Great Wedding Blog: So You're Engayged

The absolutely gorgeous New England wedding of my friends Emily and Erica is on So You're Engayged today and I'm so excited for them! Our weddings were a week apart and it was a blast to talk plans. Aren't their dresses so elegant? Not to mention, if you haven't yet checked out Kelly & Natalie's beautiful new site you certainly should--it's the next big thing, I just know it! (Oh, and, no, that's not a rice toss in the shot above but tiny marshmallows--mmhmm, that's right!)

Find It on Film: Grey Gardens

Even more than films, I adore documentaries and Grey Gardens is among my very, very favorites of all time. Fashion, poetry, dance, song, design, architecture and, of course, gardens--it's a near-perfect piece. Because of this, I have to admit, I'm pretty skeptical about this new version of the musical (Drew Barrymore? really?) and I'm probably not going to tune in (maybe you can convince me!). But, that said, all the talk of the movie has brought about some great remembrances from those who knew the Beales, their home and style, and I'm reveling in it. Especially these photos from the current owners of Grey Gardens. As Little Edie says, "It's all embedded together. Believe it or not, the past is part of the present and the future is here with us now."

Designing Wedding Heirlooms: Lovely Lace

Daytime lace, moonlit lace--I can just imagine a wedding with a subtle feminine theme like this. Martha Stewart has the fine filigrees on her mind too. Wouldn't a Tree & Kimball necklace be the perfect accessory? The top image has me thinking someone should really do a mint green and indigo wedding--such a fresh palette.

Designing Wedding Heirlooms: Pop-Up Decor

Loving the new Chanel spring show with these amazing cut-out paper florals. Wouldn't a 'pop-up' wedding be a great theme? I can imagine all sorts of whimsical details. To get you started, there's always Paper Source's series of flower kits. (via Oh Joy!)

Heirloom Nursery: Jennifer Murphy Bears

You've heard me sing Jennifer Murphy's praises before--she and her work are wonderful. I'm so excited to share that we've been talking about creating a custom made bear for our baby....

Once upon a time, when I met S, he had just returned home from a 6-month stay in a backcountry Oregon ranch, an hour and a half from the nearest town, writing in solitude, where there were--being a city girl this always gets me!--black bears. Wild black bears roaming around, eating blackberries, scratching up wasp nests, doing all the things very real bears do. It was a special time for him to say the least--out there roughing it in the wild. And now, here we are, six years later, with his memoir about that time due out next spring a new little bear on the way even sooner. I'm so thrilled Jennifer is going to help us celebrate and commemorate with a another bear friend to be dragged around with love.

If you missed out on the JM spring sale yesterday, definitely sign up for her newsletter to get the latest on the up-and-coming and read up on her sweet blog. Oh, and wish her congrats as well! She's also due this summer with her first--hooray! hooray!

Designing Wedding Heirlooms: 3 Photographers

These shots from 3 Photographers are making my day--so charming, so glamourous! That cameo shot especially moves me. All the lucky Brooklyn brides-to-be, wow! Just imagine the wonderful vision you could put together with these talented folks...!

Heirloom Nursery: Baby's First Artisan Pieces

Ceramics and stitching, lines and designs--I think the sweetest pieces for baby are those that have history and those that will. Just a few of my favorites for starters: wobbly pin dolls from Sian Keegan, Heath Ceramics kid's set, Matching Game of Marimekko fabric designs from Plastic Shop, 'Many Hands' quilts from Fun Quilts (the story as wonderful as the blanket!).

Heirloom Nursery: Style on a Budget

What a wild week--I'm so sorry to have been away for so long and can't wait to get back in touch! Hope you're getting the first tastes of spring where you are. We've got daffodils here but also a couple inches of snow in the forecast...could it really be? Whew!

In the midst of my busy business, I've been dreaming about the nursery for our baby-boy-to-be--a surprising challenge and a delight. You know me: I love big colors, sentimental art pieces to keep, staying on budget, craftiness, hands-down good design. After our wedding last year, I thought, how different could it be? You pick a palette, pick a theme, have some fun. But, wow, the project and the resources are completely different (as S says, 'look out, baby culture is after us!')--or at least it seemed at first.

Wanting to hold on to those same principles, I decided to simplify, simplify, simplify. Instead of buying an expensive coordinating crib set, I went with a nice basic white bumper and skirt for the vintage-looking Jenny Lind crib we chose (I'm sad to say I don't see them in the Land of Nod collection anymore--it's a beautiful, inexpensive piece--if you can get your hands on one, snap it up!). The beauty of this is the set cost $60 (total!), it looks so clean and fresh, and now I can mix-and-match sheets, curtains, other furniture, accessories and what-not to my heart's content.

That one choice has made the designing process really come alive and now that we're back to basics, I'm ready to build up the vision: I found this sweet wild kingdom mobile (from Copenhagen Styles), three colors of gingham sheets to match (Pottery Barn Kids), and a 'Keep Calm' poster that I could potentially add (for some humor, of course!--this one from the Keep Calm Gallery). So, what's next? I'm on the look out for some patterned fabric (maybe from Purl) to complement and contrast the gingham...some fun toys and accessories...some fine touches of heirloom pieces...hmmm! Any suggestions for me? I need all the help I can get!