baby love

i stumbled into this lovely blog dear baby in one of those clicking frenzies where you don't remember where you started or how you got to the page you're on, but it doesn't matter because you're so glad you found it.

the pictures of the writer's perfect little children are so beautifully, softly taken and her words are the same. her sentiment really speaks to how lucky i feel to have such special siblings, because there truly is nothing like that in the world. here is what she says about watching her two babes together.

My kids are absolutely crazy about one another. Watching it unfold is one of those experiences that I knew would be special, but I couldn’t have fully grasped until it happened. Like when you’re pregnant and everyone says - “Just you wait until you have that baby is in your arms!” and you think you understand love until the moment happens and it knocks you down with such force that you can barely catch your breath. It feels like that.I love when they rouse from an afternoon nap and blink sleepy eyes in each others direction, recognition sets in and they stretch their small arms out to touch hands and faces. They belong to each other in a way no one else in the world does. There is so much tenderness, joy, and intrigue in their interactions. The beauty in what is growing between them leaves me dizzy sometimes.

fun for the fourth

 are you entertaining this holiday weekend? or maybe just looking for a fun idea for you and your nearest and dearest while lounging outside...i'm obsessed with the notion of sangria pops...how fun! check out this website for a recipe for sangria pops and also bailey's pudding pops and mango lassi pops. 

i think using these examples, you could actually figure out how to make any number of cocktails in pop form. just remember what you're licking and don't get in the car! 

and can you believe this cake? unbelievable! glory from glorious treats does an incredible tutorial here that actually makes me think i could do this. i don't actually think i could do it, but you get the idea...

i'm also loving the idea of a lobster or clam-bake themed dinner. there's something so comforting about the idea of a down home summer party like that...everything can blend together in various states of match and mismatch and it all just signals a good time. i love martha's instructions for lobster place cards and these sweet boat bowls from wisteria would be perfect for the trappings of a fabulous summer meal.

ps...i also love one of these bowls on a key table for change or in a bathroom for summery soaps.

i'm not sure what could be more fun thank eating your delectables off these ikat melamine plates, also from wisteria, and i love the way they'd unexpectedly mix with the nautical theme, especially for a coastal evening. in either colorway, the look could be roughed up with these seagrass tumblers, perfect for wicking away condensation...the cardinal sin of an otherwise good time.

for drink ideas, how about a cucumber and lime gin fizz...how fun and summery does that sound? i gag at the thought of gin and even i think it sounds good. 

then again, i like any drink that involves the word fizz...do you remember my peach fizz from a couple summers ago? here are some other fun drink ideas. and more still, with a roundup of great glasses to boot.

 and for a hearty summer meal (or even a light one), no paper napkins will do. i love cloth ones and i usually find the cheaper the better. my personal favorite is the tekla dish towel from ikea that can be washed and washed and washed again, but i also love these options from crate and barrel and anthropologie.

and if you don't feel like bothering with dishes or glasses at all, the best option is a rustic, delicious display like this lovely image from frolic today and some bubbly in a can.

perfect.

above the line

 

today, i'm loving this bathroom i spotted on absolutely beautiful things. isn't it great the way the wallpaper doesn't start until well above the eyeline? i love that it draws the eye up, and also that it provides an interesting visual perspective even when you're seated in the room...because we mostly are seated in bathrooms, us ladies, right?

i'll share again a concept i shared a while back told to me by a reader...that bathrooms are some of the only places we're ever alone, so they should be beautiful. don't you agree?

some more bathrooms...and more still, with stripes.

very vibrant colors

i'm loving all these bright saturated colors. how about this monochromatic ensemble from max mara? that yellow is bananas. no pun intended. here's more max mara yellow.





i think i'm officially ready for spring. these colors are making me feel drunk! i love love love this post from habitually chic about punchy spring wardrobes, and you will too if you're craving color.

image 1, image 3, image 4, images 5 and 6

links and thoughts

did you have a nice weekend? i did. it was one of those weekends where you do things you have to do and things you want to do in nice balance.

first, i definitely have spring fever, as do our cats who are running around like crazy little critters, scratching and sliding on anything that will have them.

i made this soup over the weekend, and it was delicious. i used half regular curry powder and half hot curry powder. seriously good. i think this one will be next. i'm happy to have a slight interest in cooking renewed, and i take inspiration from cooks like hali bey who can reinvent and rethink as they go. like my aunt louisa too, whose interview answers here inspire me.

speaking of healthy cooking, are you watching bethenny ever after? LOVE. HER. flaws and all. and i also love the relatively new "25 things you don't know about me" feature in us weekly. so when it features her, i'm golden. read her 25 things here.



i've been obsessively thinking about a tropical vacation these days and although the bedford post inn isn't tropical, it looks amazingly lovely in this post from erin at elements of style. add to the equation that it's owned by my own true love richard gere and...WINNING.

also from erin, check out this dog hotel. it's nicer than many of the places i've stayed.

i know my writing life is one with my personal life because of things like this...the last two color schemes i wrote about on BRIDEfinds (here and here) are quite prominent in my apartment, my accessories, my wardrobe and my event plans.

i've started wearing makeup differently so this application guide was actually interesting to me. hope you think so too. such a good point about looking down when you do undereye concealer rather than up.

now onto wedding links...

this is kind of nutso...an engagement ring for under $160 featured on the broke-ass bride last week. would you want to be involved in picking out your own engagement ring? would you be open to a totally non-traditional engagement ring?

how gorgeous is the matthew williamson bridal collection featured on BRIDEfinds? i am OBSESSED with a few of these, mainly these.


OBSESSED.

look at the festive, handmade wedding details of this south african wedding featured on the wedding chicks.


read about this young, sweet couple featured on bwed last week whose relationship faced a major stress and challenges early on. we've all worried about what would happen if it rained on our wedding day, or if anything was less than perfect. imagine having to scrap your original plans and cancel the wedding altogether...

top image, all other images from linked sites

on weddings: links of love

i know my mind is totally on weddings these last few weeks. between all the work i'm doing on bridefinds and planning my sister's upcoming wedding, i am a walking wedding.

i love the sensibility behind amanda freeman's guest post on every last detail. it's all about being real with your wedding, and i think it's true way beyond weddings, but true about everything in life - homes, jobs, relationships, children, etc.

can you relate to robin's fear of having a case of HHS (Harried Hostess Syndrome) at your wedding, or at any other party you host for that matter? ugh, you know that feeling, where you just can't even relax because you're so busy hosting?

party like it's 1929...flapper themed wedding and shower finds. LOVE. oooh, a gatsby wedding would be so fun. SO fun.

this couple featured on bwed got married at a drive thru. they look so fun and spontaneous. and i'm obsessed with how the yellow of her bouquet is strung all throughout their photos, even from such mundane places as the lines in a parking lot.

and i'm already obsessed with all the totally adorable things on the new site from the wedding chicks, on to baby. and the fever begins...



i don't know what's sweeter...the little girl's barettes, or the fact that she's drinking juice out of a jam jar. or the fab antique mirror. it's a good package, all around.

on weddings: links of love

i hope you've been getting as much pleasure and as many ideas as i have from the bridal blogs i've been linking to...there is so much out there, and i love when i'm presented with an orderly list of things to see and read - you'll never get to it all, so i hope you like my roadmaps to some of the best.

check out this gorgeous wedding on every last detail - this is such a good example of a collected, vintagey look that doesn't look like it's trying to hard. it's believable, mismatched and looks like it all just happened to be there and a couple decided to get married wherever "there" is...such an inspiration.

divya gugnani is everywhere these days, and an all-around powerful woman and alum of my very own high school...she shared her wedding favors with bridefinds and i loved her spin on the tried-and-true seed packet.

OMG. this couple featured on bwed (high school sweethearts) got engaged when he was a guest storytime reader in her 2nd grade class and popped the question. it's really sweet how in love and excited they still seem even after so long.

this is a cool idea for a guest book because my feeling is what will you do with a guest book? well leave it to the broke-ass-bride... in this case, you'll remember the birthdays of your guests!

and isn't this amelie-inspired engagement shoot on wedding chicks sweet?

so many weddings, so many ideas, so little time...

first three images, last two images

keep calm and carry on

isn't this photo amazing? such a frozen moment in time. it's from anna at absolutely beautiful things and is a picture of the aftermath of a recent flood in brisbane.

and there's that now ubiquitous graphic sign...keep calm and carry on. among chaos and loss and grief. we can all relate to this feeling...sometimes it's events happening in the world that we're all in together, and sometimes it's struggles in our families, our social circles, our marriages, even just within our own minds and souls. but i think the feelings are universal. the notion that we can put one foot in front of the other and just move forward is a powerful one, and often easier said than done.

pretty stunning visual, isn't it?

on weddings: links of love

okay so i hope you're all enjoying the bridal links...i know i am! today, i have a few to share that are just BEYOND.

check out this roundup of 21 wedding gowns with sleeves on the broke-ass bride (awesome blog, btw)...where was this when i was a bride? i die over numbers 3, 8,15 (all below) and 16 (above).


and how fun are these flirty reception dresses on BRIDEfinds? what a great costume change for after dinner, or even as the one and only wedding dress for a certain kind of affair. how fun!!

and file katherine henry's ideas on the wedding chicks under OMG - SO CUTE. how totally perfect are these glitter lips in place of the getting-tired mustache deal for a photo booth?

and i love these pink and chocolate (literally) inspiration boards from bwed. the pink and brown thing was around so long it sort of got stale, but here it looks fresh and new again, i think due to the little hits of red here and there. plus, check out all bwed's other beautiful inspiration boards...such good ideas for a wedding, a dinner party, a bedroom or an outfit!

ooh...i spy with my little brown eye the sofia blanc de blanc cans...remember? now there's a good idea for these cold winter days, especially for valentine's day. pick up a pack and enjoy a sweet sip!