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!)

In the Spotlight: Dutch Door Press

So exciting--Dutch Door Press has a lovely spruced up site! Check out their custom designs and the new line of signature wedding suites. I just love their folksiness--the holiday cards we sent were a hit and I'm definitely thinking of this baby announcement for welcoming our little bear into the world this summer...!

Pretty Primer: It's in the Mail Art

To celebrate our upcoming reunion, my alma mater has invited alums to send submissions to a mail art exhibition with the plan of saving everything as the basis for a new archival collection. Isn't that a brilliant concept? I'm imagining the gallery full of all sorts of creative collage mailed between good college friends--what a way to catch up with one another! In fact, my friend Ben and I are thinking of collaborating--pushing the envelope, if you will--just like old times. The perfect excuse for getting back to playing with my paintbrushes and illustrating.

Do you have any favorite mail art pieces? What materials do you think we could use? Right now, I'm dreaming up schemes with raffle tickets, distorted photocopies, a little gouache, maybe some stitching with colored thread. Of course, the work has to make it through the post. Hmmmm!

(A couple of my favorite pieces from Donald Evans and Litsa Spathi. Evans makes these lovely stamps from imaginary lands. A Fluxus artist, Spathi blends media to create her multilayered collages.)

UPDATE: How fab are these vintage paper packs from Estate Sale? I think I may need to pop one of these in the mail to my penpal....

Sweet Find: Seventy and Sunny Calendar

Happy blog anniversary, Alyson and Unruly Things! We just love the calendar over here--sooo pretty! A year of delicate and delightful natural finds--perfect.

Sweet Find: Charles Fradin

Remember how I mentioned being on the look out for the perfect recipe box last month? Well, I think I've found it! Charles Fradin designs this whimsical card file, sophisticated stationery and throws as well as furniture. Each piece looks crafted to be kept--and kept with style.

Sweet Find: Tea Collection

I'm thinking ahead to the holidays (tell me--is it too soon?) and browsing the Tea Collection with my friends' young ones in mind--such sweet clothes! They also have a fine line of paper goods available through tiny*prints. The patterns and designs are as lovely as the ethical stance of the line. I can't imagine a better way to raise children than as little citizens of the world.

Pretty Primer: Recipe Card Box

Verde Paperie has some great greeting cards and, I found, some really great Pink Bathtub recipe cards (being 'verde' they're on recycled paper--smart!). One thing on my arts & heirlooms to-do list: create a recipe box. Right now, post-its, photocopies, lists are scattered all over the place and I'd love to start collecting our favorites in an artful little archive. What would you do to get started on a design-happy recipe box? What are some fun ideas for the cards, for the container, for organizing?

A couple of weeks back, I was reinspired to follow through on this project by what else but an episode of Diary of a Foodie. (If you haven't seen the series, it's pretty wonderful--wonderful in the way that The Kitchen Sisters are on the radio.) Touring North Carolina, each part of the show focused on intriguing aspects of southern cooking including a rich history of Jewish cooking in the region (m'm brisket, creole matzo ball soup!). Sitting on her porch, one of the chefs, Marcie Cohen Ferris, told the story of her grandmother's cooking through the pages she had clipped and saved in her recipe box. Every scrap of paper held so many rich reflections. I love the idea of preserving pieces of your kitchen history for generation yet to be. Do you have some great memories of collected recipes? Any favorite kitchen stories? I would love to hear!

Four fall recipes we can't live without:
The Ultimate Barbecue Sauce
German Potato Salad
Corn On the Cob with Chipotle Scallion Butter
Chocolate Marble Bread with Ganache

Designing Wedding Heirlooms: This Little Light of Mine

Rose and Radish has these superfine matches--how perfect would they be as funky wedding favors? More styles can also be found at Areo. Or you could have a little fun perusing the designs in this fab book for invitation inspiration.

UPDATE: Check out Jesska's awesome collection, wow! And these fun vintage ones from P.O.S.H--how great are the pink sticks?

A Vision for the Event: Daisy Meadow Day

Wouldn't a morning wedding be so fine? I can just imagine the sunshine, birdsongs, a lush green field, and, following the ceremony, a relaxing brunch together. If you haven't checked out Pia Jane Bijkerk's blog, I highly recommend it. Her styling is delightful.





Image Sources: Pia Jane Bijkerk, Jonathan Canlas Photography, Martha Stewart, The Lettered Olive, art print by The Mincing Mockingbird, JCrew, personalized clutches for the bridesmaids from Oktak, daisy wreath on Martha Stewart, Alex Monroe, Martha Stewart.

A Vision for the Event: NoCal November

These cool, dry fall days have me missing my California days--no coincidence, maybe, that I have a wistful board for you for the end of the week! Wouldn't it be nice to take a walk together with family after the ceremony? Be out in the air, hold one another's hands, listen to the wind...I think this might be my plan for the weekend, too.






Image Sources: Philadelphia Magazine, Saipua*, Laurie Cinotto on Once Wed, Bella Umbrella, Sugar Paper, Brides, bridesmaid gifts from Bell'occhio, Heath Ceramics, Echard Wheeler Photography via The Little White Book, Bliss Event Group, Robin Beth Designs.

*If you haven't smelled the fragrance of a tuberose before, you must! They are truly my favorite warm-climate flowers. Nothing compares.