HAPPINESS IS...

Words To Work By

Such great 60's-inspired designs by Asia Pietrzyk to kick our bums into gear and be more productive at the office. The inspirations really work! I just put down my coffee cup and obsessively saved this post.


{Images by Asia Pietrzyk}

My Wedding 03: Bridesmaid Proposals

For today's wedding Wednesday post, I'd like to share with you how I proposed to my darling bridesmaids.

I debated long and hard about whether or not to have bridesmaids at all. I know how girls complain about being one. Let's face it. It can be expensive, awkward, and there's always a chance of drama. But ultimately, I realized I needed their support.

Choosing my girl posse was difficult. I'm terrible with decisions, can you tell? I've been blessed with many close female friendships in life, so if bridesmaids were happening, there would be many. I chose 7 women to stand by my side. 3 from high school, 4 from college. There were a few others I would have liked to include, but Hal put his foot down, rightly so. I figured/hoped the gals I didn't ask were confident enough in our friendship so as to not take it personally.

I thought about how I could propose to them in a meaningful and original way. How were we all connected?

Books! We were all readers and 3 of the gals were in my book club. One day, while perusing a thrift shop, I happened upon the sweetest little vintage book: Friendship, by Hugh Black, published in 1901. I brought it home and miraculously found 6 more copies with the same cover through various online used book stores.

Inside each book, I placed a wooden bookmark engraved with their name.

As they flipped through the book, my proposal was slowly revealed in the top right hand corner. Initially, I planned to dog-ear the pages and write on the book directly, but it felt wrong to mark it all up. Instead, I cut off the corners of colored envelopes and placed them over the paper's edge like a slipcover. This way, the girls could take them off and have a keepsake book free of bridesmaid talk.

I don't like the word, bridesmaid, so I changed their title to special lady friend!

On the back inside cover, I glued a matching envelope with a card. In my tiniest handwriting, I wrote down all our shared memories. And asked if they'd like to make yet another.

They said, YES!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

New Year Of The Trees

How did I not know about this lovely little Jewish holiday? It's called Tu Bishvat, or New Year of the Trees. On January 25-26, it's tradition to eat 15 kinds of fruits and nuts with 4 glasses of wine while reciting blessings to bring the world closer to spiritual perfection. Then you plant a tree! My kind of celebration.

Erin of Forest Feast toasted the trees' new year with Feast wine and spiced apricots in dark chocolate.


{Images by Erin Gleeson}

Classic Beauty Secrets From Downton Abbey

I finally jumped on the Downton Abbey bandwagon. And I admit, it took me until Season 3 to fully understand the hype. But now I'm hooked. Oh, the drama!

Like Mad Men, I get a kick out of the ladies' period costumes, fashions, and hairstyles. There are some important, and amusing, beauty lessons to be learned from the show, as discovered by Sharon of Daily Glow:

1. Your complexion always looks better in candlelight.
2. For an instant anti-aging trick, stand next to someone who's at least 30 years your senior.
3. Don't underestimate the power of a red lip.
4. You'll never have a bad hair day if you stick to braids and updos.
5. When in doubt, wear a hat.

Last night, I was feeling under the weather so I went to bed early with my iPad and snuggled up with the Grantham fam. After a marathon viewing session, I'm all caught up. The episode that aired last night had me bawling like a baby!

Have you been watching?


{Pre-edited images via: 1. GriffenStar7; 2. Bronte Queen; 3. Fab Sugar; 4. PBS; 5. My Luscious Life; 6. Becky Renee}

The Importance Of Bone Marrow Donations

My dear friend, Valerie Sun, is a living miracle. You may remember her pretty face from the time she visited me in Seattle a few years ago. Before we met and sang together at USC, she was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and the doctors gave her 5 years to live. The only thing that would save her was a bone marrow transplant. At age 17, against all odds, she found a match:

"My donor, Julie, got tested on a mid-west college campus in the late 90s and a few years later, saved my life. There is no question that I wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for her taking 15 minutes of her time and registering {to be a donor}. That I wouldn't be pursuing a career in healthcare, that I wouldn't be seeing my nephews and niece growing up, that I wouldn't be there to graduate with my class in June. But I am. And it was thanks to the generosity of a stranger."

There's a beautiful article in the Daily Bruin about Val's story and her mission to find bone marrow matches for others. It moved me to tears, because I remember visiting her in the hospital after her difficult transplant. She is the strongest woman I know.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Jan 26th, Valerie is holding a bone marrow drive on the UCLA campus for her friend, Krissy Kobata, who has a rare life threatening blood disease. If you are in LA, please register to become a donor. Like Val, she is of mixed race. Caucasian and Japanese. This makes it extremely difficult to find a match. Ethnic and hapa donors are especially encouraged to sign up. Go here for more information.

If you don't live in Los Angeles, you can still join the Be The Match registry online. Valerie is now friends with her donor, Julie, who says that giving bone marrow was the best thing she has ever done in life.


{Image by Valerie Sun}

4 Heart-Shaped Sweet Treats

Too early for a Valentine's Day post?

Last year, Hal surprised me by making us heart-shaped lasagna. So for this year, I'd like to stick with the theme. Maybe I'll make him one of these heart-shaped goodies: pink Rice Krispies treats, curd & jam filled puffs (aka Polsterzipf), gingerbread cookies on milk glasses, or marbled peppermint marshmallows.

Which of these sweet treats would make your heart melt?


{Images by: 1. Lisa Kisch; 2. Svetlana Karner; 3. Jennifer Carroll; 4. Liz Stanley}

My Wedding 02: DIY Save-The-Date Paper Dolls

I'm thrilled to share with you our save-the-dates!

To get the guests revved up about the wedding, I wanted to send them something unexpected. Something they could play with. Our theme wasn't yet established, but we knew we would ask our guests to come dressed in their vintage best. Racking my brain, I thought about old toys that conjure up nostalgic memories for all generations. Paper dolls? I bounced the idea off my mom and her eyes lit up. Yes!

I tried to draw the paper dolls myself, but failed miserably. So instead, we Photoshopped our heads onto vintage doll bodies. My mom and I scoured eBay for the perfect bride and groom with acceptable underclothes. I scored the perfect retro set! It came with hilarious outfits and accessories for the big day, the wedding night, and the honeymoon. No black kitties, but I found another hand-drawn cat image for Bailey. She had to be included, of course.

Initially, I planned to print on magnetic paper so guests could hang us on their fridge as a reminder. But I discovered reusable adhesive fabric instead. It's more affordable, lightweight, easy to cut, ink jet printer friendly, and leaves no residue. You simply peel off the backing and stick it to any flat surface.

Do you remember the hand-carved face stamp I had made? It was put to good use on our envelopes! I also got a custom address rubber stamp from NoteTrunk and designed a very simple H ♥ S logo for our postage stamps from Zazzle.

We got great feedback from our guests. Even my grandma loved them, which could have gone either way. A few friends sent us photos of the tux on me, the gown on Hal, and the garter around Bailey's neck!

P.S. For this project, a big thank you goes out to my mom, my brainstorm and research partner, my brother, the Photoshop wizard who made sure our heads looked like they belonged on our bodies, and my husband, who agreed to be seen by the world in shorty shorts and black knee high socks.

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by Christopher Bachmann Photography}

Custom Paw Print Tiles

Sometimes, your best ideas are born by accident. While making floor tiles, ceramics artist, Helena Seget, noticed her pet rat scurry across them while still wet, creating a unique organic pattern. Instead of throwing them out, she used them in her bathroom. When she sees her little rat's prints embedded into the floor, she never feels alone.

Helena now makes custom paw print tiles for others. I want some Bailey tiles. Her paws are the cutest. It'd be a sweet way to remember her always in my home.

P.S. If you followed me during Bailey's kidney ordeal, here's a little update. She's still holding on! Despite being additionally diagnosed with thyroid disease a few months later, I finally got her on a good regimen of 2x daily pills, 2x weekly fluid injections, natural wet food, the occasional reiki session, and lots of extra love. She eats like a pig and seems happy as a clam. Fingers crossed she continues to thrive.


{Images via Remodelista}

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}

Turning Leftovers Into Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

One good thing about having a baked potato bar is the absurd amount of leftovers. What does this mean? To me, it means fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. Last night, I made a delicious one with goat cheese, pesto, roasted red pepper sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and avocado. Next, I plan to make one with brie and pomegranate seeds. What's in your favorite gourmet grilled cheese?

Have a flavorful weekend, my loves. Please enjoy the links...

25 mouth-watering grilled cheese recipes.

A beautiful winter wedding with a sleigh ride for guests.

Did you know you could live on the back of your bicycle?

A miniature wooden record player.

Incredible snow art.

Wait, cookies for breakfast?

Darling hand knit crowns for kiddos.

A medieval hotel in Italy.

How to make a heart-shaped cross stitch sweater.

A great idea for Super Bowl snacks.

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

• Tea At Sea
• The Sheer Black Dress
• What Birds Do When We're Not Looking 

{Images via: 1-4: Martha Stewart; 5-6: BS In The Kitchen}

Mini Zen Gardens

"The obstacle is your reality, and the sand is your peace.
Let your mind be free and let your fingers guide your way to creativity."

- Wendi of Wendiland

{Images via Plenty of Colour by Wendi Phan}

Mood Hacker

Have you heard of Mood Hacker? It's a free online tool that tracks your moods by mapping it against your thoughts, feelings and actions over a period of time. After awhile, you'll start to see patterns. They say if you keep doing what you do on good days, you'll be able to affect your mood for the better.

Think of it like Mint.com for the mind. Try it. It's quite fun. I'm looking forward to seeing what my chart looks like a month from now. Bad moods, be gone!


{Pre-edited image via Les Petites Choses}

Our Weekend At Wellspring - Part 2

Yesterday, I gave you a tour of the interior of Wellspring's Tatoosh Lodge. Today, I'll show you around the property. Come, the sun is out. Let's take a walk...

Underneath the snow-covered gazebo is a barbecue. The boys grilled a few ingredients here for our baked potato bar. And made some friends who were spending the night in the tree house.

There are 3 luxury safari tents hidden among the trees. This one is called the Tropics because the floor is covered in 6 inches of soft white sand!

Soaking in the Japanese-style cedar spa was a highlight of our stay. The temperatures outside were below freezing, so you can imagine how soothing it felt to slip into a warm tub after a brisk walk in the snow.

They say the labyrinth is a metaphor for life's journey. This must be true. Because Hal walked the full spiral while I got impatient.

There are 6 rustic cabins hidden throughout the property, ranging from classic to deluxe. All complete with feather beds and a wood burning stove. Some with full kitchens and a jacuzzi tub.

How sweet is this little garden? I bet it's lovely in springtime.

Wellspring's resident Doodle! His name is Riley. He would surprise us from out of nowhere to sniff our hands, say hello, and run away. Boundless energy, that one. He visited again later at the lodge for some extra pets and fell madly in love with my friend Kate.

I was told to make sure I visited the forest sanctuary. With no signs, it was difficult to find the trail in the snow. But I followed a set of Riley's footprints which led me over a bridge and through the woods to the secret spot. 

The ceremony setting was majestic. Had I known about this place a year ago, I might have gotten married here. The towering evergreens and zen stone slab alter took my breath away.

Thank you, Sunny, for sharing your magnificent property with us. Wellspring is magical. There's no better word to describe it.

OUR WEEKEND AT WELLSPRING - PART 1


This post is sponsored by Wellspring Spa & Retreat. The content and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running!

Our Weekend At Wellspring - Part 1

Hi friends! I'm back from my birthday weekend at Mount Rainier. We stayed at Wellspring Spa & Retreat, an easy 1.5 hour-drive from Seattle. This place is unreal. I truly think it's one of Washington's best kept secrets.

Wellspring is a boutique eco-resort near the base of the mountain, nestled within a 10-acre forest sanctuary. The property is sprinkled with with cozy cottages, safari huts, and even a tree house. Sunny, the owner, kindly put us up in the Tatoosh Lodge, the main cabin with a huge stone fireplace, a full kitchen and custom built 10-foot cedar dining table. Al Gore stayed here once upon a time. We suspect his visit was the inspiration behind An Inconvenient Truth.

Upstairs is an 8-person sleeping loft where our friends slept. It felt like camp!

Hal and I stayed in The Nest, a super romantic room with a hanging bed and skylight above to watch the stars. It felt like we were sleeping on a boat, being gently rocked to sleep.

The first morning, I sat with my steaming cup of tea in front of the fire, feeling giddy with content. No cell phones or internet to disturb the peace. I should go off-the-grid more often.

Well, I do admit. I sort of missed reading Facebook wall posts on my birthday. But that could wait. I was in a gorgeous rustic cabin surrounded by quiet natural beauty. I was more relaxed than I've been in quite some time.

Icicles!

For dinner, we set up a gourmet baked potato bar. Inspired by Joanna's smorgasboard, I went all out with toppings. There were the basics: butter, cheddar, sour cream, green onions and black pepper. And the more unusuals: steak, chicken and bacon (for Hal and the omnivores), goat cheese, gorgonzola, brie, parmesan, balsamic mixed veggies, mushrooms in white wine, grilled onions, sauteed garlic, sweet corn, broccolini, brussels sprouts, heirloom tomatoes, roasted red pepper spread, vodka marinara, artichoke dip, hot sauce, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, black beans, pickled jalapenos, baby cornichons, fresh basil, rosemary, cilantro and parsley. Phew! Best baked potatoes of my life.

In lieu of gifts, I asked my friends to bring a board game. Surprisingly, the most used game of the night was one that we found in the closet. Hedbanz! Before you judge, it's harder than it looks.

Tomorrow, I'll show you around the magical snow-covered grounds!

OUR WEEKEND AT WELLSPRING - PART 2

This post is sponsored by Wellspring Spa & Retreat. The content and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running!

My Off-The-Grid Birthday

Today is National Hot Toddy Day. Tomorrow is My Birthday. Two major reasons to celebrate.

We're loading up our car for a cozy weekend at Wellspring on Mount Rainier. The lodge is completely off the grid. Which strangely enough, I'm sort of looking forward to. No internet. No cell service. Yikes! I guess that means no Instagrams until Sunday night.

Snow boots, check. Board games, check. Firewood, check. I think we're ready to hit the road. Have a happy weekend, friends. Enjoy those toddies!


{Pre-edited image by Elizabeth Messina}

A Winter Tea Blending Party

Not just a tea party. But a tea blending party. Briar of Marble & Wilkweed shows us how to warm up a winter afternoon by making personalized custom blends with exotic loose leaf teas, spices, and pretty packaging supplies. With a corresponding playlist to set the mood.

Here are 3 of her recipes:

• Modern Chai: cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, pink peppercorn, rose petals, ginger.
• Vanilla Rooibos: red tea, roasted cacao nibs, vanilla bean pods, saffron threads.
• Fennel Mint: green tea, macha tea, fennel seeds, dried spearmint.

I bet her home smells wonderful! I must try this one day. I've been tea tasting before, but I've never made my own blends. Have you?

{Images via: 1-2, 6-8 by Briar Winters; 3-5 via Whole Living by John Kernick} 

My Wedding 01: Nature Goddess Style Inspiration

As promised, here is the first post of the new series on my wedding. Every Wednesday, I'll share with you a behind-the-scenes look at our wedding planning process. Leading up to the reveal of our professional photos of the big day.

Immediately after I got engaged, I envisioned myself as a vintage nature goddess bride. So I created this board to visualize the look of long flowing chiffon, greenery in my hair, and glamorous statement piece jewelry. If I had more space, I would have added this bridesmaid dress and these shoes. The colors would be greens and golds, and so not to compete with the natural beauty of our outdoor venue, the decor would be minimal with vintage details here and there.

The funny thing is, my wedding looked nothing like this. It was a lot more playful than the romantic images above. And my actual dress is very different from this Samuelle Couture. But I think we still somehow managed to pull off the vintage nature goddess vibe, with a quirky Shannon & Hal spin, on a very limited budget.

If you've planned a wedding, how similar was it to your original vision?

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images: 1. Invitiation; 2. Herb planters; 3. Goddess earrings; 4. Tree branch; 5. Walnut candles; 6. Nishi twig bangles; 7. Samuelle Couture gown by Jose Villa}

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 Huge Collection of Green Vintage Bottles For Sale

The sale of my mismatched vintage china was a big success. A very sweet couple found my blog post and picked them up for their own wedding this summer. I love knowing they'll be put to good use. So I thought I'd do the same with my other collection of 307 green vintage bottles.

Here are the goods:

• 102 small assorted medicine bottles without labels: $200
• 192 antique German beer bottles in their original segregated cases: $300
• 13 large assorted bottles & vases: FREE with the above

At my wedding, each bottle held a single dahlia.They looked lovely lined up along the center of our long tables, catching light from the sun. Green bottles are very rare! I'm asking $500 for the entire lot, much cheaper than scouting them out individually. I'd love to not break up the set, but will consider it, if necessary.

If you're a Northwest bride or vintage rental business and would like to snatch these beauties up before I advertise elsewhere, please email me. First come, first serve!


{Images 1-2. me; 3. One Love Photo}

Peace & Quiet

Lately I've been in the mood to hibernate and make space for quiet contemplation. Anyone else feel the same? Have a serene and peaceful weekend, dear ones. Here are a few links for your enjoyment...

10 inspirational prints for the new year.

A sweet sound collage of musicians who passed in 2012.

Awesome Wes Anderson playing cards.

How exactly do these invisible bookends work?

Mini pancake skewers for breakfast.

A clever piano key doorbell.

Turn yourself into a foldable paper figurine.

How to make natural waves for fine hair.

A beautiful Dutch church turned loft home.

I fancy this handmade ring.

 

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

• WA + CA = US
• Little Beach House On The Prairie
• Hail On Your Wedding Day

{Image via Nook}

Hunkering Down In A Cozy Mountain Cabin

This is exactly what I plan to do next week for my birthday. Stay at this magical retreat in a cozy lodge cabin on the base of Mount Rainier. I invited a few close friends to join me in the woods to snow shoe, hot tub, feast by the roaring fire and play board games all night long. Sometimes it's nice to be born in the winter!


{Images via: 1. Winter Cabin Collection; 2. The Hunt; 3. Secret Hideout; 4. Ohalbatross}

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; }