clicks of note: i will love who i am.

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• Janelle Monae's new album comes out today!  I love her so much for her refusal to conform to the status quo of the music industry.  I'm loving the first two videos, "Q.U.E.E.N." and "Dance Apocalyptic."  Here's an animated portrait by by favorite Tumblr illustrator, Celeste.  I'm linking up with Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos today.

SWOON.

Sandra Marusic Photography via Bridal Musings

• Bridal Musings features two dancers' engagement shoot in London - urban and awesome.
• These DIY gold dot vases from Lilikoi Joy are elegant and fun - they'd make cute votives, too.
• Style Me Pretty features a romantic San Ysidro shoot with a ribbon veil and stunning bouquet.
• A very Southern, orange and blue bow tie inspiration shoot from Wedding Chicks.

SMILE.

• The School of Rock cast had a 10 year reunion!  (BuzzFeed)
• Nate Berkus' new line of housewares hits Target this weekend. (CasaSugar)
• Design Love Fest shares a tutorial for customizing my family's favorite yard game.
• A perfectly pulled-together look with fall's key pieces from KMK Styling.

FLASHBACK.

• Last year, I shared our wedding's thrifted touches, rounded up the coolest terrariums on the web and more geometric accessories, and joined an Instagram challenge for bookworms. 
•  Two years ago, I shared more of our wedding's handcrafted details.

entertaining: breeze's shower! [how to plan a rustic bridal shower: games & gifts]

As much as I love entertaining, party games are not really my forte.  Luckily, I wasn't alone in planning Breeze's shower.  Mandi and I decided on a few games that are easy to play and fun for party guests without making anyone feel awkward.

The Clothespin Game

I used the same washi tape I decorated Breeze's recipe card dividers with to decorate clothespins for a classic shower game.  I got the yellow tape from The Washi Shop on Etsy and the gingham tape from WashiWishes on Etsy.  For the clothespins, I did have to trim the sides of the tape with scissors, but it was one of the easiest crafts ever!  Our rule for the clothespin game was that guests could not say the word "wedding."  If you heard a fellow guest say "wedding," you got to take her clothespin.  Whoever had the most at the end of the party would be declared the winner.  It's fun to hear people get creative with their conversations - like the bride's sister asking her friend, "what time are you getting there on the 14th?"

Breeze's grandmother was our clothespin game winner, and she was very sneaky about getting people to say the "W-word" - now we know where Breeze and Mandi get their competitive streak.