So today was a lot of fun!  The stylists showed up at 9am on the dot, and the photographers were right behind.  I’d stayed up most of the two nights previous cleaning, tweaking, and editing [primarily the spices in] my kitchen so that it was putting it’s best foot forward.   For about a week, I’ve been nervous that once “outsiders” got inside our house they’d totally hate it.  Thankfully that was not the case, and we got down to business immediately!

Here’s the photographer working in the kitchen.  The Mac is all hooked up in the dining room.

Here’s a pic of the edits from my own kitchen that didn’t make the cut along with some props the stylist brought.

No explanation needed!  I had to keep out of the way while everyone did their magic.   In fact, everything and everyone was absolutely fabulous!  The only part of today that surprised me was when the photographers said, “Okay we’re ready for your photo.”

*Pause*

“What?!  No one said that I was getting my photo taken today too!”

Yikes!  I was kind of freaking out.  Thank god I’d managed to get up early to enough to manage makeup.  My hair was a wreck though, and I wasn’t wearing clothes that were what I’d want to represent myself in a national magazine…so I had to run upstairs and change quickly.  (No pressure or anything!)

Meanwhile, when I walked into my bedroom…what do you think I found?  Dog vomit on the rug.

But anyways…at the end of it all, we managed a photo that wasn’t completely embarrassing…and everything’s all done.  I can’t wait to see it when it comes out!

Ever wanted to see inside a $5 million mansion?  Me too!  Well, today I got the chance, and thought I’d share it with you.  Enjoy!  (Oh, and if you happen to have that much laying around, then email me and I’ll send you the listing! Hah.)

I mean…pocket change, right?!

Okay, I haven’t mentioned it yet because I was afraid of jinxing it.  And then when I found out, I’ve been rushing around cleaning and doing some last minute projects (in between traveling and all the other things going on in my life).  But anyways…tomorrow Country Living magazine will be here taking pictures of my kitchen!!  I’m so excited and promise to try and post some pics of the action!

Just got the most amazing new candle today!  It’s Royal Apothic brand, Edwardian Fireplace scent.  When I pulled it out of the package, I let my co-workers smell it and they [also] loved it so much that they asked me to light it right then.  So I took this picture of my new candle burning on my desk at work for everyone to enjoy!  Haha.   (The scent is hard to describe, but I’d say it’s very slightly masculine…but clean at the same time.  Nothing like an old chimney or ashes, like you would think with a name like “Edwardian Fireplace.”)  You can go purchase it HERE.

It doesn’t hurt that the packaging is also really cute.  Definitely a good gift.  Maybe I’ll get some family members this for Christmas…  Hmmm…

I was clicking through my bloglines subscriptions just now and this post by Sweet Juniper jumped out at me.  Partially because I love photos of abandoned places, but also because one of them stuck out as being so nice…and because I saw it as being filled with so many possibilities.

When you look at this room, what do you see?  And what would you do with it?  I’d love to make it my “study.”  I don’t need a study…but wouldn’t this make a great one?

Head over to his blog to see the other three rooms…

I’m in the midst of major wedding planning which includes but is not limited to lots of DIY projects, saving money wherever I can, and pretending that I’m trying to also get in shape for the big day (next June).  Anyways…my whole thoughts at the moment seemed to be consumed by caterers, photographers, and drooling over Once Wed.  Seeing as how I don’t have much to say regarding my house, I figured I’d at least show you the place where we are planning on getting married – my fiancee’s family’s farm outside Philadelphia.

Our wedding is at the family farm

near the barn

under the sycamore tree

…and beside the pond.

It’s going to be pretty.  I just hope it doesn’t rain.  Cross your fingers. 

My friend Nishat that I’ve posted about before, is featured in Book City Jackets’ new Artists Edition No. 2 along with Cheeming Boey and Michael Hsiung. BCJ’s mission is to make every book beautiful by creating unique book covers printed on recycled kraft paper. Pretty nifty, right? It reminds me of when I used to do that in middle school…except mine was covered in horrible doodling rather than beautiful art. They’re available at Book City Jackets [dot] com.

Me:  Maybe this should be our wedding cake?

Him:  Okay, but only if we get to build a moat and put a wizard in one of the towers.

Me:  Done!

(Because planning a wedding a stressful, and sometimes you just need a laugh.  Go HERE to purchase your very own Disney Princess Castle Cake kit.)

photo by Nick Steever, of course.

Fall is such a wonderful time of year…