month in photos: october

October was one wild ride.

6 happy hours.

4 Wildcat wins.

2 bachelorette parties.

2 surprise birthday parties.

1 nasty cold.

1 bucket list item completed.

0 cute pictures with Blue Eyes.

countless prayers said for the victims of Sandy.

just a bunch of slobs at Liz's bachelorette party in St. Louis

be prepared to see many more pics of Tiff and I in January as we head off to Mexico for destination wedding #2.

pretty pink Kansas City sky. 

impomptu DIY project with leftover Kate Spade packaging.

number 2, baby.

my 2013 planner arrived, compliments of Letter C design.

OliveBox.

Lately I've found myself drawn to pinning pretty letterpress cards, searching Etsy for creative art prints for my current bedroom renovation, and following some wonderfully inspiring blogs. Do you know what all these have in common? 

Paper!

I have always loved sending (and receiving, obvi) snail mail. And I've already talked about my affinity for paper planners. I feel like now more than ever, there are some amazing options in the paper goods department. 

So this leads me to the subject of this post: Have you heard about OliveBox yet? It's a monthly subscription service (similar to the way popular box) that is specifically tailored to paper lovers. 

Who likes paper? Meeeee. It's a tiny baby of a company that just launched September 17th, but looking at their October box, I'm thinking it's going to be around for the long run. 

olivebox october edition

*Images can be found on OliveBox website. This is not a sponsored post.

month in photos: september

Last night I had a crazy realistic dream. One of those that when you wake up, you have no clue where you are for a few minutes. I was in Danielle Moss's chic Chicago apartment, just hanging out like we're friends in real life. She was giving me advice and kindly letting me read her collection of motivational books while lounging in her living room. (Must've been a stress-induced dream after yesterday's post.) Know how I figured out this was a dream? I was reading 350+ page books in one sitting. Oh and I was in Chicago hanging out with my blogger crush. Don't know who Danielle Moss is? Check out her blog, and her amazing website, the EveryGirl.

Now on to a topic that makes me sound a little less creepy than dreaming about self-help books and successful bloggers, here is the month of September, courtesy of my iPhone. 

my favorite coffee mug and essie power clutch polish // sand sculpting for work philanthropy

Paper Source is my happy place // nearly completed art project (more on that to come)

best card ever // j. crew pencil skirt with new oxblood flats from ShoeMint

September = K-State football season around here.
Blue Eyes & I at the Miami game // stadium renovations are under way
Wildcats boots // tailgating with our twin couple
K-S-U in Wyoming with my bro and same-dress-wearer mom the day K-State beat OU// EMAW!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful September, and have a lovely weekend. I am off to STL with my besties to celebrate a beautiful bride-to-be! 

it's planner time

Yesterday I received my second save the date of the 2013 wedding season. For now, this only means one thing - it's time to start looking for next year's planner. The Type A personality is out in full force today you guys.

Most planner owners struggle with the same general issue when it comes to picking their paper BFF for the year:  finding the one with the perfect mix of functionality, space, size, and aesthetic. Don't worry, I've done a lot of the hard work for you this time around. Here are some of my favorite planners I have found for 2013...

This planner from Etsy shop Letter C design includes touches of whimsy, simple and convenient weekly & monthly layouts, and six {really} cute cover designs to choose from. 

This self-proclaimed multi-tasker planner is from See Jane Work. It includes pages with lines & check boxes, graph paper (side note: did anyone else love using graph paper notebooks for all their high school courses?), and weekly appointment pages. 

It's personalized, chevron, ombre, AND you get to choose a layout option. Not to mention there's a back pocket (third image) for stashing important stuff. I always have random bills and photos sticking out of my planner - a pocket is the perfect solution. Coming to you from Etsy shop plum paper.

Here's another pretty chevron option with large spaces for each day. I love the "diary style" ribbon to keep your place. This Breast Cancer Awareness planner can be found at Blue Sky. This layout is similar to my current planner from Paper Source which I've been very happy with.

The owls were what first got me to click on this planner, but the inside is just as intriguing. Part planner, part journal, and you can start using it at any time since the dates are filled in by you. From yet another Etsy shop, Notbook Notbuk. Isn't Etsy the best?

For the minimalists, a way cute monthly version of the planner above from Letter C design. I'm thinking this would be perfect for a blog editorial calendar. Not that I have one of those, but maybe by 2013 I'll be ready for one. PS: doesn't Letter C design do an amazing job styling her planners? I feel like if I buy it my desk that I don't have and my life would be so clean and organized. SOLD. 

How do you stay on top of your busy schedule? Are you a hard copy person like me or have you moved on to a fully digital calendar? If you are a planner person, I'd love to hear which ones you've used.

//Image credits in text.//