*Renegade SF* :{the shenanigans!}

{Renegade! I look forward to it for months! Even just driving into San Fransisco is a treat and greatly anticipated :) Jess and I decided a few weeks ago that we wanted to go together, and we did! We were very proud of ourselves for following through with our plans! 

{We had loads of fun in the photobooth playing with frames, staches, and cameras...}

{listened to great music...}

{and had a genuinely swell time meeting other bloggers, vendors, and new friends! A definite highlight was meeting Chelsea of Seablanket! She is so sweet, lovely, and down to earth. She also made me a bit jealous of her new Tanya Aguiniga gold bracelet and huge gorgeous gray rope necklace! Check it out on her blog! Also check out her etsy where she sells her own beautiful handmade clothes and vintage treasures <3}

{Tanya Aguiniga had some of the most beautiful jewelry I had ever seen! I wanted a bracelet so badly but I was on a tight budget...one day I will have one :)}

{see more Tanya Aguiniga jewelry here}

{Speaking of beautiful jewelry...Homako...[above] jaw-dropping-ly gorgeous textile jewelry! I am crazy about textile jewelry right now! I am so inspired by Yoko Minemura!}

{Ok so I know this is a lot of textile jewelry for one post but {hello!?} aren't these all amazing? I wanted to buy everything! Look at these pieces [above] from Muak! Many of their pieces are very detailed and eye catching..but strangely one of my favorites was the simple little white lace necklace.}

{Here are a few items that caught my eye at Mary Beth Heishman's booth! Many beautifully framed animal prints [above] and one of my favorite necklaces of the day...the green coral necklace from her shop
I Adore you. She is a very talented artist! Her website has lots of info about her and her products.}

{Sharing a booth with Chelsea was the adorable Kala Noel! She had a little family of heartwarming owls all nestled together in her booth, cozy and waiting for a home! I wanted one SOOOO bad! I collect owls and was drooling all over these little cuties! They had doilies on their tummies! How cute is that?! Really! I also loved her gorgeous feather earrings! I didn't get a picture but you can see them here.}

{and of course, always a favorite, I made you a beard! Hilarious! I snatched up this goofy Don't Shave postcards for hubs stocking, as he has been tempted lately to made a change! I also opted for a little pack of beardy stickers :) too fun!}

{One of our last purchases of the day was at Dutch Door Press where I had quite the conundrum picking out a tote to take home! they were all so cute! I love their letterpress and would love to order some custom business cards soon in the future!}

{We left with our arms full of treasures and our hearts inspired to create! Thanks Renegade!}
{Hope you enjoyed this little Renegade Recap! See the Renegade Recap from July here!}
Hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

love ali <3

{the written word: journaling}

{I've been journaling a lot lately, which i think is pretty typical for this time of year. It's the time for new beginnings, new journals, and new goals. It gets me really excited for the next phase of life! Personally I am a list maker. It makes me feel more organized because I can see everything laid out very clearly. Here is a peek into my journal lately and some of the things I have been thinking about and planning...}

 {ok I shared...now it's your turn!}

{What have you been journaling about lately?}

ali <3

{Renegade SF}

{I'm hittin' up Renegade in SF on Sunday with Jess over at Kiddins! Can't wait! I love Renegade! Would love to meet Chelsea from Seablanket! Congratulations to Chelsea on her first Renegade show! Is anybody else going to Renegade this weekend? Would love to say hi if you will be there!}

{P.S. Don't forget to enter your name in the Kiddins giveaway! It ends Thursday, so get in there!}

ali <3

Turkey still frozen but baby is a bakin..

{Today I am 11 weeks! I'm not gonna lie..It hasn't all been peaches and cream. Some of the things my body has taken to doing I am not fond of :) I have been a little nervous the past two days as I have some concerning symptoms but the doctor has said not to worry and I have my 2nd trimester appt on Monday so they will check everything out then. Please pray for our little one that everything is ok and there are no complications! We trust that the Lord is in control of this and are trying to rest in that. 

On a cheerier note, I have begun preparations for Thanksgiving!! Hooray! Mashed potatoes here I come! I recently made some hecka cute serving stands out of thrift-ed plates and candle stick holders! I bought little shortbread thumbprints cookies and egg nog cookies to serve on my new stand along side a steaming hot pot of coffee after dinner! They are really easy to make and only cost me about $15 to make them both!}

{It is pretty simple,  just a matter of measuring the center of your plates and carefully gluing all the parts together..I used a glass friendly, waterproof glue so I could wash them. I used this Silk and Seal brand and it was great. Only cost about 3-4 dollars too!}

{I chose to put the larger base end of my candle stick turned down on the bottom plate but flipped it upside down in the middle. This is for a few reasons. It gave me more room on the middle plant, it just looked better that way and structurally it made sense.}

{I'm planning to use the blue one for Thanksgiving and the white and gold one for Christmas :) I really liked how they turned out! I also went out after work today and got the first haul of groceries for the massive dinner celebration! I got our turkey and some odds and ends, but I was super disappointed because the pomegranates I bought to use on the table had mold on them :( I'm taking them back tomorrow. Any-who I have more to share with you tomorrow but for now I'm off the see a midnight premier of Harry Potter!! Yeah!}

ali <3

{fall craft bonanza!}

{Sorry I meant to post these yesterday but my pictures were hiding in my computer somewhere and I couldn't find them!}

 

I saw this tutorial over on Seablanket and thought they would make a great thanksgiving centerpiece. Gonna make a few more, but I'm still collecting more pasta sauce jars :)

I used an old sewing pattern for these but also have some old Anthropologie tissue paper I want to use too! Speaking off Anthropologie, I found some amazing glass measuring spoons I really wanted but couldn't bring myself to shell out the cash. Then 2 days ago I was at Cost Plus World Market in search of cool wedding gifts and found these cuties for $2.99!! I was pretty excited!

I have a couple awesome recipes to share soon that I tried recently and loved! I'll be posting those later today but first I have to run a few errands with hubby! Check back for Bonanza part 2 later!

ali <3

{new bangs: inspiration!}

{source}

I finally did it! I cut my bangs and I really like them! They are a teeny bit too short but in a week or to they should be just right. When I decided to cut my bangs I started looking for pictures as most of us do when we need inspiration. Everyone will have their own opinions of Nicole Richie but I like her and I think she seems really sweet. I love her new mommy style and we both have long brown hair so she was a good person to find pictures of!}

{Anyway...fun fun fun! I feel the need for change and this is just the first step! What is one thing you feel like changing about your life, appearance, style, choices, or whatever else?}

ali <3

{fall diy...i can't wait!}

{Sarah's awesome diy anthropologie sweater}

{Sarah's bib necklace inspiration}

{Design Sponge decor diy}

{Pickles crocheted lantern}

{Design Sponge paper picture stand}

{Martha's heating pad how-to}

{These are just a few of my favorite diy's for this coming fall...more to come for sure! I'm so excited for the season of cozy, comfy, knits, cocoa, fires, and the holiday decorations are nice too}

{What are your new favorite diy ideas?}

ali <3

{how many old tshirts does it take to...}

{more coming soon}

ali <3