house keeping + DIY + giveaway

House Keeping: Thanks to the absolutely, amazingly fabulous Ana of Blog Milk I am 100% up and running on my new blog. All of my links work perfectly now {it only took me a month to get my act together and Ana 30 minutes to set it up}. I even have a button so that you all can get a F&F app on your phone and a new link to Instagram.

So I just jumped on the Instagram bandwagon and WOW! it is much fun. Even if you don't feel like posting photos I highly suggest getting an account. In a lot of ways it is like blogging but just on a smaller, quicker scale. I feel like I take photos of all the little things that I think, "I should post that", but never get around to. I love it. I also highly suggest following my sister V {vblackblack}. Her photos are so much fun. I am living vicariously through her as she travels the world with her super cute {Jude Law body double} boyfriend.

DIY: I had so much fun making these banners for our blogger resource party. All you need is felt, twine, a sewing machine {although hot glue would totally work} and scissors. I cut zillions of circles in all sort of colors and at random sewed them on the string about 5-8 inches apart.

Giveaway: I decorated Henry's room with some of this banner flair but I have about 7 yards left and would love to share it with one of you. Leave a comment by Sunday night and I will announce a winner {at random} on Monday.

shower ideas

This weekend Julie and I had a little gathering for Cara to celebrate her second baby girl. She is working so hard on her dissertation - GO CARA GO - so it was such a blessing to pause and celebrate her sweet little love bug on the way.
Here are a couple fun ideas that came out of this shower
1- buy potted plants; they are a beautiful alternative to cut flowers and they make the perfect party favor. {pictured above are primroses}
2- Cara is in need of a name and loves old traditional names. So all the ladies went around and said their grandmother's names... Loving Nora and Fern.

HAPPY new year.

A very impromptu party = lots of fun. Hope this is a very Happy New Year for you all.
I see big things for 2012... I can't wait.

dan + grace wed

This weekend we went to a wedding that I will never forget. Ever. Everything about it was pure magic. The setting was breathtaking we were at the grooms family ranch. From the moment that we pulled into the property I was teary thinking about the love that was poured into this event. Friends had been camping out for days helping with the wedding. The bride and her friends were making jam for months, pies for weeks, everything was handmade so beautifully and with so much love. There were 400 people there; everyone was drinking out of jelly jars, dancing to blue grass and having the time of their life. Dan, Grace and their entire family are some of the most amazing people you ever want to know. Ross and I don't get to see them all very often but whenever we do it has always become a highlight into our story together. In fact one of our first dates was spent watching the sunset in the spot that they were married. We love this family so much and we could not be happier for them with the addition of Grace. She is the real thing... humble, strong, beautiful, wise and madly in love with Dan. Grace, Carla and Erin {who I just met this weekend and think she is the bees knees too} have a farmstand {Jalama Road Family Farmstand} that is so incredibly special.

Dan and Grace... you are both such an inspiration to all that witnessed your wedding. Thank you for being such sweet friends and for being so in love... it makes us so happy.

a perfect nautical wedding

My sweet friend Tracey married a woman named Angela this weekend. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said that it wasn't a big deal. It was a big deal and a very courageous thing for my friend to do. She found the person that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and that person happens to be a woman as well. Her wedding this weekend was pure love. The sun was shining bright, it had to have been one of the most beautiful days in San Diego's history. The bay was magical and they were surrounded by all the people in their lives who love them the most.

I love you T.
On a less personal note... Tracey {being the fabulous wedding planner that she is} planned the most stunning wedding for herself. The flowers were perfect, the setting was on a sail boat in the San Diego harbor {amazing!}, her dress {which she designed} was a show stopper and the food was incredible! I hope I gave you all enough photos to look at... it was hard to set my camera down.

Nutella Party

Some of the bloggy blog girls that I know in our area got together yesterday for a Nutella Party... Everyone brought something made with Nutella with recipes to share. It was 3 hours of pure deliciousness... There were peanut butter cookie Nutella sandwiches, coconut butter bread with banana and Nutella, Nutella cheese cake, Nutella stuffed pancakes, Nutella chocolate chip cookies, homemade Nutella stuffed into homemade croissants... seriously, it was good. It was really good. Lots of laughs... sweet friends and yummy Nutella. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

From left to right... The Girl is Crafty, Bink & Boo, Rustic Rooster, Studio Surface, The White Barn, Grace Happens, Karin Grow, Greta {you need a blog lady!}, me... Fern & Feather.

And Brandi {who made the homemade Nutella and croissants from scratch} was a little late and missed the timed group shot... darn!... Not Your Average Ordinary.

Tracey & Angela's shower

The shower was wonderful, because of some extreme weather predictions {more on that later} furniture was moved into the garage and we 'showered' Tracey and Angela inside. It was a major group effort. I think I have explained this before but I have 8 girlfriends who have been my dearest friends since elementary and high school. With 9 girls, 9 wedding and 13 babies {is that right?}, there have been a lot of parties. Years ago a few of the girls bought plates, tables, linens and chairs so that every time we had one of these celebrations we would be covered with the rentals. We could easily start a catering company. This weekend we all got together to celebrate our dear friend Tracey and her marriage to Angela... to hear more about their journey you can find them at A Bicycle Built for Two. It was so wonderful to have us all 9 together this weekend {I can not believe we didn't get a photo} we haven't all been in the same spot for years. Love you girls!, and Tracey and Angela I can not wait to be on that sailboat with you in a little over a month!!
** the two little newbies were our special guests.... Olivia James {2 months} and Winston {1 month}

happy friday.

Hope you all are healthy and had a good week, mine has been a bit nuts {hence the tardy postings}. Tomorrow I am having a shower for a good friend of mine. Here are a couple snaps that are a bit of a sneak peak. I have two sleeping guys {both sick} so I better run... just wanted to say hello and have a lovely weekend.
ox, Alexis