the search begins

i have slowly begun the search for bridesmaids dresses for my upcoming wedding in september. since it will still be warm and not quite fall i think dresses that are a mix of golds, ivories, and dusty pinks might be pretty. when i saw the above photo in martha stewart weddings i fell in love.

below are some options i've found which are a little closer to my price range. the 1st one is from Forever 21 and is only only $22.80! the 2nd from anthropologie is on sale for $100.00

suprise!

i was surprised the other day with an early christmas present! my plan this year is to give cookies to all my friends and family. Next on the list is to stop admiring it and start using it, i've got work to do!

cupcake love.

even the worst day can suddenly become better when someone surprises you with a box of these when you get home.

a new addition to my christmas list

when i was little i used to have a crayola fashion design kit. it had stencils of different bodies and pages and pages of clothes that you could trace on them. my favorite was always adding the shoes and hair and coloring in the finished product. that kit would keep me occupied for hours and i still think about it to this day, needless to say i was so excited when i saw this on cup of jo this morning.

From the company's website:

"Our fun, functional and one-of-a-kind Fashionflat Sketchpad is the must-have tool for aspiring and professional fashion designers. This 40-page pad contains preprinted, proportional female croquis outlines that disappear on photocopying or scanning so you can effortlessly create professional, accurate flats of your imaginative designs. With the Hokey Croquis Fashionflat Sketchpad, you can design your prom gown, fashion portfolio, college application, or design project efficiently. Effectively. Gorgeously".

pretty pastels

color has been on my mind all day today as i spent my day at work writing about winter color palettes. when i saw this color story on once wed i fell in love! it is so soft and pretty and could really be used all year round.

girl crush

we love natalie portman, doesn't she look amazing in lanvin on the january cover of marie claire?

winter wonderland

In order to get further into the Christmas spirit we spent sunday night wandering around beverly hills checking out all the amazing window displays. since we both work in visual display it is always so exciting to see what has been created for the holiday season. we didn't have our camera with us but are lucky enough that our amazing friend from Lolita Loves It was there to capture our favorites. check out her blog for more photos and lots of other pretty things.

this one's for the boys

saturday i spent the day milling around the century city mall, here in los angeles, shopping/doing research for a few christmas gifts. now, i know sometimes men can be hard to shop for...especially the ones that seem to have everything already...so if you're looking for something classic and timeless, here it is! this shaving set from the art of shaving will last your man practically a lifetime. the engraved shaving set is the most luxury one they offer..however, there are other sets and kits that are priced more reasonably and still incredibly nice. the tools are nickel-plated, and the brush is made from silver tip badger hair--which i learned is the best hair for shaving brushes, as it retains heat & absorbs the least amount of water than any other hair. interesting fact of the day. :)

christmas cupcake

so one of the things i love to give for the holidays are ornaments..sometimes i wrap them up as a gift, and sometimes i attach them to a ribbon to tie around a pretty package. i wanted to find a cupcake ornament for my friend who loves them--to make and to eat. :) there were so many choices when i did a google search, but i think these ones in the little glass cases are adorable!! definitely my favorite so far! i found them at shelleybhomeandholiday.com.

new store alert!

rifle paper co. has just launched its new online shop. i love their holiday cards and can't wait to see their wedding announcements and invitations. these holiday postcards are my favorite but i think i would have a hard time giving them up.

i love bright red lipstick on other people but i have always assumed it wasn't for me. well i took the plunge this weekend, marched up to the mac make-up counter and got a tube. i wore it for my engagement photos last night and am now sold. above are photos from the rockstar diaries and wiksten made that inspired this risky behavior :)

merry making

so i realize that it was just thanksgiving but i can't wait any longer to start getting ready for christmas. kate spade items are always on my gift list and i couldn't resist posting their 20 ways to merry-make

i think i will make my own list this weekend.

the most wonderful time of the year

the holidays are officially here! and we have officially started our Christmas shopping. we are not big fans of crazy crowds, so needless to say, we avoided the brick and mortar stores this weekend. but that's one of the best parts of shopping online..no crowds!! this year we are all about giving original, handmade gifts. if you've read our blog in the past, you've probably noticed how much we post about artisan entrepreneurs and their creations. so in support of them, and as fellow entrepreneurs, their amazing talents will be the gifts we give this year. this plate, by clay artist rae dunn, is one that we just ordered for our sister. we are so in love with it, we may just be tempted to keep it for ourselves...but we won't :)

much to be thankful for

happy thanksgiving everyone! today we are most thankful for all our friends and amazing families. life has been good to us this past year, and we feel so blessed for all our successes and for the special people who have come into our lives. and thank you to all of our readers. we hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving day, and if you're elsewhere in the world, just a wonderful day! :)

bake-off wednesday

one more day til thanksgiving! today we will be baking away to prepare desserts for a friend's dinner. up our sleeve is a creamy pumpkin cheesecake that we make every year, and some delicious oatmeal-cranberry cookies that are always a hit. is anyone else cooking/baking today?? we'd love to hear what your fave dishes are for the holidays..please share! :)

pillow talk

while snooping around on etsy today, i discovered olive's shop. she offers adorable handmade made pillows, greeting cards, and other home decor items. i fell in love with this telephone throw pillow named "it's for you". --too cute!! right now she also has a number of holiday items that are so sweet and whimsical, and would make great gifts for a friend, or yourself!!

happy friday!

via ffffound

what are your plans for the weekend?

technical difficulties

i hope everyone is having a great week so far! blogger has been giving me some issues and not letting me post any pictures for the last few days, hopefully it will clear up soon and i can get back to regular posting!

my heart belongs to rome..

as i am once again packing for a work trip, my mind is wandering to all the places i'd rather be going. rome will forever and always be number one on my list. ever since i went there 5 years ago, i've been yearning to get back. i will argue tooth and nail that rome maintains the most delicious food, most beautiful architecture, and the best museums on the planet. if you're thinking of traveling to europe and have not yet been to rome, i highly recommend you spend a little time there. i found a great website that helps you plan your travel to italy if you're interested. click here.

secret messages

here are some lovely little messages we saw while on ffffound the other day.

braids and buns

i'm a bit tired of my hair, so i've been trying to think of some new ways to wear it. the braided style above is so pretty but seems a little complicated, i think i'll start with the messy bun. i'll give them both a try and let you know how it goes.

braided style from martha stewart weddings

messy bun via a cup of jo

s'mores!

growing up my parents would sometimes let us roast marshmallows in the fireplace and make s'mores, so it's no wonder i'm in love with this favor. now all i need is to think of an excuse to make these.

only a few weeks late...

we know we are very late with this, but we couldn't help but share it. we can all save it for next year.

via ilovelolliblog

love love love

wouldn't you love to be there to watch that happen? preferably from safely inside.

Directed by: Nicolai Fuglsig
Music by: Jose Gonzalez "heartbeats"

sniffing around...

our latest obsession: aromatherapy. we love lighting candles, especially during the winter. so, we are on a search for the best smelling, most relaxing candle. our friend recently suggested this candle by burn. we like the idea of it, although it is a tad pricey at $60. we'd love to hear your suggestions for the best candle on a budget!

layers and layers

i want to looks like these girls this fall.
via the sartorialist

candlelit dinner anyone?

as the holidays near, we can't help but think about the decor for our thanksgiving and christmas dinners. our latest wish is to have these boot candlestick holders from patch nyc at the center of our table. for us, they add just the right amount of whimsy while still being elegant. patch nyc creates amazing, beautiful, and original decorative items for the home. we are excited at the thought of being able to afford it one day. :)

happy friday!

photo via ffffound

we are so glad it's the weekend! what are your plans?
we will be:

catching up on sleep
finishing up our costumes and showing them off at a party
catching up with a visiting friend
cleaning the apartment then starting a new crafting project and messing it up all over again!

so close!

friday is almost here! it has been one long week and we can not wait for two whole days off. i'm sure everyone will be busy celebrating halloween but wouldn't you love to also go to a party that looks like this?

i've seem to misplaced the source for these photos, i'll post it asap!

day one million of our online shopping addiction

here are a few highlights from today's perusing of shopbop.com:

karen zambos vintage couture selma dress

elizabeth and james feather across the hand ring

foley + corinna zipper bag

what do you heart??

we heart this necklace by elsie belle. we also really do heart tea..peppermint green tea is probably our favorite. how about you??

fifi forever

i've been following fifi lapin's blog for a couple of years now and even have the print above hanging in my apartment. so you can imagine how excited i was this past weekend to see this shirt at forever 21's heritage store, so excited that i may have bought it right then and there.

below are some shirts from fifi's line with online store delias.

happy friday!

happy friday everyone! what are your plans for the weekend? for us it includes:

a trip home to visit friends and family
a day of crafting
wedding dress shopping
and hopefully a little relaxing

see you monday!