Rather than blab on about the unique props provided by Loot Vintage Rentals the deliciousness of Bake Sale or any of the other beautiful decor and styling…I’ll let you see for yourself!

ADORABLE Swag bag with amazing goodies – including cute tiny bowls from Loot Vintage Rentals and BHLDN.

Thanks to all the talented vendors for sharing your inspiration with Austin! It was such an inspiring event – so many clever ideas and fantastic vendors. I’m pumped for a great year!

With a basket full of corks, I got to work. My first crafty cork idea was coasters – we never seem to have enough coasters, so what could be cuter for a wine glass to rest atop than a cork coaster!?

Next up, I wanted to make a “D” for the house. I had seen a really cute one on Pinterest, and thought I would try my hand at one as well. Although it didn’t turn out nearly as cool as the one Pinterest, I was rather proud at my first attempt to cut corks in half and space them out to form a larger object.

Finally, was my idea to make a large cork heart! For this project, I wanted it to be a bit more artistic, so I cut corks in diagonals and various other oblong shapes. These little strips were used to cover “holes” in the design, and to give an additional layer atop other corks.

I am so pleased with the way this design turned out!

Sadly, most of our corks are gone now. I guess it’s time to start popping open a bottle or two more often…all in the name of art.

Cheers!

In honor of their marriage, we’re offering 15% off on all purchases made on the Maihar Design Etsy Shop through January 31, 2011. Simply enter MCKINLEY at check out!

Working with some amazing vendors has been a delight, though. Among our many talented vendors is Austin-based photographer, Sarah Q. Thanks to Sarah for your creative eye – these photos were taken in Gruene, Texas…the location of Melanie and Seth’s first date!

About six weeks ago, I did find some must haves from West Elm – glass jar pendants. And what goes better with one pendant, than four additional jars to join the party?

Cuteness, right? Well…the savvy homeowner I am not only got to purchase some fab lights to replace the hideous old ones, but I also became a master electrician. Okay, master is a bit of a stretch, but I did learn to install pendants, and in the process added a new bragging badge to my ever-growing “I’m a homeowner so I must learn new things” sash.

Fortunately, there are online stores and retail vendors that have some of the best finds at really affordable prices. As I find great deals, I will try to document for you viewing (and shopping) pleasure.

First up: a black mirror for our downstairs half bath. We have painted the bathroom in a steel blue shade, and I decided to accent with black and white photos and decor. I found a GREAT, light-weight mirror (I hate hanging heavy pieces – such a pain). My mirror was $39.99 from Home Goods – as compared to a similar style from Joss and Main for a whopping $410. That’s a 93% saving!

I think hubby owes me a back rub – anyone else agree?

As I prepare for the move into my house, I’ve moved beyond the large furniture pieces. We already have our plasma TV console, TV, sectional and dining table. I’m now thinking splashes of color and conversation pieces.

Enter Etsy.

I just stumbled across Susanna Shap’s work (ModernHouseArt) and I couldn’t be happier. Finally, modern art that I love (and might be able to actually afford). I love textured pieces that give a three-dimensional element, and her color selections are fantastic. These are all pieces I could actually see in my home – and don’t be surprised if a few months down the road I have pictures of my house with one of these beauties!

I won’t get into any more critique of texture and patterns. Quite frankly, I am no critic. I just know what I like. And isn’t that all that really matters? If you buy it, you’re the one having to look at it every day.

On that note, I wouldn’t mind looking at Susanna’s work every day!

It’s hard to believe the wedding has come and gone already, and as I anxiously await the wedding photos, I wanted to share Kristy’s beautiful bridal portraits.

The wedding went really smooth – except for one major mishap two days before the wedding. Mishap is an understatement – this was actually a major disaster with her gorgeous Monique Lhuillier dress.

Her portraits were short a few short weeks before the wedding, and what bride doesn’t want her dress “fresh” for the big day. Unfortunately, the cleaners decided to put her dress in the dryer (I kid you not) to assist with smoothing a few wrinkles. Skip passed one VERY BAD decision, and forward a week to the delivery of a mangled mess that used to be this gorgeous dress below. It’s worth noting that the dress arrived back from the cleaners TWO DAYS before the wedding.

Tears and frustration later, the Bridal Salon of San Antonio spent the day before the wedding fixing gashes, hemming seams and recreating the gorgeous ruching that once existing. Melanie came to the rescue, too, proving a very able seamstress the day of the wedding. And you thought she only sewed pillows and wands, right?

Everyone turned out perfectly, though, and we will very soon be sharing photos from the wedding!

Earlier this week I was heading to Sherwin Williams to select paint colors for the bedrooms. As I was poking around their website to get some ideas, I discovered their phenomenal tool – Color Visualizer. With this tool, you can upload actual photos of your room, and mask off portions of the wall to “try on” paint colors. Neat, right?

Since I didn’t have photos of my home yet (it’s framing and insulation right now), I used their stock photos and searched for photos online that have a similar setup as I want for my room. Lo and behold – instant visualizer for how the paint will look in the room.

Imagine how awesome this tool is when you are redesigning an existing room!

The most difficult part of the entire process has not been the actual anticipation of moving in, believe it or not. It’s actually been the frustration of not being able to buy anything yet. We need to keep the money in the bank, so to speak, until we close. Unfortunately, once we close, we have the keys. That is great and all…except we are planning to buy lots of new furniture. A new, empty house is not really ideal for welcoming guests to our humble adobe!

However, I am keeping my eyes out for “must haves” since we are now less than 2 months away from the big move. During my blog stalking and idea planning, I ran across a fabulous website called Joss & Main. Every day this website features FANTASTIC must haves for your home:

The best part? The prices are seriously discounted – upwards of 50% in many instances! I highly encourage you to join and start squealing at the daily emails you receive for fab finds at fab prices.