photo ABOUT.png photo FASHION.png photo EATING-SEASONALLY.png photo LETTERPRESS.png photo PHOTOBUCKET.png photo DC-LOVE.png photo contact-53.png

in a flash







i saw at least four people on twitter today who were marveling at how quickly june flew by.

i mean, i know the summer always goes by in a flash, but i'm jumping on the i-can't-believe-it's-already-july bandwagon today too.

if you're headed out of town, taking next week off, (jealous!) or just staying here to ride out the heat wave with me, i hope it's a good one for you.

happy hot friday! 


the open road

aren't road trips fun?

there's also something to be said about the people who you're down to sit in a car with for an entire day. road trips aren't built for people you sorta know. 

nope. 

you pretty much only commit to gas station food and long stretches of bad radio with your closest friends. and who better to sit in silence with at the end of the trip after you're totally sick of being in the car?


i'm sure many of you will be packing up your things soon for a fourth of july getaway.

but before you head out and settle into that seat for who knows how long, let's make sure you've got everything you need.


polyvore set here


1. a silk scarf/head wrap. for long streches in a confined space, i like to just forget about my hair. but i don't want to look like a mess. this is where a ponytail or sock bun plus a tied scarf comes in. you'll look so put together. and no one will know you've been up since six in the morning to beat traffic.

2. sunglasses. always. squinting is not cute.

3. your iphone/ipod. or some other device that plays music and can be hooked up to the car. because if you're headed down 95 south, there's only so much bad radio you can take.

4. simple accessories. this goes back to making an attempt to look somewhat put together. it's easy to feel gross in a car after eating fast food on the road twice in one day. (what? is that just me?) so i like to pretty myself up with at least some earrings/a ring/necklace. whatever you're in the mood for.

5. a larger-sized tote. preferably a sturdy, structured one with compartments that can sit on the floor of the car without flopping over. it'll be perfect for storing magazines, your nook or kindle, snacks, and everything else. you don't need that stuff cluttering up the car.

6. a comfortable dress. i always travel in dresses. especially for road trips (or flights) when i'm sitting for a long while. nothing too tight, nothing too fancy, just something that looks cute but feels as comfortable as a giant t-shirt. that's what you want.

7. shoes. if it's in the summertime, and you like to wear sandals like me, i'd recommend one with a slight wedge. the more space you can get between you and those gas station bathroom floors, the better.

8. face/hand wipes. to keep yourself feeling fresh. these are especially good if you're taking on a superlong trip. just makes you feel refreshed.

9. hair ties. goes with #1. the silk scarf. i just like to have my hair out of the way.

10. a pillow/blanket. it's not always necessary, but sometimes, you need a cat nap. provided the driver doesn't mind. this handy one is a pillow and blanket in one. would be great for airplanes too. anything to avoid using that cotton ball pillow they offer you.

11. protection. i'm talking germ protection. i never go on a road trip without a small supply of toilet paper, some hand sanitizer and perhaps the most crucial element: toilet seat covers. i carry these in my purse at all times actually. it has come in handy more times than i can tell you. as much as i love the romance of hitting the road with your best friend, there's nothing sexy about gas station toilet seats.

12.  a GPS system of some kind. this is also know as a relationship saver.

13. a camera! i love taking pics on the road. make sure you have something to capture all those fun times you had.


_ _ _

i think this is the first fourth in a while that i haven't traveled. when i first moved to dc in 2004, i always stayed in town for the holiday. i loved being here while everyone was out of town. no lines at whole foods! then, around 2008, i started the tradition of always taking that week off at work.

but not this year. 

i'll be here watching the city while you guys hit the road.

be safe out there! and enjoy the fireworks!

_ _ _

check out my other 'very necessary' posts here, here, and here.

thank you for being a friend

i guess i'm going to deem this wedding week. i'll mix in some other posts along the way, but there are some wedding-related posts coming your way. so if weddings make you vom, find a trash can and we'll see you next week.

_ _ _

today i wanted to share with you the bridal party gifts the boy and i bought.

above (almost) everything else, i value practicality. and the same goes for these gifts. why give someone something they don't really want? (see: wine glasses with our wedding date/koozies with our names on them)

so for the bridesmaids, i bought them each a pair of the earrings pictured below. i wouldn't say the wedding had a 'theme' or anything. but there was a lot of neutrals mixed with metallics so i wanted to find earrings that would give a little nod to that look. 


and they nailed it with these earrings: modern, unique and universally flattering.

done.

they came individually boxed, which was a sweet touch, and i put them inside a cosmetic case when i gave them to my girls. i wanted to give nicer-quality bags since those things get gross pretty quickly, so i stalked kate spade, gilt and nordstrom for sales. 


now the guys were harder to shop for, but i was so happy with the hand forged beer bottle openers we purchased from hammer on steel. the fact that they were personalized made it fun to watch them open the gifts during the rehearsal dinner.

(in case you're curious: we had it here; where else?)





and lastly, we gave our day-of coordinator a little gift from missive

_ _ _

so thank you, etsy for being your usual awesome self. and thank you again to our amazing wedding party. you guys blew us away with your love and support.

cool feet

going to college in florida, you learn things:

saturdays are for football
96 degrees is standard
and unless you want your feet to melt, never leave your sandals right side up if using them to anchor your towel fortress.





i usually drape a towel corner over them too. 


just to be safe.

polaroid

clockwise from left to right: the hero of the night award goes to my friend catherine who went back to the hotel and grabbed the liquor license i forgot. whoops; a shot of the tables; my shoes after i kicked them off for the night; the ceremony backdrop

clockwise from left to right: a plywood/photo installation the boy and i worked on to thank our guests for coming; guest book signage; the happy couple!


without question, one of my favorite parts of the wedding was our guest book.

we had a few polaroid cameras set up and asked our guests to take a picture of themselves and leave us a tiny note. i can't even tell you how much fun it was looking through those the next day with the boy.

and i'm also lucky that one of my good friends had the fantastic idea to use up the few remaining pieces of film to take some shots of the scene that night. so so thankful she did this because, from my perspective, the night went by in a flash so i'm really treasuring these little moments she captured.

more wedding and more blog posts later this week, guys! i'm slowly dragging myself out of honeymoon mode. slowly. 

alive

by erin lassahn


oh hi there. i'm still around. i'm just on my honeymoon.

thought i'd share this one picture with you guys. much much more when i return early next week.

for now, let's just enjoy friday.



you're invited

the season of weddings is already somewhat underway.

i have three to go to this year, including my own. i've had years when there's more than three and years when there's only one or two. 

and everyone's wedding is different. even the description of what to wear can vary. cocktail? garden? evening wear? there's a lot.

so with that in mind, here's three looks, complete with shoes and accessories. and as a bonus, with each look, you have a secret weapon that'll get you through the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception with ease.

via polyvore

now about those secret weapons: for our daytime look, i included some neato-looking shades and a floppy-but-not-obnoxious sun hat to keep you cool. for the cocktail look, i threw in some oil-absorbing sheets and solid perfume to make sure you're shine-free and superfresh. and for that last look? the weaponry is more about the dramatic than the practical. but a pretty little flirty LBD like that demands something extra. so some fake lashes and red lipstick are in order.

_ _ _


enjoy your weddings in style! 

just one last very important thing to remember: the electric slide is the devil.

potw: marriage

i'm getting married on saturday so why not do a wedding-themed potw today?

via parrot design studio
via parrot design studio
via steel petal press
via 622press
via sidedoor press
via brain surgeons and rocket scientists
via brain surgeons and rocket scientists
via missive
via missive
via ferdinand home
via short grass designs

any of these cards would be perfect for a wedding. and i know you guys have some to attend this season. 

_ _ _

as for me, it's hard to believe that the engagement period is almost over. but it is. and i'm ready.

here's to a good week!

all covered

today, i thought i'd share a super easy DIY.

like crazy easy.

if you have cans and some spray paint, you're good. here's what i did:



1. grab some glitter spray paint and some primer. i've found that krylon has the best coverage.
2. set up as many cans as you want, removing the labels first.
3. add the first coat of primer
4. add a second coat. this helps the glitter spray paint stand out more. it can look a little wimpy on its own. and we're looking for some sparkle here, dammit.


you want to let them dry thoroughly between coats also. after the primer's dry, you're ready to add glitter. i used two coats. using just one looked a little weak.




i'm not sure the picture is doing enough to show you how sparkly these look. i'm going to fill them with parsley and thyme as part of the wedding centerpieces, but you could use these for anything: storing paint brushes, pencils, beauty supplies. whatever you like.


and even though it isn't shown here, i have some smaller tomato paste-sized cans to mix in as well.
_ _ _


have fun spraying!

this goes with

ever bought an item of clothing and even though you absolutely loved it, you weren't sure what to wear it with?

i've had my eye on this tibi blouse for a while. and i love it. haven't bought it yet, but i'm dangerously close. 

now, with this shirt in particular, between the pattern and the multiple colors, where do you start?



well, the options are nearly endless. but since we don't have all the time in the world, here's twelve pairings to get you started.



from beach chic to casual weekend wear and after-work cocktails on the roof, there's so many ways to play with this tank.

oh.

and let's not forget our feet.




this has got to be one of my favorite things: owning a special piece that you love and feel great in and having options. options to dress for your mood or the occasion. and to get the most mileage out of your purchases without repeating the same look every time.

dig it.

two for one

i thought about delaying this weekend recap until tomorrow.

but then i decided to try to get back on track today. 

so here's a taste of what i've been up to these past few weeks.

we went to a wedding in durham, nc...





and started making things mega official...




my day job required me to go on a tour down on the mall




i spray painted some stuff


and started srsly scouting the markets for wedding table decor


and yesterday, the boy and i played host.



here's to the rest of the week!

for one night only

ok so i don't have a lot of hair. 

and it grows about a half inch a year. i kid. it's closer to a quarter inch. i have always wanted long hair. always. my hair is decently long right now but i'm talking LONG, people:

i hate you | via
i hate you | via
i hate you | via

my younger sister has a ton of hair, too. thanks for hogging all of those good genes, jerk!

my point is, that i got a taste of long hair last night during my little trial for the wedding. and i was dying for it. we actually decided that we're going to put even more extensions in on the day of the wedding. i want all the follicles.



i'd taken it down in this picture so you can kinda see where my real hair starts and my fake stuff begins. and i'll save you the boring details of how i'm gonna wear my hair, but this should give you a hint if you're into that sorta thing. like how internet strangers plan to wear their hair and stuff.

i'm excited. i honestly didn't want to take it out. but that's gross so i did. now i just have to wait until the 16th.

_ _ _ 

also, i'm horribly behind on blogging. but i should be able to get some totally cool posts up next week.

hope your weekend is amazing!
 

[ SITE DESIGN BY FABULOUS K ]