dear readers,

to anyone who may be reading this blog still,

i am messing around with blog design. things may get a little "funky" over here. this is my "experiment" blog. do not be alarmed or upset if i totally mess things up! i'm learning here. :)

thanks,
sabrina :)

what i've learned about blogging...

i can't say that i'm an expert, by any means, but i do enjoy designing my blog. i have an interest in graphic design, and i took a college course in the fall of 2009. i've also found some great sites full of information i've been able to use. slowly but surely, i've been figuring out how to make my little space here an expression of my personality.

each new thing i learn gets me so excited. the first time i made a blog button, i was super stoked. i squealed at my husband, "i did it! i did it!", as i showed him my button. i know they're small things, but making these accomplishments puts a smile on my face and makes me feel like i might be able to do anything!

i thought i'd share some of my favorite resources with all of you, in hopes that you might be able to teach yourselves too!

my absolute favorite site is pugly pixel! katrina is a generous blogger who has designed tons of web graphics that you can download and use on your blog. she also has multiple tutorials, tips, and tricks. i love her. make sure you check out her "about" page, as it has links to some of her best posts!

i kinda fell in love with typography. you can download lots of different fonts for free from dafont.com. *make sure to read the terms of use for each font, though, as they have different restrictions.*

to learn how to create a blog button (for blogger), click here. this is the tutorial i used. i had to follow it step by step, and often to had re-read the instructions, but its the best/easiest way i found to make my buttons.

this is joe.

if you have the time to teach yourself html step by step, i recommend this site. i used their walkthrough, finding it very easy to understand. i often refer back to their index, and just copy and paste links as templates to customize with my specific information. (one annoying thing about this site is that there seems to be some pop-ups, so you might want to turn on a blocker.)

a beautiful mess

then, of course, there's elsie and red velvet! an inspiration for many of us, elsie larson writes a popular blog, "a beautiful mess", and operates the successful indie business, "red velvet art". pretty much everything she shares with her readers is useful, inspirational, and full of joy. *check out her "five tips for bloggers" post!*

so there you have it! just a few links to check out if you need a little help with your blog. remember, too, i'm always willing to share what i know with a reader!

sincerely,

sabrina

{recipe} rustic margarita...

before i post my recipe, i wanted to share with you all a little peek into my home. my husband and i live in a boring suburban apartment, but i think we've done a good job of personalizing our space. 

one of the first things i did after moving into the apartment, almost two years ago, was to set up the kitchen. we're lucky to have a "remodeled" kitchen, because we have a little nicer cabinets than some of our neighbors. still, they were a little too "vanilla" for me. so i added these cute bird decals to the doors. they're great~ super cute and totally removable. i would recommend this idea to any renter who wants a change, but can't do anything permanent. 

this is the lovely view i have while washing dishes. *sigh* i really wish there was a window instead of a blank wall there.

since my kitchen is so small, i really wanted to use that space wisely. i found the organizing rail and "holders" on a trip to ikea. (you can find similar items here.) its really nice having things up off the counter tops. 

 

now, for our recipe.

when my mother-in-law was in town for the wedding last month, she was searching the grocery store aisles for margarita mix. living in oregon, the only margarita mix grocery stores are allowed to sell are non-alcoholic. so, we had to go to the liquor store in order to get tequila.

it was worth it, though, because this margarita mix is awesome!

here's my recipe for a super-simple, "rustic margarita".

*no blender required!*

here's what you'll need:

one pint-sized mason jar

ice cubes

limeade

jose cuervo golden margarita mix (its tequila and grand marnier)

or

substitute the tequila mix for a bottle of corona or other mexican beer.

 first, add about four or five ice cubes to your jar. 

then, measure out about a shot of the golden margarita mix. 

(i got these cute little condiment cups from crate and barrel.)

add the margarita mix to your jar. then, fill the rest of your jar up with limeade.

stir and enjoy!

how simple is that? i hope you'll try it. 

{life} my dream...

(source)

i'm a big-time dreamer. (aren't we all?) i have always had a big imagination and an idealistic outlook on life. the collage, above, represents my dream life. 

one day, i hope to own a shop, selling all sorts of crafty/vintage items. i also dream of becoming a wedding designer. i would travel around in a restored volkswagen bus, decorating peoples' weddings and making sure everything was perfectly beautiful. my bus would have pretty lace curtains inside, and my logo would look like a doily with text in a vintage typewriter font.

my personal life would include romantic evenings at home with the husband, "camping out" in our living room. we would travel, occasionally, and enjoy seeing all sorts of new things.

my home would be a haven, decorated in "granny chic". there would be lots of lacy details and handmade items. we'd be homebodies, much like we are now. and i'd host lovely dinner parties for friends. 

of course, this is just my dream. not that reality is a disappointment. i'm a very happy girl. its fun to dream, though. its also important that your goals are in line with what you think would ultimately make you happiest. so a little daydreaming is actually good for you! 

what's your dream??

{in loving memory} trevor lee...

 my brother, trevor, and i were like "two peas in a pod". more than brother and sister, we were best buds.

i always get a little melancholy this time of year. he would have been 33 today. 

i miss him. 

{wedding} pictures from dao...

i met my friend, dao, in graphic design class in the fall of 2009. we have so much in common, we immediately hit it off. i was fortunate enough to have dao at my wedding, and she took some beautiful photos for us. 

the wedding was held on monday, august 1, 2011 at fort stevens state park. we rented a picnic shelter, and had both the ceremony and reception in one space. it was convenient, but it also made for a beautiful day.

inside the picnic shelter, we set up a combination guest book-gift table. 

i made the guest book myself. 

each page is lined with tiny envelopes. guests took a tag, wrote us a message, and tucked it inside one of the envelopes on each page. it was a lot of fun reading everyone's messages when we got home.

i had purchased an old luggage "train case" over a year ago, and use it as craft storage in my home. i had seen these used as card receptacles for weddings, and thought it was a great idea. i set up a little display on our "welcome table", so guests could deposit their cards in one place. 

my husband's father had the honor of walking me down the aisle. we used an instrumental version of coldplay's song "clocks" (performed by the vitamin string quartet).

the ceremony was short, but sweet. our officiant was my husband's step-aunt, kim (his step-mother's sister). she said a few words before our vows, then went right into getting us "hitched".

i started to tear up as kris said his vows to me.

and then it was my turn. i was pretty nervous, and kept messing up. 

before anyone knew it, we were married! ah...

i chose to be different, and selected an amethyst ring. 

my bouquet was made from sunflowers, white daisies, purple irises, and pretty filler flowers. all were purchased from Costco, and i assembled the bouquet myself. i wrapped some leftover burlap and lace around them stems so i had something pretty to hold onto. 

my friend, karri, did all the decorating for me. she did an excellent job, and everything looked lovely. i called my theme "vintage-rustic". basically, we had a lot of lace, doilies, burlap, wood slices, and vintage linens incorporated into the decor. 

i fell in love with the picnic table idea after coming across a blog post early in my wedding planning. i opted for something a little more rustic, however. with the exception of a couple pairs of salt and pepper shakers, everything used in decorating the tables came second-hand or from thrift stores.

this was our "sweetheart table". 

my mother-in-law makes candles as a hobby. she made us over 50 "georgia peach" scented votive candles for the wedding. they smelled pretty and some of our guests took them home as favors.

for dinner, we had a barbecue: burgers, chicken, and hot dogs with lots of freshly made side salads and snacks. 

the chicken was delicious!

instead of having a traditional wedding cake, i opted for smaller desserts. we had carrot cake cupcakes, peanut butter cookies, brownies, and lemon squares. everything had been baked either the night before the wedding, or the morning of.  

i didn't end up with an entire table for the desserts, but they still looked pretty on display.

one of my favorite things was using mason jars as glasses. we had lemonade, sweet tea, and a good selection of beer. i took my beer and added lemonade. *yum!

it was definitely a lot of fun, and something i will always remember fondly. 

we all worked really hard to get everything done, as it was a very DIY-heavy wedding. (i even made my own dress!) i have good friends who were more than willing to pitch in and help, for which i'm tremendously grateful. 

*thank you SO MUCH, dao, for the beautiful pictures!*

I'm finally married...

After months of hiatus from my little blog, my wedding is finally over and I can get back to a normal life. Ah.... 

It was a good day. Not quite what I had planned, as I thought I was more organized than I actually was. Good nonetheless. We had fun. I got to see my friends and hang out with people I haven't seen in MONTHS! I got to wear a pretty dress and have lots of pictures taken. Everyone was so happy.

I'll be waiting on some pictures, but I plan on posting more about my wedding and how things turned out. Until then, have a happy day!