Its finally feels like spring is here! My cherry tree is blooming, the daffodils are out, and all I want to do is host a fun, springtime, brunch.

We could play lawn bowling and sport our cutest wellies.

Then I’d set the table with a simple taupe runner on an old beat up white table. I’d serve a menu of quiches along with a platter of fantastic cheese. I’d use loads of potted plants for decor (economical and a great hostess gift) and serve champagne. Aww, springtime…

Images from top: 1. & 2. Anna Skoog 3. Atlanta Bartlett

This inspiration board was inspired by the girl sitting by the window. I love the flowers in her hair, the open window, and I can totally picture her as a carefree relaxed bride. The wedding would feature a garden fresh menu, tons of sweets, flower girls in marabou skirts, and bunches of fresh tulips will decorate the tables.

Description: Playful, colorful, garden wedding

Images from left to right, top to bottom: {Row 1} 1. Lisa Lefkowitz 2. Laurence Pasquier 3. Helen Norman 4. Anna Skoog {Row 2} 1. Rose Hammick 2. Anna Skoog 3. Jose Villa {Row 3} 1. Anna Williams 2. Corrie Bond 3. Sandra Lane

Stoked. Check it out here.

Just in case you missed the post at The City Sage, I thought I’d share some of my favorite photos from my Valentine’s Day table.

Anne from The City Sage asked me to create a cheap, chic table that her readers could replicate at home. Since I’m not in red roses, I decided to pick a color scheme based on two sources: 1. The wall in my kitchen is painted a super saturated orange, so I figured why fight what’s already there! 2. Pink Depression Glass. I had been looking at pink depression glass for another project and I thought it would be perfectly cheery paired with the orange. Better yet, Anne, unknown to me, has a thing for pink depression glass and sent me her dinner and salad plates for the shoot.

Once I had the color scheme set, the decor was easy. Anytime anybody mentions Valentine’s Day to me, all I think about is the copious amounts of chocolate I eat (my hubbie and I generally kill a one pound box of See’s nuts and chews). So I thought using chocolate for decor would be perfect– cheap, easy, and delicious! I used stemless wine glasses and martini glasses that I already owned and then I bought some pink depression glasses on ebay ($10 for 5).

The piece de resistance, though was the woven crepe paper table cloth. For a whopping $3 bucks the look is chic, but easy to copy and so darn cheap. I started by cutting all the long and short pieces. Then I laid out the long pieces and taped the crepe paper to the edge of the table and placed books about halfway down the table. Then I started to weave my colors. After the first section was complete I glued all the intersection with a glue stick. I then repeated the process on the last half of the table.

I have pegboard in my kitchen which I usually hang my pots and pans on (1920’s cottage = pathetic amount of storage space). I took off the pots and used cut carnations to make a heart (it is Valentine’s Day after all).

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I hope you’ve been inspired! Big thanks to Anne for asking me to contribute and to Tim Halberg who shot all the photos!

For this inspiration board, I used shades of purple, for light lavender to plum, with touches of pink for contrast. I picture this wedding taking place in the springtime, a dachshund would serve as ring bearer and walk with a pretty flower girl. The tables would be dressed in a lavender linen with shades of purple for the flowers to create a cohesive look.

Description: Purple, lavendar, plum, bits of pink

Images from left to right, top to bottom: {Row 1} 1. Meg Smith 2. Beatriz da Costa 3. Isabel Lawrence Photographers 4. Apertura {Row 2} 1. Ellen Silverman 2. Polly Wreford 3. Bucru Avsar 4. Amy Chin { Row 3} 1. Erin Swift 2. Beatriz da Costa 3. Nicolette Camille

Happy Weekend! I’m hoping to enjoy a few cups of these, finally crack open the new Martha Stewart Wedding magazine that I’ve been saving for weeks, and, weather permitting,  take a long walk with the puppy.

And, oh yes, do check out this fabulous new blog find: The Brass Petal. Written by Emily Henderson, prop stylist extraordinaire, its about her adventures stylist and what she thinks works and doesn’t work. And oh yes, talk about pretty pictures galore. I found it through The City Sage. Go.read.it.now.

To me, there is nothing more glamorous than a delicate tea cup filled with jewelry. Paired with soft pink peonies or roses, the look is just darn pretty.

Of course you’ll need an equally fabulous vanity to hold these jems.

Images from top: Left. Chris Everard Right: Sandra Lane 2. Polly Wreford 3. Jo Tyler all via Sarah Kaye

On this particularly gray day in Santa Barbara (its raining like crazy here, there’s even a water spout warning), I need some rich, saturated color, preferable in the form of a good, old-fashioned hard cover book.

They’re all  so pretty, I wish they were on my bookshelf right now.

And to go with them, how adorable are the mugs? I want to collect them all!

Images: 1. Ingrid Ramussen 2. via Little Parchment and you can buy the mugs here

The inspiration for this board was this beautiful shot of spools of thread by Dasha Wright. I love the shades of light and dark pink next to each other. I picture this wedding taking place in the peak of summer, cold strawberry beverages would be served to guests and a refreshing pink sorbet would be the perfect palate cleanser after a BBQ themed dinner. Dahlias in shades of dark and light pink would grace the tables and would add bit of modern touch with their structured blooms.

Description: Fuchsia, pink, dahlias, mid summer time bbq wedding

Images from left to right, top to bottom: {Row 1} 1. i.Anton 2. Rachael Papo 3. Vallentyne Photography {Row 2} 1. Lisa Lefkotwitz 2. Alexandrra Grablewski 3. Katie Moos 4. Cooke Studio {Row 3} 1. Trine Thorsen 2. Dasha Wright 3. Ellie Miller

I’ve been obsessed with this photo for almost two years now. I love the saturated colors of the rock candy against that soft blue backdrop and the angle at which the photo was taken. Divine. Photo by Gemma Comas.

Happy 2010 everyone! To kick things off, I though a suitably glamorous board would do the trick. For inspiration I used this lovely vignette above. Its so glamorous, chic and the feather caplet is so amazing, I just had to do an inspiration board based on it. I picture this wedding taking place at an elegant and historic venue. The color palette would have touches of mint, pink and metallic would pop against a creamy white.The bride would be uber fashion conscious with a couture gown and the groom would wear tails. Guests, would be served champagne cocktails and sport fabulous hats and gloves.

Description: Glamorous, elegant, mint, pink, white

Images from left to right, top to bottom: {Row 1} 1. Leo Patrone 2. Jo Tyler 3. Gemma Comas {Row 2} 1. Polly Wreford 2. Yunhee Kim 3. Kelli Jo’s Flikr 4. Lisa Lefkowitz {Row 3} 1. Lisa Warninger 2. Jim Franco 3. via {a glamourous little side project} photo by Carl Bengtsson

I’m loving these oversized, moody flowers by Emersonmade. These would work any day or as an accent to a wedding or bridesmaids dress.

And these are the cutest little boutonnieres I’ve seen in a  while.

You can even decorate your packages with them!

I love these delicate felt flower brooches by A Alicia.

They also come in gray and coral. I think they could make the perfect accent for a bridesmaids dress, wedding dress, or even worn with a white t-shirt with a pair of jeans.

Oh yes, and they even have flowers for your hair. Lovely.

Photos via A Alicia.

I’m so excited to share with you the fashion from Wendy’s wedding! Take it away Wendy:

The ceremony was inspired by a short film in Akira Kurasawa’s “Dreams”; the fox wedding.  –Have you seen this?  The music played was Michael Nyman’s “String Quartet No.2: 3.III”, which is more unusual but beautiful; when it started, the bridesmaids and I started the long walk from behind the hill top to the top of the aisle.

The girls were instructed to keep their parasols down over their faces, and to walk tightly in pairs of 2 (except for my sister in the lead).  Guests had no idea I was in the back of this long, colorful train.

One by one, they peeled off down the aisle (folding up their parasol and trading it with my dad for their appropriate bouquet), and then stood along the side of the chairs instead of in the front front. The flower girls tossed pink carnation petals, which I liked because they kind of remind me of peach blossoms (again, an inspiration from Kurasawa’s “Dreams”).

When it was finally my turn, I kept my triangular-shaped white parasol over my face until the right moment in the music and, like the others, closed it and took my bouquet from my dad and walked down the aisle with him.

Thank you for sharing Wendy!

Vendors:

Makeup: Makeup by Tilly

Hair: Ashleigh Wests at 19 Blue Salon

Bride’s dress & shoes: Giusepe Papini

Bridesmaids dresses: Alvina Valenta

Parasols: Luna Bazaar

Personal Training: Casey Pfeifer for Innate Wellness Center (highly, highly recommended by Wendy)

I need a fabulous armoire like this for all my bedding.

Crystal handles, pearls, hand painted details– clearly this is meant for me.

Images: 1. Jo Tyler 2. Chris Everard