pinspiration: a farmhouse Easter

Maybe it's the copious amounts of Fixer Upper I've been watching lately (it's the perfect thing when I'm in preggo nesting mode, but too tired to actually clean or work on my own house), but I'm really feeling a farmhouse-inspired theme for Easter this year!

I'm so inspired by the cobalt and terra cotta tones in this very Anthropologie-esque vignette from House By Hoff.

How cool are the Rae Dunn inspired Easter eggs from DIY Beautify?

Using temporary tattoos to decorate eggs is one of those ideas I'd never think of - Lia Griffith is so creative!

To make your holiday extra special, here's a playlist that would be the perfect background music for a farmhouse brunch:

pinspiration: fiesta forever

Since school starts next week for us, I have to remind myself that it is still actually summer. I'm going to be intentional about this - that means sitting on the patio after school, going to local festivals on the weekends, and crashing my sister-in-law's pool as much as possible. Another thing that's definitely going to remind me that summer is still in full force? The heat! It's still in the 90's here in Virginia and very, very humid. Finally, the Rio Olympics begin tomorrow with the Opening Ceremonies, and I'll get to feed my Olympics obsession. Four years ago, as the London Olympics drew to a close, I celebrated the Closing Ceremonies by experimenting with some Brazilian recipes - my favorites were the pan fried herbed pork chops, hearts of palm and avocado salad, and avocado-coconut milkshake. I also did one of my one and only fashion DIYs - my Olympics Ring tie-dyed shirt. This year, I'm thinking I'll be a little less literal with my Olympics-inspired fashion: instead of a shoutout to Baron de Coubertin, I'll be incorporating some Rio-inspired colors into my wardrobe, like this summer's Pantone pick, fiesta red. For this week's Pinspiration, I've also thrown in a Joni Mitchell quote because my 70's obsession, like the humidity, isn't going away any time soon.

Will you be watching the Rio Olympics Opening Ceremonies tomorrow night?

summer color: inspiration for a driftwood and coral wedding

Today, I wanted to share one of my all time favorite summer wedding inspiration post! This one first appeared on the blog back in 2012. I still love the muted colors and gentle seaside theme.

Most of the time, I try not to be too literal with the themes in my wedding inspiration posts.  But "driftwood" gray was just begging for some beachy details, and some actual driftwood... and my foray into the wedding blogosphere became a lesson in giving in to distraction.  From driftwood I wandered to beach grass, lanterns, and shades of coral, slate, and succulent green.  While this post was inspired by gray, it's hard for me to brainstorm for an event that isn't filled with color!  For what it's worth, I still tried to keep it more evocative of a beach destination rather than in-your-face beach themey.

Wedding Paper Divas

Ruffled

Destination brides are blessed when it comes to bridal 

portraiture.  How about a shoot on a boat in the harbor?

Style Me Pretty 1 | 2

A beach wedding calls for candlelight.

Green Wedding Shoes

Another example of the mismatched bridesmaids' dress

trend done right; I love the muted colors in this photo.

Style Me Pretty

The succulents and eucalyptus make this bouquet so interesting.

A Low Country Wedding

Don't these paper lanterns look like sea anemones from below?

Rehearsal Dinner Guide | Pinterest

For a beach destination wedding, I think it's important 

that centerpieces fit the setting without making it look

 like Captain Jack Sparrow is on the guest list.

This Modern Romance

The Knot

Flavored sea salt would be a nice favor for guests to take home

 from a beach wedding - here's how to make your own.

Have you been lucky enough to attend any beach weddings?  How did the bride and groom incorporate the beach setting into their attire, flowers, and decor?

If you would like to add any of the images from this post to Pinterest, please use the link below the picture to visit the original source and pin from there.  Thank you!

sunday simplicity.

Elizabeth Marie Photos via Wedding Chicks

“Tell the truth. Sing with passion. 

Work with laughter. Love with heart.

 'Cause that's all that matters in the end.”

― Kris Kristofferson

this week's clicks: the only place i ever want to be...

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• Let For the Foxes breezy, 50's-inspired a capella ease you into Monday.

SWOON.

Katelyn James Photography

• An elegant Pippin Hill wedding by Katelyn James.
• Lia Griffith's pretty printable Mother's Day cards.
• Love this 20's inspired shoot by Jennifer Blair.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Love Mae, Flipsnack, Smashing.
• You can copy this Saturday's Kentucky Derby menu.
• From Domino, fun ideas for your summer Fridays.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: Star Wars Day - May the Fourth Be With You!
• 2014: May faves, pink wardrobe picks, and dogwood wedding ideas.
• 2013: fiesta and lemon inspired wedding ideas, Sunday Social, and blessings.
• 2012: meeting Ben Savage, favorite neon finds and party ideas. 
• 2011: DIY flower girl basket and why my mom walked me down the aisle.

sunday simplicity.

Christa-Taylor Photography via Style Me Pretty

“Love knows no limits to its endurance, no end to its 

trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love 

still stands when all else has fallen.” ― Tim McGraw

sunday simplicity.

Teale Photography via Style Me Pretty

“There are no faster or firmer friendships 
than those formed between people who 
love the same books.” ― Irving Stone

sunday simplicity.

Set Free Photography via Southern Weddings

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.

- Song of Songs 8:6-7

midsummer according to instagram.

Here's what I've been up to lately via IG. I participated in several

Instagram style challenges this month... if you haven't seen them,

they are monthly calendars created by fashion bloggers with prompts

for each day's outfit. My reasoning: having some inspiration would

keep me from staying in my PJ's or gym clothes all summer! It

worked, and I had a lot of fun creating new outfits.

My cousin's college graduation was held at the beautiful

Jefferson Center (which was a high school in its former

life) in Roanoke. / Summer brights and a quirky color combo

(coral, gold, and purple) featuring my fave J. Crew tee

Nautical-inspired with an Old Navy pointelle sweater, Lia

Sophia jewelry and Lily & Laura bracelet / My garden in bloom

World's easiest craft: buy tassels and lobster clasps at Michaels

and add tassels to all your stuff! / Baseball inspired: how about

the NCAA National Champions! Go Wahoos!

In addition to being great practice shooting in macro mode,

I think this teeny tiny grasshopper was a reminder to

stop and appreciate the little things on a day that I was

really suffering with depression / Black and white, mixed

prints and a color pop all in one outfit

Remixing my favorite shorts and a bright Target tee with a

necklace my college roommate brought back from Kenya /

Lunch at Whisk in downtown Charleston aka my dream kitchen

Gorgeous sunset over Charleston as seen from Sullivan's Island /

Blue and teal with my favorite charm necklace from LOFT

 

Jeans and J. Crew jewels for a dentist's appointment (ugh) /

Neon flowers blooming on the patio make me smile

 

A Monarch butterfly in the garden at Boone Hall Plantation in

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina / Back from vacation in a new

J. Crew fruit salad tank and DIY tassel necklace (obsessed)

What are you up to this summer? Follow me on Instagram here.

Real Wedding: Rustic Elegance at Explore Park

This past weekend I had the pleasure of helping with a wedding in an absolutely beautiful location: Virginia's Explore Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The wedding was extra special to me because the bride is my BFF Breeze's younger sister and since I've known her for 20 years, I love her like she's my own sister too. She and her groom actually met at Breeze's wedding and everyone there could see that it was love at first sight.

Photo by my sister-in-law Autumn

The wedding ceremony took place in Mountain Union Church, a reconstructed Greek Revival church and schoolhouse from the 1880's. The bride was given away by her grandfather, who later said in his toast that it was the happiest day of his life because both of his granddaughters are so happy. Special touches included vows written by the bride and groom and a tree ceremony with readings from both of their mothers. The couple became homeowners last year so knowing that the tree will be planted on their homestead was a sweet touch.

The reception was held in the Chestnut Ridge Room in the Arthur Taubman Center, a modern building designed with 18th century style in mind. The bride and her bridesmaids filled the room with special touches including a puzzle guest book and chalkboard relationship timeline. The wedding colors were coral, cobalt, and gray, and everything came together through the use of repeated textures - "tree cookies," chalkboards, burlap, and lace. Photographs were also a major decorating theme for the reception.

We created this sweetheart table with antique chairs from the couple's home. The drink holders are from Kirkland's - I couldn't resist picking them up when I saw the burlap!

The bride's best friend is a photographer who created this "LOVE" art on a hike through the woods. The bride adores owls, so we had to get a few feathered friends in on the decor!

The centerpieces included a "tree cookie" cut from the bride's grandfather's farm, a cobalt wine bottle from a local vineyard wrapped in lace and filled with baby's breath, a burlap-wrapped glass soda bottle filled with cobalt and blue flowers, and a tiny Weck-style burlap-wrapped canning jar filled with an LED light and glass marbles. Each table also had photos of the bride and groom at similar phases in their lives (and in poses that basically proved they are soulmates).

The couple are known as avid environmentalists who love hiking, camping and attending music festivals, and their plates and cutlery were 100% compostable. The dinner buffet included wraps, veggie slaw, and fruit salad from a local café. 

This rustic, elegant wedding at Explore Park was one of the most unique and creative weddings I've attended - it was certainly a labor of love for friends and family, and the bride and groom have never looked happier or more in love.

clicks of note: I am a universe wrapped in skin..

get your week off to a colorful start...

• Here's a sneak peek from my friend Mandi's sweet rustic wedding in a reconstructed 1880's church on the Blue Ridge Parkway this weekend... full recap coming on Wednesday!

LISTEN.

• Joy Williams hasn't slowed down since the breakup of the Civil Wars - her new album Venus comes out today and I am so excited for it. Can we all declare "Woman (Oh Mama)" our new anthem? I'm linking up today with Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos.

SWOON.

• Check out this cute state cake topper at Emmaline Bride.
• Cool fireworks wedding invites via Oh So Beautiful Paper.
• Landlocked? Escape with this California inspiration shoot.
• Last-minute Independence Day ideas on my Pinterest.

SMILE.

• BuzzFeed girls take on Victoria's Secret swimsuits and poses.
• An interesting visual of creatives' daily routines from Podio.
• Hadley Freeman's ode to 80's movies, via the Guardian.
• I really needed Megan's essay on embracing the in-between.

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared a random Sunday Social, rounded up some stylish patriotic picks,  and collected creative escort card ideas for romantic weddings. My family kicked off our Williamsburg vacation
• Two years ago I participated in a Sunday Social all about movies, found some lemon yellow poolside essentials, geeked out about SYTYCD, shared my favorite mixed-berry cobbler recipe, and shared some patriotic wedding inspiration.
• Three years ago, I shared Independence Day wardrobe inspiration, party decor ideas, and round-ups of dessert recipes and side dishes.
• Four years ago, I was working on last-minute wedding projects.

inspiration for a coral prep wedding

Since my post a couple of weeks ago on how popular Pantone's Strawberry Ice color has become this summer, I haven't been able to stop dreaming of cool coral pinks. Today, I'm imagining a preppy Southern summer wedding with garden-fresh florals, champagne, calligraphy, and plenty of bow ties!

Floral Bloom wedding invitation by Artsy Design Co. on Etsy

Athena Bludé Photography via Grey Likes Weddings

How beautiful is this driveway? I love the pop of blue from the hydrangeas.

Josh McCullock via Wedding Chicks | Emily Steffen via Style Me Pretty

Does it get more preppy than a dog in a polka dot bow tie?

Nicole Ryan Photography via Fab Mood

Erin Volante Floral via Bollea | Jessica Christine Photography

Athena Bludé Photography via Grey Likes Weddings

Equestrian-inspired details get me every time.

Coco Tran via Style Me Pretty | Kristin Byrum Photography via Style Me Pretty

What's your favorite color for summer weddings?