A Vision for the Event: More than Something Blue

Sometimes inspiration can come from the most unlikely places. I ran into the Japanese maple cake image below and found it so simple, organic and yet elegant. Wouldn't it be nice to do a late summer wedding with deep tones and a surprise of pink in just one or two features (here the flowers and shoes)? You could choose just about any setting--California, Hawaii, Cape Cod, even abroad. Just imagine if you set the date like these folks and plan to dance late into the night.




Images sources: Brides.com, Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego, lalalaurie, Brides.com , JCrew, Cox & Cox, Linda and Harriet, Zephyr Tents, bouquet with Japanese maple on Martha Stewart.

A Vision for the Event: White Peach Wedding

Peach is just the softest color imaginable. I'm not usually one for a muted color palette but, paired with crisp white, the peach becomes so sentimental, don't you think?





Image sources: Martha Stewart, Brides.com, stylist Kim Gray, New York Botanical Garden, JCrew suede bucks found here, Atsuyo Et Akiko, Brown Mouse Photo, cookies from hello naomi, peach rose-champagne sorbet on Martha Stewart, Jose Villa, Bella Figura Letterpress, New York Botanical Garden.

Fancy New Digs

We've got a new look! Alyson of Seventy and Sunny Design Studio was kind enough to create a header for me and finally motivated me to spruce this place up a bit. What do you think? How did we do?

When you get a chance you should check out Alyson's wonderful posts on Unruly Things about all of life's finest things--design, photography, food, beer, fashion, even the weather's hot on her blog! She's just top notch.

Sweet Find: Swans Island Wearables

Swans Island Blankets are, of course, out of this world. Browsing around their site, I also realized they make wraps. So simple and sophisticated, this kind of style makes me miss summer on the Eastern coast. You can just about see the sheer skyline, the rock line of the water's edge, the weathered wood shingles--it's all in those few grey lines there.

Sweet Find: Pillow Dreams Project

On one of the very last pages of the new Domino, they have a great 'giving back' feature including Pillow Dreams Project. Fifty percent of profits benefit children living in the continents in which the pillows were made. I snuck a quick look and there are just so many nice craft pieces. I'm thinking about a new pair of throw pillows for the bedroom but, wow, so many options to choose from...!

A Vision for the Event: Spring at Blackberry Farm

Reading Little Winter Bride, another great wedding blog, I was completely captivated by the Designers Co-op bouquet below. The bright ribbon is perfect with the early spring flowers. I wondered what a board might look like with an elegant country backdrop, simple decorations, some small luxuries, and, my favorite part: rich, pensive undertones. After much searching, this board came to be. After seeing this wedding, I think more brides should wear color--why not!





Image sources: Blackberry Farm in Traditional Home, Designers Co-op via Little Winter Bride, Holly Stalder on Etsy, za za fabric from Purl Soho, Blackberry Farm, JCrew, Bonbon Oiseau, Dawes Design, Jose Villa, Brides.com, Blackberry Farm, Restaurant Widow.

Travel Diary: Santa Fe Quilting

One of our best memories from this Southwest roadtrip was stopping in at Santa Fe Quilting. The shop is a hidden gem. (Really, it is practically hidden in this shopping center off of busy Cerrillos Road. Thank goodness for Mapquest!)

There are bolts upon bolts of fabric stacked up everywhere in the three room shop--fabric by local New Mexico artisans, Southwest prints, batiks aplenty, and, best of all, designs from Africa, Asia, South America. We were thrilled. Before we left Lincoln, we met with Phyllis Moore--the designer of the amazing quilt we received as a wedding gift--to discuss the possibility of making a second piece for us. While chatting, she mentioned this hole-in-the-wall fabric shop and we decided to look it up. What a pleasure it was to wander through the vast array of colors and patterns--such a pleasure, in fact, we decided to bring back some of our favorites for Phyllis. (Click on the images above to enlarge. I just love the piece that is third from the right. The designer is Terry Mansat, a New Mexican artist and quilter.)

Along with the textiles, we also found a few milagros in town for our favorite quilter's collection: a hand and some scissors to protect her great gifts (shown below on a swatch of Frida Kahlo print fabric).

More on our craft and design adventures to come!

Travel Diary: Down a Dusty Red Hill Road

One of the best things we did on our New Mexico roadtrip was return to Georgia O'Keeffe's Abiquiu home. I lived in Santa Fe for a few summers during college and one of my best memories was visiting Abiquiu with the O'Keeffe Museum and one of their girls arts programs--such an inspiring time. S had never been and I wondered what it might it might be like to make another pilgrimage to this remarkable place. The choice didn't disappoint. I was completely moved and refreshed. I have so much to write about having seen the home with new eyes. Every artist, poet, designer, gardener and naturalist should take this tour. Look to the balance of colors in the bedroom. Take note of the garden rainwater irrigation system. Memorize the handwriting on Georgia's 'good tea' in the pantry. The home is the ultimate sanctuary.

(Photos from the Monroe Gallery. The O'Keeffe house proprietors respect the Abiquiu community--photographs are not allowed. It only seems appropriate that visitors have to look closely and remember. Painting from the Eiteljorg Museum: Georgia O'Keeffe, Red Hills Beyond Abiquiu, 1930.)

Backyard Field Guide: Dahlias, Dahling

After a week and a half away from home, our garden has just exploded. The zinnias, lilies and dahlias are on fire. It's a hot, humid and lush world here in Wind Alley. The air is so thick that S was able to catch this little moth lazing on our grapevine for more than ten minutes. I can't say I'm going to be doing much differently. I think it's time for some lazing among the tall grass with an ice-cold glass of tea....

For more backyard love, check out Nibs dahlia post among her many fine garden notes.