Pin Prick... Here's To Summertime

I hope that you have some wonderful plans for the holiday weekend.

Bry is carting me and my crutches to Stone Harbor, NJ for the weekend to spend some time with my family. Sitting outside recuperating on our deck and looking at the ocean sounds pretty amazing, and I see some evening Trivial Pursuit in my future.

Anytime I play Trivial Pursuit I think of Suzanne Sugarbaker, on Designing Women, memorizing all of the cards to win. Hilarious... and I think I just dated myself as a full-fledged child of the 80's!

Here's my fave Pin from the week. I'd like to spend some time this summer chilling on that houseboat and hanging with that bohemian fashion plate. Care to join?

Jonathan Adler at The Corcoran...

Last night I made my first non-medical appointment trip out of the house to see my absolute favorite, Jonathan Adler, speak at The Corcoran.

I love J.A. for so so SO many reasons... his awesome pottery, his vibrant design aesthetic, his outlook on life, his love for his husband, his witty humor, and the fact that he grew up in my town and went to my rival school.

His work is a total reflection of his infectious personality. Basically, it's hard not to love this man!

Some of the takeaways from the discussion included being analytical with your creative process, seeking new forms of success, and his career of loving what he does took years and years and years of really hard work.

Another big takeaway was how gracious and genuine he is... taking the time to meet and chat with everyone after the event.

When it came time to do our wedding registry, we opted for something non-traditional and registered with Jonathan Adler through his website.

Best decision ever, and I totally recommend it to any readers who are brides (grooms? do you read this?) to be.

We love every special piece we received. They all tell a story and make our married home an even happier space.

Jonathan Adler is opening a store in DC this summer, and with his "Hair" collection coming soon, the store cannot open soon enough!

I'd be lying if I didn't admit to fantasizing about working there... being surrounded by his beautiful creations day in and day out is a dream of mine. At least I can go spend money there and bring pieces into my office to make it "Happy Chic."

UPDATE: Check out this Apartment Therapy preview of J.A.'s new work! AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Prippy Viewing... The Great Gatsby

Thanks to my gal over at Glitterista for being on top of all things important and posting the trailer for The Great Gatsby.

I absolutely love me some Carey Mulligan and think she will be a fabulous Daisey.



I'm all over this one, and I'll definitely be seeing it in the theater with the ladies... probably sneaking in some champagne, too.

Hanging With a Gorilla... David Mach

Take a close look... this gorilla is made out of wire clothes hangers. So awesome.

David Mach is a genius.

Advice To My Younger Self...

What advice would you give your younger self?

I definitely would encourage 80's & 90's me to realize that being creative is a form of intelligence.

After being artsy my entire childhood (see my daring fashion choices!), I followed a path in college to do what I thought was "smart" and pursued academics leading me to law school.

While I devoured and adored my college education in the crazy competitive School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the class in which I got the highest grade in the course's history was... African Art.

It has taken me years to reintegrate artistic pursuits into my life and career, and my creativity has led to me being an ideas person at my PR job.

Making time to blog, write, draw, and dream has brought so much happiness into my life, and I'll continue to make the effort to keep these passions part of my day-to-day.

Funny thing what you think intelligence is as a child... even more funny what people consider intelligence as an adult.

Wes Anderson Does Fashion...

Wes Anderson joined forces with photographer Jake Chessum and Harper's Bazaar for an amazing photo shoot.

I'll definitely be picking up the magazine... and heading to the theater to see his latest film, Moonrise Kingdom.

Our Wedding... Ceremony

After getting married, the wedding ceremony, to me, is now the most special and important part of any wedding day... even if they can be long, hot/cold, and painful (standing in heels on marble ring a bell for anyone else?).

And though I was raised Catholic (wha'd up, Catholic guilt!) and Bry Episcopalian, we knew that we wanted to be married by our most spiritual friend... and it just so happened that we met in his front yard on Capitol Hill.

Our awesome friend went above and beyond in putting meaning into the ceremony. He researched different religions' traditions and vows, and we ended up feeling a meaningful connection to the Buddhist ceremony.... it's surprisingly similar to what you'd expect with a traditional Christian wedding. Here's one of our promises...

"Do you pledge to help each other to develop your hearts and minds, cultivating compassion, generosity, ethics, patience, enthusiasm, concentration and wisdom as you age and undergo the various ups and downs of life and to transform them into the path of love, compassion, joy and equanimity?"

Man... that says it all, does it not?

For the reading, I asked one of my closest friends to select something that reminded her of us. She picked "Union" by Robert Fulghum. I get teary-eyed every time I read it... and while there was a lot of laughter during the ceremony, this led to a watershed of happy tears. One line I really connected to is the following...

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Another element of the ceremony that I really wanted to personalize was the music. Because when you think wedding, you think David Bowie, right?

Well, as a massive David Bowie fan, I wanted to have my wedding party strut on down the aisle to "Modern Love." And for my bridal processional, "Absolute Beginners" was the perfect song for me... and for us. If you're not familiar with this Bowie song... check it out. It's a really touching love song.

Once we were proclaimed Husband and Wife, Mumford & Sons started blaring with "Sigh No More."

We absolutely love the song and it reminds us both of our amazing trip to Ireland the week following our engagement. It was the only CD we had in the rental car, and we totally sang our hearts out to every song as we traveled through the country.

I'll be honest... I worried a little bit about our ceremony being too non-traditional (we handed out cocktails as people entered the ceremony space... it was a celebration, after all!). But then I thought about what the ceremony was supposed to be about - US - and our ceremony was a complete reflection of who we are as a couple.

I know that everyone isn't able to/doesn't want to be free of traditions to build their own. Family histories or religious requirements are extremely important, but even in a traditional ceremony don't be afraid to make it your own.

Add a special element that is sacred to you and your husband. Surprise your guests with an unexpected reading or song. Be who you are and take the time to know the person marrying you. Read your vows and believe in them... really think about what you are promising to each other.

In remembering our wedding day, our ceremony stands out as my favorite moment... and I'll be the first to admit that prior to experiencing it for myself, I thought other brides were full of it when they said the exact same thing.

I will never forget those feelings of happiness/love/excitement/anxiety/joy/elation that we shared with our guests. It was very special. Something that merited an amazing party to celebrate.

All photos by Tec Petaja.