fun, vintage, blumchen

Blumchen is fun to say. Try it.

Jake (aka Mr. Martha) ordered a few kraft paper eggs from this craft and decor supply shop last November. The eggs arrived in high quality with a gorgeous toile paper interior, so I spent some time on their site. I found some sweet little goodies to vintage up your wedding.

I love these little ladybugs. A little good luck for your invitations, placecards, favors and tablesettings. They also sell that gold tussie mussie (I DON'T like saying that one).


I thought these little raspberries would be sweet in a bouttoniere.


And these vintage paper florals and characters could make each of your invitations unique. I would love to recieve an invite with one of those paper wreaths on the envelope.

There is a little something for every holiday on their site, so head over there to check it out even if you are not planning a wedding.

gilt groupe + martha stewart weddings

Gilt Groupe- an addictive sample sale site- has teamed up with Martha Stewart Weddings for a wedding sample extravaganza. Darcy Miller made a few picks, which gives you a sneak peek at what's in store for the sale. Gowns, bridesmaid dresses, gifts for the groom, flower girl accessories... the goods. Here is the schedule:

Friday
Bridal Jewelry, Shoes, Bags and Intimates
BluePrintCleanse
Bridal Beauty Products
Prive Salons: New York and Los Angeles
Westin Bedding
Presents for the Bride and Groom
Wedding Invitations, Stationary and Books
Angel Sanchez and Morgane Le Fay Bridal
For the Groom

Saturday:
Freshology
Flower Girls and Ring Bearers
Gilt Wedding: Tutu Couture
Bridal Party Favors

It is definitely worth signing up for Gilt Groupe, even if you only do so for this sale. I have limited myself to a few purchases for little E (I heart Blabla dolls), but it has been difficult. Their Jetsetter deals are the WORST! There are pretty little photos of gorgeous far away places in my inbox everyday... and they are on sale! Anyway, go check it out and let me know what you think.

sarah and bendrix

I found these sarah and bendrix artworks in Max Wanger's home (via Design*Sponge) this morning. A little late for Valentine's Day, but I thought one of these lovelies would be a super gift. They do custom art, so perhaps in your wedding colors?




That last one is my favorite!

heart shaped pastas

First came love...


Valentine's Day is extra special to me, as it was Valentine's Day weekend, 2005, that Jake and I went on our first date after 18 months of flirting. The 14th often gets left by the wayside, and happily so. Today, the 12th, is the day we actually celebrate. Five years ago today, Jake took me to Mia Francesca on the north side of Chicago for a love themed meal. I had heart shaped raviolis, a yummy glass of Cabernet and the best first date on record. My face hurt from laughing before the entrees arrived; I knew I was going to marry him before our second date. I even told my mom.

Then came marriage...


This day is a tie with the day E was born as the best day of my life.

Then came baby.

The 14th will carry extra significance this year, as our little girl will be baptized Catholic. She will be wearing a beautiful lace gown, passed down through Jake's family, and a bonnet that my Grammy gave to me before I was baptized. Eloise was Grammy's middle name and I love that she will be with us on Sunday. I am pretty jazzed to be throwing my little love a party, and on Valentine's Day no less! Love will be all around.

All photos by our favorite photog, Dean Thorsen.

from wedding table to my living room ceiling

I like milk glass. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, my Grammy collected many pretty pieces. They were beautiful, sentimental and really helped set the mood at our wedding.

Flowers from Petal Play Design, photos from Thorsen Photography

The cake plates, vases and cups now decorate my home. When it came time to pick out my dining room, I decided to stick with the theme.

I purchased my chandelier from Macy's via Martha Stewart Lighting and it is no longer available :( I love, love, love the shape, the glass, and the warm glow in my dining room. Jake's mom made us new window treatments and I am getting ready to wallpaper, so more before and after photos of our home to come!

Do you have plans to/did you reuse pieces from your wedding in your home?

divine twine

Bakers twine has been popping up all over the place on favors, programs and invitations. Sweet twine adds a vintage twist, but is commonly only found in red. Hello, divine twine! 100% cotton and in cotton candy colors. I went on a search for bakers twine to complete our birth announcement/Christmas cards last December. Time and my nesting anxieties wouldn't allow me to buy online, but I have been thinking about this lovely twine in the meantime. I may be making a purchase for little E's first birthday party...

happy baby

A late post for today. Blog writing, meet your competition:


Can't you hear her cute little noises? Sigh...

sneak peek: a pink to green wedding

One of my lovely clients- Megan of the very creative Pink to Green blog- recently received a short version of her wedding video and gave me the thumbs up to share it with you! The day was shot by Hitched on Film using the Super 8 style. The weather and the sunshine were just perfect, which meant that all her thoughtful details had an extra glow. More to come on this wedding, including photos by Olivia Leigh.

short wedding dress club

My sister's wedding will be a more laid back affair. In keeping with this vibe, she has been considering a shorter hemline for her wedding dress. Lucky for her, there is a whole club for short dress lovers! Anne Marie of Perfect Bound and Martha of Nibs will be sending a new short wedding dress to members every month. Judging from their beautiful sites, the dresses should be top notch! Here are the details.

i heart san francisco

I just found this in my drafts from 11/07/07! Oops. A little late, but I am going to post it anyway as it features a shirt that I love and can no longer find.

After a few visits to San Francisco where we were... less than impressed, Jake and I decided to try it again. Everyone else seems to love it, so why shouldn't we?

Jake was on a "working vacation" for all but the weekend, which meant that I had a lot of time to study (read: explore the girly shops in SF without his dead weight!). Our trip started with a trip to the Google HQ. Woah... its too bad I have left the corporate world and that I have absolutely no nerd skills. I would be there in a heartbeat, scarfing down the free sushi and basking in the warm Mountain View sun. That place is unreal! After leaving Silicon Valley, we spent that night at the Renaissance Stanford Court and then had dinner at Plouf on Belden Street. Jake and I loved walking down Belden St. It reminded me of Italy, with the hostesses begging you to eat at their restaurant and all the outdoor seating.

We spent the next two days on real vacation in Sonoma. It was gorgeous! We stayed at The Lodge at Sonoma. There was a patio, a fireplace and an enormous bathroom with a tub and bath salts! It was amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy spot in wine country. It is walking distance from adorable downtown Sonoma. We had some yummy turkey burgers and beers at the Cheese Factory and then walked around the historic Plaza. We learned all about the Russians and the Spanish and the rebels who kicked them out of California. We toured a few wineries before heading back to our lovely room, ordering pizza and drinking some of our prizes from the day.

Back in SF, Jake had to go to work so I set out on my own. I spent Monday wandering around looking for some of the wonderful shops that I have read about on the wedding blogs. Unfortunately, two that I was most excited about (Rose and Radish and Haute Bride) were closed on Monday.

Before I knew that it was closed. I am very excited!

D'oh! No mondays...

Fortunately, Miette was opened and I spent quite a bit of time inside. That wallpaper was gorgeous. I want to move in, and just eat their homemade carmels allll day. I felt like a weirdo taking photos inside, but here is the outside. So cute!


Jake's brother-in-law Marc was in town for a conference so we spent Monday night with him, watching the Bears defeat the Packers. Somehow, the Midwest took over the Fourth Street Bar that night. Tuesday was spent cruising around SF, shopping and being a tourist. Jake and I headed up to Berkeley that night to visit a friend and her new fiance (congrats, Katie!), pick up some favor bags from Weddingbee's Miss Gummy Bear and find a place to get Jake's hair cut. We were successful on all accounts. All in all, it was an amazing weekend. Here is our flickr photo set.

Sorry for doubting you San Francisco. Jake and I are back on your team, for now.