WALLS | lauren + david’s oakland apartment.

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i’ve been waiting a really long time to share lauren and david’s apartment for a reason i really don’t know.  i kind of equate it to when i was little and i would save all of the red skittles to eat last because they were the best!

well, this isn’t the last WALLS feature by any means, but i’ve been holding on to this one to share because it is the red skittles of apartments.  every square inch is SO amazing and i feel unworthy to even show it on my little blog.  this thing belongs on design sponge or apartment therapy!!

this incredible apartment located in oakland, california (rockridge, specifically) belongs to one of my best friends, lauren, and her boyfriend david (who, by the way, is an insanely talented journalist and just did a piece for this american life!).  lauren and i got placed together in the dorms our freshman year at ucsb and i am so glad i lived with her throughout college because 1) she was the best roommate/friend + i love her a whole lot and 2) we always had the cutest apartments thanks to her.  she is ridiculously crafty and UBER talented at interior decorating as you can see.  i am most definitely recruiting her to help us decorate our next place in LA.

she has curated such a beautiful space (equal parts feminine and masculine!) with knick knacks and furniture from thrift stores, the alameda flea market, craigslist, west elm, anthropologie, and some hand-me-downs.  lauren even used wrapping paper from paper source as wallpaper for an accent wall!  they’ve lived here for three years and i’m so glad i’ve had the chance to visit multiple times.  we recently stayed with them when reis was interviewing for residency in the bay area this past january.  not only is the interior perfection, but their neighborhood is so charming and quaint!  you can walk to coffee shops, markets, and restaurants in about 3 mintues or BART in about 10 minutes.  they are actually moving into the city so sadly, this space will no longer be their home!  but this just means that their new place will get another feature on WALLS!  thanks laur and ferr for letting me share your oh so beautiful apartment!  love you guys.

CINEMA | big sur road trip.

remember when we took a little road trip up to big sur back in december? well i finally had time to go through the footage from my camera and my brother’s gopro and edit a short little recap video. one thing is for sure:  if you go on a vacation with any member of my immediate family, it will not go undocumented! since we were kids, we’ve always loved taking photos and making videos; that’s why our cameras are attached to our hands. click HERE to watch our adventures!

OUR WEDDING DAY | part three.

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last wedding post, i promise!!

our reception was FUN (kinda freezing, but fun!).  we wanted it to be a party and not super formal and we are so happy it turned out to be just that!  the barn was a pretty blank slate to work with and left lots of room for scheming and dreaming.  thanks to my amazing parents and friends who put up with my schemes and dreams, there was a wholeee lotta DIY going on in the months leading up to our big day.  i would create extremely detailed mock-ups of ideas for the barn [in hawaii], send them to my parents [in california], and they would get to work and send us pictures of the progress!  they’re pretty dang awesome.  i really wish i could have been a bigger part of the making/crafting aspect of our wedding (more than just the week before!), but the logistics of us being here and our wedding being there made that kind of impossible.  we are so grateful to my parents, however, who spent countless hours laboring over and perfecting everything.  my mom made all of the marquee lighting, the fringe tassles, the curtains for the barn, and my dad handcrafted those edison bulb chandeliers!

it was fun to add personal touches and things that felt really “us” into our wedding day.  coffee has been a big part of reis and my relationship which is why we had coffee escort cards/favors and a coffee bar.  (p.s. our good friend tiana drew all of those menus!  she is a crazy talented artist!).  between undergrad, his med school, my old job, and studying for my cpa exam, we’ve practically lived in coffee shops for a good portion of the past 5 years.

our wedding day really was magical and amazing and all those cliche words that people use when describing their wedding.  it was everything we imagined and a whole lot more.  we are so SO thankful and appreciative for everyone that made our day a reality.  we are still blown away by everyone who helped make it our dream day and for all of the constant love and support that we receive from our family and our friends.

beyond all of the fun details of the day itself, for us, our wedding day really was about the celebration of God joining us together as one in Him.  marriage is such a sweet gift and i feel blessed that i’m experiencing it with a really amazing guy.  we have had so much fun the past 5+ months as newlyweds and are looking forward to lots of new + exciting adventures in the months (and years) to come!  cheers to forever with my loverman reis!  thanks for marrying me!

oh and if you missed our wedding video, check it out HERE!  ryan mcduff did a pretty amazing job!

*photos by annie mcelwain

OUR WEDDING DAY | part two.

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since our guests had to arrive pretty early (they had to take turns being shuttled in since our venue didn’t have guest parking), we needed to give them something to do while they waited.  instead of a traditional guestbook, i made various black and white postcards for guests to write us a note or give us a piece of marriage advice.  along with little snacks and lemonade, our programs were a 4 page newspaper spread filled with mini blurbs on our bridal party, the night’s itinerary, a thank you, and a sodoku + crossword puzzle that helped keep people occupied!  our wedding was a dream design job for me.  i went to town on anything and everything i could possibly create!  snack bag labels and  custom pencils were  totally unnecessary, but i just couldn’t help myself with the little details.  instagram also kept  people busy and i loved looking through the #jaymeeandreis hashtag the next day to see all of the different shots people got from the night!  if you are getting married soon and are on the insta-train, i highly recommend you create a wedding hashtag.  it’s so much fun!

our ceremony was fairly short, but the most meaningful part of the day for both of us.  having our good friend from hawaii officiate the ceremony made it really personal and we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.  we have so much respect for him and his own marriage and it meant a lot for him marry us.  thanks, christian!

the cocktail hour was held on the grassy area below the bluffs overlooking the ocean.  we were blessed with the most gorgeous weather (no wind!) and our guests got to watch an incredible sunset right before the reception.  it was such a dream day!

*photos by annie mcelwain

 

OUR WEDDING DAY | part one.

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*photos by annie mcelwain

our wedding day was surreal.  i remember waking up feeling giddy with excitement that i was GETTING MARRIED!  after 5 years of dating (including 1 year of long distance), a move to hawaii, an engagement, and 9 busy months of trans-pacific planning, i couldn’t wait to finally marry the man that i’m crazy about and who makes me a better person.  he really makes life so much more fun and i’m so, so grateful for him!

everyone says “your wedding day goes by so fast” (and it really does), so i was determined to savor all of the special moments.  getting ready with all of my bridesmaids was one of my favorite parts of the day.  being surrounded by my best friends before one of the biggest moments of my life meant so much to me and i’m so glad i have these photos to always remember that morning.  i’ve mentioned this before, but my mom spent months sewing my dress by hand to fit me to perfection.  she helped put it on me and seeing it all come to fruition from a sketch was amazing and really special (THANKS MOM!).  it was everything i wanted in a dress and i still love everything about it, especially the back with those lace covered buttons!

reis and i chose to do a first look shoot and i’m so glad we did!  i definitely got butterflies before i walked up to him (like the kind i had when we went on our first few dates..those days were so fun!) and we just hugged each other and laughed and smiled.  kinda cheeseball, but after all, it was our wedding day!!

tomorrow and wednesday i have two more posts on our ceremony and reception and then i pinky promise #jaymeeandreis is done.

WORK | mood board mayhem.

Mood Board via JayAdores

it’s been mood board mayhem over here lately.  and i’m certainly not complaining.  lots of exciting new projects in the works!!

i love, love, LOVE creating these things.  i always keep them open when i’m working on the project they pertain to because they really help keep me focused on the direction of the design.  this moodboard is for a new company and i’m excited to eventually show you what we we’ve been cooking up!  the colors of this project are just so happy and fresh and i majorly dig this client’s aesthetic and vibe.  more soon!

see more mood boards here!