Jourdan Crouch Fairchild

Now that our wedding story is out, I’m finally allowed to post extra photos! I thought it’d be fun to share some that I snapped in the crafting process, which started almost as soon as we got engaged and led up to wedding day. When it comes to planning, I say you either need time or money. We had a fairly tight budget for all that we wanted to accomplish, especially since we knew we’d be inviting around 250 (!) people. But we had time…well, we made time. I was working long hours and Andrew was finishing his master’s program while applying to medical school. But every weekend and on the occasional weeknight, we worked on our to-do list, whittling away at decisions, ordering supplies, and testing out crafts. I printed out inspiration photo after inspiration photo, which I kept organized in a 3-ring binder, and when I tired of the idea, I ripped the sheet out. Eventually we had enough solid ideas that I could present them to my boss at CL for approval. You see, when we decided to allow the magazine to photograph the wedding, I had to make sure that they’d find the ideas worthy of a story (no pressure, right?). We practically DIY’d every single element that we could, from programs to a guest book to gift bags.

And what we didn’t physically make ourselves, like invitations and our save the date ribbons, we spent hours brainstorming, researching options and working on test samples. Using Andrew’s web design skills (he spent summer 2010 convinced that creating websites was his next career), we  built our own wedding website over Christmas break. And from the very beginning to the very end, Andrew was present in every sense of the word. I may have been the brains behind many of our ideas, but he was totally the brawn. When ideas didn’t always work, we quickly jumped shipped and formulated new ones. 

Our entire family pitched in to help in the final weeks, including the sweetest niece ever who helped in the form of foot massages. Sadly, a few ideas were abandoned (or ruined) in the rain, like the oversized craft paper ribbons we painstakingly made to hang on outdoor columns leading to the ceremony site. But overall, making things ourselves made us feel more invested in the day, connected to each other, and thrilled to show our guests what we’d created as a couple.

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Our wedding feature is finally in the June issue of Country Living, which is on newsstands today! It’s hard to believe 310 days have passed since we said our vows in front of our nearest and dearest. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to host a wedding. We want to thank every single person who made our special day feel so very complete. Two people have never felt more loved! In my next few posts, I’ll be revealing behind-the-scene photos and advice on how to come up with ideas that are simple, elegant, and truly personal. And to coincide with the feature, I wrote a fun story about my favorite bridesmaid gift ideas. Click here to check it out.

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In just a few hours, Andrew and I will be escaping the city to spend the weekend at the most amazing adult sleepaway camp in Wisconsin. I actually know the camp’s owner, the lovely Tereasa Surratt,  from my magazine days, but this connection is through apartmentnumber9.com (two worlds collide!). And as I pack, I can’t help but think of my childhood camp days. I spent 2-3 weeks every summer at a girls’ camp in North Carolina named Camp Hollymont. It was my home away from home, and I anxiously awaited that mid-summer moment when I started packing my clothes bearing iron-on name tags. In those few precious weeks, I learned more things about life and myself than I realized. In fact, I think we all can learn from them.

1. It’s important to start leaving the nest early. My parents had the wherewithal and the strength to send me away when I was just 8 years old. And when I wrote or called to say I was homesick (which from my memory, was rare) they made me stay. They built my wings early so that it’d be much easier to leave the nest for good.

2. Girl time is crucial. Hollymont was an all-girls camp, which meant days and nights of Mariah Carey, Miss Mary Mack clapping games, and boy talk. I learned how to be a good friend to the other girls in my “cluster” and the importance of maintaining friendships over long distances (Jessica Dolter and I wrote very long, ridiculous notes during the school year, some of which included comic strips, drawings, and magic eyes).

3. You’re not gonna be good at every skill. Archery, water aerobics, tennis, horseback riding—we had to try them all at least once. As kids, we didn’t seem to mind. As adults, we often don’t like to be pushed out of our comfort zones, even when the rewards make it worth it. 

4. Having a schedule keeps you sane. In order to manage hundreds of girls, the camp arranged our days for us (see my letter to home below). It helped us learn to juggle lots of activities, and gave us security knowing that each day would bring with it some of our favorite moments. 

5. Older campers always know what’s up. Seek out the nice ones, and depend on them to help guide you and hug you when you feel homesick. In life, seek out those mentors that have been there, done that. They’ll support you and give you advice when times are tough.

6. If you sneak out of the dance to go make-out, everyone will find out. 

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In my old life—aka BC (before Chicago)—The Today Show was part of my morning routine. But now that I work from home, the tv stays off most days to keep distractions at bay. This morning I cheated for a few minutes and caught a segment with Travel and Leisure about beach getaways for Memorial Day. One inn made it onto their list looked so fantastic that I had to find out more. The Salt House Inn opened this month in Provincetown, Massachusetts, one of the towns on the tip of Cape Cod, with rooms starting at $150. This is the kind of place where I’d not only want to stay, but it actually makes me long to own a b&b of my own. Can you imagine the fascinating people you’d meet? We’re staying in a b&b (for $50 a night…no joke!) next week in Istanbul, and I can hardly wait to see how one’s run overseas. What will they serve us for breakfast? How will the rooms be arranged? And will it look as chic as the Salt House Inn? See their dreamy photos below, which bury the idea that b&bs are stuck in a former decade, at least when it comes to decor. 

 

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This past week has been a blur, so I apologize for my absence. We made a quick weekend trip to Kentucky to see my folks for one last time before they move, and while we were in town, my dad spoke at his college’s graduation. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard this man speak, but it never, ever gets old. A daughter has never been more proud of her father than I was on that day. I thought I’d share one section of his speech that can serve as a big, fat life lesson to everyone. This first passage was written by my dad’s friend Guy Sales about the battles we all face from time to time:

“We all know what it is like to carry a battlefield inside us—or, at least, an unruly mob of contending and contentious selves, among whom peace must prevail if we want to live peacefully in the world. We have who we fear we are, who we dream we could be, and who we actually are. We’ve got the self who is a son or a daughter, maybe a wife or a husband, a mother or father. We’ve got the roles of friend, citizen, community leader, and neighbor. We’ve got the person people know, the person only we know, the person we hide from others, and the person hidden even from ourselves. We’ve got the person we’re trying to be and the one we’re trying not to be. We’ve got all these wonderful, awkward, delightful and difficult people, these shades of identity and variations of self inside of us, and no wonder we feel so little peace.”

My dad’s advice: “What do I do? Polish your shoes every day. It’s a military thing. For hundreds of years in every Army around the world soldiers are required to polish their shoes. It shows pride, it requires discipline, but more importantly, it instills confidence because it sets you apart. You will face many battles as you leave this place. And as you do, whether the battle rages inside your head or on the outside, literally or figuratively polish your shoes. And while you do, ask God’s protection to be with you.”

This past year, as I’ve been adjusting to a new city, a new lifestyle, and new friends, I’ve often let such battles go on in my head. Dad, I promise to be more diligent in my shoe polishing—at least figuratively—as I work toward becoming a more confident person.

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In one of my very first posts, I featured a round-up of materials from Home Depot that I thought would make great craft projects. I bought a roll of drawer liner that day with plans to do something with it soon. And then, well, life happened. I rediscovered the roll the other day, and my mind started racing about how to put the stuff to good use. I was drawn to the cool weave-like pattern of the liner, plus the fact that it’s rubberized and can withstand moisture, dirt, etc. Coasters seemed easy enough to make—and I was right! I cut out some triangles, glued them onto a sheet of foam core, and used a box cutter to cut them out.
Here’s how to do it yourself:Step 1: Gather your supplies. Step 2: Use a ruler and a Sharpie to draw a triangle on the lighter side of the liner. Step 3: Cut out the triangle. Repeat for additional coasters.Step 4: Determine which liner side you’d like to show (I did three of each side). For each triangle, apply hot glue to the side that won’t be showing and affix it to the foam core.Step 5: Lay the foam core atop cardboard. Use a box cutter to cut out each triangle.Step 6: Finish by using the box cutter to clean up the edges. 

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Today marks the posting of our third bulletin on apartmentnumber9.com, and I just had to share my favorite story out of the bunch. About a month ago, my pal Duncan and I traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina for the purpose of filming a video with a renowned jean manufacturer (remember their paper plane ceiling?). But while we were in town, we also met up with a bluegrass band that my sister’s been listening to for years and years: Chatham County Line. They were friendly, easygoing, and completely candid, and I actually had a tough time transcribing the interview because I was laughing so much at virturally everything they said. This is the kind of story that reminds me just how lucky I am to do what I do. Read it and then head here to listen to their catchy tunes.                                                Photo by Duncan Wolfe for apartmentnumber9.com

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Many, many years ago, in a teeny weeny West Village apartment, I hosted my first Kentucky Derby party. I’d been living in Manhattan long enough to have survived the first job/apartment/friend search, but on days when the subway was extra crowded and the guys at the deli were extra pushy about my sandwich order, I longed for the rolling hills and quiet, slow pace of life in my home state. It’s not that I wanted to move back. But celebrating the race gave me a chance to honor where I came from and introduce my mostly non-Southern pals to the traditions surrounding the day. My mom shipped up official printed plates, napkins, and balloons, and I pulled out old family recipes for pimento cheese sandwiches, deviled eggs, and Derby pie. My biggest cheat dish was KFC—but those buckets went faster than anything else I put out. Guests would place bets on their favorite horse to win (anything more complicated was too confusing!), and then go wild at my DIY mint julep bar. My apartments were always much smaller than my guest list, but we made do. It was so much more than just a party to me.

And then on Derby day 2009, everything changed. Andrew almost didn’t show up (he was invited by our mutual friend Meghan—we still owe you, girl!). Thank god he did. For the next three Derby days, Andrew was my sous chef, my bartender, and my co-host. He perfected his mint juleps, and worked diligently beside me to make sure guests were having a great time. And this year, things have changed again. This weekend sits smack dab in between two weeks of finals for Andrew. I’m juggling a ton of assignments. Hosting a party in a new city under such stress would surely kill us. But we’ve both agreed that we’re just pressing the pause button for a year or two. The Derby party will return again, once we have the space and the sanity to make it bigger and better than ever.

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It’s totally natural to have commitment issues when it comes to your walls (hellooo BWP). So when one of my all-time favorite gal pals, Marly, asked me for advice, I was happy to do some more blank wall brainstorming. She moved into a beautiful brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn more than a year ago, but the wall in her bedroom remains empty. “I want it to feel warm and not so stark, but still be in line with the neutral, calmness of my room,” she says. Here’s her wall: And here are a few shots of her room:How adorable is her “It’s OK” banner? And that gray feather painting is an ode to our days at Country Living. I painted that bad boy along with several others one weekend, then proceeded to spill the leftover paint can all over the back of a cab on the way to the office. Worst. Day. Ever. But I digress. Marly, like her bedroom, has an effortless, classic style. She’s one of those girls who always look stunning, no matter what she’s wearing. So I wanted to make sure these ideas didn’t look like they were trying too hard. Here’s what I came up with, in no particular order.Clockwise, from top left: 1) A vintage flag of some sort could look really interesting, as could a bunch of vintage maps from her home state of Wisconsin layered over one another. 2) I love these framed handkerchiefs. A grid of 9 in complementary, softer color palette could look beautiful inside white Ikea frames. 3) I love the idea of faux butterflies arranged in clusters to look like they’re flying (this is an awesome site for faux butterflies en masse). 4) This patchwork design is made out of paper cut into triangles. A big grid of these in neutral colors would be awesome.Clockwise, from left: 1) I’ve always loved the look of wooden clipboards, plus the versatility they provide. Marly could print out photos from her Instagram account and display them here, or clip fabric swatches, drawings, or inspiring fashion shoots (she’s a copywriter at Saks). 2 & 3) A single long stick works well as a way to hang bags, coats, etc. And by painting the stick with cool colors and patterns, she’d give it extra personality.
Clockwise, from left: 1) Simple items taped along the wall can look sophisticated (this is my favorite example). Since Marly already has a feather theme kinda going on, additional feathers could look cool—especially in prettier colors than brown. 2) In honor of her love of words, Marly could hang a wall’s worth of book pages. 3) These scrabble tiles stay in place thanks to teal, magnetic paint. Marly could get this effect without the paint by affixing the tiles with sticky dots. Stay tuned to see which solution she selects!

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Ever since I worked on my first issue of In Style Home nearly six years ago, I’ve been sucker for shelter magazines, websites, and blogs. An old friend recently posted about the latest venture by some ex-Domino pals + the creators of WhoWhatWear.com called Domaine Home —and I’m a big fan! Like so many others that still mourn the late, great Domino, I’m always looking for fresh, smart design inspiration. And Domaine dishes out tons of cool stories, especially for a site that’s newly launched. I’m loving the celebs/real people and rooms they’re featuring, as well as the how-tos and shopping elements. Check it out!

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