Haunted Bruner Estate

Well its no secret that I love to decorate, and when the holidays come around I become obsessed! I have always gone all out for Christmas, and Fall, but decided I needed to boost my halloween decor this season. Trevor loves Halloween time! He is a madman with a pumpkin carver, and always decks our house out with man made spider webs. So this year, with a little help from Pottery Barn, Pinterst, and Home Goods our house has become the Haunted Bruner Estate. We also are hosting a Haunted Family Dinner on the 15th! It should be a "wicked" good time! Bwahahahahahaha

I picked up this Vintage Frame from Pottery Barn During their Frame sale. The printable I downloaded for Free from Pinterst... and the Adorable Wine Bottle Jack o Lantern I found on Pinterst. I showed Trevor the picture, and he has made over 10 of these adorable bottles. We are thinking about giving them away as favors for our Halloween Haunted Family Dinner.
When I saw this Haunted House Candle Holder on Potterybarn.com, I about died! An adorable way to set the mood for a creepy night in. The pumpkin Candles I have had for years also a Potterybarn purchse. I fell in love with the Silver Skull Candles on a trip to home goods. Only $5, great deal!
Kitty Cat Candle Holder, Pumpkin Candles & the Printable "East, Drink, and be Scary" I downloaded from Pinterst.
The Haunted Mantel
The Dining Room all set for shrieks & thrills

Halloween Table Setting

Spider Votive Candle Holder from Pottery Barn, & the Creepy,

Crawly Table Runner from Home goods

Sparkly Trick or Treat Sign, and glitter spiders.

OWL lanterns. I die for these.

The Entry Way

Anthropologie Candelabra

Boo Blocks from Nordstrom At Home

Bat Candle Holder and Spider Candle. Home Goods.

Newspaper Candles for the Bar

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet, Give me something good to eat

Cute Little Boo Blocks

Front Door Sign... BEWARE!

Vampire Pumpkin! Trevor is so creative

Candy Corn Anyone?

Minnie is all ready for Trick or Treating!

Jack o Lantern Bulldog

And Missy... Our very own Halloween Kitty.

Baby Boom

Well, my two more days turned into 10 more days!!! I waited, and waited, and waited for my period to come. Well it finally came on the 13th, and ended just in time for a quick getaway to Palm Springs. This will mark the official trip that we are TTC (trying to conceive). After researching the web, reading what to expect, and tips from my preggo friends, Im feeling confident that by next month I will be seeing a tiny little positive. + (praying) And well, the last time I got pregnant, we weren't even trying, and SURPRISE! My Dr. says this already means we are compatible, so hopefully the baby magic will happen easily for us.

Speaking of baby magic... within the last two months, I have 10 friends/ family that are pregnant! (Two, which are my very best friends, which I can't even tell you how excited I am to be an Auntie to their beautiful babies). I am so happy for all of them, because hey I adore babies! But there is a total baby BOOM happening. Honestly, every week I log onto facebook, another one of my friends is pregnant. I hate to admit it.. but it sometimes feels like a little jab... a reminder of what I lost, and so desperately want. But hey, I need to look on the bright side though, there is a total BABY BOOM happening! How fun & exciting! Maybe this means my ovaries will join the big boom. How exciting that if it happens soon, then Baby Bruner will have plenty of buddies to have play dates with :)

So in the mean time, I will be taking my prenatals, eating my veggies, staying calm & keeping my stress in check, dreaming of wine instead of drinking it, and of course spending lots of time in that little room where the magic happens.

Two more days

I feel like my life is a stop watch; tick, tock, tick, tock.

It has been 2 months and one day since I miscarried. There is not a day that goes by, that I don't think about, dream about, our baby we lost. I would be 4 months pregnant by now. We would know by now if little Baby Bruner was a boy or a girl. My bump would be starting to show... Sometimes I'm sad, and sometimes I'm just angry. I know its not right to be angry with God, but I don't understand why he gave us this obstacle. Maybe one day I will understand.

I pray all the time that God will please give us a little bundle of joy. Trevor and I are both hard working, loving people. We have a roof over our heads, a strong partnership, successful careers and amazing families... everything a baby would need to be happy. Just yesterday we spent the day at Disneyland with our little nephew Christopher. I couldn't help but see the future. Trevor walked around the park with little Christopher on his shoulders, I took him to the pond to throw pennies and make wishes, little Christopher snuggled up on Trevor's lap during the Disney Sing Along performance, and we held hands to meet Chip & Dale, and Woody. It truly was such a beautiful and wonderful day. I love Christopher so much, and I can't wait to give him little cousins to play with.

Our Little Nephew Christopher, after a long day at Disneyland

As Trevor's Aunt said... "Best seat in the house"

In just 2 more days, I am supposed to start my second period after our miscarriage. Our Dr. had told us that we can start trying after two periods to give my body time to heal. This waiting game is torture... but I better get used to it. We will be officially trying to make a baby after this period. Based on my ovulation app. I will be ovulating on the 21st of this month. 21- this is my lucky number....my retired basketball jersey number! Hopefully this means this will be the month <3 Until then I will be dreaming a little dream of you (baby bruner).

Pinning is Winning

I have a new obsession... PINTERST! In fact, I think I may be cheating on Trevor with this website. (its that good). My cousin Meagan, was checking out my recent post about my Top 10, and told me about the website, since I love to share my ideas. SO what is this fabulous new internet fascination? Well its basically a huge board of pictures. You can then save photos you like to your very own board. These boards can be anything. So far my boards consist of the following "interests"- halloween, wedding, christmas, style, Thanksgiving, nurseries, and future party planning ideas. So why is this so great??? You know sometimes, you may come across a blog that you love, or decor to use during an upcoming holiday... but by the time that actually comes around you may have forgotten all this fabulous inspiration. With Pinterest you can save your ideas on a board, and when the time comes... you have all these amazing ideas saved! Pretty cool right? So because I love to share... below are the links to my Pinterest boards I have made so far. I can only imagine what they will look like a year from now. (#pinaddict)

Pretty Spooky... for all things adorable & creepy

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/pretty-spooky/

Wedding Chic

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/wedding-chic/

Christmas Love (personal favorite holiday)

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/christmas-love/

Wonderland: Our future gender reveal party. (praying for that little bump soon)

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/wonderlandia-gender-reveal-party/

The Thank.you.holiday.

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/thank-you-holiday/

Lets do Brunch

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/brunch/

A future Israwi Baby shower

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/back-to-school-themed-party/

Style & Fashion

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/my-style/

My Dream Shower for a little Baby named Stella

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/baby-shower-for-a-girl/

Classic Pooh Themed Baby Shower

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/winnie-the-power-shower-for-a-boy/

Sweet Dreams Little One (Nursery Ideas)

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/nursery-for-baby/

Future Black/White & Red Bridal Shower. 4 Julie

http://pinterest.com/fancymelbruner/my-bff-s-bridal-shower-ideas/

If you are reading this... let me know if you would like to PIN! I'll send you an invite. It takes much quicker than to wait for the website to give you an invite. Happy Pinning.

"Fall"ing in Love with Fashion. My TOP 10

Fall is one of my favorite times of year for many reasons.... Decorating the house, the yummy comfort foods, red wine, horror films, but most of all; I love Fall because of the CLOTHES! Its my favorite time of year for all things fashion.

Not only does the Fashion Bible come out (the september issue), but it is the time of year that Designers truly bring their A game. Nothing is more important than a Fall Runway show to a designer. If I could I would buy all things right from the Runway. But hey... I live in the real world. So I have done what any budget friendly girl would do. Invest in 10 pieces to complete my wardrobe for Fall.

These are my TOP 10, favorite pieces for the season. Although they are current, they are classic pieces that I will be able to incorporate in my wardrobe for many years to come!
Leather Jacket.....This little guy just keeps coming back! I have a Vince leather jacket just like this one, for two years now. The cost per wear on this jacket is probably down to $5. I definitely will be sporting the relaxed leather jacket, whether I'm throwing it over a tee, a romantic blouse, or even a girly mini dress... this is the most important piece to my Fall wardrobe.
The PONCHO. Love this for my days off. This is a great piece to throw on with some skinny jeans and some boots to wear to D.land, or a casual dinner, or just hanging out at the In.laws. Found this guy for only $80! Cheap & Chic :)

The Maxi Dress... I love wearing Maxi's in the summer... but now there is a new Maxi in town! Thanks to Alexander Wang, I can strut a maxi in the fall :)
LBD... I mean you need one every season! This lady like number is so perfect for work, a shower, dinner, an absolute easy go to piece. This one by Theskens theory is 100% silk, with an assymetrical hemline & mini shoulder-pads. Lady like & Edgy :)
The Printed Blouse. Loving the mustard yellow with Black splatter print by ALC. Here are three ways I would wear this blouse:

A. Pair with Leggings and a moto bootie for a cool/ edgy look

B. Pair tucked into a black high waisted pencil skirt some black wolford tights, and some pumps for a professional & ladylike look

C. Pair it with some Black wide leg denim trousers & a pair of pointy toe flats for a casual look.
Camel Sweater Coat....Oh Camel! I have a color crush on you this fall! Living in so cal, its a little to warm for a heavy coat. A cashmere coat is a great way to stay warm as it cools down! Its like getting away with wearing a blanket!

The Kimono Blouse... DVF just came out with this beautiful ruby red kimono blouse. The neckline is super flattering! A little bit of sexy without being over the top.
The Sweater Dress... Seeing Stripes!!! Oh how I love Missoni!!! The knits are just unbeatable. Anyone who knows me also know I love a mini dress. So this one is going to be my splurge of the season :)

Wide Leg Denim Trouser... JBrand makes the best ones! They are so perfect to pair back with tees, blouses, leather jackets, vests. These are my go to pants for Fall.
Silk Mens Blouse... Equipment Blouse. These come in a million colors, but the Rose is my absolute fave. Loving the relaxed look of this.

So lets Review the top 10 pieces of the season (in my eyes). Hey I'm no Rachel Zoe, but I am absolutely in love with fashion. I studied it, its my career, and well my first love. I was hooked from the second I played dress up in my Grandma Rose's Vintage Halston closet.

1. Leather Jacket

2. Poncho

3. The Fall Maxi Dress

4. A LBD.

5. The printed Blouse

6. Anything Camel.

7. The Kimono Blouse

8. Sweater Mini Dress (preferably Missoni). Can't splurge on the real thing? They are making an amazing collection for Target this year!

9. Wide Leg Denim Trouser

10. Equipment Blouses

And just for fun, here are the 5 trends I will be passing on...

1. The Middi- really? Hate this hemline. Hike it up! Show those legs

2. The fur vest... I'm over it. Lets try something fresh. Like a fur chubby!

3. The leather dress. Its beautiful, but not very practical.

4. Printed Pants... it didn't work in the 80s so why revisit?

5. The Puffer... ew! Totally reminding me of Fubu or when Tommy Hilfigger went Hip Hop.

HERE'S TO A FANCY & FASHIONABLE FALL SEASON <3

We got the Beat!!!!!!!

Allison is 30!!!!!!!! Well I knew this day was coming.... wayyyy back in December, even though I was planning my BIG fat winery wedding, I knew this was the year my sister would be entering the tragic decade. Yes... the thirties! SO of course there had to be a party... a surprise party!

Well, if you know my sister, you know it is impossible to keep a secret from her. Allison is like that movie... Ally RULES!!! (oh doyle... the bully ahem). JK,\.... I'm her bratty lil sis so I'm allowed to tease.! So when we started to get the details going; Ally's hubby Joe says... unfortunately you can't throw her a surprise party, because she already knows, UGH!!! Farewell Back to School themed, cute chalkboards, & apples..... this will have to wait until she pops out a Baby Israwi. What she wanted was an 80s PARTY!!! (really?? neon, madonna, and well the brutal fashion trends of leg warmers and puffy sleeves???) Well, she's the birthday girl, so I went with it!

A quick google search, and I was blasting from the past!!! BOP magazines, Pop rocks, Boom Boxes, Big Hair, and the GHOSTBUSTERS!!! This was going to be a RADICAL, and if we were headed to go to the tackiest decade... I was atleast going to go ALL OUT!

Here is how we made the party totally AWESOME BLOSSOM, WACKO SMACKO, MURR (Charlie & Dani know where I'm going with this one)...

Costumes- CHECK! Luckily the teens actually are having an 80s moment, so a "back to the future" shopping trip to forever 21, is totally happening! Or if you are a guy... you can go to Target and buy the one tee-shirt that says 1981 on it! LOL

Cake- Great Dane is awesome! Planning this party in July (a.k.a. the busiest time of my life) , was so easy....:Hello!I need a boom box 80s themed cake" call... was easy & delicious!

Centerpieces= Rubix Cubes stacked & Neon Gerber Daisies were a fun & festive way to decorate.

Decor= 80s posters, air guitars, neon balloons, rocker rubber duckies bop magazines, a ph0to timeline of the Birthday girl 1-30 (so fun), and of course a Black & White Checkered self made PHOTO BOOTH were "like TOTALLY" a hit.

Candy Bar= A quick trip to the candy outlet; abaza candy bars, ring pops, runts, neon bubblegum, paper candy, pop rocks, and nik nips were a sweeeeeet way to our guests heart

DJ- one of Ally's best friend's husband is a DJ, so he offered to spin our favorite hits of the 80s for the afternoon. Madonna, Aerosmith, New Kids on the Block, and Blondie were the cherry on top!

Drinks= Tab soda, & rainbow sherbert punch, served with a scrunchy neon straw. Enough said!

Favors= Friendship Bracelets! This was a no brainer. What would you give a friend in the 80s? HELLO???

So, all the planning and stressing to make everything perfect was all worth it! With all the bumps you might face when party planning (heat, nothing to wear, and a collapsed table anyone?..), it was still so much fun. And most of all, we got to celebrate 30 years of the Awesome Ally! She truly is my role model, Loves ya Big SIS! Here is to 30 more Big ones. I wonder what kind of parties we will be planning when we are sixty~~~ maybe getting down to some Katy Perry "ET" 2011 themed fun :)