everyday |

life goes on.

By annmarielovespaper on July 1, 2013

This past week has been nothing short of crazy, nonstop, and life-affirming.

Last Tuesday, my dad had open heart surgery. Even though it was a preventative measure to repair a faulty valve, it was terrifying for my whole family and rocked our world pretty hard. (There’s nothing that makes you want to take care of yourself more than spending countless hours in a cold + scary hospital.) THANKFULLY everything went well and he is now resting at home. Huge shout out to my amazing mom who is not only the heart + soul of our family, but a natural caretaker who will nurse my dad back to health in no time at all. Also! Major props to Jim Gaffigan for being a welcome distraction as he had me laughing until I was crying every night with his insanely funny book, Dad is Fat.

On Friday, I spent all day + night helping to photograph a beautiful wedding in Camarillo. Not only did it remind me how much I LOVE to take photos, but it was a great practice run for my own wedding! Thank you Jeff + Jess for letting me be a part of your special day!

And of course, throughout the whole week, I’ve been working like a mad woman trying to finish up a myriad of CHA projects. Yesterday was a DOOZY of a work day (sprinkled with a healthy dose of expletives) that started at 10am and didn’t end until 4am! I still have a long way to go before I can cross everything off my list, but I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the (effing) tunnel (;

All I can say is that I am SO looking forward to this upcoming holiday weekend. John has four days off and I am already dreaming of big things for us to do. And by big things, I mean a trip to Lemonade and a long visit to B+N for wedding and crafting inspiration. Living the dream!

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workspace wednesday | whoa there.

By annmarielovespaper on June 19, 2013

This photo coupled with the fact that I am squeezing in this Workspace Wednesday post with seconds to spare before Thursday is a pretty clear indication of my life right now. CUH-RAZY TOWN. Let the IV drip of coffee commence!

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twenty things.

By annmarielovespaper on June 14, 2013

20 things about me:

(Again with the dress. I know.)

1. I like very spicy food. Spicy to the point of sweat + tears.
2. I am a terrible movie-watcher but an excellent reality TV viewer (not sure what this says about my taste levels…?)
3. I often think about going back to school to become a psychologist.
4. I can never decide whether I want to spend the last few minutes of my night browsing Instagram or reading. (IG usually wins.)
5. My biggest celebrity crush is Michael Cera.
6. I want to visit all 50 U.S. states.
7. I already know the titles of the books I want to write.
8. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
9. I’m introverted often to a fault. Alone time is KEY.
10. Not quite sure what I would do without podcasts while I work. My new fave is The JV Club.
11. I love love love coffee. Partly for the taste, but mainly for the ritual of it.
12. I never screw the caps on water bottles tight enough, so at least once a day I encounter a giant water spill in my purse.
13. I send myself multiple e-mails daily. (P.S. This blog post was composed entirely in an e-mail.) (I literally e-mailed this sentence.)
14. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.
15. I love dancing. Aside from the actual marriage thing (oh yeah, that), I am most excited about dancing ALL NIGHT LONG at my wedding.
16. I aspire to be an amazing cook one day. I should probably get over my aversion to measuring + doing dishes first…
17. Occasionally I feel a strange sense of longing for my Utah days. I could never live there again, but it sure is fun to visit.
18. I always feel self-conscious about my legs when I wear shorts, but I’m trying to get over myself this summer. (My sentiments exactly.)
19. I can’t begin my day unless my bed is made. There’s just no way.
20. All I want to do is make things with my own two hands. All day. Everyday.

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memorial day marathoning.

By annmarielovespaper on May 27, 2013

Print by Rose Feduk

Happy Memorial Day! Today I will be working, working, working SLASH bingeing on Arrested Development. Last night my brother and I powered through nearly eight episodes of the new season until my eyeballs absolutely positively needed to be shut (ah yes, the 3am magic hour). But now I am rested and ready to MARATHON. Bring it on, Bluths.

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you’re gonna get hop-ons.

By annmarielovespaper on May 21, 2013

When I found out that the infamous stair car from Arrested Development rolled into town, there was no way I could skip out on it. So on Sunday, John, my brother Andy, and I headed down to Santa Monica for a Bluth mobile sighting and a walk around town. The beach, the buildings, the Bluths…what more could you ask for on the day of rest? (Ummm…how about more parking?)

The countdown to the BIG PREMIERE is on! George Michael, I’ve missed you so…

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this week.

By annmarielovespaper on May 17, 2013

This week, you guys. HOLY COW. It nearly sent me back to the 8-5 world with paid health insurance + guaranteed weekends. It was a doozy.

But as I sit here in my sweats + no makeup on a beautiful Friday afternoon, I am just so happy to be self-employed. My to-do list is still four miles long, but for the time being, I am pinning + catching up on blogs + gathering ideas for our Save the Dates that should go out two months ago. My head is spinning with DIY ideas that are, surprisingly enough, based around fabric (Ann-Marie Loves Fabric??). I am dreaming of revamping this blog in every way imaginable + creating a solid editorial calendar week after week. And of course, I am still reeling from The Office finale last night (it was perfection). So all in all, a good day to stick out this self-employment thing a little bit longer (or forever).

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

topanga vintage market | woodland hills, ca

By annmarielovespaper on May 7, 2013

There’s really nothing in this world that I love more than a good treasure hunting excursion (obviously). I mean, what could possibly be more fun than digging through others’ discarded junk and giving it new life?! (Uh, just about EVERYTHING is more fun than that, my mom would say – ha!) Thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales – bring it on! So on the fourth Sunday of every month, I love to attend the Topanga Vintage Market in the San Fernando Valley. This market hosts a wide variety of vendors + vintage products in all different price ranges. Of course I’m always on the lookout for unique glass + tableware, but even if I don’t buy anything, it’s worth it for the visual inspiration alone! Here are a few of the awesome items I spotted the last time I attended:

One of these days, I want to purchase a giant sign like this and work it into a lush outdoor landscape. I love when urban + natural aesthetics collide, a la my beloved Grow.

The wooden crate! The orange tackle box! The yellow lawn chair! Everything about this photo makes me want to dig in.

If I had a few kids + a few hundred spare dollars, I would definitely snatch these chairs up and put them in a playroom or on a patio for outdoor dining. You could even use one as a place to stack books or blankets! Aren’t the colors just perfection?

These handcrafted glass beaded necklaces are amazing. Not only would they be great for wearing, but they would also look fantastic if they were tied into a loose knot and displayed on a dresser or coffee table. So many possibilities in so many beautiful colors!

P.S. If you make it to the market, be sure to stop by booth F-20 and say hello to my lovely future in-laws! (:

What are your favorite things to look for when you go treasure hunting?

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workspace wednesday | time’s up

By annmarielovespaper on May 1, 2013

You guys, I think I may have found the secret to getting things done: a timer! Yesterday as my to-do list continued to grow and my productivity began to plummet, I decided to break down each task into 15 minute increments and focus, focus, focus. Before I knew it, I was checking items off my list and wondering why the heck I hadn’t tried this sooner! There’s something about a ticking timer that makes any task feel more like an exciting game than a monotonous job. And I like it.

What do you do to trick yourself into getting things done?

P.S. Today on the BG blog, you can see my super (not) glamorous styling + photography set-up!

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taking inventory.

By annmarielovespaper on April 20, 2013

The thing about thrifting several times a week and then immediately banishing my treasures to boxes in the garage is that I have no freaking clue what I own. So the other day, something possessed me to break out all those boxes and open each and every carefully-wrapped item so I could take inventory. I knew the minute I started, I would immediately regret this hare-brained scheme, but, like most stupid decisions, I was in too deep to quit. Before I knew it, glassware covered every square inch of the dining room table.

Seeing everything all laid out together made me so happy-slash-confirmed my suspicions that I am a hoarder. The best (worst?) part of all is that in the middle of this inventory-taking madness, I went to the gym and stopped by – where else? – the Goodwill on my way back home. I AM ADDICTED. But I promise I have a master plan! Once this whole wedding extravaganza wraps up, I have grand plans of starting a rentals biz so I can share the glassware love with others. Ahem…and have an excuse to keep hoarding.

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catching up.

By annmarielovespaper on April 11, 2013

Last week I felt completely overwhelmed trying to get past the learning curve of my new gig while tending to a bunch of other projects with fast-approaching deadlines. After a fourteen hour workday on Sunday, I was positive I would never get on top anything ever again.

Well, I was wrong.

Come Tuesday, I felt a shift in perspective. Maybe it was the perfect Spring weather or the brainstorming session about a fun new business venture. Maybe it was the combination of a good workout and enough sleep. Or maybe the stars finally aligned? Whatever it was, it led me to the realization that although my workload will always be heavy, it’s work that I love. It’s the kind of work that allows me to be creative and stay at home and listen to reality TV in the background. So yeah. Life is good. Busy, but good.

A few other things making me happy these days:

– A new stack of library books, including one of my all-time faves: Poser: My Life in Twenty-three Yoga Poses.
– Hilarious marathon group texts with Jaymee and Janelle that LITERALLY make me laugh out loud. None of that “LOL” business.
– Daffodils from Trader Joe’s (or anything from TJ’s, really).
– Justina Blakeney’s course on Interior Styling.
– Planning a fun + much-needed weekend getaway up the coast with John.
– Thrifting, thrifting, and more thrifting. Seriously, you guys. I’m in deep.

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