Tablescape and Florals with my friend Cass

I posted this on my photography blog but I wanted to share the loveliness here also.

One Saturday in July my friend Cass and I got together at my house and used teapots from the Goodwill, flowers from the produce market, and my antique china and stemware to create a tablescape.

I must say Cass out did herself for throwing this together in an afternoon.

Sources

Teapots : Good Will

Linen : Napkins from Etsy and Tablecloth from Crate and Barrel purchased two years ago.

China :  Antique - my husband's great grandmother's china

Stemware: Inherited from my grandmother

Silverware : Sourced from Bed, Bath, and Beyond a couple of years ago

Candles: Ikea purchased last year

Cass at work opening up the roses.

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Inspiration from Mrs. Obama

Michelle Obama wore a similar dress to a celebration honoring Paul McCartney with the Gershwin Prize.

I am trying to rationalize purchasing it for myself even though I have no where to wear it.

Do you think its a bit much to wear just around the house?

Byron Lars Silk Charmeuse Dress in Grey & Blush - $316 at Carina New York

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San Fransico Sneak Peek Photo

Sneak Peek of a photo from our recent vacation to San Fransico.

1. Yes I am wearing a cat hat.
2. My husband didn't want to take the picture.
3. Husband hates the cat hat.
4. Cat hat came in handy since it was so cold and windy.
5. Cat hat is Kick A** Adorable.

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Back from vacation and totally inspired

Roe and I are back after a week in beautiful and chilly San Fransico.  I have over 700 photos to go through and edit from our trip! Quite a task ahead of me.  But before I share with you any of our photos, which quite frankly may take me a while to go through, I want to share with you images from an artist whose gallery we came across in Sonoma during our wine country tour. Both Roe and I are were totally captivated by her images with their bold vivid color and their ability to capture the beauty of everyday people and moments from other cultures.  We walked through the gallery and around every turn you could hear us utter "WOW" in hushed tones. There are very few artists whose work moves me enough to say that I want one of their pieces, but with Lisa Kristine I want all of her pieces! After visiting the gallery Roe and I have decided to save to invest in one of her larger prints.  I am so excited about the prospect of on day owning one of her works.

I highly encourage you to take a stop by her website  and view her visually stunning work, and if you are so lucky to be in the Sonoma area also pay a visit to her gallery.

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Oh Jack how I long for thee

Since the weather has gotten warmer my longing for a little canine companion has just gotten stronger. My husband and I went to a breeder this past winter after falling in love with two little King Charles Cavalier  spaniels we saw on our honeymoon. We decided to hold off on getting the new addition to our family till we move to our next house (which will fingers crossed be early next year and which is a whole bowl of anxiety since we have to get through selling our current home first). And even though we don't have our puppy yet I have already decided on a name and am anxiously waiting on the day when we can enjoy walks, cuddle together, and I will have his little anxious face greet me at the door.

So until that day comes Gentleman Jack  just know there is someone longing for you with an excited and loving heart.

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Simple Summer Pleasure

Ahhhhh refreshing!

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Fueling My Bag and Etsy obsession

I have an obsession with etsy and an obsession with bags. So I squel with delight when I am able to merge both.

I blogged about Boopa Loopa a couple of weeks ago after thinking her bags were perfect for travel and stuffing all your goodies and distractions needed for a flight. I am always looking for something striking and different  for a travel bag and for something that can haul a lot of my stuff  (Kindle, magazines, snacks, medicine, etc). This bag did not disappoint.

Peta (owner of Boopa Loop)a makes the bags from vintage fabrics and they are truly one of a kind. I was so pleased to hear that I have one of only two and the other is with someone in Ireland. How tres exclusive!

I couldn't wait for our trip to San Fran later this month and I have been rocking it around Philly for the past 2 weeks.  I secretly take pleasure in saying "It's from Amsterdam and I have the only one in the States." (Yes I have an inner snob. LOL)

Pictured here fresh out of the packaging when it arrived 2 weeks ago.

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Garden Update : What's Blooming Now

So the garden is in full swing and after weeks of hydrangeas the cone flowers are making their appearance.  I will now be inundated with echinacea, black-eyed susans, and rudbeckia till September.  The great part about them is they attract a multitude of butterflies, bees, and the most adorable little yellow birds. I am now waiting for my butterfly bushes to come in to really see the explosion of butterflies in the garden.

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Mommy's Birthday

Last week I had a birthday celebration for my mother and a group of her closest friends at XIX in the Bellevue Hyatt. I had originally intended to do a large celebration next year for mommy's 60th, however, given the health scares this year and stress of my grandmother's illness I thought it would be nice to do something special this year. The older I get the more I realize how important it is to value the time we have now with loved ones because time is so precious and short. Mommy and I have not alway been close especially during my teenage years but I can truly say that I know that she has always given me unconditional love, been unselfish and self sacrificing for me,  and I know no matter what she will always be there. So it was sooooo very special for me to host a luncheon in her honor.  And each one of my mom's friends are such lovely and warm woman. I've known most of these ladies my whole life and they have seen me grow from infancy to who I am now. I can only hope that I can mature as gracefully as they have. Don't they all look fab!

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Dilemma

So I finally found a writing desk for our living room after hemming and hawing for 2 months.

Problem its from West Elm.

Why is that a problem?

Because I redeemed a boat load of Amex points for a hefty gift card to Crate and Barrel, swearing we would get a desk from there.

Can you hear me banging my head against the wall right now?

Here is the a pic of the culprit. Now to bite the bullet and buy it.

Ok So what should I get with the CB gift card?

Maybe a chair - but the one I want is from Ballard!

Can't win for trying.

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My visit with an old friend in Brooklyn

The other weekend I was able to ride the train up to New York and spend the weekend with one of my oldest and dearest friends from college. I met Toya my first week of college and while we are soooo different in so many ways, we feel comfortable around each other and can talk for hours and hours when we are together. I love visiting her and her little family, her girls are so adorable and sweet, plus I get the opportunity to always see some cool site in NY. This trip was no different and we swung by the Brooklyn Flea Market. Though not large in size it is jammed pack with goodies. I found one vendor that made furniture from reclaimed wood (barns, doors, etc) and was so disappointed when I learned that they don't ship. Me and hubby would have to rent a truck and drive to NY to buy any of their items. And I am seriously debating it since they were so beautiful (And like a num-num forgot to snap a pic of any of their booth.) 

And you know me being a big foodie I had to stop and get great food. We went to Cafe Habana Post in Brooklyn for hands down the best frozen mojito and cuban sandwiches anywhere. Oh my gosh I am drooling thinking about them. YUM.

Oh and in case you are wondering all pics were taken with my 35mm lens and the Nikon D90.

Enjoy!

There were tons of vintage Coach bags at the flea market. I mean everywhere! Maybe they are a hot item right now. Oh how I wanted to snag one. These were the bags when Coach only made leather and they were sturdy as hell.

My friend Toya taking my picture. Something that rarely happens these days since I took up photography.

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Loveliness is Abound

Right now loveliness is abound in the garden and I have vases of these all around the house. What a lovely sight to wake up to.

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I missed my anniversary

I missed my anniversary and didn't even realize it! It just struck me when I was talking to my friend Cass tonight about our plans for a photoshoot and I had to reference something on the blog and came across this.

Last month this time marked 6 months of me owning a Nikon DSLR. It was the anniversary of when I committed myself to learning photography as a "serious hobby".  Sometimes I get  soooooo frustrated that my photography is not where I want it to be and I get discouraged when I see the great work of so many other photographers. But I have to take a step back and look at how far I have come. I've gotten to this point by just rolling up my sleeves and digging in and committing myself to learning. And quite frankly I never thought one little inanimate object like a camera could change my life so much. I have never had anything light a fire in me like photography. I feel so blessed to be able to pursue something that I love and gives me and others so much joy. I am looking forward to where photography takes me in the next 6 months because it has taken me oh so far already.

For now I leave you with a photo I took around my "anniversary" at the Shoot the Shot Workshop I attended hosted by Isabel March.

And if you want you can follow my photography journey over at Girl Photography.

And yes this was totally a post giving myself a pat on the back. Hey we all need one every once in a while ;)

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Great Find : Emerson Made=Pretty Loveliness

I came across this great find at a recent bridal show I attended. I don't think you have to be a bride to find these darling for everyday.

Go check out the Emerson Made website to see more loveliness.

All shot with a Nikon D3000, 35mm, f2, ISO 400

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Philadelphia Weddingbee Meetup at Silk City

When I was planning my wedding I was a BIG time reader of Weddingbee.com, so I was thrilled to hear that a Philly meetup was occurring for all the area readers and Bees. The location was Silk City, a diner that has been around for ages, however, with the addition of the Beer Garden and a snazzy take on traditional diner faves Silk City is one of the best spots in the city for brunch. We lounged outside chatting it up sipping Bloody Marys and mimosas. Though I am 9 months out from my wedding I still occasionally stop over to weddingbee and read the updates and post a comment here and there. For all of you newly engaged gals who haven't discovered weddingbee.com head on over and check it out. I swear that it is super helpful to any bride and also crazy addictive.

flamingred - she came looking so chic and stylish, very SATC

Bee readers will recognize this lady. It's Mrs. Cupcake!

Flamingred's bridesmaid came out too.

Bee reader danadelphia.

PS All photos taken with a 35mm lens, edited in Lightroom, sharpened with Pioneer Woman's action in PSE. If you want to see the other settings go over to my Flickr stream and click the properties link for the photo.

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