diy food

Green Wedding Shoes had an amazing post about a do-it-yourself cupcake topping bar. i couldn't resist re-posting. i love diy wedding food. the more choices for guests, the better. m & i are thinking of doing a mashed potato topping bar, complete with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, white potatoes, cheese, bacon, you name it!



check out the entire post here!

the gown

i LOVE this dress from lela rose. it reminds me of royalty somehow. gorgeous.




i probably won't wear a full skirt for my wedding, but i couldn't help gawking at the beauty of the above lela rose gown. i love the tulle straps, don't you? above two dresses are sarah seven, one of my favorite designers. would you wear a short gown for your wedding? it's pretty trendy. i'm considering trying one for a getaway dress - i love that old tradition!

i'd love to know your thoughts!

lovely in lace

just a few favorite dresses from Delphine Manivet. i am loving lace, backless, slouchy dresses lately. i will be wedding dress shopping next week in chicago, so check back in for some more wedding dress inspiration!

some paper favorites

m & i had a weekend of wedding planning. it got me thinking of all the lovely paper i'd love to incorporate. we're currently brainstorming save-the-date ideas, and i'd love to hear your thoughts!





i love calligraphy, don't you? etsy actually has some wonderfully elegant options like the above. once we move into our new place, i'd love to spring for one of these address stamps.

i am loving all the fun save-the-dates out there. the love birds are cute. i love prints like the one above. i'd like to mix it into my mismatched frames of family and friends as a good reminder to slow down during my day. i love this poster that combines the art of paper-cutting with you & your hubby's fingerprints.

i adore this handwriting, perhaps more than any other. and these short quips are just so sweet, aren't they? the calendar for april, may, june reads: "what if the stars began to shout their names."



these posters are more iconic and modern. i can imagine hanging one in a guest bedroom. do you have any paper favorites i should know about?

girl crush

isn't this redhead gorgeous? i love her freckles. i've never dyed my hair, but i can't say i've never been tempted... perhaps after the wedding i'll go red! what do you think? too drastic?

images here

tastes orangey

i've been eyeing these sewn prints from etsy seller tastes orangey for quite some time now. i'd love to hang a few grouped together in my bedroom. just the right amount of delicately elegant, don't you think?

today i am thankful...

it's been one of those weeks. i've been pretty grumpy and haven't felt like my normal, chipper self. for seemingly no reason at all. i realized yesterday as i was verbalizing my bad mood to anyone who would listen (sorry, innocent friends!) that my discontentment stems almost altogether from my lack of gratitude. funny how i seem to always get the order of things wrong. we want the blessing first so that we may be grateful next, instead of being grateful first and therefore having a greater awareness of the blessings we already claim as our own.

today i am thankful.

thankful for...

babies. i love babies. the above baby is my sweet cousin, Bennett (adorable name, yes?). babies are cute. they do hilarious things. they make simple, everyday things (eating, talking, having the hiccups, walking) hilarious. and in Charlottesville, i am blessed to be surrounded by babies. all. the. time. Charlottesville is a breeding grounds for young marrieds. so though i probably won't have a baby of my own for many years, i'm able to get my fill of chirpy, chubby little ones each day.



sisters. what can i say? my sisters are the most amazing women i've ever met. i've never laughed harder than i have with them. they are beautiful, unique, and incredibly generous with their love.


letters. receiving and writing them (above picture was taken during one of my letter writing kicks earlier this year). my girlfriends from college and i all write letters (okay, emails) to each other every week so we can keep up with the days' happenings. and with two of them in africa and one in italy, i cherish those small moments of reconnecting.

conquistadorable & nice knickers. at the risk of sounding superficial, i am thankful for this new opi nail color and benefit lipstick. i used both this week and felt instantly chic. there is something wonderful to be said about feeling girly and beautiful.

i'm incredibly blessed, wouldn't you say?