what i'm currently obsessed with...

... i'm obsessed with these little beauties! crepe paper carnations... aren't they just the sweetest, most delicate little things?!

although i'm not the biggest fan of their live counterpart, i just ADORE these and must learn how to make them ASAP!   

i guess i know how i'll be spending my afternoon tomorrow ... =)

Merry Christmas!

i hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas!  here's the Christmas card i designed for us this year... sorry i couldn't send it to each and everyone of you... so i hope this will do!

i'll be off the grid for the next week, enjoying a little break with family and friends!

have a happy New Year!

all i want for Christmas...

i blogged my favorite things over on my events blog... i wanted to invite all my JDV readers over to check it out here: Blair Britt Events

holiday madness! {sort of}

i will say that i love the holidays... i love them A LOT! but at times working in an industry that has such large mood swings with the seasons can be difficult.  i think the holidays are naturally such a busy time of year and on top of the regular hustle and bustle i run around like a crazy woman sometimes trying to reply to client emails, picking up supplies, dropping items off to my printer for holiday cards, going to the post office, fed ex, etc {that last one being my least favorite part}.... i sacrifice sleep, time with my husband {which thankfully he is pretty tolerant of}, and sometimes a little bit of my sanity...


i promise i'm not griping!


.... but when i see custom projects completed, hear the excited responses from clients, and get feedback from my readers and facebook fans - it makes it all worth it! making a client's day makes me so happy, there is something so gratifying about creating to help produce joy in another's life.... and that is why i do what i do.  sometimes my friends and family tell me i'm crazy, and maybe i am a little bit =), but i'm crazy about what it is that i do.  i'm crazy about creating!


here's a little eye candy from a few things that i've shipped out this week...

:: :: a monogram/ mommy necklace :: ::

mixed metal of gold and silver, 

the gold tag is stamped with the mom & dad's married monogram & anniversary date

the little silver disc has a hammered texture and then is stamped for their son's initial!

 :: :: italian christmas banner :: ::

for my parent's to gift to a christmas party hostess

{i left it unstrung because my mom wanted to choose her ribbon}

... don't you love the glittered letters? 

:: :: custom luggage tags {modern style} ::  ::

for a friend/client to gift to her brother's fiance and girlfriend 

{one loves purple and lime green & the other is a TCU cheerleader, hence the purple & white}

{i didn't get the best shots of these because i took them at night, so hence the flash on the casing}

:: :: sorry for the blur, i don't want her getting solicited :: ::

::  :: address side for the TCU tag :: ::

more goodies to come!

and thanks everyone for the christmas orders =)

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name.

well, in short the name of my blog is the name of one of my two businesses... Joie de Vie Jewelry, Accessories, & Paperie.  now if you want the "Blair" version of the reason i named my business Joie de Vie keep reading....

in high school i chose to take french classes rather than the ever so popular spanish classes, it was a way to bump my way up on the list of students who had applied to my high school, since there was a long waiting list of people wanting to attend.  they figured living in so cal, most people would want to take spanish, however, since my mom and brother had both taken french i fancied the idea of speaking french like them... i always loved how fancy french expressions sounded, especially one in particular: "Joie de vivre".... here's what wikipedia say's about it:

Joie de vivre (from the French joie, "joy"; de, "of"; vivre, "to live, living"; "the joy of living") is a term sometimes imported into English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit. Joie de vivre

"can be a joy of conversation, joy of eating, joy of anything one might do… And joie de vivre may be seen as a joy of everything, a comprehensive joy, a philosophy of life, a Weltanschauung. Robert's Dictionnaire says joie is sentiment exaltant ressenti par toute la conscience, that is, involves one's whole being."^[1]

In English common usage, the phrase is sometimes corrupted to joie de vie. ^[2] This would translate to "joy of life" or "zest for life," rather than the more affirmative "joy of living." Joie de vive is another common spelling error.

i believe that living life to the fullest is the only way to live it! so, this quickly became one of my favorite french expressions... however, when it came time to name my business, the domain "joiedevivre.com" was taken by some darn San Fran hotel chain {and they took JDV.com too} but that company deserves it because their hotels are pretty great! so i decided to be one of those "english speakers who corrupted it to Joie de Vie." =)  my goal in my business was to create and do things that would help bring joie or joy to my client's lives!  and that's how and why Joie de Vie was picked for my business and blog name!

oh and if you are wondering how the heck you pronounce it...  sound it out: Jwah-duh-vee =) bet you didn't think you'd get a french lesson out of this post!

Day 1:Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts.

introduction eh?

well, my name is blair britt, it used to be blair schron when i started this blog... funny thing is my older brother's name is britt schron, it was totally normal when i was blair schron... then i married a man with the last name BRITT... creating an ongoing joke in my family about me being "blair schron britt" and my brother being "britt schron"... and on facebook it's even more confusing.... ok enough with confusing you about my name =)

justus and i at a friend's wedding in september

i'm blair britt, i married my husband justus over 2 years ago and we live in orange county, where i was born and raised, and hope to live for a long time to come! we have a circus {as we like to call it} that consists of 3 animals: Sparky the handicapped goldfish who has been in our care, for better of worse, for more than 6 years now.... there's Chi Chi the chinchilla that i acquired a year after Sparky, thinking a chinchilla would be the PERFECT pet while i was still in college, needless to say, she's really fluffy and soft, but not like having a dog or cat.  Third and finally we have Misty our ragdoll, fluffball, and totally gorgeous cat.  she is so spunky, acts like a dog half the time and is our little buddy, she gets the royal treatment and yes she is the favorite of the three, sorry Sparky & Chi Chi!

my 15 "interesting facts" + 1 

no. 1 - in case you haven't noticed, i don't like to capitalize unless i'm trying to make a point, i'm not the best proof-reader of my own work {hence typos occasionally}, also i'm not the greatest with punctuation, but i still write regardless.

no. 2 - if you asked J, he'd tell you i'm a busy body, if you ask me, i'd say i have creative A.D.D

no. 3 -  i own two small business:  Joie de Vie Jewelry, Accessorries, & Paperie  and  Blair Britt Events

no. 4 - i started my college career at Long Beach State as a graphic design major, and i ended up graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in sociology {which now i wish had been graphic design} oh if only i knew then what i know now.... =)

no. 5 - i'm missing both of my upper lateral teeth and have had two fake teeth on a bridge for 10 years now

no. 6 - i'm the youngest of 3 kids, my older brother Chris is 40, Britt the next oldest is 36, and i'm 27 - quite the generational gap {and yes i was planned}

no. 7 - i love the idea of reading books, but i always ruin them by reading the last page when i'm about 3 chapters in, i always want to know how it ends... i guess to determine if i should keep reading

no. 8 - i have 5 nephews, so the pressure's on for us to have a girl when we start a family

*    *    *    * are we having fun yet?? *    *    *    *

no. 9 - i used to do extra work in college - you can see me in the movie Dare Devil, the OC, the first episode of CSI Miami, and the short lived show American Bandstand.

no. 10 - i'm right handed but i shoot a basketball better lefty

no. 11 - i am VERY random, just ask my friend's about the voicemail i leave them

no. 12 - i am a realtor, just not working in that industry anymore

no. 13 - if i could live in another generation it'd be in the 1950's - post war, everyone living the good life, cute fashion - c'mon the poodle skirts and saddle shoes, suburban life, great music!

no. 14 - i am an insomniac yet i love sleep, i never can get enough of it, but maybe that's because i stay up all hours of the night....

no. 15 - i'm looking forward to being the kind of mom mine is to me {love her}

plus one - 

i love to create.  the reason i said earlier that i have creative A.D.D. is that not a day goes by that i don't have a new creative project on my mind.  i'm constantly thinking about, planning or dreaming up ways to create something i've seen or an idea i have mapped out in my head and it's just waiting to be brought to life.  i'm the kind of person that if i think i can make it rather than buy it, i will... and i mean that in the most humble way =)  i believe that God gives everyone gifts, sometimes it takes us longer than others to know what those gifts are... and i believe i was given the gift of creativity.  i love to create beautiful things, whether it be a necklace to adorn a bride on her very special wedding day, or the paper goods to announce the arrival of a couples' most precious first born child, or it could even be creating and producing an elaborate design theme for my clients' wedding day - i take great pleasure in them all!  i have such a passion for using my creativity to make people's lives more enriched and joyful, and if i can succeed in serving others in this way, then my mission in life is being accomplished.

see you tomorrow!

30 day blog challenge

in an attempt to become a better blogger and to help my readers get to know me a little better, i'm joining the party... the 30 day blog challenge party! ok, well maybe it's not a party... but it can be if you'd like to join me! i visited a friend's blog this week and thought "wow, she's on top of it, explaining the name of her blog, things about her, really fun stuff...." then i scrolled down to find the reason behind her well written and well thought out posts... she's doing the following 30 day challenge... and i've decided i would like to do the same {thanks Ash for the inspiration}!  to all my blogging friends, i invite you to join in the challenge or the party, whichever you'd like to think of it as.... if you decide to do it, let me know because i'd love to follow along!


i'll be back tomorrow with my first post of the challenge!


If you do want to follow along and do the Challenge, too, here are the topics:

30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 1:Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts.
Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name.
Day 3: Your first love.
Day 4: Your parents.
Day 5: Your siblings.
Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy.
Day 7: Favorite movies.
Day 8: A place where you've traveled.
Day 9: A picture of your friends.
Day 10: Something of which you are afraid.
Day 11: Favorite T.V. shows.
Day 12: What you believe.
Day 13: Goals.
Day 14: A picture you love.
Day 15: Life motto/inspirational quote.
Day 16: Dream house.
Day 17: Something you're looking forward to.
Day 18: Something you regret.
Day 19: Something you miss.
Day 20: Nicknames.
Day 21: Picture of yourself.
Day 22: Favorite city. 
Day 23: Favorite vacation.
Day 24: Something you've learned.
Day 25: Put your iTunes on shuffle; name the first ten songs.
Day 26: Picture of your family.
Day 27: Pets.
Day 28: Something that stresses you out.
Day 29: Three wishes.
Day 30: A closing picture and something of which you are proud.

stopping in to say hello!

things are finally winding down a bit for me, i've ben doing lots of creative and very custom projects recently, so i've just been terrible about blogging {but i have been updating facebook with my recent projects}.  if you ever feel like i've abandoned the blog just visit me on FB for what i like to think of as my "mini-blogging" place.... does that count? 


any-who, i stumbled up this photo tonight, and fell in love with the way these necklaces are displayed on the glass cloches! loooove...

i found this image on Jennifer Rizzo's blog and from her site i found another fabulous blog written by Dusty Lu, i love finding new inspirational blogs!

i hope everyone is enjoying fall,

coming out of hiding...

no, i haven't forgotten about all of you lovely folks who follow along... i've been just swamped {in such a good way}

here's what i've been up to:
  * did full event design & coordination of a gorgeous {even if i say so myself} wedding back in june
  * my other biz, Blair Britt Events was featured on Amy Atlas' blog, and it was not just one post, but 3 individual posts about my june wedding {yippee!}
  * been really busy with lots of custom orders {mostly paper} *photos to come*
  * traveled to a Park City family wedding and then to a friend's gorgeous wedding in Santa Barbara last       weekend!
  * also, it was during this time we learned that my momma was diagnosed with lymphoma, so that's   been a whole new adventure in my personal life... 
  * i'm also helping a long time/dear friend finalize her august wedding details... for 8/28

wow, when i summarize the last 2 months of my life like that, it doesn't sound like a whole lot... but, hopefully all the pictures i'll be sharing will make up for my absence. =)

memorial day... a day late

i meant to post yesterday to wish everyone a happy memorial day and kick off to summer, alas, i did not, so.... i'm sharing this with you today!

memorial day means a lot to my family as my dad was a marine, his younger brother a retired Jag Corps Judge, and his older brother a Marine Corps Colonel {who passed away when i was about 10} so service is not taken lightly in my family, rather, it is honored and respected. regardless of your politics i think we can all agree that the selflessness service people

demonstrate going to serve our country is highly respectable, simply because they are doing something we are not either able or capable of doing.... and that giving of themselves is why we get to spend memorial day with our family & friends, at the beach or pool, BBQ'ing, shopping the sales, or just laying low... so thank you for protecting us and serving so that we can continue to enjoy the freedoms we cherish so much!

here's a photo i saw on photographer, Jessica Claire's blog awhile back... that brought me to tears.... i have to say, dress uniform and those rings boxes... that photo is just so amazing & special to me!

i posted this quote to my facebook page yesterday, and regarless of if you like this guy's politics, he's and Ohio guy {which is where my dad's from} and i think he said it perfectly... why we celebrate memorial day!

Today we remember & honor the sacrifices that have made America the freest,

most prosperous nation the world has ever known. America’s warriors, past & present,

who have fought for the survival of liberty and the forward march of freedom.

To all who've given their lives for our country, & to those of you serving

in our Armed Forces today, may God bless each of you.

{thanks John Boehner for the quote}

i hope everyone enjoyed your holiday!

happy valentines day...

we're just relaxing after hosting a small group of friends for valentines dinner, dessert and then went bowling last night... it was a fun night, but we're beat, i hope everyone enjoys what's left of valentines day and their long weekends!

here's a little love from last night
Justus, Misty kitty & I

she's not too stoked about the photo

ivc flea market

just a little announcement folks... i will not be at this sunday's flea market, being that it's super bowl sunday we decided to opt out, since we thought it might not be the best day for traffic, probably a decent prediction.  but we are aiming to be at the march 7th flea market, so we hope to see you there!

27 it is...

well, last week i celebrated my 27th, another year of life, but it was a little bittersweet due to the fact that a family member passed away... so its been a time for reflection and celebrating life...  something i learn and appreciate more with each passing year is just how precious life and loved ones are.  i think it's so important to cherish each day with friends and family and to appreciate what God has given you.... ok enough with my melancholy monologue, i'm a big softy at heart...

back to my post - on my actual birthday i headed into downtown LA with my mom {what a great shopping buddy} for some quality time and to get some much needed items that i can't get locally in orange county.  we had high hopes of making it out to tai pan trading in ontario, if you haven't been there GO!  alas we got stuck in a ton of traffic leaving LA, so we bypassed and met my dad, bro, SIL, and nephews for a looong dinner, but that's another story!

while in DTLA i picked up some fun new things for future accessory ideas...

very bling-y & will be very bridal!

my mom also bought me this awesome orchid arrangement while we were in the flower district 

- love it!

after our big day and lengthy dinner {but great quality family time} i finally made in home in time find my jet-lagged half asleep hubs at home with my second floral gift of the day... my all time favorite roses!

what a guy...

 
the following night my friends and their spouses joined us out for a fun night at a local deli & piano bar - and we were pleasantly surprised that the food was great, with huge portions, and the music was great too!  i highly recommend the Derby deli & dueling piano bar in Mission Viejo,
for all of you in orange county!

here's a photo of the girls from that night

and here are my birthday gifts to myself:

a two tone bracelet with silver chain and gold hammered circles at the center of the bracelet, got lots of compliments on this one, so i think this could be making it's way to the shop soon!

i also made myself some big and sparkly earrings for the evening too:

these are a gold webbed component with golden shadow swarovski teardrops along with what i like to call gold disc balls... this photo doesn't even show off how sparkly these earrings are!

while this past week was a crazy one, i'm glad it's passed and we're moving on with this new year and i hope 27 is a great year! 

i've got sunshine....

on a cloudy day {ahem, gloomy, crazy stormy day in orange county, ca}!

love this print from etsy seller faroushe... she's been the featured seller on the front page of etsy the past few days, but i found her work about 6 months ago and love all of her quirky yet pretty items!  if you need a little sunshine for yourself you can find this print here.

i hope this helps brighten and warm up your day,

*b

hello 2010!

happy new year to you all!

i hope your holidays were filled with relaxation, family time, and fun... i know we certainly enjoyed our's - around thanksgiving we got the glorious news that J passed the california bar on the 1st try, so yes, i'm official married to an attorney! then in december we celebrated my dad's 65th birthday party topped off w/ him bowling 5 strikes in a row at his b-day shindig {can we say senior hobby?}.  christmas eve was spent with my whole crazy & wonderful family playing games, talking, and reflecting on the meaning of Christmas.  Christmas day J and i were off to SLC {his hometown} to visit his family for a few days and test our well adjusted so-cal thin-blooded bodies in the 9 degree cold of Utah!  i'm pretty sure at least half our time was spent playing board games, the rest was filled with good food, and spent visiting his buddies.

{our gocco'd 2009 christmas & new year's card}

as i look back at the past few months {and year} i feel as though i've traveled to the moon and back! many of last year's endeavors turned out to be rewarding and educational additions to this chapter in my life; teaching me much about myself, being a wife & daughter, being an entrepreneur, and the list really could keep going... but i will admit, despite the fact that JDV and my other biz Blair Britt Events have really come to life, i need to do more and grow them both into more.  as i look at my past few posts since my giveaway i feel as though i've been a really lousy blogger... sure i've focused on twitter and my facebook page more than my blog, but my blog is what so many clients & friends have said they enjoy... it's my journal of this journey as a business owner that i love to share.  and since i work best when i know i'm accountable for something, in writing...

my goal this next year will be to try my darndest to blog twice and post one new item in my shop on a weekly basis in 2010! they may not be my typical legnthy posts, but i WILL post =)

now i'll leave you with our christmas eve setting at my bro & SIL's home...

isn't that beautiful?? they're great at entertaining, not to mention my SIL is a FANTASTIC interior designer - they've graciously hosted many of our family holidays! we love going there, & i'm sure you can see why.

here she and i are goofing around in front of the trees - tippy toes!

i'm baack!

so... i know it's been a few months, i've been really busy and haven't forgotten about you all who follow my blog - i've just been trying to get my feet back on the ground, which is slowly happening!

since my last post i coordinated my first official wedding {i'll be sure to start blogging the photos soon}, but, also my hubs and i found out some great news... he passed the CA Bar exam on the first try - yep that means as of this thursday's swearing in ceremony, i'll be married to an attorney!  it's been such a long journey in which i feel like i've been his "wingman" on, from all the law school final exams, Bar prep study classes, and 3 months of studying like a crazy person... it's all paid off and he's now crossed the finish line on this part of the journey! i'm so proud and so thankful that his hard work was rewarded, and i can't wait to see what's in store for him and us down the road.  also, congrats to anyone else out there who just went through what my hubs did, and was fortunate enough to pass!

ok now down to business.... =)

sorry for my absence

i've been away for a little while since i've been doing a lot of work on my "other" business... Blair Britt Events.  it's my other pride and joy... event design and wedding coordination, which i now offer as a service to my clients... any-who... i just coordinated my first client's wedding this past saturday at saddlerock ranch in malibu, ca - and i really can't wait to show off the day... but i'll have to wait to do that... i'll post as soon as i have the pro photos!

but in the mean time take a sec to visit my new {other} blog: BlairBrittEvents and follow my other twitter profile {twitter.com/blairbrittevent}, find us on facebook too!

vacation time!

hi all -

just wanted to give a heads up that i leave town today and will be out of town & quasi out of touch internet-wise till the 5th of July... i'm not closing down my etsy shop - so please feel free to purchase and send messages, just know i might not be able to respond in a timely fashion! and i will get to ya...

i'm really looking forward to this trip - in case you are remotely curious we'll be heading to my cousin's wedding near Chicago for the weekend. and from there we will fly to Charleston, SC for a little girl time for the week! i'm so excited to be traveling, and it'll be a great way to come back nice and refreshed to work on the rest of the wedding season orders! =)

*b

{inspiration} oh martha!

martha and the late paw paw

today i was reading "the Martha rules" and was very inspired by this quote from the book - and for all of you creative types out there, making a living doing what you love, i hope this helps give you a little motivation and inspiration!

{follow along} JDV Jewelry is on twitter

just in case you didn't know, you can follow along with Joie de Vie Jewelry on twitter as well - i've been tweeting for awhile, but i just wanted to let new followers know that you can find me there too!

find me here