Love to Party

Ok, I am totally exhausted and my weekend is totally over.

It was all party all the time this weekend.

Family was in town to celebrate birthdays and pregnancies and engagements and all sorts of good things...it was good times.

I snapped some pics.

Actually lots of pics.

In fact, I totally filled my memory card.

Conveniently just when my photography class is starting.  Geez.

Here are some pics from the b-day celebrations...

We made like over 50 teeny tiny cupcakes!

Oh ok ok, so I  didn't contribute much to the cupcake construction since I am not allowed to bake (long story)...but the fam made like 50-something cupcakes!  Aren't they super cute?!

I can't wait until I know how to make my photos look super awesome.

I am still in that experimental composition and editing phase of my photography education...sooooo perhaps just keep that tidbit of info in mind as you look at the photos I post ;)

P.S. One day I totally want to throw a party using of THESE party boxes...SO adorable.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend!

xoxo

Ban.Do...or Don't...

I wish I were they type of girl who could wear a big yellow bow in my hair, just for kicks, and be as adorable as this Ban.Do girl...

...especially cuz this limited edition silk bow headband is on sale!  But alas, I am so not cute in big headbands, or bows, or hats really...I so wish I was a hat person.

But seriously, how cute is that bow??!  Oh goodness, to walk down the street with a big yellow bow on my head would totally be the best...it would so make me smile.

image credits: Ban.do

Stressed...

Equals desserts...when spelled backwards ;)

card by Egg2Cake

I'm stressed today.

I need some desserts (read: golden spoon) STAT.

Sparklies

I just am so in love with this ring at the moment...  

It comes in a light greenish/whitish/sparkly color too which is completely beautiful.  

Oh it would be so hard to choose between the two!  

But seriously, as if I am making this choice anytime in the near future...sheesh.

 Still, a girl does loves her sparklies.

I think this ring is pretty too...

image credits: David Yurman

Happy 3-Day Weekend!

Yellow Heart Art

Miracle Worker

This stuff is heavenly.

Totally working miracles over here.

Love it.

That's all there is to it.

image credits: philosophy.com

Photo Ninja Here I Come

I signed up for my photography class today.  

I am...

SO. 

EXCITED.

Now I can feel completely legit when I walk around town with my camera dangling around my neck. For years I've been a little photo wannabe, a starry eyed dreamer, walking around as if I were a total photo ninja, totally pretending to know exactly what I was doing (even though I hadn't a clue) and yet trying to appear as if I were a total pro ;)  

Oh I crack myself up.  

Well now I am going to learn how to use my new slr camera appropriately...and perhaps explore settings beyond the automatic ones...I hope to just really get to know the basics of this new hobby of mine.  

I can't wait.

I will share some of my photos with you...if they are any good that is...I am totally only showing the good stuff.

;) 

ha ha ha.

 Oh Shoot! Beginning Digital SLR Photography Class

JessicaSprague.com

Resolutions Failed

My number one resolution for the year was to create a realistic budget, stick to it, and save a little more money...it didn't even have to be a lot more money, but to at least save something.

Since January 1st, however, I have never spent more money in my entire life. 

Seriously. 
What is going on??! 

And for reals, I am not a crazy shopper or anything...life has just been expensive these past 6 weeks for some reason. 
I can't explain it.
But it has got to stop.
I just read the Confessions of a Shopaholic and OMG I think I am becoming the main character. 

I popped into Old Navy after work today and they were having an incredible sale.  I bought a few things.  Even though I just told myself NO MORE SPENDING.  But these really were things I needed.  And they really were very, very inexpensive.  That make it ok, right??

In unrelated photo below: new Coach handbag I will NOT be purchasing, but do love quite a bit.

  image credits: Coach.com

Happy Lovey Dovey Day!

image by me, RA ink ;)

I Like Wedding Stuff

Not that I am getting married any time soon or anything, but I happened to be perusing the inspiration galleries over at Martha Stewart Wedding the other day and well, bookmarked a few things...ya know, for future reference...should I ever need them.

For instance, this collection of their favorite Wedding Palettes.  I love this.  There were definitely a few color combos I would never choose in a million years (umm hello marigold and pewter???), but I love color combos in general and just found these to be artistically inspiring.

I enjoyed the gallery of Wedding Decorations as well.  SO many adorable ideas.  Again, quite a few I could certainly do without...I mean a wheat wreath??  Really?  But the wine bottle table numbers, carnation clusters, and the hanging lanterns were among my faves.

On the other hand, I thought this gallery...of supposedly Gorgeous Wedding Gowns was hideous.  I liked maybe one gown out of the 54 spotlighted in the selection.

Regardless, always worthwhile to spend a few spare moments on important research such as this ;)

image credits: Martha Stewart Wedding

Photoshop Tuts

New to Photoshop? 

Or just wanna brush up on your sweet skills??

 
PSD Tuts+ is one of my favorite sites for Photoshop tutorials.  It is currently hosting a 25-part video series to teach you everything you need to know to get you Photoshopping like a Pro!

There are just so many tutorials and educational materials floating out there on the web that it can be a bit overwhelming if you are a Photoshop newbie....or even if you are an intermediate or advanced user and just want to learn a new skill, tip, or trick...it's hard to weed through the muck and find relevant, let alone quality material.  I have found this video series to be quite good.  I especially like the narrator's accent ;)

image credits: PSD Tuts+

Sorry...

No time to blog today...

Too busy bonding with the love of my life.

It came in the mail today.

So we are hanging out.

I'll be back tomorrow.

Maybe.

If I can tear myself away.

p.s. here is the cute little outfit I got for my darling...

it's purple...

and the image doesn't really do it justice...

it's shiny and so cute and I love it.

image credits: apple.com, contour design hardskin iphone cover

I'm.

In.

Love.

This is hands down my favorite shop in the whole world today.

Browsing their goodies totally made my Monday.

I mean, I think I'd look super cute in that owl hoodie...
hmmm...purchasing their goodies would make my Monday even better ;)

image credits: boygirlparty.com

Scrappiness

I'm super into my digi-scrapping right now.  

Love it.

Big time.

I think I am starting to really find my own style and the type of scrapping I really enjoy. 

I've updated my gallery over there in my sidebar and it's kinda fun to see the evolution of my scrapping...I can SO easily tell which are my beginner pages!

I just bought some super cute new products from two of my favorite designers (NinaScraps and Paislee Press) over at Oscraps and I made these two pages with them...

Too cute!

Cloud Nine

Finally.

I have a lil iPhone to call my own.

Life is good.

Self Portrait

I don't usually make digital scrapbook pages of myself...I mean just me...but some of the greatest artists of all time have self portraits in their repertoire...and after browsing others' scrapping galleries I came to realize that sometimes it's nice to look back at photos of yourself and remember just what made you smile at that one particular moment, what were your wishes and dreams, who were you then, and who have you become...A self portrait allows us see how beautiful we are. 

So I decided to try a few self portraits and it was really a cathartic, "getting in touch with my inner self" sort of experience.  I really quite liked it.  Here are a few of my self portrait digi scrap layouts...I love 'em!

My Self Portraits.