oh hey! Things have been crazy lately – wedding season wrapped up for the year, I took my first non-working vacation in two years, friends have had babies who have needed to be adored (holding babies: one of my favorite things), and I moved (locally. pictured above). I have tons of good 2012 weddings to catch up on blogging, but in the meantime, a few things I’ve liked lately.

• 6 Things You Cannot Change “Better to be the happy, gently smiling sloth than the lemur who has developed a prescription pill habit to keep up with the snowballing disappointments of a life he/she did not choose. Be the sloth, not the crazy-eyed lemur. You’ll be happier. I promise”
• I am really into this coffee table. Now to find an extra $1000 somewhere…
• While I’m obviously a really big fan of weddings, this APW post on Why (Sometimes) Wedding Planning Isn’t Worth It is fantastic.
• I’m still in purging mode from moving, so these decluttering tips that Leslie put together are on my mind.
• Remains of the Day: A wedding photographer sets out to learn what happened to the couples who hired him for their big day from the Washingtonian

Hope that everyone is doing well!

It’s the Solstice Lamp from Ample Furniture, a small company making hand-crafted wooden goodness in Seattle. Best part? (Well, besides the red cord, which is obviously amazing,) they offer free shipping in the continental US.

image: Ample Furniture

Immer White Marble Mid-Century Style End Table and Immer White Wood and Steel Mid-Century End Table. Around $200/each, which is really not bad, considering the real thing will run you $600-1800.

photos: Overstock :: found via: Ashley’s List

We used Mod Green Pod’s Atticus fabric in Cherry – it’s a beautiful fabric that I’m sure I’ll be using again in the future. A great blend of modern yet traditional.

As you can see below, the chair was in fairly dire shape before (excuse the terrible iPhone photo)

But with new fabric, new cushions, and refinishing of all of the wood? Adorable. Getting things reupholstered is not necessarily (or usually) that much cheaper than buying new, but I find it so much more satisfying. You’re a) saving an existing piece of furniture from the landfill and b) getting something totally custom that no one else will have.

*we’re getting pretty close to done with their house, and I cannot wait to share it. They are *great,* and it has been one of the most fun projects I’ve ever worked on. Look for more photos in the next few months.

photos: Elizabeth F. Clayton