another outfit styled at scout

With Bill Jones from Jones Bros

Eric with his phone, and me with my dozen Jones Bros cupcakes (and humongous homemade marshmallow in the to-go cup)

A look at the paper sculptural art of Omaha artist Yinghua Zhu

Bunny boots

♥ real housewives of omaha ♥ my nine month old baby ♥ my new coat in my favorite colors ♥ string cheese ♥ homemade dish soap ♥  ♥ dark grey nail polish with a heavy coat of gold glitter on top–my new power manicure ♥ just realized I own 3 gold clutch purses and NEVER use them…that changes this week. ♥ wendy williams. period. ♥ waterford vase we got for our wedding full of dice ♥ wooden wick candles ♥ liz’s bow belt tutorial ♥ cuddling to sleep with my little tiny beanbag ♥ the cute guy who works at the locksmith. hi, josh. thanks for saving me today. ♥ speaking of wendy williams, the new season of ru paul’s drag race. do you know you can watch online?! ♥ custom rubber stamps–there is a factory down the street from my office and they do SUCH great work! ♥ homemade banana bread–I’ve made three batches this week ♥ a new box of wine to keep on my desk (mom of the year) ♥

The crew at CAMP

the best guest room

wonder woman makeup mailed to me by reader kari!

everyone wants homemade ice cream made on the porch in a coffee can

Eric and I giving our talk at Meet the Pros earlier this week, Badassery at Work: Creativity, collaboration, and coworking.

xo
meg

2. Each dress sold before November will come with a free little toss bouquet or fabulous one-off custom headband–you choose what you want, and you choose the colors.

We’re doing a few other promotions too…

• After we sell 50 dresses we’re doing a giveaway for a free bouquet/boutonniere/accessory/present/awesomeness package for your wedding, prom, date night, whatever. Whoever wins can work that out with us.
• After we sell 100 dresses, we’re giving away a custom dress!

3. Do Fun Stuff is the name of a new kids album–my FAVORITE kids album–curated by blogger Ryan Marshall (Pacing the Panic Room). Alice fell asleep to it tonight and I love every song–it’s children’s music that I would totally listen to anyway. And the blog is way rad–be sure to check out his wife’s maternity photos, I’ve never seen anything so creative. I wish I had done ours like that!

Ryan and his wife Cole have two kids–one of them has a rare disability called Smith Magenis Syndrome and all of the proceeds from the album sales will go to researching this little-understood illness. My favorite songs are Potty Time, Ladybug, and Hooray it’s my Birthday.

The best thing is that you can listen to each song in full on the website.

4. After I sell 100 dresses, I’m giving one away on the blog. Order up.

5. Thanks to everyone who has mentioned them on their blogs–Brides Magazine, Rock ‘n Roll Bride, Broke-Ass Bride, Words by Alison, and It’s a Jaime Thing, that I know of. Thank you.

6. Here is a video of the show that was shot by WOWT here in Omaha. My parents taped it from their tv in their living room. The background music is def not my choice (here was our music–Je Veux Te Voir by Yelle. Not safe for work, if you speak French.)

7. Sorry for being so me-centric lately. I think that’s kind of how blogs tend to go but sometimes I just want to talk about something else. After the Omaha Fashion Week series this week, it’ll just be customer weddings next week–and there are some beautiful ones. Like this one.

awesome love stories!
xo

• Emily Henderson is one of the contestants on HGTV’s Design Star, and I love reading her blog for behind-the-scenes commentary about each episode. Her writing voice is also so friendly and funny–you will love reading it.
• “The only way to have a truly offbeat wedding is to do what you like. Because if you’re keeping up or rebelling someone else’s status vision, you’re wasting your time and resources.” Ariel (of Offbeat Bride fame)’s take on being an offbeat consumer.

• If I was a diamond girl, I would totally go for this black oxidized silver diamond ring. Baaaaad ass.
• 20 things I wish I’d known at 20 from Mighty Girl–this post is not another dose of typical “live, love, laugh” advice and actually made me think about what I might be forgetting to focus on in my own 20s. It made me laugh.
• An easy handmade corsage necklace on Design*Sponge

• Anyone else ever dye their hair Cotton Candy Pink? I did right before our family photos when I was fourteen–my mom probably wasn’t pleased but she wisely brushed it off. Reading The Story Behind Manic Panic brought back lots of Cotton Candy Pink memories!
• Alice’s favorite song

what are you into these days?
xo

p.s. giveaway tomorrow!

• A Scandinavian-style little girl’s playroom in the home of Jeanette Lunde who writes Fryd Design
• Papier Mache, a web-based magazine
• This vintage twin stroller photo…doesn’t that just look like trouble? Found via my friend Paul.

• Melissa of Melissa Jill Photography explains why she doesn’t offer discounts–a touchy and challenging subject for many self-employed people
• Tips from Ann Handley on how to get a speaking gig at conferences at events

• A whimsical Alice in Wonderland-themed photoshoot over at Style Me Pretty. I love that this is “pretty” Alice and not “creepy” Alice.
• Why I Love Entrepreneurs–this post by my friend Sara Davidson motivated me and made me feel so appreciative for my wonderful mentors and clients!
• Felt Flowers to the Rescue! How one of my clients repaired her prom dress with materials from my felt flower kit.
• DIY Project: Twig pushpins from Design*Sponge. I’m planning to make several boxes of these as gifts and to use at CAMP.

  

Other surprising (to me) and sometimes inelegant (don’t read, Grandma) things about postpartum life that your comments on my last post reminded me of:

• It’s normal to get really painful hemorrhoids. They won’t kill you.

• Nursing hurts and isn’t necessarily easy.  It seems like so many factors have to work together in perfect concert (my milk supply, her latch, my pain tolerance, her positioning, etc) for successful breastfeeding. I feel lucky and proud that it is working out for us, but even though I consider Alice a “good eater,” there are feedings that are less pleasant than others. I wanted to quit nursing up until about two and a half weeks because she was such an aggressive eater and it hurt me. Then I got over it and recovered just as she had a growth spurt and began eating twice as often as usual and then nursing hurt again. And that’s okay–it’s just my body taking time to adjust. I do pump occasionally and she takes bottles well from her dad or from me when I am too sore.
• For me, personally, “bouncing back” energy-wise after Alice’s birth was not hard. Three days after she was born, I was leaving the house, and four days later I was at the store with her running errands. From seeing new moms in movies and on TV, I expected to be in bed “recovering” for weeks, but it’s not like being sick. I didn’t push myself physically but walking around a store to pick up a few things and lifting a few grocery bags was not beyond my capability.
• I would have been so regretful if I hadn’t prepared for birth by learning not only about natural birth and pain management techniques but details about possible medical procedures. Just save yourself the stress and confusion of having any surprises at the hospital (What’s an internal fetal monitor? What should her heart rate be? What’s Cytotec? What are the risks of carrying group B strep? What if the doctor wants to rupture your membranes?) because that is the time you will least want to deal with making decisions and learning about any new terms or procedures for which to give informed consent. If you ask questions and assert your preferences, no doctor or nurse will think you are annoying or bothersome–they will be impressed by your curiosity and active participation in your own birth experience.

• Do everything you can in the months coming up to birth to avoid tearing. I tore in two places and the stitches can still hurt for the first few weeks and they can pull uncomfortably for weeks after when you sit in the wrong way. The way that is most comfortable for my back to feed Alice is also most uncomfortable for sitting on my stitches so everything is still kinda sore.
• My pregnancy cravings completely vanished. I went three months eating popsicles every day and I haven’t really cared for one since Alice came.

be your best today!!

xo

2. I love these gray and yellow Village Pillows from Rachael Cole, as featured on Sweet Sweet Life.

3. An article by TooLuLu on Crafty Business Goal Setting.

4. You’ll be inspired by Urban Knitting, the world’s most inoffensive graffiti. How do they do that?!

5. Lots of workspace inspiration on Meg Mateo Ilasco’s blog, Designer Library

I am having one of those days where I need to stay positive and keep my eye on the ball. Making lists is always inherently pleasing to me. Here is one about nice things.

1. This is the quote that first started my day looking up. What wise and inspiring words.

Found at Perfect Sentiment

2. I love how my husband always offers to make me food. I pick what I want, and he makes a double order and we share. Today for lunch we had blueberry pancakes. He is the nicest, least selfish person I know and I feel so lucky.

3. This bridal bouquet made entirely of vintage brooches. Photo by Studio del Fiore, found at Offbeat Bride.

4. I can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous printed hoisery by Les Queues de Sardines.

5. My good friend Jeff shared this article with me about being realistic about your limits and setting boundaries: Say Yes to Saying No

6. Adorable, totally apolitical yard sign satire from my friend John Henry at What Cheer. I can’t wait to have my kid–we will have so much fun like this.

7. Little bunny index tabs from Lemontree77 on Etsy

8. I so want this stuffed kitty for Alice. Made by Sleepyking

9. I love that my upperclassmen who have been slacking off didn’t do well at our last speech meet, but I had four (I believe?) hardworking freshman break finals. Ha-ha! Practice does pay off!

10. This picture from the University of Okoboji Winter Games is amazing! My mom is in it–she is where the bird’s wing meets the neck. Photo by Judy Hemphill.

]]> http://princesslasertron.com/2010/02/ten-things-i-love/feed/ 17 http://princesslasertron.com/2009/12/what-im-reading/ http://princesslasertron.com/2009/12/what-im-reading/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:44:17 +0000 Princess Lasertron http://princesslasertron.com/?p=1364 What I’m reading elsewhere on the internet:

1. What we can learn from Lady Gaga via Daily Speculations (and what Startups can learn from Gaga, from Leveraging Ideas)

2. The first three chapters from Hungry Monkey: A food-loving father’s quest to raise an adventurous eater. I’ve had eating issues since birth and this book is calming a lot of my anxieties about getting Alice to become a fearless food lover.

3. How can I use my small space in a high-impact way? This article about the book Not So Big Remodeling from USA Today has some great thoughts.

4. Popular and beautifully inspirational wedding blog Style Me Pretty is looking for contributors!

5. “Why I Won’t Donate to your Auction” by artist Cat Rocketship

2. Eleven inspiring business card ideas from Oh, Hello Friend. I keep all of the business cards I get in a special binder and the coolest ones get kept in the front. Flipping through the pages really shows the great impact of these little cards on identity.

photo by perfectbound

3. Also marveling at Jennifer Murphy’s basement studio…she makes me think my basement could, too, be so cute one day…maybe I should start with a blueprint like hers?

4. Lovers of offbeat and extraordinary weddings, you will love this Rollerskating Wedding posted over on Offbeat Bride…also congratulations to Ariel, the original OBB, on the birth of her first child Tavi!

5. My mom blogs about how we told my parents about their granddaughter.

6. My friend Cat and her hilarious Post-It Note comics make her one of the coolest people I know.

We’ll see how that works, but I can picture it ending up REALLY cute. I was planning to wrap all of our gifts this year with brown kraft paper and thick four-inch black satin ribbon, and I would love to tear open a nondescript package like that to find a rainbow of goodies inside.

Here are my picks for black and pink gifts. Could be great for a girly tenager turned emo, a cool 80s-obsessed friend, or a fashion-forward man in your life.

Bombs Away tie from Cyberoptix TieLab will run you between $30-40 depending on the cut you prefer. As you can see it comes in several colors–Professor Lasertron has this tie and loves it!

Black Tea Lip Balm – $3.50 from Flourish Bath & Body

Raspberry bow heels for a cool $99.99 on Modcloth. I’m mostly including these to show my mom. Aren’t they cute, mom?

This peppermint-scented Coal Soap comes in packs of two for $6.00 from Sun Basil Garden

One Year of White Pages–12 blank notebooks from A+R Store at $38.00

Pink and Black Diana Camera from Lomo. For $105,  this would be great for a high schooler or photography hobbyist.

Pink Nixon watch from ASOS, $65.00

Monogram Pillowcase from Urban Outfitters, $18.00 (or two for $30)

Leather Grandpa Slippers from Urban Outfiters – a nice stocking stuffer at $18!

Beautiful Japanese masking tapes – available in so many different colors at three rolls for $8.50 from Pretty Tape

Classic Labeled Notebook – $5.75 from Present and Correct

Crocheted Tights – $12 from Fred Flare (tights are #1 on my wish list this year!)

Pink Polka Dot French Press set –$44.99 from Modcloth! I love this, you could make so many different drinks in it.

Super unique Russian Doll Tape, $10 from Fred Flare – great stocking stuffer!

It would be easy to have some fun with this theme–I could sew oilcloth tote bags to match the goodies contained within, scour thrift stores to find vintage jewelry and accessories.

more to come!
xo