layers.

Recently, the weather in Seattle has been sunny, but still chilly. I've put away my winter coat for the year, but it's still  too cool to go outside without any kind of protection from the cold. Solution = layers. Layering is awesome because it can keep you warm without wearing a bulky jacket, and it gives you the chance to wear your clothes in different ways, which makes them last longer and go farther. Basically, when in doubt {of anything} just wear layers. AmIRight?

{this is my Michael Jackson impression}

Hat: Gap

Blazer: H&M 

Sweater: H&M (Old, can also be seen here)

Tank: Lush via Nordstrom

Jeans: Loft

Boots: Thrifted

homemade thin mints.

Girl scout cookie time is the best time of the year. I could easily go through multiple boxes of cookies in a few days because they're all just so dang good.. Unfortunately, I can't find any girl scouts around  where I live, so I was cookie-less until my friend Emily inspired me to make my own thin mints. I don't really like thin mints all that much because they're crunchy {who likes crunchy cookies?!}, but I thought maybe the homemade versions would be better, and I was so right! I used this recipe, and they turned out great (much better than the original in my opinion, sorry girl scouts).

Also, check out the homemade Samoas I made a few years ago!

you're my best friend.

Since we live in an apartment, we're very limited on what decorating we can do. We can't paint and we don't have a ton of room to re-arrange our furniture, so we just get to hang stuff on the walls. This past weekend I decided that our bedroom walls needed a little sprucing (the walls in our living room are pretty much full). 

A few weekends ago I added this to the space above our dresser

*note, I did not make the "make today great" part, but I did add the black paper. The banner came from the Pacific Northwest blogger meetup in Portland, but I don't remember who made it. If you recognize it, please let me know who it came from*

But the wall above our bed needed something more than this:

I was inspired by this project from A Beautiful Mess, and I figured this was a good project to do around Valentine's day.

I used a 16x20 black canvas, and reposition-able(this is important) stick-on letters in Helvetica. This was a perfect weekend project, and the whole thing only took about thirty minutes! My next step is to give those B & T letters a little sprucing, so stay tuned for that! 

this + that

Life has been good lately. I've been feeling extra productive, and Tim and I have actually gotten to spend some time together, which rarely happens. Here are some of my favorite parts of the past week.

1. it's hard to get out of bed when it's so cold and gloomy outside. / 2. celebrating six months of marriage/ early valentine's / 3. having a cute ironing board makes ironing more fun / 4. digging this color at madewell / 5. princess diaries + a new fun craft! / 6. new favorite scarf {h&m}
{p.s. my instagram is brittanyisabird}

shrimp and cashew stir-fry

I made this for dinner once a few nights ago because I was in a hurry, and we had all the ingredients. Tim loved it and now requests it about once a week. I usually use four basic ingredients, but I change the meat and vegetables every time. It's kind of a fool-proof recipe because you can't really mess it up!
Cashews Panda Express Mandarin Sauce (can be found at any grocery store) Soy Sauce Egg Noodles Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package, then set aside Sauté your meat in a Wok or a large frying pan with a little bit of olive oil and soy sauce. I usually use chicken or shrimp, but you could probably use pork or beef if you wish. If you're not using shrimp, cut up the meat into small 1-inch cubes before cooking Once your meat is fully cooked on the inside, add the vegetables of your choosing. I usually use asparagus, broccoli, peas, and/or green peppers.  I usually add more soy sauce at this point, plus a little but of the mandarin sauce. There really aren't any measurements, so just use however much you want. Lastly, I add the cashew and the cooked noodles, and more soy sauce and mandarin sauce. Then I usually cover the Wok and let it sit for just a few minutes. Serve with white rice or just eat in a big bowl all by itself; either way, it's freaking delicious. Happy February and have a good weekend!

products i'm loving.

1. Clarisonic cleansing brush- I've had my Clarisonic for over two years, and I still use it every day. I just love the way it makes my skin feel, and it's so fast and easy to use, which is always a plus when it comes to skin care.
2. Philosophy Miracle Worker moisturizer-  As the name suggests, this stuff is miraculous. It's a pretty heavy moisturizer, so I only use it at night, but it makes my face feel so soft. Plus, I've read that when you're in your 20s, you should start using anti-aging moisturizer to help prevent wrinkles and keep your  skin even. I would highly recommend any Philosophy products, but this is one of my favorites.
3. Bioderma- I only discovered this product recently, but I am totally in love with it already (as you can see the bottle is pretty much empty). It's essentially a toner, so I use it after I take my make-up off, and in in the morning right when I wake up to help refresh my skin. You just squeeze a little bit onto a cotton pad, and rub it on your face. It's dries pretty quickly, but you can't feel any residue (since it's water based). It's great for sensitive skin, and it's the best toner I've ever used.
4. Tarte Creaseless Concealer- I have really dark circles under my eyes- I always have, but I've always struggled to find a concealer that wasn't noticeable on my face, and that gave me great coverage. I started using Tarte foundation a while ago, and I will never go back to using a different kind. So when I got the concealer, I know it was going to make me just as happy. I love it because it's really thick, but not in a this-is-going-to-look-cakey kind of way, but in a you-only-need-a-tiny-bit kind of way. I put in on after I put on my foundation, and it blends right in and never runs.
5. Body Butter- In addition to my dark eye circles, I also have really dry skin (thanks, mom). The Body Butters are the only lotion I have found that don't feel like they're mostly water. In fact, if you look at the ingredients list, water is the last ingredient. Moonlight Path is my newest one (I go through about one of these a month), but I've never had one I don't like. They don't leave any residue on my skin, and I can use it multiple times a day without feeling yucky. Plus in the summer time, I keep one in the fridge so after a long, hot day I can come home and put cold lotion on- it's amazing, trust me.
Let me know what products you guys are loving, and please recommend anything I should try!

our wedding: a few of my favorites.

our wedding: details and decor.

our wedding: the guys.

our wedding: the girls

I thought I would start off 2013 by remembering my favorite time from 2012! My wedding was everything I dreamed of and more, and these pictures are just the beginning.
my mom is a BABE.