wedding week: the short of things

When it comes to wedding attire, I love a short dress! I had my heart set on a tea length frock for our nuptials, but ended up with a traditional floor length gown for most of the day (most...I'll get to that later). 

If you're looking to add a little vintage flair to your big day, I suggest checking out Dolly Couture dresses. I've been following Dolly Thicke since she was selling on eBay and this talented seamstress and designer has come a long way. She now has seventeen (!) styles available in all sorts of lush laces, soft satins, with the cutest petticoats or polka dots you can imagine, each with their own vintage flair. And it's totally worth mentioning that her prices are insanely reasonable. 

Here are some of my favorite Dolly creations:

The Beverlywood

The Lahaina

How can you say no to crisp eyelets?

The Avila 

The Marin County

The Hastings On Hudson

all via dolly couture

No one quite does short and retro like Dolly does and at such reasonable prices, it's really easy for brides to have the vintage touch they want to their day. 

The best part, you need to visit Dolly's Facebook page. There' she has a gajillion photos of real brides, not models, in her gorgeous gowns. I'm constantly in awe of how her dresses transcend body types and look good on every. single. type of woman. It's truly amazing, I've never seen a happier bunch of brides!

What is your dream dress or favorite style of gown? Short and sweet? Wispy and romantic? Or structured and sleek? I love the idea of a different dress for every bride. 

See you tomorrow for some more Wedding Week fun! Happy dressing!

wedding week: eternal summer nuptials.

It's Monday! Woohoo? I can't quite decide yet if that's a good thing or bad thing, but I do know I'm very excited about Wedding Week here at The 60/40 and I hope you are too. This week I'll be sharing with you my favorite wedding bits, do's, don'ts and everything in between. At the end of the week I'll be celebrating my one year anniversary and I hope you'll join me from now until then, when I recap Josh and I's big day!

Let's kick off the week with one of my all time favorite weddings from the infamous, Once Wed. Maybe it's the fact that Nick and Surya got married in Colorado, but something about their wedding just speaks to me. It feels like eternal summer with their whimsical dresses and not too serious, but gorgeous, decor.

And I can't forget, the cutest Save-the-Date I've ever seen! They even used one of my favorite songs

 *le sigh*

all via once wed

Everything about this wedding has me smiling; the sign in the trees, the bold bridesmaid's ensembles, her short and sassy dress and his handsome bowtie and vest. A little secret? I never look at wedding anything. I loved our wedding, don't get me wrong, but looking at other peoples makes me want to just do it all over again, so I usually refrain. But Nick and Surya's wedding, I can't even be envious, it's just too cute. I would've however have loved to be a fly on the wall!

What's one element or item you would've (or would) like to pluck from someone elses wedding and put into yours? I would've loved to have has rustic wooden tables like theirs.

Tomorrow I'll see you right back here for some more wedded bliss. xo.

super {flea} sunday.

Happy Sunday! Today is a day to celebrate. I've officially made it through one month of this deployment. To treat ourselves, my friends and I had a big meal together, laughed and drank too much wine. It's certainly not getting easier and this upcoming month, with our first wedding anniversary and my birthday, will probably be pretty rough. But I'm proud of myself and my friends. 

I figured I deserved a little {flea} time for making it through this so far and I came across these pretty little books at one of my favorite thrifts.

Vintage, especially children's, books are one of my all time favorite collections. In a world of Kindle and iBooks, I welcome the soft embossed covers and worn pages. Very little beats the smell of an old book (Is that weird?). My absolute favorite is finding books with names, notes, and passages inside the cover. I love making up stories about who the recipient was and why the gift was given.

I want to hear about your favorite collections. What got you started on your collections? Do you go for quality or quantity? 

I look forward to reading all about your favorite things and can't wait to share more pretty things with you this week! Enjoy every moment of this Sunday and be sure to come back tomorrow. xo.

happy weekend.

Happy weekend, kittens! I hope your weekend is full of fun and happy surprises. Some friends and I will be having a dinner together and my neighbor is having a huge birthday shindig, complete with not one, but two bluegrass bands! It should be a super fun weekend. 

See you tomorrow for the {flea}! And coming up next week is a mini-series, a few d-i-ys and some pretty art. Get out there and celebrate! xo. 

via we heart it

local wildlife.

I'm working hard on a mini-feature for all of you lovely kittens. I was going to start posting today, but something about it isn't quite right. I want it to be super fun and adorable, so hang on for just a few more days! 

In the mean time, here's a few photos of the local wildlife I see around town and in my yard (hehe). 

Hope you had a great day! xo. 

The day Josh left we found this prize hanging out in the shade of the trees in our front yard. It's one of their favorite hang out spots. 

And this little bugger was waiting on my neighbor to arrive home just yesterday!

I'm starting to recognize the deer by antlers and markings they hang out at my house so much.

And here's a rare treat, a mountain lion and a moose, doing their best vogue.

My friends have the greatest sense of humor. What else are you supposed to do in a cheesy tourist joint? Take photos, of course!

Ps. Did you know there's still items available in The 60/40 Pop-Up Summer Shop? Check out the goodies before they're scooped up!

fall at house industries.

Today is the most beautiful day. Fall is in the air; 63 degrees, breezy and sunny as can be. I'm in total heaven. It's sweater time and I couldn't be happier.

House Industries cheered me up even more this morning with an email about their new plywood prints. I love House and their use of typoraphy and simple lines to create gorgeous art. These plywood prints, with their jewel and copper tones are the perfect way to infuse some Autumn style into your home.

This print is by far my favorite. So simple, so saturated, so, so pretty.

all via house industries

They are reasonably prices, but also available on paper, so check them out! I may even try a homemade version with my favorite House font and colors.

Are you feeling Fall in the air there? Is it making you itch to bust out your sweaters and boots, like me?

I want to hear hour you're infusing fall style into your homes.

See you tomorrow with a new mini-feature! Have an amazing day.

climbing the mountain.

Oh friends, what a few weeks it has been. Adjusting to living alone again while Josh is away has it's ups and downs, that's to say the least. 

For starters, I have a vehicle at my disposal. When we moved, we went down to one car because we knew he'd be deploying. So while he drove to work every day, I sat on my toosh, with plenty of time to craft and blog. Now that I have the car, I'm wanting to go, go, go all the time. To the thrift, the grocery, the movies, you name it, I want to go! 

Even little things like taking out the trash and going to the post office are things I've had to adjust to. I'm doing it, but it's finding that perfect routine that can throw me off. I'm figuratively climbing a mountain, the mountain to independence and balance. At the top I'll be able to see the way back down to having him home and the next mountain to readjust.

Last week one of my best friends from college came for a visit and not only am I being figurative, but we also literally, climbed a mountain. Now let me start by saying, I'm really proud of myself. This isn't the kind of stuff I do. Sure, I'll take a long walk in the park behind our house, but hiking the single most challenging trail in the city? Nah, not me. 

Well, I did it! Pikes Peak is the 18th highest peak in Colorado and only one higher peak is accessible by vehicle. Walking it is a totally different game. We didn't complete the entire 7 mile hike, but went 3 miles up and ascended over 800 feet. 

ya, I know...badass.

We found a point to stop, just at the treeline with larger than life granite rocks. The view, along with the feeling of accomplishment is something I can't even describe. My buddy was totally proud of me (thanks for the push, friend!) and we spent a long while soaking in the sights of the town below, and the amazing terrain all around us. 

My friend and I. Awesome with a self-timer and the views. 

I'm really itching to get back up there and complete the entire hike by the time Josh comes home. I want to tackle it together and kick his butt! If you're ever out this way, I really recommend it. Sure it's challenging, but knowing that you can literally and figuratively climb mountains...well, that's a sight to see!

I'm feeling recharged and refreshed and I'm really looking forward to sharing this week with all of you. I've got exciting things planned and tons of to-do's on my project list. I'll be spending the rest of this rainy Monday sewing myself a pretty bag for fall. Heads up for that and a mini-tour of one of my favorite places in town! See you tomorrow. xo.

super {flea} sunday.

Happy Sunday again friends. How was your Friday the 13th? My was filled with beautiful weather, art and friends. Today is dreary compared to the rest of the weekend; Autumn is on its way and I'm really enjoying my comfy sweats and a yummy meal with friends. 

This weeks {flea} is totally (ok, mostly) functional. I'm always on the hunt for vintage sheets and found these two adorable flat sheets at one of my favorite thrifts for dirt cheap. 

I love that I can put them on my bed (after a good wash of course), make curtains or more than likely, find a few others and make myself a pretty quilt. Old sheets are like your favorite t-shirt, soft and worn. The beautiful flower pattens will make my bed feel like eternal Summer.

I also snagged a paint-by-number. I have such a hard time finding them, so I couldn't pass up this sweet ship. 

Someday I'd love to have a whole gallery wall of them. The colors are also so perfect for the decor in our house and I adore the often kitschy scenes and animals. Have you found any awesome ones? I'd love a lead or two. 

That's it for todays {flea} kittens! I'm of to bbq my heart out. See you soon. xo.

happy {friday the 13th} weekend

Happy, happy weekend, kittens!!! Today is my favorite day of the year, Friday the 13th! While some people don't even get out of bed on this day, I look forward to it. Thirteen has always been my families lucky number. My parents met on a Friday the 13th, baseball numbers, and Josh proposed to me on a Friday the 13th. It's such a special day that brings me nothing but luck and happiness.

via we heart it

Little things in my life have come to revolve around the number thirteen; I actually started this blog on the 13th of October. While a Friday the 13th generally happens every 212.35 days, last year there were three (!) months with my special day. All of this in our first year moving away together, getting engaged and getting married. Coincedence? I don't think so.

via flickr

I love to do something fun on this day and take time to reflect all the amazing things that have happened since the last. I hope today, instead of seeing it as unlucky, that you'll embrace the luckiness of that little 13 and reflect on what a happy Friday and ride through your life thus far it's really been.

I hope you have a truly amazing weekend, I'll be back Sunday for a super {flea}!

shade. like under a tree...

Imagine that you meet a man. A creepy man who incessantly hits on you. His name is Shade (really) and he says ultra creepy things like "I feel you girl. I feel you feelin' me." You continue to ignore him, but he insists on telling how beautiful you are and gives you his card to power wash your house. He says he'll give you a great deal and that if you were his girl he'd give you his whole paycheck; that he can "afford you".

You tell your brother and husband this story and in turn, they tell your friend. Finding this hilarious and knowing your sense of humor, your friend sends you flowers. To your house. From Shade. You husband freaks, thinks he's followed you home.  You call your brother in a panic, maybe he sent you the flowers as a joke, or maybe, just maybe, Shade really did follow you home and next thing you know you're calling the cops and unlisting your phone number. 

This is a totally true story. About a man my friend Christy met and yes, his name really was Shade ("like under a tree", he said) That friend who knew her wicked sense of humor and sent her a bouquet of the cheesiest flowers she could order? That was me. 

Shade has since become a bit of a joke amongst my friends. We tell our husbands "Well why not? Shade can afford me" and say "I feel you feelin' me" to one another about a dozen times when talk. He even has his own fan club on Facebook; a private group for our friends to meet and talk about inside jokes and stuff we want to share. I'm 99% sure that Shade will be with us for a long time, showing up at the birth of children, birthdays and holidays. After all, he's a true ladies man. 

Josh was supposed to deploy a certain day, but the Army being the Army, it was moved again and again. After running last minute errands and having lunch, we came home to find a box of flowers on the doorstep (can you see where this is going?). I was ecstatic! My husband sent me flowers, expecting me to have received them after he left. I squealed all the way into the house about how sweet he was. He on the other hand, couldn't wipe the smirk off of his face.

I opened the box to find two dozen beautiful roses. What a treat! There was more glee and hugs and kisses. He just laughed and asked "Where is the card?" The card? My imagination ran wild about all the sweet things he would've prompted the kind flower people to write. There were tears in my eyes. 

I tore open the card, which is now framed in my room, to find this:

 

I laughed until it hurt, and cried more. My friend Christy is a gem of a friend. That rare gal that just "gets me" and even in my saddest, darkest moments, can make me laugh through my tears. She had asked my husband for our address, all to send me the silliest and sweetest gift imaginable to make me smile on one of the saddest days of my life. It's something I'll never forget and every time I glance at that card, I have to call her up and tell her how much I can "feel her feelin' me and my sad sorrow". 

Friends like her are the silver lining in crappy situations like a deployment. The flowers have since wilted, but the laughter remains. Some days I just feel so blessed by the people around me. Thanks friend, I can afford you too! 

I hope you had a little laugh, see you all tomorrow for a very special day! xo.

awww...

via we heart it

I am truly loosing my noggin. I spent all day cleaning, painting and preparing for my out of town visitor, when all I wanted to be doing was reading my favorite blogs and catching up with all of you. Well, 'aww, shit', I just sat down and it's almost 3 am! My friend arrives in just a few hours and I feel as though I have tons to do. 

So accept my apologies for my generally craptastic blog behavior. I miss you all mighty much and I have an enormous list of fun things to share with you; a funny gift from a friend (which I promise wont disappoint), some beautiful art and a few of my favorite things. Where do I find the time? Can someone jump into a space-time continuum and buy me a few more hours? I would promise your rainbows and gumdrops forever!

Today will be low key after I pick up my friend; a little grocery shopping,  returning some emails (if you're waiting on me, I promise I'll chat your ear off tomorrow), a trip to the post office and then tonite....tonite I'm all yours! I'll be bringing you a happy weekend, a rare Saturday post and super fun {flea} on Sunday! 

Never fear kittens, I'll find my head rolling around here somewhere soon. Time to get it on straight! Have an awesome Thursday. xo. 

fall infatuation.

I am 100% ready for Fall! Don't get me wrong, Summer is loverly, but Autumn is my favorite season. Pumpkin spice lattes, bonfires, wool blankets, crunchy leaves, and sweaters are just a few reasons I'm so in love. And while I'm enjoying the warm days and cool nights here, I'm ready to get good use out of my fire place and smell that woody smell that makes it so romantic.

Fall fashion is hitting hard right now and Anthropologie has me head over heels for so many of their fall pieces. It's times like this that I wish I had an bottomless bank account; I could so use a shopping spree. But let's window shop a little, shall we?

A Thousand and One Ways Wrap

If I could splurge on one things this season, it would be these. *sigh*

Bowtied-Beauty Boots

I'll be getting my birthday coupon in the mail next month and I think I'll treat myself to this cozy little number.

Ladies Choice Cardi

Or...maybe this. I haven't decided. What do you think?

Slanted Plaid Blouse

And I'm a total sucker for mustard.

Joni Mini Bag

Heritage Estate Blouse

Sugar-Coated Shirtdress

Are you as smitten as I am? I usually look at some Anthro things and think, 'huh?', but this Fall everything hits the nail on the head. The pieces are the perfect blend of vintage fabrics and embellishments and modern cuts. I guess it's time to really start thinking about stepping into fall in style!

See you all later today with a funny story and endearing gift from an amazing friend. I have lots of painting to catch up on and cleaning to do before my college friend arrives on Thursday for a visit!

Smile at a stranger today, they'll appreciate it. xo.

super {flea} sunday.

Oh Sunday, here you are again, with your dimming light, cool breeze and fun {flea} finds! Did you all have a spectacular weekend? I had alot of fun with some of my friends, eating ice cream, organizing closets and watching movies. If every week would fly by this quickly for a year, I'll be ok with that. 

I haven't done too much {flea}ing in the weeks leading up to Josh leaving, but I did manage to snag this adorable vintage table cloth for just a dollar! 

Vintage hankies are another one of those collections that I just sort of stumbled in to and this just brings it full circle. Each "hankie" is a little different and I love the florals and crocheted edging. 

I have a table in my living room that I could throw it on, but part of me want to revamp it. What would you do with it? Pillows? Curtain? I want to hear your ideas; inspire me, please! 

I'm off to feed my little Hank (he's so ticked at me right now, I gave him a bath) and head to a friends for dinner. Cooking for one stinks and it's so much easier when you can make a little more and have some company!

See you kittens tomorrow :)

happy weekend.

Happy weekend, kittens! Summer days are getting shorter and nights are getting cooler here, I hope you have some fantastic weekend plans ahead. This week was long for me, so I'm looking forward to relaxing and working on a painting for a friend. 

I wanted to share a little weekend love with a teeny gift I made for Josh before he left. e.e. cummings is by far my favorite poet of all time. His poems are deeply loving, sometimes sexy and I love his use of punctuation. 

His most famous poem, I Carry Your Heart With Me, is near and dear to me, especially in relation to Josh and I being apart. So to give my husband a little smile I crafted him a little felt heart to wear in his uniform pocket; so he knows I always carry him with me. You can saw 'awwww' now. 

See, my heart in his heart! I used felt cut outs, a teeny bit of stuffing and blanket stitch around the edges. A sweet and simple little craft, don't you think?

I'll leave you with e.e.'s words. Have a fabulous weekend, I'll see you Sunday for the {flea}!

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

silly bits and bobs.

I have really dropped the ball this week with the blog. Having Josh gone has been quite an adjustment. Even silly things like taking out the trash (which he usually does) have piled up in front of me. But I'm totally itching to get my house clean and start on the list of totally fun projects I have planned. I want to thank you all so very much for your love and support; it's so nice to know you are there for us. Next week will be even better and the week after that, even more. As I complete things and feel accomplished, I'm able to look at the calendar and realize that we're that much closer to being together!

I wanted to share with you something silly today. These little stuffies made me chuckle when I saw them on a show covering Comic Con. The company I Heart Guts makes adorable little plushes in the shape of your favorite guts. Who doesn't want a smiling set of ovaries?

Ova Achiever-Ovary

I Got The Beat-Heart

Don't Hold Your Breath-Lungs

This one is my favorite. Doesn't he kinda look like Elvis?

Having A Ball-Testicle

The names are hilarious and they are mildly creepy and adorable, all at the same time. I think they'd make great gifts for friends with a good sense of humor or someone you know battling or recovering from an illness. Know a dude with prostate cancer? Cheer him up a bit with a smiling prostate plush. Why not?

They also carry pins, gift packs, ecards, tshirts and paper goods like this funny, yet informative poster.

All via I Heart Guts

If you've got a non-profit too, I Heart Guts can custom design a t-shirt for your event, fundraiser, walk/run or business. I think it's pretty awesome that this company can put a smile on the faces of people who are going through a rough time. And even in every day life a smiling gut can make anyone happy.

I hope these made you laugh; I'm just so smitten with their cute little faces. I'll see you tomorrow for some weekend fun. xo.

the hardest part.

Hi, kittens. I don't really know how to start this post. I haven't been around very much for the past few weeks and I apologize for being ominous. I try not to make things too heavy here at The 60/40, but somethings are just tough to say.

I recently had to say goodbye to the love of my life and best friend, my husband. He's left for a deployment with his job in the military and for the next year or so I will wake up without him and go to sleep at night wishing he was here. Saying 'goodbye' to him for this long is the hardest thing I have ever done and everyday I worry about him. 

Despite the general suckiness of this situation, I'm doing ok. It's a terribly tough thing to go through, but I'm the kind of gal who looks for the silver lining and I plan on taking this year to do everything I've wanted to do and more. I hope that you'll embrace getting to know me a little better; I felt it was important to share this with you because this is my place of solace. I won't be a debbie downer all the time, but you're going to get to know 'the real Roxanne' and there will be raw emotion, hard stuff, and totally off the wall fun stuff. 

Big things are going to happen and I look forward to spending this year working hard towards goals I've had in my heart for a really long time. Being a bit of an introvert will help me get through this deployment by recharging and focusing on goals I have for my life. I'll still miss him every day and yes, I'm surrounding myself with friends and family, but I see this as a good time too focus and plainly put, get shit done. 

I really hope that you'll enjoy the adventures to come with me; the good times and tough times. Waking up every morning, blogging, sharing with you little bits of my life and reading your comments means so very much to me. I'm bursting on the inside to share with you the things that have happened over the past few weeks and the amazing things to come. You should seriously see my 'to do' list, it's a mile long!

I've got plenty of fun posts this week, a hilarious gift from a dear friend, and lovely summer pictures. I want to encourage you all to still check out The 60/40 Pop-Up Summer Shop, there's plenty of pretty things left. If you're waiting on a package from me, it's in the mail! 

Thanks for listening friends, I promise I'll have a post this evening that is super fun! xo always, Roxanne