Peach and Pearl

Out with the old, in with the new!

2011-12-08T17:23:00.000-05:00

Friends, I started this blog more than three years ago, when I was a senior in college. I wrote my first post not at all sure what I wanted my blog to be about, but simply knowing that I had ideas to spare, and I wanted to share them. It has been more wonderful than I could have imagined to connect with so many wonderful readers as I found my groove over the last few years.

As P&P developed and I found my voice, however, it became more and more clear to me that Peach & Pearl was not the best name for my internet home. I chose it initially because I couldn't think of anything better and I was impatient to get started, and it's served me well.

But the time has come for something new, something that's more... me. I am so incredibly excited to share with you Em for Marvelous, which has picked up where Peach & Pearl left off. I would be so grateful if you'd come see what marvelous things I have in store for you! xo

P.S. Soon www.peachandpearl.com and www.peach-pearl.blogspot.com will redirect to www.emformarvelous.com, so please, change your bookmarks, feeds, subscriptions, and links if you'd like to stay up to date!

A very merry mix

2011-12-07T14:17:00.003-05:00

Last night was the Duke Chorale Christmas Concert, an event which has quickly become one of my and John's favorite December traditions since moving to North Carolina. The Duke Chapel is just gorgeous, and the acoustics are unreal.

from Better Homes & Gardens

The concert definitely put me in the Christmas mood (despite the 70+ degree temps we've been having this week!), and so I thought I'd share my go-to Christmas playlist with you today. It has some old favorites ("Linus and Lucy," Ella Fitzgerald's "Sleigh Ride"), and some newer gems from Michael Buble and Dave Barnes. New or old, they're all festive and fun. The only favorite I couldn't add? "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Bruce Springsteen, which is possibly my favorite Christmas tune of all time (I don't think it's available on Spotify, sadly).

Listen here. And tell me: Do you have a jazzy Christmas favorite I should add to my list?

Christmas tartan

2011-12-05T08:07:00.000-05:00

Our wedding florist posted this photo of her shop all dressed up for Christmas the other day, and I just had to share! I think it's so darling.

Much, much more about Elisabeth soon!!

Wreaths

2011-12-01T14:33:00.003-05:00

Feeling inspired by pretty holiday wreaths today, on the first day of December! A few of my favorites:

The only thing better than one wreath is three, of course!

Martha Stewart

Love these pretty silver stars, and this would be such an easy accent for a store-bought wreath. I see chipboard stars like this all the time in Michael's, and you could easily paint or glitter them your favorite metallic color.

Creative Decorations

These petite wreaths hung in the windows are classic and chic.

This cushion moss wreath is perennially one of my favorites. This image alone is so inspiring to me, with the creamy whites and soft greens! A gorgeous Christmas palette.

Martha Stewart

And here's the wreath on our front door:

Still conflicted about the bow... thoughts?

Watercolor letterpress calendar

2011-11-30T07:51:00.000-05:00

There are so many boutique calendar options for 2012, but I think this one might be the prettiest I've seen. The dip-dyed colors are so soft and beautiful, and of course I love the calligraphy!

If you love this one, too, quick -- everything is 15% off in the Parrott Design Studio shop until Friday! Use code CHEERS15 when you check out.

P.S. Looking for more calendars? Nole has tons of beautiful options right here!

Vintage state towels

2011-11-29T14:07:00.000-05:00

Hi, friends! Are Christmas preparations in full swing at your houses? They are at mine. Our three Christmas trees are up (don't worry, they're all little!), as is our nativity, and we're excited to begin our Advent calendar on Thursday. I'm also turning a more serious eye to the remainder of my Christmas list. I'm about half done... how about y'all?

If your answer was "haven't started," I've got a suggestion: vintage state kitchen towels. I happened upon one the other day, and was reminded how fun they are. I think they'd make the best gift for a pal with a colorful home, a softness for vintage style, or some fierce state pride, and would look so cute framed or sewn into a pillow. A quick search yielded a few vintage and reproduction sources:

Antique Kitchen has 12 states represented, and each is $14.

Nanalulu's has several states, though their website is pretty hard to navigate. I like this Florida one ($9).

Here's a Minnesota kitchen towel for $6.30.

This pretty celebrating all of New England is $15.

I like this bold pattern for California ($7). This California one is pretty, too.

Finally, if you don't want to spend time searching, you can go straight to Cat Studio, though you'll pay more for the convenience. They stock just about every type of location, from states to cities, from regions and resorts to national parks and countries. Their kitchen towels are $20.

Happy hunting!

Peppermint drink stirrers in the shop!

2011-11-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had the most wonderful weekends imaginable! Now that we're on to all things Christmas, I wanted to give you a quick heads up that I stocked the shop with some very festive drink stirrers! I think these guys would be so cute at a holiday party, or as a little Christmas gift for a friend who likes to entertain.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T12:57:00.002-05:00

Photo by Braedon Flynn via Design*Sponge

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! The things I am grateful for include, but are not limited to, my family (some of which is here with us, celebrating today!), my dear friends, Kraft macaroni and cheese, my kitties, John, the marvelous country we live in, STUFFING, and all of you! (In no particular order.)

I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with delicious food!

The perfect cardigan

2011-11-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

I wear a lot of cardigans. They're perfect for North Carolina, because it's too warm in the winter to wear a heavy sweater, but too cold to wear just a short-sleeve shirt. I also love cardigans because they help me get extra mileage out of my wardrobe -- pair the same cardigan with three different shirts, and you have three different outfits! I actually just peeked in my closet and counted, and I currently own ten cardigans. I swear I am not a grandma (though I do love grandmas).

All this to say, I am something of a cardigan conneisseur, and I wanted to share my favorite cover up source with you today. I used to be a fan of J.Crew's "Jackie" cardigan, but as they've inched the price upwards over the years, I've grown less and less fond of it. ($62 for a simple, solid cardigan?? No thank you.)

My new go-to source is the Nordstrom juniors department, specifically the Nordstrom house brand, BP. They almost always have a cardigan very similar to the Jackie, but with a tiny bit more stretch, and a much lower price tag. In the winter they offer a long-sleeve version, and in the spring and summer, a 3/4 sleeve one. The quality on both has been quite good in my experience. Online, the long-sleeve version is going for $34 right now, but they're often on sale in store (I bought most of mine for about $24). You've seen this picture before, but here I am in the light pink, 3/4 sleeve version:

I hope this tip helps my fellow cardigan-wearers! If you are going to pick up one for yourself, I would suggest going up a size, since BP is a juniors line, after all. In my experience, they also shrink a tiny bit in the wash.

Thanksgiving dinner inspiration

2011-11-22T08:42:00.000-05:00

I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner again this year. It will be very small by my family's standards (just five of us). I don't really have the extra cash on hand to buy new pieces for the table, so I'm trying to brainstorm with what I already have, and come up with something that will coordinate well with my blue willow ware dishes. Here are a few ideas I've collected:

acorn candle votives from Pottery Barn

pretty pink and gold table design by Tara Guerard from Southern Living

pinecone door decor via Something Green

napkin menu wrap via Project Wedding

more nut candles from Good Housekeeping

velvet silverware wrap via Style Me Pretty (photo by Brooke Boling)

Are any of y'all hosting Thanksgiving dinner?

P.S. Last year's Thanksgiving dinner

More silver for the reception!

2011-11-21T08:52:00.000-05:00

My Mom came to visit last week for another round of dress shopping (spoiler alert: it was also the final round of dress shopping!!!). She brought with her a disc of images my aunt had taken of my grandmother's silver collection. Bingie (what my cousins and I call our grandmother) has agreed to let me borrow a few pieces for our wedding reception, which I think will add a lovely personal touch to the tables. Here are just a few of the pieces I'm considering using:

(Since we're not going for a vintage vibe, I wouldn't use the teapots or the pieces that look like they're from a tea set.)

Aren't they pretty? Grandmas are the best :) The coolest part is that as my Mom and I were flipping through the images, she kept pointing out pieces with stories behind them. I love that!

P.S. The rest of my silver collection, so far.

Cayman Islands

2011-11-18T22:28:00.006-05:00

As crazy as it has been to be going, going, going for the last two weeks, I can't say I would trade my trip to the Cayman Islands! Here are a few iPhone snaps from my four-day stay. We went on a catamaran ride to Stingray City, and the water was so clear, turquoise, and gorgeous! The boat was neat -- the bow was mostly made up of nets, which you could sit on and watch the water flash by beneath you. This trip was also the first time I got to use my passport, which was thrilling :)

P.S. I did a little personal wedding scouting while abroad! These chairs are what I'm picturing for our reception, and I'd love to use lounge furniture like the pieces below.

P.P.S. Back next week with Thanksgiving prep posts!

The wedding morning

2011-11-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been thinking about the morning before the wedding. I know this might seem like a really tiny and insignificant detail to think about in the grand scheme of things, but I have this theory that it's the moments in between the "big" moments that set the tone for your wedding day. And if you don't "control" those moments, then the entire day can end up not feeling like you want it to. By control, please don't think I mean micromanaging every last detail and stressing over whether or not everything is perfect. I just mean doing as much prep work in advance, so that on the wedding day itself, things flow smoothly and you don't need to stress. Of course not everything will go as planned, but I am a firm believer in putting as many blocks into place as possible, and then going with the flow when you can't do anything else. Make sense?

All this to say, I've been thinking about our wedding morning lately. A few things, in particular:

1. The soundtrack for when we're getting ready. I am already working on this, and I will most definitely share once it's finalized (which probably won't be for a few months). It's a happy mix of favorites from the 50's and 60's, combined with some newer (mellow but peppy) favorites like Brooke Fraser, She & Him, Ingrid Michaelson, and Mumford & Sons.

I'm building this playlist with Spotify. Are you all on Spotify? It's awesome. It's kind of like iTunes combined with Grooveshark -- there's a massive song library, but you don't have to buy the songs. You can collect them in playlists, but you can't download them. Love!

2. What I will wear when we're getting ready. As much as I love a comfy robe or sweatpants, that is not what I'll be wearing the morning of our wedding. I'm thinking something more along the lines of this:

As long as I can easily step into it and out of it (so as not to smudge the hair and makeup), why the heck not? I consider it just another opportunity to wear a pretty white dress :)

3. Who will be getting the gals prettified. Goodness, y'all. I am pretty much inept at anything concerning my face and hair, so bringing in professionals is a must, but they seem so dang expensive to me!! Maybe I'm just being a baby, though? If you wouldn't mind helping a girl out, would you mind commenting and saying what you paid, or maybe what you think is reasonable, for wedding hair and makeup? I would so appreciate it!

P.S. Photo above by Bryan Johnson

Inspiring menus

2011-11-11T07:55:00.000-05:00

Sorry to be such an absentee host, friends! It's been a crazy week or two, and I've got a busy one coming up, as well! Just wanted to pop in and share some of these inspiring menus in the meantime...

Love this chic + casual kraft paper number:

Photo by Tara Rochelle, styling by Sara Westbrook and Sam Pothier via One Charming Party

I'm always in favor of the chalkboard menu.

Photo by Kate Headley, styling by Ritzy Bee via Snippet & Ink

Photo by Jessica Watson via Style Me Pretty

And these petite clipboards are perfect if you're doing stations and need several smaller menus instead of one large one.

Photo by Kate Headley, styling by Ritzy Bee via Martha Stewart Weddings

Bon appetit! :)

Sperry tents

2011-11-08T08:45:00.001-05:00

One thing we're splurging on for our wedding is a Sperry tent, and I couldn't be happier. A normal frame tent would serve the purpose of sheltering us and our guests from the elements equally as well, but wouldn't be quite as beautiful. Plus, if we got a frame tent, I would want to line it, which would make it almost as expensive as, if not more expensive than, a Sperry. AND, from what I hear, Sperry tents have such a beautiful presence of their own, they require less embellishment in terms of other decor. Sailcloth + pine poles will do that for you, I guess!

How do you know if it's a Sperry? Look for rounded lines, dramatic peaks, and merrily waving flags -- my absolute favorite feature :)

Photo by Lisa Rigby via Style Me Pretty

via Merriment Events

Photo by Carlie Statsky

Photo by Justin & Mary

Photo by Weddings by Two via Snippet & Ink

Photo by Justin & Mary

Photo by Justin & Mary

Aren't they beautiful??

Faux fur fuzzies

2011-11-03T08:29:00.000-04:00

Kind of in love with this faux fur jacket from Kate Spade, despite the fact that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have too many opportunities to wear it. I do enjoy that it has a built-in muff, which helps compensate for the 3/4 sleeves. (I never understood why winter jackets ever have 3/4 sleeves... anyone??) And that little bow! So sweet.

Unfortunately, this fine jacket has the not-so-fine price tag of $845, so I think I might have to console myself with these faux fur ear muffs, which retail for just $12.99.

My Mom is probably dying of laughter right now, because I'm pretty sure I adamantly refused to wear ear muffs as a child. But alas, my ears get cold, and I think I look weird in hats. So ear muffs it is.

Eno River fall foliage

2011-11-02T07:24:00.000-04:00

Is there still fall foliage where you are? John and I took a lovely walk along the Eno River last weekend and enjoyed the pretty reds, oranges, and yellows.

Triangle-area locals, Eno River State Park in Durham is one of our favorite places to hike. (It's also one of our favorite places to swim!) We like to park at the Fews Ford access for both swimming and hiking :) If you go, make sure you check out the suspension bridge!

101 in 1001: November 2011

2011-11-01T07:38:00.000-04:00

Happy November! At the beginning of every month, I write a short post covering what I accomplished in the previous month and what I hope to accomplish in the next one for my 101 in 1001 challenge. I'll also introduce you to one of my 101 buddies (see them all in the sidebar!). Here we go!

October 1, 2011: 12/101 goals complete, 30/101 goals in progress

Did I begin...
-- No. 34. Camp at least once a year? Yes! Post here.
-- No. 47. Increase giving/tithing by 10% every year? Yes! Commitment Sunday at our church was this past Sunday :)
-- No. 56. Photograph and post 30 separate outfits for the world to see? Yes! See flickr set here.

Did I complete...
-- No. 19. Buy or install new shelving for books? Yes! See my new rainbow bookshelf here.
-- No. 71. Get Peach & Pearl a spiffy new look? Not yet, but we are very close! P&P's new look will definitely be unveiled in November :)
-- No. 75. Switch blog platform from Blogger to Wordpress? Same as above!

Abby Jiu

November 1, 2011: 14 goals complete/34 goals in progress

I plan to begin:
No. 55: Add one piece to the Willow Tree nativity each year

I plan to complete:
No. 3: Send a care package to someone I don't know

Sweet and simple this month, because November is going to be cray-zay for our household!

Sanderson Images

November Spotlight:

Kelly of Hello Seester is our November Spotlight, and you can check out all of her goals right here! My five favorite goals of hers:

-- No. 15: Join the Junior League (Considering this myself... thought?)
-- No. 17: Start a retirement fund (YES.)
-- No. 55: Make headboard for my apartment bedroom
-- No. 73: Have a dinner by candlelight
-- No. 77: Wear only dresses for two weeks (This one cracks me up! I'd totally do this.)

In the meantime, you can see the details on all of my goals right here. Here's to a great month!

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

2011-10-31T07:29:00.001-04:00

One of my most favorite fall treats is these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins I discovered last year via Darby (the photo above is hers!). They're not particularly impressive in the culinary department, but they are delicious and incredibly easy to make. Ready for the recipe? One Betty Crocker chocolate chip muffin pouch + 1/4 cup of pure pumpkin puree (I like Libby's) + 1/2 cup of water - 4 Tbs. of water + a healthy dash of cinnamon. Mix together and bake in a 400 degree oven! (I do 12 minutes for the mini muffin size!)

See Darby's original post here.

Steve Madden flats

2011-10-28T14:44:00.003-04:00

These two lovely pairs of shoes have been on my wishlist for months. I do already have a pair of leopard-print flats, and though they're my favorites, they're pretty tired (probably because they're my favorites...). On the other hand, I don't have any light neutral flats, and I think these would be a good addition to the wardrobe. But what do you think -- is it silly to buy two pairs of the same style of shoes, even if they're in different colors/patterns? Which one would you go for?

Leopards $89.95 // Natural $55.45

Candlelit

2011-10-27T09:29:00.001-04:00

Ryan Benyi

via Tangorra Wedding Planning

Michele M. Waite

Gia Canali

Julie Roberts via Southern Weddings

Jenna Walker Photography

unknown

via Coastal Living

One of my very favorite things -- perhaps my actual no. 1 favorite thing -- about outdoor evening weddings is the lighting possibilities. From votives, to hurricanes, to lanterns and string lights, there's just something so warm, inviting, and celebratory about light shining out of the darkness.

Wedding planning update: 10+ months to go

2011-10-25T08:26:00.000-04:00

Wedding planning took a bit of a backseat this month (especially compared to last month!), but I still feel productive because of what we did get accomplished.

Breathtaking photo by Anna Kuperberg

-- We finally signed a contract and put down a deposit with our recalcitrant venue
-- We chose a caterer and signed a contract with them (SO excited about our pick!!)
-- We inquired with ceremony musicians
-- We received a proposal for a custom lounge grouping
-- We chose save the dates (thanks to your help!)
-- I'm really starting to flesh out what I would like our invitations to look like
-- Completed some hotel block research, thanks to my Momma
-- I've been working hard on our wedding website, which I'm crafting from a Blogger template (can't wait to share this sucker, plus a full tutorial!)

November promises to be a full month, with likely decisions on a wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, a band, and ceremony musicians!

Hostess gift idea!

2011-10-21T07:29:00.000-04:00

As some of you may remember, John and I traveled home for an engagement party back in September. We were lucky enough to have five hostesses for our party -- my three best friends from childhood, and two of their three moms. We were so grateful to them for throwing us a wonderful party, and I really wanted to do something for them as a thank you.

However, buying "good" gifts for five hostesses was looking a little challenging to my budget. I also was hoping to get them all something similar, despite the 20+ year difference in age between moms and daughters :) I'm pretty happy with the solution I came up with, and thought some of you might be able to use it for future hostess gifts, too!

Basically, I went wild on Shop Sweet Lulu. SSL is an amazing source for pretty party supplies, and I happily indulged my love for colorful goods by packing an assortment of chevron bags, tiny pastel candles, cupcake wrappers, nut cups, and fringy garlands into my shopping cart. It was so exciting to finally have a legitimate reason to do so! :)

Once my box arrived...

I split everything up evenly between the five hostesses and added in a few goodies I already had in my supplies (including striped paper straws, of course!). I loved that I could include a large sample of pretties for each person, which would have been cost-prohibitive if I had been shopping for just one gift. Being able to mix and match made it possible to design a custom mix for each gal!

I packed each gal's goods into one of my favorite metallic + kraft bags, and added a matching handmade tag marked "for your next party." :)

They seemed to be a hit!

Minted save the date options

2011-10-19T08:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday! Recently, we've started to think seriously about save the dates. One thing we've been debating is the best time to send them out. I don't want them to get lost in the Christmas letter shuffle, but November seems too early -- that would be ten months out -- and January seems too late -- eight months out. Thoughts? When is too early (or late) to send save the dates, in your opinion?

One thing I have decided is where our save the dates will come from: Minted! As you all know, I love Minted. (I've previously posted about them here, here, and here!) I love that their products all come from independent designers, I love the quality and price combination, and I love that they are very open to customization.

Some of you might be surprised that I'm not making our save the dates myself (especially considering I designed a set for my sister), but I've decided to take the easy route this time and save my energy and creative ideas for the invite suite :) Plus, I honestly do love Minted, and I'm happy to have the opportunity to use some of their pieces!

Now, which design to send? There are a few we're considering, and I'd love your input.

A. "Fireflies" save the date ($209 for 100)
This is such a sweet design, but I think it might not be formal enough for the celebration we're planning.

B. "Charming Go Lightly" save the dates ($190 for 100)
Simple, classic, and beautiful. Plus, I love that this one is designed by Cheree Berry, one of my very favorite stationers!

C. "Midnight Vineyard" save the dates ($190 for 100)
Simple and striking. I think this design fits well with the style of our wedding.

D. "Fling" save the dates ($163 for 100)
Lighthearted and lovely. This one reads a little more "spring" than "late summer" to me, though.

E. "Winter Flourish" save the dates ($190 for 100)
Love the swooshy font! That blue is a gorgeous shade, too.

What do you think, ladies? Share your pick below, por favor!

Rainbow bookshelf

2011-10-17T14:15:00.002-04:00

We made the long trip to Ikea this weekend, and came back with a bookshelf! And why yes, I did color coordinate our books, inspired by my future sister in law :) Between our new sofa, my side chair project, and the shelf, this room is finally starting to come together -- can't wait to share!

Ringing the bell

2011-10-14T14:26:00.003-04:00

Something I've always wanted to do, for as long as I've known I wanted to get married in a church, is ring the steeple bell at the end of the ceremony.

Photo by Samm Blake via Style Me Pretty

I think pealing church bells are one of the most beautiful, celebratory sounds in the world, and I always smile when I hear them in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, because it probably means a wedding is taking place nearby!

Photo by The Nichols via Style Me Pretty

Though I'd be happy to have the sound of bells at all, I think it would be extra fun to be able to ring it ourselves. Pulling the rope to ring the bell was one of my absolute favorite things to do as a child, both at church on Sunday mornings and on vacation in Maine for the Sunday evening service.

Photos by Bryan Johnson

Plus, it makes for some pretty cute photos :)

P.S. Though I know our chapel has a bell, I have not yet looked into the logistics of personally ringing it :) I am pretty sure that the bell is rung for weddings, however, so there's a start!

Makeup bags

2011-10-13T08:09:00.001-04:00

I have a medium-sized makeup bag that I love and use for transporting larger toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.), but I'm in the market for a smaller pouch for toting makeup. Here are a few I have my eye on... maybe I'll add one to my Christmas list?

A. Kate Spade ($60), B. Baggu (3 for $12), C. Kate Spade ($75), D. Fossil (3 for $35), E. Vera Bradley ($22)

Donuts at weddings

2011-10-11T08:06:00.000-04:00

Have y'all noticed that donuts seem to be everywhere at weddings these days? Part of me is happy about this (because I love donuts) and part of me is sad (because now if I include them in our wedding, maybe I'll feel like I'm just jumping on the bandwagon). Either way, I thought I'd share some of my favorite donut wedding inspiration for you this fine morning :)

Credits from top: Pink and white donuts from Country Living, flavored donuts via 100 Layer Cake (photos by Max Wanger), donuts with custom coffee cup wraps via Style Me Pretty (photo by Harwell Photography), pink and white striped donuts by Whisk Kid, mini beignets and coffee by Frilly Milly Events (photo by Lauren Blair), donut croquembouche, homestyle donuts via 100 Layer Cake (photo by Kate Harrison), pink donut centerpiece from Martha Stewart Weddings, next three photos by Greg Blomberg (via 100 Layer Cake), custom donut hole bags via Martha Stewart Weddings (photo by Sara Remington), sparkler donut hole spears by Mrs. Lillien, ricotta donuts from Gale Gand, mini donuts and coffee from Martha Stewart Weddings, custom paper bag donuts by Simplesong (photo by Kate Headley, via Ritzy Bee), next two photos of donut bar from A Beautiful Mess, next three photos by Yan Photography (via Style Me Pretty), next two photos of coconut donuts by Cannelle et Vanille, espresso glazed donuts from Martha Stewart Weddings

Haw River rock hop

2011-10-10T07:02:00.000-04:00

We had such a lovely weekend! The weather was perfect, and we spent a lot of time out on our balcony while I primed and sanded our side chairs. Here's what they look like now -- just waiting for the perfect paint color!

Luckily, I had a helper:

We also did what I'm calling a "rock hop" on the Haw River. Basically, we hopped from rock to rock for about an hour and a half (and tried not to fall in). It was actually a really good workout -- lots of balancing and leaping! And the weather was so beautiful!

For those of you in the Raleigh area that want to visit (there are trails, too -- you don't have to walk ON the river), the best place to park is off of Route 64 West. Follow 64 past Jordan Lake. After you cross a bridge over the Haw River, take the first left across the road, then another immediate left, and you'll find parking for canoe access.

How was your weekend? :)

Green Knob Trail

2011-10-07T14:33:00.005-04:00

Before this weekend catches up with us, I wanted to share a few photos from last weekend's adventure! As you know, John and I headed out to Boone, NC for a quick overnight trip. Our camping was a bit ill-fated (sleet, 20-degree temperatures, and 50 MPH winds drove us to a hotel in the middle of the night. Yes, yes they did.), but the hike we went on was magical! A few photos:

Yep, I was definitely singing the HILLS are aliiiiive! as I pranced through that goldenrod field :)

This weekend we have our community garden's sweet potato harvest to look forward to (here's last year's), as well as dinner with friends, chair priming for me, and hopefully several episodes of Friday Night Lights (we're just starting season two -- DYING over here!!). How about y'all?

Edward Hopper stamps

2011-10-05T12:20:00.002-04:00

Love, love, love these newly released Edward Hopper stamps. Will definitely be using them for our save the dates -- perfect for an ocean-side wedding! AND they're Forever stamps!

Order yours here. Image via Scout's Honor Co.

Pink in the park

2011-10-04T06:55:00.000-04:00

I am no style blogger, but I like a good outfit post as much as the next girl. Plus, it's one of my 101 in 1001 goals. This is what I wore to our day of vendor appointments last Friday. I hope you enjoy!

The recipe:
Tortoiseshell sunglasses from Target ($12?)
Light pink cardigan from Nordstrom (BP -- $22)
Dark pink ruffled tank from GAP ($15)
Navy and white dotted skirt from the J.Crew Outlet (gift from the Momma)
Platinum Jack Rogers Navajo sandals (Christmas gift last year)

Where do you like to shop?

101 in 1001: October 2011

2011-10-03T06:26:00.001-04:00

Friends! In the hubbub of August/September, I completely forgot to do a 101 in 1001 update! Forgive me. Since I had no stated goals for September, I'm just going to pick up with October goals. Here we go!

October 1, 2011: 12/101 goals complete, 30/101 goals in progress

Plan to begin:
34. Backpack and camp at least once a year
47. Increase giving/tithing by 10% every year
56. Photograph and post 30 separate outfits for the world to see

Plan to complete:
19. Buy or install new shelving for books
71. Get Peach & Pearl a spiffy new look
75. Switch blog platform from Blogger to Wordpress

Exciting stuff!

via Me Oh My

October Spotlight: Kate

Kate is my wonderful older sister! She does not have a blog, but you can view her goal progress right here on a Google Doc. She's doing great -- 1/4 of the way there, with 25 goals complete! My five favorite goals:

-- No. 12: Go on an overnight hike
-- No. 20: Put change in someone's expired parking meter
-- No. 48: Make macarons (this seems SO hard -- anyone??)
-- No. 58: Memorize three hymns on the piano
-- No. 63: Embroider something

In the meantime, you can see the details on all of my goals right here. Here's to a great month!

Camping this weekend!

2011-09-30T09:23:00.002-04:00

What are you up to this weekend, my friends? We are going camping for this first time in 2011! It will also be our first time staying at a KOA -- have you all ever been to one? (We usually pitch out tent farther out in the woods.) I can't say I'm disappointed that there will be easily accessible showers :)

Send us warm thoughts -- the temperature overnight in the mountains could be in the 20's! Brrr!! We are bringing sweatpants, s'more supplies, and lots of hot chocolate.

Bacon + avocado grilled cheese

2011-09-29T08:26:00.000-04:00

Guess what we had for dinner two nights ago? Yup, bacon grilled cheese. Also with mashed avocado, thin Granny Smith apple slices, and a little bit of onion. SO GOOD.

See the full "recipe" here!

Photo c/o Jana Laurene

Embroidering

2011-09-28T08:04:00.000-04:00

I have recently decided that it would be brilliant to embroider something for our wedding reception, mainly after seeing the above two images. Do I know yet what I want to embroider? No. Do I think anyone would actually notice at the wedding itself? Not really. But, I don't really care. Plus, I think it would make a beautiful keepsake framed after the event.

So! I don't know how to embroider. Do any of you know how? Have any tips for me, or can you point me in the direction or a great book or tutorial?

I'm thinking this will make a cozy winter project...

First image by Em the Gem, second via joettamaue

Kendra Scott earrings

2011-09-27T08:34:00.000-04:00

Goodness, isn't Jenny Komenda just the most talented person you've ever felt like you kinda sorta could be friends with? :) She's hosting a giveaway on Babble featuring 25 of her favorite things, and though I adore MANY of them, I think these Kendra Scott stud earrings are my favorite. Check them out here, and then let me know what you'd pick!

Wedding planning update: 11+ months to go

2011-09-26T08:09:00.002-04:00

Whew! Wedding planning got a big kick this month! We traveled home to Connecticut one weekend for our engagement party, and knocked out an incredibly busy day of vendor appointments the Friday before the party. I'm not sure if I would recommend scheduling six meetings in one day, but as I'm sure those of you who are planning destination or semi-destination weddings understand, we didn't really have a choice. With that being said, what did we check off the list this month?

Photo c/o The Life You Love via Style Me Pretty

-- Found a calligrapher (for invitations only, not save the dates)
-- Asked the two final bridesmaids to be bridesmaids (bringing the total count to four on my side -- will introduce you to them soon!)
-- Officially reserved the chapel for our ceremony
-- Met with three caterers and received a proposal from one
-- Met our florist in person
-- Tried on another set of wedding dresses, this time at The White Dress by the Shore
-- Booked hotel rooms for vendors who will be flying in from out of state
-- Narrowed down save the date options
-- Started messing around with wedding websites
-- Inquired with and received info and/or CDs from four potential bands

In the next month, I'm hoping to try on more wedding dresses, and we'll also hopefully choose a caterer and band. Exciting!

Fall to do list

2011-09-23T10:20:00.002-04:00

From Martha

Happy fall, my friends! John has been dreading today, because to him, fall simply means that winter is on the way (and he hates winter). I feel much more positively about fall than he does. Regardless, here's what we're hoping to pack into the next three months:

-- hang something seasonal on the front door
-- make one month's flower arrangement a chrysanthemum for the front step
-- complete at least one house project (can be anything, really!)
-- take a trip to a corn maze
-- make a delicious-sounding fall dish like homemade Twix bars or caramel pears
-- finally purchase the perfect pair of brown leather boots (John gave me the gift card for them last Christmas!!)
-- go on a weekend hiking + camping trip
-- make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
-- catch the goat showmanship competition at the NC State Fair (yes, watching the goats and their child handlers is our very favorite activity at the fair)
-- finally take Martha up on all her pumpkin projects and do something crafty with a gourd
-- join in the sweet potato harvest at our church
-- drink hot apple cider (my favorite)

What's on your fall to do list?

Summer to do list: update!

2011-09-22T19:36:00.004-04:00

Photo by La Tartine Gourmande

Today is the last day of summer. How are we feeling about that?

For us, as always, it went by too fast, but I'm satisfied with the amount of fun and good food we managed to squeeze out of the last three months. On that note, let's catch up with my summer to list.

Did I...
-- go swimming in the Eno River? Yes!
-- jump off the wharf at the Island? Argh, no. Too wimpy.
-- see a moonlight movie at Koka Booth Amphitheatre? Yep! We went to two, and they were awesome, as always.
-- go to a Backporch Music concert at the American Tobacco Campus? Yes! We went to three concerts, and they were all awesome. Better yet, we took my Dad to one, a friend from home to another, and Nancy + Will + Winston to a third.
-- complete a Backwoods OK race? No! Sadness.
-- shag at North Hills? Nope.
-- go on a road trip somewhere in the southeast? Not really...
-- take a walk on River Road in Mystic? Nope. Sadness again.
-- spend a day at the beach? Yes! Several, actually, in Charleston.
-- eat lots of cobb salad and chicken souvlaki? Yes!
-- camp? Nope.
-- have a staycation? Nope.
-- watch fireworks? No, they were fogged out in Maine over the Fourth!

Let's see... 5 out of 13. That doesn't sound like too good of a ratio, but I'm still chalking the summer up as a success! How about y'all? How were your summers?

Check back tomorrow for my fall to do list!

Venue reveal: our reception site!

2011-09-21T07:54:00.000-04:00

When last we left off with our reception saga, we were getting pretty desperate. Nowhere we looked at fit all of our criteria, and we were beginning to think we would never find a spot to celebrate. Yes, friends, we finally got so desperate that John literally sat down and began scrolling along the Connecticut coastline in Google Maps, calling out "Here's a piece of lawn! Here's a piece of lawn!" And you know what? It actually worked! One of the pieces of lawn he stumbled upon was the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, and that, my dears, is where we will be holding our reception. In their Sunken Garden, to be specific. I had never once considered this venue before John found it (I didn't really even remember it existed, actually!), but now I can't imagine celebrating anywhere else!

As we soon found out, the O'Neill hosts performances, conferences, and the National Theater Institute most of the year. But on days when they're not welcoming playwrights and actors, they host events. Happily, we were able to squeeze into their schedule!

A tour? Of course!

Here's the view from behind the Sunken Garden's stone wall, near the first steps onto the property from the back parking lot.

There are lovely stone walls all around the property. Stone walls are one of my favorite features of New England :)

We're considering holding cocktail hour here, on the Sea Porch of the Hammond Mansion. (We'd move those picnic tables, obviously, and there's a lovely green and white striped awning we'd ask to be put out.)

For dinner and dancing, we'll invite guests into the garden. They'll walk down the steps you can see at the bottom of the frame below into the walled space (just imagine a lovely tent in the middle!).

Here's the view from one corner.

Here's the view from roughly the middle of the garden.

If you walk out towards the water, you can turn back for a lovely wide view of the property.

We are so happy to have found the O'Neill and to invite our guests to celebrate there with us next year! One final word of caution to other couples who might like to book it for their big day: the staff at the O'Neill is extremely difficult to get ahold of and get prompt responses from. I typically wait at least two weeks for my calls and emails to be returned (yes, really!). My guess is it's because events are not their main business, and so they choose to prioritize theater activities. Not ideal for sure, but it's a tradeoff we're willing to make for a lovely spot, available date, and reasonable price.

What do you think? Those who are familiar with Connecticut weddings, are you surprised by our choice?

Venue reveal: our ceremony site!

2011-09-20T16:16:00.000-04:00

Ladies, thank you so much for the kind words on Friday's post! We had the BEST time in Connecticut this past weekend. Our appointments on Friday were great (though exhausting, when taken together), and our engagement party was so, so, so wonderful. So much thought and care went into it, and I can't wait to share with you all! We are feeling very loved.

But, before I get into all that, I know I promised information about our venues! Today I want to share our ceremony spot, and then tomorrow, I'll conclude our location saga by telling you all about our reception venue.

From the beginning, it was very important to John and I to be married in a church. We believe our marriage is a covenant before our family and friends, but also before God. Though it is 100% possible to feel the Holy Spirit anywhere you can say vows, it was the right decision for us to be married in a church.

Okay, a church, yes, but which one? The church we now consider our home church is in North Carolina, where we live, so that was out. We both have childhood churches in Connecticut, but we wanted somewhere that felt right to both of us, not necessarily for one more than the other. A neutral location, if you will. Plus, my childhood church doesn't have a center aisle, which is a major design flaw, if you ask me :)

After ruling out the childhood churches, we were left with one obvious choice: the Memorial Chapel at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London. Reasons we quickly fell in love with the idea of holding our ceremony there:

1. The Chapel welcomes visiting clergy, meaning there were very few obstacles to the pastor from our church in North Carolina performing the service (something that was also very important to us).
2. Center aisle!
3. Central location to many of the reception locations we were considering, and only about 15 minutes away from the location we finally landed on.
4. Momma is happy. She always dreamed of at least one daughter getting married there.
5. My Dad is retired Coast Guard and taught at the Academy for 25+ years, so I have very happy memories associated with the base.
6. The Chapel is GORGEOUS on the inside, and it just so happens to match perfectly with our chosen color scheme. Also, the film photographer documenting our wedding is going to be very happy, because the natural light inside is gorgeous, thanks to large banks of windows along both side walls!

Shall we take a little tour?

Here's the outside, lovely steeple included. There's no parking up on top of the hill where the Chapel is located, so guests will park below and walk up, but there is a circular driveway where my Dad and I can pull in and stage our grand entrance.

This is the narthex just inside the first set of double doors. I love that the doors to the sanctuary can be closed, my Dad and I can scoot in from outside, we can shut the front doors, and then open the sanctuary doors when it's time for our entrance.

Peeking into the sanctuary...

Ahhh!! Pretty blue walls! Side note: Dang, that aisle is slippery.

Beautiful light! I also love that the sanctuary is not tiny, but also not so big that it will feel empty once our guests sit down.

And now we've arrived at the front, where we'll say our vows. A lovely spot, I think.

And that concludes our tour! A few notes for those who might be interested in getting married at the CGA Chapel:

1. You may only reserve the Chapel if you fit into a few categories, including if one or both parties are a Coast Guard Academy graduate, active duty or retired Coast Guard personnel or their dependents (must have valid ID card), or active or retired Coast Guard Academy civilian faculty and staff members.
2. Wedding dates cannot be reserved more than a year in advance. Though I submitted paperwork and talked to the Chapel more than a year before our date, I still had to call at the 365-day mark to make our official reservation.
3. The Academy Chapel is a religious facility, so no civil ceremonies are allowed. Your preferred clergy member must be approved by the Command Chaplain, but can be a Chaplain, Priest, Minister, Rabbi, or other religious official.

More information is available on the CGA website for those who are eligible and interested!

What do you think? We are very, very excited!!

Wedding prep extravaganza!

2011-09-16T08:55:00.004-04:00

Hi, friends! John and I are home in Connecticut today, and we are about to head out for a full day of wedding vendor meetings! Our schedule looks a little something like this:

9:45am Meet with florist
11am Meet with caterer possibility no. 1
1pm Meet with caterer possibility no. 2
2pm Walk-through at chapel
3pm Walk-through at reception venue
5pm Meet with caterer possibility no. 3

...all up and down the Connecticut shoreline :) AND we will be listening to bands' demo CDs in the car, so we are really multitasking!

After today's hard work, though, we get to relax tomorrow with an engagement party! I can't wait to share more, and hope you all have a lovely weekend, as well!

Image c/o Frenzel Photographers via Style Me Pretty

The great venue search (part two)

2011-09-15T08:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I told you about the more common Connecticut venues we considered for our reception (to recap: Harkness, the Branford House, Jonathan Edwards, Saltwater Farm, the Inn at Mystic, Florence Griswold, and Mystic Seaport).

Again, we were looking for three things in a venue:

1) Scenic, by the water, and able to be tented.
2) Freedom.
3) Not terribly expensive.

Oh yes, and an available date in September. Unfortunately, we weren't able to satisfy all of those requirements with any of the more traditional options. So, we quickly forged ahead into less-charted territories.

Island Farm at Elihu Island, off Stonington

Our first stop was Elihu Island, which I had extremely high hopes for. From photos and descriptions I had read, it looked fabulous -- a blank, extremely scenic slate, and less-well-known (and therefore more likely to have September dates available). Unfortunately, our hopes were dashed pretty quickly when I heard the cost to get in the door. I can't put my hands on the brochure they sent over, but I believe it was about $14,000. That buys you a full planning package with their wedding planner, the use of the site (which still needs to be tented, not included in the cost), and the use of the house for three days (the house sleeps 22). They are also very strict about required vendors. Sadly, we had to let this one go.

The Inn at Lower Farm in Ledyard

The Inn at Lower Farm is a lovely venue which doesn't actually advertise that they host weddings, since the owners only want to host couples who "love the property as much as they do." I love that sentiment! Unfortunately, the price was a bit too much for us ($3,500, which includes two nights in the four rooms of the Inn), and we probably wouldn't have been able to squeeze under the guest limit of 100 people.

Ayer Mountain Farm in Franklin

Ayer Mountain Farm is actually my family's farm, which means it would have been free for us to use! Besides that obvious plus, it also has sentimental value. The drawbacks? It would have taken some serious sweat equity to get the wedding spot in guest-ready shape, and it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, which means it would have been a hike between it and our church.

Private residence in Mystic

This option was more of a fantasy than anything else, but indulge me. For years, I told anyone who would listen that I was going to get married on the lawn of a particular waterfront house in Mystic. It's been my favorite house in all the world for many years, and I always figured I would just write the owners a letter explaining the situation, and that miraculously they would immediately sense my earnestness and good intentions, and would agree to let me borrow their house for the weekend. I even had a plan worked out for parking!

As brilliant of a plan as that was (ha!), in the end, we decided to go with something a little more traditional. But before we landed on our ultimate location, we began to get very worried we would never find a spot to celebrate...

To be continued on Monday!

Photo of Elihu by Corinna Raznikov, other three personal photos

The great venue search (part one)

2011-09-14T08:40:00.000-04:00

Friends! Would you like to hear about how we chose our reception venue? It was quite the adventure, and we looked at many different spots, so I think you might find it interesting. (And, if you're planning a wedding in Connecticut, potentially helpful!)

A little back story:

The only thing I ever really knew I wanted for my someday future wedding was that I wanted it to take place in Connecticut (where both John and I grew up), and I wanted it to take place in September. September is my absolute favorite month in New England. Since we got engaged in June, I figured we would have our pick of dates and venues. Fourteen months out? No problem.

WELL. That didn't exactly turn out to be true.

But let's back up again. When we began our venue search, we had three priorities. We wanted it to be:

1) Scenic, by the water, and able to be tented.
2) Hands off. I wanted freedom, and I didn't want a lot of regulations holding us back, or required vendors to constrain us.
3) Not terribly expensive. Since we were tenting, I didn't want to pay a ton just to get a pretty piece of land when I knew the costs would add up to build the infrastructure around the site.

I know, I know, it was kind of a lot to ask. But we had high hopes! The venues we considered can generally be broken into those that are on the beaten path (ones with which most Connecticut residents would be familiar) and those that are not. Today, I'll walk you through the more common venues we considered.

The Eolia Mansion at Harkness State Park in Waterford

We never actually seriously considered Harkness, since John's sister Marget will be getting married there two months before us (exciting!!). Even if we had wanted to consider Harkness, we would have had to opt for a Friday or Sunday weekend -- yes, with 14 months to go, every Saturday in September was booked, plus all the Saturdays in the summer and all but one in October. Wow! I still love Harkness, though -- I think it's an incredibly beautiful spot, and I am very glad I will get to celebrate there next summer!

The Branford House at Avery Point in Groton

The Branford House is pretty similar to Harkness, except without the formal gardens and with better water views. I always preferred Harkness; John always preferred the Branford House, so it was no surprise that we checked it out next. Unfortunately, they also had NO remaining Saturdays in September, though they did have two in October (not interested). The fee they quoted us was $4,000 for the ballroom + $1,000 extra for the privilege of tenting on the lawn. (Meaning, that didn't buy you anything except the right to tent. I know, it confused me, too.)

Jonathan Edwards Winery in Stonington, CT

Jonathan Edwards was really too expensive for us from the start, but when I began to get desperate, I tried to consider them. It's a very scenic property, but alas, it comes with a not-so-scenic price tag: $8,000 for a ceremony and reception for up to 200 people. That price includes a Sperry tent, catering tent and tent lighting. I also didn't like that they required you to choose from just two caterers.

Saltwater Farm Vineyards in Stonington

This is a lovely property, but it was not super-high on our list because it's not really meant to be tented. They mostly host parties in the renovated airplane hanger, which is very cool but not quite what we were going for. Alas, Saltwater also had NO Saturday dates available until November 10! Again, wow!! Saltwater can accommodate up to 250 guests and it was quoted to us at $8,500 for a Saturday event in the peak season (May-October).

The Inn at Mystic in Mystic

I had high hopes for the Inn at Mystic, because I love the town and always thought that the Inn and its property were beautiful. However, we were quickly turned off by their very strange email communication, and their all-in-one package pricing. They also require you to use their on-site restaurant as your caterer (a no no in our book). The Inn can accommodate 250 guests and was quoted to us at $135 per person (included in that price is a ton of stuff, including the space, food, three floral arrangements, wedding cake, linens, etc., etc... which of course we wanted the freedom to choose for ourselves).

Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme

The Flo Gris has lovely gardens and is able to be tented, both of which earned it points in our book. It's also situated on a river (one more point). The Florence Griswold can accommodate up to 150 people under a tent on the Moore Garden Terrace and was quoted to us at $5,000 for six hours. In the end it was both too expensive and too far of a drive from the chapel where our ceremony will be held.

North Lawn at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic

The North Lawn is a beautiful spot at the Seaport just begging to be tented. It's right on the river, and can accommodate up to 500 guests. The North Lawn was quoted to us at $2,500, which I thought was reasonable. However, I was not pleased that they require you to use one caterer and their list of vendors for several other things, including linens. I also was not thrilled that events had to end at 10pm. Despite all this, however, we were seriously considering the North Lawn until we stumbled upon our ultimate venue...

To be continued!

Harkness photo from Wikipedia, Branford House photo by Jonathan Canlas, Jonathan Edwards photo by Robin Dini, Saltwater Farm photo by Charlotte Jenks Lewis, Florence Griswold photo by Justin & Mary Marantz, Seaport and Inn at Mystic photos from their sites

Berry wedding ideas

2011-09-13T18:09:00.001-04:00

I am a big fan of fruit elements in wedding florals. BIG fan. I like all sorts -- lady and crab apples, cherry tomatoes, figs -- but am especially partial to blackberries and raspberries. I'm hoping to incorporate blackberries into our wedding day style, and here's some of the inspiration I'm using!

Mini raspberry arrangement by Chelsea Fuss (photo also by Chelsea)

White peach and blackberry sangria from Martha Stewart Weddings (photo by Jason Walz)

Photo by Corbin Gurkin, styling by Duet Weddings

Blackberry boutonnieres from Martha Stewart Weddings

Blackberry, peach and garden rose arrangement by Ariella Chezar

Florals by Amy Merrick

Blackberry and raspberry arrangement from Napa Valley Celebrations (photo by Meg Smith)

Raspberry and billy ball boutonniere by JL Designs, photo by Robert Evans, via Green Wedding Shoes

Blackberry gin fizz from Martha Stewart Weddings

From Martha Stewart Living

Blackberry prosecco (photos by Charlotte Jenks Lewis via 100 Layer Cake)

Ranunculus and raspberry arrangement by Ariella Chezar

Fresh berry appetizer from Martha Stewart Weddings

Berry votives (photo by Sarah Yates via Once Wed)

Raspberry and blackberry mini centerpieces (florals by JM Flora, photo by Jodi Miller Photography, via Snippet & Ink)

Polka dot gift bags

2011-09-12T08:52:00.001-04:00

I was in Target the other day for something else when these pretties caught my eye. Aren't they lovely? I adore the metallic gold accent.

They'd probably be fairly easy to DIY, but at $.79 for two, it's almost not worth it!

Treehouse Point

2011-09-09T09:08:00.003-04:00

What are you up to this weekend? We will be working in our church's garden and maybe going to an outdoor concert, but I kind of wish we had reservations at Treehouse Point. Doesn't it look amazing? If I ever get to Seattle, I am definitely spending at least one night here -- it's just 30 minutes outside of the city, but must feel a world away.

You can see more gorgeous photos on Tec Petaja's blog here!

Pretty hellebores

2011-09-08T08:22:00.002-04:00

Hellebores are one of my new favorite flowers. (They're also known as the Christmas rose.) They're one of the few winter and early spring blooming plants, which unfortunately means I probably won't be able to get them for our wedding in September -- but that's great news for cold weather brides! Here's what these pretty flowers look like:

via Serenity in the Garden

via Wayside Gardens

via Plant Talk

They come in lots of white, pink, green, and purple shades, and can be solid or speckled. Here are a few of my favorite arrangements with hellebores:

Hellebore, bleeding heart, and dogwood bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings

Hellebore, azalea, and peony bouquet by Flowerwild (photo by Jose Villa, via Once Wed)

Hellebore, grape hyacinth, sweet pea, lily of the valley, and fritillarias bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings

Speckled hellebore, anemone, garden rose, ranunculus, and sweet peas bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings

Hellebore, allium, sweet pea, and ranunculus bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings

Hellebore bouquet with ranunculus, pieris, passion vine, dusty miller, and tulips by Flowerwild

What do you think?

Mini food at weddings, part II

2011-09-07T08:02:00.001-04:00

It's time for our second mini food installment (see part I here)! Diminutive treats are especially on my mind because we are meeting with three caterers next week, AND I just ordered a copy of Peter Callahan's new book, Bite by Bite! (Have any of you seen it yet??)

Mini lobster rolls

Mini gruyere macaroni and cheese cups

Mini deep dish pizzas (baked in a muffin pan!)

Mini individual crudites served in hollowed-out bread bowls

Mini Greek salads and beet and radish salads

Are you a mini food lover as well? :)

All images from Martha Stewart Weddings

Amy Merrick

2011-09-06T15:20:00.003-04:00

LOVING the (new to me) work of floral designer Amy Merrick. It's so sculptural and wild. I am particularly drawn to her use of fruit and footed compotes... both elements I love in arrangements. See more of her work on her site here and blog here.

Rope bracelets

2011-09-05T08:22:00.000-04:00

Loving these gorgeous, natural, very reasonably priced bracelets by Junghwa on Etsy. Check out her shop here, and do so quick, because she's offering 15% off on all jewelry right now!

Charleston: Video!

2011-09-03T09:06:00.000-04:00

Charleston from Emily Ayer on Vimeo.

And here it is: the video John and I made from our trip! I hope you enjoy, and I hope you enjoyed this week's Charleston picture tour!

Next week? Back to all weddings + pretties, all the time. Can't wait to share!

Charleston: French Quarter + Battery

2011-09-02T08:36:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, friends... here's my favorite Charleston post of them all. You better believe I was excited to visit the French Quarter and the Battery! I practically made a beeline for it once we arrived. I had high expectations, and Charleston definitely didn't disappoint -- old world Southern charm was everywhere. Here are a few of my favorite sites:

Gorgeous, no? Do you love gawking at beautiful homes as much as I do? :)

Charleston: Eats

2011-09-01T08:21:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing Charleston has going for it, it's delicious food. Briefly, my thoughts on the restaurants we visited during our week down South...

Caviar & Bananas

We made a quick stop at C & B, mostly for a drink and to get out of the heat. It's an upscale grocery along the lines of Dean & Deluca. I indulged in one tiny chocolate peanut butter tart and it was delectable.

Magnolia's

We headed to Magnolia's on East Bay Street (downtown) for lunch after church on Sunday, and I loved it. Genteel atmosphere, and delicious food. I had a sinfully delicious buffalo fried chicken cobb salad. I also loved all the magnolia accents, including the door handle!

BLU Restaurant

BLU definitely wins the award for most unexpected hit. It's a hotel restaurant, after all, and when the kids heard this, we were none too excited. Even the menu looks a bit cheesy. But the service was great, and BLU's menu and commitment to fresh, local exciting food prepared in interesting ways was even better. We shared a variety of tapas-sized plates (I think we tried about 75% of the tapas options!), but the collective favorite was the "virtual egg" appetizer -- not an egg at all, but a carved mozzarella "egg" filled with yellow tomato jus "yolk"! BLU is in Folly Beach.

Taco Boy

Taco Boy was another Folly Beach favorite, and it came highly recommended by the locals. The tacos were interesting, and good across the board, but the guacamole was a little lackluster (and our group has some huge guac fans). The chile con queso, however, was uncommonly good. Serious surfer vibe.

Slightly North of Broad (or S.N.O.B.)

S.N.O.B. was our big finale dinner, and it didn't disappoint. The heirloom tomato salads several of us started with were excellent (as was my Kurios Farms Bibb Lettuce Salad). My entree was a bit heavy for my tastes, however. The atmosphere was delightful.

Bowen's Island Restaurant

Bowen's Island also follows under the "seriously atmospheric" category, though not so much for the restaurant itself (which is actually borderline rundown and covered in patron-inflicted graffiti). The views, however, are stunning. Super casual, fried seafood (or fried chicken if you're me, ha!) is standard fare here, plus yummy hush puppies.

What do you think? Did we visit any of your favorite Charleston eateries?

Charleston: Folly Beach + Kayaking

2011-08-30T08:50:00.001-04:00

Let me tell you a little bit about Folly Beach! Folly was our home base for our week in Charleston. It's about 20-25 minutes from downtown, and definitely has a laid back, surfer vibe. There's a very small downtown, but for the most part, it's beaches and houses. Here's the house we rented:

Cute, no? It was lovely, and right on the beach -- about a one minute walk from our door to the ocean's edge. We took advantage of the proximity, swimming almost every day, and some days, multiple times a day! (We even swam once at night, and once in the rain!)

This is what the beach looked like:

And here's what it looked like at dawn:

Thanks, John, for the photo! This was the view out our back door, toward the marsh. We didn't spend much time in that direction, because the bugs were pretty vicious.

At the tip of Folly Beach is Morris Island Lighthouse, which some of the more industrious members of our party (i.e. not me) ran to mornings.

John and I did drive/walk to it once, and we saw these pretty flowers:

The most fun thing we did in Folly Beach was a kayak tour with Charleston Outdoor Adventures. All of the Folly Beach kayak companies advertise dolphin sitings, but we were pretty skeptical. Well, we shouldn't have been, because we saw about nine dolphins in the two hours we were out on the water! We even saw an adorable Mom and baby, and we were so close we could hear the baby chattering!!

Anyone else ever stayed in Folly Beach? What did you think? I highly recommend it!

Charleston: Angel Oak + Middleton Plantation

2011-08-29T08:30:00.000-04:00

I have a whole week of Charleston posts planned for y'all! First up I thought we'd talk about two sights we saw, Angel Oak and Middleton Plantation. Later in the week I'll give you a tour around Folly Beach (where we stayed), share my thoughts on the food we ate, and do some intense gushing over downtown. And on Friday, I'll share the video John and I made!

First, though, Angel Oak. Angel Oak is a live oak tree that is believed to be more than 1,500 years old -- making it the oldest living organism east of the Mississippi River.

It was quite massive and impressive in person. I liked that you could walk right up to it, though they discouraged visitors from touching the trunk and limbs.

Angel Oak is so old and shaded, there are ferns growing on some of its branches!

My verdict? Definitely worth a see. Angel Oak is located on Johns Island, and was about a 25-minute drive from our house in Folly Beach. It's easy to find and just a short walk from the parking lot to the tree, and admission is free. You can find more information before your visit here and here.

Later in the week we visited Middleton Place.

The Charleston area is FILLED with plantations, including Middleton, Boone Hall, Magnolia, and Drayton Hall. We did our research, and chose Middleton because of its varied landscape and formal gardens. Though we had nothing to compare it with (since we only visited one plantation), I would say we were all happy with our choice.

We chose to talk the self-guided tour, and followed the route outlined in the packet almost to the letter, stopping and reading the descriptions and historical background at each marked point. I'm really glad we did that, because on top of giving us interesting information, it caused us to slow down and see everything with minimal back-tracking.

There was gorgeous Spanish moss everywhere. We visited in August, but we all agreed that it would be amazing to come back in the spring when the camellia allees would be in bloom. Can you imagine the smell??

One of the most interesting things I learned from the tour is the almost perfect symmetry on which the grounds were laid out. There are a few aerial photos on the Middleton Place website that really help you see it from above, but it was evident on the ground, too.

Another thing I liked about Middleton was how varied the grounds were. There was farmland, formal gardens, rice fields, and even a swamp! The swamp was actually really beautiful.

Last but not least, Middleton Place was full of wildlife! We saw alligators, peacocks, egrets, and many other water birds.

My verdict? Highly recommended, but try to get a break on the ticket price. Tickets normally go for $22 per adult, but we were able to go for free because John's parents sat through a (unrelated) condo seminar earlier in the day (funny, but true!). I'm not sure it would have been worth it if we had paid the full fare for all six of us.

Middleton Place is on the outskirts of Charleston, about 40 minutes from where we were staying in Folly Beach. You can read more information about it here.

Thanks to John and other family members for most of these photos!

Back Porch Music at the American Tobacco Campus

2011-08-26T08:08:00.001-04:00

Before summer's over I wanted to make sure and post this little note for Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill locals. If you've never been to the Back Porch Music concerts at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, you must go! The music is great (so far we've heard bluegrass, blues, old time, and a crazy brass + banjo mash-up), the concerts are FREE, and the American Tobacco Campus is such a neat space. The concerts are generally VERY well attended, so I would recommend arriving at 5:30 or earlier if you want to spread out your blanket on the grass (the music begins at 6pm). We like to order a pizza from nearby Mellow Mushroom, but you're welcome to bring your own food or purchase from one of the other food stalls (including Locopops!). A few iPhone snaps from the last two years...

The remaining concerts this summer are on September 2, September 9, September 16, and September 30. Check out the full schedule and more details here!

Wedding planning update: 12+ months out

2011-08-25T08:29:00.004-04:00

It's been exactly two months since we got engaged, which means it's time for another update on what we've accomplished so far! For those of you who are engaged or married, I'd love to hear where we differ and where we're the same.

Photo by Stephen Pappas via Style Me Pretty

After two months (with 12+ months to go), we or I have:
-- Asked two people to join our bridal party (they both said yes -- whew!)
-- Tried on wedding dresses for the first time
-- Fell in love with a veil
-- Spoke on the phone with two florists
-- Chosen a florist (!!)
-- Confirmed and contracted with a photographer (!!!)
-- Begun to buy silver pieces for reception
-- Set up appointments with two caterers for next month's trip home
-- Set up another dress shopping appointment for next month

More details to come about all of these points soon... promise!

P.S. First planning update

Minted business cards!

2011-08-24T08:24:00.000-04:00

I wanted to take a minute to share one of my very favorite company's newest offerings: Minted now has business cards! I truly think everything Minted does is so high quality and stylish, and I will definitely be taking advantage of their 25 free offer! Now, to decide which design... a few favorites:

Even if you don't have your own business, you could so easily use these as a modern calling card. BUT, if you do have your own business, there's one more amazing feature of Minted's cards -- you can upload your logo for FREE to print on the back of your cards!! Amazing.

I'll be sure to share once mine come in, but in the meantime, hop over and get your own! If you do, tell me which design you're ordering! Opinions on which one I should order are welcome, too :)

P.S. I love Minted so much we're considering using them for our save the dates, but that's a post for another day!

Book baby shower

2011-08-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

I finally had a minute to read the May issue of Martha Living, and my favorite story was the pink and gray book-themed baby shower. I love books, I love the color pink, and I love beautifully-styled parties, so this one was pretty much a no-brainer for me.

Gorgeous illustrated invitations by Rifle Paper Co -- AND they're available to download on Martha's site, too! I love that they included a book plate in the invitation.

A clever menu written on a stack of books.

Fun in food shapes and cute picks make everything tastier, right?

The hostesses suggested guests bring the gift of a favorite book from childhood, which I think is a lovely idea. In fact, I've been to a similar shower before (I wrote a little bit about it here), and it turned out wonderfully!

You can see more photos from this story here!

Flea market success!

2011-08-22T08:27:00.001-04:00

I had some major success at the flea market this weekend! In fact, I had major success before I even got to the flea market this weekend. I was on my way back from the bank and headed to pick up my friend Megan for our Saturday morning trip when I spotted two chairs at the end of a driveway and a "moving sale" sign. I quickly did a U-turn and hopped out to inspect the chairs. They looked great to me, so $60 later (down from $75!), I loaded them into my car! We've been searching for living room chairs for awhile, since our current living room seating is only one loveseat (not so good for guests). These guys are perfect (or, they will be after some paint and new upholstery!). Here's a peek:

I love the caning on the back and the detail on the legs. Better yet, here's proof that they're comfortable:

She literally hopped up the minute we set the pair down and didn't wake up for a solid hour.

Then, once we actually got to the flea market, I cleaned up with silver pieces, which I've begun collecting for our reception. More on that later! For $18, here's what I brought home:

There was also a gorgeous silver champagne bucket which would have been perfect for a larger arrangement, but the seller wouldn't budget beneath $30 and that was a little more than I was ready to spend.

Also, a tip for those of you who are hesitant about bargaining: don't be! See those taller goblets in the back? They were marked $5 each, so I asked if I could have them for $15 total if I bought all 4. To my surprise, she said I could have them for $10! It never hurts to ask. The platter was $5, and the compote was $3, down from $5.

Add those to the pieces I already have, and I'd say we're well on our way!

Here's a close-up of the larger Revere bowl, which is actually an award from my senior year of college! If you look closely, you can see my name engraved on the bottom. I love that we'll be incorporating family heirlooms and pieces with personal significance into our reception decor.

Anyone else have a lucky flea market trip this weekend?

Flag escort cards in action!

2011-08-18T17:35:00.002-04:00

My goodness it is taking me awhile to recover from vacation! As I get my ducks in a row, I thought you might enjoy these images from a recent wedding my flag escort cards found themselves at. So pretty!

Thanks to Lindsey for ordering, and Kristen Gardner for the images!

Back from Charleston!

2011-08-15T08:45:00.000-04:00

Hi, all! We're back from Charleston and feeling relaxed and refreshed after a week away! I have so much I'd like to share with you, including details about the food we ate (delicious!), the things we did (saw dolphins!), and the places we went. I'm organizing our hundreds of photos and planning out a series of posts for next week, but for now, here's a sneak peek, taken at Angel Oak!

Charleston

2011-08-08T08:08:00.000-04:00

Hi, y'all! I am in Charleston this week on vacation, so posting will be light. Looking forward to some of all of the below...

Images, top to bottom: images one and two from Garden & Gun, Veil and Bow via Southern Weddings, Garden & Gun, unknown, via Urban Grace, Angel Oak, unknown

Black Bean Mexican Pizza

2011-08-05T13:35:00.003-04:00

I thought we might end the week with this absolutely delicious recipe for Black Bean Pizza. John made it for the first time a few weeks ago, and it's been a menu staple ever since! Hint: don't leave out the limes -- they add a crucial flavor kick.

Photos from Good Life Eats, which is where you can find Katie's recipe!

Backyard wedding with string lights

2011-08-03T08:31:00.000-04:00

This is what the Father of the Bride wedding would look like if the movie was set today, don't you think? So, so lovely.

Also, I will never get over string lights.

Photo by Jenna Walker Photographers. See the rest of this wedding here.

Summer wedding dress

2011-08-02T07:21:00.001-04:00

My dear friend Alyssa sent in a fashion query this week, and I was only too happy to oblige! She wrote:

Dear P&P,

I'm headed to my boyfriend's sister's wedding in two weeks and I'm looking for guidance on an appropriate dress. I've been putting it off all summer, hoping inspiration would come to me. But, it hasn't and so now I turn to you, my trusted fashion advisor. It's an evening, outdoor wedding with what the bride describes as a '20s infused spirit. Her color palette is blue, I believe. My boyfriend is in the wedding party and so I want a dress that will not clash with him but that is not similar to the colors of the bridesmaids, either. I'm a blue-eyed blonde and while I do have a slight summer tan, I'd prefer to shy away from any color that will wash me out. I'm also struggling with style. I will be meeting pretty much all of my boyfriend's extended family for the first time at the wedding and want a dress that is cute and fun but also elegant and appropriate. Yikes, seeing all of those requirements in writing, it's no wonder I'm struggling to find the perfect dress!

Any suggestions and/or advice you could provide would be most appreciated :)

Alyssa

I went straight to my old standby Modcloth when faced with your search, Alyssa, especially since you were maybe looking for something with a vintage vibe. Modcloth hint: when searching for dresses, I always select the "longer lengths" category -- many of Modcloth's dresses look reasonable on their website only to turn out to indecently short in person (in my opinion!). "Longer lengths" nets you dresses that are more of a true cocktail length.

But on to the dresses!

"Too Much Fun" dress in raspberry (also available in grapefruit) for $78. Cute, but perhaps a tad casual for an evening wedding. I like that you could add a braided leather belt or a jean jacket and be good to go for daytime wear.

"Red-y to Dance" dress for $100. Love this dress! Definitely elegant, but the red makes it fun, and it has a bit of a vintage vibe. I think this color would look stunning on Alyssa!

"Love is the Answer" dress for $65. I think this dress is elegant and darling at the same time. My only concern is that the color might not be the best for Alyssa (depends how tan you currently are, my friend!).

"SoCal Bungalow" dress in purple (also available in scarlet) for $50. Gorgeous color, elegant style, and a great price.

My token non-Modcloth option, this one is from Macy's for $83. Alyssa, I know you would be pleased to know that this one got the "adorable" vote from John :)

I hope this helps, my friend! Readers, have any great wedding guest outfit options for Alyssa? Leave them below in the comments!

101 in 1001: August 2011

2011-08-01T08:17:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of every month, I plan to write a short post covering what I accomplished in the previous month and what I hope to accomplish in the next one. I'll also introduce you to one of my 101 in 1001 buddies (see them all in the sidebar!). Here we go!

July 1, 2011: 11/101 goals complete, 24/101 goals in progress

Did I begin...
-- No. 45: Read the New Testament? YES! We're on Mark right now.
-- No. 82: Successfully dock a boat each summer at the Island? YES!
-- No. 84: Send news to The Quarterly at least once a year? YES! Engagement made that easy!
-- No. 89: Jump off the dock at the Island once a year? Um, no... totally chickened out.

Did I continue...
-- No. 98: Read the entire Chronicles of Narnia series? Yep, read "Prince Caspian."

Sadly, I was NOT able to keep up with all of my monthly commitments (nos. 5, 7, 16, and 48) -- we were again not able to make it to the animal shelter.

August 1, 2011: 12/101 goals complete, 28/101 goals in progress

Plan to begin:
No. 13: Read To Kill a Mockingbird every August (0/3)

Plan to continue:
No. 11: Cultivate five habits to make my life more green
No. 44: Try ten new foods
No. 45: Read the New Testament
No. 50: Go to church when traveling

August Spotlight: Jennifer of Just Lovely

You can catch up with Jennifer's progress on her goals here! I think she did a great job assembling her list, but my five favorites she's undertaking are:

-- Volunteer art and design services to a charitable cause
-- Visit five artist’s studios (this would be so interesting!)
-- Plan a baby shower
-- Eat at 10 different independent restaurants

-- Try all of the different kinds of fruit in my grocery store

In the meantime, you can see the details on all of my goals right here. Here's to a great month!

Both photos by Lucia and Mapp

All time favorites: M and C

2011-07-29T18:49:00.007-04:00

Let's finish out the week with the last all time favorite for awhile! Today's wedding is that of M and C, and it's also from a few years back -- showing how classic and still fresh it is, I think. The photos are by Leigh Miller, and you can see more photos and some of the credits on her posts here and here!

Love the size of these bouquets -- they don't look too small at all!

Wine barrels were used throughout this wedding, and they add some texture while still keeping everything elegant, and definitely not rustic.

This wedding had a silhouette artist!! He cut the silhouettes of guests throughout the reception.

Gorgeous baby's breath.

Perfect weather, naturally.

Love the lounge area.

Love these place settings, and the vintage napkins!

Look a bit familiar? It's VERY similar to the table-under-trees photo I pointed out in this wedding!

So, before we wrap things up, let's summarize. Looking back at these weddings, I notice a few things about the weddings I love:

-- They have a classic, elegant, traditional feel, but with a twist that makes them fresh.
-- All of the receptions were outside, and five of the seven ceremonies were in a church.
-- There is not one color scheme I love, but they all tend to be grounded in neutrals, with lots of white, and there are no bright, bold colors. Most feature a range of muted colors, like soft pinks, blues, grays, yellows, and summer green.
-- They all were photographed beautifully, with natural light, and natural posing.
-- Lots of hydrangeas, garden roses, ranunculus, dahlias, and peonies. Fluffy flowers.
-- Many of them served mini food :)
-- All of them featured white wedding cakes.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite from the seven I featured? Lily and John still win for me :)

Previously:
Lily + John
Erin + Paul
Dabney + Rob
Liz + Chris
Caroline + Clark
Lauren + Joe

All time favorites: Lauren and Joe

2011-07-27T10:36:00.000-04:00

As promised, I am back with a few more of my all-time favorite weddings! Today's wedding was photographed by none other than Jose Villa, so you know the photos are going to be gorgeous. This lovely was planned by Rosemary Events, and the florals were by Sillapere. It originally appeared on Style Me Pretty, where you can see more photos and all the credits.

Love the simple hydrangeas on the end of the pews! I personally feel that most churches are so beautiful, and you're in them for such a comparatively short time, that no additional decor is needed, but I do like the simplicity of these arrangements.

Long, neutral gowns!

GORGEOUS tent seemingly in the middle of nowhere -- love!

Love al fresco musicians.

I think the variety of white flowers, separated out by type, make for beautiful table arrangements.

Mini food :)

Now those are pretty chairs.

Love the vintage car.

And love the soft lighting at twilight.

I think I have one more wedding to share with you tomorrow!

Previously:
Lily + John
Erin + Paul
Dabney + Rob
Liz + Chris
Caroline + Clark

Wedding planning update: 12+ months out

2011-07-25T08:45:00.000-04:00

Since it seems like y'all are enjoying the favorite wedding posts we will pick back up with them tomorrow, but since it's been exactly one month since we got engaged, I wanted to give you an update on what we've accomplished so far! Official wedding planning guides can be very helpful (so far I'm using the online one on Martha Stewart Weddings the most), but I do think that sometimes they have their priorities a bit mixed up. I thought it might be helpful to give you an overview of the order we're doing things in, and, for those of you who are engaged or married, I'd love to hear where we differ and where we're the same.

Photo by Jose Villa via Style Me Pretty

At one month out (with 12+ months to go), we have:
-- Told family and friends about our engagement
-- Confirmed a wedding date
-- Confirmed a ceremony location
-- Confirmed a reception location
-- Confirmed an officiant
-- Narrowed down photographer options and spoke with two
-- Narrowed down florist options and been in touch with two
-- Gathered and narrowed down floral and design inspiration
-- Begun to flesh out color palette
-- Begun to draft guest list
-- Spoken with all interested parties and established a preliminary budget

More details to come about all of these points soon! I'll be back with more weddings tomorrow!

All time favorites: Caroline and Clark

2011-07-22T19:22:00.004-04:00

This week, I'm sharing my top five weddings from years past. These are the staples from my inspiration files, and they are no doubt the ones that will influence my and John's wedding. Enjoy!

Today's wedding is what I like to call the Father of the Bride wedding, and what more wonderful muse for a wedding could there be? The classic, elegant, but relaxed atmosphere of Caroline and Clark's wedding is pretty much exactly what I'm hoping for with ours. This beauty was photographed by A Bryan Photo, and appeared on Snippet & Ink and in Southern Living Weddings. You can see some photos on Caroline's blog, too.

One of the most gorgeous portraits of any bride ever.

Love the long, drape-y dresses.

Gents in classic tuxedos -- you can't go wrong.

Another epic portrait.

Firefly jars for the kids!

Mix and match china.

First dance under the stars.

And a rocking party... love.

Question for you all: I have one, maybe two more weddings that I would consider favorites. Would you like to see them next week, or shall we move on? Let me know what you think!

Previously:
Lily + John
Erin + Paul
Dabney + Rob
Liz + Chris

All time favorites: Liz and Chris

2011-07-21T20:00:00.006-04:00

This week, I'm sharing my top five weddings from years past. These are the staples from my inspiration files, and they are no doubt the ones that will influence my and John's wedding. Enjoy!

Today's favorite wedding is another you've all seen before (in fact I've featured snippets from it here and here!), but it is a beauty. Perfect setting, perfect details, and perfect weather. You can see more from this wedding on photographer Aaron Delesie's blog here, and see all the credits on Style Me Pretty's posts here and here. This lovely was planned by Beth Helmstetter.

LOVE the crinkled ribbon on this bouquet.

Bow shoes! You know I love bows.

I'm not exactly sure what this is, but I like to imagine it's an olive oil tasting bar. Is there anything better than crusty bread and a little plate of flavored olive oil?

I have a soft spot for striped paper straws :)

MAGICAL.

Mini food :)

Beautiful desserts and beautiful calligraphy: a winning combination.

I will be back with another favorite tomorrow!

Previously:
Lily + John
Erin + Paul
Dabney + Rob

All time favorites: Dabney and Rob

2011-07-20T18:26:00.000-04:00

This week, I'm sharing my top five weddings from years past. These are the staples from my inspiration files, and they are no doubt the ones that will influence my and John's wedding. Enjoy!

Today's gem is the wedding of Dabney and Rob. Besides being an incredibly debonair couple, I love the sophisticated palette and details from their celebration. These shots were taken by Meg Smith, and the wedding was planned by Laurie Arons Special Events. It originally appeared on Style Me Pretty.

Love these garlands.

Love her dress, her two hairstyles, her veil...

Mini food! :)

LOVE these tables, and the candles overhead.

A classic, white cake -- there's no more perfect ending! :)

I'll be back with another favorite tomorrow!

Previously:
Lily + John
Erin + Paul

All time favorites: Erin and Paul

2011-07-19T07:21:00.000-04:00

This week, I'm sharing my top five weddings from years past. These are the staples from my inspiration files, and they are no doubt the ones that will influence my and John's wedding. Enjoy!

Today's lovely is the wedding of Erin and Paul. It was photographed by an amazing team, Michael and Anna Costa, planned by an amazing lady, Joy of Joy de Vivre Events, and originally appeared on Style Me Pretty.

Love Erin's polka-dot heels!

Gorgeous photography, as promised.

Of course I love this wedding -- it features drink flags! :)

ADORE the poppers at each place setting.

Gorgeous, understated chair decor -- so much chicer than a "bride" or "groom" sign.

And a classic white cake to finish the night off -- love!

I'll be back with another favorite tomorrow!

Previously:
Lily and John

All time favorites: Lily and John

2011-07-18T12:53:00.000-04:00

Since I work in weddings (and it has been apparent to all who know me for a long time that I have a deep love for weddings), I was often asked before we got engaged whether I had my whole wedding planned out. The answer? In a word, no. That's not to say that I didn't have a few thoughts about what I wanted my future wedding to be like, I just didn't have one color scheme, one dress, or one location in mind.

However, I've always had favorite weddings, and while there are very few that fall into that category, but they are all glorious. I thought it might be fun to share my top five weddings from years past with you this week. These are the staples from my inspiration files, and they are no doubt the ones that will influence my and John's wedding. Enjoy!

The wedding I'm sharing today is my oldest favorite (I first saw it in the summer of 2008), but even though it's now three years old, it looks as fresh as the day I first came across it. It's classic and elegant, relaxed but traditional. I love it so much I actually posted about it in my first two months of blogging, but I thought it was worth a re-run.

Gorgeous classic stationery incorporating beautiful calligraphy by Nancy Howell.

I adore the ribbon on her bouquet!

As you all know, I love polka-dot and swiss dot wedding dresses, and Lily's Carolina Herrera was the first one I ever saw.

Sweet little boutonnieres -- I love that they're tied off with ribbon!

So smart to let the groomsmen wear gray suits they already own -- and they look great together.

Married in her home church!

I pretty much die over these -- so classic, yet fresh. Why oh why don't more venues let you toss things?

Custom clutches for the bridesmaids by Lauren Merkin.

Simple yet chic monogrammed napkins.

This image more than any other has probably influenced my wedding style the most -- this looks like the absolute perfect wedding to me.

Love the centerpieces in footed silver bowls.

I know some people are used to seeing vintage china used at weddings now, but I still think Lily and John did it first and best. All of the china used at dinner came from her Mom's private collection!

In love with their cake. Seriously, there's not a detail I don't love from this wedding.

And finally, as if this wedding could get any more perfect, their first dance was to "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin, one of my very favorite songs.

I'll be back with another favorite tomorrow!

All photos by Thayer Photo, and first featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. You can see all of the sources from Lily + John's wedding here, and can see the full gallery of images here.

Mini food at weddings

2011-07-14T14:31:00.000-04:00

Anyone who follows any of my Pinterest boards knows I really love mini food. A few favorite examples:

Mini caprese sandwiches (by Callahan Catering, photo by Daria Bishop, via Martha Stewart Weddings)

Mini turkey club sandwiches (by Callahan Catering)

Mini spaghetti and meatballs (by Callahan Catering, via Martha Stewart Weddings)

Mini grilled cheese sandwiches (by Callahan Catering)

Mini pork tacos (by Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, photo by SMS Photography via Style Me Pretty)

Mini turkey burgers (by Callahan Catering, via Martha Stewart Weddings)

Mini pigs in a blanket (photo by Thorsen Photography, via Weddingbee)

Mini mac and cheese in parmesan crusts (by Callahan Catering, via Martha Stewart Weddings)

Mini tequila shots and fish tacos (via Luna & Chloe)

Mini chips and salsa scoops (by Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, photo by SMS Photography via Style Me Pretty)

Sliders (photo by Jose Villa)

Call me crazy, but I had a "vision" last night of what our reception might look like incorporating mini food... can't wait to share! :)

P.S. OBVIOUSLY mini desserts are adorable, too. So adorable they deserve their own post.

White bouquet with dusty miller

2011-07-12T08:01:00.000-04:00

My evenings are now occupied by a massive venue hunt spanning the coast of Connecticut, so for today, I will leave you with this utterly gorgeous bouquet by Quatre Coeur.

Photo by Elisabeth Millay via Style Me Pretty

My engagement ring!

2011-07-11T07:12:00.002-04:00

Though I am an extreme lover of weddings, I will freely admit I'm not a connoisseur of engagement rings. There was never one particular style or shape I loved or hated, so I knew I wanted to try on a few different options before John or John and I settled on the final pick. Going into our "looking" trip, I thought I knew that I wanted a very thin, yellow gold band, I DIDN’T want a halo, and I was most interested in oval-shaped diamonds. Here are a few of the images I gathered in the days before our trip:

Credits, from top: oval gold engagement ring from Asprey, micropave cushion-cut engagement ring in platinum from Harry Winston, horizontal gold setting from Marvin Katz, photo by Kate Headley, photo by Whitebox Weddings

And, well, here's what I ended up with!

Surprise! I ended up with a halo, since it turns out I liked halos, just not ones that were bezel-set. Ovals just weren't my shape :)

As for the yellow gold? I LOVE it! All in all, I think my ring is sparkly, while still being classic and simple. I couldn't ask for anything more!

For those of you who are also yellow or rose gold lovers, here's a little more engagement ring inspiration...

"Loved" ring from Catbird

Photo by Tec Petaja via Once Wed

Photo by Nancy Ray

Oval white sapphire rose gold ring from EidelPrecious

"The Tiniest Pearl" ring from Catbird

Elisa Solomon 18K diamond ring from Stuart & Wright

Conroy & Wilcox 18K triple diamond ring from Stuart & Wright

Suzanne Kalan white rose ring from Sundance

What does your engagement ring look like?

Weekend in Beaufort

2011-07-08T14:14:00.004-04:00

So, we're engaged!! Though I'm sure you've seen the video, I thought I'd share a few more details from our weekend in Beaufort, NC. John surprised me on Thursday after work with the news that we were going on a mini vacation that weekend by handing me a suggested packing list :) The next few days were one surprise after another, which I loved!

On Saturday morning John booked us on a ferry out to Shackleford Banks, a barrier island that's at the southern tip of the Outer Banks.

It's famous for wild horses and tons of seashells, and we loved it! We left with one perfect sand dollar after some intense beach-combing.

We got ice cream cones once we were back in town, and then John suggested we walk around and look at the pretty old houses, which is one of my FAVORITE pastimes but one that he usually only tolerates. If I didn't suspect something before, I definitely did at that point :)

The houses and streets were glorious, as you would expect.

We then cleaned up for dinner at an ocean-side restaurant. Once we arrived, I suggested we take a walk on the beach, since we were a little early for our reservation. We walked out to the pier and back, and then when we were almost back at the beach entrance, I suggested we take a self-timer photo, since we were all dressed up. In hindsight, I was playing right into John's plans!! He set up the camera, then walked back over to me, cool as a cucumber. We posed, and then broke away after I assumed the shutter had snapped. Turns out it hadn't, though, since he has set the camera to video, not photo, which meant the proposal that happened next was caught on film!

And that's pretty much that! We had an amazing dinner, more ice cream, an amazing brunch the next day at Beaufort Grocery (you MUST go there if you're in town!), and then headed home. We wanted to wait to spread the news until we could tell my parents in person, which we did over the Fourth weekend, so now I'm so happy to be able to share the news with y'all!

Check back on Monday -- I'll be sharing a little bit more about my engagement ring!

You will probably want to watch this video...

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Let me know what you think! :)

Happy Fourth!

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I REALLY love America. I really do. And I'm so happy to be celebrating its independence with some of my favorite people in my favorite place in the world (Maine). I hope you all have plans to see some fireworks tonight!

101 in 1001: July 2011

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At the beginning of every month, I plan to write a short post covering what I accomplished in the previous month and what I hope to accomplish in the next one. I'll also introduce you to one of my 101 in 1001 buddies (see them all in the sidebar!). Here we go!

June 1, 2011: 7/101 goals complete, 25/101 goals in progress

Did I complete...
-- No. 20: Can or pickle some sort of vegetable? Nope, not yet.
-- No. 30: Try an unusual type of milk? YES! We tried almond milk. It was good, but because it's not as neutral a taste as regular cow milk, it's not so good with dinner. But it is fairly good with dessert and Cheerios at breakfast.
-- No. 70: Consult with a calligrapher and then buy real calligraphy supplies? YES! Although I fully admit to not knowing how to use them yet -- it is NOT as easy as you might guess!

Did I begin...
-- No. 53. Email an Adam Hamilton sermon to someone who might be interested? Nope, not yet.

Sadly, I was NOT able to keep up with all of my monthly commitments (nos. 5, 7, 16, and 48) -- I just wasn't able to make it to the animal shelter :(

Jose Villa

July 1, 2011: 11/101 goals complete, 24/101 goals in progress

Plan to begin:
-- No. 45: Read the New Testament
-- No. 82: Successfully dock a boat each summer at the Island
-- No. 84: Send news to The Quarterly at least once a year
-- No. 89: Jump off the dock at the Island once a year (Brrr!! It's going to be so coooold!)

Plan to continue:
-- No. 98: Read the entire Chronicles of Narnia series

Jose Villa

July Spotlight: Jenna of That Wife and Jenna Cole

You can catch up with Jenna's progress on her goals here! I think she did a fabulous job assembling her list, but my five favorites she's undertaking are:

-- Grow and use three varieties of herbs (YES! Everyone should have an herb garden -- so easy, and can save you a LOT of money!)
-- Join a fresh flowers CSA (This sounds like a dream!)
-- Sew a skirt
-- Build up a collection of Dr. Seuss books (May I suggest The Butter Battle Book?)
-- Buy red lipstick

In the meantime, you can see the details on all of my goals right here. Here's to a great month!