special sips

 

i'm always a big fan of having a special drink when people arrive at a wedding or another special event. at my sister's wedding, sparkling water with fresh raspberries punctuated the rosy, blushy hues of the day. at my own wedding, we offered guests water and sparkling apple and pear ciders to signify the fall season. 

at a bridal shower i planned at work a couple years ago, chocolate was the theme so i did cups of chocolate and plain milk but made them look more special with bright pink straws, all tilted matchingly to the side. yeah, matchingly. made it up.

so...these wildflower ice cubes are begging to be tried, particularly at a spring party like a bridal shower or wedding, don't you think? they actually seem pretty doable based on martha's instructions, and you could employ the same method with any number of things...fresh herbs like mint to put in a mojito or a long island iced tea, or berries to put in a fruitier cocktail. love. this. idea.

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could you just DIE?

check out this amazing jenny packham wedding dress. OMGicles, right?

home sweet home

 

wouldn't this tray be the perfect housewarming, wedding or hostess gift? i love its earnestness...it's simple, but not too simple; retro, but but not overly so, and it's something that brings a smile to any surface in any home.

i really love sentiments -  like "home sweet home" -  which are so universally known and so frequently said. what i love most about them is that moment in your own life where you, unknowingly, stumble upon that very feeling...in this case, walking into the comforts of your home at the end of a long day, a trip, a special event, and that feeling, that sigh...home sweet home. and i love in those moments realizing how that universal phrase and sentiment came to be so universal.

do you love glass trays like this? read the high/low here.

his and hers

how sweet are these glasses? like all things kate spade, i love how they blend whimsy with classic. and i seriously wish everything in the world was in this pretty script typeface, don't you? and i adore the idea of using lovely glasses like these for your very own cocktail hour like this one. what drinks are you mixing up? in summer, everywhere i look there are ideas for fab drinks. need some ideas? try this one and this one. and if it's hot and sticky and the days are so long you can't be bothered with glasses (these sweet ones or any others) then look no further than this bubbly in a can. surprisingly classy!

even if you have enough barware, the shorter ones especially would be great for pens, toothbrushes, really anything. and what a great gift for a couple in love that are first cohabitating, getting married or just starting their own happy hour tradition like our friends kelly and cory. they would also be impossibly sweet at a dinner party, maybe alternating from one setting to another...his, hers, his, hers....so many ideas. and that typeface - swoooooon....

showered with love

i'm a big bridal registry lover, and trust me, i took advantage of my own. and in most cases, i think it's the go-to way to shop for a bride-to-be, but i actually think the bridal shower is a nice occassion to go rogue and get her something really pretty and unique, and extra feminine. 

one of the best gifts i got for my shower was a beautiful ivory satin case for lingerie, toiletries...really anything girly and special. i used it for my wedding day trappings, but also on my honeymoon and still today. it was different and thoughtful, and so not the type of thing i would have bought myself at the time. these are some of my favorite selections for special girl gifts...

first of all, the lucky butterflies and loving doves from baccarat are just beyond. so delicate and pretty...whimsical and lovely, just like the months leading up to a wedding, and these would serve as a forever reminder of that feeling.

i love the lalique heart paperweight - such a classic. and this crystal ringholder from monique lhullier is beautiful and affordable. what better time to give a gorgeous way to keep one's bling?

another one of my favorite shower gifts was the wedding votive from bernardaud...it's a perfect confection of bisque porcelain that glows in such a special way whenever you light it. i just love it as a special reminder of being a bride, and i love giving it just as much.

i think the thing with the gifts we all register for is that they have specific purposes - some as basic as a coffeemaker and others with as pointed a need as pitting a mango (who even eats mangos?). some of the things we get are workhorses we use day after day, and others never see the light of day due to lack of counter space or a general useslessness that never occurred to us or our scannergun-wielding husbands-to-be. 

so i think a shower is a nice time to treat someone special to something that has no mundane purpose at all...whose only job is to look pretty and feel special, just like a bride should be.

behold...links of love

 

do you die over most everything from BHLDN like i do? I DIE. it hurts, much like walking into anthropologie does. on one hand, bhldn sort of packs up the vintage chic thing into almost too neat a lace-and-typography package, makes it too attainable and spot on, and it makes it seem a little ubiquitous, which is the precise moment a wedding trend jumps the shark and becomes boring. but it does it so beautifully, it's forgiven, and mixed in with one's own style and flair, it could be wonderful and charming.

and i thought i was bored of coverups and boleros until i saw these. and are you kidding me with this duchess lace cape?

but there's been some uproar about one of their boleros, among other things...

there seems to be a pervading feeling that they've stolen designs directly from small, independent designers. so disappointing, don't you think so? apparently this has been going on for some time, which i hate to see since i love anthro and urban so much. and at least on man shops globe, they seemed to give credit where credit was due...

do you think this is terrible and anti-artist, or do you think it's the way the world works and the blogosphere has just noticed it in this case? i really want to hear the thoughts of consumers, designers, buyers and business people alike...this must be happening every minute all over the place.

in less controversial wedding chat, check out BRIDEfinds' cute math on kim kardashian's monster bling...

and look at the lovely purpleness of this purple wedding. by including shades of blue and steely gray, the wedding doesn't look birthday-party-purple, which i'm sure the groom appreciated :)

and how about this gorgeous rainbow inspiration from the broke-ass-bride? i think it's marvelously tongue-in-cheek for a gay wedding, but i love it for a straight one too!

 

since most couples' engagement stories are a bit of a blur, i love the idea of taking engagement photos where the magic happened, like this couple featured on bwed. cute!

did you do a groom's cake? would you? check out these sweet treats for inspiration...love the fish and the sneaker!

any good wedding chatter on your end?

night song

 

how sweet would this night song print be as a wedding gift or a bridal shower gift? i love the idea of giving something a little different for those occasions...you can always shop off the registry and no one ever complained about cash, but sometimes it's special to give something they'll have forever. the lovebirds print here is perfect for that...they could hang it on a wall, lean it on a bedside table, even place it in the nursery of their one-day-to-be baby...i love it.

tag, you're married

 

isn't this luggage tag such a sweet little gift for a soon to be mrs.? for most, the honeymoon is the first time you're ever referred to as mrs. anything, so getting this tag is a sweet little nod to that special thrill. 

i love this as a shower gift idea, with or without the mr. one. i'd love to order a bunch of them and have them on hand for all the showers i go to this spring and summer. even if you want to give more than just a token like this, it could easily (and adorably!) replace a bow or ribbon on the outside of the package. 

do you love?

links of love...on weddings

you have to go see the full gallery of this orangey peachy wedding on the wedding chicks...so pretty. so sweet.

and did you hear missoni will be doing a line for target? what are your thoughts? i'm interested...in a reserved way. bridefinds has some ideas of what it might be like...

b'wed did a round-up of gorgeous white wedding shoes...which are your favorites? mine have to be these.

do you know about burning man? and do you know people get married there? check out the gorgeous pictures on ok, now what bride and see what the weddings look like. i love the vibrant colors against the desert backdrop here, don't you?

and check out the thorough, colorful coverage of the movie bridesmaids on the broke-ass-bride. i so want to see this movie. just seems fun, doesn't it? and i loooove melissa mccarthy. do you watch mike and molly? you should.

the princess bride

so what do you think? i think waity katie looks totally stunning...a true princess, but a modern one. the dress is BEYOND and she looks at ease, confident and beautiful. my favorite part is the veil. i love the way it looked in front of her face, and most especially when it was just pushed back.

kate looks like herself, just as a beautiful bride, and isn't that what we'd all like to look like on our wedding days?

it looks kind of like a wedding at disney world, doesn't it? i bet their wedding sales are going through the roof this week...

and the prince's red jacket is pretty spiffy.

and despite all the pomp and circumstance, they look like any couple in love on their big day - humbled by all the kindness and well-wishing, surreal in the fact that it's all actually happening, and truly hopeful about what lies ahead.

mazel to will and kate. mazel.


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