Sunny Day Strategies: January 2011

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Mimi's Baby Shower

My lovely sister-in-law is pregnant with her first baby and I couldn't be more excited for my new nephew to arrive! As far as I'm concerned, Baby E can't get here soon enough.

Mimi's due in March so we're throwing her a baby shower at the end of February. Thought you might enjoy a little peek at my inspiration for the party:

Also, I promised to show you the shower invite as soon as it had arrived in Mimi's mailbox - I didn't want to spoil the surprise! Here it is:

Sweet, huh? The orange in the invite was the beginning of the color palette, but then I wanted to add some blue so this shindig didn't get too sweet and girly - she is having a boy, afterall. But I wanted the party to feel bright and warm and definitely not too traditional or cutesy, and since aqua goes so well with orange, it was a natural fit.

I've got some creative ideas up my sleeve, but I don't want to share too much before the shower. Stay tuned to see how it all turns out...

*P.S. I'm working on getting all of the links for the images. But I just couldn't wait to post this, so I will update soon to give credit where credit is due. :)

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Anthropologie + Weddings=Bridal Bliss

Anthro is unveiling their bridal line this Valentine's Day. I can hardly stand the wait...

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I love to read

And I love when books are on display. They add so much character and I very much dislike when people try to keep them covered up when decorating a room. One of my all time life goals is to have a library in my house one day, complete with floor to ceiling shelves and a rolling ladder to get to the tippy top shelves. Sigh...

via Apartment Therapy

How great is this nursery bookshelf?! It's so colorful and is just oozing positive energy - it's amazing how much personality it has, using almost nothing else but books! I bet this little tot is going to grow into a total bookworm - which is my greatest dream come true! ! Props to the smarty and stylish mom & pop who created this reading wonderland.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Buttercup Bake Shop Banana Pudding...

...is, no contest, one of my very favorite things to eat of all time.

Not only do I love how it tastes (and I do loooooooooove how it tastes), but some of my favorite NYC memories feature the BP from Buttercup. Many a bakery date was had with Marisa, and it's hard to explain the elation Leah and I felt when she & Zac moved ACROSS THE STREET from Buttercup. But the best was on Sam's first trip to visit me when I still lived in The Big Apple, and I took him to taste the magic for the first time. This was years before we became Mr. and Mrs., but maybe the banana pudding has something to do with why we've stuck together all this time...

Last night I was at Leif's house (one of my best friends and an incredible baker) and I noticed that he had the Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook. What came next can't even be described as a conversation - it was more of a breathless-with-excitement rant from me that went something like this: "Ohmygoshyouhavetomakethebananapuddingit'smyfavoritethingontheplanet!"

And then I went home and promptly forgot all about the encounter.

Until this morning, when Leif picked me up for our morning carpool to work and he had a giant tub of banana pudding in his car. And it was delish! Pretty darn close to the real thing, if you ask me - and a perfect way to start the day!

Could he BE a better friend?! (the Chandler Bing reference is just for you, Leify!)

Have you ever tried the Banana Pudding from Buttercup? Do you love it as much as I do?

Friday, January 21, 2011

Colin & Amber Are Getting Married!

Hooray! Sunny Day Strategies has it's first official wedding on the books. :)

Colin & Amber are two of the greatest people around. Colin has been Sam's best friend since junior high and Amber is his adorable lady-for-life. I've always adored Colin - he's the most loveable, goofy guy - and Amber is his perfect match - she's artistic and adorable and outdoorsy and uber-friendly, just like Colin. And the two of them just laugh nonstop when they're together and are always holding hands - they just ooze love. It's really amazing, actually.

Since the moment Colin introduced us to Amber, I've know these two were meant to be. I'm super excited that they are getting hitched, and I'm beyond thrilled and honored to help create their perfect wedding day.

Keep coming back for more details as their wedding planning unfolds...

Monday, January 17, 2011

Alexandra & Greg

Over the summer, I worked on Alexandra & Greg's wedding - another project thru my work with bash, please. I loved this couple and loved their wedding - they had a clear, thoughtful vision for their wedding day and the style and energy of the wedding echoed their personalities perfectly: creative, artistic, beautiful, and warm.

They got married at Greg's brothers house in the Hollywood Hills - the gorgeous backyard has three different levels, all which were utilized for different aspects of the wedding. Dinner was on the main level outdoor patio, ceremony and dancing on the mid-level, and photos and post-wedding shmoozing on the top level with amazing views of the city. We should all be so lucky to have a venue this pretty and perfect in the family!

Paige + Kelly did an incredible job with the design details - I especially love the way they decorated the tree, which was the focal point of the ceremony and reception. I also love the unique ways they worked with Alexandra to integrate her textile designs into the scheme of the whole day, which added an extra personal touch to everything - her designs were on the invitations, the napkins, the different buntings and banners, on the flowers and hanging from the tree. Paige surprised the couple with a customized canvas that hung as a backdrop to the dinner buffet - I loved that detail and was so excited when Alexandra + Greg loved it, too.

Alexandra was interested and involved in all aspects of planning and I worked closely with her to coordinate all of the different elements of the day - we thoughtfully went over different quotes and considered all options to ensure we stayed within their budget (or reasonably close to it!) and created a detailed timeline that made sure the day had the flow and feel that they imagined.

This wedding was lovely in every way: from the intimate, outdoor setting, to the incredible food, to the personal + creative finishing touches, to the warm and wonderful bride + groom themselves. I'm so lucky to have been part of it!

Check out more pictures and details here and here.

All photos by Bonnie Tsang

Design + Coordination by Bash, Please

Friday, January 14, 2011

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

via cup of jo

Yesterday I had lunch with Jenny, one of my favorite people on the planet, newest member of the 30-year-old club, and the impetus for my currently being in the frigid (but beautiful) midwest. We went to the Good Day Cafe in Minneapolis, sat at the cute country counter, and it took us all of 15 seconds to order even though neither of us had previously eaten at that establishment. Why? Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup was on special.

I thought only my fellow Herzl Campers could truly appreciate the blissful combination that is grilled cheese + tomato soup - that's what we had for lunch every Friday of every summer at our heaven on Devil's Lake. And even though it was the same every time, we looked forward to it all week long, every week we were at camp, and then continued to dream about it all through the other seasons until summer came around again. But Jenny and I didn't meet until college and she didn't go to summer camp, that I know of - she just knows a good thing when she tastes one. I feel so much more connected to her now that I know she is also in the "I heart grilled cheese + tomato soup" club.

It's one of the best combinations around (right up there with chocolate + peanut butter). Why? Both things are tasty on their own, but together they are so much better.

What's your ultimate favorite food combo?

p.s. I will most definitely be serving mini gc+tom apps at one of my next parties, as pictured above. How cute are those?

Minnesota

Ok, so this isn't the view from my window or anything, but I've spent 7 snowy days at home and it truly is breathtaking - to me at least. But that's coming from a girl who thinks it's cute and nostalgic to spend 5 minutes pre-heating and scraping snow off the car every morning. I also really enjoy bundling up in warm winter gear - it reminds me of when I was a kid and we had to dress in full snow gear just to walk to the end of our sidewalk and wait for the bus.

Maybe if I lived here year-round, I'd feel differently. For now, I'm enjoying a few more days of SEASONS - something I miss terribly in LA - before heading back to 80 degree Cali.

Minnesota, I love you truly and completely. You will always be home to me!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

25 Random Things

Remember that gigantic and totally obnoxious facebook moment where everyone was posting 25 random things about themselves? I secretly loved that, because sometimes it's just plain fun to glimpse into other people's lives.

I just rediscovered mine - I hadn't looked at it in almost two years - and it's still a pretty accurate description of me. Some of the obvious things have changed, of course, (For example, then I was planning a wedding and now I'm married), but I still think it's worth sharing, especially for those of you who I don't know or who haven't seen me in awhile. Enjoy.

1. I've been meaning to write this for about a week, but I find it really intimidating.
2. I just purchased my first car: A 2009 Subaru Forester. Her name is Sunshine.
3. I'm absolutely crazy about Sam Lem. I can't wait to be his wife.
4. I love my birthday. Hearing the date 9/18 thrills me - so much so that every time I see 9:18 on the clock I point to it and say: "It's my birthday on the clock."
5. I'm getting married in 118 days. I'm so excited that I don't even know what else to say.
6. Generally speaking, I love my job. I have met the most amazing people since I started working for MZA. I think I will be a Key Volunteer for the rest of my life.
7. One of the greatest honors of my life was when Mike and Amy asked me to be Max's godmother.
8. When I grow up, I hope that my kids will feel as close with their cousins as I was with Mike and Jack. Sometimes I get really scared that that won't happen because I live so far away.
9. I have an unhealthy obsession with Vanilla Coolers from Caribou Coffee. Frappuccinos don't event compare.
10. My parents still live in the same house I came home to as a newborn. That will always be home to me. That house, and wherever Sam is.
11. The majority of the people I care the most about live thousands of miles away from me. The thought of that sometimes makes me cry totally out of the blue.
12. I'm really conflicted about how much I miss Minnesota and how much I love my life in LA.
13. I started cooking in 2009. I made spilt pea soup, baked maccaroni & cheese, nectarine berry cobbler, fruit tarts, artichoke dip, rigatoni bolognese, and a few crock pot concoctions. So far, I'm pretty darn pleased with myself. I think I have a gift.
14. Speaking of cooking, one of my greatest goals in life is to be just like my Auntie Debbie. She is the best cook, holidays at her house are such a huge part of my jewish identity, and she is the glue that holds a very large, crazy family together. I love her and I want to do all of those things someday.
15. I'm obsessed with Summer Camp. When I daydream about escaping from the 9-5 routine, I always picture myself working at camp. This happens every June, never fail, just as Herzl is gearing up for the new camp season.
16. My favorite band is still the Counting Crows. I've seen them in concert 4 times. The last time I saw them was for my 25th birthday- they performed with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. It was amazing.
17. I love to sing. I think everyone knows that. What you might not know, is that when I'm alone in my car, I do full-on performances. And you know what? They're pretty damn good.
18. I love this number.
19. My middle name is Rose. I love it.
20. Some of the happiest, most memorable, most fufilling nights of my life were at a small piano bar in the West Village called Rose's Turn. When I found out it closed, I cried. I feel truly sorry for those of you who never got to experience it.
21. I have the greatest friends in the whole world. And my family is worth bragging about too. Sometimes I am so overcome by how lucky I feel to have all of them that it brings me to tears. This has been happening more frequently since I got engaged. Most recently it's been brought on when listening to the song "More Love" by the Dixie Chicks.
22. I went to my pediatrician until I was in college.
23. I used to be so obsessed with the Dixie Chicks that I kept a scrapbook of all their pictures and news clips.
24. I love being a Fursetzer - it's a huge part of my identity. Even so, I am very much looking forward to life as a Lembeck. At the very least, my name will be easier to pronounce. And let's be honest, I deserve a break from spelling my name all the time.
25. My life is an open book. Chances are that, if I like you enough to tag you in this note, you probably already know everything I just said. I hope I didn't bore you.

Invite Love

I'm working on two parties right now: a baby shower for my lovely sister-in-law (Hi Mimi!) and a birthday party for a dear friend. I've been lost in the land of invites as of late, trying to find the perfect design for each event and I am SO pleased with the awesome array of choices that are available - and so many of them are quick and easy to order online.

I'm not going to show you the designs I picked for each party 'cause I don't want to spoil it for the guests-of honor, both lovely ladies and loyal readers of this blog. But I will share with you some of my other favorites that I've stumbled upon in the past few days. This is just a small sampling - there is so much good and interesting stuff out there! Clearly you can tell that I'm in a a bit of a colorful phase right now...

What do you think??

Tiny Prints

Monday, January 10, 2011

I want to live here

How cozy is this little nook? Life feels simpler, calmer, and more natural just looking at it. I love that they haven't ruined it by hanging a little TV across from the pillows or something tech-y like that. This looks like it would be the prefect place to disconnect for a bit and curl up with my next book. I'm also pretty sure that when we wake up here, in the fantasy world where this precious room exists, they serve amazing pancakes dripping with delicious maple syrup and the perfect cup of hot cocoa. Who wants to join me? And what should we read?

(But, seriously - I just finished reading The Help which was so very, very good and I'm looking for my next pick. Who's got one for me?)

*I found this picture when I was going through old images on my computer - I keep photos of rooms I like for future design inspiration. But I don't know where I found it so I can't tell you who took this shot - eek! If you know where this gem came from, let me know and I will give credit where credit is due!