wedding wednesday: things i love...

things i love: riddling racks, mason jars, milk bottles, vintage trucks, barns, chalkboards

things i am currently swooning over: this wedding that showcases all of my favorite things, plus a to die for vintage-y dress. (thanks, abby!)

sometimes just looking at pretty things can just brighten the greyest of days, don't you think? now fingers crossed this snowstorm makes its way all the way up north. a little bit of that white fluffy stuff would go a long way...

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best. gift. ever.

leave it to my amazing cousin (of mainely home fame) to send us not only the first gift of wedding season, but also the very best.

she and i share a love of mason jars (see here & here) and the appreciation of a clever card. so,when i arrived home last night and found waiting for me a triple extra large mason jar with a tag reading...."a mason jar as big as your love" my little heart just about burst...it doesn't get much more perfect than that.

well, maybe it would get a little bit better if she shared her sources with us....hint, hint!

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mason jar accessories.

you know how i feel about mason jars, so when i came across these vintage apothecary labels at happiness is... i was in heaven. and then to find out that they are a free printable download from the creative mind behind it's just something i made, made them even more heavenly in my book. looks like my vintage milk bottles and mason jars will be getting accessorized!

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coffee, but cuter.

i was hanging out this morning in lady grey's archives (a very fun place to be if you ask me!) where i discovered this lovely little take on a DIY iced coffee...heavenly in every possible way. caffeine & chocolate in a mason jar? yes, please. can i make it happen this morning? i think i just might find a way!

what you need:

• ¾ cups brewed strong coffee, room temperature
• ¾ cups milk
• 1 package sweetener, your choice
• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• 2 tablespoons coffee creamer, flavor of your choice
• 3 whole ice cubes

what you do:
in a 16 oz. mason jar, put all your ingredients followed with the ice cubes. put the lid and ring on and shake, shake, shake! at this point, you can drink it right out of the jar or pour it over crushed ice and top with whipped cream and drizzle more chocolate for an authentic coffee house experience.

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let your light shine in

i clearly have lighting on the mind this week (see lampshade lady post below), so while i apologize for the random theme, we need to talk for just a minute about how fabulous these light fixtures are. the crew at burlington's conant metal & light creates one of a kind beauties out of "everything from insulators, antique flashlights, paint cans, fire engine lights, drink shakers, and soda and wine bottles" and while they are all fabulous, you know i have a soft spot in my heart for the one made of a mason jar. and i am not alone in my love for this particularly iconic creation - soon after the doors of farmhouse tap & grill opened, where 10 of these lights hang, demand went through the roof!

so now, to keep up with demand, they need our help because they are running out of jars. so, here's the deal: for every jar people bring into the store before the end of the month, the shop will give one dollar to the vermont foodbank and enter the donors into a raffle for store discounts. “we’re hoping for 1000 canning jars and $1000 to the foodbank by July 31,” conant says. “if there’s a take-home message in this,” he notes, “it’s that the national farm-to-table movement has residual effects: local manufacturers benefit, too, not just farmers.”

so, ladies and gents, get your old canning jars out and head on down to pine street! it's all about keeping your mason jars, lighting fixtures and food local.

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may day floral basket.

check out this fantastic DIY may day project brought to us by the talented vermonter jaime giorgi of the monkey flower group - a floral studio currently based in burlington, vermont.

...and i say currently because they are relocating to california next month, so we will sadly be losing this great talent. but i was thinking, maybe if we ALL make these magical flower baskets and leave them on her doorknob she will be tempted to stay in the very friendly and generous (although very snowy) state of vermont...what do you think, are you with me? let's shower her with love and her own DIY project! to see the project from start to finish visit design*sponge. (it even uses mason jars. love. love. love.)

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the mason jar attitude.

i think mason jars are pretty fabulous.

i have no idea when and where this obsession began, but i can't get enough of them.
and as my brother so eloquently put it "the mason jar is all about attitude." and he's right.
mason jars and outdoor gatherings are a match made in heaven.

they are as celebratory as a champagne flute, but as relaxed as a beer mug.

they can be the vessel for your morning orange juice just as easily as they can hold your vermont microbrew.

casual but utilitarian. simple yet versatile. rustic and elegant.

the mason jar is welcoming, friendly and a darn good multitasker. from pasta sauce to peonies, from candles to cookies, from whole grains to whole wheat, from milk to mint juleps - everything and everyone feels right at home when they are around.

and there is nothing better than feeling right at home.

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