Save the Dates

My wedding to John is coming up in  just a few weeks now.  You may have noticed my absence here and on Hungry Griffin for several months.  I have been planning and organizing and it has been taking up a large amount of my time and attention.  I will of course have some diy projects to share once the wedding is over, as I have done quite a few in preparation.  As a sneak peak, I thought I would share our save the date cards with you.

John and I have been together for seven and a half years and we have been engaged for the last three.  We are aware that this pace is not the traditional one, but we both wanted to take our time.  We thought we would incorporate that into our save the dates.

This was my original sketched out idea for the cards.  I made it late one night after John and I came up with the idea and I didn't want to lose it.  It actually is quite similar to how the actual cards turned out.

We had a good time with it.  I bought us some "mature" clothing for us at a thrift store, some old glasses (neither of us could see a thing through them, and I bought John a bubble pipe.  The knitting and newspaper were easy.

We had a lot of silly options to choose from, but we love the one we went to and the cards turned out great!  We got them printed at Moo.

Camera Strap

Recently my mother passed on one of the things I remember most fondly from growing up, her Nikon.  It was made in the late 1970s and it has real heft, something I miss in newer cameras.  The camera is in great shape, all of the gears and buttons still operate and there isn't even much wear on the body.
While the camera itself is in fantastic shape, the strap was another matter entirely.  The two layers of the strap had separated and the leather/faux leather (I am not sure) was looking pretty beat up and worn out.  I decided to do a little revamp.

What I ended up doing was tearing out the remaining stitches between the two layers and tidying the loose threads left over from wear and tear.  I then covered the leather strap with a beautiful red cotton with a sunburst pattern, and reattached the two layers.  I left all the original hardware as is, including the two leather ends of the strap.  I think the effect is nice.  The strap retains the character to match the camera, but the color is bright and the strap is secure.
What old things could you give a lift?

Embracing Autumn

Today, a friend and I went out to a farm in the area to get some fresh, local produce.  It was raining lightly but was really quite nice.  Nothing excites me quite like the colors of fall produce.

The pumpkins are numerous and big for this early in the season.

Photo Credit Camille Bevans

Local apples abound.
I picked up a whole bunch of fresh autumn produce, went home, and promptly made a frittata!  You can read about it here.
Thought I'd share the joy of the season!

Spring in Hoboken

Spring came today to Hoboken, New Jersey.  It was nearly 70 degrees and sunny.  There was a breeze off the Hudson and the tourists were out for Carlos Bakery in droves.  The locals were out enjoying the weather too, playing wiffle ball and Frisbee with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop.  It was nearly idyllic.  How do I know all this?  I work in Hoboken and I got to enjoy the weather myself.  After work, I went for a nice long walk, but for the first time in months I wasn't cold at the end.  I took some pictures and who did I think of sharing them with?  All of you!

This one is an iconic one,  the clock tower is the Lakawanna tower attached to the train station.  The train station began construction in 1906 and opened in 1907.  If you are interested at all in the history, check out this website: Maggieblanck.

The breeze was quite brisk on the boardwalk, but the view was spectacular, and the clouds were so airy and puffy I couldn't resist snapping very touristy picture.  Here, for example, the empire state building.

 And of course Liberty Tower.  Fun fact, when we first moved to New Jersey, Liberty Tower was only about 10 stories.  It has been really interesting to see it grow.

I took all these pictures from the edge of the Hudson.  Jersey City has been developing its water edge for the last years and it is really nice now to follow the water, north or south and experience the changing neighborhoods.  These posts in the water are about where the border between Hoboken and Newport falls.  There were some mallard ducks swimming and chasing one another through the posts, but I couldn't get a focused photo of them.

I know this post diverges from what I have previously posted, but I have been somewhat stalled on my crafts.  I am working on a purse for a friend, and it is very slow going.  I will post on it when it is completed, but in the meantime I will try to keep you updated on what is going on here in other areas.  Thanks for reading!