Hooray!  The weekend is here and I am oh-so-excited :)

Travis and I are going to a Wizard of Oz singalong event in the Castro tomorrow.  Every so often, the classic Castro Theatre hosts viewings of old musicals.  You’re invited to dress as your favorite character and sing along to all the songs.  Doesn’t it sounds like a blast?  (We might have to pick up some famous Ike’s Sandwiches on our way… my favorite!

To kick off your weekend, here are some fun links from around the web:

Cute fishtail!

These wine stoppers would make an amazing housewarming gift!

If you’re a mom of little ones, you’re definitely going to want chewbeads.

Someone take me to Singapore.

Tiramisu pancakes would be the perfect weekend treat!

Amazing art installations.

Copy top secret restaurant recipes!

Dreamy bedrooms…

My current favorite item on sneakpeeq!  (Sign up here if you haven’t already!)

What are you up to this weekend?  Doing anything especially fun or exciting?  Got any good links to share from around the web?  Tell me in the comments!

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One thing I hate about living in the city is the lack of outdoor space.  As the warm months start to approach, I’m finding myself feeling envious of the backyard havens people get to create for themselves.  Even some city dwellers get coveted yard space, but sadly, I am not one of them.

I’ve been browsing Pinterest for fun backyard ideas (why? To torture myself?) and you have to see what I’ve found…

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Gorgeous, right?  Maybe this will inspire those of you with a little land to make the most of your space this summer!

Do you have a backyard or are you stuck inside like me?  Aren’t these images great?  Are you inspired to create a cool outdoor space this summer?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

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People often wonder how many people they should include in their wedding party and I’m here to tell you that it’s worth going small!

{our awesome wedding party}

Now before I go any further let me say that at the end of the day you should do whatever you want.  If you want to have ten people standing up with you, go for it!  If you want to nix the wedding party completely, do so.  And if you and your guy want to have different numbers of bridesmaids and groomsmen, by all means.

Travis and I each had three people stand up with us.  His groomsmen consisted of his two brothers and mine.  My bridal party consisted of three close friends who I’ve known since high school.  It would have been really easy for me to go bigger— I have cousins who are like sisters to me and not including them was really hard on me.

But we chose to keep the parties small, and I’m so glad we did!  Here’s why:

-More people = more opinions. Ok, the groomsmen offered zero opinions.  But my bridesmaids had plenty!  The people pleaser in me felt the need to hear everyone out about all kinds of details, and at times even three differing opinions made me a little crazy.

-Gifts for 7 is a lot more expensive. This may sound silly, but considering all the hard work that the bridal party puts in, I really wanted to get them a special gift.  I ended up getting each of my girls Tiffany necklaces, something I wouldn’t have been able to afford had I gone with a big group of ‘maids.

-You’ll still be friends later. People who include all sorts of friends in their wedding party might look back on their wedding photos and wish that half of them weren’t littered with people they’re no longer in touch with.  I wanted to choose people who had been in my life a long time and who I’d likely stay close to.

As I said, it’s all about doing what’s right for you.  But having a small bridal party makes things a little less stressful.  And when you’re planning a wedding, that goes a looong way!

How big is the perfect wedding party?  How many did you have (or do you plan to have)?  Anyone in favor of super big wedding parties?  (I’d love to hear your side of things!)

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I’ve been a diehard fan of Lancome mascara for years.  But at $26 a tube, I’d been wondering if there was a less expensive alternative.  Good news…

Enter: Maybelline’s the Colossal Volum’ Express!

A friend of mine swears by this stuff and suggested I try it, so I picked up a tube last week and I’m thrilled with the results!  It’s a thin formula with a thick brush, meaning it gets into all the nooks and crannies.  It’s easy to layer without clumping up.  And it lasts all day without flaking!

It comes in both regular and waterproof versions and the best part: it costs only $4.79!  That’s less than a fifth of what I was paying for Lancome!

Needless to say, I’m thrilled with this find.

What’s your favorite mascara brand?  Have you tried Maybelline’s Colossal Volum’ Express?  Got another recommendation?  And do you wear waterproof or washable?  Tell me in the comments!

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Are you a big fan of the Hunger Games?  Did anyone go see the movie over the weekend?  (I’m super pumped for it, but I’m waiting til the crazy crowds die down a little.)

Katniss is known throughout the book and movie for her signature side braid, so today I thought I’d show you just how easy it is to get this cool look!

Step 1: Part your hair to the side and start on the heavier half (the half with more hair.)  Draw a diagonal part from your forehead to your side part, creating a triangle of hair.

Step 2: Separate into three sections and start braiding— but here’s where it’s a little different.  Rather than pulling each section of hair over one another, go underneath.

Step 3: As you braid, grab small sections of hair from the rest of the head and incorporate them.  (Basically, all you’re doing is a french braid, but by wrapping each section under one another rather than over, it creates this inside-out effect.)

Step 4: Continue around the head until you run out of hair to incorporate.  Then, do a plain old braid down the side.

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Step 5: Secure with an elastic, and you’re ready to adventure like Katniss!

This can be tricky to do on yourself at first, but practice on a few friends and you’ll get the hang of it.  I’m not gonna lie… this style makes me miss having long hair!

What do you think of the Katniss braid?  Have you rocked this look before?  Are you new to french braids or have you got ‘em down?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

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