Monday, June 17, 2013
Giveaway: $50 gift certificate from chic lingerie brand Between the Sheets
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Chic collaboration: Saint James for Coach
Legacy Weekend Saint James Yarn Dyed XL Drawstring, $398
Are you a fan of nautical chic? If you are, you need to check out the fun collaboration of Coach and Saint James, available this Spring on Coach.com and in select Coach stores.
It is fun to hear how those in the media feel about the collaboration. Here is what Elle's Leah Melby had to say:
The meeting of two strong heritage brands proves to be a perfect example of fashion diplomacy.Melby makes a wonderful point. To paraphrase what the Saint James website says, "French brand Saint James originated the fisherman sweater as well as the 'nautical stripe' shirt as so many call this top in the U.S. It's name abroad is the 'Breton shirt' and it has been part of the French naval uniform since the mid-19th century. Saint James uses cotton jersey to create the Breton shirt. Each of the 21 stripes relate to a victory of Napoleon's French fleet against the British." Isn't that fascinating? The brand has existed for quite a long time, and through much change in France!
Saint James Drawstring Top, $158
The Harper's Bazaar staff wrote of the collaboration:
The new line [...] captures that nautical cool long favored by boldface names like Jean Seberg, Jeanne Moreau, and Audrey Hepburn.I agree that the line has a certain vintage-chic vibe to it. The collaboration is quite French-inspired. It is perfect for summertime and it veers strongly away from the bright colors and wild patterns that Coach has been known for in the past. The Saint James collaboration goes best when paired with Coach's most recent work, from the Legacy Collection. One could easily pair a top or bag from the collection with a simple pair of cropped pants, Keds, and put your hair up in a ponytail or with a headband. You'd look elegant but casual at the same time. Be sure to get a shirt or jacket for the man in your life, too (via GQ magazine)!
Saint James Sun Hat, $98
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Wedding Wednesday: Inspiration: Coco Rocha's wedding to James Cronan
Vogue UK, November 2010
Coco Rocha married interior designer James Cronan over the weekend of June 9, 2010 in a beautiful ceremony at the Chateau de Challain in the Loire Valley. I got engaged on June 13, 2010 and as soon as this video was made public in August of 2010 I knew I had one of my first major (recent) inspiration moments (I was inspired by many retro/vintage weddings of the past for a lot of my wedding details). Coco Rocha is an incredible model but she also does a lot of charity work in her free-time. She is one of those 'normal' celebrities that I love. She can pull off couture and a Zac Posen wedding gown, but at the end of the day she is family oriented. You will see that by checking out her incredible wedding video. Few models or celebrities in sight throughout the entire video (Behati Prinsloo was the only one I spotted!).
Photographed by Joshua Bright, Vogue, September 2010
{please note Zac Posen himself is on his knees adjusting this dress. What a hands-on couture badass!}
I also liked that Coco only had 70 guests, even though clearly she could have had many more people attending her wedding. Also, her makeup. Dramatic eyes and a lip - not too strong - but bright enough color to pick up in photographs. Her photo was one of a handful that I brought with me to Sephora when I had my makeup consultations prior to my own wedding. She is such a beautiful woman - fabulous skin!
Directed by: Gilbert Le
Wedding dress by: Zac Posen
Tuxedo Courtesy of: Dior Homme
Wedding Coordinator: Cynthia Nicholson
Second Unit Director: David Christopher Lee
Edited by: Gilbert Le
Camera Operator: Duc Nguyen
Production Coordinator: Lisa Nguyen
Production Assistant: Jeaniffer Hwang
Makeup: Liz Pugh for Rimmel London
Music playlist:
"Hallelujah" - Jeff Buckley
"Teen Angst" - M83
"Samskeyti" - Sigur Ros
"Carolyn's Fingers" - Cocteau Twins
"Lost" - The Mary Onettes
"In Paradisum" - Kings College, Cambridge
"Glasgow Love Theme" - Craig Armstrong
Friday, June 7, 2013
Southwest Airlines Vacations to Vegas!
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Southwest Airlines Vacations for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Ever since my amazing bachelorette trip to Las Vegas last August, Vegas has been on my mind on a regular basis. I have been wanting to have another Las Vegas Vacations adventure!
My big goal with my next trip to Vegas would be that I want to gamble more so I can go shopping. I go with X amount of money and then I normally end up not spending all of it. That is silly! I need to gamble, maybe get some comp upgrades, and spend the rest shopping! Going with my girlfriends again would be a great summer trip. Consider Vegas a gorgeous desert oasis that is calling my name. There are so many incredible shopping destinations in Vegas that I could spend hours in. Here are a few of my favorite shopping destinations:
- Via Bellagio (Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Prada, Van Cleef & Arpels)
- The Shoppes at the Palazzo (Barney's New York, Chloé, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg)
- Forum Shops at Caesars Palace (Versace, Dolce & Gabbana)
- The Shops at Cosmopolitan (Rag & Bone, AllSaints)
- Crystals (Tiffany & Co., Jimmy Choo, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton)
Amazing options right? While just looking and trying on is fun, I would love to actually make a few small purchases from these iconic brands and I know you fashionistas would, too! Imagine winning a bunch in the casino and grabbing your girlfriends for a major shopping expedition. What makes it all the easier? Knowing that your bags fly free! Wouldn't that be saving you a bundle.
As Southwest Airlines Vacations says,
Customize vacation packages to include flight, hotel, car rentals, show tickets, attractions passes, tours and more.
I think there are only a few places where I would actually bother to do a vacation package. One of them definitely is Vegas as there is so much to do and often it can be much more economical this way. If you are like me, you might have friends flung all over the place. You have a best friend in Los Angeles, another in Louisville, a few in Texas, and a couple in Chicago. No one is there in Vegas to help plan it all out. It would save a lot of headaches to just buy a trip package and see what Southwest Airlines Vacations suggests!
A simple search on the Southwest Airlines Vacations website tells me that if I did a package through their service, I could not only stay at the Bellagio but also earn 2 complimentary show tickets (as well as almost 4,000 Rapid Rewards points). The total amount including the hotel and flight, show tickets, and Rapid Rewards points is less than I spent on my last trip! Makes me feel silly having not tried this sooner.
You might be asking - free show tickets? Are they really free or is this like the whole Vegas condo/timeshare that is such a waste of time. No, the fine print states you really get complimentary show tickets. Here are the shows they just offered me:
-
Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil - ARIA Resort & Casino
-
KÀ by Cirque du Soleil - MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
-
The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil - The Mirage Hotel and Casino
-
Zumanity by Cirque du Soleil - New York-New York Hotel & Casino
-
Jabbawockeez - Luxor Hotel and Casino
-
Blue Man Group - Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
-
CRISS ANGEL’s Believe - Luxor Hotel and Casino
-
Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club - MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
-
Terry Fator - The Mirage Hotel and Casino
-
Tournament of Kings - Excalibur Hotel Casino
I honestly am impressed - seems like the best deal I have seen so far! I know I would love to see any of those Cirque du Soleil shows as well as maybe Blue Man Group again. I think seeing Zumanity by Cirque du Soleil would be a great thing to do with girlfriends after a long day of shopping! It is supposed to be pretty sultry in a fun burlesque and cabaret environment. I think I'd love to see it (with a bottle of champagne of course). Something not too serious - as I know it is quite different from all of the other Cirque shows I have seen.
Maybe you want to spend some time outdoors? I think a Pink Jeep Hoover Dam tour would be fun, as well as seeing the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead.
You all know I am a big fan of the Bellagio (seen on the left in the below photo) but I know many of you like Caesar's Palace, which is immediately behind and just to the right of the Bellagio in this photo. The sunsets in this desert setting are gorgeous - and the lights of Vegas just add to the atmosphere.
Clearly Southwest Airlines Vacations has the best deals on package Las Vegas Vacations!
Where would you stay and what would you do if you took a Southwest Airlines Vacations to Vegas?
Friday's Fancies #132: Serious Sunnies
These new tortoise folding Wayfarer Ray Bans are amazing! They take up a 3" x 1.5" x 2.5" section of my purse. The previous pair were about 3x that size. They fold in three spots on either half of the glasses - so six hinges total: the middle of the nose piece/bridge, the normal bend at the temple end piece, and then a hinged fold at the middle of the arm on either side. It is so impressive how sturdy they are - just like the original Wayfarer - and they don't randomly bend when you would not want them to do so. They still can be pushed up on top of your head as a convenient headband, and still come in many of the signature Wayfarer shades. I deliberately created this Polyvore set so you could see the price for the Foldable Ray Ban Wayfarer at retail. Mine was not steeply marked down on Belle & Clive - it was about $45 off but still a good savings!
Do you have this style of Ray Ban sunglasses? What color do you have?
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Wedding Wednesday: the rehearsal dinner
Our rehearsal dinner was such a fun event! My Mom and Dad hosted the dinner at their home on Trimble Ridge in Rockbridge County. Their home is on the top of the ridge and overlooks the Blue Ridge Parkway to one side:
[photo by Charlotte Woolf]
And House Mountain on the other:
[photo by Charlotte Woolf]
Mom used Wedding Paper Divas to create their fun and autumnal rehearsal dinner cards (with seasonal leaves!):
[sold here]
We invited family as well as everyone working the wedding and our entire wedding party. It was a lovely gathering of about 60 people. We decided to support local businesses for our rehearsal dinner and due to the formal seated dinner at our reception chose a more intimate and informal dinner for the rehearsal!
Mom and Dad had Beam Me Up BBQ cater our dinner with all the fixings. Cole slaw, beans, macaroni & cheese, brownies, lemonade, sweet tea. Mom and Dad purchased two kegs of beer from Blue Lab Brewing Company, and the guys took the leftovers to their 'party cabin' out in the county for M's Bachelor jam session (guitars and beer, his favorite thing). We also had Virginia red and white wines (my favorite is Barboursville Vineyards Pinot Grigio). Dad rented a tent, chairs, and heaters from Central Virginia Rental - they did a wonderful job not damaging my parents' gorgeous hardwood deck so we had the whole house open on a cool autumn night in October to make more entertainment space. M, T (my sister's husband), and Dad strung lights along the inside and top of the tents, and we also placed candles down each of the tables. Mom purchased autumnal fabric and hemmed them into table cloths. It really was quite lovely and low-key. Many people had flown in or driven all day (NJ, GA, FL) to arrive prior to the wedding and this helped them relax into their long weekend!
Photo dump below from Charlotte Woolf Photography:
People loved the food and the atmosphere. The space heaters meant people were dining under the stars and lights and getting to know one-another. We had a brisk breeze coming around one corner of the house and no one really noticed it. People imbibed and ate to their hearts content and moved around to continue to meet new people or catch up with old friends. It was perfect.
Did you hold a formal Rehearsal Dinner the night before your wedding? Or did you err on the more casual side to keep things light the night before your big day? What are you brides-to-be planning to do?
[photo by Charlotte Woolf]
And House Mountain on the other:
[photo by Charlotte Woolf]
Mom used Wedding Paper Divas to create their fun and autumnal rehearsal dinner cards (with seasonal leaves!):
[sold here]
We invited family as well as everyone working the wedding and our entire wedding party. It was a lovely gathering of about 60 people. We decided to support local businesses for our rehearsal dinner and due to the formal seated dinner at our reception chose a more intimate and informal dinner for the rehearsal!
Mom and Dad had Beam Me Up BBQ cater our dinner with all the fixings. Cole slaw, beans, macaroni & cheese, brownies, lemonade, sweet tea. Mom and Dad purchased two kegs of beer from Blue Lab Brewing Company, and the guys took the leftovers to their 'party cabin' out in the county for M's Bachelor jam session (guitars and beer, his favorite thing). We also had Virginia red and white wines (my favorite is Barboursville Vineyards Pinot Grigio). Dad rented a tent, chairs, and heaters from Central Virginia Rental - they did a wonderful job not damaging my parents' gorgeous hardwood deck so we had the whole house open on a cool autumn night in October to make more entertainment space. M, T (my sister's husband), and Dad strung lights along the inside and top of the tents, and we also placed candles down each of the tables. Mom purchased autumnal fabric and hemmed them into table cloths. It really was quite lovely and low-key. Many people had flown in or driven all day (NJ, GA, FL) to arrive prior to the wedding and this helped them relax into their long weekend!
Photo dump below from Charlotte Woolf Photography:
People loved the food and the atmosphere. The space heaters meant people were dining under the stars and lights and getting to know one-another. We had a brisk breeze coming around one corner of the house and no one really noticed it. People imbibed and ate to their hearts content and moved around to continue to meet new people or catch up with old friends. It was perfect.
Did you hold a formal Rehearsal Dinner the night before your wedding? Or did you err on the more casual side to keep things light the night before your big day? What are you brides-to-be planning to do?
Friday, May 31, 2013
Friday's Fancies #131: Winning in White
Does anyone else love tennis season? It is a great reason to be outdoors and to enjoy the beautiful weather! I am a traditionalist - I love wearing my whites and letting off some steam at the end of a long week. Even if I am just using the backboard I feel so good sweating it out. Anyone else think tennis whites are super chic?
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Wedding Wednesday: wedding invitations
We were so happy with the custom Save the Dates from Wedding Paper Divas that we decided to continue to use the company for our wedding invitations.
My family is incredibly traditional when it comes to paper products. Sounds silly, but it is true. Particularly for formal events - no silliness here! So, M and I made a short list of rules for our invitations before I started delving into the 650+ invitation options that Wedding Paper Divas offered:
We ended up choosing flat cards which both are from William Arthur. The method on both orders was thermography. The color of ink is called "TH Gold" as the ink basically looks like it is elegantly embedded into the paper. We did pay for my parents' home address to be placed on the front of the reply envelope and on the back flap of the invitation envelope using the same thermography gold method. This saved a lot of time in terms of calligraphy. It also made it easier to read for others, etc.
The invitation suite is called Precious Perimeter:
[sold here]
We chose it as it reminded us stylistically of the engraved invitations my parents used at their wedding, and the reply card and reception card were not too showy as well. Pretty dull compared to others we have seen, but we were happy with the timeless look of this set.
Reply card:
Reception card:
I think if I had any tips for future brides it would be to make the time to take a calligraphy class if you are going to write out your own invitations to guests. Be sure to maintain both a paper and Excel spreadsheet including full (formal) names, addresses, number of people in family (particularly when including children in events) and back up the spreadsheet (I had mine also saved to my Google Drive so I could access it anywhere!). It is dumb to be OCD (even if you do, actually have OCD like me) and not request members of your bridal party to assist in at least assembling the invitations. My Dad, M, and Mom helped me but I should have asked my cousin to come over, for example! Just let go from (Martha Stewart-style) perfection.
Did you have a hard time choosing stationery for your wedding? Do you enjoy ordering personalized stationery to use for 'snail mail' still?
My family is incredibly traditional when it comes to paper products. Sounds silly, but it is true. Particularly for formal events - no silliness here! So, M and I made a short list of rules for our invitations before I started delving into the 650+ invitation options that Wedding Paper Divas offered:
1. No photos
2. Traditional/Vintage design style
3. No themes
4. Standard "wedding" stamps could be used [see the one we chose here]
5. Off-white or white paper of at least 110 lb.
6. An ink color other than black, but nothing too unique that it would downgrade the formality of our wedding.
7. Coordinated thematically with our Save the Date cards:
[sold here]
We ended up choosing flat cards which both are from William Arthur. The method on both orders was thermography. The color of ink is called "TH Gold" as the ink basically looks like it is elegantly embedded into the paper. We did pay for my parents' home address to be placed on the front of the reply envelope and on the back flap of the invitation envelope using the same thermography gold method. This saved a lot of time in terms of calligraphy. It also made it easier to read for others, etc.
The invitation suite is called Precious Perimeter:
[sold here]
We chose it as it reminded us stylistically of the engraved invitations my parents used at their wedding, and the reply card and reception card were not too showy as well. Pretty dull compared to others we have seen, but we were happy with the timeless look of this set.
Reply card:
Reception card:
I think if I had any tips for future brides it would be to make the time to take a calligraphy class if you are going to write out your own invitations to guests. Be sure to maintain both a paper and Excel spreadsheet including full (formal) names, addresses, number of people in family (particularly when including children in events) and back up the spreadsheet (I had mine also saved to my Google Drive so I could access it anywhere!). It is dumb to be OCD (even if you do, actually have OCD like me) and not request members of your bridal party to assist in at least assembling the invitations. My Dad, M, and Mom helped me but I should have asked my cousin to come over, for example! Just let go from (Martha Stewart-style) perfection.
Did you have a hard time choosing stationery for your wedding? Do you enjoy ordering personalized stationery to use for 'snail mail' still?
Friday, May 24, 2013
Friday's Fancies #130: Memorial Day Weekend
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