DIY Swizzle Sticks

I've loved this photo {above} since I saw it in the fall issue of Martha Stewart Weddings a few years ago. Serving lemonade or iced tea before the ceremony is such a sweet touch, and these little fabric flags are an easy DIY extra.

Instructions from Martha: With gardening shears, trim a wooden skewer so it's a few inches taller than the glass you'll put it in. Cut a 9-inch length of 15-millimeter grosgrain ribbon. Fold in half and make a loose knot. Slip knot over skewer and tighten. Notch ribbon ends.

I always love seeing projects from editorials in real weddings {especially from Martha, as she can be quite intimidating...}. These colorful swizzle sticks are pretty spot-on, aren't they?



See the rest of this wedding on Style Me Pretty.

House Stalking No. 3

Sometimes I stalk homes on evening walks, and sometimes I stalk them in the pages of magazines, like this darling farmhouse in the April issue of Better Homes & Gardens. A wrap-around porch and fluffy white hydrangeas get me every time.

P.S. This is the good kind of stalking. Swear.

Rosecliff: The Face

For someone who loves the fancy, I am not much of a makeup girl. My typical morning routine consists of lip balm and a dab of foundation here and there... and that's it. On special occasions, I upgrade to a more full-coverage foundation, a bit of bronzer on my cheeks, gold cream shadow on my lids, dark brown liner on my bottom lids, a swipe of mascara on the top lashes, and lip balm. I do not profess to know much at all about makeup, and since I'm doing my own for Rosecliff, I want to keep it simple. In the name of streamlining, I've only got one inspiration photo for you today:


{via perfect bound}

Gorgeous! I've got a ways to go before I can claim Natalie's flawless skin, but the rest of the look is pretty doable, don't you think?

Now again {with the limited makeup knowledge}, I'm not entirely sure what's going on here to achieve this lovely look, but after some study I think if I add a little pink to the apples of my cheeks, a little smoky gray smudge on my lids + liner on both the top and bottom, and some sort of light pink lipstick/gloss to my usual {fancy} routine, I should be good to go, right?

Now here's where you come in, dear readers: I want to know your favorite sources for pink blush and moisturizing, un-sticky lipstick {colors you love would help, too!}. I'll also take any tips on the smoky eye application you're willing to dish up. As I'm sure you can tell, I need all the help I can get!

Previously:
The Location
The Dress
The Hair
The Jewelry

Skinny Minnie, v. 2

Remember when I wrote that post about how I couldn't get skinny belts to play nicely with me and my outfits? Well I'm happy to say that this past weekend I finally succeeded! {And of course had to take a photo to document the occasion.}

Want to know a secret?



I rubber-banded the belt in the back to keep the tail from flapping around... is this how the stylists do it? Is there a better solution? Let me know if you've found one!

P.S. Even J, who was not impressed with this style when he saw my inspiration photos, gave me the thumbs up on this look... yippee!

Board No. 29: Cowboy Take Me Away

{Click to enlarge!}

There are so many ways to do blue + red, but right now I'm loving this variation: the pale blue of a wide-open Texas sky and the soft red of old brick. Mini pecan pies for dessert, a Hatch Show Print-style invitation, red and white baker's twine on the spine of ceremony programs, a bride in boots and a cowboy groom in a sharp vest, raspberry jam for favors, wildflowers in tin cans as centerpieces... I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea!

The Details
First row, left to right: truck portrait by Union Photography via Snippet & Ink; wallpaper-covered tin can centerpieces via Coco + Kelley; rice packets for ceremony exit by Martha Stewart Weddings

Second row: cardboard and baker's twine box from perfectbound's flickr; jam jar favor via Bon Mariage; cloth save-the-dates by Chewing the Cud & photo by Anna Kuperberg

Third row: cowboy boot photo by Piknik Studios from Mrs. Cherry Pie's wedding on Weddingbee; mini pecan pies by Martha Stewart Weddings; bouquet by Artfool

Fourth row: baker's twine programs photo by Leigh Miller; groom in vest photo by Poser via Southern Weddings; invitation by Smokeproof Press & photo by Jose Villa via Once Wed

What's that? You want to work with me to put together a custom inspiration board for your wedding or event? Well then check out the details here!

Monday, Monday + the Seashore

{via this tumblr}

I spent my Sunday afternoon at the beach... what did you do with our gloriously sunny weekend?

Happy Weekend + Buds

I'm off to soak up the sun... have a lovely weekend, all!

{Image c/o Johnny Miller}

Reader Mail: Rugs + Curtains

More reader mail - yippee! Hearing your thoughts is one of my very favorite things, so if you ever have a question about weddings, events, clothing, homes, design, or something else you think I might be interested in, please send it along! I'm usually good for a little research and a little perspective, at the very least.

Kate is moving into a new home in June, and though she's not quite at the design stage yet, she wants to have some go-to resources for when she is. Specifically, she's looking for great shops for curtains and rugs. Here's what I have to share.

West Elm is a great source for clean, modern furnishings. Add in a bit of texture or pattern and they become delightfully warm, like this braided stripe jute rug, chunky plaited wool rug, and zebra rug.



West Elm also has some beautiful curtains - I like these linen, silk dupioni, and jute options.



Garnet Hill has some great patterned rugs, like this wool silk one, this cotton one, and this wool one.



Speaking of patterned rugs, if stripes are the sort of thing you're into, I know of no better source than Dash & Albert. How about this green one, this green one, or this green one? (They have other colors, too, don't worry!)



Clearly Ikea has some great, inexpensive options for rugs and curtains (I'm particularly enamored with this flokati version), but have you considered L.L. Bean? Oh yes, you remember how much I love L.L. Bean. They do the classic braided rug very well, in snappy updated color combinations as well as more traditional muted ones. And remember that lifetime guarantee?



The Company Store is another outfit with a plethora of rugs. They also carry curtains in a stunning range of colors...


{Hint: that's only a few of them!}

And lastly, I know this isn't the type of curtain Kate's looking for, but I couldn't resist...


Quilted Shower Curtain from India Rose

I hope this helps, Kate! We'd love to see photos of your new place once you're settled in!

[To all you Google Readers: this post went up a bit too early earlier today... eep! My apologies.]

Framed

Finally had the chance to flip through my Martha Stewart Living from April and the feature on Susan Lyne's NYC apartment immediately jumped out at me. The transformation from bland, cookie-cutter box to something resembling a New England country estate was quite impressive. My favorite part (and an easy takeaway) was the above photo cluster - the arrangement looks effortless but probably would take some rearranging on the floor before making any holes in the wall...



Her curved staircase and banister were a close second.

See the rest of her home here on Martha.

Ceara & Nate

There's a special place in my heart reserved for Southern Weddings magazine for many, many reasons. One you can read about right here. Another is that they always seem to feature the most fabulous - in the true sense of the word - weddings.

The wedding of Ceara & Nate is no exception. Usually when I feature weddings it's because I've fallen in love with the details. This wedding, however, is different. I love this wedding mainly for two reasons:

1) I am madly in love with the juxtaposition of tuxedos and a wide-open field filled with giant hay bales. Impractical? Absolutely. Romantic, luxurious, and glamorous? Check, check, and check.

2) Ceara's bolero. Clearly.

So please forgive me for the focus on fashion and flowers here. If you'd like to see how the rest of this celebration came together (and oh, you should!), check out the three SW posts here, here, and here.













All photographs c/o Shawn Connell of Christian Oth Studios.

Rosecliff: The Jewelry

So I know I haven't revealed my dress {I apologize again!}, but we're moving on. Today's topic is jewelry, specifically what sort of jewelry will best complement my deep royal blue, movie-star glam, trumpet silhouette ball gown.

My initial impulse is to go all-out with the earrings and keep everything else low key. The dress is pretty out there on it's own, so I don't want the jewelry to be too overwhelming, but I think having all of my accessories pretty neutral would look out of place with a dress of this sort.

Here are the contenders, all from White Aisle:


Newbury earrings: sterling silver, 1.5 inches long, $30


Elise earrings: sterling silver, 1.25 inches long, $30


Annapolis earrings: sterling silver, 1 inch long, $30.

As you can see, there's no price differential, so that doesn't help me decide. I'm initially drawn more to options 1 and 3, and I think I might be a little overwhelmed by earrings that dangle one and a half inches, as my everyday earrings are pearl studs.

Which pair do you like the best? And do you think I should just stick to earrings, or go all out with a necklace and bracelet, too?

Previously:
The Location
The Dress
The Hair

Board No. 28: Build Me Up, Buttercup

{Click image to enlarge!}

Continuing with my spring fling, this week's board is a sweet combination of jade, butter, and aqua inspired by the J. Crew necklace in the top left corner. A loose, overflowing bouquet of garden roses, a ceremony under a centuries-old oak, and tin can candles to send guests off at the end of the night add up to a simple spring celebration. Add in jadite plates lining the reception tables, embellished shoes for the bride (see the before and after), and a bicycle-built-for-two getaway, and you have the makings of a lovely celebration.

The Details
First row, left to right:
Bracelet from J. Crew; vintage books from quaint handmade's flickr; bouquet photo by Jose Villa

Second row:
Girl holding lemonade from Jupiter Images; bicycle portrait by Carl Zoch via Once Wed; jadite cake stand and tarts from Country Living

Third row:
Candle favors from Country Living; floral centerpiece from Brides; shoe photo by Kelli Nicole from Mrs. Avocado on Weddingbee

Fourth row:
Jadite bowls via Classic Bride; tree ceremony photo by Ian Grant via Snippet & Ink; favor boxes photo

As always, I would love to work with you to put together a custom inspiration board for your wedding or party! Check out the details here and purchase here.

Monday, Monday + Bicycles

{Image c/o Carl Zoch via Once Wed}

Good morning, friends! I've got a lovely, sunny, bicycle-filled inspiration board for you coming up soon!

Happy Weekend + Golf

{Image c/o Dmitry Popov}

Hello lovelies! Aren't you glad it's Friday? I've been swamped with work the last few days but am planning to take today and tomorrow off {then reapply my nose to the grindstone on Sunday!}. To celebrate the beautiful sunny weather we're expecting today, I'm going golfing with some friends and then am headed to a genuine hotdog stand for a picnic lunch...

I'd love to hear how you all are spending your weekends!

Egg Press Sample Sale

Egg Press, a fabulous letterpress studio out of Oregon, is celebrating 10 years in business with an online sample sale! $10 will buy you ten different letterpress cards hand picked by owner Tess Darrow and her lovely team. No two sets are exactly the same, and matching envelopes are included.

What a steal! 10 cards for $1 each? And letterpressed at that? Count me in. If you're interested, too, purchase a set here!

In the meantime, check out some of Egg Press' other designs...







Thanks Rachel!

Today I love...

...this lovely necklace from Yanis on Etsy. It's made of gold vermeil and has a beautifully soft brushed texture. $39. See more details and purchase here, and check out my other Yanis favorites here and here.

Rosecliff: The Hair

So you know I'm going to a fancy ball, and you know I found a fancy gown to wear. Since hair and jewelry came out in a dead heat when I asked what you wanted to hear about next, I've made the executive decision to discuss my hair-spiration this week.

What am I looking for? My gown is a deep royal blue. It's all Hollywood glamorous, with ruching, a v-neck and deep v-back, and a pretty dramatic trumpet silhouette. Hips I have not, but you wouldn't know it when I have this number on.

I'd like to continue the red carpet look with my hair. Hollywood glamour is the look I want to channel, but a little more undone, a little bit looser. For all my mane's negative attributes (curly/frizzy/dry/what?) it certainly holds curl well. It's also currently about six inches below my shoulders (wowza), so I have lots of flexibility in the style I choose.

And what, exactly, am I choosing between? Well let me show you!

I know I want an updo, I know I want side-swept bangs, and I know I want a little volume at the crown. With that in mind, here's what I found.


Oh yes, you all remember my love affair with Miss Coconut. I feel the same way about her wedding day hair.




Well this is fabulous. I love her low, full bun.


A very similar look to the one above, and equally well carried off. If I choose this style, will I need some sort of sparkly brooch as an accent?


More undone on the left, more done on the right - I still can't beside which style I prefer!


And you all know this lovely lady, of course. She's got everything I'm looking for: side-swept bangs? Check. Volume at the crown? Check. Updo? Check.

Since I'm not having any sort of a trial before the big day, I'm also looking for a style that I know a stylist will be able to pull off, especially because I'll be going to a stylist that is not familiar with my hair and all of its many eccentricities. I think these seem basic enough, but what about you? Overly complicated or completely doable? And which is your favorite look here?

Sources:
1) Photo by Jason Angelini from Weddingbee
2) Photos by Ann Hamilton via The Bride's Cafe
3) Photo by Jessica Claire
4) Photos via Weddingbee
5) Photos via Weddingbee

Previously:
The Location
The Dress

Board No. 27: Kid Gloves

{Click image to enlarge!}

I'm taking full advantage of the spring season with this delicate, feminine inspiration board. If you can convince your honey to agree to this color palette, more power to you, but if not, I think it would work wonderfully for a bridal shower or an afternoon tea. I love the juxtaposition of the oversized flowers on the cake and in the Jennifer Behr headband with the understated elegance of the tone-on-tone letterpress calligraphy and slim, tall taper candles. The trick to carrying this palette off? Keep everything in a very narrow range of the lightest blush on the lightest gray, with just a hint of creamy white for a little texture.

The Details
First row, left to right:
Ceremony photo by Lisa Lefkowitz via Style Me Pretty; double strand gold and pink opal bead necklace from Brides; letterpress calligraphy invitation by Lilikoi Design + Letterpress via 100 Layer Cake

Second row:
"Love knots" straws by Martha Stewart Weddings; Jennifer Behr headband via Perfect Bound; pink silk bridesmaids photo by Lisa Lefkowitz via Style Me Pretty

Third row:
Gardenia cake by Lovin' Sullivan; dress shop window from Martha Stewart Weddings; pink dress bride from Brides

Fourth row:
Dogwood bouquet, alphabet favor boxes and taper candle table all by Martha Stewart Weddings

As always, I would love to work with you to put together a custom inspiration board for your wedding or party! Check out the details here and purchase here.