stationery gift

My friend Jenny is getting married tonight! I decided to make them a personalized box of stationery, with blank note cards, personalized paper, gift tags and special occasion cards. I added a little note to the box explaining that yes, the gift is for the groom, too! He may not use it as often (or at all), but his wife will be using it on behalf of both of them from now on.

giant cookie

I recently made these delicious cookies as a thank you for my brother in-law, Thad. It's actually one giant 9" chocolate chip cookie, which I cut into bars (and my husband and I enjoyed the edge pieces). It's a lot easier than scooping out an entire batch of cookies and dealing with baking sheets + cooling racks (and the perfect amount when there's only two of us).



Recipe, as from my sister in-law, Kir:
Cream
1/2 c. each butter + sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
Add
1 egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. each baking soda + salt
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. chocolate chips
Mix well. Bake in greased 9" pan at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

rifle invitation suite

I love the look of this sweet little invitation set designed by Rifle. Plus, it's for a wedding in my state, right along the Michigan Riviera. See more of it here.

telephone booth

One of my favorite parts of Disney is touring all of the different countries at Epcot. This cute little boy loved the phone booths in the UK section at Epcot, and kept jumping into my photo...

we're back...

We made it back safely from our Disney vacation and had the best time. The trip to Florida once again confirmed that I would like to live somewhere warmer and sunnier than our current state.

Guest Blog Post: New Inspiration Source

a guest post from Stacy.

Just found this fabulous new online magazine called Utterly Engaged. Lovely budget friendly ideas for brides to be...but I think these ideas are inspiration for any party planning diva - not just brides! Check it out and be inspired!

Found on Creature Comforts

Guest Blog Post: Watching My Garden Grow

My first black-eyed susan! Isn't it gorgeous! Aw, design at it's best...in nature! Got a bunch of these lovely flowers from my coworker's yard and am so happy to see them bloom. My daylilies are pretty much spent and my hostas have all put out their flowers and frazzled out - same with my bee balm and chamomile. It is amazing how flowers bloom at different times. One fades out and another starts up.

Guest Blog Post: Grilling Goodness

a guest post from Stacy.



If you're anything like us, our summer meals revolve around the grill. Grilled chicken, grilled hot dogs, grilled squash and potatoes and corn!

One of the latest recipes we've tried on the grill were Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon and Rosemary! I love it, my hubby, not so much - I think the rosemary overwhelmed his taste buds, but anywho it is a must-try summer recipe!

Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon and Rosemary

Ingredients

4 peaches

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 sprigs rosemary, minced

Yield: 4 servings

Preheat the broiler if you plan to use it instead of the grill.

Rinse the peaches, pat dry, cut in half and remove the pits. Place the peach halves in a baking dish. Mix the sugar and cinnamon, stir in the oil and brush the mixture over the peaches. Sprinkle with rosemary. Marinate for 10 minutes, turning over and basting once.

Broil or grill the marinated peaches for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are tender but not soft. Serve immediately, alone or with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Recipe originally published on frenchwomendontgetfat.com

Guest Blogging: Take One

Hello, everyone, Stacy here from, Squirrel Chatter and Confessions of a Design Junkie! I am so excited to be guest blogging for Alli - I am very honored and just a tad overwhelmed as I've never quite done something like this before!

As a fellow crafter and designer, I can spend a good deal of time lurking amongst the aisles of my local craft stores. On my latest jaunt to Hobby Lobby I stumbled upon this stationary and office set from Fiddlestix Paperie. Took everything in me not to fill my cart with letter openers, weekly planners, notepads, mini-journals, luggage tags, push pins and binder clips! Everything was so well designed it was fabulous and would give my desk at work a much needed makeover. But alas, I refrained but couldn't help but take a few pictures!

I tried to look up some information about the line of office goods online but couldn't find much beside that it won a Package Design Award from GDUSA - no surprise there!

So, if you're the market for office supplies or mini journals I definitely suggest swinging by your local Hobby Lobby and checking out this new line from Fiddlestix Paperie!

my tomorrow + guest blogger stacy

Today we pack. Tomorrow we fly to Florida. Today we run around and get everything taken care of that needs to be done. Tomorrow I stop worrying about everything and get lost in my book on the plane. Hello, vacation.



Ps. While I'm away, my friend Stacy from Squirrel Chatter is popping in as a guest blogger!

more paper...

I am obsessed with paper goods and office materials. Is there a such thing as enough?



photo 1 perfectbound; photo 2 lovely design; photo 4 by me; photo 5 Bird & Banner

pretty little papers...

the full report

Yesterday morning was my summer dentist appointment, and afterward I had the usual little stories to tell my husband, you know, the random dinner table kind of reports.
My appointment was like a drive-thru, they were so busy! I've never had my teeth flossed so fast...
The receptionist complimented me on my shirt. Last time it was my purse. I wonder if she picks something to compliment everyone on whether she likes it or not.
They gave me a teal toothbrush. I've never actually gotten a pretty color before. And I didn't even pick it out. I told her: surprise me.
On I go. But then I remember that a week or so ago my husband had his regular check-up at the dentist, too. That night the dentist-related conversation had gone like this:
Me: How was your appointment? Did it go well? Anything happen?
Husband: Good. Need a filling next month.
Men just let the words flow.

afternoon baking

My Sunday afternoon was filled with baking in the kitchen with my sister in-law. First we made giant cookies, then waffle cone cookies (like having a waffle cone in cookie form, so good), and then homemade hamburger buns (secret ingredient: molasses. thanks Martha!).

We filled mini loaf pans with the leftover cookie dough and made ourselves a mid-afternoon snack. Mine was topped with strawberry cheesecake ice cream, and Gree topped her's with chocolate ice cream and an Oreo. Yum.

julie & julia

I am so excited for the new movie Julie & Julia (trailer here).

I wish

My mom used to live on Oahu, Hawaii during the late sixties/early seventies when she was in her 20s. I always like to look at the pictures and think about how fun it would be to grow my hair long like she did and make year-round trips to the beach...

(Ps. Don't you love the styles on the beach then? That's my mom with her surfboard...)

and I walked...

I want this tape: "And I walked and I walked and I thought and I thought..."
From Robert Ryan's shop in London (also available on etsy, for your convenience).


via Robert Ryan shop

london shop

This shop in London featured on Decor8 yesterday made my jaw drop. It gives me lots of ideas for the dream bricks-and-mortar shop I'd like to open one day. More here.


photo via Decor8

top secret

What makes a package cooler than sending it top secret, and in code? Next time you need to send a message to a friend or invite them somewhere, package your note into a tiny parcel and pretend you're Maxwell Smart. (yes, I am a dork and sent this to someone.)

david hinchen, revisited

I just mentioned artist David Hinchen the other day and there is something about his style that speaks to me. He is based in New York and has been a commissioned artist for over twenty years. Here is more of his work...

uppercase

Really want a subscription to UPPERCASE magazine. At least I have their blog in the meantime!

photos via UPPERCASE

orba squara

Their website is so good. It does take a bit to load (at least for me) but it's worth the wait.


found via mint

Ps. Orba Squara also does the song Perfect Timing from the iPhone commercials...

david hinchen design

Loving the work from this new artist I just found on etsy. He specializes in architectural art, which is my favorite...

"This is a limited-edition giclee print of The Lobster Pot, a neon-lit landmark in Provincetown, Massachusetts."



"This is a limited edition giclee print of Vesuvio Bakery in SoHo, NYC. A Prince Street landmark for Italian bread, Vesuvio was opened in 1920 by Nunzio Dapolito, an immigrant from Naples."

etsy love

Here are some of my favorites on etsy right now. I just ordered that flower card from DesignLovely, and Rachel was sweet enough to mention it on her blog, Lovely Clusters. I'm also looking for a good wedding present for a friend, and I'm thinking about getting her letterpressed stationery like this or these.

Left (from top): Janet Hill Studio; DesignLovely; lonny; tushtush; The Pink Needle
Right (from top): Jen Skelley; high street market; sweet pea and fawn; new beautiful

obsessed with wimbledon

It's my favorite grand slam of them all, and I always imagine what it'd be like to be there, watching matches on all of the beautiful grass courts, wearing sunhats and flipping through shiny brochures of London. I'd love to see Andy Roddick win, and if you missed his match against Roger Federer yesterday, go here here and here. It was incredible.

photo Rueters/T. Melville via here

independence weekend

Heading to our hometown for the weekend. Have a wonderful Fourth, wherever you may be!



photos 1+3 by me; 2 via solecism