happy birthday tumbleweeds!

Did you hear? Tumbleweeds officially turned one today! How exciting! If you don't know about Tumbleweeds, you are missing out. Doug and Beca have worked just about everyday and night for the past year to make this dream happen. Like, literally, I think their bodies gave up on needing sleep. Their hard work and massive intake of caffeine has definitely paid off. Their business has taken off big time and they're still making everything by hand, all by themselves, one detail at a time. They are doing an incredible job and I am so happy for them. If you read Beca's blog or have the privilege of meeting them in person, you can tell that they truly love what they do. Like you just know how much heart goes into every pair of sunnies. 

Not only are they amazing artisans, but they are just about the nicest couple you'll ever meet. They are so genuine, giving, and compassionate. Not to mention amazing treasure hunters :) I am so so glad that I got to know  these two (and their sweet boys) while they were still in San Diego:

(Beca, Patrick fell in love with you the first day he met you and you fed him a popsicle)

I really miss these guys, but am so happy for them as they're in this current phase of life. I mean, who wouldn't want to be living in the middle of the forest, in the cutest house ever, working from home with your best friend, doing what you love?

In honor of their business's first birthday, they're doing a giveaway. Yep, you can win a pair of our own  handcrafted Tumbleweeds sunglasses! Beca's got all the details on her blog. Check these guys out and wish them a happy birthday! 

Stalk these guys:

SHOP

TWITTER

BECA'S BLOG

DOUG'S BLOG

FACEBOOK

BECA'S INSTAGRAM

DOUG'S INSTAGRAM

Vintage Wedding Dress

This lovely dress is currently living in my closet. It was worn in this photo shoot, which was featured on Ruffled, as well as Engaged and Inspired. It is so beautiful in person with very delicate details. I just can't bear to send it to the Goodwill. That's why it's for sale through The Gown Swap. I think it would make a great wedding dress maybe for a small/ casual wedding. If you are interested in purchasing it, you can do so here. If you have any questions about it, you can send me an e-mail: chansen.213@gmail.com

closet mixology // a rainy day

Outfit details: 

chambray button up: H&M

cardigan: H&M

scarf: Forever21

watch: thrifted

leggings: Forever21

scrunch socks: Target

shoes: Forever21

(umbrella: Target)

Today is a rainy day here in San Diego. Rainy, but not freezing. I got away with wearing a light cardigan and a big scarf in place of any sort of heavy duty jacket. I've been wearing this scarf just about everyday because I love the chunky texture and the color. I've also been rocking the top knot everyday. It's just so easy and it's helping me cut back on my prep time in the morning (most mornings I haven't even dried my hair). When you look at where all of these pieces came from, you'll notice that I'm basically a walking billboard for the mall/ big chain clothing companies. But hey, that's what I can afford and what makes up a lot pf my closet, so here it is.

Philip needed a day of relaxing, so that's exactly what we've been doing. We had coffee and visited at Influx, bought new windshield wipers, and took Patrick out for a walk. That's it. We don't give ourselves many days like this, so we're being very intentional about doing practically nothing (and not feeling bad about it).

I added a about 5 new book lamps to the website this week (I'm currently working on putting them in our Etsy shop as well.) We want to keep adding more so that we can offer a larger variety. If you're looking for something specific, keep in mind that we always do custom requests (and a lot of them).

chic.ed // 1

I decided to start this new series for the blog. The whole idea behind chic.ed is thrifty shopping, smart repurposing, and practical redesign. This means I'll be sharing a lot of different things like DIYs, up-cycled pieces, furniture makeovers, repurposed objects, and smart purchases (including thrifted/ second hand items).

These two pieces were definitely smart purchases. I found myself wandering around Hillcrest yesterday while my car was being worked on. I decided to go into Buffalo Exchange. I went in with a good mindset and a game plan: be practical about what I look for and stay within the budget of my gift card. What's practical for me? Look for pieces that I've been wanting for a long time, if possible, stick to good brands I know and love, and make sure that whatever I find will go with a few other things that I already own.

Confession: I unintentionally went outside my gift card budget. I thought I had $40 on my card, but apparently had less than that. I was very surprised when they rang me up, but just paid the difference. Next time I'll check my balance before they ring me up.

top: $8.25

skirt: $11

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total: $19.25

This skirt is originally from H&M and I remember it costing somewhere around $20. It's actually one that I had been wanting for a long time right around Christmas and New Year's. Anytime I was in H&M (which was a lot because I was Christmas shopping) I always looked for it in my size. I never found one, so I just forgot about it. When I saw this yesterday, I snatched it off the rack and was so excited when I discovered it was the right size. What are the odds?!

Although it was the right size, it was still a little too loose. The first thing I did when I got home was take in the waist a little. If I didn't do it then, who knows how long it would have taken me to actually get to it. Because I did it right away, I actually got to wear it last night when we went out to drinks.

I love everything about this sweater: the neutral color, the metallic accents, and those shoulders. How could I say no to those? When I saw that it was $16.50, I wasn't sure if I could bring it home. I know that's not a lot, but there is a noticeable hole right in the center of it near the botom. (Make sure to always inspect clothing  for damages when thrifting or buying second hand. You don't want to be surprised when you discover it at home and it's something you can't fix) Normally, I would never buy something that was damaged like this one was (the hole was in a spot that wasn't fixable), but I really really loved this top. I knew that I would most likely only wear it tucked into a high waisted skirt. I have a lot of those, so I just needed to know what kind of discount I could get for it being damaged. They said they would sell it to me for 50% off. Sold!

Buffalo Exchange is my go to spot when I'm in a shopping mood, but my wallet isn't. Where do you like to shop?  Do you like buying second hand or new?

inspired by // two toned

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I've been really inspired by anything two toned lately. It's bold, yet simple. Also, I have been sketching new ideas lamps, chandeliers, and pendants everyday. I can't wait to sit down with Philip and see which ones are going to work. Hopefully we can start working on all of that once we move in.

Have a happy Friday!

anyone else?

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San Diego winters are confusing (I'm actually not convinced that winter is real). We had a lot of sunny Christmas days and the same has been true for January. It normally gets a little colder during February, but with all of this sunny weather, I don't know how I feel about that.  I'm already dreaming about the smell of jasmine, fresh raspberries, and days spent poolside with friends and mimosas. Am I allowed to be craving this when I haven't experienced much winter this year? I'm going to go with yes.

style crush // the kooples

Watch each couples' video:

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I love all of these looks found on The Kooples. I think #2 is my favorite.

christmas wish list.

Here's a few things that I would love to get for Christmas this year. (But let's face it, I'm not getting a watch that costs $200.) This is one of those outfits that I would wear everyday.

top.
beanie.
leggings.
watch.
shoes.
bag.
necklace.

hello, gorgeous!

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How stunning are these dresses?! They're from Oscar de la Renta's RTW for spring 2012.

late night inspiration.

source.

We had a wonderful day of much needed rest and now we're working the night away. We got to visit Tumbleweed's Odd Shop tonight for it's grand opening! It looks amazing and we're so excited for Beca, Doug, and Shawn.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend ♥

summer loves.

Fall is approaching! I'm very excited about it. I love the shnuggly weather, hot drinks, spiced flavors, and sweaters. However, I am a little sad to see summer go. I'm hoping that we may be able to make a trip to Palm Springs work sometime soon. (Probably not, but it's fun to dream). Here's some trends that I absolutely loved this summer:

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The good news: Just because summertime is leaving us, doesn't mean that all of these things are too. What were your favorite trends this summer? (I practically lived in cut offs)

PS- Fall inspired post coming soon!

macha has stolen my heart.

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I can't get enough of this jewelry. Everything Macha makes is just to die for! If I didn't already have a wedding ring, I would seriously consider anything from the Rockwell line. It's such a great twist on the traditional wedding rings. Bernice Kelly is a genius!

gorgeous.

source.

I absolutely love this peach and mustard combo, not to mention the gorgeous silhouette. I've been noticing my love for long and flowy maxi skirts and dresses. Something about them seems so elegant to me. What trends are you loving lately?

what i wore // working at home

Yesterday I woke up really early (like 5:30 early), dropped Philip off at the beach, took Patrick on a walk, ran errands, and did a lot of working from home. I was pretty tired all day and just wanted to be comfy. This is what I wore.

top: hand-me-down from my sister

leggings: Forever21

necklace: Meghan's Fringe Necklace from my shop

oxfords: Target

Remember the other day when I said we don't have money to shop? Well, funny thing- I bought these flats yesterday. I've been wanting a pair of oxfords for a long time now (a very long time). I missed the train when Target was selling them the first time around and all of the other pairs I've found since then are too expensive. Yesterday I was wandering around Target and guess what they had back on their shelves? Yep, these little beauties. Philip knew how long I've wanted these shoes. I was very grateful when he said I could get them ♥

what i wore confessions.

I'm not a huge fan of doing these "what I wore" posts. I have a lifetime of reasons and insecurities to explain why (as I'm sure most women do), but I'll save that for another post. Personally, I enjoy reading outfit posts from other bloggers that I can relate to and hope that mine can be as well. Philip and I don't have money to just shop whenever we want and when we do, it's usually at Forever 21, Target,Buffalo Exchange or various thrift stores. Besides that blue dress I bought a few weekends back, I think the last time that I bought clothing was when I worked for Starbucks. Even then, it was usually one item every now and then with my tip money from the week before. For a while, I wasn't really happy with my closet and just wanted to start a new one. That is a completely unrealistic idea, so I decided to just be more creative with what I do own. Hopefully posting these pictures more often will inspire me to stick with that decision to not complain about my closet.

What I Wore.

I bought a new dress yesterday! This doesn't happen as often as it used to (shopping). That's what happens when you go down to one income (well, one consistent paycheck). It's totally worth it, but shopping was definitely the first thing to go. I can't remember the last time that I bought a dress.

Philip and I went to Influx for coffee (it's my all time favorite). On the way home we stopped by Buffalo Exchange to look for a few pieces for a photo shoot that we're helping out with (I'm so excited about this!) When I was looking, I found this dress and couldn't leave it there on the rack. I tried it on, it fit perfectly, and had pockets. I was sold (and so was Philip once he saw it on me) ;)

Today we're organizing the house, drinking coffee, working on some neglected projects, and I have more posts planned for later. Hope you are enjoying this lovely Sunday.

pinterest picks: ombre + dip-dyed

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All from my Pinterest boards: fashion.able // purty hairs // color inspired // i might make it

I'm really loving the ombre and dip-dyed style that I'm seeing in so many things from hair styles to interior design. It's so pretty.

We went to Albuquerque, NM this weekend with Philip's family for his grandpa's 90th birthday celebration. It was great to meet him and some other family that I had never met before. [Of course we took lots of pictures, but we're still without that CF card reader so I have no way of sharing them yet.] I was really glad to go visit a new place, but honestly, I have a hard time appreciating the dessert. I think I've learned to look at it and see how neat some of it is, but I need to see green! My surroundings take a strong toll on my mood. I get really depressed when all I can see is brown for miles and miles. It was good to visit a new place, but I was so happy when we were flying into San Diego. Being at sea level (no more bloody noses), feeling the ocean breeze, and seeing trees make me happy :)

colors inspired by: Kelli Murray

Today's collection was inspired by the lovely Kelli Murray. Kelli is a local artist here in San Diego. I love reading her blog and looking through so many inspiring post and photos. Hop on over there and visit! You'll find her lovely illustrations, her gorgeous outfit posts, and many other inspiring things. Also, new to the list: pics of her baby bump and cute baby girl clothes [Yay! Congratulations, Kelli and Sam!].

If you'd like the chance to win A LOT of Kelli's work, enter her giveaway [It's a big one]! Or if you just can't wait, visit her Etsy shop and buy something pretty :)

My Heart Carries Me Through by Kelli Murray.

1. Whistles Siri Pleat & Lace Dress - Asos

2. Large shoulder bag - Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent (via shopbop)

3. Sunderland Suede Wedge Booties - Rag + Bone (via shopbop)

4. Ring- Dawes Design

Any weekend plans? We are having another busy one. Yesterday we decided to make Sundays 'family days' for just us. We love seeing our family and friends every weekend but we haven't been home to just relax together and be at our house in our neighborhood. In fact, we've been not doing that every weekend for almost three months straight. But it's up to us to say no to certain things and figure out what are our priorities [and that we just can't do everything].

On a side note, guess what today is.. My sister, her husband, and my niece fly in today from Germany! YAY!!! I'm so excited to see them!! I'll be having lots of baby time this weekend, hope you enjoy yours too :)

colors inspired by:

Photo from one of Savanna's Thread posts

1. Gemstone and Layered Brass Necklace. The Vamoose

2.Dara Ettinger Melanie Petrified Wood Ring. Urban Outfitters

3. Wanted Crochet Oxford. Urban Outfitters

4. J.F Mimilla Frost and Chain Necklace. Worthwhile

5. Hobo Sadie Wallet. Libby Story

6. Celadon Ceramics Dress. Mod Cloth

Ruche Spring Lookbook

I absolutely LOVE Ruche's spring lookbook! I like that the spring part is in the clothes and photography (not the palce where it was shot). It's beautiful, just see for yourself.