Moving to Greener Pastures (A Housekeeping Note)

dundee hills / a thousand threads
Thank you all for bearing with me through the last month of ups and (literal) downs here on the blog. After weeks of banging my head against a wall, desperate to find a good reason to stay with Bluehost and avoid an inevitable move, I finally gave up. Unfortunately, my tech savvy ranks way below this kid, so the last few steps in the moving process (the very VERY basic parts that I had to do myself…) have gotten a tiny bit jumbled and I’ve lost the comments on my last eight post (boo, I’m sorry!).

If you subscribe by email, you may have also received a duplicate copy containing those eight posts… I promise this isn’t some new thing I’m doing to make you think you’re going crazy. It won’t happen again.

It’s not all bad, though, there’s good news too! Starting today, you should start to see some improvement in the speed of the blog. And (fingers crossed) we shouldn’t have to worry about any more crashes. I’m pretty smitten with my new host, so my confidence is high (already, I can’t even tell you how much better it’s been) but do let me know if you have any trouble. The last thing you all should ever have to worry about is something as simple as just loading the blog.

Again, I apologize for the trouble over this past month, and remain eternally grateful for your continued support! I hope that this move might make things better for all of us.

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Hot Hot Heat + Indie Wed Giveaway Winners

the best to eye, to buy, to make, and to bake / a thousand threads
The days just keep getting hotter and hotter around here, and I keep asking my brain to focus, but all it says back is popsicles, pool… frozen cake. Sometimes it just says this.

It’s almost impossible to keep up with everything Mark and I have going on, but this week we may have finally made the decision to move forward with a big big project that’s been in the works for some time. Our baby, if you will (but definitely not a baby — not quite yet). I can’t wait to share it when the time comes, but for now… I think I’m going to go find myself some ice cream.

Are you melting like I’m melting in this heat? Any big plans for the sun?

P.S. As promised, I have some winners!! Congratulations to Ashley and Donna, you’ll have to tell me all about the fun you have at Indie Wed! Be on the lookout for an email soon.

Everyone else, don’t forget, you can head over to Indie Wed’s site today for 20 percent off with the code THREADS20.

Eye these shots from Tec and Chelsea Petaja’s recent trip to Italy — wanderlust doesn’t even begin to describe, you guys.

Buy this jacket that takes me back in the best possible way.

Make these pretty paper fans, with so many fun possibilities.

Bake this drool-worthy frozen ice box cake.

I’m loving this little challenge to help me be more active on Instagram and hopefully improve my skills. If you’re following along, I’m keeping everything at the hashtag #1000for30. You should join in! Just tag all of your shots with #abeautifulmess.

Do you know about Treehouse? I think I might start trying to work through a course.

Summer movies for the summertime.

Aaand, I need to go here now.

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She Wears the Pants

yellow pants / a thousand threads
Or maybe they wear her? Judging by the reaction I got at the dry cleaner, I’m guessing the color is a little overwhelming.

In fact I’m pretty sure the woman who works at the desk is now convinced that I moonlight as Bozo’s kid sister. She’ll be calling the next time her granddaughter needs a laugh (or a scare — fun fact — my sister, who is 16 years older, actually dressed up as a clown one birthday when I was small and I was so scared that I hid under a bench… she had to take off the wig to coax me out…).

But enough about killer clowns (thanks Stephen King) what do you think? I’m kind of in love with their crazy brightness, myself.

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Race Weekend in Utica

utica / a thousand threads
It’s always nice to get away, even if its just for a short time. Our trip was full of good food, laughs and lots of long naps… which, after a nonstop couple of weeks, is just what we needed.

And as a little extra bonus, look who we saw!

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What do you think of as a healthy diet?

what do you think of as healthy? / a thousand threads
Since our vacations pretty much always revolve around food (and oh this last trip was no exception… I dream all year long about that pasta and those pastries in upstate NY) I always come home feeling like I’m ready to go into hibernation. Suddenly that ice cream isn’t looking so good, and I find myself searching for the healthiest diet, cleanse – whatever – to help make me feel normal again.

But with so many options out there (low carb, low fat, gluten free, clean, paleo, and on and on until we all pull our hair out…) how do you decide what really is the healthiest way to cut back?

My favorite fallback is usually to get rid of processed sugar and flour. It seems to cover most of the bad stuff and leave me with a pretty healthy, whole diet that makes me feel good. Lately I’ve also been cutting dairy, but for reasons that have more to do with suspected lactose intolerance than what I’d necessarily consider “health.” Mark, on the other hand, likes something a little more restrictive, and tends to feel that gluten and dairy should be cut out regardless.

Everyone has a little bit of a different take… so tell me, what do you think of as a healthy diet? And I use the term “diet” loosely here, since any change really shouldn’t be a temporary trip to weight loss, but more of a lasting decision (which doesn’t mean you won’t occasionally cheat… you see how much sugar I eat) that leads to a healthier life.

But feel free to disagree on that one too… I really want to know what you think!

Rhubarb tart via Food and Cook.

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Love // Indie Wed + A Giveaway

indie wed geometric shoot / a thousand threads
Indie Wed is coming to Chicago in just a couple short weeks, and I’m so excited to have two sets of tickets to give away!

If you haven’t already heard, Indie Wed is meant to be the innovative answer to the traditional bridal expo—for couples that have a different picture in mind for their big day. For some that may mean a bash that bucks tradition altogether, while others may simply want to incorporate a few unique details into their special day. Indie Wed events connect small, independent wedding vendors and local artisans with the couples that love them.

And the creative folks behind the show always put together the most gorgeous inspiration shoots, like this one based on geometric shapes, perfect to give you an idea of what they’re all about…

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Run, Run, Run!

the best to eye, to buy, to make, and to bake / a thousand threads
Busy, busy day! Why is it that the day you’re set to travel always ends up so crazy? It’s not like you didn’t have fair warning…

I’m always a little perplexed by that, but hey, today’s one of those days… what can you do? This afternoon I’m excited to be meeting up with one of the sweetest ladies I know on the webs, who just so happens to be here in Maryland for a conference, then I’ll be running home to throw all of my clothes in a bag (that’s pretty much how I pack), jump in a car, and drive to Upstate New York for this! We run it almost every year and it still manages to make me crazy nervous… so many things can go wrong in a race! But mostly I’m just really, really excited.

Follow along on Instagram at @laicie — I’m sure I’ll be overgramming the heck out of the situation, so I apologize in advance.

Here are a few of my favorites this (and last) week…

Eye this beautiful destination wedding, shot by Jen Huang.

Buy the best-smelling body wash in the world (obsessed).

Make your own hammock!

Bake this sweet summer lemon cake.

The guy who was kicked out of both Nirvana and Soundgarden and went on to become a war hero.

On balance.

Ya, Dustin… we know.

This sweet, silly anniversary message made me unexpectedly emotional.

Lou Reed reviews Kanye West.

I really need to try pickled strawberries.

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Don’t Call Portland ‘Weird’

kirk crippens portraitlandia / a thousand threads
As a once and always Oregonian, I have to admit that Portland’s recent rise to fame can sometimes get on my nerves. It’s a little bit like the feeling you might have when your favorite kind-of-secret and kind-of-all-yours band, who you’ve always been able to see up close and personal in the tiniest venues, signs a big fat record deal and sells out in 5 seconds so you can’t even see them at all… the band just doesn’t feel quite like it’s yours anymore… now its identity is shaped by seemingly everyone on earth… people you don’t really feel know the band like you do… who might not have as deep a connection.

It’s the height of selfishness, this feeling, but it happens… and every time I see some new Portland love, I have to admit… it happens to me.

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Leek & Swiss Chard Tart

leek & swiss chard tart / a thousand threads
This recipe is such a favorite that I had to get around to sharing it eventually, so when I came across Zephyr Fields’ basket of fresh chard at the farmer’s market a few weeks ago I knew it was the perfect opportunity.

The recipe, like most quiches I’ve found, is quick and easy to make, but unlike most quiches, it’s filled with fresh, flavorful ingredients that would probably be insulted by the addition of something fatty like cheese (pah! cheese… who wants that?).

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How to Paint Furniture // A DIY Cabinet Makeover

how to paint furniture / a thousand threads
I’m excited to finally share one of our garage sale finds — it’s about time!

Mark and I picked this cabinet up at an estate sale forever ago and have been working on it slowly since.  We had wanted a new piece for our bedroom, something to look pretty on the wall and hold a little of our closet overflow.  We knew we wanted to paint the piece a bright, reddish-orange, but beyond that we were only half sure what we wanted.

So, in this case, where one is open to lots of possibilities, you’d think that any sane person, upon coming across a cedar cabinet for just $25, would have known right then and there.

But then you’re assuming we’re sane…

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