Wedded Bliss {Fresh from the Garden Bouquet}
As a bride, I was constantly in search of ways to make each aspect of my wedding more personal and intimate. At some point I will dedicate an entire post to all of the details, but for the time being, I wanted to share an easy tip for all of the brides out there looking to add a special touch to their day.
My mom is an avid gardener, and tends to countless flower beds, a raspberry patch, and a huge vegetable garden. The bright pink sweet peas that climb and trail along the edge of one of her gardens have long been a favorite of mine. So, for my wedding bouquet, I chose to have the florist incorporate these vibrant blooms from my mom’s garden. The day before the wedding, we cut several stems of the flowers, and delivered them (in water) directly to the florist, who beautifully incorporated them into my trailing bouquet of orchids and calla lilies. This was a small, but personal touch that my mom and I smile about to this day.
Designer’s Sketchbook
The mornings that I sit for breakfast at my dining room table are few are far between, but I always picture a life where I have time to linger over OJ and muffins, read the newspaper, and take a moment to carefully plan out the day ahead. To that end, I have put together a sweet little Designer’s Sketchbook on the theme of a “cottage breakfast”. I’ve highlighted just a few elements and ideas that play off the idea of all that a good breakfast should be–bright, tasty and beautiful!
(1) Breakfast Specials Sign | Three Potato Four | I really love vintage signs, and often contemplate adding one to a wall in my home. This paperboard “breakfast specials” sign has a cheery and functional quality to it, and makes me hungry for a simple breakfast of cereal and juice.
(2) Milk Bottle Carafe | Three Potato Four | Multi-functional and entirely stylish, this 32 oz. glass carafe is a Three Potato Four original, and perfect for pouring a cup of delicious, fresh squeezed OJ. After breakfast, rinse it out, and fill it with a handful of blooms.
(3) Morning Glory Muffins | recipe from Whole Foods Market | My favorite breakfast in the world can be found at a tiny bistro in St. Paul’s St. Anthony Park neighborhood. For years, I would walk to the bistro every Sunday morning for a scrumptious morning glory muffin. I have since moved far away from the bistro, but this recipe from Whole Foods Market makes a fine substitute, and fills the house with the most incredible aromas.
(4) Egg and Toast Oil Painting | by Lynn Cyr | This lovely oil painting is perfect for any breakfast-lover, and would make a bright and happy addition to the wall of a breakfast nook or kitchen. On a late afternoon, when I happened upon this piece on Etsy, I was instantly inspired to whip up some eggs and toast (for dinner).
(5) Homesteader Tablecloth | Anthropologie | My ideal breakfast would be eaten in my sunny dining room, at my table, which would be spread with a soft and inviting tablecloth in a meriad of colors. This vintage-inspired patchwork cloth has a sweet and merry quality to it, and fits my vision for a cottage breakfast perfectly.
Thrifty Thursday {Pandora Radio}
I love music, but I get bored very easily. As such, my itunes library is always evolving and changing as I discover new artists and styles. The exploration and discovery are wonderful, but the drain on the pocketbook, not so much. Enter Pandora internet radio, an entirely free service which creates a playlist based on a favorite style, song or artist.
Simply type in the same of the tune that has been stuck in your head for days, and Pandora will put together a collection of music that features the same style and sound. The best part? There are very few commercials (maybe 1 per hour, lasting 15 seconds a piece), you can skip songs you don’t like, and you can create as many stations as you want to. Oh, and it’s all entirely FREE. Goodbye to those big itunes bills!
In My Closet {Walk in the Rain}
As I sit to write this post, rain is pattering on the roof. It is April, and I am repeating to myself the old adage, “April showers bring May flowers”. I am a lover of sunshine, but this is the one time of the year that I happily welcome a rainy day. I love the fresh smell of the earth awakening, budding, growing and bursting forth into bloom. For this month’s style guide, I put together a look for a rainy day walk. This is perhaps a bit much for a walk in the country (think puddles and a muddy driveway), but I am entirely smitten with this sharp and classic style–black wellies, a dapper black cap, raindrop earrings, a giant graphic umbrella and a punchy bright red trench coat and tote to bring color to a gray day.
Kaarna Umbrella by Marimekko | Canvas Cloche by Juicy Coutoure at Nordstrom ($55) | Peruskassi Tote by Marimekko | Belted Trench Coat by London Fog at Overstock.com ($44) | Original Rain Boots by Hunter at Shoes.com ($117) | Silver Drop Earrings by Macy’s ($80)
Little Delights {Things To Do Mug}
I am a perpetual list-maker. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. I love to make to-do lists, and I do it quite frequently. Sometimes it’s in my dedicated “list book”, other times it’s on a scrap of paper, the back of an old envelope or on a napkin at a restaurant. Recently I was browsing Barnes & Noble for a new list notebook (what else, right!?), when I happened upon this clever and quirky mug in the their gift department. Imagine sipping your morning coffee or tea and writing your to-do list ON your mug!! Talk about convenience. The mug is microwave and dishwasher safe and comes with a dry erase marker so you can make as many lists as you would like.
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