Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Wedding Wednesday......A big pile of random.


How does everyone feel about my Wedding Wednesday's posts?
I know it seems sometime they're the only posts I get to each week.

Partly because I enjoy them so much-----Sometimes I think I should give up and just start a completely wedding related blog. And partly because Wednesday just seems to be a day where I can blog every week. I feel like I'm over the "hump".

I don't have anything really specific to contribute for this Wedding Wednesday, so I thought I'd give you a peek at my latest wedding inspiration that I've been pinning.

I'm jonesing for a few things right now.

 The first is black and white stripes, mixed with pops of gold.
It's so French and chic to me.

Simplistic, yet glamorous.

And I love an unexpected use of really natural looking centerpieces.
Lots of greenery and organic florals.




Going with the natural florals theme, I'm loving an 
incorporation of lavender.

And a completely outdoor wedding, complete
with strung white lights over the lacquered dance floor.
Weather permitting, of course.



I'm loving the idea of a formal event in a natural and understated setting,
adding touches of glamour with white lights, gold accents, and pretty details.

Every time I think about my ideal scenario,
I find myself conjuring images of Marie Antoinette (the Sofia Coppola version with K. Dunst, natch)
at her summer house, throwing lavish, but understated dinner parties.



Happy Hump Day!

Monday, November 19, 2012

A Tour of Fredericksburg


Every couple has their "place".
If I had to pick one place that's special to Brian and me as a couple,
it would be Fredericksburg, TX.

We started going there shortly after we began dating,
mainly because we were looking for a place to go for President's Day Weekend.
We needed something semi-close since we were only planning to go for one night.

And that was it for us.
We haven't stopped going back since.
I'd been once before as a little girl, but I barely remembered it.

I wrote about our first trip here.
And a return visit here.
I love that it's a quaint little country town.
But there's great wine and food.

And since we're both German, 
we LOVE that aspect of it.

I usually start getting the itch to visit in the fall, 
because it's the best place to go when the weather is cool.
We have a little routine when we go there.


We usually leave Fort Worth around 7:30 am, which lands us in Fredericksburg
around lunchtime.
We'll check in to our B&B and then head to lunch at Silver Creek.
They have a great patio, usually with live music on Saturdays.
Yummy, and casual German food and great beers.


 After I've given Brian a couple German beers,
I can usually convince him to browse with me through red,
a fabulous little vintage-modern home and gift shop.

 

In the afternoon, we'll head to wine tasting at our two favorite vineyards nearby.


Grape Creek vineyards is first.
I actually prefer it to every other vineyard in Fredericksburg.
The wine is fabulous and the atmosphere is perfect.
They have the best outdoor patio.


We usually head to Becker Vineyards in the early evening,
right as the sun is about to set.
They have wonderful wine as well, and the perfect patio for a beautiful Hill Country sunset.


We usually have dinner at Der Lindenbaum
a truly authentic German restaurant.
You feel as though you've been transported to another time.
It's magical.


We usually end the night with drinks at either House. Wine. 
or Lincoln Street Wine Bar.

They're both awesome in their own ways. House.Wine is small and intimate with a carefully curated menu. Lincoln Street has a great patio, a wonderful cheese selection, and great wines.


That's our unofficial trip "itinerary".

One thing I place major emphasis on before we take each trip to Fredericksburg is 
finding a great Bed and Breakfast to stay in.
Of course they have hotels, 
but it sort of defeats the experience of being in a quaint Hill Country town.

I am LOVING this B&B I found on VRBO recently,
It consists of two little cottages which you can rent separately or together.

And just look how picturesque it is.













It reminds me of something you'd find in New England.
So fresh and charming.

What's your favorite vacation spot?

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Wedding Wednesday......A Paris Fantasy

 
 They say it can be very hard to take your eyes away from
a train-wreck.
I have the opposite problem. I have a very hard time looking at awful things,
but when something is really beautiful, it's hard to avert my eye-balls.

Such is the case with my most recent discovery of wedding inspiration eye-candy,
It's amazing.

It's written/photographed by an adorable French/American couple 
that are engagement and wedding photographers in where else,
Paris.

Now, let's be real, most photographs are going to be pretty in
a backdrop like Paris.

But there's something about the easy, understated glamour that these artists bring 
to the mix.



Side note, How chic is this chick's outfit?
It reminds me of Anne Hathaway in Paris during Devil Wear's Prada
 



All images courtesy of One and Only Paris Photography

I've got to say, this blog immediately launched me into a pie-in-the-sky
fantasy about getting hitched in Paris.

If you are planning to get married across the pond, give this fabulous
couple a call.
If not, make sure you visit their blog so you can at least fantasize about a wedding
in Paris.

A girl can dream, right?

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Ruthie Sommers------Genius in Human Form


I'd like to start this post by saying that I LOVE VERANDA.
I love it with all my heart and soul.
I really do. They consistently have the most amazing content.
And they play to southern girl's appetite for glamour better than any other magazine.

I also love designer, Ruthie Sommers.
Whom I first discovered in my past favorite magazine, Domino.
I've written about her genius in the past.

And when I tore open the pages of this month's Veranda, I literally could not
believe my eyeballs.


Because this project is beyond.
It's everything you want to be.

It's bright, happy and sophisticated.

It's glamorous and playful.


Obsessed with this high gloss black entry.
And I love how she pulled colors from the doors in the art and the bench.



I can't even talk about this situation.
It's fabulous. The antiqued mirror, the 1940's leopard bench.
The sconces.
I DIE I DIE I DIE.
Bless Rachel Zoe for allowing women to truely express their orgasms over great design.

And the bed treatments, OH, the bed treatments.

Oh behalf of ugly bathrooms everywhere, this single room makes up for it. I love the detailing on the cabinets. And I love the Murano chandelier.

This living room makes me want to never be afraid of color again.
It's living proof that risks are worth taking.
Love the rug and love the purple sofa.


And this bedroom was the perfect girly finale.
I love the canopy.

Thank you Ruthie for treating my eye-balls.
And Thank you From the Right Bank,
for grabbing these images.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Dreamy Closet


I've seen alot of bloggers talk about closets.
Why? Because we bloggers like to talk about pretty, fantasmical things
and closets that are larger than the size of normal human's bedrooms
are fun to think and dream about.

The number one thing I think of when I think of fabulous closets?

Carrie Bradshaw.
Duh.

She spent 75% of Sex and the City in that beautiful thing.


And she told Mr. Big to just get her a really big closet in lieu of a diamond ring.
I mean, the guy was a bazillionaire---he probably could have sprung for both,
but we won't get into all of Carrie's bad decisions on the show/movies.


And let's not forget her beyond amazing closet in SATC 2


Are they ever going to make a third movie?
Because it's honestly never going to get old for me.

If they can make 37 renditions of Die Hard, can't
they throw our generation of ladies a bone?


Anyway, I got to thinking about a Carrie Bradshaw worthy closet for us mere-mortals.

And it goes something like this.

Luscious high-gloss walls in Farrow & Ball's Middleton Pink and Lucite and Brass Closet Rods.




With the addition of a small loveseat (or tufted bench if you're super short on room)
upholstered in a pink ticking stripe and adorned with grey linen and raspberry chinoiserie pillows.
The confetti like fabric? It's from Schumacher's Lula DK Child line.
It's called Jelly Bean in Pink Lemonade. How precious is THAT?

Dear Lord, Please make sure I have baby girls someday.

I can't help but think that with a closet like this,
it would make even the most stressful of days seem like they were going to work out.




Even if you just fell in Dior.

And who could resist this 1930's dressing table set for the closet?
To Die.


The tufted Loveseat on my board is from Sparkle Barn,
a new discovery of mine.
They also just sold this amazing vintage sofa.
I cannot even tell you all of the wonderful possibilities it has.

What does the closet of your dreams look like?