HAPPINESS IS...

To Read & Rest

I've had a trying, emotional week, my dears. I think I'll take the next few days to read and rest. My body and my mind deserve a little escape.

Have a lovely weekend, wherever you are in the world. And please enjoy the links...

Wishing this room was mine right now.

A handy guide to stacking rings.

How to land a book deal.

Beautiful ice cream roses.

A spring vegetarian dinner for six.

Frozen pb and banana snacks.

How to manage internet overwhelm.

A cute storybook garland.

Spring roll in a bowl.

A love story in a treehouse.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• An Outdoor Open Air Library
• Loving Life
• Childscapes

 

{Image by Carles Rodrigo}

A Cactarium

I'm not even sure "cactarium" is a word, but here is the world's first. Beautiful really. Hanna and Kelty didn't mention where this magical cacti santuary is, but I did a little investigating. Looks like the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs. Has anyone been there before?

And while on the subject of easy-to-take-care of plants, remember my tillandsia? Well folks, all but 1 have died. How's that for sad? I watered weekly and everything. Bad plant mama.


{Images by The Weaver House}

You Are My Wild

Friends, have you heard of You Are My Wild? It's a weekly portrait project, where 14 different photographers document how they see their children. Darling shots, right?

My niece just got her 8-month old portraits taken and I just about died of cuteness overload. I've always thought it'd be extra exciting (and challenging) to be a children's photographer. Kids are so spontaneous and surprising.


{Images by: Anje Bridge, Becky Zeller, Brooke Schwab, Dera Frances Whiite, Isabel Furie, Jessica Kraus, Kati Dimoff, Kelsey Gerhard, Klodjana Dervishi, Meaghan Curry, Rebecca Conway, Ryan Marshall, Shelby Brakken and Tara Whitney}

Julie's Kitchen Food Collages

I happened across Julie's Instagram feed and instantly fell in love with her food collages. They started off as a way to showcase seasonal fruits, veggies and herbs from local growers at the Santa Monica farmers market, a spot near and dear to my heart. Since then, her photos have turned into a ongoing highly anticipated art form. To her, she's simply playing with her food.

Produce sure is beautiful. I think Julie should turn these pieces into wallpaper for the kitchen!


{Images by Julie Lee}

Adventures In Watercolor & Photography

How breathtaking is this editorial spread for Genlux Magazine? I'm so impressed. Katie, a watercolor illustrator, collaborated with Daniel, a fashion photographer, to design an imaginary fantasy land, "Far Far Away", for the model to adventure in.

Now how does one find the portal to this world? :)


{Images via Paper Fashion by Daniel Castro, photography, Katie Rodgers, illustration}

Toy Stories

Italian photographer, Gabriele Galimberti, traveled around the world to document children and their toys. It's such a fascinating series. Although he discovered some differences, like how wealthier kids were more possessive, their toys were fairly similar across the board. His main conclusion after 18 months? Children around the world are all pretty much the same. They just want to play.

See which country they belong to here. So many cutie pies. However, the little boy from Ukraine gives me the chills.

What were your favorite childhood toys growing up? Mine were an assortment of beloved stuffed animals, my Cabbage Patch Kid named Jocelyn Lynette, a hippity hop, colored pencils and my karaoke microphone.


{Images by Gabriele Galimberti}

My Wedding 08: Rehearsal Day Instagrams

The wedding weekend has arrived! Guests are flying in. My folks are pulling their hair out. And I'm a bundle of nerves. Ah, rehearsal day.

Hosting a wedding in your parents' backyard, without a wedding planner, is no easy feat! There was so much going on, my mind is still a blur. I'll do my best to remember how it all went down...

In the morning, we met up with one of our photographers, the delightful miss Heather of One Love Photo, to give her a tour of the property and scout out portrait locations. She took this shot of us on the beach. I remember Heather asking me if I'd had a breakdown yet. I hadn't, but I was fully expecting one to happen at any moment. Her advice? Make myself cry as soon as possible, to get it out of my system before the big day. That didn't happen, but not because I didn't want it to. There was just no time!

The wedding party drove to our house in the "boonies". Out on the Key Peninsula of Gig Harbor. Most of them were from California who had either never been to Washington or ventured away from Seattle. I loved seeing their reactions when they arrived. I got a lot of... "wait, you grew up here"?!

I've yet to attend a rehearsal that wasn't semi-chaos. Everyone gets all excited, talking, goofing around and not paying attention. Mine was no different! But it probably didn't help that I had an intricate exit strategy and some wacky post-ceremony ideas involving tambourines and cow bells. Special thanks to Hal's best man, Eric, an assistant director in Hollywood, for taking charge and whipping this rehearsal into shape!

Then we put our friends to work! Setting up tables and chairs, hanging lights, testing the sound system, constructing a teepee (yes, I said teepee), and other last minute preparations. Thankfully, my dad, Hal and our buddy Tim, hauled down the crazy heavy ceremony seating the day prior.

The story of the theater seats is a fun one. A few months before the wedding, I came across a Craigslist posting that blew me away: 29 antique theater seats for free! A 100-year old Masonic Lodge in Portland was renovating and needed them gone. I begged the woman to save them for me and had her sign a 2-line contract I drafted up. She held her promise and the strenuous 3-hour U-Haul trek was worth it.

29 ceremony seats were obviously not going to be enough. So I scoured Craigslist for another steal and found vintage church pews (not shown). It's amazing what you can find in the "free" section. My dad, my extremely awesome dad, picked them up for me in his truck, which he later regretted after almost breaking his ankle transporting them. 

While the men did the heavy lifting, the women (and one helpful dude) did the flowers and bouquets. Earlier in the day, my mom picked up the dahlias and greenery from Bea's Flowers, the neighboring flower farm down the street. Our entire flower bill was roughly $100! Budget brides, take note: local flower farms are the way to go.

The vintage beer and medicine bottles were being used as vases, so they needed to be rinsed free of dust and filled up with water with a single dahlia placed inside for an easy set-up the next day. Not only that, but we had to make bouquets. I remember my girls, Cara and Alissa, asking me how I'd like them done. I gave them a freak-out face and pointed to some ferns, leaves, hops (shown above), and another secret ingredient to be revealed later. I came back 30 minutes later and poof, eight gorgeous professional bouquets, done and done. I was in awe.

We were racing to get everything completed before rehearsal dinner, so it was a massive group effort. When I think back on this time, I have a very distinct and happy vision of 20 of us working our tails off in an assembly line, washing bottles, arranging flowers and laughing. Sigh, I love my friends.

Meanwhile, in the garage, our little gilded dinos were drying.

By the time we had to leave for the rehearsal dinner cruise, most everything got done that needed to get done (my parents may tell you otherwise). We quickly freshened up and headed for the Harbor... photos will be revealed next week. Stay tuned!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by: 1. Lauren Santiago; 2. Heather Gilson of One Love Photo; 3. Regine Ali; 4. Donna Bachmann; 5. 6. 7. Lauren Santiago; 8. Cara Johnson; 9. Regine Ali; 10. Hal Shafton; 11. Lauren Santiago}

Family Photoshoots

My new favorite thing: family photoshoots instead of family portraits. This one especially strikes a chord. It just feels real. A young family out for a walk in the forest. Romping around, picking flowers, and interacting with each other as they normally would on any given day.

I hope to do this with my own family when Hal and I have littles. Would you do a family photoshoot?


{Images by Blush By B}

My Wedding 07: The Website

For this week's wedding post, I'm revealing the website! My brother and I worked really hard on this puppy and it was one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process. Because as you can see, it ties everything together. Our colors, our engagement photos/art, the vintage nostalgia theme from our save-the-dates and the movie theme from our invitations, now all make better sense.

I definitely could have made things simpler by using one of the many pre-designed wedding websites available. What, Shannon takes the easy road? Never! Christopher built his own wedding website many moons ago, so I was thrilled when he agreed to help with mine. I shared my design ideas and with his expert coding skills, he manifested a playful and interactive website for me and Hal to enjoy for life. Yay for big brothers who happen to be photographers AND web programmers!

The coolest thing he did was the randomization code for the main photo on the homepage. I asked him to animate our head-shots so that one of us was always looking at the other at the wrong time. (This is something silly Hal and I do together for a laugh). But Christopher thought, and I now agree, that we should eventually look AT each other. He made it so we catch each other's eyes... sometimes! You have to watch for awhile to even realize our heads are turning back and forth.

For the PLOT header, we told our story. How we met, fell in love, broke up, got back together, broke up again, and reconnected for good. I don't think I've ever shared with you our full history before. So if you'd like to read up.. pour yourself a cup of tea and kick back. It's a long one!

The CAST & CREW part was extra fun. Since I already knew we'd be premiering our Amelie-inspired movie at the wedding (the video was added to the site later), I dug out our toddler photos and came up with a few more likes and dislikes that didn't make it into the movie.

We asked our bridesmaids and groomsmen to do the same. The result is a hilarious and quirky mix of cutie pie childhood photos and personality tidbits of our friends.

Christopher made a nice horizontally scrolling gallery of our engagement photos/art. This was the first time they were revealed, so I'm sure our guests were somewhat bewildered!

Hal had been collecting songs for our wedding soundtrack since before we got engaged. Combined with my own list of tunes that remind us our relationship, the list was 50 songs deep! We only wanted to give out one reasonably lengthed album as wedding favors, so we majorly cut it down to 20, plus a hidden track. It's an awesome sentimental-to-us mix of old soul, classic jazz, 90's rock and hip hop.

To save some stamps, we asked our guests to RSVP online. Christopher installed a clever form box that pulls down from the top.

As you click on each header, the body scrolls down to a new section of the site. At the very bottom of the GIFTS page, we put in a secret photo of us dangling from monkey bars. Some of our guests told us later they never knew it was there. Surprise!

So that's everything. What do you think? Are we nuts or what? To fully experience the entire website, visit:  www.shannonandhal.com

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

A Day At The Dinosaur Park

Loving this photoshoot for Rookie Magazine. It's very Moonrise Kingdom, don't you think?

Growing up, we didn't have a dinosaur park in town, but we did have Never Never Land with oversized nursery rhyme characters. I specifically remember a giant Humpty Dumpty. Sounds creepy, I know. But my 5-year old self thought otherwise. Sadly, the park has been demolished and many of the figurines are for sale.

One day, I plan to roadtrip across America, visiting as many random nostalgic roadside attractions as possible. Does anyone know where this dinosaur park is? Does it look familiar to you?

 

{Images by Eleanor Hardwick}

Suspended Self-Portraits

London-based photographer and filmmaker, Sam Taylor-Johnson, explores notions of weight and gravity by suspending herself in mid air without the aid of any visible support.

Looks like fun. Now how did she do it?


{Images via White Cube}

My Goals For 2013

I don't usually make resolutions. Because if I do, and they fall through, I feel guilty. But that's silly, right? They aren't for punishment, they are to motivate. So friends, here they are. 5 goals to share with you. 5 goals to hold me accountable. In 2013, I will strive to...

1. Make more music. I placed songwriting on the back burner last year during the planning of our wedding. Without music, I feel like I've lost a bit of my identity. So I'd like to dust off my recording equipment and put down some melodic ideas. Flesh out the tunes that have been brewing in my head. Turn my crazy musings into lyrics. And maybe find a new collaboration partner. My little red ukulele could use a bit of love as well.


2. Phone friends. My best pals will tell you I'm not a phone person. Unless we're meeting somewhere or it's your birthday, you won't hear from me. And I'm horrible about calling people back. The majority of my girlfriends live out-of-state and the longer time goes by since we connected last, the more time it takes to catch up. But my favorite people are worth it. You nurture the relationships that are important to you. Even a quickie "hi, I love you, bye" should do the trick.


3. Better the blog. This is an ongoing goal. I'm always tweaking things here and there, trying to make this place a more enjoyable destination. Just today, I widened the main column for larger photo viewing. I'd like to post more original content in the next year and include some ongoing features to look forward to. Like I mentioned before, I'll be starting a weekly post about the details of our wedding. And a home tour is in the works. I'd really love your feedback. Is there anything you'd like to see more (or less) of on Happiness Is?


4. Meditate. Or another way of putting it: be more like my cat. I used to wonder why Bailey would sit perfectly still for long periods of time in uncomfortable positions. Now I get it. She's meditating! But the daily commitment of mind silence is a huge challenge for me. Especially since I almost always drift off to sleep. So I'll go easy on myself. 5-10 minutes a day to clear my head and de-stress. Which should go hand-in-hand with Goal #5 below...


5. Let life flow. Lately, I've found myself overly concerned with the 'how' and 'when' of things. Especially in relation to financial matters. Maybe it's the Capricorn in me, but I'm forever trying to figure out how exactly my goals will be accomplished and when I'll reach success. After we got back from our honeymoon, I began supporting Hal during his transition into a new entrepreneurial career. The potential earnings will be worth every penny pinched today. But I catch myself planning and plotting in my head, worrying about things I cannot control. I'd like to ease up. Go with the flow. And let life take its course. Sometimes when you release the reins, things fall into place naturally and simply. As they should.

Did you make resolutions this year? Do tell. Let's hold each other accountable! :)


{Pre-edited images via: 1. What No Mints? 2. High On Flowers; 3. The Style Files; 4. Meet Me In The Morning; 5. Fearful Adventurer; }

Our Engagement Pics on 100 Layer Cake!

I'm so honored to be featured on one of my favorite wedding websites, 100 Layer Cake! Have you seen it? They posted our engagement photos. Blush!

A little back story. Hal was very adamant on not doing typical engagement pics. If it were up to him, we wouldn't have done them at all and I'm sure a lot of men would agree. So I tried to come up with an idea he would like, that represented us, minus the cheese. And he was down with retro graphic art.

I turned to Christopher, my photographer brother, for a sibling collaboration. He captured Hal and I goofing around in front of a green screen, doing things we actually do together in real life. Christopher then sent me the cut-outs of our bodies and I arranged them in Photoshop, adding different shapes, colors and other graphic elements.

If you've been following me for awhile, you'll know I was somewhat secretive about this and other details of our wedding. But I'm thinking about doing a new series starting in January: a weekly post about all the stages of my wedding planning, from how I asked my girlfriends to be bridesmaids, to our save-the-dates, to our website and everything in between. This will lead up to our professional photos of the big day.

What do you think? Would you be interested in learning about the behind-the-scenes of my wedding planning process?


{Photography by Christopher Bachmann}

Love In Motion

This engagement shoot by Portuguese photographer, Andress Ribeiro, makes me smile. I love how he uses motion and movement to his personify his style.

Doesn't the top photo remind you of Robert Doisneau’s iconic “The Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville"?


{Images by Andress Ribeiro}

A Recipe Wall Calendar

Calling all design-loving foodies: have you seen Liz Carver's 2013 calendar cookbook? It features a different recipe each month using fresh and seasonal ingredients. I wouldn't mind hanging this piece of lovely on my kitchen wall. 


{Images by Liz Carver Designs}

Thanksgiving Changes

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is just a few days away. My cousin, who used to host a large extended family celebration, moved out of state. So for the first time, our immediate family will have a smaller, more intimate gathering at my brother's home. The transition is perfect timing, now that little Ayana is here.

We'll be more in tune with my fantasy Thanksgiving from a few years back. Although I'd still like to feast outdoors, Kinfolk style, in the middle of a field or forest. Weather and logistics aside!

How will you be spending Thanksgiving this year?


{Images by Rachel Bean} 

Bread On Bread

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with bread. But there's no hating here. Photographer, Nacho Alegre, turns baguettes into art by balancing loaves on top of each other to form zen-like structures. Aren't they amusing? He also plays with drinking glasses and teacups.


{Images via It's Nice That by Nacho Alegre}

Count For Nothing

German photographer, Katrin Korfmann, is the creator of this beautiful aerial series, Count For Nothing. What looks like a busy public space captured in a single moment in time, is actually a merged image of hundreds of shots layered on top of one another. Fascinating, right? This takes people watching to a whole new level.


{Images via LA I'm Yours}

Nature Appreciation

Before the heavy rains, I took a walk with my brother and neice last weekend. We took the secret trail from my house and over the Locks to eat apple butter toast in the botanical gardens.

It was really the first time I've had a chance to really notice how insanely beautiful our neighborhood is at this time of year. And I was deeply inspired. Here are a few of my photos paired with quotes to inspire you too.

Costumes For Pups

Remember Maddie the Coonhound? Now she's sporting costumes. Aren't they hilarious?

My parents' Parson Russell Terrier, Rudy, dresses up every Halloween. He loooves it. His winning looks were a fatty pumpkin, a gun-slinging cowboy, and my personal fave, the wise and knowing Yoda. I'm so looking forward to seeing what he wears this year!

Have you found a costume for yourself? After I do a little deconstructing, I think I'm all set. Can't wait to show you.


{Image via Maddie On Things by Theron Humphrey}

Our Wedding Sneak Peek!!

Sorry darlings, but I'm interrupting the honeymoon recap for a teaser posted today by our incredible photographers, Heather & Jon of One Love Photo. I'm just too darn excited not to share! A funny story accompanies these shots, but that, I'll save for later.

It's strange seeing photos of your wedding for the first time, because you don't even remember doing the things that were captured. Like me raising my arm like that? Wha? By the looks of it, we must have been giggling the entire time. And if it didn't show on my face, I was most definitely giggling inside.


{Images by One Love Photo}

Why I Love Him - Reason #1

He wants to spend his life with me! That's why I love him. Through highs and lows. Ebbs and flows. He will be beside me, experiencing the world, hand in hand. And it's the most comforting feeling I've known.

Today will be my last day here, but I won't leave you in the cold. I have daily guest bloggers scheduled for the next 3 weeks while I prep for the wedding and relax on my honeymoon. Please stop by to read their beautiful words, thoughts and advice on the theme of lasting love.

Thank you, my darling dears, for your incredible support over the past year. I look forward to sharing all experiences upon my return. HUG!

P.S. Happy blue moon!


{Image by Christopher Bachmann}

Savoring Summer

While many are experiencing the bittersweet ache of summer's fade, I'm feeling reflective and hopeful. Instead of lamenting over the loss of long lazy days, I plan to celebrate the few we have left. I hope you will too. Let's start with a sunset picnic out on the dock, shall we?


{Images by Tec Petaja}

Underwater Tango

Hal and I have been feverishly prepping for our first dance. I think we'd be much more graceful if we were practicing underwater. It gives new meaning to being light on your feet.

Aren't Katerina's deep sea tango photos just stunning?


{Images via Sinatra Blue by Katerina Bodrunova}

A Polaroid Wall Collage

It took me over a year to figure out if the vintage Polaroid land camera I picked up at the thrift store was in working condition. But I finally hunted down the proper battery and film and I happy to say... it works! Thankfully, it came with the original user guide. To take just one image, there are multiple levers to tweak, tabs to pull, and seconds to count. It's complicated and fascinating.

At the wedding, we're planning to take a Polaroid of each guest as they arrive and check in. What we're going to do with the photos is still unknown. But how fantastic would a huge wall collage be? Of the sweet faces of our favorite people in the world.


{Images via I Art You by Palihouse}

Two Faces

"Every great work of art has two faces, one toward its own time and one toward the future, toward eternity." - Lester Bangs

{Images via Behance by Miki Takahashi}

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

We had a wild time in Portland for the bachelorette, involving a chance run-in with a bachelor party, a silly school bus ride, bottled jungle juice and karaoke.

It did not involve frothy petticoats, bedazzled sunnies, colored smoke bombs, or an English countryside, but I'm taking notes for next time!


{Images via Rock n' Roll Bride by Andrew R Moore}

Yoga Engagement Photos

Here's an engagement session you don't see every day. Kelsey and Isaac are doing acro-yoga, which I'd never heard of until now. It's a partner style practice that combines acrobatics and thai massage. It's supposed to be great for couples who want to build trust and foster a sense of play.

I'd like to think Hal and I would enjoy this. But knowing us, we'd be laughing too hard to hold the poses. Have you ever taken acro-yoga before?


{Images via Junebug by Kiera Eve Photography}

Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay

From the dock at my Grandma's old house on Lake Stevens was one of the most spectacular fireworks shows we've ever seen. And they weren't even professional. Each house along the water shot off their own stand-bought fireworks. It was as if each neighbor was trying to outdo each other. We settled in our lawn chairs at the end of the dock and everywhere we looked was a new colorful explosion, the best ones right overhead. We'll never be able to view the fireworks from this spot again, since her house will be put on the market this summer. Very bittersweet.

Welcoming Summer

Any fun plans to welcome summer? We'll be celebrating my niece, Ayana's one-month birthday with the fam. And I hope to get in some much needed rest and relaxation. Preferably on a hammock. With a book. And bubble gum.

Have a good weekend, friends. Here are a few links for your enjoyment...

Seven summertime sweets.

Fancy wedding shorts: do or don't?

A beautiful mural behind the bed.

Would you like a wood wallet?

A true sound wave.

Sky couches for flights to New Zealand.

Restore your faith in humanity.

The bathing suit of my dreams.

Nine cool things you can make with cement.

Serving ideas for a patriotic picnic.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• A Study of Form and Habitat
• Summer Cloaks
• A Sustainable Farm Wedding

{Image by Dan Martensen}

Facing Forward

Maybe it's because I just saw Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, but lately I've been obsessed with photographs where the subject is directly facing forward. Ukranian surrealist photographer, Oleg Oprisco, must be too. He positions his models to do just this, standing perfectly centered, no expression, eyes staring straight into your soul.


{Images via English Muse by Oleg Oprisco}

So Much Happiness

So Much Happiness

It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness.
With sadness there is something to rub against,
a wound to tend with lotion and cloth.
When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up,
something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs or change.

But happiness floats.
It doesn't need you to hold it down.
It doesn't need anything.
Happiness lands on the roof of the next house, singing,
and disappears when it wants to.
You are happy either way.
Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house
and now live over a quarry of noise and dust
cannot make you unhappy.
Everything has a life of its own,
it too could wake up filled with possibilities
of coffee cake and ripe peaches,
and love even the floor which needs to be swept,
the soiled linens and scratched records…..

Since there is no place large enough
to contain so much happiness,
you shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you
into everything you touch. You are not responsible.
You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit
for the moon, but continues to hold it, and share it,
and in that way, be known.

~ Naomi Shihab Nye

{Images via The Visually Intriging by Helmut Newton}

Undone: A Photo Essay

I'm in love with Anna Williams' latest photo essay, Undone: 

The tangle of sleep unravels. Yesterday's ruin. She seeks something simple, raw and perfect in its crudeness. A return to the most elemental.


{Images via Frolic by The Voracity}

A Harp, A Baby, & A Cat

Seattle-based photographer, Jenny J, took these family shots of her old friends with a new baby in their own home. They make my heart swell. Music, love, and cats. What more do you need in life?  :)


{Images by Jenny J}

A Sneak Peek of Our Wedding Movie

This will probably be the first of many posts about Katia, the director of our wedding movie. She's a brilliant photographer and videographer from Mexico who I've been communicating with for months over email. When we finally met and spent 2 full days together this past weekend, I discovered she's just as talented, sweet and funny in person. Plenty more on her later, but I squealed with delight when she sent over these sneak peek stills. They turned out so dreamy. I can't wait to see the first edit!


{Images by Katia Herrera}

A Beautiful Seattle View

Summer has arrived early in Seattle. We've had consecutive days of 75-80 degree weather with a perfectly cooling breeze. Yesterday evening, Hal and I went to our first barbecue of the year on the roof of this pretty lady's apartment building.

There's Lake Union, the Downtown skyline and the Fremont bridge all in one incredible 180 degree view. My camera didn't capture Mount Rainier in the top image, but it was visible in the distance, clear as day. Only thing missing is the Space Needle, which lies just off to the right behind the hill. Sigh, I love my city. Can you tell?  :)

Trashing A Dress

I've never really understood the whole "trash the wedding dress" concept. Why ruin a gown you spent so much money on? But my opinion has changed after seeing these joyful photos of Bre. This red dress is the actual dress she wore during her Paris elopement.

Would you ever trash a dress for fun?


{Images via The Bride's Cafe by Rebekah Hoyt}

Staying Afloat

My loves, I knew this time would come, but I'm afraid it's happening sooner than anticipated. It may seem like everything is perfect in Shannon land, since I only blog about things that make me happy. But in all honesty, I've been drowning emotionally. With the wedding planning, work, family, and some recent personal issues, my stress level is through the roof. Which defeats the entire purpose of Happiness Is. No matter what I do, I can't quite keep my head above water.

This blog will stay alive, but I need to cut back. Since 2009, I've been posting 3x every weekday. I knew it was an ambitious schedule and I don't know how I adhered to it for as long as I did. From here on out, or at least until my life slows down, I'll only be posting once a day. I hope you'll forgive me! I realize I may lose some readers with this change, but I guess I'll have to take that risk. I appreciate your continued and loyal support over the past few years. This blog would be nowhere without you. xo


{Image via B Tru Yoga by Daan Verhoeve}

Thoughts On Flight

"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

- Douglas Adams

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

- Leonardo Da Vinci

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it."

- J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

"My soul is in the sky."

- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

"The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? It is the same the angels breathe."

- Mark Twain, Roughing It

{Images by Beata Cervin}

May Day Distractions

In an attempt to distract myself from the riots going on outside my building, I'm posting pretty pictures of petals. Happy May Day, loves!


{Images via Wunderbuzz by Irving Penn}

Engagement Photos At Home

How sweet are these engagement photos of Yohann & Anne-Sophie, taken inside their cozy French apartment? Reminds me of this wedding. It's such a great way to show off a couple's personality, capturing moments within the comfortable nooks and crannies of their own home.


{Images via Hi-Fi Weddings by Cecile Creiche}

Along The 101

Did you have a nice weekend? I had such a beautiful time in wine country with old friends and new. We drove up and down the scenic Pacific Coast Highway 101 and I love how unknown to me at the time, I somehow captured the early moon and a soaring bird, all from the window of a moving bus.

Color Spotting

My latest obsession... color spotting over black and white photos. These are by Alexandra Valenti and almost look as though they've been painted over. They're like playful vintage dreams.


{Images via City Meets The Shore}

Poetry & Paper Boats

Day by day I float my paper boats one by one down the running stream. In big black letters I write my name on them and the name of the village where I live. I hope that someone in some strange land will find them and know who I am. I load my little boats with shiuli flower from our garden, and hope that these blooms of the dawn will be carried safely to land in the night. I launch my paper boats and look up into the sky and see the little clouds setting the white bulging sails. I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down the air to race with my boats. When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars. The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading ins their baskets full of dreams. 

- Rabindranath Tagore

{Images by Tszya Wang Ziya}

Palm Tree Therapy

When suffering from a mild case of former home sickness, palm tree therapy really works! I had a fun few days in Cali. And now it feels good to be back amongst my beloved pine trees. Ready to tackle the week.

I'm really trying to figure out how I can live in two places at the same time. Any ideas on how to execute this? :)

Clear Balloons

Just when you thought balloons were passé, along comes a clear balloon filled with stuff. Good stuff like confetti. Just think of all the unexpected things you could fill inside a magical clear balloon.


{Images via Peonies & Polaroids by Lillian & Leonard Photography}

#FromWhereIStandBlended

Kyle's Instagram collaboration, #FromWhereIStandBlended, is so brilliant. He takes two photos from other people's feeds and blends them together to create an entirely new image. Aren't they surreal?


{Images via La Vie J'aime by Kkuiper}

A Confetti Storm

Whoever said town hall weddings aren't fun, obviously haven't seen this one. Alice and Andrea spiced theirs up with a confetti storm as they exited the building and greeted their guests. Don't you love the bird's eye point of view?


{Images via Snippet & Ink by Giuli & Giordi}

Photo Drips

Markus drips resin down vintage photo-mounted wood panels to create this rainbow effect. I find them so intriguing. Don't they remind you of colorful, hazy memories?


{Images via Design Milk by Markus Linnenbrink}

Mondegreen Magic

Such a magical look book for New Zealand's online boutique, Mondegreen. Do you think the superimposed girls are alter-egos, ghosts, or imaginary friends?


{Images via Studio Home by Stephen Tilley}