New Product

New item debuting in Silver Pencils Etsy Shop Today:

Tennessee Ivory Hair Flower with Brown/ Copper Pearls

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Super Simple, Super Delicious Banana Bread

Last night I made this Super Simple, Super Delicious Banana Bread recipe from an old Design Sponge post I saved a while back. The dough was so good that I seriously considered not baking it for a second or two, but curiosity got the best of me and I slid the pan into the oven. And I'm so glad I did. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try:

Ingredients:

1 stick + 1 tablespoon butter (125g)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
4-5 ripe bananas
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
(Bake using a 9×5x3 or 8×4x4 loaf pan)

Baking Instructions:

Beat butter and sugar until creamy
Add eggs
Add dry ingredients (including salt)
Add mushed up bananas and vanilla essence
Bake at 350F/180°C for 1 hour.

And then you're done! Super Simple and Super Delicious!

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I Heart Candles

We almost always have candles burning. They create such a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere. My absolute favorites are anything from Capri Blue and this Fig Candle by Henri Bendel.
What are your favorites?

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Happy Friday!

Today I'm going to meet up with some of my wonderful family visiting from Vermont. And then tomorrow I'll be showering my friend with love and presents at her bridal shower! It's going to be a good weekend. I wish you all the same as well! :)

Image by Jessica Claire

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Quotable Thursday

"If they give you ruled paper, write the other way."

- Juan Ramon Jimenez

Image Source here

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Wednesday Etsy Faves

Sarahparrott825 Button Letterpress Coasters

MrPS Saturday Morning Tote Pretty Tape French Airmail Japanese Masking Tape Vallhallabrooklyn 9 Pocket Vigga Clutch

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Inspiration Boards

When I was younger, my walls were covered with posters, pictures of friends, concert ticket stubs, etc... They took over my walls and when I left, there was nothing but a bunch of holes left. But I remember loving always walking in and actually seeing everything I loved right there in front of me.

Flash forward a couple years, mass wall take over turned into inspiration boards above my desk. This is an old one of mine taken right before the wedding. When working hard on a project, I always loved to look up and focus on one or two things to give me inspiration for whatever task was at hand. A mix of vintage record covers, pictures with friends, and photos of landscapes and magazine shots that caught my eye- I always felt refreshed looking up.

Since we are in the middle of moving, I have no inspiration board currently. And I know that my current one would look completely different than the last one I had. But I'm already thinking of what I'll put up there...

Do you use or have you used in the past inspiration boards for well... inspiration?

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Random Acts of Kindness

Having been on both sides, I think Random Acts of Kindness are a wonderful way to show love.

Wouldn't it be nice to surprise someone with a pretty box of macarons today...

Or have a pink box of gorgeous ribbon waiting at their door?

Today I would like to perform one random act of kindness... where do I start? :)

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Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! Today I'm meeting my very best girlfriend for some coffee, outlet shopping and an afternoon bike ride- ideal right? Then I'll spend the rest of the weekend working on custom bridal orders. I am so grateful for the wonderful brides I get to work with everyday! I seriously LOVE my job :) Image by Brion Hopkins

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Great Find!

These vintage alphabet cards over at Cox & Cox would work great as table numbers at a wedding. And the best part- they're on sale for 4 Euros... which I think translates to about $5.44 here. Where were these bargains when we were planning our wedding?

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It's Spring in My Backyard

This morning was so beautiful and sunny that I just had to get out and take some pictures... I stuck to the backyard since I was still in my pjs.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Image Source here

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I Heart Envirosax

I love how convenient and strong Envirosax bags are. I bought my first one in the Seattle airport during a layover on our honeymoon and I've been hooked ever since. I now have two and I use them for everything from bringing home groceries, carrying library books, or covering things that I need to bring in when it's raining.

They come in a wide range of colors and patterns...And unlike some of my canvas totes, they never feel like they're about to break when I'm carrying a bunch of heavy grocery itemsYou can even purchase them in sets that come with a small tote... to carry your totes :) Has anyone else used these?

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Today Is A Day Meant For Dreaming

Image Source here

Today I am finally over the cold/ fever that has been haunting my every move since Wednesday night. I feel renewed. Refreshed. Thankful my body is back to its normal, working order. I am happy for today.

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Happy Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you on Monday!

Image by Dana Grant Photography

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Beautiful Entrance

I love the entrance to the Matteo showroom. It's so organic and raw and yet, absolutely beautiful.

Image source here

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Google Alerts Make Me Happy

In the past week, the Silver Pencils Etsy shop has been listed as a preferred shop by customers on both the comments section of Style Me Pretty and Southern Weddings Blog posts! Eeekkk! Happy Customers make me happy! Here are a few of the new items that have been debuting in my shop:

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Lunch at Grandma's House

This may not be the typical Grandma's House spread... but it is at my Grandma's. I love visiting and eating all this Asian deliciousness :) Here's what she whipped up for me last time I was there:

Oshinko rolls (I totally could be butchering the spelling here) My grandma makes these for me every time I come over

Cold tofu with dried fish flakes (don't get grossed out now) and soy sauce. The fish is very salty and tastes great with the cold tofu- but you need to have soy sauce with it... otherwise it would be like trying to eat small scraps of paper
Cooked spinach served cold with ground roasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, and a small amount of sugar... soooooo goodAnd some noodles with veggies

What's your "Welcome Home" food look like?

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Ranunculus

I picked up these gorgeous ranunculus at the L.A. flower district this weekend for $3.50... good deal no? There's nothing like some pretty flowers to brighten up a room.

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Happy Friday!

Happy Friday Everyone! I'll be making the trek out to the fabric district in LA this weekend to stock up on supplies before our big move. I've never been so I'm very excited! I'm also going to stop by the flower district before we leave to get some pretty blooms for our room and office. I'm thinking pink and white peonies...

I wish you all a wonderful and exciting weekend as well! See you on Monday!

Image by Sloan Photographers

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Famous Faces

I love these Famous Face Masks over at Cox & Cox. I think they'd be great as a wedding photobooth accessory or for a fun party. Each pack contains 8 different designs ranging from Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe to David Bowie and Elvis Presley. They also have fun Victorian Character Masks.

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Bridal Shower Gift Idea

I have 2 Bridal Showers coming up so I've been looking all over the place for some cute ideas. I want to incorporate gifts from their Bridal Registry with some fun additions of my own. Here are one of the ideas I came up with:

Grab the Cupcake Carrier/ Caddy off their list:

And then add Martha Stewart's CUPCAKES book found here:

Some Cupcake Mix to get started:

And then throw in some cute cupcake liners from Etsy Seller Hey Yo Yo:

And then you're done!

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The Trip That Changed It All: Yellowstone

On our second day in Wyoming, we made our way over to Yellowstone National Park. Little nugget of information for you: Yellowstone was the first national park and expands into 3 states (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho).

Here I am in front of the sign... We visited in early May so there was still a lot of snow throughout different areas of the park.Old Faithful InnI know you can't tell with the dinky old camera I used, but the interior is nothing short of absolutely amazing. I highly recommend visiting if you ever get the chance. And here's Old Faithful spouting off. We watched from the deck of the Inn.There are hot springs everywhere in Yellowstone.

The area just past here was closed because many of the bears had just finished hibernating and the area had become more of a feeding grounds... we were more than happy to stay outBison were everywhere! Seriously around

EVERY.
SINGLE.CORNER.This guy was blocking all oncoming traffic. We were lucky to be going the opposite way :) And when we got up next to him, we saw he was protecting his baby calf on the other side... so maybe the he was a she (if you look closely you can see the little baby bison feet).The scenery at Yellowstone is also gorgeous. If my little point and shoot from a couple years ago can capture vistas like this- just imagine what a nice camera could doIn 1988, five fires burned down 793, 880 acres of the park. The worst of the five, burning more than 410,00 acres was started from a discarded cigarette. You can see the sticks of timber throughout Yellowstone. Fortunately, it's slowly growing back.We had so much fun trying to spot animals in the wilderness. Danny's way better than me. He can spot celebrities, hidden animals, Waldo... me? Not so much. Can you find the hidden animal in this shot?And in this one?Just as we were leaving we came across this grizzly. The ranger was there to make sure no one went near. Apparently this bear had been beaten up by another bear :(

If you have the means, plan a trip to Yellowstone. The park entrance fee is only $25 per car load or you can purchase an $80 annual pass that's good for all national parks. I purchase an annual pass every year even if I don't get the chance to go- just because it's a cause near and dear to my heart. Plus... it kind of motivates us to get out of the house and go on road trips... old school :)

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