a shining partnership

i was very happy to see that crate and barrel has partnered with nambe on a line of aluminum alloy serving pieces. it's a smart move for them, because pieces like this have become a bridal registry staple and previously, you'd have to be registered at bloomingdales or another department store to partake. i also like that it's not a "value" line, where the pieces are cheaper, but that it is instead in the same price range, and the designs they carry are exclusive to crate and barrel.

a much larger nambe selection still exists at other places, particularly bloomies, but i really like the collection of pieces crate and barrel has, particularly the salt and pepper shakers, and have a feeling they'll add more pieces if people get on board.

i think these are nice pieces for gift-giving and beautiful additions to a holiday or special occasion warbrobe of pieces.

photos from www.crateandbarrel.com

oh my cuteness

okay, if the flowers earlier didn't make you smile, surely this hat i found on etsy will.

how 'bout that weather?

i hope these flowers brighten what is a very cold and dreary day here in the northeast. the weather has become a constant metaphor for life to me. sometimes it's beautiful, other times it's stormy...but it always changes -- it doesn't stay the same, whether we want it to or not. and sometimes we do - sometimes the way it is feels comfortable and happy. but it changes. and sometimes it feels sad and trying and hard. but it changes. it reminds me of the florida weather joke -- "you don't like the weather? wait five minutes."

turns out, people everywhere have that joke about weather. i guess it's universal. the only thing constant is change...

this weekend, mitchell and i have a real mix - we are going up to our favorite place and wedding location, emerson resort, to celebrate our 2 year anniversary which was a couple weeks ago. it's a reminder of our wedding and where we came from, and an opportunity to regroup and determine where we're going. we have some hard decisions to make about our living situation due to the economy which everyone is feeling in one way or another.

we are going to make sure to enjoy the foliage at its peak and to look back and smile at all the sun and rain we've weathered together, and look ahead and smile, even though the forecast is unclear.

have a great weekend and thank you, as always, for reading.

photo from www.nestdallas.com

tiny treasures...fall's bounty

well since i'm really in the fall spirit, i figured today's bounty should be right in step. fall comes once a year and is full of tiny treasures!

this week, i think the best use of a couple bucks is to treat yourself to a little taste of whatever aspect of autumn thrills you. it could be a jug of homemade apple cider or a few apples or pears...


it could be a pumpkin or some gourds, or even a little bunch of indian corn...


and of course, if you're a flower loving kind of girl, or especially if you've never really embraced fall as a flower kind of season, treat yourself to a small bunch or a few stems of a real fall flower - brassica, dahlias, sunflowers, all kinds of mums...





and if it's a pumpkin spice latte or a sweet hot chocolate that makes you feel fall on this cool, rainy day, go for it. enjoy something that gives you that little hit of warmth and coziness while you appreciate the sights and colors that we are so lucky to have for these few weeks.

coffee photo from http://www.art.com/

a harvest bounty

i am really just beside myself (in a good way) with all the gorgeous fall that surrounds us this week.



mums, pumpkins, apples and lots of other produce and flowers in deep and regal-looking hues are dotting our town and surrounding towns, as well as the city.



to me, there's nothing like that cold snap of a fall breeze that accompanies all the sights and smells of true autumn. it is the coziest, most warming feeling around.




one of the things i love is how many varieties there are of certain types of produce...mainly apples. at the farmers market, there must have been 15 varieties...and they were huge!







one of the concepts i have started to consider this fall is how shades of pink and purple look perfect when mixed with the more traditional fall colors. it adds a certain warmth and softness that really works.





i'm also loving seeing some green produce mixed in with the stunning reds and purples ... the green grounds the mix and is a reminder that it all actually comes from nature...hard to believe with how surreal and artful some of these things look!




i'm very thankful for the natural bounty that fall brings, aren't you?

the long and short of it

the biggest thing i learned about myself while planning my wedding two years ago was that i change my mind a lot. not about everything (like the groom), but about many small details. one of those details was my dress. since it was custom-made, there were a few stages, the first being a brainstorm and sketch a few months before the work began. and thank god for that, because i totally changed my mind about what i wanted. while there was a part of me that wanted lace or ruffles or something else very "bridal," there was a bigger part of me that wanted simple and comfortable and not decidedly bridal.

for those who can relate, a convertible wedding dress is a great idea. it's formal and traditional and tres bridal for as long as you want it to be...

natural bridal "janine" - (back is shown above)

and then party time! probably after dinner is prime time to make the switch. (which is right about the time i should have removed my veil which refused to stay on).

each of the dresses here, from atlanta designer morgan boszilkov on etsy, successfully looks like two complete dresses - in both cases (above and below), the shorter version doesn't look like it's missing something - they're their own thing, and really fun, party dress kind of things at that.

natural bridal "kathleen":

morgan's company is called natural bridal, and her dresses are made to order for each bride from all sustainable and responsible materials.

(love the princess di style on the bottom):

i really love both of these dresses - they are simple and feminine without being fussy. and they don't look like anything about them is designed so that they can be two dresses, which i love. and the blair waldorf-ness of the short versions isn't lost on me either.

"kathleen" short:

i'm a huge fan of this idea. i think it's a great way to satisfy the parts of a bride that want to be traditional and fairy tale-ish, while also being true to her own style and able to dance the night away - each bride hopefully gets to do it only once.

all photos from http://www.naturalbridals.com/

i am cuteness, hear me roar

i mean seriously, i'm not really into halloween like some people, but this is just ridiculously adorable.

i found it on etsy, in the creation4children store. and they take custom orders and make whatever animals you want. so adorable. wouldn't it be cute to have a costume made so a little kid can match their pet? and if that pet happens to be a dog, they could trick-or-treat together...as twins!

photo from www.etsy.com