twist on a holiday favorite

there is nothing more inviting or comforting than the sight of a family of christmas stockings all lined up above a warm holiday fireplace. visions of red and green and reindeer come to mind.

but i'm absolutely in love with this chic twist on the idea — cozy cable knit and simply elegant, these ivory stockings from pottery barn line the mantle with clean happy lines, letting the thoughtful gifts poking out above each embroidered red name be the joyful focal point.

merry christmas to all, and in fabulous style!

wild about anemones

i've always been a fan of crisp black and white anemones, but i've seen them recently with a splash of color...and i think they may be my new favorite trend.

there is just something playful and delicate about these flowers, and the hint of color makes them slightly more casual, as well as versatile. they are just so unapologetically bold, with their robust black centers and curvaceous petals. looking for unique floral ideas? you can't go wrong here.

design and photo credits

{bouquet} martha stewart • {wedding cake} the caketress • {hair accessory} brina babe

unique chic • colored diamonds

i am a huge fan of the unexpected, the original, the uniquely chic. and one of the most unique things i've discovered recently is a new trend towards unusual engagement or wedding rings.

sapphires, rose gold, canary diamonds. there will always be something timeless about a perfectly cut clear diamond, but there is also something exciting — and highly personal — about the inclusion of color. these colored diamond rings available at icestore.com are some of my favorites.

which one appeals most to you?

type style obsessions • penabico

i love pretty things. especially when those pretty things meet paper, color and fabulous accents.

of course, all pretty stationery elements are incomplete without an equally gorgeous type style, which can transcend a smart design into something truly spectacular — and my very favorite new font is penabico.

it's vintage and full of flourish, but also quite whimsical. it would be perfect paired with a modern block font, or filling up an entire card with its luscious lines. it's fonts like this that make me love printed calligraphy.

in love also? you can get this from myfonts.com and make your own pretty things. be sure to share them with me!

image of the week • gavin photography

sometimes, you don't need words. sometimes, simple beauty speaks all on its own.

photo courtesy of gavin photography.

cake chic • a halloween wedding

i love a good theme wedding when it's done with a sense of whimsy and true personal style, so in the spirit of all hallows eve, i thought it would be good to share one of my favorite halloween-themed cakes, masterfully created by anne heap at pink cake box.

inspired by the time burton move the corpse bride, we have nothing but ghoulish things to say. all of them good, of course. happy halloween!

real weddings • jessica and jeff • a vintage southern fete

recently i had the honor of attending the vintage-inspired wedding of jessica and jeff, a gloriously joyful affair that spanned a full weekend in historic elkin, north carolina — complete with antique lace, chic rustic touches and full-on southern charm.

starting with custom invitations screen printed on vintage flea market handkerchiefs, the couple was deliberate in every creative choice. from the peacefully lush wooded ceremony backdrop at elkin creek vineyard in the bride's hometown, to the low country menu at twenty one and main (which featured favorites like shrimp & grits and sweet potato cakes) this southern wedding was complete — right down to the fabulous red velvet cake made by the bride's mom. do you love it?

wedding photos courtesy of abigail seymour photography.

chic wedding appetizers

gorgeous gown? done. fabulous venue? got it. showstopping invitations? literally signed, sealed and delivered. so, what's left? only the most important element — the food.

people are far more likely to fondly remember a wedding at which they've been well fed, so be sure to give your wedding menu the same personal thought you give every other decision. need some inspiration? we've got plenty.

consider the shapes and colors of your food — and have fun with your presentation. skip the napkins and serve apps straight from a spoon. or stick shrimp on a lollipop skewer. bright chilled soups and artfully presented sushi are great for a summer wedding, and we love the organically rustic feel of crostini served on a wooden plank, perfect for an outdoor vintage fete.

our favorite idea in the bunch? has to be a toss up between that stenciled mini-burger and the monogrammed caviar spoons. each promises to be a wonderfully memorable mouthful.

design and photo credits

first row — {stenciled mini-burger} elaine bell catering • {crostini en plank} house and home • {chilled spoon appetizers} pacific weddings

second row — {tomato & cheese bruschetta} inspired occasions • {salmon tarts} inspired occasions • {cucumber & meatballs spears} pacific weddings

third row — {shrimp lollipops} one lovely day • {monogrammed caviar spoons} one lovely day • {tri-colored soups} dm cuisine • {roe sushi} pioneer paper

military bridal gown giveaway by mon amie

attention all troops (and readers)! i've just discovered a wonderful, timely, and supremely generous offer from one of california's premiere bridal salons — for the seventh year, mon amie bridal salon will be giving away 100 bridal gowns to military brides-to-be...for free.

the details

date: october 17th, 2010

estimated time: 10 am to 4 pm

place: marine corps air station - miramar office's club (building 4472)

to be considered, brides must be engaged, be on active duty in the military or have a fiancé on active duty. all military brides must show id, copy of deployment papers, orders or other qualifying proof. brides do not have to reside in the area where the giveaway is taking place.

to learn more visit mon amie. and the best of luck to all. :o)

beach wedding ideas • seahorses

i love beach weddings. and while i adore the more traditional beachy elements like starfish and sand dollars, i am simply wild about the seahorse — there's just something inherently whimsical about it that adds a cheerful playfulness to any beach wedding design aesthetic.

these are merely a few of my favorite ideas, all featured in muted blues and sandy earth tones, which helps keep the design scheme sophisticated and breezy. the best in the bunch? those hand-knitted cupcake toppers. crazy fun.

design and photo credits

clockwise from top left — {beach wedding invitations} paper olive • {cupcakes} diy via fat orange cat studio photography • {seahorse totes} beachik via etsy • {vintage spoon} beach house living • {candles} escape concepts • {napkin ring} pottery barn

organic chic wedding invitations

a friend recently enlisted me to design her wedding invitations, with three very specific design requirements: simple, chic, and organic. below is the resulting suite i created for her, and i think it is already a favorite.

the lush tree silhouette is clearly the organic focal point, but i also brought in tactile elements like white linen paper and mailer boxes, as well as natural dupioni silk ribbon as a clean, fresh accent. the entire look is proof positive that you don't always have to be over-the-top in your presentation in order to make a unique first impression.

plus, anytime you can keep that impression green by celebrating the beauty of earth's natural elements, i'm always a fan.

louboutin love • tahiti in spring

okay, these heels are ridiculous. and by ridiculous, i mean out of control fabulous. i just finished browsing the christian louboutin spring 2010 collection, and these (called tahiti) jumped out at me beyond any other pair.

the soaring high heel, the classic red sole, the super chic white with demure black piping, all paired with a dramatic, whimsically exotic flower make these louboutins equally perfect for a black and white wedding, a little black dress of your favorite pair of jeans.

some people dream of tahiti. i dream of these shoes. :o)

inspiration file: pacific weddings

when looking for design inspiration, one of my favorite things to do is comb through the covers of old wedding magazines (yep, i keep 'em). the cover shots are often noteworthy, and always have an extra something special about them worth a second (or third) look. after all, if they weren't amazing, they never would have wound up on the cover in the first place.

i recently ran across across this summer/fall 2008 issue of pacific weddings, and my breath caught in my throat. the bright and cheerful yellow, the mix of floral textures, the bejeweled bouquet band. has memory lane ever been more lovely?

paper olive + superfine bakery = coordinated custom cakes

design inspiration can come from anywhere, but possibly our favorite source of inspiration has come from our partnership with superfine bakery — who have recently outdone themselves with their cake interpretation of our popular viceroy invitation design.

the cake

bright white, crisp lime green and sleek black are the perfect palette for this cake trio, with each individual tier focused on a different facet of our viceroy design — a chic combo of contemporary shapes and playful classic flourishes.

the inspiration

a luxe combination of linen papers, chic colors and clean modern lines. the multiple square layers were a big inspiration for the trio of cake layers above, and the various textures provided many opportunities for whimsical embellishments.

the best part? coordinating your invitation to your cake does two things: it sets a creative tone with the opening of the invite and carries that tone through to the last moment of the event — the all-important cake cutting.

look out for more details on our partnership with superfine bakery, and many more fabulous design pairings.

i heart design star

already prone to obsessions, i was a sucker for this past season of hgtv's design star, and was absolutely in love with this year's winner, emily henderson.

emily's mix of clean, modern lines and eclectic, slightly vintage, almost boho chic is something i was immediately drawn to, and her new show, ostensibly titled style to lifestyle, sounds like a brilliant concept (and another impending obsession).

these are just a few of my favorite shots from emily's portfolio. they give me both interior design inspiration as well as stationery design ideas. aren't they fabulous?

jacqueline belle fleur photography

is it possible to make a beautiful child even more beautiful just by capturing her in the best light, the perfect moment, and a few precious accessories? in a word, yes.

jacqueline belle fleur photography recently captured these magnificent photos of my niece taylor, and when i saw them, i burst into tears. sure, i'm susceptible to waterworks because my niece is my favorite little lovebug, but still, the whimsy with which these images were shot makes jacqueline my new favorite photographer.

the pink tutu. the floral props. those pearls. jacqueline knows how to photograph children with playful beauty, and seems to coax a joy from them that is remarkable.

what a talent. if you live in the new york metropolitan area and you have a child you'd like to capture as the perfect cherub he/she is, hire jacqueline immediately.

highlights from a day of the dead wedding with david tutera

i love my job. especially tonight, after watching a playful episode of my fair wedding with david tutera, during which david transformed a charming couple's "day of the dead" inspiration into a romantic, luxe, larger-than-life gothic explosion of red roses and black lace.

i was honored to be invited to participate in this magical event, and watching david work was a spectacle in itself. but it was an email from the bride herself that truly made me grateful to be able to do what i do.

katie wiggins is a gracious, thoughtful, delightful person — her thank you email was full of compliments, and it sent me over the moon {katie, you two deserved it!}. these are just a few of the exceptional photos she was kind enough to share with me, all expertly taken by harvard photography.

from the mexican/vintage black and red rose bridesmaid dresses, to the soaring black trees dripping with crystals and amaranth from tic-tock couture florals, to the dramatic table linens, this wedding was an exercise in truly personal spectacle. non-traditional doesn't mean non-fabulous — just the opposite.

and just our style. :o)