We Dance to a Different Disco, Honey

I'm getting sad, guys. I'm getting sad that this summer, which we waited for so patiently is FLYING by. I'm so bummed that this is the last weekend of July; A.P. and I did so much, though! We went to an awesome party at our friends' new home for the 4th of July weekend, had a picnic in Long Grove for the day, had a great summer evening dinner with a couple we love to hang out with but don't get to see very often, spent some time with a friend who was in town from Florida, and did a lot of hanging out out of our own. Plus, I've been taking my guitar lessons, catching up with friends I haven't seen in forever, gardening up a storm, and slowly, but surely crossing stuff off my list for 2011!

Still, I'm getting ready to make this last month count! I want to try to go camping or go on a short weekend vacation, buy my gym shoes already, get this place organized, get a bunch of NTMK stuff ready, and apply for a new grant for my real job. We also have a wedding to go to in NYC, my first guitar gig (aka my Guitar 1 recital...I shit you not.), and it will be our first real month with our new budget! We cut spending in July, but we didn't stick to our actual budget since we created it in the middle of the month. Oh, so much to look forward to!

This week's wedding is simply awesome! I love the bride's dress, which is mostly the reason I am featuring this super chic celebration. Don't get me wrong, all the wonderful details are there, but that bride...is she a stunner or what? It's like that dress was meant for her! The photography, all done by Jonathan Ong, is so glamorous, too. It simply and beautifully captures this couple's lovely day. I also love, love, love the cityscapes in the background. Take a gander, won't you?

Wasn't that a-ma-zing? Plus, I love that they look like they were having such a blast! That's how you should look. And that dress, right? For my next wedding, I told A.P. I'm rocking a short dress. My legs are seriously my best feature. I don't know why I didn't rock a shortie for our wedding. I think it never occurs to you when you're trying to adhere to a semblance of tradition since your parents are a wee bit pissed you're marrying in a bakery and not a church. A short dress might have thrown them over the edge.

This weekend is the big get my crap together before August. And my mom and I are going to this. So, basically we're both going to go get felt up and then eat guilt ice cream afterward. Fun! What are you guys up to?

In the mean time, here are your dance moves for the week:

If we are going to stay in this god forsaken apartment for another month, then I'm going through on my final design projects, including starching fabric to one wall in the office/dining room/extra living space. Here's a great tutorial for how to do this process if you, too, live in a rental. And here's a pretty example.

Amazing map wall (from a new favorite blog)!

Simple, pretty Sunday brunch vase using Saturday's leftover wine bottle!

What to do with all those instagrams? Make a sweet, little book.

I dream of one day going on a summer safari. I'll settle for this inspiration in the mean time.

Vintage Chicago

Correct punctuation can save a person's life

I wish I could wear this lovely summery scalloped skirt.

The perfect rainy fall accessory (yes, we're talking about fall already...harumph): peacock umbrella

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(Dance Friday Photo via here; Julia and James's wedding photos by Jonathan Ong via Snippet & Ink)