Guest Post: Elaine

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Hey there! I'm Elaine and I'll be your blogging host for today.

Sweet Eventide readers, more than usual, Iately I can't get enough of figuring out how to make the inspirational accessible to my everyday life. I see something I love and immediately my mind rushes to figure out how I can wear it, make it or decorate like it. For me, this on-going series of puzzles gets me through my days filled with follow-up emails and excel spreadsheets. I need to look at pretty things to get me through the day.

Case in point: recently I can't get enough of this image featuring Angelica Houston from the new book featuring the amazing work of '60s and '70s hairdresser Ara Gallant.

Can you say "GOR-geous?!" I can't help but fall in love with all the things going on in here. It's all at once spare and lush, hard and soft, shiny and powdered, subtle and arresting, deep and flat...oh I could go on and on.

Although this would be amazing reference for holiday, I'm not ready to wait that long.
I think this is how I'm gonna do it. Grey/silver embellished tank top,



Guest Post: Jamie Watson

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Good day, friends of Sweet Eventide! My name is Jamie Watson and I have a blog called PineappleLuv. When Jess asked me to be a guest here, I was honored and a little nervous. But I truly only had this one idea for it. Something so special it brings tears to my eyes.

You see, Jess is one of my best friends. When I met her in late 2001, it was friendship at first sight. She had just fallen in love with Jeff (now her husband). Anyone around them could feel the giddyness of their love and they were constantly smiling. Well, fast forward a few months in early 2002 when I met Jay (now my husband). Something hit me like a ton of bricks but I was so nervous about it all! I started relying on the expert, Jess, for my personal love advice.

About 7 months into my relationship, Jess shared with me love advice so wise and profound, it stands the test of time. Anyone around the world could read these words on lasting love and gather comfort. This is what I would like to share with you all. Please enjoy in Jess's own words, her (edited) loving email to me in early 2003.


Polaroid of Jess and I in Venice, California, 2002

Subject: more on butterflies

I just thought of something else. The constant butterfly feeling from the beginning has been replaced not by "plain" feelings but a feeling even better than butterflies. I don't know how to explain it. Maybe it's like cement. Not very romantic sounding. When Jeff and I first fell in love, I felt electric when I touched him or thought about him. He would touch my hand with his and I literally would feel a shock. It was amazing. It's a high.

Now when he touches my hand with his, I don't feel that. But it feels even better. I feel solid with his hand on mine, I am not in shock from the electricity, so I can see how strong his hands are and yet how soft and tender. When Jeff is away and I think of him, my belly doesn't do flip-flops all the time, but it feels settled. I feel cemented to the earth knowing he is out there in the world coming home to me. I guess you can call it plain, but it doesn't feel plain. It's like vanilla, some say it's the most boring flavor out there. But if you have real vanilla, it has amazing layers of deep flavor.

The best thing about moving past the all-the-time butterflies is you get this stronger feeling of security and when they come back to visit (as they do!), you have a doubly good feeling in your heart. You get to feel totally secure and safe while going on a mini-rollercoaster. I think that is what keeps a good relationship going for years and years and years. Butterflies are not very strong creatures, they are not cement.


Polaroid of Jeff and Jess at their old home in Venice, California, 2002

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Thank you Jess, I will always treasure these words that truly helped me. I imagine us as old ladies baking pies together, talking about our families and our loves.

Guest Post: Katie of Art Wall

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Hello folks, happy Monday to you all. I'm Katie from the Art Wall website and blog, here to fill in for Jess while she basks in the sun. Unfortunately it is a gloomy day here in Madison, Wisconsin but the thought of Jess's trip has got me stewing about a dream vacation.

While we were in Jess's neck-of-the-woods this spring in the Napa Valley, we came across a really special spot, and I filed it away in the "gotta do someday" segment of my brain. Nestled between Napa and Sonoma is a sprawling haven called The Carneros Inn. Is a completely contained everything-you-need kind of place with the most beautiful grounds, a wonderful bar, restaurant, spa, and lodging. The board-and-batten architecture, furnishings and styling are a mix of campy, modern, comfortable, eco-friendly, simple and cozy. The resort has a village feel complete with its own boutique and deli.


I think this would be such a wonderful spot for a destination wedding or landmark birthday event. I'd love to invite all my friends to stay in a courtyard of cottages, complete with extended wine-tastings and campfire stories.

Oh or maybe one of the tricked-out luxury homes would be better, with everyone gathered around the coffee table for games, and dinners on the terrace each night.

Hmmm, now I have a reason to look forward to my next big birthday, or perhaps I've just completed the planning for my daughter's wedding. She's only 2 so I've got a few years to complete the details.

Gust post : Jacqueline

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Hello and happy Friday! This is Jacqueline from So Cute It Hurts. I'm a crafter and blogger from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, visiting you here today while sweet Jess is away enjoying her Mexico holiday. I'm both thrilled and delighted to be here as i'm a huge fan of Jess's inspirational photography.

A solid potion of my world is dominated by a specific spectrum of color. I'm aware of the fact that i'm drawn to color in general, but most recently i've noticed a lot more of one particular color range ~ white to pink with a little mix of maroon. Most of my color inspiration comes from flowers around my little studio and the house.

One of the qualities that i enjoy most about flowers are their ability to embody a different meaning, mood, feelings for each individual bouquet. Here's a glimpse to some of my color inspiration that inspires each of my creations. I hope you enjoy!





Thank you kindly for having me sweet Jess! Wishing you a wonderful happy merry family holiday! Lots of love to you and yours!

Puerto Morelos

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Hi everyone! I scheduled this post for you in my absence to show you a little of Puerto Morelos, the town that is closest to where we are staying. I am looking forward to sharing my own images with you, but until then, enjoy these.





Image credits top to bottom: Andrea Peverali, David Clarke, jhenryrose, ChrisGoldNY

You can find many more dreamy images in the Puerto Morelos Flickr pool. Take a dip! :)

Guest Post: Erin

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Please give a warm welcome my first guest poster, Erin of the amazing and delicious fresh365 food blog. I hope you all enjoy all of the wonderful ladies who have agreed to contribute to Sweet Eventide while I am away. I can't wait to catch up when I get home!

Hello! I am Erin from fresh365 and Jess has kindly invited me to share on Sweet Eventide while she is enjoying her Mexican getaway. I am delighted to be here, as I always find so much inspiration and joy when looking at Jess’s photography. Born and raised on the east coast, I particularly love looking (with longing!) at her shots in and around California.

Today, I thought I would share with you a few shots I took when playing tourist in my own city, Boston, earlier this spring. The trees were just beginning to bloom and it was a beautiful, warm day in the city. I hope you enjoy!







© fresh365, All Rights Reserved.


Thanks for having me Jess and have an amazing trip!

Borrow Lenses

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Guess what? I picked up my fancy rental lens from Borrow Lenses today! I got the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8. I tested it out at the cupcake store today which always has pretty flowers on the table.


It is really, really heavy. I am looking forward to testing it out further. I'm feeling a little under the weather today so this was just a toe in the water kind of test.

I wanted to let you all know that I have some great guest posters lined up while I'm away! They will start running on Wednesday. I will also schedule a couple of posts from me. I will photograph something delicious before I go to surprise you. Also, there's an interview of little old me over on Max and Ellie plus a giveaway of one of my prints.

Did you have a good weekend?

An Evening Walk

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Yesterday we had the end-of-year class party and learner exhibition, which is where the kids present some of the things they've been studying. In the Noodle's class, it was the California Redwoods. My boys headed home before me, so I walked home. I happened to leave right around eventide and I happened to have my camera with me. Lucky me.




These images are SOOC (straight out of the camera), look at the way the light is oozing through that leaf! This 20-minute walk was one of the most peaceful experiences I have had recently.


And talking about luck! If you head over to Michelle Ward's highly inspirational When I Grow Up blog, you can win lots of good stuff this week in her Great Giveway -- including a little something from me!

Happy Weekend!

Flickr Vacation: Mexico

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In six days, we will be going on our first international vacation as a family. We are heading south of Cancun, Mexico for a beautiful destination wedding. I needed to take a little Flickr vacation to Mexico today though because I've been way too busy with end-of-year school activities.

all photos © Robert Crum

Have you ever been to Mexico?



P.S. You can also see Robert's photography in his Flickr photostream.

Willow Baus Etsy Shop

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I had no idea when I bought the red love boat in Portland that it was from an Etsy shop owner. I knew from the hangtag that it was made in Portland, which appealed, but it was pure coincidence that I was visiting Etsy yesterday when the Willow Baus teepee on the front page of Etsy yesterday. I added it to my favorites right away but it took another 24 hours for me to connect all the dots: the teepee shop made the love boat!

Am I ever glad I saved the hang tag!



I want a real Danish Floral Sailboat someday! Isn't that the best thing about quality toys? How they work with your imagination and truly carry you away somewhere special.

Love Boat

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I wanted to bring home just the perfect souvenir from Portland for my sweet Noodle. I was scouting the Sellwood neighborhood and wandered into Spielwork Toys. It was a wonderful toy store full of wooden, imaginative and open-ended toys. I spent a full hour trying to decide what to bring home.


The love boat stole my heart right off the bat, handmade in Portland and seemingly the epitome of how much I missed my little boy. Also it reminded me of another little wooden sailboat I gave him last summer. When I gave it to him, I said, "So do you like it?" and he said, "I don't like it. I LOVE IT."

Now we are on the hunt for a little creek to set sail.

Pin It Forward: What Home Means to Me

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Today it's my turn to share what home means to me, as part of the Pin It Forward blogger mashup.

Home means many things to me but I was able to narrow it down quickly actually. A home is a place that supports the people who live in it so they can live the life of their dreams. A home has places to daydream, create and celebrate with loved ones. It has space for entertaining with farm fresh food and it is organized so that family time is spent doing things instead of finding things.


I dream of a Craftsman home with a big, wide porch for drinking fresh squeezed lemonade, big trees for children to climb and swing, a garage organized for all things boy and a quiet retreat for creative mamas. A welcoming kitchen that is a joy to cook in and a big farmhouse table to feed a crowd. It is the kind of home where people feel comfortable dropping by for a glass of wine in the evening and where my son feels comfortable bringing boatloads of kids home after school for snacks and fun adventures in the backyard. It is the kind of home where parties are planned with glee and thrown with ease because there is enough room, but not too much room so that the house feels overwhelming and cold. There is room for house guests, with carefully made beds and bathrooms with sweet little towels and soaps at the ready. And books, oh there is a place for books; always there is a place for books.

Before I go on endlessly daydreaming here, please click on this preview of images to see my entire pinboard of images that represent what home means to me. :)

Yesterday, Sam from Good Measure shared what home means to her and tomorrow, we'll see what Brandi of Not Your Average Ordinary shares with us. Isn't this fun?!

I Love Anthropologie

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I can't help it, I'm still a sucker for Anthropologie. I popped into the Pearl District location yesterday and remembered that they posted on their Facebook FAQ page that "discreet photographs" are now allowed. Lucky for me because look what caught my eye:


This pretty bed was tucked away in a corner under a massive canopy of giant green fabric leaves. It's strange that even when I'm missing my boys so much, I am still a girlie spot to call my own. Go figure!

Anyway, I stand in awe of all their installations. They amaze me every time with their use of everyday items. Last month it was the use of more white tissue paper than I've ever seen in my life and this time, there were rolled-up white paper plates whose tips were seeped in various shades of blue, like they accidentally fell into a pot of watercolor paint. What about the time they made dresses out of the pages of old books?

Do you have a favorite Anthropologie display that you still remember?

Scene Around Town: Portland

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I've covered a lot of Portland in the past few days.  These images are from the Northeast and Northwest. I went almost everywhere except Southwest and North Portland and I also scoped out a couple of schools. The nature quote was taken at Sunnyside Environmental School and this was my second visit there.








I am happy, thanks.  And tomorrow, I'm homeward bound.


Greetings from Portland

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Hello Friends! I'm sitting in the library in Southeast Portland, checking out a sweet little neighborhood. I thought I'd pop in with a couple of photos and then I'm off to do some more exploring. I am gobbling up all the green around me here, everything is so lush and the trees, oh the trees make me feel so peaceful.




Saturday was a really fun day with my MIL, we went on a self-guided walking tour of the Alberta Arts area in Northeast Portland. The weather was a hoot, changing about every 20-30 minutes, just like they say.

I'm really missing my boys, as I am not accustomed to traveling alone. I've been writing Jaden letters in a moleskin journal and I left him an identical one at home to do the same. I may go home tomorrow afternoon instead of Wednesday. We'll see.

Pin It Forward starts today so I am going to check out the first boards going up. I haven't spent much time yet preparing for my day, which will be on Thursday.

I hope everyone is having a good Monday!

iPhone Photography: ShakeItPhoto

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Okay I've got five camera apps on my iPhone and I am loyal to only one: ShakeItPhoto because I love the tidy square shape and the white border, not to mention the processing. It's subtle and I like subtle. I introduced the app in this post, basically saying the same stuff.


Well I've got enough favorite images from this app that I went ahead and created a new set just for them on my Flickr! If you click through you can see both me and my Noodle. :)

Tomorrow I am flying to Portland for five days! I am so excited to see some family, see some of my favorite peeps and scout some 'hoods. I will post from PDX but not on Travel Day aka Friday. My sweet husband will be holding down the fort at home while I'm gone. Thank goodness for Skype, which we tested for the first time today.

A Surprise (to me) Wedding

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This morning, I was catching up with Elaine, who is one of my oldest, sweetest, most dear friends. We went to high school together and spent our formative first two years of college as roommates. My son has a mad crush on her to the extent that he can hardly say her name, he just says "I want to have dinner with...her."Anyway, she casually sends me a link this morning to check out.



Yes! After 14 years, she and Phal finally tied the knot!  Their wedding was handmade, heartfelt and beautiful. I am so happy and excited for them!

You can see the rest of their beautiful garden party wedding photos here. I love that she has more than one photographer friend named Jessica. I'm not sure what details I like best: her peachy pink dress, her fabric garland, the tissue paper flowers or the hand-drawn cake toppers!