DIY To Do

In Greece people love to drink Fanta from a pretty glass bottles, sitting at a table looking out on the street. I was describing this do it yourself vase project from The Colorful Living Project to my mom as we sat at a table just like this and we realized the Fanta bottles we had been looking at all through Greece and Turkey would be perfect for this project. The problem was getting 10 glass Fanta bottles into my carry-on and through three airports and three plane rides. My dad said I was out of my mind but I was determined to bring them home. In the end I may have over packed, pulled a few stitches out of the handle of the bag Sarah lent me, and cried in airport security but I now have 10 Fanta bottles sitting on the table in my apartment, waiting to be painted!

Happy Birthday Abby

Today Abby turns two and I feel as surprised as I imagine parents feel about their own children getting older. I have been watching Abby she was a month and half and I can't believe Sunday I am going to her second birthday party, complete with pony rides and a petting zoo.

At the end of August I start working in the classroom to finish up my teaching credential and that means the end of my full days with Abby. I am happy to get started teaching and doing a real life job but I can't imagine days without playgrounds and picnic lunches and grilled cheese three days in a row. Just look at those little hands, she is so cute I don't know how I will leave.

Weekend Details

:: Friday ::

- got my bangs cut so I can finally see clearly -

- quick road trip with Lizzie and Mitchell to Santa Cruz to see my grandparents on their summer trip to the beach -

- At 4:00 I realized I forgot my clothes for our engagement photos at 4:30 -

- Cried and called my dad -

- Met my dad exactly half way to my house, got my clothes, made it only ten minutes late -my dad is the best -

- Slightly cold, but very fun photo session on the beach -

- French toast and a chocolate malt at the Santa Cruz Diner to end the day-

:: Saturday ::

- Banana pancakes and eggs at Stacks with Mitchell and my dad -

- Back to Santa Cruz for the day-

:: Sunday ::

- Sat on my balcony to eat breakfast and soak up the sun -

- Second breakfast/lunch with Mitchell's sister and parents -

- San Francisco to get a tour of the Presidio by our fabulous caterer -

- take out Chinese - the best way to end a busy weekend -


The only way to sum up this weekend is by saying, I clearly eat a lot of breakfast foods...

Lucky Winner!

I am here to announce the lucky winner of the stamp (or mini stamps!) from Cupcake Tree - chrissy from The Perfect Palette!

Thank for entering everyone!

Photographer Love

Even before I got engaged I knew one of the most important things at my wedding would be the photographer. Everyone says the day flies by so it was important to me to have great photos I can look back on to remember the day. As soon as we found our venue and date I started doing excessive research into photographers and met with a few in the area. I was hesitant to commit to any of them until we met with James Moes and instantly fell in love with his photos.

We are so excited to have an official photographer and to take our engagement photos this Friday! Here are so more of James' amazing photos so you can see how easy it was to make the decision to have him shoot our wedding day!

P.S. I know I said I would pick the winner for my stamp giveaway today but I am giving everyone one more day to enter! So if you haven't entered yet, hurry up!

All About Us

I gave Mitchell this funny little book a few years ago for some valentine's day or anniversary or another and we have had so much fun filling it out since! It is a 113 page book fun of questions you and your loved one can fill out and laugh at each others answers. We haven't finished filling it out yet because every time we start I have so much fun I make us stop after a few pages so we have more to do later! Here are some questions and our answers:

What would you like to outlaw in your relationship?

Mitchell: crying
Julie: cell phones

What is happiness?

Mitchell: no worries
Julie: chickens, pizza, Mitchell, my mom, cats

Thing or person you would like to be in your next life

Mitchell: pro-athlete (quarterback for the SF 49ers)
Julie: Penguin

Weekend Details

:: Friday ::

- lunch with Mitchell and his friends at work - Abby was the life of the party -

- two year olds are the best because sometimes they sleep three hours and so can you - 

- tried my first oyster shooter, chased it with a few glasses of champagne - 

:: Saturday ::

- morning walk to Starbucks for coffee and breakfast - 

- talked about our future dream house during a trip to the pottery barn and restoration hardware - 

- Winnie the Pooh with Abby -

- Pizza my Heat for dinner -

- too many episodes of Toddlers and Tiaras - those girls are crazy -

:: Sunday ::

- woke up early and made a healthy breakfast of oatmeal with soy milk - 

- went to my parents house and ate a second breakfast of not as healthy, eggs, bacon, and croissants with my family-

- engagement photo outfit shopping with Sarah with no luck finding just the right dress - 

- wedding dress shopping with tons of luck finding just the right dress!! -

p.s. how do you all like my new big, yellow buttons over there on the right? The fabulous, Jillian from cornflake dreams made them for me :)

Happy Weekend!

I just wanted to do a quick post today to wish everyone a very happy weekend and apologize to anyone who tried to comment on my posts yesterday, I am having some trouble with Blogger and it was only letting the author of the blog (me!) leave comments. Anyway, its all fixed up so comment away! I hope everyone has wonderful plans for a wonderful weekend!

Also, don't forget, you only have a few days to enter my stamp giveaway!

IPhone Photos of the Week

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Friday and has plans to have a wonderful weekend!

Deep Dark Secrets

{kiss the groom photography}

I recently told one of my best friends (hey tay!) about Love, Julie for the first time. She loved it, of course but I was apprehensive about first telling her because I don't tell just everyone about my blog. My family reads it and most of my friends by now but when acquaintances ask about it, I get a little embarrassed and I am not quite sure how to answer the questions, "What do you write about?", or "How do you have time to do that", or, "Isn't it weird talking to people you don't even know?"

Another part of this is the fact that I am not quite sure I am ready for everyone I have ever met to know my opinion on rose pink peonies, my etsy wish list, and my love of dessert crepes. I guess it is sort of like when you invite two different groups of friends to a party and when they all arrive you don't know how to act because you act differently with different groups of people... Maybe that's just me...

Anyway, I wrote this because I want to know about you. Do you tell everyone about your blog, attach it to your personal facebook, sign every email you send with the url? Or do you write mostly for yourself and keep your blog completely separate from your "real world" life?

I can't wait to find out!!!

Our Engagement Party

My parents and Mitchell's parents threw us a fabulous engagement party this weekend in my parents backyard. My college friends (and bridesmaids) from San Diego flew in for the party and weekend and we invited a whole backyard of family and friends to celebrate with us!

Mitchell and me with my Grandma!

The morning of the party we went to the Saratoga Farmers Market and picked up flowers for all the tables

Meeting the chickens

bridesmaids!

Sorry about the picture overload post, I usually try to keep them to a minimum but Mitchell and I both had such an amazing day and weekend, I couldn't help share it all! So many people we loved could come to the party, the backyard looked like a dream (I wish it were big enough for the wedding!), and it was so nice seeing my friends for the first time since we have gotten engaged. I can't wait for more wedding fun!

Weekend Highlights

:: Friday ::

- fantastic day off - 

- quality time with my college roommate titty (yeah. titty.)

- banana pancakes and omelets at Stacks, of course

- last minute party errands - way too many trips to party city -

- Strawberry-banana Orange Julius smoothies -

- Power nap -

- Happy hour margaritas and sweet potato fries at Elephant Bar -

- pick up more friends and bridesmaids, Taylor and Kelsy, from the airport -

- Downtown Campbell fun - 

:: Saturday ::

- Early morning trip to the Saratoga farmers market for flowers for the party - 

- Party set up/ flower arranging - 

- Pizza my heart slice and a shirt -

- Trip to visit Mitchell's family and cat, Dre -

- four girls, one shower, one blow dryer, one mirror equals strict getting ready stations -

- Wonderful engagement party with family and friends! -

:: Sunday ::

- Sunday-funday mimosa brunch - 

- Second breakfast of banana cake - 

- Airport trip number one -

- Killed time by eating hotdogs and beer -

- Food comma, obviously -

- Airport trip number 2 -

- Asleep by 8:45 -

I hope you had a weekend as wonderful as I did, I can't wait to show you some pictures from the party and weekend soon!!

Today is a Fabulous Day

{image}

Today is wonderful because:

- I have the day off -

- Tomorrow is our engagement party -

- We are having a world famous, totally delicious, banana cake from Icing on the Cake to celebrate -

- My friends (and bridesmaids) are flying from San Diego tonight -

- I haven't seen them since I got engaged so I get to show off my new ring :) -

- 

Stamp Giveaway!!

I am so excited to announce an exciting giveaway from the etsy shop, Cupcake Tree! I featured her adorable, hand carved stamps on the blog and she has generously offered to give a lucky winner one full sized stamp or three mini stamps! Here are my pick for favorites but check out her shop here for her huge collection, she has stamps of everything you can imagine!

Ways to Enter:

Entry 1 (mandatory) : Be a follower of Love, Julie - if you aren't click the Let's be Friends button on the upper right side of the page and join the club - we're fun!

Entry 2 : Visit Cupcake Tree and tell us the stamp (or mini stamps!) you would choose if you win!

Entry 3 : Favorite Cupcake Tree on Etsy

That's three ways to enter - make sure you leave a separate comment for each and don't forget to add your email! The giveaway will end in two weeks so you have until August 4th to enter!

What I Wish I Were Wearing Wednesday

Saturday is Mitchell and my engagement party (exciting!!) and this is what I wish I wearing. I love the light coral of the skirt and the anthropology sandals go perfectly! And I know I have used this watch on past Wednesday outfits but this one is in rose gold and is very high up on my wish list right now!

What I will actually be wearing Saturday has not actually been decided, are there rules to what one wears to her own engagement party?

Happy Wednesday everyone, celebrate that we are half way through the week!!