Evolution of a Wedding Dress

I'm forever grateful not to be planning my own wedding anymore, but I never tire of building weddings in my head. I never found The One, in terms of my wedding dress, though I had been dreaming of wedding dresses since I was quite young. My fourth anniversary with Jonas is coming right up, so I thought I'd do a little wedding-themed post and chose to look back on some of my dream dresses from various periods in my life. You'll find a lot of links sprinkled throughout that you can follow to see second-tier favorites or dresses that inspired me along the way.

The first dress I fell in love with was from Reem Acra's Spring 2006 collection. They even made a Barbie with this dress! I have the oldschool paper-copy ad saved and everything! The only detail I'm not crazy about (then or now) is those swirls on the front of the skirt.



I didn't start really looking at dresses again until I was engaged, and I settled on this dress by the Spanish design house Pronovias (2011). This dress went perfectly with the wedding theme I was planning for my real wedding, but the whole thing became too stressful and I called off the wedding (not the marriage). I decided I just wanted to go to the courthouse instead, but as it happens, our county courthouse in Santa Barbara is incredibly beautiful and my mom talked me back in to having a very small wedding. The only available size left in the US was a 14, and it was in New York, so that wasn't very practical.

I never found anything I liked in Bridal shops (I'm a professional pain in the butt), so I decided to build my own dress through a service in China. To keep cost and confusion down, I chose something really simple. I wanted to wear pants or something colorful that would show my personality or at least show off my legs (just being truthful...) but that was a little too wild for some of my immediate family (and fiance), so I decided on a sheer-skirted dress, which was very fashion forward at the beginning of 2012. ;) The image I worked off of was this 1999 Vogue editorial - the dress is Chanel.

The whole dress cost me $180 (including international shipping) plus about $50 in alterations.  It still didn't fit in the bodice after alterations and it was almost impossible to sit down in. I actually requested that the netting have swiss dots, but that wasn't an available fabric. I also changed the neckline to make it less 90s. I wish I'd splurged a bit on the quality of the dress and got some beading  or something other than mosquito netting. I loved the look of my cape-train, but again, it was the absolute cheapest sari I could find. Here's me in my custom wedding dress.

If I had to pick today, I might wear this ensemble, by Amsale (I love every dress in this spread, a true rarity!). I'm going to call 2016 as the year that Bridal HATS make a comeback. So Bianca Jagger, amiright?!

But more practically, I would wear vintage (one of a kind and generally cheaper!). I think Shop Gossamer has incredible dresses, including ones you can rent. Edwardian (1910s), 60s and 70s are my favorite vintage eras. I think I would strongly consider a dress with floral elements as well.

You can see all the bridal looks that I'm fond of on my Pinterest board Best Dressed Bride.

I'm not as attached to my wedding dress as I used to be - and I wasn't all that attached to begin with - but I still have it and I wonder about whether I should upcycle it or try and alter it again so that it will fit my post-baby hips. It would make a fun outfit for a special anniversary!

What kind of dress did you wear? Would you wear something different if you had to choose again? Where is your wedding dress now?

Photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 5

Instagrammies 12/15

I'm stunned that it was FEBRUARY last time I did an IG account roundup! Since opening my IG shop @retroriot/@retroriotreads in January, I guess I've spent most of my time on there, missing out on my "pretty" feed. But I still follow lots of amazing accounts as I come upon them! Here are some recent-ish favorites. You can find previous roundups under the tag "Best In Show" in the sidebar to the right.

1. ShopGossamer. I found this account as I dove into the world of vintage on IG, but I think the eye candy here will appeal to many. Had I known about this shop 5 years ago, I probably would have bought my wedding dress here.



2. OurOpenRoad chronicles the travels of a family with two little girls, who live in their van and trek all around South America. A different life style for sure, but pretty neat!



3. I follow a lot of florists, and VictoryBlooms' dreamy close ups are some of my favorites.



4. Anna.Rastorgueva does fun copic marker drawings in her art journal. Jonas uses copic markers, so I enjoy seeing all the ways that other artists utilize them.



5. I can't get TylerThrasherArt out of my head. It's so incredible, and I'm determined to acquire one of his creations someday. He grows crystals on skulls and creatures, and the result is mesmerizing.



6. Dream house alert under #thisantiguahouse (@luna_zorro)! Her whole feed is a tropical paradise wonderland. Seriously, I'm dying over her house in every way.



7. Katherine_Sabbath's personal style is on point, and her confections literally make me tear up a little bit. And I know how to use the word "literally".



8. I like some of OanaBefort's pieces more than others, but her floral alphabet is gorgeous.



9. WrightKitchen is an account where I can't possibly choose one favorite photo. I gawk over every single one. What is it about rainbow produce that is so alluring?



10. Desserted_in_Paris. I love a clever name, a good theme, and a better-than-usual take on the "places my feet go" trend. Also, NOM NOM NOM. Here was my runner up photo.



What Instagram feeds have blown you away recently? 

My 5 Best Weeknight Meals

Have you ever seen those diagrams where you can only choose two between: cheap, fast, and well-made? It may be generally true of design, but I challenge that idea when it comes to cooking. I haven't been cooking nearly as adventurously as I used to because children are usually clawing at me around dinner time, but I hope to get back to fancy and time consuming cooking some day. In the mean time, I have a trusted arsenal of quick, cheap, delicious meals and I thought I would share 5 of them with you today.

In addition, these are one pot meals, made mostly from scratch. Cause that's how I rollllll...
I don't say that to shame anyone for not cooking from scratch, but truly, it's easier than you might think. Half the battle for me, especially when it's 4:45 and I realize I have no dinner plan, is figuring out what to make! I fall back on this kind of recipe time and time again.

1. Spicy Pork and Mustard Green Soup

Soups are a no-brainer for fulfilling the cheap-quick-yummy trifecta. Well, most soups are. This one is perfect, and it hits 3 major foodgroups in one pot, too!

2. Ssam Burritos

Serve this Korean-burrito hybrid to your hipster friends and it will blow their minds. Super simple fusion at its best. I buy already cooked pulled pork from Costco (because it's no cheaper or better tasting to do it yourself, at least with my level of experience cooking meat) and I use sriracha instead of pulverized kimchi because I prefer it (Jonas loves kimchi, though, and you can find it at most Asian food markets). For the fried garlic, I buy it pre-made from Asian groceries, but it's quite easy to make at home, too.

3. 1870s Mac N Cheese

I love this recipe because the cheese sauce is fluid instead of tacky, which is my main complaint with most home made mac n cheeses. Also, it's from 1870, duh! In order to keep this affordable, I just use whatever kinds of cheese I have on hand. Make sure you keep stirring the sauce until there are no cheese strings coming up when you pull the spoon out - that means everything is truly melted and makes for the smoothest sauce. Sometimes I grill chicken (season with Lowry's or however you like) and cut it up and put it on top of these noodles.

4. Thai Curry with Rice

You can find tubs of curry paste at most Asian markets. I always use the Mae Ploy brand, but more out of habit than anything else. I AM picky about which kind of coconut milk to use - Chaokoh is the best. The recipe for curry is right on the back of the tub. It measure ingredients in grams, but I just add in what looks like the right amount of veggies and meat, or whatever I happen to have. I also eyeball the amount of paste I put in - the more paste you use, the spicier your curry will be.

5. Baked Paremesan Tilapia

Tilapia is not the most glamorous of fishes, but it is cheap and you can make this recipe with frozen tilapia, which is especially cheap. Having a fillet of any kind of fish feels fancy to me, because I'm poor like that. I usually serve this over Rice R Roni because I didn't get to have Rice R Roni very much growing up and I'm still obsessing over it as an adult. This recipe also utilizes the broiler, which is a very undervalued part of the oven, if I may say so myself. I'm quite fond of it.

Two other general tricks I use to get dinner on the table quickly (or when my mother guilts me into a more "well rounded" meal - I'm really, really into one-pot meals) are rice cookers and microwave steaming. I don't want to see you buying any of that pre-cooked frozen Trader Joe's rice BS or trying to boil rice. No, no, no, no. First of all, TJ's IS charging you for the task of having already cooked the rice, and secondly, perfectly cooked rice could not be simpler to make yourself. What you need is a rice cooker. You can buy one for $17 at Target, or you can often find them at the thrift store. It will come with instructions if you get it from Target (as well as measurement lines right on the pot), but I'm basically a pro by now, and I can use my fingers to measure the right amount of water for the consistency of rice that I prefer.

As for steaming veggies in the microwave, it takes all of 3 minutes and it's really difficult to mess up. When I cook vegetables on the stove, I often end up under-cooking them because I'm so afraid to overcook them. I add butter and salt  to the steamed veggies and, viola! Plus, you can start with fresh vegetables, so you end up with a pretty healthy side (leave off the butter if you must). I love the Pampered Chef's microwave steamer, but you can put plastic wrap over a glass bowl, too.

What are you weeknight-dinner tricks and your favorite quick recipes? I'd love to know! 

Instagrammies 02/15

Welcome to round two of the Instagrammies (good timing, amiright?!), in which I share a few of my favorite accounts that I follow on my personal IG @weird_eyes. Did you follow any of the accounts from my first set? Which were your favorites?

1. DapperLou. It's funny - I was going to share this as "my favorite style account", but as I looked through the feed as a whole, there aren't as many style posts as I expected! Either way, the photography is great and the vibe is spot on. I love it.

2. BambooYang. I originally found this guy under #copicmarkers when I was posting some of Jonas' work before Jonas had his own account. His copic marker skills are out of this world, but he's also a talented tagger, though most of his work looks commissioned. It doesn't hurt that he posts pictures of the food in Taiwan (?) where he's from (?) and lives. Most of his captions are in Mandarin, and I'm bummed I can't read them, so I'm piecing together what I "know" about him. He has some buddies who he works with (as far as I can tell) and they seem to have a lot of fun goofing off/working together.

3. JenGotch. I'm crazy about this gals' cynical-glitter lifestyle. By that I mean the feed is full of pink hair, glitter pills, amazing donuts, neon "girls girls girls" signs, foster kittens (eeeee!) and disco-ball filled bathtubs (Jen runs a business of girls' accessories called Ban.do), but she has a hilarious, self-deprecating sense of humor which make for some of the very best captions in my feed. She makes being in your 40s look way better than your 20s.

4. NatGeo. Sometimes IG accounts for household names like National Geographic are impersonal and clearly just for PR, but every one of the photos on this account (and they post a LOT) is fascinating, not to mention absolutely top-notch, visually. Duh. Doesn't this baby and baby joey just make your eyes bug out from the cuteness?

5. EmilyBlincoe. I'm a sucker for well organized, color coded things, and the subject matter for Blincoe's photos found object collages (pickles, mexican candy!) are right up my alley. Hearts for eyes.

6. SliceOfPai. Even if I love an account, sometimes I have to search through a lot of shots to find my favorite or a particularly strong one to share here. Not so with this account - ANY image could be plucked from her stream and win an award. Eye candy to the max. I always like a clever play on words, so her handle just tickles me every time I see it. This account is a combination of incredible food and travel photos, mostly with moody and rich colors, my favorite! I seriously want to show you every photo on this account, so just go follow it already.

7. TeenBug. This account features a really cute baby, but really, it's all about the captions. Every one just makes me nod my head for a long time. Here's an example (though it doesn't go with the photo I chose):

TEARS BECAUSE... My baby boy is turning 5 weeks old tomorrow and his newborn onesies don't fit him anymore.. Tears because said baby "could-not-would-not" fall asleep. Tears because I feel like I'm getting worse at this motherhood gig. Tears because I'm definitely worse at this wifedom gig. Tears because my super-gifted Xmen baby lifted his head up during tummy time today. I MEAN. Really. Lifted. It. Up. (Watch out Harvard.) Tears because I miss the little things like driving, drinking a hot beverage and chillin' in a dry bra. Tears because I caught husband dancing to John Mayer rocking our babe to sleep. FOR THE LOVE. Tears because I don't feel like myself anymore. More tears because I couldn't tell who I was before or who I want to be in the future. Tears because I should be sleeping instead of writing this. Tears because deep-deep down, I know I'm the luckiest girl in the world. TEARS BECAUSE. Just because. xoxo #welp

8. NYPL (New York Public Library). Librarians are my heroes. F'realz. NYPL has several great series, like old questions people asked of librarians before the internet, and using book covers to alter real faces (go see for yourself what I mean). I'm pretty new to following this account, but they seem very engaged with their audience, which is fun.

9. PaleyPhoto. This is a photographer I found via they Nat Geo account (they're great about tagging individual photographers!), and he caught my attention because he has a lot of images of people who live in the Pamir mountain range, which is where I grew up. His photos are of those living on the Afghanistan side, and we were on the China side. This little girl looks so lovely to me, though her cold-chapped cheeks break my heart!

10. WeNeverMet. If you like Humans of New York, you might like this account! It's all photos of strangers backs, captioned with made up details about them. Charming, and often funny and/or poignant. This guy's caption wasn't particularly great, but I'm obsessed with his sweatshirt.

That's all for this installment! Which is your favorite? Who have you been following lately that is worth sharing about? 

Etsy Gift Guide

Too early for Christmas trees? Um, yeah. But not too early to start strategizing about gift giving! This year, I thought I'd share some of my favorite Etsy stores to inspire your holiday shopping, and in true Karissa-fashion, nothing over $50. People love handmade gifts, right? I'm giving them my best effort yet, this year. I'll probably write more about that in another post if my projects go well.

Marbled stuff is a bit of a fad right now, but it is awfully pretty. The shop Natalie As Is has some beautiful marbled stuff available, such as these ribbons. Perfect for the decorator or hostess with the mostess in your life (she'll use it to tie gifts or make a photobooth background, for starters). Five ribbon patterns for $15.

Tea towels ($10-16) from Girls Can Tell are perfectly unisex. They will add personality tucked in to the apron of any friend who loves to spend time in the kitchen.

I don't know very many people who would actually use these, but edible decorations from Andie's Specialty Treats are truly incredible. They could be a perfect gift for a bride who may not want to drop $50 extra dollars decorating her own cake. I think the ferns are my favorite, though they break my gift guide price rule. 50 buttons for $42.50.

I've loved these rock poems from Cori Kindred for ages! I never buy one though, because I know I could make one for myself that would be completely customized to my tastes. I love her idea of using a stone and a word to convey a feeling - how easy to DIY for a friend and make them feel so loved that you put thought in to who they really are. They're about $25 if you don't want to make your own.

Let's not forget something for your cool college-age brothers from Deck Stool! $30 for a wall hook made from an old skateboard.

Another genius gift for guys, $35 for a set of custom grilling rubs from Purpose Design.

For the modernist in your life, consider this lovely decorative bowl (only $15!) from Etco.

Bertie's Closet has a bunch of fun cases for electronics, a great gift for the students in your life. I really like this city-apartment fabric.

If you know anyone with little kids, I guarantee you they will love a fancy tote from Love Joy Create to store their kid's toys in so everything looks a little less hit-by-a-tornado. That's worth $34, right? (Or get them for like $10 at TJ Maxx, just sayin'). Another gift for kiddos that I really like is these custom sheet sets!

And finally, if you like to give a Christmas ornament every year, here are two beautiful options. One from One Clay Bead (they have some other fabulous items as well) and one from Yevginia (another favorite shop).

Do you have a gift buying strategy this year? Share with me your favorite Etsy shops, too! 

Brand Matters

After a somewhat trying evening of raising my tiny mammals - one tearing around the house dancing on every possible surface, the other crying inconsolably unless you hold him on your knee and look him directly in the face AT ALL TIMES - I was looking forward to getting on to my laptop to veg out, accompanied by some microwaved popcorn. I'm that classy. 

I certainly didn't grow up with microwave popcorn, but my husband recently introduced me to it, and it's kind of delicious. We quickly ate all the bags he'd bought, so I bought another box when I went grocery shopping, but got the store brand instead of the nicer brand because - duh - it's cheaper. And it's not like microwave popcorn is some gourmet treat that requires expert crafting. Or so I thought... 

The off brand microwave popcorn I bought is SO salty that the corners of my mouth hurt after having eaten the whole bag (I couldn't let it go to waste....). It doesn't have that little bit of sweetness that the nicer brand has, which makes all the difference. Anyway, lesson learned - brand matters when it comes to microwave popcorn! Most of the time, I head straight for the cheapest version of what I need, but there a few things that I get picky about. Here's my list! 

Handwashing soap - I'm not the biggest fan of Bath and Body Works in general, but I must have their foaming hand soaps in my bathroom. I love the way the scent really lingers on your hand, and the foam soaps last so much longer than regular liquid soap, and don't get slimy like bar soap. They're cheap too! B&BW has a sale about every other day, and you can usually snap a bottle of soap for $3, which lasts almost a year in our house (I'm the only one who uses soap, apparently). 

Shampoo and Conditioner - I never used to believe all those commercials about what such-and-such a product did for your hair or how some women swear by one particular brand. But at some point, I switched from Herbal Essence shampoos to Pantene, the ones that come in enormous pump bottles from Costco. I really like the smell and my hair was noticeably silkier after using it. Bonus points that my husband likes it too, so we can share our hair product and keep the bath less cluttered. 

Yogurt - I am very picky about my yogurt. I don't like it lumpy, I don't like it watery, I don't like it tart. What I do like is Yoplait - it's irresistibly smooth and sweet. I also love the brand El Mexicano, which is a line of drinkable yogurts. Those are the only two I will eat, unless it's plain yogurt for cooking with, in which case I go with the cheapest option. 

Diapers - Those Luvs commercials are kind of funny, but they also make me a little bit mad because I think Luvs is the worst brand I have ever used. I can't remember what I didn't like about them, I've blocked it from memory. Instead, I use Parent's Choice from Walmart, which are the cheapest available diapers that I know of, but they happen to be better than Luvs, in my opinion. I did notice that a box of Target diapers I got as a gift worked better than Parent's Choice, but in general, I'm perfectly happy with Parent's Choice. 

Gum - This is a matter of preference, but my favorite gum is Eclipse Polar Ice. I love the icy spicyness of it. It makes your mouth feel truly cold for a bit. (and pink grapefruit tic tacs, none can compare!)

Sippy Cups - Most of them are bogus, and leak everywhere. But not these ones. I'm indebted to their inventor forever.

Toothpaste - Again, matter of taste, but I finally found one I really like, and Jonas likes it too, so it's here to stay. Crest Regular Paste, opaque light blue paste with some sort of minty flavor. It may mean I'm becoming set in my ways, but you know you're making it when you settle on the perfect toothpaste in life.  

Mascara - I imagine there's something fancier and nicer than what I use, but for now, I always get Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies in blackest black, not waterproof. The waterproof works well, but a little too well for someone who doesn't take their make up off other than by showering (so then I end up with constantly stiff eyelashes that tend to break off more when I rub my eyes). A new bottle can go on a bit wet, so I try not to sneeze or blink too much, but it soon thickens to a nice consistency to apply, and it makes a noticeable difference on my eyelashes. 

Liquid Eyeliner - Kat Von D's Ink Liner (black) all the way! You ladies know there are a million ways to do a cat eye, and none of them are easy (for me, at least). I like this brand because it is liquid, which gives the line a sharper look, but the tip is a very firm brush (not felt and not an easily flexable brush). My one complaint is that if you make a mistake and try and go back over the line once it has dried, the new coat will remove the first layer and you have to start all over. It also needs to be reapplied every few hours, though I am not one to avoid touching my eyes when I have make-up on. 

Cake Mix - Most of them are decent, but Duncan Heinz (especially the Devil's Food Cake) can't be beat. I don't know why, because it's been too long since I tried any other brand. However, I do know that DH mixes are dairy free, which is doubly awesome if you have to be off lactose when you're nursing or for some other reason. 

Dishwasher soap and toilet paper - I don't have a favorite brand for either item, but I steer clear of the cheapest option; you may as well hand wash all your dishes and wipe your bum with tissue paper. 

Perfume - I don't know if it's the actual quality of Escada, or just the way it chemically reacts with my skin, but most of their perfumes stick to me and remain fragrant (and revitalized when exposed to heat) significantly longer than any other perfume I've ever used. You know what I'm talking about if you've found your signature scent. 

Swaddling blankets - You can not beat the softness, flexibility, and size of Aiden and Anais blankets. They're almost a cheesecloth fabric, which makes them breath well and double as nursing cover ups and car seat drapes. They're finally coming out with cuter patterns too. 

As I get older, I end up with more opportunities to try truly nice things, even if they're hand me downs. Sometimes it's truly amazing to see how much better the best quality products are, especially when it comes to clothing, shoes, and make-up (thus far in my experience). I can't afford to buy the best of everything right now, nor is it a priority of mine to save up for them at this point, but I now know that if I someday have the means to buy great quality products, there are some things that really are worth what you pay for them. 

What products do you buy a very specific brand of, and why? 

And P.S., the better brand of microwave popcorn is Act II, in case you were wondering. 

Instagrammys 5/18

I'm reaching that precarious point where I'm about to be following more people on Instagram than are following me. RUH-ROH! But it's okay, my ego can take it, for a little while... but since you're here, you should probably go ahead and follow me too. Trust me, my TBTs are pretty impressive.

I've rounded up some of my favorite Instagram peeps that I follow to share with you guys because I think you'll love them too, and I never get tired of beautiful and inspirational images filling up my feed. Who do you follow that is consistently inspiring, both personal friends and professionals?

Here are 10 of my favorite Instagrammers, with blurbs on why I love them so much. The links on the photos are live, in case you want to explore their feeds further.

1. Justina Blakeney is hands down my favorite instragrammer. She is an interior designer and photographer, but her feed is full of so many wonderful, colorful, boho things besides interiors and sneak peaks at her forthcoming book. Her #bloomsonblack and #facethefoliage series of incredible plants and flowers are favorites of mine, and photos of her sweet daughter Ida (not too much older than Ishmael) will knock you out too. I love her cheerfulness, her spin on LA life, and her fabulous selfies.

2. Alex Strohl travels the world taking jaw-dropping scenes of nature. The British Columbia photos are some of my favorites with the turquoise lakes surrounded by white winter.

3. You probably know by now, I can't shut up about Bon Appetit magazine. Their instagram feed is a sneak peak into what their editors are up to from day to day - what they eat, where they travel, how to cook this or that. They also have great videos illustrating what various cooking terms look like in action and some slo-mo videos of "food porn" for Valentine's day which made me happy/giggly way down deep.


4. Bri Emery of Design Love Fest is proof that blondes have more fun. She describes her work as "where type and images totally make out", which is pretty much perfect. Her instagram is full of her personal style, her work teaching blogging classes, her life around LA, and her frequent travels. Light, airy, fun, whimsical... all good things. I want most of her clothes.


5. Humans of NY is a blog and book as well, but I like getting daily bites in my instagram feed. Each photo is of a person in New York and something they said to the photographer in answer to unknown prompts. The words are sometimes raw and painful, sometimes inspiring, sometimes sweet, sometimes silly, and always worth your time. The caption to the photo below said, "I have a neck injury so I had to tone it down this year."


6. Jamie Beck of Ann Street Studio is a woman who has it all. It's truly hard not to be jealous of her. She and her photo-partner-turned-husband developed a special kind of digital photo that has a particular part that is in motion while the rest remains a still, and it rocketed them to fame and fortune. Jamie's personal style is impeccably classic and chic, she travels all over the world to exotic and dreamy places, frequently photographs celebrities at their parties and on the red carpet, works with some of the world's top fashion designers on the runway and in their studios... the list goes on. I especially adore the videos she and her husband put together to showcase various shows during fashion weeks.


7. Julie's Kitchen is shot after beautiful shot of food, plus incredibly fun food patterns such as the photo below.


8. I mentioned Orient 499 recently as a favorite online retailer I discovered, but their instagram is especially wonderful because it contains photos that you can't find elsewhere. I want just about everything they post.



 9. Poketo is the name of a store in LA run by a husband and wife duo from Korea. I love their colorful and modern wares, as well as all the photos of their life as Asians in LA. I keep a list of the places they talk about so I can visit when I'm in LA myself. I still haven't made it to their brick and mortar store, and I can't wait for when I finally get to go.



10. Tiny PMS Match makes me majorly geek out. I love Pantone swatches, I organize everything by color in my life, and I like tiny stuff. And I completely appreciate brilliant design and creativity in my core. The matches made in these images between found objects and PMS swatches is so spot-on. The photo below is a swatch of my current favorite color, plus I really love fruit gummies. 

Wedding Season Gift Guide

We're about to hit major wedding season, people! I'm going to 4 or 5 in the coming months, I'm starting to loose count. There are worse problems to have, though.

I'm torn about what kind of wedding gifts to give - at our wedding (which was quite small, so not a ton of gifts), I wished that people would get stuff from our registry because I'm very particular when it comes to style choices. On the other hand, with both marriage and babies, sometimes people who are older and wiser know what you really need more than you do! I definitely asked for some kitchen tools and baby paraphernalia that I didn't end up using at all.

In the end, I almost always buy gifts for other people that I picked out, because I generally think I'm smarter than they are. ;) But seriously, aren't hand-picked gifts the BEST, when they're something you love? I think they're more personal, and in the event that your friend doesn't end up liking it, they can always return it, re-gift it, or sell it (which I shamelessly do when I receive gifts I won't use and have no space to store).

Here are some ideas for unique wedding gifts that I wish I'd gotten and/or love to give to my friends. They're mostly food related, because I really love food. And I think everyone else should love food too.

Magazine subscriptions. Bon Appetit (image) is my favorite for newlyweds - it has a great mix of beginner and more difficult recipes, each with interesting twists to take your dinners to the next level. You can't beat the beautiful photography, and at $12 for a year's worth of magazines, it's really hard to beat price wise or in terms of relevance. It keeps on being exciting for a whole year.

Cork holders. Wine is not my thing, therefore saving corks is not something I have to deal with, but some people really enjoy it, and I think these cork display cases are more sophisticated than the others I've seen.

Spice Starter Kit. At one of my bridal showers, guests each brought a spice that began with the first letter of their own name. It helped enormously in getting my spice collection off to a good start, and it wasn't outrageously expensive for any one person when everyone pitched in one bottle. If the bride/groom-to-be in your life isn't fortunate enough to take advantage of a set up like that, you could put together a handful of basic (or exotic, if they already have the basics) spices in a little basket and it would make a wonderful gift that they won't get from anyone else.

Board or Card Games. Another somewhat unconventional gift for newlyweds to help them start a collection that probably don't have yet is boxed games. Plus, giving this gift makes you "those fun people from the wedding", and that's always a good thing. Some of Jonas and my favorites are Bananagrams (image), Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity (or both, to be mixed!), Sorry! (trust me, way more fun with adults), Balderdash, Blokus, Set (card game), and Gang of Four.

Local Food Specialties. Here on the Central Coast, we have oodles of great local wines, but I think local olive oil and vinegar sets are more fun! There's a shop in SLO called We Olive that will make customized gift sets for you, and you can go in and taste the oils and vinegars before buying, too. We really like the basil olive oil and the white peach balsamic.

Pampered Chef Products. Full disclosure, I sell the Pampered Chef (feel free to buy stuff from me ;)), but in all honesty, I think a lot of their products are priceless in a new couple's kitchen. I didn't know much about the Pampered Chef before some friends threw a surprise wedding shower for Jonas and I and helped me pick out some PC basics for our kitchen. It was one of the best gifts we got! Some of my favorites to give at weddings (that are reasonably priced for youngsters such as myself) are the micro cooker (I find myself making veggies much more when I have this on hand!) and the salad dressing maker, which includes dressing recipes right on the side - all you have to do is put in each ingredient up to the fill line that's already on the bottle.

Coffee Table Books. These make every living room look a little more grown up, and there are so many available that you can easily customize your gift based on the bride and groom's interests. We used the Lonely Planet's "The Travel Book" as a guest sign-in at our wedding (photo below), and now we have it as a beautiful keepsake in our home with notes on many pages from guests who've traveled to many countries. We also have Treehouses of the World (we honeymooned in a treehouse), the gorgeous Noma cookbook, and Coffin: The Art of Vampire Hunter D (not as cheesy as it sounds) to name a few favorites.

Restaurant Registry gift cards, or other experience-oriented gifts. I'd never heard of a restaurant registry before reading this blog post, but I would have LOVED to get gift certificates to restaurants Jonas and I had chosen before getting married. This is especially great for couples who live in foodie towns - you'd have to go to Santa Barbara of SLO in our area to get quality date meals, I think. Some of my local favorites are Luna Red (SLO), the Black Cat Bistro (Cambria), Marisol at the Cliffs (Pismo), Blush (SB), and Noodle City (Goleta). For my birthday last summer, my parents gave us vouchers for a walking food tour of SLO which I absolutely loved.

Lastly, I found someone else's list of non run-of-the-mill gift ideas, including Vintage Plates, an Ice Cream Subscription (!!!) and 7 other ideas.

What were some of the best things you got at your own wedding, and what are your go-to (off-registry) gifts when you attend a wedding?

The Liebster Award

My dear old friend and youth leader, Tanya, writes a great blog about her experiences living in China. I'm amazed at how well she understands the language, culture, and food. Most of all, I appreciate her heart for Third Culture Kids - she had a huge impact on me as a teenager, and I'm so excited that she's working on a handbook for people with TCKs in their lives (which I get to contribute to sometimes!). A while back, another blogger awarded her blog the Liebster award, and in turn, she passed it on to mine. 

Liebster is a German word meaning, roughly, “favorite." It can also be translated “sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, lovely, valued, endearing”. The Liebster Award is something that has done the rounds of the blogosphere for several years, and is a way for small blogs to honor one another and introduce their readers to other great small blogs.

Here’s how it works:

My “nomination” came with a list of 11 questions for me to answer.

I am also asked to share 11 random facts about myself.

Next I choose up to 11 other small blogs to bestow a Liebster upon,

and write a list of 11 questions for them to answer as their own Liebster acceptance.

Here are the questions Tanya came up with for her nominees to answer:

What are 5 adjectives that describe you? Honest, Loyal, Intense, Brave, Reckless.

What inspires you to write? Do you have a muse? I don't have a muse. I think my inspirations and reasons for writing are different. My inspiration often comes from finding myself chuckling at an internal retelling of something that happened to me or intense agreement/disagreement with something I recently heard in the news, from a friend, or on a podcast. 

What is your favourite post on your blog? I have no idea. But I do love it when people engage with me after I've put something raw on the line. It's really interesting to me that the oldest post on this blog (almost 6 years ago) is in celebration of Obama's first election. So much in the world has changed since then, and I have changed a lot too. 

What book do you think everyone should read at least once, and why? The original Dracula, by Bram Stoker. I don't think I even realized that was a real thing for the longest time, and then when I finally got a hold of it, I was so impressed and drawn in. Classic literature is the bomb, and I'm Team Forget About Edward any day. 

When it comes to media (TV/movies/music), what is your guilty pleasure? Celine Dion. I rarely put it on, but let's just say I don't turn it off when it comes on on its own. It's partly a nostalgia thing, partly that I really do like her voice. 

If you could snap your fingers and play any musical instrument flawlessly, which instrument would you choose? I'm gonna go with the Chinese Zither. 

If you could snap your fingers and speak any language on earth fluently (and with a native accent), which language would you choose? Arabic. Ideally, some dream-version of Arabic that anyone in the Middle East could understand. 

What is the most amazing place you’ve visited? It's really hard to say. Amazing, beautiful, fun... all of those might describe different places. One that comes to mind though, is the sand lake on the road between Kashgar and Tashkorgan (at the foot of the Himalayas) in the province of Urumqi, China. The water is only about 2 feet deep, so you're not even sure if there's water there unless you're touching it, and it makes this crazy, otherworldly landscape. The picture to the right is from 2005. Isn't it crazy how it looks black and white?What is your “bucket list” of travel destinations? Iceland, Japan, Sweden, Curacao, Vietnam, Cambodia, India. Pretty much everywhere. 
What is something you were told as a child/young person that has continued to encourage you? Somewhere along the way, I was taught that not knowing the answer or asking questions is nothing to be ashamed of. I wonder about stuff all the time, and even if I'm tempted to be embarrassed by my ignorance, I ask with confidence. I benefit enormously from that, almost daily. Thanks, to whoever convinced me of that! 

What is an achievement from your own life that you are particularly proud of? (Even if it’s something that seems small to others). Seeing my son learn things I teach him is constantly astonishing and elating. Most of the time, I don't feel like it has that much to do with any talent of mine, though. 

11 Random facts about me:

1. I've hoarded candy for periods of a year or more ever since I was a child.

2. I have 7 piercings and no tattoos. 

3. I was bitten by a bear cub as a child. 

4. Initially, I did not at all like the ring my husband proposed to me with (but I kept it!).

5. I'm not a great swimmer.

6. Each color of the rainbow (and then some) has been my favorite color at one point. 

7. I once spent a semester of college collecting all the bobby pins I found on campus.

8. I only like pointy toed flats. 

9. One of my greatest fears/dreads is breaking my hands.

10. Covering graffiti as a part of community service is one of my greatest regrets.

11. I wore saggy gangster jeans in high school.

Blogs I nominate:

(all images taken from the blogs below)

Nita -  facinghome.tumblr.com

Nita, her sister Katie, my sister Annelise, and myself spent many a summer together as kids putting on plays for our neighbors, wearing sparkly make-up, watching musicals, pooling our allowance to buy candy, playing cards and hand-clap games in the grass, and writing stories together. Basically, we lived out how every kid should get to grow up. Nita is now a nurse and she writes short memories of her time as a missionary kid and thoughts on adulthood. I love how poignant her writing is and how she makes me get it on a deep level. She opens little windows into her past that are at once both autobiographical and beautiful prose.

Hot Pot Blog - thehotpotblog.com

I think I first found Dani through one of my favorite (and wildly popular) blogs, A Cup of Jo - she told stories of her experiences as an American mom raising kids outside of the U.S. I've since enjoyed following Dani's own blog, and we even follow each other on Instagram now. Although I don't know her personally, I enjoy the familiarity of stories of growing a family in Asia, and her photography is beautiful as well! Dani, her husband, and her two kids are headed to Italy next, and I can't wait to read about and see all their new experiences there. 

Jessica - jessicasharonwebster.wordpress.com

Jessica and I were in long-distance high school together, and I'm proud to say my fellow students in Torrey Academy were/are just smart as can be and are using their lives to make a difference in the world. Jessica is very well read (and that makes for quality writing!), and has put herself through nursing school by being in ROTC, which I am in awe of. My sister Annelise, who studies nursing at the same school was uber impressed when I told her that I had been in school with Jessica. Her reputation proceeds her as an incredibly hard worker, and a kind spirit. I especially appreciate her take on being a woman in the military. I like the way she sees the world, and I know she is bound for great things, so keep your eye on her. 

Abby - twistedrockabilly.blogspot.com

Abby and her whole family have been so awesome and a huge influence in the growth of my own little family. She's the oldest of 6 kids to parents who have mentored, fed, and laughed with Jonas, Ishmael and I since right around the time Jonas and I got married. Abby is a girl with serious style, and she's studying library science, which is THE coolest. I love talking about which celebrity has the most impressive dresses with Abby and her mom, and Abby's blog is all about her niche style.

Kara - karasdomesticlife.blogspot.com

I first met Kara in Hong Kong when I was about 4, I'd guess. For a large part of my growing up years, she was "the really cool older girl". I remember completely coveting her American Girl planner, gawking over her senior photos, and being dreamy eyed about her engagement and wedding. She has always been the picture of grace and class to me, and I love seeing her now as a mom and a very talented party planner/decorator. I still think she is just the coolest! 

Kenna - misspartymom.blogspot.com

Kenna's blog isn't exactly unheard of in our area or in the party world - Kenna herself is hard to miss. Everything about her is full-throttle energy at all times and full of color. She is one of the hardest workers I know and succeeds at everything she puts her hand to, perhaps by sheer will. The first time I met her, she and her husband were leading a college retreat at a lake that Jonas and I attended, and she conscripted me to help her make crafts for her son Cormac's 1st birthday party, which I was quickly fired from due to my sub-par scissor skills. I've always admired her imperfect approach to life and her openness about it (her blog is all about that!). Oh, and she can style a mean party. 

New Questions for my nominees: 

1. What do you most admire in people of your same gender?

2. What is your biggest insecurity about your own writing or blog?

3. What color best describes you?

4. Can you remember the first tape/CD/ you ever bought? What was it?

5. What would you do with $50 of spending money?

6. What is your least favorite smell?

7. What would you describe as a "hidden gem" in the area that you live?

8. What were you known for as a kid?

9. Is there a cancelled TV show you really wish would come back?

10. If you're asked to bring something to a potluck, what's your go-to dish?

11. On what occasion do you lie?