1 month to go....

"Pencils Down" screams my inner dialogue but in reality its hard to give up the wedding blogs; force fed information that gets me through the day till I can get home and change my mind a hundred times about details few will remember from a 5 hour party. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself, but Ive tried to slow down now because I almost dont want it to happen. It will be over so fast and I will have hardly punctured the wedding list by the time we hit our first dance... I just want to hit pause! But like a freight train on we roll...

This past weekend we went to a fabulous wedding in Pinehurst. The friend wedding troupe was in full gear to celebrate Miss Jane Claire and her new husband Kelly and I have to say I just dont know what I am going to do when wedding season finally comes to an end...

Summer Shoe Fun

I have been eagerly awaiting the new TOM wedge this summer and today is the day. They are out and the internet is lighting up with traffic. I cant wait to support kids in need and walk comfortably 2" taller this summer in my new fun wedges!

To learn more about the philanthropist behind the craze click here

Cheers

Summertime in Chicago

My most favorite time of year in Chicago, the tulips are a bloomin, the birds are a chirpin and the patio decks are rockin'! Since last summer, little tiller is all grown up and we are about to get married...wonder what next summer will bring in Brazil...but for now

Dear Chicago... I am so going to miss you....

Happy Memorial Day! We are off to Pinehurst to Celebrate Jane Claire's Wedding =)

Ready….Set….

So I have been nervous for a while about how I might tell people at work I am leaving. You have to understand, we are very small and operate much like a family. Every one knows what everyone else is up to, what they are doing on the weekends (if not spent at work) and generally that we are all managing the growth of the somewhat new office together. Monday morning I got in a little early and saw my boss over in the drawing corner. I figured, well it’s just the two of us here whenever is there a better time? “Good morning Jana I have some news for you.” Wait, you have news?? “I put in my two weeks!” Yep, my boss the principle who, mind you, started the Chicago office just 3 years ago (and was with our company for over 15 years)… is moving on to start his own firm. So that changed the game a little. I quickly broke my news and it couldn’t have better timing. He suggested I modify my portfolio over the next few weeks as my firm is apparently going to be working on the Olympics and there is a good chance they are starting a design office in Sao Paolo....like now!! Hmm maybe I wont be starting my dream career as an in/ex designer (my term for for my new job description im creating in the future...interior/exterior landscape architect) for another few years.

Ready… Set…..Brazil here we come….and I might just have a job now too!
As a paisagista (portuguese for landscape architect)! Yea, now about that Portuguese....

The times of our lives.

This past weekend my good friend Jane Claire and I celebrated a joint bachlorette weekend in Charleston. With 19 girls in tow we beached, played and danced our little hearts out in the best 80's costumes. It almost makes me teary to think how lucky we are to have spent such a great weekend with girls who drove and flew from all over the country to be with us. I truly have the best of friends. I cannot describe the kind of emotions experienced when you have all your amigos in one place together, sharing silly stories for days.

These fabulous pre-wedding moments are passing by far too quickly. Thank goodness for cameras and thank you thank you for best friends.

had to continue the theme...

So as I spend too many hours worth mentioning to find the perfect wedding shoes I came across these walkable wonders. Now, I am looking for flower inspired shoes to the point where I am about to retire and just make my own but I guess its always worth knowing whats possible out there in shoe world. Just when you didn't know where else to plant your spring flowers....

Happy Tuesday.

OBSESSED.. with everything flower...

I know I'm a prep. No Shame... so its no surprise that I would fully promote and adore this website. How many ways can you wear a flower? Let Emerson show you...








I cannot get enough of Emersonmade and dont be surprised if you see it again... like all over at the wedding =)

One of my favorite people on earth, Nancy, tagged me to be in the (contemporary) hot seat next.
Here are the rules:
1. Post the above picture to your post or your own version of a chair…
2. Share 5 things about yourself (silly, inspiring, super honest)
3. Nominate another blogger friend


So here goes...

1. I love Alex. Simply, truly, forever.



2. I love Life. Family. Friends









3. I love to see the world. And capture it the best way I know how.







4. (The beach is great but) I Love the mountains...Aspens and blue sky powder days







5. I love my sweet little pleasures …

Shoes, Champagne and Great tunes..







Now, I nominate another blog I quite enjoy....B's Peregrinations!

garden in a card

So shamefully or shamelessly?! I stole this cool idea to blog about from another great blog. It was way too cool to not pass along. Cards I think are even more important these days as everything becomes digital. Nothing like a little green to spice things up =)Thank you to Before the Big Day!




Check out: Postcarden

The simplicity of a statement in water....

Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo's creative demonstration lasted exactly 30 minutes but it's impact will last for years...living in pictures and minds. She has been setting up "melting men" in several cities since 2005 and originally meant it to serve as a silent critic to the role of monuments in cities, however environmentalists around the world have reclaimed it as climate change art. These pictures were taken in Berlin for the World Wildlife Fund's release of a report entitled, 'Impact of Global Climate Change.'

How profound Nele...

and there she is, waiting and silently melting away into a puddle...much like the glaciers one day and all have we for proof of existence is a picture



Pictures courtesy of Design Boom and Nele Azevedo

I wish I could just start digging...

It seems like every few years we are reminded that nature will somehow always be in control. As destructive and catastrophic as these disasters are, from Katrina to the Tsunami we are also reminded of the good in the world. People are donating from around the world even when they barely are able to feed themselves, you wouldn't know there was a troubled economy watching the help and donations pour in. Within 24 hours a former teacher of mine from graduate school had enabled over 50 people to gather in a meeting hall in New Orleans to plan.

"What we want to do is to be ready in three or four weeks to send a contingency of people to Haiti to build an emergency village, as a New Orleans Gives Back to Haiti, that can be used as a model for recovery from the earthquake and its aftermath. We want to establish a definitive timeline to get in and get out, with a definitive set of objectives."

I am so impressed by so many people's ability to act swiftly and so altruistically.

I wish I could just digging... for warm hands in the rubble, for more money in my pocket, for the mothers and fathers, for the children.

photo courtesy of http://www.redcross.org/

The Happiest People ON EARTH!

I know my last post was thanks to Oprah, but she really does highlight interesting and important topics. One of which I caught this morning, going through my DVR I saw a title from a show a week or so ago on the ‘Happiest People on Earth”. She profiled women in Copenhagen, Istanbul, Tokyo, Rio De Janeiro and finally in Dubai. She discussed their tax structure, health care and most importantly the woman’s role in her family and how she balances that with a career. Copenhagen won as the “Happiest of happy” but clearly many other places around the world are equally as blissful. The main take away point? With the exception of Dubai, they have all managed this happiness on much less “stuff” than your typical American. From small refrigerators to sharing bathrooms, kids learn responsibility and family’s learn that joy doesn’t always come from something you can purchase. I have to remind myself of this every time I go through my closet, “purging” to create space for the upcoming season.

Just gets me thinking as I start to register for the wedding, what do "we" really “need”?

I know I will never achieve “minimalist” status, but it never hurts to be reminded that as infinite as one’s backyard may seem now, space on this planet is limited and you can’t take “stuff” with you when you die.

Thanks again Oprah...

Click here to watch pieces of the show:
http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow-20091021-happiest-people