What’s a wedding without refreshments? Well, I guess it’s still a wedding, but the point is everybody loves a good wedding bar. It took us a while to figure out exactly how we wanted to handle drinks at the wedding, and we’re pretty happy with how it all turned out.
Let’s just get right to it! Here are the photos of the ceremony and all our wedding decor. Above is the “altar” made from a giant metal trellis and a vintage dresser scarf, on which I embroidered the word ‘happily’. Because that’s how we married–happily.
I’m more than a little skeptical of broad generation-based generalizations, but this explanation of the increasing importance of handmade craft in our lives is pretty interesting:
It’s part of the American way to get a lot of self-worth from your job. Meanwhile, one of the reasons there aren’t enough of those jobs out there is that America no longer makes enough stuff. Young people feel that void, intrinsically. Making stuff is what got us smiles from our parents and top billing in refrigerator art galleries. And since we are, as a generation, more addicted to positive reinforcement than any before us, and because we have learned firsthand the futility of finding that affirmation through our employers, we have returned to our stuff-making ways, via pursuits easily mocked: the modern-day pickling, the obsessive Etsying, the flower-arranging classes, the knitting resurgence, the Kickstarter funds for art projects of no potential commercial value. The millions upon millions who upload footage of themselves singing or dancing or talking about the news to YouTube. Of course, funny videos and adorable hand-sewn ikat pillows aren’t the only kind of stuff that people are making as a way of coping with harsh economic realities—meth, for instance, comes to mind. But putting aside those darker enterprises, this is a golden age for creativity and knowledge for their own sakes. Our pastimes have become our expressions of mastery, a substitute for the all-consuming career.
We’re less than a week away from this wedding thing, so I think we’ll be taking some time off from our blogging duties. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back and yes, we’ll show you some wedding photos. For now we’re busy finishing up a plethora of craft projects for the wedding, both large and small. Wish us luck!
Since I don’t have a lot of extra time this week, I thought I’d put together a simple post of random images/things that I’ve been enjoying lately. Hope you it enjoy too! (Most images found via Pinterest. Click through to credits.)
If I pass this accounting test, I will buy myself this book and learn how to quilt. For my non-existent log cabin. If I don’t pass this test, I will have to take an accounting course over the summer. Boo. Back to studying!
You: That’s so cool!!!!!! I wanna be just like you.
Sarah: Well, you can be. Let me show you how.
We’re on the last leg or our crafting journey, and we’re finally getting to the fun stuff. Crocheting! You heard me right. We’re gonna learn how to crochet. Remember when I said I was gonna teach myself to crochet? Well I did! That weekend. For serious. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. If I can do it, you can too. And remember, if you get frustrated and wanna give up, just refer to the “30 Steps to Mastery“.
Momma’s back, kiddos! Now that my application to grad school has been submitted, I can focus on what really matters: you, my little babies. Now, you may have noticed by the title of today’s earlier post that change is in the air (in addition to the smell of fresh laundry, since I get MLK day off, but I’m sure you can’t smell that). Our readers’ favorite series Daily Pretties is now called A Pretty Pair. You see, Westervin is a year older, and we’re thinking it’s time to mature a little. Just a little. Don’t worry. I hope you like the new name, but if not… don’t tell me. We’ve also got a few new columns to debut, which guide Westervin’s focus more toward art and fine craft. We’re hoping to improve the content you know and love (don’t deny it) by making it a little more thoughtful, a little more meaningful, a little more inspirational. We hope to create content that celebrates a lighthearted, lovingly handmade life.
But before we move forward, we’d like to take a look back! Below are a couple of our favorite and most popular posts from 2010.
This is exciting. Trust me. Let me introduce to you another esteemed guest blogger: Jed “Ray” of Ray’s Garden. From time-to-time I hope to check in with Jed to see how his world of green-living and garden-growing is going. In his first guest-post on Westervin, he’ll be taking us through some composting basics:
When we first moved into my most recent house I decided to start composting. Composting is just a win-win-win situation. Not only is it a great way to give back to the environment, but it reduces your waste, and it’s a great way to add organic matter to gardens.
The trend away from cheap, mass-produced commodities seems to manifest itself in all sorts of different ways. From food (think artisinal, organic), to cocktails (classic, non-vodka-based “mixology”), to grooming (double-edged—or straight blade ¡scary!—razors), to clothes (premium jeans with gold rush era details), etc. More and more people seem to be finding that there is something to the simple, high-quality construction of the past. It’s something that is enchanting, timeless, and, importantly, sincere.
