petitely blog launch!

it's here!! hop on over to my new website – petitely – to enjoy lots of new, lovely goodness.
in a few weeks, this URL will automatically forward to the new blog.
thanks for joining me here!

photo by vicki grafton

thanks, y'all!

this blog was the beginning of a lot of new adventures for me, and since college {which seems like forever ago already} i feel as though i've grown out of this blog and into someone else. one of my goals for this year is to start fresh – to have a new home for my thoughts + inspirations. i am so excited to share with you what will be my new dot com home, which will be unveiled on 01.31.13. i have been dying to share this with y'all and finally make things more streamline. get ready for a new website domain and blog!

i want to thank you all for your loyal following on this blog, suitcases & cardigans. this has been an incredible adventure for the past two years learning about the blogging world, sharpening my design eye, and sharing the world through my eyes with you. i'm excited about this brand new journey {eventually, this blog will be no more and will redirect to the new domain} and i'll be taking time off posting here to get brand new content ready on the flip side. look forward to what's ahead, y'all!

ONLINE COUNTDOWNS

happy weekend!

definitely in need of remembering this at the end of this week. i hope you let your joy rise to the surface as you head into the weekend! here are a ton of links for you to enjoy:

- a very well-written + designed about how twitter works as explained to her mom by none other than jessica hische. hilarious and accurate – if your parents don't get it, this is worth a shot.

- this is easier said than done, but design*sponge's got it down with biz ladies: how to plan for this year.

- of course, an entertaining song mashup...jackson 5 + taylor swift 'never want you back'

- everyone {including me} has had the flu lately. here are some great tips on how to take a sick day – the right way.

- i am totes in love with style me pretty's best of weddings 2012 digital issue. every page is to swoon for – what a great recap of the weddings last year, and a great picture of the trends last year.

- for those getting ready to tie the knot this year, some great reprioritizing wedding planning tips from the ladies at events in the city!

- the new york times posted an article earlier this week about the dying world of dating. do you think it's the end of courtship? super interesting article for even you married folk.

- 8 things you didn't know about those zamboni machines {that i've always wanted to drive!} + a fun google doodle

- an awesome post by lara casey about creating boundaries in work

{attn: small biz owners + freelancers!}

- 22 unconventional gifts to show someone you love them from buzzfeed, sure to make you laugh

- and a take me back to paris moment! this makes me miss it so much. so jealous that mr. bazaar gets to go!

Betty In Paris from Olive Us on Vimeo.
have a lovely weekend!

let your joy rise image by pella hedeby / bride image by Teneil Kable via Ruffled

on taking risks

goal / rule of thumb #2 i have for this year is to take more risks. it's so easy to get in the routine of things, like always going to the same coffee shop because you know the barista, but there's something refreshing about discovering / experiencing something new. i think there are so many benefits to taking risks and the obstacle is typically fear – fear of yourself, opinions of others, rejection, or loss.

i hope you'll take some time this week with me and think about a long-term risk you need to take in order to help you grow, and maybe a risk you could take this week that would change up your norm. for me, this means finally learning to ride a bike, having the courage to meet new people, being assertive and sticking to my guns.

happy wednesday, everyone!

left image via icanread / right image via unfaithfully-yours

before + after: party hats!

last month, i had a special DIY project from fig. 2 design to make some fun placecards!  we worked with the oh-so-talented manvi who styled + shot this lovely tablescape in prep for a bright bazaar new year's bash!  it was a fun day at the office figuring out how to make party hats extra festive for this table setting.

(1) i used some of our gold fig. 2 gift wrap to cut out these templates i discovered on oh happy day for the hats.

(2) after lining the bottom with some double-sided tape, i covered it with layers of festive glitter!

(3) for the topper, i cut up some gold tinsel {found at your local party store}, taped it to a white candy stick, and inserted it at the top of the party hat.

(4) using one of our gift tags, we created placecards for each hat.

manvi really knocks it out of the park every time and dreams these shoots beyond what we could ever imagine while creating the paper products.  thanks for making us look spectacular!  i love that this was for a new year's shoot, but it's perfect for any kind of festive event or birthday party.  thanks for having us on your blog, will!

xoxo, m

phototography + styling: manvi drona-hidalgo // images via bright.bazaar

how-to images via my instagram

welcome 2013!

hello friends!  thanks for your patience in my long posting break.  i hope you all had a great holiday as i did.  i recently enjoyed spending the beginning of my 2013 in NYC with some wonderful friends of mine – exploring museums, making memories over good eats and...getting each other sick.  it was definitely worth it to be in good company.

it's actually taken me a long time to really comb through 2012 to reflect upon it.  and i've just scratched the surface on thinking about 2013...what my goals might be and such.  i finally started thinking about it on my 4.5-hour bus ride from DC to NYC, and in some ways it made me quite depressed thinking about what i wanted for myself a year ago and how i haven't "reached" my ridiculously lofty goals.  what a way to humble myself.

i've resolved to make some general goals / rules to live by for the year, which i will begin to share with you here.  i've been inspired by a few articles my friends have posted, mainly these two {one and two}.   never have i had a problem with dreaming.  i like to dream, and dream big.  the issue seems to be how to be practical in my season of life and learning how to connect the dots. so, here's to 2013 and my first goal / rule of the year.

{one} unplug once a week.

okay, this may sound really simple, but i think this will be a legitimate challenge for me seeing as how i own an iphone and frequently instagram + tweet.  i'm not one to go overboard and post all my emotions on the world wide web, but i know {and always have to re-realize} that fresh air and a pen + paper do very well for me – emotionally, physically and spiritually.  in my efforts to be an active participant in others' lives and my own, this is my first rule for the year!

i'd say this is a good start.

cheers, y'all!

xoxo, m