Sunday, June 28, 2009

lynn in love with fairies!

oh dearie me... my girl Mandy (see two posts below) dropped by this afternoon to drop a sweet birthday present... a basil garden kit (yum!) and then this lovely:
it's a pretty little book filled with gilded and gossamer illustrations of sweet fairies...love it! I don't even know if Mandy knew how obsessed with fairies I used to be...I was in love with the idea of these little creatures with delicate wings and long flowy hair...always whimsical, enchanted, and charming. Many of my school year projects revolved around the subject! I wrote poems, drew pictures. In college, I was awarded the Chairman's Award in Arts based on beautiful photos I took with my Mamiya (120 median format camera). I had taken my sister and put her in a bedsheet and wings and took these amazing fairy pictures in our lush backyard. Yes, I love fairies. This book took me back to the days.

It also reminded me about this story (the cottingley fairies) when these young early century girls claimed to have taken pictures with fairies. They later admitted to faking all but one.




lovely, yes?

what a sweet coincidence when i was checking one of my favorite blogs...the cherry blossom girl and saw this amazing post where she recreated the pictures! I can't post the pictures, but please go and see her images!

oh me, oh my... what a great little project for my brand new little diana dreamer! Hubs got me my little plastic camera that I have been coveting for so long! It shoots 120 film and brings me back to my mamiya days... it creates dreamy and soft focus pictures with vignettes... perfect my fairy pictures! I can't wait to work on it!


Thanks so much Mandy!!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

lynn in love with tea parties

it's been a beautifully busy month full of birthdays and celebrations and goodbyes.

i hosted a small tea party a few weekends ago to celebrate with a few good girlfriends i had made in residency. It was sweet time to sit and hangout with these girls who went through some of the hardest years of my life with me.

I gathered many of the materials I had bought for my wedding but didn't actually get to use, bought some beautiful whimsical flowers from whole foods, asked my hubs to bring our tables together in the middle of living room, hung some poms and crystals and -tada!- we had a tea party!


I made simple cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches (with no crust, of course!) and cherry white chocolate scones. These were from a delicious recipe I got from Tonia.



i love my mismatched tea cups paired with my butterfly polka dot dishes from anthropologie. I had dozens of these sweet chinese takeout boxes and filled them with pink,red, and white M&M's... a little paper with the girls' names served as favors and place settings.



check out my cute cake stands. these are handmade from vintage dishes and wine glasses from a local thrift shop. i actually used these stands for my cupcakes at the wedding! my milk glass vases i had bought from sarah's personal vintage collection





We had a brilliant time hanging out, drinking from our assortment of teas, scones (with agave nectar of course) and sandwiches.



of course a pic from my "photo-corner"!





A few more detail shots...
i LOVED these yellow flowers that graced our dinner tables the rest of the week. So sweet and full of details

i hoped you loved my little tea party as much as I did!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

lynn in love with mandy

happy birthday to sweet mandy!! thirty flirty and fun! :)
It's gonna be an amazing year!

Monday, June 22, 2009

lynn in love with central market hatch green salsa

so. a little personal info about me...I'm finishing up my Internal Medicine residency in about... one week! A frequent question is what am I doing afterwards? Job? Hospitalist? Attending? and my answer has been... "nothing!"

i have been fairly excited about taking a year off and waiting for the hubs to finish his ob residency. Then we can start our new life together wherever it may be.

meanwhile, I can rest and slow down and enjoy the flowers I've been rushing past the last 11 years whilse I have either been in school or training. sounds awesome.

however, reality struck today, knowing our income is going to be halved into one measly resident salary the hubs makes. So my friends, that means I'm going to be living quite frugally the next 12 months... no more celebrations at nice restuarants, weekly drinks, or material gratification at the mall.

Still... food quality is not to be sacrificed in this year of "living on love". Instead of eating out, I'm determined to make make healthy homecooked yumminess that will stretch our food dollars.

Hubs and I carefully planned out our weekly meals today and hightailed it to Central Market (our local gourmet food market where we buy most of our groceries).
We made it out with a $40 food bill for 4 nights of food... that's a record!!

Tonight, we made turkey soft tacos: and boy they were yummy!
Ingredients: Ground turkey - seasonsed with garlic, chili powder, and salt/pepper
Freshly-made wheat tortillas (still warm)
Avocado and light sour cream
Fresh cherry tomatoes
Alfafa sprouts (I know weird, but I put it on everything!)
and our special new ingredient

Central Market's Hatch green chili salsa verde!
oh my, is this good salsa! Not too spicy, but with an amazing flavor kick! Apparently the chili's are from Hatch, Mexico and has an distinct flavor... whatever it is, we were loving it! I think we finish half the jar on tonight's dinner alone!
for reals... go out and get some!

I wish I had a picture of it, but here's a bowl of equally green salsa!

Friday, June 19, 2009

lynn in love with friday favorites 2

Its time for the next friday favorites!

this week I am featuring my favorite lifestyle bloggers:
Women who inspire me with their faith! (even if it's different from mine)
Women who inspire with their style!
Women who inspire me with their love for life!

1. www.nieniedialogues.com
Stephanie Nielson. Be prepared to cry and be strengthened in faith by this woman. A young beautiful mormon who loves her husband and children very much. Beautiful soul. Survived a plane crash with her husband. Burnt over 80% of her body including her face. Be prepared for her beautiful honesty. Be inspired.



2. taza-and-husband.blogspot.com
Naomi, also a beautiful young mormon who I am in love with. She has the most amazing style and the most unapologetic love for her husband. Totally dig her, dig her polaroids, dig her red lipstick.



3. www.nicolehill.blogspot.com
Nicole Hill, of A Little Sussy, she almost made it to the cut of my favorite wedding photographers last week. However, I don't think of her mostly in the sense of weddings, so I had to take her off the list. But seriously, one of my favorite photographers. She shoots in digital, almost all her shots are straight out of the camera. She has the most amazing sense of light. I want to take her classes. I want her to photograph me. Oh please! if you ever come to Dallas!



4. www.nothingbutbonfires.com
Holly Burns is one of the coolest cats. I've been reading her blog for years. This british nomad has been all over the world with her true love Sean. I love her style, I love her british accents. Her blog makes me laugh. I want to be her friend!



5. www.thecherryblossomgirl.com
A new favorite, this parisian has a wardrobe and style to die for. her sweet pictures make me drool.



A few more dolls whom I follow regularly
www.iamstyle-ish.com
cupcakesandcashmere.com
www.dooce.com

who are your favorite bloggers??

lynn in love with evenings with the hubby

it's been a little crazy over here with residency graduation
-everybody is leaving and there have been tons of parties
-i've been throwing lots of partys
-I'm still exhausted from being on GI/Liver rotation
-trying to plan for my MONTH long Vietnam trip

my honey and I are just not getting any QT with each other.

It was sweet to spend a evening with the hubs last night

-we went to Fadi's Mediterranean Grill - our favorite place for a large quick cheap meal

-drove to Golf Galaxy to buy a golf club for his dad and I putted around while these silly old salesmen flirted with me

-then drove to Academy sports. Haha, this is one of my favorite places to hang out with the hubs. Seriously guys, this place has EVERYTHING, not just sports! fluffy frames to stickers to crawfish boilers to party favors to shoes and even guns (yuck!). I got me some old school pink Adidas sandals, no scent OFF for my trip... AND some cool ties which will act as my own personal coolant system for my trip to Vietnam! I felt that I hit the practical shopping jackpot.

-then we rented Twilight and hubs and I watched until midnight, even though he had to wake up at 5 this morning.

-best evening ever

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

lynn in love with its heavenly + giveaway!

Carlene is a girl after my own heart... her blog is fun and full of life.
Now she's hosting a giveaway - totally rad earring that she made herself!




seriously, how fab are these? I can see paring them with a cute white sundress or just a white t-shirt and jeans.
in LOVE with floral bud earrings

lynn in love with agave nectar

oops! 3 days late! to many happenings these days :) which is a good thing.

i'm fallen in love with AGAVE NECTAR
have you tried it? you should! go to your nearest health food or whole foods and get it right now!
I first heard about it from Minh-y boo and her boy Wolfie, who is a bonafide chef...
I squiggled it out of them that it was their secret ingredient in seriously the best snickerdoodles I have EVER had.

When I was shopping for my tea party last week, I found some at whole foods and decided to try it out.
I'm in love!!

It's smoother than honey
lighter than corn syrup
just overall the perfect bit of deliciousness

it's perfect on a scone. or piece of bread. or in your tea
just a little squirt and you are set

plus I'm reading that it has a low glycemic index, all you healthy nuts and diabetics out there...

mmMMmm

Saturday, June 13, 2009

lynn in love with inwood theaters and Up!

Hello dears. Trying to decide if I'm going to be a weekend poster or not. We'll try it out for now and see :)

Last night, we went to a late night movie at the Inwood Theatre. We usually go the AMC at Northpark, but we went to Inwood mostly b/c we were lazy and tired from long days at work, and this theater is literally 3 minutes away from us. We also heard it had renovated its first floor theatre.

Man, we were surprised with the whole theatre decked out with comfy loveseats from love sacs with ottamans for our feet and beanbags scattered about. THIS is the way to see a movie guys! Totally comfy and cozy... totally rocked




Alan and allis joined us, and we bumped into maggie and jeff there to watch Up!
LOVED this movie. So very sweet and funny with a great story line. Oh, I cried and cried and cried. Jon in the middle of movie whispered to me that his shirt was all wet from all my tears! Ha! I want to see it again in 3D! He has a thing for balloons. I have a thing for balloons. Love.

Friday, June 12, 2009

lynn in love with friday favorites

Fridays will be dedicated to my favorites!

this inaugural friday will be dedicated to my favorite photographers - which in this stage of my life means my favorite wedding photographers.

As any of my friends know, I L-O-V-E pictures. I love beautiful imagery that captures a moment. I was a double major in college: both biology and studio arts. I could only take night art classes which were mostly photography classes. That's when I discovered my love of photography. Nothing else could capture my own mind's eye and how I picture the world better the photography. I loved seeing the world through my own lens... framing things just so. I was never very good at the technical sides of photography, but i love composition and I spent countless hours in the lab printing pictures. Rice University was one of the few place that offered color film developing, and I spent many hours perfecting my prints in the color lab and printing each picture by hand.

It's amazing how different my process is now with digital technology and photoshop! I'm still getting used to it. Anyways...as I was researching for own wedding, I fell in love with wedding photography and all the talents that are out there.

Here are my favorites: some use film, some use digital, some are purists and print straight out of the camera, some are geniuses at photoshop. Regardless of their techniques, I regard them all as amazing artists who have the best jobs in the world... capturing THAT moment of love with beauty and grace. I only wish I had that talent.

1. Jose Villa
http://www.josevillaphoto.com/
http://josevilla.bigfolioblog.com/

Seriously amazing. One of my favorites. I almost flew him to Dallas to my own wedding and blowing my whole budget because of his exquisite pictures. Located in southern california, he is one of the few photographer who still use film. His pictures are both whimsical, timeless, elegant and full of grace.



2. Elizabeth Messina
http://www.elizabethmessina.com/
http://www.kissthegroom.com/

Check out the second link, her blog and fall in love. How breathtaking is her photography. Elizabeth also uses film, and creates magic with her pictures... each pictures is a piece of art and a dream.




3. Jessica Claire
http://www.jessicaclaire.net/

Jessica Claire is simply amazing. She was the first wedding photographer that I fell in love with. Her style is bold, young, funky, real: qualities I have now dubbed "west coast style". She captures young love like nobody can. This isn't your usually stuffy wedding pictures. They pop and are full of personality.




4. Jasmine Star
http://www.jasminestarblog.com/

Jasmine Star is also "west coast style" as I call it. Her pictures are bold and soft at the same time. Check out her blog, and pretend not to want to be her best friend right away. I love her pictures. Pure, crisp, and fun. She'd never post an awkward picture that wasn't beautiful at the same time.




5. Max Wanger
http://www.maxwanger.com/
http://www.maxwangerblog.com/

Oh. My. Goodness. My new personal favorite, I cannot get over this new wedding photographer. His work is amazing. He not only captures love so naturally, but he does it with such a distinct style that just grabs you to the core. It's hard to explain. Just check out his work, and you'll know what I mean.




5. Heather Essian
http://www.heatheressian.com/
http://www.heatheressianportraitarts.com/

Last but not least, is my own wedding photographer, Heather Essian. I was about to lose all hope in finding a local wedding photographer, whose style encompassed everything that I was looking for, when I was blessed in stumbling into Heather's work. It was everything I was looking for... she had the "eye" and her work is young, fresh, feminine, and simply amazing. Plus, she's such a cool girl to know! Hubs and I have had a lot of fun with her and thankful for all the beautiful images she has given us. I can't wait to see our wedding pictures, but if you want to see a sneak peak, she just posted some pictures of our wedding on her blog. Check her out, she's definitely worth it!!




Who are your favorites?

Thursday, June 11, 2009

lynn in love with planning

Purely because I can't help myself, here is a sneak peak of delights to come...
I hope the event is as fun as the planning :)



lynn in love with lights out

so sorry that I missed a post last night,
unfortunately, I came home very late last night
after a horrid clinic day
in a storm and tornado warning weather
and promptly greeted with our electricity going out
....
but how sweet was it to camp out with the hubby
in our bed, two large flashlights in hand
making magic with the lights on the ceiling
and telling stories while listening to the rain
and the loud thunder
....
in love with feeling safe in the arms of the one you love

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

lynn in love with old friends

It's always a treat when I get to spend some quality time with old friends... and that's exactly what I got to do tonight. I met up with Miss Julie, my best friend from high school tonight at my favorite frozen yogurt place, Orange Cup for some good catch up time. I feel that there are few things that are more special than old friends. You know the ones... those people in your lives that no matter what different paths you've taken in life, no matter how much time has lapse... that when you get together, it feels like home. You fall right back to those good old times and chat like no time has passed at all. It's all very comforting.
Anybody who is reading this post should go seek out an old friend right now! Its like getting a big ol' hug.

Monday, June 8, 2009

lynn in love with birthdays

I love birthdays. Call me vain, but I like to drag my birthday out for at least a week :) It's just too fun to celebrate!! This year, I mellowed out a little for my birthday party... after being engaged for more than a year, there is only so much planning I can do. We still had a blast with a little birthday game night we had last night... complete with balloons and hats! It's the last year of my twenties, y'all! I think I'm going to finish it out in style.