HAPPINESS IS...

One Cool Desk

The receptionist who gets to sit behind this desk might be the luckiest receptionist alive. Dublin creative agency, Boys and Girls, built it to make a statement about their firm and playfully welcome clients into their offices. It's held up with oversized Jenga blocks on one side, helium balloons on the other. And it goes perfectly with their existing LEGO boardroom table. Hey guys, need a new receptionist?  :)


{Images by Liam Murphy}

Love = Love

Brooklyn-based artist/photographer, Kent Rogowski, took flowers and skies from over 60 store bought jigsaw puzzles to create this gorgeous landscape series, Love = Love. Am I the only one who didn't know that puzzles pieces are interchangeable within a brand? Fascinating!


{Images by Kent Rogowski}

Sasquatch Music Festival

Hello, friends. Did you have a nice weekend? We ended up going to the Sasquatch Music Festival at the last minute. My talented bestie, Melanie, is on tour with the band, Spiritualized, and we met up with her and our new favorite bass player for a lovely Seattle brunch before heading out the The Gorge Amplitheater to watch them play.

We missed a lot of great bands on Saturday and Sunday, but got to catch Feist, Silversun Pickups, Tenacious D, and best of all, my sweet Mel singing delicious gospel back-up for J. Spaceman. A powerful show!

How about you, have you seen any good live music recently?

My Brand New Baby Niece

Yesterday, May 24th, at 5:15 pm, my 8 lb 7 oz baby niece entered this world. I held her in my arms and my mom and I sang her a lullaby, the same lullaby my mother sang to me many moons ago. She's The Unnamed One for now, but I call her Swathed Bundle. She has Akiko's nose and mouth, Christopher's chin and cheeks. She cooed and yawned and I melted. I'm so in love.

Have a beautiful Memorial Day weekend, my dears. I'll see you again on Tuesday. Until then, enjoy the links...

Update! She has been named! We now call her Ayana.

The dreamiest wedding venue in Australia.

A shredder grater for music & cheese lovers.

This movie is finally out!

A Nancy Drew birthday party with sleuthing kits.

Magical glowing text art.

An awesome Miles Davis print.

The most charming Orla Kiely garden shed.

Birds from behind.

A nostalgic iPhone handset.

Steal like an artist.

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

• Red Pants
• When I Wed...
• Planting Your Dreams

{Image by Hal}

Blanket Style

According to the February issue of Vogue 1963, blankets were a fashion accessory. They're like evening wear Snuggies!

Let's bring them back, ladies, what do you say?


{Images via My Vintage Vogue by Gordon Parks}

A Double Wedding

I thought double weddings happened only in the movies. Apparently not. Sisters, Lauren and Dana, wanted to share their big day. If only they could have orchestrated a double rainbow! 


{Images via Ruffled by Bryan Rupp Photography}

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}

6 Modern Artist Studios In The Middle of Nowhere

Technically, they're in the middle of somewhere... Fogo Island, Newfoundland. But these modern geometric artist studios, set against dramatic remote landscapes, seem like the only shelter on earth.

I'm greatly affected by my surroundings and I just know that if one of these studios were mine, I'd be inspired enough to record 3 albums, write 2 books, create 5 art projects and compile a year's worth of blog posts in a matter of weeks! How about you?  

{Images via It's Nice That by Saunders Architecture}

Sending Out The Invites

We're finally getting the invitations out this weekend, hurrah! Guests, we thank you for your patience and we hope you think they're worth the wait. Hal designed, wood block printed, and letterpressed them himself and I'll be packaging them up pretty and hand-addressing the envelopes. Then it's off to the post office. There's something sort of scary about mailing them out. It means it's happening. We're really doing this!  :)

Have a super weekend, darlings. Please enjoy the links...

A rice crispy treat wedding cake.

Awesome chalkboard maps.

Cat lovers: your new favorite app.

DIY water bottle chandeliers.

Vintage Volkswagon van tents.

Cool cross-stitched portraits.

A washi tape dress.

Teeny tiny food sculptures.

Guess what's the most satisfying food?

Lovely calligraphy necklaces.

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

• Illustrated Wedding Invitations
• Barefoot Sandals
• DIY - Clever Upside Down Racks

{Images by Anne Robin}

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}

Foodzie Tasting Boxes

Has anyone subscribed to Foodzie yet? You get to choose between 3 gourmet specialty tasting boxes each month and a new assortment of hand-selected artisan treats will be delivered to your doorstep. I'm particularly enthused about their themed cooking boxes, like Date Night and Movie Night. Shown above is Spring Brunch, with waffle & pancake mix, lemon curd, marinated goat cheese, maple syrup and butterhorn pastries.

P.S. Thank you, Summer, for the heads up!


{Images via Foodzie}

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?  :)

Movie Making

We did a little movie making over the weekend and had such fun filming. It still needs to be edited, but the plan is to screen it at the wedding.

The whole process took me back to grade school, filming cheesy home videos with my brother over the summer. We thought they were sooo good at the time. I need to dig them out and watch them again for a laugh. Did you ever make home movies as a child?


{Images via: 1. Classic Film TV; 2. Urban Bound}

Mothers

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us, when adversity takes the place of prosperity, when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us, when trouble thickens around us, still she will cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.

 - Washington Irving

Happy Mother's Day weekend. I hope you're able to spend some quality time with a special mama in your life. Enjoy the links, my loves...

3 plants that help you sleep.

Make a mirror out of plastic spoons.

The cutest animal pocket knife.

A gown for the minimalist bride.

The most stylish canoe.

9 things you should make with leather.

A very important life skill.

British LEGO birds.

Turn your photos into clothes.

Music is alive!

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

• Your House
• Beachcombing
• Romper Season

{Image via The Glow by Kelly Stuart}

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is a magnificent private estate in Scotland, owned by architect, Charles Jencks. He opens it to the public only one day a year! The landscape was designed to blend precise science and mathematics with the chaos of nature, integrating fractals, black holes, the Fibonacci sequence and a giant DNA helix. Wouldn't you love to visit?


{Images via Kuriositas by Paulus Maximus}

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 may have 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}

Little Books For Big Ideas

I'm an ideas girl. I'm sure I drive my family nuts with my grandiose plans and brilliant-to-me schemes. Recently, I've been struggling with this side of myself, trying to figure out why I'm like this, and if it's more of a burden than gift. After reading the book, Refuse To Choose, I was relieved to learn that there's a name for people like me. I'm a "scanner". A highly creative person with a special type of mind that doesn't zero in on a single interest but rather scans the horizon, eager to explore and do absolutely everything they find fascinating.

The author recommends that scanners keep a journal to record their ideas, because every idea should be cherished no matter how silly or far-fetched. While this solution isn't ground-breaking, the simple act of writing down all your ideas will organize your thoughts and give you peace of mind. Searching around for a good journal, I came across these darling pocket-sized notebooks called Scout Books with customizable insides and covers. The Weaver House used them to make their own Like No Other books for recording dreams, passions and projects.

What about you? Do you consider yourself a scanner too? Do you have one strong easily identifiable career path, or a gazillion?  :)

P.S. I cannot thank you enough for your encouraging emails and comments on yesterday's post. Now I know I made the right choice. I feel lighter than air, just knowing you will be here for me always. xo


{Images via Scout Books by The Weaver House}

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}

Fiesta Time

Happy Cinco de Mayo weekend! Do you have any fiesta plans? I'll be taking a little drive down to Portland with some girlfriends. I've been working so hard lately, it will be a nice break.

This particular holiday always gives me warm fuzzies. Probably because of my fond memories of Mexico. I have visions of tacos with cilantro, Pacificos with lime, and chips with guac & cotija dancing in my head.

Have a good one, mis amigos! Here are your weekend links...

One I love you per day.

A pretty pink wedding dress. 

Would you wear invisible shoes?

A cityscape made of stacked books.

Tangerine peel animals.

The IKEA cardboard digital camera.

A message at the Sacre Coeur.

10 tasty homemade ice pops.

DIY wooden bridal spoons.

A round-themed birthday party.

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

• Trees That Draw
• Beauty In The Abandoned
• Save-The-Date Bag o' Clues

{Pre-image via Style Me Pretty by Sarah Yates}

An Outdoor Living Room

Lounge, dine, soak, play and entertain all in one fresh outdoor living space. I don't think I'd ever go inside.


{Images via AT by Alicia Blas}

Nature Goddess Headpieces

For me, what brides wear on their head is just as important as what they wear on their body. I've been searching for the perfect bridal headpiece to match my gown, and I think I found it. I think. Nothing as wild as above, but somewhat similar in aesthetic. And that's all I can reveal!  :)

Did you or will you wear a headpiece, hairpiece, or veil on your wedding day? What did or will it look like?


{Images via FGR by Paul de Luna for Mojeh}

Ask Alice Stationary Kits

I'm such a sucker for kits. Especially when they're as cute as these by Ask Alice.

I'll be doing plenty of my own packaging and mailing in the next week or so. Hal is almost done with the letterpress portion of our wedding invitations. Then I'll be packinging them up pretty and popping them in the mail. Since we didn't send out our website with the save-the-dates, we're a little behind schedule. DIY will do that to ya. So guests who are anxiously waiting for wedding details, thank you for your patience!


{Images via Bloesom by Ask Alice}

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}

The Autograph Bathing Suit

Oh the things men invented in 1950. The "Autograph Suit" could be drawn on and wouldn't erase in water. Aren't these photos hysterical?


{Images via Retronaut by Bernard Hoffman}

A Bedazzled Fence

Eric drilled holes into his backyard fence and inserted colored marbles to catch the sunlight and sparkle. Star constellations were his inspiration. I love this idea. Sometimes fences need bedazzling too.


{Image via Garden Drama}

Lady Perfume Bottles

While browsing eBay, I was admiring this green perfume bottle collection. Shortly after, I happened upon Rebecca's whimsical ceramic lady perfume bottles with atomiser bulbs. Naturally, I take this to mean the universe wants me to start a vintage perfume bottle collection. They really are quite charming and feminine, aren't they?


{Images via More Design Please by Rebecca Wilson}

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}

The Top 10 Most Relaxing Tunes

According to scientists and sound therapists, the most relaxing song in the world is Weightless by Manchester band, Marconi Union. The tune uses specific tones, frequencies and intervals at a continuous rhythm of 60 beats per minute, which causes brainwaves and heart rates to synchronize.

Apparently, it has been tested to be even more relaxing than a massage, walk, or cup of tea. So relaxing, that people are advised not to listen to it while driving!

The top 10 most relaxing tunes:

1. Marconi Union - Weightless 
2. Airstream - Electra 
3. DJ Shah - Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix) 
4. Enya - Watermark 
5. Coldplay - Strawberry Swing 
6. Barcelona - Please Don't Go 
7. All Saints - Pure Shores 
8. Adele - Someone Like You 
9. Mozart - Canzonetta Sull'aria 
10. Cafe Del Mar - We Can Fly

What music do you listen to in order to relax?


{Pre-image via Nom Nom Kiwiii; List via Short List}