cephalopod lovin'

not that i did not already love squid-inspired things before...but my weird dream last night inspired this new list of my favorites of the moment:
vintagey squid pillow by mojoware.
hand screened and hand dyed! adorable!




super rock squid ring by fleathers. if i had $275,
i would be wearing it at this very moment. no lie.







sweet squid baby doll tee by Deadworry.
i would totally rock it. monster scary and feminine.
delightful!





if i hadnt already graduated i would so use this as a book bag.
upcycled vintage octopus tote by GetReadySetGO.





found this nautical octopus pillow at anthropologie.
i think its funky and classic, no?




i seriously want these. bad. am i that weird? actually, yes. i am.
found these gems from eEVIL INK DESIGNS.

ok, so i lied. apparently i completely suck at keeping up with blogging. its not my fault life has been doing its best to viciously attack me.

a few random updates:

1. my birthday was actually awesome. dave spoiled me rotten. and we had a really good day together. which of course, is always a win.

2. anyone know the game "ride the bus" apparently i suck at it. no bueno. know what else is no bueno? moonshine in a mason jar. terrifying. nice pick dave and zeke.

3. the expansion with kate cotten designs is coming along nicely, not nearly close enough in the time frame i prefer, but its going great so far! im bubbling over excited about it. which is pretty darn unusual for me.

4. im officially a complete loser and turning into ryon because i cannot wait for fall tv line ups. lame. i know. but what else am i supposed to do when im sitting there painting or making something?...i need distractions.

5. starbucks is my dirty mistress. (no surprise there)

6. ive got the fever! i am desperately craving another tattoo. and really missing my lip and nose rings. i think they were cute, i dont care what anyone says! i loved them. (cough*cough*akeem*cough)

7. lastly, i decided my dream if i won the lottery would be to open up a bookstore/art gallery/coffee shop. not that this has never been conceptualized before but, i could totally do it better. im just sayin.

8. dave and i have completely surprised ourselves…and we already have the venue, dress, cake, music, flowers (bouquet and boutonniere), favors, and décor already picked out for the wedding. now we can just hand it all over and let my mom take it from here and enjoy the ride. (im the worst soon-to-be-bride ever. sorry dave! I still love you!)

9. i hate the time travelers wife. it made my cry. so im mad at it. sue me.

10. i have the itch to pull out some of mine and daves vinyl and rock the fack out (we were even on a hunt one day and i found an original awesome condition pink floyd. and i also got him creedence clearwater and metallica and cream. i think thats the real reason why dave loves me. haha.) and to go out for a joy ride on the motorcycle. but the likelyhood of doing either tonight....zilch. maybe this weekend. hopefully.

exciting....!!!

im such a slacker! so heres a good update from the weekend, and i will do better this upcoming week...in fact i think i may even post up two blogs today!

friday: i got my hair did. its super cute and adorable even if it is a little peter pan-esque but SO much easier to work with. (though ash and monique told me i was being ridiculous.) and then off to mike & jenn's engagement party (dave's older brother and his fiance) went better than i anticipated! i think just because i knew more people than i expected! it was good to see everyone (and dave was so cute showing me off and acting like a big man...) and i got to play with all the little babies AND meet their cousins on their dads side (and i already adore them! they were so sweet AND hilarious) so after we ate and chatted with everyone we helped with the clean up and then headed over to jefferson and ashleys, of course. and everyone ate and drank and chatted and the guys drank more. i kept flitting around between talking to libby and erin (the cousins) and stealing babies! (poor shan, i cant NOT steal wyatt from her anytime she brings him over! i cant wait for our own cute little chubby babies!) anywho...it was awesome. everyone was being goofy and talking and telling stories and listening to music. it was a great night. we didnt get home til close to 4am. and then i hardcore crashed out and actually slept in for once!

saturday: i slept in til almost noon which is unheard of in my world! but oh so nice! and then me and dave and zeke headed over to the mcintosh's to meet up with everyone for a bbq and swimfest. it was great! i never get to swim and lounge around anymore. everyone was in the pool and all the babies were in the pool. and we kept traipsing around out front to catch a glimpse of the ginormous owl that lives in their front yard. SO pretty. so we swam and snacked and then swam and ate and then swam some more. it was a long day. and then of course back over to jefferson and ashleys for another light night of shenanigans and a repeat of the night before. and again it was great, though i know dave and i were both a little sad to say bye to libby and erin. but at least they will be back for the wedding in october! and then of course more drunken shenanigans on the boys part and me stealing babies again. and finally dragged dave and jefferson apart about 4:15ish because i was about to pass out.

sunday: we slept in late again (of course) then went to mcalisters for a late lunch and ran into daves brother and chatted with him. then jefferson and ashley called and they came over to the house and then we headed out to midland to take noah to the pet store and then go get ice cream. then the grocery store for a big fajita cook out. and i attempted to recreate the rice from chipotle and i think dave and i did a pretty damn good job! it was tasty! of course even more shenanigans and foolishness and then we all gathered 'round and watched true blood...awesome! well, last night was half lame and half sad, but theres only three more episodes left and im hyped!

just try and tell me that you would not just love to play with these precious angels:

noah! jefferson and ashleys preciouspie.
and my boyfriend. is he not the cutest thing EVER?!


jackson and wyatt. cary and shans sons. i think this photo is hilarious!
cute little wiggles and the MOST adorable boys!

i desperately wish i had a picture of colton, monique and dustins
new little 2 month old. he is SO damn cute. and teeny.

now you all can see why i always steal their babies from them!

ok so....i have BIG news! i was completely inspired by daves cousin Libby. she currently teaches lacrosse but she is starting her own pie company (i know, right? adorable!) shes just going for it. she was telling me how she just kind of fell into it and how shes going to be making pies but each with a fun twist (im not going to divulge all her cute ideas but trust me, youre gonna be jealous! shes so creative!) all her ideas sound amazing and delicious! shes a very admirable woman, and i already have so much respect for her that i cannot even explain. she completely inspired me. instead of waiting for something to happen, im just going to go for it and just like she said..."whats the worst that can happen? you tried?" and i am completely taking it to heart...so thanks to miss Libby.....

Kate Cotten Designs is expanding! it will no longer be just original paintings and handmade/painted bracelets....but also notebooks, invitations, notecards, tshirts, and art prints! how exciting is that? im beyond uber hyped. unfortunately, seeing as how i prefer instant gratification, now that ive decided thats the next step forward i want to take...im hacked off i cant do it immediately, i want it to be done and available for sale right this very minute! but im hoping by the end of september at the latest i will have all my "ducks in a row" so to speak and it will all be available in my etsy shop and hopefully even a few more boutiques! wish me luck! its a big step and an exciting one!

i , will keep blogging about my progress im sure. and once libby opens for business i will be sure to give everyone details of where and how to get your hands on one of her delicious mini-pies! (shes going to be based out of austin so all you austinites get excited!)

owl love.

ok, for those that dont know. i LOVE owls and birds. weird, i know. i have no idea why. well, thats not true. BUT i didnt JUST start liking them when they became like "the thing" ive always liked them. my grandmother collected little owl figurines and trinkets and i think i half picked it up from her then. lets just say it runs in the family then. my little wrist tattoo can attest to that. but theres just something about it. and im not saying im like an uber collector where no matter what it is or what it looks like if it has an owl on it, i want it. but i do love my owls. and so to show my appreciation...here are my top 5 favorite owl things of the moment.

the owl and the pussycat framed art. i want it bad! nope, not kidding.
for those who dont remember/know the poem here'tis.
just TRY not to giggle. and no, thats not why i like it.



check out this awesome ring by marmar. its just so simple & cute.
it looks like its directly out of a childrens book.
plus, im loving the green.



i am surprisingly in love with this.
even though its not really my style.
i want to wear it to daves brothers wedding.





check out this headphones owl tee by teeshirtgnome.
im loving the geo-retro style. plus it looks mighty comfy.





i think this little owl planter by fruitflypie is just adorable!
makes me want to put some cute little flowers in it
and put it in te kitchen window sill. love.


lazy...

i have nothing exciting to say, so i have been putting off blogging. the weekend was a rollercoaster though...

friday -- my car died. finally. i was way pissed. but we went to jefferson and ashleys and hung out with them until james and ashton got in town. then we...hung out on the patio talking, me and dave fought over the two colors in the new Tron trailer. he says its green and yellow. i say its blue and green. if anything were both wrong, and its blue and yellow. but thats neither here nor there. but i do have to admit, im half lame and slighlty obsessed with some youtuber "pogo". dave showed it to me and this guy basically creates songs out of nothing but sound bytes from movies. my personal favorite pogo "song" if you will is the one from alice in wonderland. as jefferson said, its early moby-esque.

saturday -- the cox's baby shower! which, was awesome once we got there. but being a hostess with no car on the day of was a bit taxing on my nerves. i felt pretty dng useless. but once i got there and dave was cooking and we were setting stuff out, it was great. can i just say how much i adore them? theyre good people. and they hit the jackpot! they got some really great cute stuff for baby charlotte. and the nursery is starting to come together. they just hung this really adorable chandelier. its kickass. i would never have thought of that! anywho...after the baby shower we (of course) went back to their house and played mafia (anyone remember that game were everyone has their heads down and someone is the mafia and someone is the cop) it was amusing! especially since all the guys were belligerently drunk. i just mostly hung out with shan and held baby wyatt. hes so freakin adorable! and then we moved on to drunk pictionary and other shenanigans. it was greatness.

sunday -- i hung around the house. then dave got off work and we went and split some scrumptious nachos at jorges and swung through starbucks to grab me and ash some mochas and then headed over to the coxs to watch true blood.

BUT...in honor of my persistent annoying home decor habits (i want to redecorate the living room yet again! for the third time and weve only been in the house 9 months!) here are some awesome little trinkets that i am currently coveting.



ive pinned after one of these for two years now. (baha pinned, get it?)
its a pine "lumen" that creates amazing shadows. (i like the bird one)




thomas paul "flourish" side plates. i ADORE them.
i guess melamine is pretty tacky to ask as a wedding gift, huh?




harry allen's "offer" hand hook. you guys know im weird.
and for some reason, i think this is just the best. i want it.





i want to get dave a "clocky" but i think he would kill me.
look at how awesome it is. and try and tell me it wouldnt be funny.






"nesting bird pillow" its all graphic-like and fun.



im lovin these retro "latte bowls" from anthropologie

El orfanato....


its the weekend! hooray! long days of lounging around...now, all you need to do is get on netflicks or run down to the closest blockbuster and rent The Orphange (El orfanato). You will not be sorry. Unless you dont do subtitles and/or scary movies. REGARDLESS, this movie is just that amazing, you may just want to give it a chance.

it is by the same guy (Guillermo Del Toro) that did Pan's Labryinth. i think he is a genius. though, I dont usually dig movies with subtitles because I think theyre long and ridiculous (for example: *GASP!* Mel Gibsons Apocalypto...i know, i know please dont come after me with pitchforks i know there are a lot of folks that feel strongly about this movie) but The Orphanage is seriously in my top ten favorite movies EVER. and thats a TOUGH list to make.
this is why i think everyone should give it a chance: for those of you that saw Pan's Labryinth and liked it...there is no way you cannot LOVE this one too. for those that hated Pan's Labryinth, still give it a chance, its amazing. i was not a huge fan of pans labryinth either the first time i watched it. i was hoping for more like mystical little kid imaginations and crazy creatures stuff than war and depression and abuse. but once i saw it again i enjoyed it. BUT The Orphanage...its dark and twisted and creepy and AWESOME!
i half dont want to tell anyone what its about because when jefferson suggested it last year without knowing what it was about, we all just kind of went with it. seriously, it is one of those movies that keeps you guessing the whole time. its a horror movie, by the way. but until like the last 45 seconds youre like...WTF? this is GREAT! and then the end comes and its like...dammit! seriously, great movie, everyone give it a chance. so if youre interested imdb it. cause im not giving anything away!

i also feel that i need to throw this out there -- after we watched The Orphanage last year we decided that the trailers were so ridiculous that we needed to check them out. so heres a list of some "comedic horror" movies to try out: (side note - the orphanage isnt a comedic horror its just a straight out scary movie)

1. Otis: ridiculously oversized man in teeny clothes kidnaps girls to take to his version of "prom". its considered a horror and there definitely is guns, chainsaws, blood and gore but as much as i hate to admit it is amusing with a sweet makeout scene in a faux mustang, a football montage, kevin pollack, and daniel stern (the robber from home alone and creepy dude in rookie of the year.)

2. Sickhouse: a young archaeologist is searching through an old orphanage where all the kids disappeared during the great plague, but it gets shut down, but shes determined and sneaks in after dark (always smart) and some other drunks get trapped in the old orphanage with her and the "plague doctor" viciously attacks them. meh. i think they tried too hard and we just found it amusing. but still worth seeing and a total win if your looking for a sheisty horror flick.

3. The Cottage: way super shitty british comedic horror these people get stalked by hillbillies. it was so ridiculous and i was so tired, but it was just SO ridiculous i couldnt not watch. make sense? especially with the stupid effects and amazingly horrible makeup and noises. watch with good friends and possible booze. you guys will laugh your asses off. promise.

NOW FOR THE REAL GEMS:

4. Black Sheep: no, not david spade and chris farley. a movie about....yup, you guessed it...genetically altered KILLER SHEEP! i know, right? all i can say about it was it was ridiculous. the bad effects are a total win on their own. there is a scene where the people are in a car with a KILLER SHEEP! and the sheep attempts to take control of the car is HYSTERICAL. not sold just yet? the genetically altered killer sheep fetus attacking the boyfriend in the beginning of the movie is alone worth seeing this shitty film. do it i dare you! you will laugh so much it hurts.
AND.....*drum roll please*.........

5. Teeth: a killer vajay. yup, i said it. its gots teeth. super awesome indie horror flick. its supposed to be a beautiful coming of age story with a seemingly blossoming young girl. until she realizes...theres something not quite right. its AMAZING. im being totally serious. worth seeing. you will laugh and cringe throughout the entire movie. HYSTERICAL. number one shitty horror flick in my book.

summer favorites

i decided to make a list of all my summer favorites. ready, go!

favorite summer books: (favorite summer books because theyre all quick and easy chick lit reads. theyre all good pool side books, naw'mean?) i promise i wont mislead you...if youre looking for good chick lit books to pass the time....trust me, this list is for you. i read at least 3 books a week, and these are my faves. (and no, im not a vampire guru, it just seems to be the trend!)

1. The Undead Series by MaryJanice Davidson
2. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer (gotta prepare for new moon in nov!)
3. The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris
4. The Aurora Teagarden Series by Charlaine Harris
5. The Flynn Brothers Trilogy by Heather Graham

side note: i have read everything Charlaine Harris has ever written, and i love her. shes dark and twisted but sarcastically hysterical. i have also read anything paranormal Heather Graham has written (i don't do historical romances...blech. no offense!) but Heather Graham is my favorite author EVER. actually ive also read all the books Stephenie Meyer has written so far (not a biggie considering its the twilight saga and then the host, which was good...different for sure, but entertaining enough.) and i am currently working through all MaryJanice Davidson's long list of series. which im looking forward to because all three of her series eventually intertwine somehow.


Favorite TV Shows:
1. Gossip Girl (i know, i know...leave me alone. Dave and Zeke LOVE it! they cant get enough! were watching it via DVD)
2. Weeds (hysterical! we just started but dave and i are both addicted)
3. TrueBlood (love, though it gets slightly annoying with all the new story lines in the show that arent in the book, but im still a huge fan)
4. Hung (ridiculous plot + dry humor = match made in heaven)
5. So You Think You Can Dance (leave me alone, i love it! im sad tonights the finale though!)


Favorite Summer Pick Me Ups:
1. Starbucks Venti Mocha Latte (i know its hot, but its just so damn tasty)
2. Starbucks Shaken Lemonade Iced Tea (passion tea and lemonade = ecstacy!)
3. Fuji Water (i go drive to a certain gas station just to get them on sale!)
4. Blackberry Wine (delicious!)
5. Sonic Powerade (love sonic ice!)


Summer Must Haves at all times:
1. Homemade Lip Gloss by LaFaeVert (daves friend's fiance) my fav is the chocolate peppermint and dave likes the healing sweet orange.
2. My sweet OP Shades (freakin 5 bucks at walmart, i have turquoise, dave has red)
3. iPhone (how else could i listen to cobra starship on repeat and text away my boredom at work?)
4. On The Go Hand Sanitizer (swine flu, duh! plus it smells pretty!)
5. A Headband (i have been all about the head bands lately, any kind - sporty, cute, decorative -- if it gets my hair out of my face, im all about it)


Favorite Songs to sing and/or dance in my car to: (top 5 that come to my head, theres LOTS more!)
1. Blame It by Jamie Foxx
2. Good Girls by Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester
3. I am a Man of Stone by the Toadies
4. Romeo & Juliet by Monte Montgomery
5. Skin & Bones by the Foo Fighters


so those are my lists, another short and sweet blog. enjoy!

wedding stuff & new orleans

were getting married. in a little over a year. and thats a long time, right? then why do i feel like it is vastly approaching and i am unprepared. well, not for married life. im ready to be mrs. david denton! (shannon denton...thats a LOT of n's) for all those who actually pay attention. wedding plans are officially changed. well, theyve been changed for a bit, but its officially official. getting married in february in colorado is OUT (though it would have been beautiful!) and we are getting married in my parents backyard. and my mom is starting to want some concrete details, which we havent thought about yet, but were slowly working on it! BUT for those that have seen my parents house....amazing, right? and those that havent, my mom and dad are like...plant crazy. landscape architects, to be exact. and we now have...a pool, hot tub, a green house, an amazing outdoor kitchen, a man shack (yeah, i said it.) and now, a koi pond. not to mention the kickass outdoor fire place. its like a resort.

geez, we got some good use out of the backyard. every weekend and nearly everyday of summer in highschool we were at my house. i would wake up to adam and hollis already at my house bugging my mom. and then everyone else would come over and we would hang around until wee hours of the morning and then do it all over again. we would jump out the second story window, jump into the pool off the manshack, hide out in the manshack from parents (or the cops on a few occasions). not too mention, now everytime we go visit we spend majority of our time out there, josh, dave, zeke, and i always end up out there drinking and playing cards. its like an oasis. so it only seems right. (plus, we have WAY more creative control this way.) AND mom and dad are hyped cause now theyre re-doing the patio to make it feel more "new orleans-esque" or in my families case "n'awlins". which is also fitting considering we will be spending our honeymoon in good old NOLA. i know right, were weird. but HYPED about being somewhere that is so culturally rich. (plus, i really just want to cruise the french quarter and take a walking ghost/graveyard tour -- i know, i told you were seriously odd.) i need to find out if its still around...but id love to take a day trip and see the house my grandmother grew up in. man, now im getting myself excited about it all over again! dave and i just arent...sit around kinda people. if were gonna go on vacation, we would like to see things and experience things. (dave cant wait to get himself some truly cajun spicy jumbalaya or gumbo.) ANYWHO...

being inspired by our impending nuptuals (and all my research)...i wanted to share a few QUICK pics of OUR favorite things thus far...(were going all vintage style)

kickass vintage-esque vinyl player/grooms cake.


rustic kissing ball, hang a few in the trees, ya?

dark purple callalilies. beautiful, right?



hanging lanterns in all the trees instead of christmas lights?



my new favorite thanks to monique. cherry wine from colorado.
dont knock it til you try it. its not too sweet. its perfect!



thats all for now. sorry its lame, i only had a few minutes to blog. because today has been a hectic day at work BUT i needed a quick little distraction. now, if only the next half hour will graciously fly by so i can quickly swing by the house, put on some shorts and flip flops, kiss dave hi and bye, and meet ashley t up at tequila tonys for some much needed margaritas. later gators.

weekend...

this weekend, was uneventful and eventful all at the same time. it was a good weekend.

on friday, the guys called me for lunch. so i met up with dave, ben, patrick, jordan, cary, shan, jackson, and wyatt for lunch at rosas. mucho bueno. though, being around all them and having pleurisy is not a good idea. i laughed the whole time, but the pain was worth it, because they are just so facken entertaining when theyre all together. and friday night, since the boys had all left for the bachelor party, i went to the grocery store, painted a bit, and went and watched the rest of season one of weeds in bed and passed out with the puppies.

saturday was a good lazy day. saturday night, i went over to ashleys about 6, we took noah and grabbed some dinner and after he was down for the night, we just hung around and chatted until a break for a late night starbucks run, and i got home about 2. but it was worth it. shes awesome. and i have lots of good wedding ideas! thanks ash!

sunday, i went and met ashley and noah and we went to cracker barrel, where, well...it was entertaining, to say the least. but poor little baby noah was involved in his first criminal activity. poor bug, hes an accomplice! and then we went over to target and i got baby charlotte lots of cute clothes for ash and jeffersons baby shower this weekend. then i went home, ran some errands, cleaned up a bit, and then the boys all got back. after dave and i hung around and vegged on the couch and researched the new alice in wonderland. we went back over to ashley and jeffersons for a cookout with the WHOLE crew. including doc and kathleen. we sat around chatting, drinking, cooking, watching kids, gossiping, and planning for the rest of the eveing. and one thing about the guys, they KNOW how to cook. the burgers were AMAZING. and then dave and i got home, attempted to watch true blood, but we were falling asleep on the couch so we went and crawled into bed, i think we were both dead to the world within seconds of our heads hitting the pillow.

so all in all, it was a kick ass, laid back weekend.

and then yesterday, the server was out at work AGAIN. so it was lame and boring and unproductive and stupid. but at least i got to see cary and shan and cindy and the boys for lunch. always a win. and then dave and i had a laid back evening. we watched true blood, watched lots of upcoming movie trailers on youtube. went and split some dinner at roadhouse. went to target. and came home and watched the beginning few episodes of weeds season two. all around good evening :)

but since this is a pretty uneventful post, since its all about moi. ill leave you with some awesome new pics from tim burtons new version of alice in wonderland. i am beyond hyped. its gonna be a total win. check it....heres the "teaser trailer". just try and tell me its not going to be awesome.

for anyone who doesnt know yet, johnny depp is the mad hatter, helena bonham carter is the red queen, anne hathaway is the white queen, and alice is a fairly unknown actress mia wasikowska. PLUS! my FAVORITE...alan rickman (professor snape, anyone?) is the caterpillar! i CANNOT wait. more than likely, ill be there opening night. im such a dork for tim burton.