jump around

May 31st, 2013 | Posted by Hello Love in Fitness - (Comments Off)

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Jumping rope is an inexpensive way to burn tons of calories and improve your overall health in a short amount of time. Beginner jumpers should start by practicing proper, basic jump rope technique and be able to complete at least 50 consecutive repetitions.

Start by selecting a rope that is not too long or too short. Select a rope by stepping on the center of the rope and pulling the handles straight up. The handles should come close to your arm pits. I love the ropes from RX Jump Ropes (we all use them) and you can get yours here. I use the rope below…pink isn’t just for girls, ya know?

 

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Start by standing with your feet together, your torso tall and your elbows bent at a 45-degree angle and tucked close to your sides. Use your wrists to rotate the rope, not your arms. Push off with the balls of your feet, just high enough to clear the rope and land with soft knees.
So for beginners, you will try to get 50 consecutive jumps. Once that gets easy aim for 75, then aim for 100. Your basic jump should look like this:

About 30 minutes a day, every other day is perfect. After about two weeks you should be pretty good at the childhood game. If you want to try some more detailed routines, this one from Fit Sugar or this one from Real Simple are quick and efficient! Jumping rope is a perfect addition to any workout routine, especially with summer rapidly approaching!  They are lightweight and easy to pack so you can take them with you when you travel – great for staying in shape on the go!  There will be more to come on jump roping but for now, go get your sweat on!!!!

 

adamsig

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources: RX Jump Ropes, Fit Sugar, Real Simple

 

all that glitters

May 30th, 2013 | Posted by Hello Love in Paper - (Comments Off)

If you’re like me and couldn’t wait to see The Great Gatsby, you are likely still coming down from glitter, glitz, and glam withdrawal. Luckily you have a birthday/anniversary/saturday coming up to stage your tribute recreation of the iconic and ridiculously over-the-top-soirees from the film. The best way to set the tone for any event is with, you guessed it, the invite! So in keeping with the razzle-dazzle, art deco designs that defined the roaring 20s; here are a few of my favorite paper picks that are sure to get the Gatsby going:
Lovin this glitter accented design by Wedding Paper Divas above!  You could even fill the envelope with glitter to drive home the glam factor!
The design on the left by Invitations by Ajalon really sets the formal tone without being too over the top. Perfect for a Gatsby inspired wedding.  And this invite on the right from Paper Source takes a bit more modern spin but we have an unhealthy obsession with chevron, and those envelope liners are to die for!
If your doing a Gatsby  garden party theme, or a day event, these wedding invitations from HelloLucky! are about the most gorgeous designs around, though I may be a little biased, since they were my wedding invitations. Swoon.

Obsessed with this invite suite from the folks over at Hello Tenfold. These capture all the glamor we love whilst still being sophisticated in that good way.
All of these invites are sure to jazz up your next event. Just remember to add lots of champagne!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources: Wedding Paper Divas, Invitations by Ajalon, Paper Source, HelloLucky!, Hello Tenfold

 

 

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tree peony

May 29th, 2013 | Posted by Hello Love in Flower - (Comments Off)

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Tis the season for peony, one of every bride’s faves! We have all seen the fluffy white and pink varieties with petals galore, so, I want to highlight the tree peony… A tree peony is actually not grown from a tree at all, but from a shrub! They bear stronger stems and often larger flowers than other varieties of peony and can look out of this world. Usually characterized by an amazingly fuzzy center and single petals surrounding….they are very intricate and can almost look like handmade/painted tissue flowers! Spot them below in some gorgeous arrangements and hand-tied bouquets!

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spell it out

May 28th, 2013 | Posted by Hello Love in Sweets - (Comments Off)

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A hot trend with today’s wedding cake designs is the marrying of typography with cake. The cake table has long seen the sights of adorable and crafty signage in the form of menu cards and table backdrops, but why stop there? These whimsical cakes employ a DIY aesthetic to incorporate lettering in a way that is fresh and modern, making the sentiment even sweeter. I love the idea of working with your baker to incorporate a personal message that is uniquely romantic to you and your love. This concept is by no means classic and won’t work with every wedding, but is a fun a quirky way to showoff your playful side while embellishing some of your wedding’s design details (mirroring paper, color, mood, etc.).

This cake screams HAPPY FUN TIMES! Love the way they incorporated so many crafty trends with a simply beautiful buttercream cake.

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The cake on the left  would make for a fantastically hip groom’s cake. On a side note, it reminds me of my favorite cookbook ever: Amy Sedaris’ I Like You. The charm hits you on the nose in a good way.

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Adorable candle letters pack some fun into this cupcake. Scatter a few of these around the cake table, or go all in and make the candles yourself and give to guests as party favors (tucked into a tasty mini dessert, of course).
Or surprise guests (and even your groom) with wording baked into the cake! These, too, would make great unforgettably delightful favors – send guests home with mini pound cakes to enjoy, and when they cut them open, surprise!
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Take a note from this Jack and Till who designed their own font iconography for their wedding (here in the form of an amazing topper). Or work with a paper designer to come up with your own brand and carry it through all the way to the cake.

emilysig

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources: Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, 79 Ideas, Zucker, Zimbt and Liebe, Subtle Revelry, Jack and Till

beauty and the braid

May 27th, 2013 | Posted by Hello Love in Beauty - (Comments Off)

 

For those of you who tend to wander down life’s more unorthodox paths, you may enjoy the notion that our hair tells a much greater story than bad hair day, good hair day, tousled, curly, straight, colored, relaxed etc. Hair  is our most visibly living organ, as it grows quicker than any other part of our body and is thus a manifestation of… well, living.
Your Mom may have kept a delicate, feathlerlike lock from your first haircut. You probably associate a large part of your identity with your hair – especially when looking through old photos, and of course, when the big day arrives, your matrimonial ‘do is more often than not, strategically planned. And so, with that said, here’s a little something to simmer on…
There’s a braid for every bride. Whether it’s a whimsy style, loose braid or a perfectly polished plait, braiding three bits of hair into one is a sweet reminder of strength in unity. What better symbolism to bring to your special day?
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santa barbara soiree

May 25th, 2013 | Posted by Hello Love in Parties - (Comments Off)

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{  megan hickman – parties  } 

Adam and I were pretty much a done deal from the moment we met. I had given up on dating and was set on remaining single for a while and focusing on my interior design career. A few hours in to our first meeting I felt there was something different and special about him.  My feeling was strong enough that I immediately threw my single-and-fabulous plan to the wind and took a chance on this sweet guy. It was the best decision of my life. Three years later we have already been married seven months.  We threw a wedding that was everything we wanted.  It may not have been the biggest, or most blog-worthy, or meticulously styled (I’m a busy lady!) but it was a massive success. There were two main things that we deemed important. First , we wanted it to be extremely personal.  We were married at home in the same spot as my parents, by the rabbi who married Adam’s parents, and every song we included in our ceremony had special meaning to us- having our first dance to “Walking in Memphis” was no accident!  Second, we wanted it to be a great party. We served crowd-pleaser small plates, had two full open bars, and played music that had seriously everyone of all ages out on the dance floor. We kept the details simple, focusing on the big things that had deeper meaning to us on our day, and making sure our guests had an amazing evening. Since that day, we have been overwhelmed with the compliments on our wedding.  Whether it was the overall atmosphere, the food, the ceremony, the music etc., we have heard over and over that our guests left with the takeaways we wanted: love, happiness, personality, so much fun, and full of good food! My wedding showed me what is at the heart of successful entertaining. Weddings take this to a whole other level to be sure, but what you want to accomplish is simple and straightforward, from the smallest get-together to the most extravagant soiree. Create an experience to share with the people you love, bring out the good eats, throw on some great jams and have a party!

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a lovely love

May 23rd, 2013 | Posted by Hello Love in Paper - (Comments Off)

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{  erin boyce – paper  } 

On a lovely day in March two years ago in Dallas, Texas, I married my wonderful husband Jack surrounded by our family and close friends. The wedding was held in a sweet old chapel in downtown and the reception afterwards at the Filter Building overlooking White Rock Lake. Our wedding was full of color, diy projects, southern food, great music, and lots of dancing! It was an absolutely perfect day!

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