Stuff I Love: Project Runway, Emma Stone, and Paper Source

Yep, that’s right…. Heidi, Nina, Michael, and Tim are back in my life, and I’m loving it.

Project Runway is one of those few shows that I will drop everything to watch. (My Sundays will literally need to be cleared once the new seasons of Dexter and Mad Men begin, though.) I’ve been watching it since it first came on the air, and it’s SO good that my mom and I managed to get my dad AND Jamie roped in… although I’m not entirely convinced that Heidi doesn’t have something to do with that. ;) I don’t follow a lot of reality competition shows, but I will say that I love seeing how creative types who are passionate about what they do perform under pressure. I mean, I wouldn’t last five seconds in that sort of competitive environment, so I totally respect people who aren’t afraid to put their work out there, even when it’s not its best, to be judged by some of the most important and influential people in the industry.

And then there’s also the drama in the sewing room to look forward to every season. I mean, who else was infuriated by Gretchen’s win over Mondo after all the awful things she said and did last season? I know I, for one, was shaking my fist at the TV screen.

My new favorite part of watching PR is reading the commentary by Tom and Lorenzo afterward. My friend Carrie turned me on to this fabulous duo, and their writing is hysterical (and a little PG-13, FYI) and most of the time dead-on. I now obsessively read their blog daily to stay up on red carpet fashion. I’ve learned so much about the horrors of the “silly putty pump” from them. Thank you, TLo.

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It seems like Emma Stone is quickly becoming Hollywood’s It Girl, and for good reason. I have a penchant for red-headed comediennes which began with all the I Love Lucy reruns I watched growing up, and Emma is no exception. She’s got everything a girl could want: good looks, a crazy awesome sense of humor, and talent, all while maintaining a relatable, down-to-earth kind of persona. She’s the ultimate girl next door… the one who every girl wants to be and every guy wants to be with. Her performance in Superbad was stellar, so I was stoked when she got a leading lady role in Easy A and proved that funny girls can totally carry a film on their own (see also: Bridesmaids). Last Friday I saw Crazy, Stupid, Love. and it reminded me of just how much I love her and how I can’t wait to see her in The Help and next year’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Also, have you seen all the fantastic editorials she’s been in this summer? I just adore her in colorful, bold, vintage-inspired looks and siren red lipstick. Let’s just all say a prayer that she doesn’t go down the Lindsay-Lohan-post-Mean-Girls-genius path. To lose another crazy talented redheaded girl to all of Hollywood’s horrors would just be downright depressing.

I first discovered Paper Source four years ago while researching DIY invitations for our wedding. I kept hearing over and over that they had the best selection of paper products, particularly envelopes, and when I saw my signature colors- “chartreuse” and “pool”- I fell in love. After I started my business, I turned to them to help me carry quality branding over into my packaging and presentation, and they’ve yet to let me down. I’ve always ordered online, which can be a bit frustrating sometimes when you can’t see or touch the products in person or when they’re out of stock of an item you really need, so when I heard they were opening a Nashville location, I did a little happy dance. Coincidentally, I was there last week to photograph and visit with my aunt, uncle, and cousins who live in Franklin.While we were eating breakfast at Loveless Cafe Friday morning, my cousin Caity, who is an incredibly talented stationary designer (and whose work I photographed while there, but more on that later), got a call from one of her friends letting her know that Paper Source was opening THAT DAY. We both squealed excitedly. Not kidding. I was planning to get back on the road to Birmingham after we ate, but after hearing that, I had to make a pitstop, so we headed over and checked it out. And yes, I spent probably too much money stocking up on paper goods that will probably last me from here to next year. :)

On that note, happy Monday, everyone! Hope you have a most excellent week. :)