ledbury drive

the beginning of a life's dream.

2011-12-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

I have a friend named jenna. We joke about being "life partners." I assure you, I'm very happily married, but there are many days that go by when I'm not sure what I'd do with out her. She and I share many of the same passions, dreams, and goals. Ever since she and I began working in advertising together as partners in 2009 we have talked about where our hearts truly lie in this crazy creative world. A lot of talking about 'what if' led to us finally taking a small business class together where we finalized what we hope to be lifelong endeavor.

Introducing: ninj & ninj

Through out the class we defined our goals, created a business plan, developed a logo, and "launched" our new small biz at Noel Night in Detroit - which ended our semester. Noel Night is a Christmas filled night that takes over midtown and we participated in the Art Show held in the Walter B. Ford Building. We decided to begin with holiday cards.

Our hopes for ninj & ninj are to continue with unique, quality paper goods. Greeting Cards, Wedding Stationary, Event branding, you name it. We have lots of ambitious goals. But I'll save those for another time. In the mean time, baby steps. You can find us on facebook, etsy, and at ninjandninj.com.

Thanks to everyone that has already supported us along the way!

Our Wedding Part Two: Just the Girls (before ceremony)

2011-12-06T19:51:00.001-08:00

Next batch of photos I'd like to share with you includes slipping into my dress and taking photos with all of my favorite ladies. I love each and every one of them and I'm so happy they were with me through out the entire experience.

Once again, the lovely miss Lauryn did a fantastic job. Enjoy!

meet jenna (ninj), heather (wifey), amanda (sis & moh), lindsay, chels, and crystal

my adorable flower girls (minus my neice): makayla and emma

Our Wedding Part One: Before the Ceremony

2011-11-20T14:48:00.001-08:00

I'm in love with these photos. I had no idea how much I would treasure having these. The day goes by so fast, and even though I made sure to take a few moments through out the day to take it all in, it's amazing how much I've already forgotten. Looking through all my photos and video helps me relive the day over and over and I love it.

First, I have to give a huge thank you to my lovely photographer - Lauryn Goodvich.

She is so talented and I'm so happy that she was with us to capture our day. You can also find her over at her blog, laureality. She and I worked out a plan where she would take our photos for us, but I would edit them. She was nice enough to agree to it. Not that I don't trust her to edit photos - she's amazing, I'm telling you, it's just that on our tight budget I was having a hard time with the thought of paying anyone to retouch photos, when I knew that I could. Because Lauryn gave me a giant amount of photos, I have to break it up...

So without further adieu, here are the "before" pictures.

Barbecue sauce favors, Honey Whiskey & Root Beer. Made by a family friend.

I handmade all of our centerpieces: Mason jars and wine bottles filled with organza flowers, painted burlap table runners, and chalkboard painted table numbers.

We made the bouquets and boutonnieres ourselves.

Ordered the dahlias from a local flower wholesaler and the roses from costco!

I made the just married banner with burlap, acrylic paint, and sewed together with ribbon.

The N&E in the background were made by one of my lovely bridesmaids heather.

I made our ring pillow (which we forgot to give to our ring bearer - hah).

Burlap, felt flower, and bakers twine.

Fan program. Adorable canvas bag = wedding day emergency kit - again by the lovely miss heather.

Our invite framed by my bridesmaid chelsea, and the framed N&E was a gift from heather, again.

My flower girls checking out the cake. I made the bunting banner and cake topper clay birds.

Our arbor that will someday go in our garden (and hopefully renew our vows under)

Chicago Wedding Shoot

2011-11-17T22:12:00.001-08:00

Our good friends Erica and David invited us out to their place in Chicago for Halloween weekend! I'm so in love with Chicago, I'm already trying to figure out when I can go back.

Erica is from my hometown, which most would say is in the "country" of Michigan. David is a city boy, native to Chicago. The two of them are so perfect for each other. A modern day "Country Mouse and Town Mouse." They were married in June this year in Michigan, but because they live in Chicago they really were hoping to have some wedding photos taken in their lovely city where they're beginning life as husband and wife. So, while I was in town we did a fairly quick little photo shoot. It's probably one of my favorite shoots I've ever done! Enjoy.

Congrats (again) Mr. & Mrs. Hoak!

Next on my list: Post my next chapter and post my own wedding pics and video!

ciao

my wedding story: ch.2 - the attire

2011-10-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

Most girls know the exact color scheme they want for their wedding. I however, had no clue. I would decide on a color and then change my mind the next week. I decided the bridesmaid dresses would have to make my decision for me.

I decided to go shopping with (almost) all of my bridesmaids at a local mall and see what everyone would gravitate to. I told them color wasn't an issue, just no pink or purple, and the rest was up to them. I would just give the final 'o.k.' I wanted the dress to be something everyone liked, and would wear again - but most of all, was affordable. We went to all the department stores and just about any store that sold dresses. We found a couple that were possible contenders, but none that anyone really fell in love with. When we were just about done with shopping, we spotted "30% OFF DRESS SALE" on the windows of Express. So we figured why not, and went inside. Almost immediately, my sister (and MOH) spotted a turquoise number that I personally would never choose for myself - just because I know what style/fit I like on my body - and it wasn't one of them. But when I realized that all my girls have cute little bodies (I'm lanky and flat chested), I got excited and said let's try it! It looked awesome on each and every one of them. Turquoise is my favorite color. Boom. Easy as that. After tracking down a few sizes at other stores in the area, everyone had a dress - for 30% off. I believe they were $48 with tax. For a bridesmaid dress? I felt like it was a win.

After turquoise was a set color for our wedding the planning and details got fun.

Then it was on to my dress. I love this story...

We got engaged Christmas 2009. In April 2010 I saved this very picture to my computer:

It was love at first sight. I knew that style was my favorite. At the time I had no idea what "W____ers" meant behind that girl. It was the only wedding dress picture I filed in my wedding folder and forgot about it.

That summer I went wedding dress shopping with mom, sister and a couple bridesmaids. I tried on two dresses in the beginning that I loved. The rest of them were pretty, but we all agreed that they didn't beat the first two. Out of those first two dresses I started selling myself on the first dress because the price tag was a little easier to swallow than the second. Both still being fairly reasonable compared to everything else in the boutique. To be honest the dresses were almost identical. The main difference was the fabric, the second dress was made with very unique material for a wedding gown. We left that day and I had fallen in love with two dresses but subconsciously talked myself into the first because of $.

phone pic of me in dress #1

Christmas break of 2010 I got a random phone call from my grandmother on my way home from work late at night. If you know me, you know that my grandmother and I have a special bond. She's an incredibly generous woman that has spoiled my sister and I from day one. And at 24 years old I'll admit that she still spoils us. But not a day has gone by that we're not so very thankful and appreciative of everything she's ever done for us. I'm sure you see where this is going... She called to say that she had walked by a boutique in Birmingham and decided that she really wanted to buy my wedding gown for me. She wanted to make sure that I didn't stress over the price and make sure that I wore exactly what I wanted on my special day. I balled the whole way home.

So 3 generations of Ankeny's set back out to dress shop. We tried another boutique in Northville just to see what else was out there. They were all gorgeous but it was hard to open my mind to any new dresses because all I could think of were the two back at B. Ella Bridal. We went back there to show grammy the two I had fallen in love with. I repeated exactly what I did the first time. I tried on dress #1 and my grandma seemed to like it. I tried on dress #2 and she said "oh niki, I think that's the one." I was ecstatic. I think the whole time my heart was drawn to dress #2, but me being my frugal self wouldn't let it. Needless to say, I have an amazing grandmother and I'm so lucky to have been able to get my dream dress.

So that first image up there... that was dress #1. I had no idea when I was trying it on. After all of this, I was going through images I had saved to my computer and came across that image. I couldn't believe out of the thousands of dresses I had looked at online I ended up falling in love with that very dress.. and its sister dress. I guess when your heart knows, it knows.

Introducing the dress:

Mojave by Watters

My dress was incredibly comfortable. The fabric was almost like a cotton, with a floral burnout texture. AND the best part about it... POCKETS!

And last but not least, the fellas:

Eric and I both agreed that tuxedos were most likely out of the question. You can't find anything other than black or white in rentals. So we started looking at options for the guys to buy suits instead. We agreed on hunting for something in the khaki family. We figured it would look best. A trip to Jos. A. Banks left us both in love with their Seersucker (my favorite) suits. Also conveniently part of the summer collection being very light weight for an August wedding. So we decided on the tan stripe version:

Left: Image from their site. Right: I had to photoshop the ties to see if they'd look okay...

Suit: $99 (talked way down - practiced my negotiating skillz) much better than renting!

Tie: $15 from Express (given as gifts) I used lots of coupons.

They all looked super handsome. In my opinion. And another bargain if I might say so myself.

Wedding photos coming soon! You'll get to see all of this in action

Now I have to go ice my wrists from this blogging marathon.

life with piper.

2011-10-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty much super attached with this little face. She's growing like a weed... gaining almost a pound a week! I wish I could make it stop. She can be the sweetest thing, so snuggly and loveable. Then. She can be the holy terror that pees on my couch, steals dryer sheets or socks, and snarls while stalking me from under the couch before she springs out to attack. Nevertheless, we're making good progress and I love her to death!

Here are a few pictures of us playing in the yard...

i could kiss that nose all day long.

A few weeks ago my sister and I took piper to downtown Brighton to watch the homecoming parade. We're doing lots and lots of socializing. She LOVES people and isn't afraid of anything

... which is good and bad.

The next day piper and I met my good friend jenna at Kensington Metropark for a little picnic and enjoy the indian summer we were having. It was absolutely gorgeous. We pulled 100 leaves out of piper's mouth, watched the sailboats, and even a seaplane!

Our not-so-picturesque, yet tasty, picnic. Again, I pulled a full chunk of cheese out of Piper's mouth... it never ends. We're working really hard on "leave it"

taking in all the smells

It was the first time I'd ever been to Kensington. I highly recommend it, I'm definitely buying another year pass for 2012.

must be nice...

my wedding story: ch.1 - the venue

2011-10-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

{I've decided to share my wedding planning experience in chapters. There are so many things I'd like to post, but I'll have to do it in smaller doses. Some may be mundane and others more exciting, either way... I hope you enjoy!}

Choosing where to celebrate our marriage was way more difficult than I had ever imagined. So many things to consider -- locatoin (somewhat practical/central for guests), type (golf course, church, park, country club, etc.), and of course considering what compliments our personalities.

I searched, and searched, and researched. we finally decided on Indian Springs Metro Park

in White Lake, MI. Location was ideal, very close to my parents home, the majority of our friends, and still easily reachable for the rest of our guests. The type of venue they have at Indian Springs was perfect. The park grounds are kept completely natural, and our ceremony site had a beautiful backdrop of a humongous oak tree. Their event room is inside their Environmental Discovery Center which is an awesome, sustainable building.

ceremony site:

event room:

new name & new look

2011-10-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

introducing, ledbury drive!

For a long while I was contemplating a new name for all my creative outlets to fall under. I wanted a name that I could use for an etsy shop (that I had been wanting to open for years), my blog, etc. I wanted everything to be a cohesive expression of me. Feels good to have a fresh look for a fresh start!

If you care to know where the new name came from... here's why:

Ledbury drive is a quiet residential street that my grandparent's home resides on. They've lived there since the late 50's, and while my grandfather passed away several years ago -- to me -- he still lives there in spirit. I imagine most people have special feelings towards their grandparent's home. I am one of those people. Every time I'm there I am overwhelmed with memories made there, including learning so many talents from my grandmother. When I think about the living I make, the hobbies I have, the degree I obtained -- all of those passions stemmed from my grandparents home (with my parents encouragement as well, of course). My grandmother taught me how to paint and care for brushes, cut wood, sew by hand and on a sewing machine (which she bought me), play the piano, garden, stamp and emboss, knit, and she even gave me my first beads and jewelry making materials. All of my creative passions were born there. Until I was five years old my grandparents watched me every day while my parents worked. From ages eight to ten, we lived there while building our second home, and while attending college I lived there (m-f) for four years. I've lived a good part of my life in that house, and it's impossible to express in words how much it means to me.

So, while I was thinking of a name that would feel right to give all of my creative outlets, ledbury drive seemed like a good place for them to live.

This was my rough draft of my 'logo'. The orange is a tribute to my grandpa. Everything we do in memorial of him is orange. Thinking of you grandpa!

thanks for reading. xo

our new addition.

2011-10-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

(photo from petfinder)

3.5 weeks ago I was torturing myself on petfinder (as usual) and came across this cute little nugget. It was love at first site.

3 weeks ago, after much debate and contemplation, I decided to fill out the FIDO adoption application. We heard back almost right away and decided to go meet her.

2 weeks ago we met her. As soon as we saw the foster mother walking in holding this little sandy brown peanut, we knew she was coming home with us.

Meet Piper

Piper was a rescue from a flooded shelter down south, she and her litter mates had pneumonia and parasites. It breaks my heart to think of how sick they all were, I wish I could have brought the whole bunch home with us. She's healthy and clear of all illness now! We aren't sure, but the best guess is that she is a Daschund+Chihuahua mix.

I'm so in love.

Sloane Reegyn: before & after

2011-09-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

Let the recapping begin!

I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful new family, and very close friends of ours.

In February we did a maternity shoot and lucked out with a beautiful winter day!

Then, on March 28th we were graced with the pretty little presence of sloaney b! I did a newborn session with the little lady, even though she wasn't really feeling in the mood to have her picture taken we did okay...

I'm sure we'll be doing a 6 month shoot with miss Sloane real soon!

I'm Back!

2011-09-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

8 months of no blogging and I'm finally back :)
2011 has been crazy (and amazing) -- a lot has happened. Between January and now, I just couldn't find the time to sit down and post on here while always having a million things on my to-do list.

Instead of fretting over my lack-of-blogging, I decided to come back after the wedding, after life got somewhat normal again, and share my whole experience of wedding planning. While of course still sharing other random projects, pictures and nonsense along the way!

Things that have happened since January:

+ Eric scored his first goal in his hockey league
+ Hosted a Lia Sophia jewelry party
+ Mom became a Lia Sophia Advisor in result of my party
+ Maternity photo session with Chelsea & Shane
+ Discovered Pinterest
+ Became addicted to Pinterest
+ Went to 2 baby showers in 2 weeks
+ Discovered Dexter
+ ...addicted to Dexter
+ Interviewed for a new job
+ Got the job, immediately quit Doner
+ Designed my Wedding bands
+ Chelsea had Sloaney Bologna on 3.28.11
+ Celebrated my 24th
+ Newborn photo session with Sloaney
+ Attended 5 weddings from May to July
+ Family photo session with the Chamberlain's
+ Became a wedding invite master
+ Suffered through sun poisoning
+ Showered twice with bridal gifts
+ Classy pole dancing at my bach party
+ 4th Annual Girls weekend + bach party round 2
+ Married my best friend and love of my life!

You can expect a lot of recapping from the last 8 months, my wedding story, and hopefully a refreshed blog.

feels good to be back.

I finally said yes to a dress.

2011-01-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

When I first got into all of the planning for our wedding I never thought that the dress would mean very much to me... it's just a dress, that you'll wear once, and spend too much money on. (whoa, I sound like my father)

Well yesterday I decided on a dress and it's been officially ordered. The whole experience was MUCH more fun and exciting than I ever expected. I made the choice with 3 generations of ladies in my family. My sister, my mom, and my grandmother. I couldn't have asked for a better way to do it.

As much as I want to post a picture of the dress, I decided not too. It will have to be a surprise. It may or may not be a Watters dress. They're definitely one of my favorite designers. Along with Paloma Blanca

But I do have to give props to the boutique that I found it at. I looked at a few different places and B. Ella Bridal in Northville was the best. The people, selection of dresses, the store itself... all awesome. I highly recommend it. I can barely wait to go back and have my first fitting once it comes in!

8 months to go...

2011-01-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

There's only a short 8 months until our big day! I'm starting to think I better get my butt in gear if I want to get all the details done that I'd like to. I know it's going to sneak up on me. Considering we'll be engaged for 20 months by the time the wedding comes; 8 months is nothin'!

Being a Graphic Designer for my profession, trying to settle on what to do for my save-the-dates and invites is near impossible. I'd like to send out save-the-dates real soon, so I need to figure it out quick. I was having a terrible time visioning how the 'look' of the wedding would all come together so I do what we often do at work - styleboard! Thought I'd share.

Photo credit: all over the place.
1. love this style for invites 2. fabric flower style for centerpieces 3. Watters dress I'm leaning towards 4. Anthropologie letters - table number idea 5. Bridesmaid dresses 6. Mason jars for centerpieces 7. possible guest book idea 8. love hanging paper flowers 9. chalkboard seating chart 10. birdie cake toppers 11. Homemade BBQ sauce favors 12. Groomsmen look 13. BBQ style buffet 14. cute boutonnieres 15. wooden road signs 16. love this bouquet 17. burlap table runner 18. fun necklace inspiration for bridesmaids.

Christmas! Before. During. & After.

2011-01-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011!

(prepare for longest post ever.)

I hope everyone had great holidays! I'd say my holiday break was one of the best, I was able to add on a few vacation days and see lots of friends and family! The first part of break I was busy crafting and making a gigantic mess in the living room - finishing up xmas gifts. {I dream about the day I'll have my own craft room/studio/office}

Jewelry boxes for my friend's two daughters, Emma and Mikalya (age 5 & 7)

Before:

After:

(still need to put pictures/glass on the tops)

lined with felt.

now all I need to do is fill them with the handmade jewelry I promised them.

Acrylic painting of poppies on 16x40" canvas, for my parents.

Before (well about half way through):

Please excuse the terrible mess...

eric was my progress photographer

After:

They hung it above their fireplace, I'll post a picture of that some day.

They have a red couches and warm neutrals in their family room, I think it matches quite well.

Felt ornaments for a couple of my friends

owl & ninja

. . . . .

Christmas cookie time at Mom & Dad's

amanda was a real big help.

eric being the photographer again.

amanda's gay pride cookie

my barbie snowman

long night's work!

. . . . .

12.23.10 - 1 year engaged! & Visiting with close friends.

Sadly, I didn't get any pictures with heather this night, we made up for it another day though! We exchanged gifts that night, I gave her the owl ornament (she is in love with owls) and a bottle of Michigan wine that she has been deprived of since moving to South Carolina. She gave me the most darling Christmas present, I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of it before Eric and I both dived into the homemade deliciousness. Luckily she took fabulous photos of them. You can see her whole post about them here.

She's amazing.

boys will be boys

heather's babies. elsie snuggled behind cleo. eric tucked them in for the night. so sweet.

. . . . .

Christmas Eve!

Celebrated with Eric's family during the first part of the day. Watching my soon to be niece and nephew open their presents was great. I wish there were more little ones in my family.

Then it was off to my Grandpa & Nana's (mom's side) This side of my family is super fun and goofy. We play games, exchange 'White Elephant' presents, and drink Grandpa's famous Grasshoppers!

During white elephant, dad cheated and picked a present that he knew was cookies and candy. guess who I get my sweet tooth from... :)

eric opening his white elephant...

He got a santa!

Uncle Gordie drinking an infamous grasshopper!

. . . . .

Christmas Day!

Eric and I stayed the night at my parents so we could wake up with them and my sister. We were totally spoiled. From there we spent the rest of the day at my Grandmother's. I love our family traditions.

Eric and dad both got remote control helicopters. By far their favorite gift I think, they played with them all day long like 12 year old boys...

ellie wasn't quite so sure about those strange birds flying around the family room.

christmas is by far gus gus' favorite holiday.

mom & amanda

eric's "pilot" outfit...

There's something magical about Grammy's Christmas tree.

. . . . .

12.26.10 Girls Night in Davisburg

I have some awesome girl friends from elementary school and some from middle school. I'm so happy we keep in touch because when we do get together... it's so much fun.

claire was one of my first best friends when I moved to Davisburg. going on 14 years!. . . . .

. . . . .

Last but not least. I got to spend a day with lovely miss heather before she left to go back home in SC. I miss her all over again. I have to wait until my wedding to see her again, I'm not sure if I'll make it!

. . . . .

PHEWWW! That was a blogging marathon!

2010 ended very well, but I'm extremely excited for 2011!

cheers!

gingerbread night

2010-12-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

My mom loves Christmas. I sat here for a moment trying to figure out a way to describe exactly how much she loves Christmas, but I just can't put it into words. For example; the day that 100.3 WNIC starts playing Christmas music on the radio might as well be a holiday to my mother. I love it. To add to all of the decorations, music, gifts, activities this year she decided we (me, mom, and my sister) were going to have gingerbread house night. I've never made a gingerbread house before... so I was excited.

She bought two kits (yea.. we cheated). 2 for the 3 of us... This is the sad part. My mom knows that I'm a perfectionist, who's particular about details no matter what it is. So she gets two - one for me, one for mom and amanda, so I wouldn't take it over! Of course it was a big joke. But I promise I'm not THAT bad! Anyways, here's the result. It was fun, I recommend it :)

the mess:

mine:

mom & amandas:

(early) merry xmas to me.

2010-11-30T10:10:00.001-08:00

new proud owner of a canon rebel - again.

to whoever stole my last camera: screw you, bah humbug!

I decided to take advantage of the Black Friday sales. I got the Canon Rebel T2i that came in a bundle with the same lenses I had before, a better case than I had before, and an 8GB card. Not bad. I'm so so happy to have a camera again. It made me sad to think of not having it through the holidays. I feel complete again. Needless to say, I'll never leave it in my car again, or out of my sight for that matter.

hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!

i heart anthropologie.

2010-11-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

for your christmas lists:

I'll take one of each, please.

I'm truly in love with Anthropologie. They have the user experience down to a science. I could just move in and live there. Very seldom do I actually step foot in the store. I'm usually one to just drool from a distance looking through their windows - which are always adorned with the most amazing displays. Typically walking through is torturous to me, considering their prices don't match my lifestyle. However, yesterday while shopping with my grandmother and sister, we stepped foot into the magical world of anthropologie. I picked out a few Xmas treats. {And I (re)fell in love.}

oh happy day.

2010-10-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

I received a call from my insurance company today.

{Assurant is the best, we use them for our rental insurance, they're cheap and they've been great to work with. I spoke with all american people on the phone, and one specific lady, Dawna, was always calling me back to update me and was so kind.}

THEY COVERED MY CAMERA!!! (see previous post about the tragedy)

The lovely Dawna told me that I should be receiving my check in the mail next week. After the deductible and depreciation deductions, it won't nearly cover the replacement. BUT anything helps. And now I have my eye on this beauty. I'm a Canon Rebel girl. This is for sure.

I had the Xsi before, now I'll be able to shoot HD video too! I'm pretty excited to get it. It's been sad with out a camera. I've only been using my phone. And while I'm at it I should share my awesome experience updating to the iPhone 4...

my awesome iphone upgrade story:

A friend from work told me that he sold his old iphone for $250. I didn't believe him until I went on craigslist and saw people selling my exact phone for $250+. I looked at my account and found out I was eligible for upgrade to the iphone 4 for $200. Did some quick math and realized, I can make PROFIT on this??? After I posted my phone on craigslist I literally had a buyer within 5 minuets, sold it to him the next day for $250 cash, and had a brand new iphone 4 within 24 hours of the thought even crossing my mind. If you are in the position to do this, I highly recommend it. (but always be safe when it comes to craigslist. there are a lot of creepos out there)

friday. october twenty two.

2010-10-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

I followed myself around all day. I documented the mundane, the precious, the working... all of it. You may be interested, or you may be bored to tears. If you are bored to tears, apologies in advance.

(*no one likes a copy cat - but I have to admit that I am 100% stealing this idea from one of my favorite bloggers. I haven't decided if I'll link it or not, her life is much more glamorous than mine*)

October 22, 2010:

6:00am: smell of coffee, goodbye kiss from eric.

7:30-8:00: snooze 4x, shower, get ready.

This is my product line up from left to right in chronological order.

1. Complex 15 (amazing face moisturizer) 2. Origins: Quick, Hide!* 3 & 4. Bare Minerals 5. CG Bronzer 6. TooFaced: Rich Bitch 7. Maybelline Define-a-Lash

*(I swear by this stuff. I have used it since the 5th grade: A bully called me 'death' because I have really dark circles under my eyes and my mom - being amazing like she is - bought my this concealer and some natural blush. She had the Origins lady teach my how to use it. She told me that I was beautiful just the way I am, but if it would make me feel better, I could use it. And I still am, 13 years later.)

The great boot debate. I never wear heals, but I was seriously contemplating wearing the beauties on the left which are hand-me-downs from my aunt. {who is way more stylish than I'll ever be} I went with my favorite Steve Madden riding boots. Shawl cardigan from jcrew last winter. Jeans are the only pair of American Eagle jeans that have ever come close to being long enough. Scarf is also a hand-me-down from my grams.

I left our condo and it was a beautiful (but COLD) autumn day in Michigan. This here is my weak attempt at some fall decor on our patio. The yellow mums and the smaller pumpkin are a surprise from my amazing and kind land lord. Who I'd like to adopt as an aunt.

Then I get in my car, which is only 5 years old and has 107,600 miles on it. The poor thing has been coated in mud for the past 4 weeks now (dirt roads on a rainy day are a pain). I think she cries at night.

30 minute drive. Arrive at work. And make it to my desk - that has collected an ever growing amount of toys and randomness over the last 3.5 years.

From L to R: Two of my favorite books - 1000 Packaging Designs & Design Matters: Packaging, toy truck from The UPS Store print shoot, Marley Coffee (given to me by Bob Marley's son, Rohan, himself), Killians Irish Red & Heineken bottles (necessities for late nights in advertising) killians label is colored with sharpies and the heini bottle has a flower in it, various toys, and a framed photo of me and my beautiful little sister.

My little sister made the drive to come have lunch with me {at Potbelly's! - Uptown salad is to die for!} and visit for the afternoon! My salad didn't last long enough to take a picture of.

Meet Amanda (who is also more stylish than I)

She's reading the blog that inspired this randomness. Notice our matching purses? Recently I got sucked into the Vera Bradley trend. {my mother, grandmother, and sister are all obsessed}

My grandmother who has been into Vera Bradley since the 80's when the company was born, bought me this purse (my very first vera purse - oh my!) It's grown on me too. I love the style, and it's so lightweight! Mailbag in Dahlia.

Then Amanda left and I decided to victimize Rachel, my lovely copywriter partner. We discuss all sorts of randomness. She recently got married in August so she's been a great sounding board for wedding ideas. We talk about crazy dreams, our goals in life, our love for animals, and pretty much every single thought that come to our minds - it get's pretty ridiculous. When you're stuck in a gray box together for 8+ hours a day, that happens. She just started a blog of her own not long ago. Check it out!

While I'm at it, I might as well share that I'm jealous of her owl mug. super cute.

I never wear gold, but I love this thing. If you haven't explored Forever 21 or For Love 21... you gotta. I think this thing was like $3. Love it.

Once I got through the craziness of the day it's off to meet one of my most favorite persons, Jenna, at one of my most favorite restaurants, California Pizza Kitchen. Two Bell's Oktoberfest's please! (If you haven't had the privilege of Michigan brews, I apologize) Look how cute she is...

We split an Original Chopped Salad and The Works pizza. DELICIOUS. If you've never been to CPK, you're missing out. It's the best. We chatted about work, a lot, our fellas, and more randomness.

Then, we went on to Borders Books to have our first business meeting. Jenna and I call each other 'ninja'. That story is for another day. Short version: we used to be partners in advertising and we always had to initial our work Niki & Jenna/ N&J... somehow, someway, that morphed into "ninjas". It stuck.

We talked about future classes we want to take (we crossed 'motorcycle endorsement class' off the list in September - we are both legally allowed to drive motorcycles on the road. watch out!) And we talked about our bucket list, and then we did some serious brainstorming on a business endeavor that I'll hopefully be able to tell you more about someday! Take note: GOOD magazine = awesome goodness. Here is our to-do list that Jenna so beautifully drew up for us.

GOOD magazine featured this book: Rework. We previewed it in the store and decided to order it on amazon. 2 lovely books should be on my doorstep next week. One for each of us. (a girl's gotta save money when she can - sorry Borders. Amazon won) We can't wait to read it. And if you're making fun of us for hanging at Borders on a Friday night, ordering books and talking about our future, - I don't blame you! :)

We commence our meeting and feel inspired.

I finally picked up Eric's wedding band that has been sitting at the jewelers for 2 months now. It's a chisel cut Tungsten Carbide ring with satin finish and beveled edges. I love it. This is what I'd like if I was a boy. He picked it out all by himself too. From Medawar Jewelers.

Then it's on to meet with friends and my fiance at a Tanya and Justin's house. There was a lot of laughing, baked goods (Tanya is an amazing host), autumn seasonal beer (Leinenkugels Oktoberfest - yummy), and singing/guitar playing.

And when I say singing/guitar playing, I wasn't kidding. I even got a song all to myself, thanks to Justin:

The video was quite possibly the highlight of my night. My cheeks hurt from laughing.

I should mention how awesome Tanya is, I'm sorry I didn't take a good picture of her for this. She loves to paint nails, and every time I see her I get freshly painted nails! She should open up her own salon. This time the choice color was 'Light my Saphire' by OPI. Love it.

Meet my friend Tommy, he's a big ol' goofball. And we take goofy picture together all the time. That's just what we do.

After lots of shenanigans at Tanya & Justin's house we were off to Legends, a local bar where all of our friends were. Our one friend, Cathy, has twin nephews that were celebrating their 21st birthdays and there were a ton of people there to join. Might of had something to do with the fact that there was a stripper waiting in the party bus, in the parking lot, for the boys and everyone who wanted to join the show.

These are my friends Kurt, and the infamous Bob S - who is always a good time and plenty of entertainment (if you can't see that for yourself). Thumbs up.

Well, if you know my friends, of course they wanted to go see a stripper. To them it's more of a joke than anything. We got on the bus - which was jam packed. The 'exotic dancer' was um, well, interesting. The bus was crammed and eventually we found out they were leaving the parking lot. So we got off the bus (thank goodness) *Sidenote: this is not something that occurs often on my weekends. I should also mention that I'm not crazy about bars these days. However, the people watching is amazing. I should have documented that now that I think about it. This is Tommy, very excited for the stripper.

This is Garret, it's his Birthday too. You can tell by the party attire. Note the tuxedo t-shirt, hoodie, and suit jacket. He always has the best outfits found from the local thrift store. He told me that some day he'll take me and teach me how to shop thrift stores like he does. Good stuff.

We left Legends, made a pit stop at Mickey D's, and stayed the night at Eric's brother's house nearby. I watched HGTV and crashed on the couch. It was a very long and random day, but a good day.

day of the dead.

2010-10-18T06:56:00.001-07:00

For once in my life I knew what I wanted to be for Halloween this year earlier than 1 week prior to all the festivities. My friend, Brian, showed me an illustration magazine when I came across Sylvia Ji and her Day of the Dead paintings. They're gorgeous and creepy at the same time. If you know me... you know that I love to take on crazy tedious craft projects. So naturally as soon as I laid eyes on the intricate face painting I was determined to dress up as a Day of the Dead girl for Halloween!

Eric and I had a Halloween party to go to this past Saturday and I was really excited to try it out. It took a long time to do (like 2.5/3 hours), but it was a ton of fun. Probably one of my favorite costumes ever!

My Inspiration:

Me:

Ingredients:

- face paint (for white & green)

- acrylic paint for detials

- green shimmer

- black clip in hair piece

- black hair spray

- white hair spray

- funky feathery eyelashes

- silk flower

a little early, but

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

decisions. decisions.

2010-09-14T12:22:00.001-07:00

I thought choosing a color palette for the wedding would be easy. Luckily my girls chose a turquoise dress that I absolutely love (I'm in love with all shades of turquoise) so I have one color already decided on. You'd think that'd make it easier for me... not the case. I keep going round and round with what complimentary colors I'd like to use. I guess that's the one downfall of being a designer and designing your own wedding; when it's your own project it's hard to make decisions and stick with them!

This weekend I came across a new (new to me) wedding blog that has these great color palettes sprinkled throughout their posts. Each one is inspired by a photograph and I absolutely love them. Here are some of my favorites, one is actually quite similar to the scheme I'm leaning towards. Thought I'd share:

farewell my friend.

2010-09-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I'm a "it will never happen to me" type of person. And that's why I'm still in denial that my Canon Rebel was stolen out of my car last week. Just typing that out puts a big knot in my stomach. So to anyone that reads this; please think twice about what you keep in your car. I can't be sure if it was locked or not when it was stolen (I'm typically super anal about locking my car. It's a good habit of mind). But it's a fact that if someone wants to get in your car with out leaving much evidence, it's totally possible. I didn't notice it was missing until Friday when we were heading for a trip up north and we were already on our way. I was nervous but I thought "oh I must have taken it inside the house." So when we got home Sunday and I searched our place - no camera. [balled my eyes out] Called any place it could have possibly been and no luck. I knew the whole time that it had been in my car. I guess I was just hoping for a miracle. So I'm not sure where or when exactly it was stolen but I'm going to definitely try and make a police report and claim it under either my Auto insurance or my Rental Insurance. My iPod is gone too, but I was hoping that I just misplaced that too, (I guess you can say I was really hoping for a miracle) If anyone has any advice/experience with this sort of thing it'd be greatly appreciated. In the grand scheme of things I understand it's just an object... but when it's a very expensive prize possession of yours that you just can't afford to replace right now - it's devastating. I can only hope for a happy ending now. Let's hope that my insurance pulls through for a win. (I never use my insurance and karma has to be on my side - this is good, right?)

a darling family.

2010-08-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

A while back one of my best friends (and bridesmaid), Crystal and I decided to do a family photo session with her family. They've never had a professional set of photos taken of all 4 of them, and I was honored to do their first. I was so excited and happy to have one of the most darling families ever to pose for me! They made it so easy.

Meet Makayla, Joe (Eric's best man), Crystal, and Emma:

Photography is just a hobby right now. But the whole experience definitely got me thinking about doing this more often. I can't ever see calling myself a professional, but for now it's great to do for friends and family!

someday i'll have a real garden.

2010-07-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

my project this past weekend was to finish our patio.

(please excuse the broom and shovel)

I planted 3 pots; 2 w/ impatiens (our patio is all shade) & 1 azalea plant

hung 2 impatien pots & bought a matching zinnia for the table

& planted this small garden with astilbes and my leftover impatiens

there was a half dead/diseased plant there before...

engagement pics

2010-06-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

& it wouldn't be "us" if there wasn't a picture like this in the mix...

it was hard not to be goofy, just a little.

life is good.

new site

2010-06-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to change my website for a long tim now. It's finally in a spot where I'm 95% happy with it (I'm never 100% happy with any of my own projects - there's always room for improvement!) I plan on adding lots more as I finish more projects. let me know what you think?

nikiankeny.com

we're moving!

2010-05-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

after tons of craigslist stalking we finally found a new place to rent!

a condo :) I'm really excited for the change (and to decorate, paint, plant flowers, and have a garage... oh and 7 (seven) closetss!!)

We've only ever had an all white bedroom, our furniture is white and our bedding is white. This time around I wanted to actually make it look complete. We're definitely painting. I had to share my yummy new duvet cover from pottery barn!

This is the main reason painting is so important...

It was an 88 yr old woman who owned the condo... can you tell? Bless her.

my momma.

2010-05-09T19:15:00.001-07:00

this is my beautiful (inside and out) momma, debbie.

mother's day is one of my favorite holidays because i love taking the day to thank my mom for everything she's done for me.

my mom is one of my best friends and i love her so much it hurts sometimes.

mother's day gift basket.

2 books: 'the things we do for love' & 'the art of racing in the rain', 'It's Complicated dvd, hair pins, lip gloss, and nail polish. :)

baby steps.

2010-05-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

i'm lucky eric and i both agreed we wanted a long engagement. i'm a big planner and i like to do tons and tons of research. And i stew on decisions forever until i feel 100%. We have now been engaged for 4 months and i haven't even settled on a venue for the ceremony & reception. I have two big contenders but the pros and cons of each are way unbalanced.

(still in the stewing process)

it's been fun nonetheless! i think we have a few things pretty much settled...

1. outdoor ceremony / indoor reception

2. colors: robin's egg blue + coral

3. bridesmaids: amanda.heather.crystal.lindsay.chelsea

4. groomsmen: joe.willis.garrett.kaare.shane

5. music: John Fett Quartet + iPod playlists (cheap, but should be a blast)

I've really wanted to get engagement photos done, but they just haven't been in the budget lately. I need to find someone that is willing to help me out with the price, or maybe do some type of trade.

It's so nice out now... hopefully we can do them soon!

*pictures are all from theknot.com & various blogs*

support a fellow artist

2010-04-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

help out cheyenne! she is an incredibly talented photographer hoping to win the chance to participate in a photo shoot with naomi campbell. she needs 8 votes to qualify for the next round.

vote here!

toilet art.

2010-03-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

found a DIY project on d*s that caught my interest and just had to try it.

toilet paper rolls + hammered silver spray paint. love it.

spring getaway

2010-03-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Eric and i took a much needed spring vacation for 8 days.

Hutchinson Island, FL to see my grandparents for a few days.

Caribbean cruise to Freeport & Nassau in The Bahamas.

on the ship our first day

Freeport, Grand Bahama Island

Atlantis Resort - Paradise Island, Nassau

Gatorland - Orlando, FL

3 hour drive. 17 girls. 11 tubes of puff paint.

2010-01-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

Nicki's Bachelorette Party Weekend.

Baldwin, Michigan

1.22.10 - 1.24.10

detroit's li'l beauty

2010-01-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

11.22.09 photo trip with matt to belle isle.

wrapping up 2009.

2009-12-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

It's been forever since I've posted any projects. Mostly because my latest projects have been christmas presents. I didn't want friends and family peaking! So here are my latest projects, and a few Christmas photos!

chelsea's christmas present - acrylic on canvas

crystal's christmas present - acrylic on canvas

the ankeny family book - mom & dad's christmas present from Amanda and I, a collection of family photos from the beginning to present along with small blurbs and quotes that Amanda wrote.

emma & kayla (my flower girls) opening presents 12.19

new watch from grammy

this is where gus snuggled up while we unwrapped presents

I always love my grandmother's table setting - and Christmas dinner!

gus was totally pooped after the long day though.

engaged!

2009-12-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

The 'story' for anyone who wants to know:

Christmas eve's eve (the 23rd) eric and I decided to exchange presents because we were too excited (didn't have anything to do... and eric knew he was getting a ps3, lol) While I was sitting looking at my awesome presents I'd just opened, he sneakily grabbed the ring from beside the couch and said "I have one more thing for you..." He got down on one knee. I took one look at the ring, covered my face and started balling like a little baby! We hugged and I cried and he eventually asked "does that mean yes?" I said, "of course"! We celebrated with champagne I received from one of my freelance clients earlier that day (ironic & perfect!) After I was over my emotional crying I said "oh! we need to tell my family" he totally surprised me when he said that he snuck over to their house the day before to ask their permission and blessing! That meant a lot to me. He said he was super nervous and even tried to stall by stopping at the gas station on the way. Once he got there he couldn't barely talk, his voice wouldn't work! haha. He ended up staying there for a couple hours just talking with them - and that's one of the things I love most about eric. He loves my family and they love him back. I feel so lucky.

It was a great night. He proposed the 1st Christmas in our 1st place.

It was perfect. :)

i love love love it!

it's been the best christmas ever.

happy thanksgiving.

2009-11-26T20:22:00.001-08:00

i'm thankful for so much, especially my family and the love of my life.

this is one of my favorite pictures of us, oldie but goodie!

(amanda's baptism. i remember feeling so fancy in that dress!)

and of course, eric. who i can't imagine my life with out for even a day.

cider & donuts.

2009-11-20T13:13:00.001-08:00

lunch break at...

i love fall. except for the fact that snow comes next...

a day at the zoo with my 2 favorite little gals.

2009-11-03T19:10:00.001-08:00

leads to one tuckered out emma.

halloween ninjas

2009-10-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

happy halloween!

family

2009-10-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

working on retouching skills.

ninjas

2009-10-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

2009-10-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

I needed a new post because I couldn't stand looking at the puppy --that I decided to not get :(

so i'll put up the frames that i picked out today at the eye doc's! :)

they're Rampage

2009-09-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

ninja dreams

jenna had a happy dream and got to fly around with a balloon tied to her belly, while i yelled at whores breaking into my car... interpretation here _____.

2009-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

i love you.

(ann arbor 9.19.09)

traverse city getaway

2009-09-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

took eric on a surprise birthday vacation to traverse city.

Lots of Breweries, Golf, & Sailing!

click to see them bigger

2009-09-08T18:38:00.001-07:00

just because...

I felt like taking pictures of my apt and the latest progress.

I still have a bunch of projects on my list!

still in need of an oversized accent chair

(butterfly chair has to do for now...)

latest project:

painted frames my grams gave me a few years ago

i had to show the bathroom because i love my shower curtain!

my next project will be to fix up one of my college photography projects into a window/mirror.

2009-09-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

my new favorite site to pass time.

odopod sketching

2009-08-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

late nights @ work & a lot of pent up creative energy

(thanks matt for bringing us some liquid inspiration)

celebration.

2009-08-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

WAB 8.20.09

the result of 2 drunk newly hired girls in a photo booth.

i wish i had a picture to show the rough next day.

Career Woman.

2009-08-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

So it finally happened. Doner finally has hired me in full time. It was a long time coming since I was told that I'd be hired early 09, and after that fell through, I just stayed hopeful that sooner or later something would work itself out. It's a good feeling, but it's almost surreal and I'm not sure if I believe it. Nonetheless, it's super exciting! yayyy! I'm officially an Art Director :)

2009-08-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

my latest projects.

new living room art. (acrylics on canvas)

wooden leaf necklace.

glass earrings.

doodle.

2009-08-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

a good way to waste the day.

2009-08-05T19:56:00.001-07:00

my mind is running in several random directions today.

so this entry will probably be very random.

I think I found a promising place in Puerto Vallarta to take Amanda on her Senior Spring break, it's called Paradise Village!... sounds good to me! It was a good deal too, yay for Orbitz.

something like 15 acres...

2 bedroom suite

stumbled upon these rings that I love on claypot

I've realized that I really like the organic or vintage look.

* side note: save the honey bees! if all the honey bees disappear we only can survive 4 yrs after!

helpthehoneybees

2009-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

3 day weekend! Frankenmuth tomorrow with mom & amanda.

Can't wait to go to our favorite bead store, so I've been looking up inspirations...

oh, & pat decided to create a ninja that could kill our two little ninjas at work today... not gonna lie, it's pretty sweet.

2009-07-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

thanks to jenna, i finally have a name to start a blog.

i've wanted to do this for forever.

thanks j.