(photos by Matthew Morgan)

Since most of the recipients have found these in their mailboxes, I am excited to show them to you! A quick funny side note: You will notice that my name is no where on the invite. It wasn’t photoshopped out, I just didn’t feel the need to have it on there. Neither is a phone number to RSVP, since everyone invited knows how to contact me.  However, I also decided last minute (a day later) not to put return address labels on them…  Which led to this facebook message: Did you send Cindy and I something in the mail? It looks like it could be from you but it doesn’t have a name on it. Lucky for me not many of our friends sew their invitations!  A few minutes later I had facebooked the entire guest list to let them know that yes, the invite to a birthday party? That was from me.

Anyways, on to the invites.  I first saw this idea for sewing two-toned ruffled crepe paper on a blog… but it was a while ago and I don’t remember where. I figured I would incorporate it with the invites and voila! I wish it were that easy. I went through 2 broken needles before deciding to just sew the crepe paper and glue it on. I was super disappointed, and still need to google “How to sew on paper,” but I went with it and produced something I was proud of.

Sorry for the slow start this week.  I got back from SLO around 5:00 on Sunday night and headed straight to my parents for Sunday dinner.  I will post birthday invite pictures tomorrow, and for everyone visiting from Wedding Bee, I am working on a generic activity book, and should have something ready to go soon!!

SLO was amazing, as always.  Myself and three friends (all friends since elementary school, all bridesmaids) drove up to San Luis Obispo to visit a friend who recently relocated up there (also known since elementary school and a bridesmaid).  Since I have family in that area and have visited at least once a year for most of my life I had to show the girls some classic SLO. Gum Alley. Touristy? Yes. A must see? Yes. They were a little grossed out at first, but soon enough were popping gum in their mouths to leave a little Orange County behind.

We ate at both Chow and Novo (Both amazing. If you ever go to Novo for Sunday brunch, have a Tall Dark & Wired and Huevos Rancheros for me) and wine tasted in Paso Robles. On our way home we hit up Solvang (a first for me) and I admired the product design.

We didn’t have a chance to get pea soup from Anderson’s, but one of these days we will make the drive just for it’s deliciousness. I hear you can put anything in it you want… mmmmm.

Girls, if you are reading this, thanks for an amazing weekend!

Working a half day today, then off to San Luis Obispo for a little girls weekend!  Have a wonderful weekend and see you back here Monday.

(From our honeymoon. Our room at The Sanitarium. If you have to go to SLO, stay here. It is amazing!)

I was standing in line at trader joes last night, picking up some dinner (curry chicken, white rice, Asians slaw and the best mini chicken cilantro wontons) when I saw this. If it wasn’t for the packaging I probably wouldn’t have picked it up but the bright orange was calling my name.

A close up of my birthday invitations…

Yes that is sewn crepe paper, I have taken my sewing machine to a whole new level.

Hopefully you all check out Sprouted Kitchen often. I posted about them a while back… the recipes are outstanding and the photography is amazing!  Sara (the recipe genius) and Hugh (the photographer) make a great team.  You agree? Great! Go vote for them for best food photography on a blog!!!  You have to create a username, but it will be worth it!

Congrats Hugh and Sara!

This photo made me speechless. It is just so perfect in so many ways.  Ashley’s blog is a daily read for me (can’t wait until Google gets their act together and gets her blog working on their reader!!)and is just full of gorgeous inspiration from her own life. The decorating, the sewing, the fun crafts with her kids… she seems like a very cool woman!

You have to check it out on her blog though… the size of her pictures really makes them that much more amazing!

A friend posted a link on Google Buzz this morning to a very cool Flickr set called Looking Into the Past.  I am loving what he does with the old photos!