Save-the-Dates

What a beautiful weekend! The weather was incredible, I got to spend time with so many friends, had a super productive Sunday...

...and today I feel nauseated and just generally upset about having to get out of bed. That weekend of greasy, sugary and delicious food did not treat me well. The good news is today will be crazy gorgeous for March in Illinois! 77 degrees and sunny? I'll take it.

Last week we sent out our save-the-dates! That was so much fun and made everything feel a little more real. 

We spent months gathering addresses (p.s. I used the Weddingwire guest list program and it is AWESOME) and thinking about what we wanted save-the-dates to look like and when to send them.

We opted for magnets because they're practical. Seriously, that's why. If they're going to sit on someone's fridge anyway they might as well be useful, right?

The only problem with magnets is they are a weird shape, and we didn't do much searching for smaller, specialty envelopes. We went for the smallest we could find and added a sheet of vellum inside to fill the envelope a little better without weighing it down too much.

I also freaked out and insisted we had to have a pumpkin stamp on the back of the envelopes. I don't know why that was such a big deal, but I had to run out to Hobby Lobby and get one. So I did. And I felt better.

But because I am really not great at any sort of crafting or DIY activities, I stamped the envelopes with the pumpkin, stacked them up and got orange ink all over the front of half the envelopes. Here's a tip: Ink needs to dry! I stared at them, upset at my own incompetence, and finally said "Whatever, it adds character." I don't know if that's true, but at the moment, it was what needed to be said.

My work space. 

So this picture is great because it really shows off the state of my life right now. That is the basement where we currently live, I only like to work on the floor (anyone else?), you can see my ever-present mug of hot tea and I put items from my recent trip home to Chicago all over the table. Also, Girl Scout cookies. 

A random picture from the weekend...my friends and I went out to an Irish bar Saturday night! My face was frozen at this point because we had to keep taking the picture over and over. Yes, we made sure St. Patrick made it into the photo with us.

 Happy Monday!

An exhausting/happy weekend

Happy Wednesday!

I know we're mid-week already, but how was your weekend? We were lucky enough to have some warmer weather. And by "warmer" I mean like 37 degrees. So. That's balmy in Illinois in March.

This weekend I went home to the Chicago 'burbs to see friends and family and have another dress fitting!

I left straight from work Friday and met a couple of my friends at my grandma's house for pizza and a sleepover (my grandparents are awesome.)

The next morning we headed out to the dress fitting. I got us lost for awhile and we were half an hour late...so luckily I have friends who don't mind my total lack of direction?

(P.S. I've got my dress on in this picture! Good work, friends, at blocking the dress.)

After that, I met my mom at her salon to get my hair colored. My mom is an AMAZING hair stylist. She's been doing it for decades. So I'm pretty spoiled. But I still only get my hair colored about once a year because I am lazy. I also like to chop my hair once a year, but my mom squashed that idea because of the wedding. I am definitely going to be a post-wedding hair chop kind of person...

Then we went to Long Grove for lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, the Long Grove Cafe. We used to go there yearly for our birthdays (a week apart) but since I've moved away, that's been harder. We took advantage of the nice weather and went this weekend!

Long Grove is also known their chocolate-covered strawberries (which I forgot to get a picture of...) but here is the inside of the candy shop!

I spent the whole weekend eating. Seriously. Saturday night we went out for Mexican food and I couldn't even look at the food. 

Sunday morning we had brunch at my family's house and then I drove home. It's about a 2 hour, 45 minute drive. I usually get books on tape to pass the time if I'm driving alone. This time around I've been listening to The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs.

I got home and immediately took a nap. So much food, so much socialization...I'm the kind of person who needs some serious alone time after seeing a lot of people. That was definitely true of this weekend.

I'm gearing up for another crazy weekend, and I can't wait!

Office Zen

Happy Monday!

To celebrate a fresh new week (if "celebrate" is the right word for that...), I wanted to talk a little bit about my very first work office.

I started a new job a few weeks ago, and the original plan was that I would just have a desk by the front door. I was fine with that, as so far I have only had cubicles and desks and my jobs. But just before starting, I learned I would be moved into my very own office, and I was thrilled!

I'm an introvert, so I find it easiest to work if I have my own space. I got to work on my first day and set out a couple things: a mug to hold my pens, an owl picture holder and a couple cute note pads, to name a few.

I am also deeply affected by whatever environment I'm in (aren't we all?) so I have picked up a few things lately to help get me in a clear-headed working mindset. My walls are still totally barren and I don't have a window, so these things have brightened up the place. Here's how I have made my office a little more zen and cozy the past few weeks:

1. Plants - So I got a cute little succulent for $5 last week, but I have since learned the one I got needs sunlight. I kill every single plant I have, and I'm trying to change my ways. So I researched plants that need little to no sunlight, and I found a few. This is the one I want to bring in. It's a golden pothos. This is a great option to help clean the air, which is important when you're in an enclosed office all day.

2. Space clearing spray - I got an Amazon gift card for my birthday, and since then I have been all about spring cleaning-type things. This stuff is awesome. I bought it specifically to leave at the office, and after I spray it my space feels renewed.

3. Lavender Lemonade soy candle - The scent of this candle is fresh and bright, and I usually light it in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. Lighting candles also relaxes me and puts me in a writing mood, which I do a lot of at my new job.

4. Salt lamp - I also got this guy at Amazon. It helps purify the air, reduces allergies, improves your mood and gives off a pretty glow.

5. Green tea - My current favorite is Numi's Gunpowder Green tea. I drink a lot of herbal tea and warm water with lemon, but green tea gives a little caffeine boost. Which is critical on a Monday morning.

Also important: Spa music and a pretty desktop wallpaper, currently of a small cottage town in Ireland.

How do you make your space more relaxing?