Road Trip: Here's to 2011!

With 2010 coming to a close... and I beyond excited for what the new year will bring. For one thing I will be getting married in 2011. So. Stinkin. Crazy. We have a TON of fun stuff planned for Tasteful Tatters, and I have some new blogs that I will be adding to my blog roll!! I love finding new blogs that are positive, artistic, creative, and inspiring and these have made the list! I plan on following these regularly in 2011. Check 'em out maybe you will too. What new blogs are you loving these days?? Leave a link in the comments and share the love!

AVE Styles

The Clothes Horse

Design Love Fest

The Studio of Mae

Road Trip: Attaining peaceful-ness

That's peaceful PLUS ness (for all you Seinfeld lovers out there). And that is what I'm trying to attain this week. And that is literally all the time I have to say anything. Here's to a busy 2011!!

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Hearted: After Christmas Shopping

Ok, it's 5 days until Christmas!! Are you all done shopping? Just getting started?? We are having some blustery weather here in SoCal and I am LOVING it! Really feels like Christmas. I know all of you east coasters and just laughing at me right now ha!

All around the blogosphere the past couple weeks you've seen post after post of Christmas shopping guides - which are all fabulous :: don't get me wrong. But what about after Christmas when you're loved ones followed your Christmas Wish list diligently (hehe) and you also got gift cards, cash, or that sweater from your great Aunt Vivian that you definitely plan on returning! I find myself in the same situation every year, I got left over money and I have no idea what to spend it on. So, it sits in my wallet for months and the cash I end up spending on gas or food or something totally not fun and some gift cards don't get used for a whole year! This year I found some stellar finds that would make a great gift to YOU after the holidays! Or... for that friend that you just had no clue what to get so you plan on getting something a little late... you know you've done that before! So here is my After Christmas List for whatever you want it to be for!

1:: Foureyes USB:: For all those geekchic fans out there! This is the cutest USB I have ever seen! I stumbled across these and wanted to get one for all my office buddies! I am always losing my little USB drives and there is no way I would lose this cutie.
2 ::Gap Sparkle Zip hoodie :: if you've heard me rant about my obsession with sparkle lately  - you need no explanation! Please & Thank you!
3:: Owl Clock :: I have a lot of friends moving these days and I'm always on the lookout for fun nick nacks for my new apartment to be =) So cute and totally handmade!
4:: Gold Wire Necklace :: There is something so dainty and feminine about this necklace. I love the artists' work and love supporting sellers on Etsy. The toughest decision is not whether you should get one... it's which word would you choose!
5:: We Watch :: This might be my favorite new discovery! I'm in LOVE with these watches! I showed this website to my fiance and now all his friends are talking about them haha... how cool would it be to give these as groomsmen gifts?!
6:: DIY Journal :: I love this idea! This etsy seller provides all the supplies you need to make your very own journal from a vintage book! Such a fun gift for someone who is such a DIY-er as myself. And it is such a great deal.
7:: Purse Necklace :: Nothing profound to say - I just think this is adorable =)
8:: Ring of the Month :: This is the gift that keeps on giving - ALL year round! Another fabulous etsy seller - you pay one flat rate and get a new ring delivered every month, seriously - how cool is that?!

Freebie Friday! Spreading Holiday Cheer

Today's Freebie Friday post is for all you last minute Holiday lovers (like me!) haha...

First off... we only have about a week left before Christmas and I don't know about you but I feel like it's sort of snuck up on me this year. It's like one day it was Thanksgiving and now it's a week before Christmas! How did that happen?! So in case you need a little extra holiday reminders for your work week, I found this fabulous yet simple Christmas desktop background - I just love it! Made by the fabulous Jessica Jones of How About Orange you can download it HERE

Next we have the cutest little Cookie exchange tags! Lots of people are throwing cookie exchange parties this week PLUS these would make great little additions to those plates of cookie/baked goods you always make for your neighbor or family! I love the color combo of red and grey and how adorable would they look with some red/white bakers twine?! Made by Amanda Joy of Joy Ever After (a must read!) & you can get the download for Tags HERE, Recipe Cards HERE, and Fabulous Blank Cards HERE

Merry Christmas From the Sutherlands

Yes, these are ALL my siblings and YES they are quite a bit younger than me ha. Aren't they just the cutest!? The lil' guy in the front on the bottom photos is Landon - he's 6 and has quite the personality - in case you can't tell =) Andy took our impromptu Christmas photo last weekend in Corona and it was so fun to be with the family again. So Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

 

Something Blue: Bridesmaid Detail Cards

This was such a fun project for me! I have been a bridesmaid so so many times, and all my girlfriends have been bridesmaids, and I've worked with tons of bridesmaids! So I told myself, when I am on the other side of things and I am a bride myself - I was to just love on my bridesmaids because I know the kind of sacrifice it takes to be a bridesmaid.

All of that said, I was super excited to make these little "books" with all the wedding details for the girls. I got colored envelopes and sort of folded them into each other creating a book-like effect and added some patterned paper on the inside as the "lining" if you will. Then I added small squares of card stock :: one page for each item of instructions: Attire, Expectations, I Promise, and contact info of all the gals. Then, I went down to Home Depot and stole (hehe, not really) paint cards with the color scheme I'm going for for their dresses. I added some ribbon for some flare. That way they can keep that in their wallet and when they are out shopping they have a color reference!

Anyways, here are a few photos of my little books for all my fabulous ladies!!

 

Something Blue: Engagement Shoot!

A couple weeks ago, Andy and I took out engagement photos! This whole wedding process has been a ton of fun and I love that Andy totally wants to help - and he has a ton of great ideas! Who knew he could be so crafty =) Anyways, this was something I was actually not looking forward too (I'm being honest here) I just feel awkward in front of a camera! Andy and I used to joke about how fun it would be while we were on a date to have a photographer just follow us around... and then we actually get it and I feel awkward! What is up with that. Thank goodness our photographer (and friend) Lizzie did such a great job at making us feel more comfortable! She was such a trooper going along with all my crazy ideas and treading through fields that were taller than her just to get a shot! Check out her blog here!