn't you agree? Here's my wishie wish list for honeymoon travel essentials:

Diane Von Furstenberg Studio Jaquard Luggage & Rolling Carry-On in Navy here
Personalized Bright Leather Luggage Tags here
Cashmere 3-Piece Travel Set here
Kate Spade Jane Street Passport Holder here
Bucky Neck Pillow here
TOMS Shoes here

Fabulous reads, like Real Simple here
Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief Moisturizer here
Rosebud Salve Strawberry Lip Balm here
Luna Bars (Delish!) here
Origins Peace of Mind Gumballs here
Burt's Bees Hand Salve here
My Apple iPod nano filled with loves like Ambulance LTD and Glenn Miller
Glacéau Vitamin Water (bought past security checkpoint, of course)

Flower Girl Fashion Show

When you're 2, one flip flop suffices.

Lil's flower girl dress fits like a charm. Well made in the U.S.A., the perfect color and less than $35! The back is darling...little buttons and the sash ties into a big bow. It really couldn't be more perfect.

Check out Duckings & Daffodils' eBay store...I highly recommend it!

Woot! First Wedding Gift!

I don't know how polite it is for me to announce to all of blogdome and beyond about our wedding gifts, but I am so flipping excited about it I am foregoing etiquette to give a big YAHOO! for our first, official wedding present....

What could it be...? That's a big box...

Oh gleeful joy! It's the KitchenAid stand mixer I've been dreaming of for a decade. Let the happy dance commence! Honestly, this has been the one thing I've been crossing my fingers for...I can't wait to use it. Oh what should I make?! Cinnamon rolls? Meatloaf? Definitely my birthday cupcakes..!

What was your most memorable wedding gift and from whom? Was it something you'd secretly dreamed of (like my mixer) or was it four complete silver tea service sets? A jackalope? A cashmere throw? Do tell :)

Bicycles+Jeni's=Happy

And if you don't believe me, read my bike bell...it says so right there :) I am not-so-secretly wishing for a nice chrome bike basket for the 'ol cruiser for my birthday. Then I won't have to stuff all my groceries into a backpack. I draw the line at whole chickens. That was just gross.

Bike riding in a skirt & flip flops takes determination that only trips to Jeni's can instill.

We like art in the C-bus, even when it's on corn.

How To Make Ice Cream Like an Artisan

{Courtesy Food & Wine, Lisa Fjeld & Frances Janisch}

Must read for foodies everywhere: How To Make Ice Cream Like an Artisan

Jeni's rockstar ice cream genius is being shared with us all...in the form of recipes for the home ice cream maker. I'm literally swooning...and resisting to put an ice cream machine on the registry to make these recipes alone. Instead, I'm going to bribe Mr. M. (or beg & plead) for his ice cream maker. Oh joy for homemade Jeni's at my birthday party! That might be all we eat, come to think of it...

I can has flavors:
Vanilla Bean
Pistachio
Mint
Strawberry Fro Yo
Lemon-Blueberry Fro Yo
Melon Sorbet
Sour-Cherry Lambic Sorbet
Sugar Syrup

This one's for the guys.

Check out this guest post over at Brooklyn Bride from a few days ago...Your Groom is a Modern Groom. It's by Mike at Groom Groove. They throw out a hefty life line to bridegrooms who are still trying to figure out what weddings (and the part they play specifically within them) are all about.

The first dance, gift giving, speeches, rehearsal dinners, formal wear..oh yeah, they've got you covered.

Sweetness.

OK, I've found the motherlode of awesomely lovely baking stuffs here. Greta & Kristen just opened their online store Layer Cake Shop and it is going to be a real treat for us all!

Buy stuff, bake stuff, share stuff with people you love. And me, too, if feeling generous. I love cupcakes ^-^
Oh yeah...AND they are offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50 through July. Even sweeter!

Here Comes the Sun

So who else out there is a fan of the HBO series True Blood besides me? I'm a fan. A big one. I've always had a certain panache for vampire genre books, which is strange but I'm OK with that. So after completely devouring the Twilight series, I needed more. Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels were recommended and voila! I've been hooked ever since (plan on starting book #6 today.)

Anywho. With that said, our new Sunday night ritual involves watching True Blood (oh yes, I've managed to talk D. into being a fan, too.) And though this seems to be receiving a bit of contention online, I think Sookie's yellow skirt and flower sweater in Sunday night's episode was completely darling (and a vast improvement from a boring suit and 'Haragami' a la the Harris novel, no offense.)

It helped me remember how much I love yellow! So here you are. My Infamous Sookie Stackhouse Anubis Airlines Yellow Outfit tribute:

{Top L to R: Anthropologie, Dorothy Perkins, Wake Up Frankie, Urban Outfitters}
{Bottom L to R: Nordstrom, Steve Madden, Silk Charm, Daily Maik UK}

Food, Glorious Food

We had such a fun weekend...chock full o' good friends, good eats, lots of laughs and family time.

Rode bikes 3 blocks to Junior's Taco Cart. Ay caramba! The al pastor was out of this world. $1.50 a taco? Oh yes, we'll be back.

Saturday, Sissy came over to meet D. and me and we strolled over to the annual Surly Girl Saloon "Here Comes Your Weekend Parking Lot Blowout" and, despite the daytime downpours, it was dry and clear the rest of the night. PBR in refillable mugs, metal bands and CAO cigars...it was a blast! (Come out next year...it's free AND all food/drink proceeds go to Columbus musicians without health insurance.)

This guy had the greatest mustache. Struck By Lightning.

I WON!

{lilafrances via Classic Bride}

So Sarah over at Classic Bride (one of my absolute fave-o wedding blogs of all time) has simply The Best Contests Ever. One of her most recent contests featured Anna's Etsy shop lilafrances's custom hangers. Completely adorable, yes?

{lilafrances via Classic Bride}

Anna was generous enough to give away a small custom hanger set to one lucky CB reader...and that reader was ME!! I'm over the moon :) THANK YOU SARAH + ANNA!!

{lilafrances via Classic Bride}

The Wal-Mart of Weddings: One company, David’s Bridal, outfits one-third of America’s brides—on the cheap. | The Big Money

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I came across an interesting article on David's Bridal that I thought I'd share with all of those soon-to-be-weds out there:

The Wal-Mart of Weddings: One company, David’s Bridal, outfits one-third of America’s brides—on the cheap. | The Big Money

{via ShareThis}

What I find most fascinating about the (almost outlandish) level of success DB has had recently is that some portion has to belong to brides-to-be who won't consider an alternative (and perhaps more creative) source for gowns. Certainly we must have more than the two obvious options presented to us (aka: the overpriced specialty bridal shop or DB.) Take, for instance, trunk shows, consignment stores, online boutiques, Etsy creations, wearing vintage -- or better yet, wear a special relative's gown -- and online sources like PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, which help you buy and/or sell your dream dress at a fraction of the original cost.

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It's true that some things work for some and not for others, but I also don't think that the collective "we" need not to continue to buy into what the wedding machine has convinced us is "normal" or even necessary. I'm so thankful that I found my dress at the local Filene's Wedding Dress event. Sure, it was weirdly fantastic to be able to shoe shop whilst trying on ludicrous amounts of gowns stripped down to my skivvies in the middle of a store, but it worked for me because not only did I pay less than I would've anywhere else, it is one seriously effing fantastic gown that there's no way in h-e-double-hockysticks I could have afforded otherwise. I had a really unique experience in finding it and, at that point, I could immediately stop thinking I needed to spend my flower budget on a dress that I'd wear less than one day. Srsly.

{Freebie Friday} Shirtsy Font

Shut UP I love this font! Shirtsy a la Bread of Many. Many, many thanks for sharing! ^-^

Pick it up here and remember, it's free for personal use only, pls. Thx!

Nothing beats a Lyman.

{Plain Dealer}

Growing up on Lake Erie had its ups and downs (winters are a drag, for certain), but all those winter blues were magically swept away when Port Clinton opened for the season. From Memorial Day weekend to the start of school at the end of August, Lake Erie was our playground. Swimming, fishing, boating, bike rides, melty ice creams, muffleheads, roller skating at Gem Beach, scabbed knees and sun-kissed, freckled faces sum up every summer of my childhood. Even after being away 17 years, every summer I feel an ache in my heart for it all. Things change up there so quickly...both Portage and Catawba Elementary Schools closed. Gem Beach Roller Rink has been closed for ages, same as the putt-putt that was just around the corner. Lots of businesses come and go, but just enough stays the same that it is familiar. It's home.

Fishing on the Dock
{ClarinetGirl's Flickr}

One of the things I miss the very most is my grandpa's vintage Lyman. That's a boat to most people who don't know better, but to someone with a Lyman, it's so much more than a boat. I'll never forget the summer I became First Mate. Oh yes, sounds glamorous doesn't it? It certainly did to a ten year old, but what it meant is early mornings cleaning the boat, scrabbling to drop anchor or push off, laying bumpers or pretty much anything else Grandpa could get me to do. As much as I just wanted to swim and sun myself, I treasure every memory I have working on Ma Honey those summers with Grandpa.

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My family had sad news this week. Grandpa's only brother passed away. He was the last true link to my maternal grandfather's family and it's hit me in a very tender spot. Though I didn't know Uncle Ron very well myself, he was my Grandpa's brother and that is enough for me to miss him already. I bet Uncle Ron really liked Grandpa's Lyman, too.

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I wish "DIY" stood for "Did It Yesterday"...

Because that would mean my schedule would be free to ride my bike to Jeni's :) But alas...it does not.

Sorry for the lacking in posts these last few days. I've been in crazy DIY mode...oh so many little wedding projects catching up to me! Perhaps I've bitten off more than I can chew, but now it's to the point where I'm determined to get them all finished. As much as I hate to admit this, I do tend to work better under pressure, so I'm not too worried. Not yet, anyway...(*fingers crossed*)

And with all this extra time I have (har!), I recently thought to myself, "Hey! Throw yourself a birthday party!" So that was that. I decided to throw myself a lovely dinner party next month for my 30th. Because, apparently, I am a DIY masochist. Sure, it could've (should've) been a simple dinner, but where's the fun in that?! This is a special one and I'm embracing it completely and utterly, channeling my inner Whimsical Vintage Crafty Goddess for inspiration.

Here's a teaser...

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Now I know I've posted this pic before, but I Love it with a capital L and it should make for a great foundation to elaborate upon. The only other thing that I can say is that bunting and faerie lights will be involved. Mum's the word for now, but more to come soon!