Rainbow and Floral: Sochi and Team Germany Inspired

Audiences and commentators had a lot to say about the uniforms Team Germany wore for the Parade of Nations at the Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony.  German athletes sported red beanies, yellow, green, and robin's-egg blue striped ski jackets, and red pants with a floral pattern.  The overall impression was that of a rainbow; German officials were quick to stress that their wardrobe was not a statement about gay rights in Russia.  Which makes me think (or at least hope) that it totally was.  Either way, I was left wondering: could rainbow and floral ever work, or is it just too much?  The verdict: for the daring, it's totally do-able; just keep the rainbows within a muted palette, make sure the florals keep to the same color scheme, and carry a cute purse.

Disclaimer:  ModCloth links contain an affiliate code.

View this set on Polyvore

Outfit 1: ModCloth sweater, Danielle Nicole clutch (similar), Full Tilt leggings from Tilly's

Outfit 2: ModCloth sweater, ModCloth shoulder bag, Charlotte Russe leggings

Team Germany photo from The Baltimore Sun.

Linking Up With:
Wednesday Style Connection at Unpredictable and Chic
Passion 4 Fashion at Rachel the Hat

Carnival Style: Sochi Inspired

How would y'all feel if the rest of this week was all fashion all the time here on Beyond the Aisle?  I started playing around with Polyvore during my little snowcation while watching the Olympics and I couldn't stop.  Here's the first of my Sochi Inspired style boards, sparked by one of my favorite parts of the opening ceremonies: the inflatable-dome tribute to St. Basil's cathedral and Russian street festivals.  Adding carnival colors and whimsical patterns to my wardrobe puts me in a festive mood and makes me feel more confident that spring is on the way!

Disclaimer:  ModCloth links include an affiliate code.

View on Polyvore

1. Old Navy crewneck sweater  2. ModCloth polka dot cardigan
3. Jonathan Adler honeycomb umbrella  4. Jonathan Adler zip wallet
5. Old Navy cap toe ballet flats  6. Old Navy striped 3/4 sleeve tee  
7. Old Navy colorblock sweater  8. ModCloth chevron dress

Opening Ceremony image from The New Yorker

And in case you haven't experienced it yet, here's your new favorite song:

Linking Up With:
Style Sessions at Style Elixir

What I'm Loving Fridays at Simply Lulu Style

clicks of note: got a song and a smile so bright...

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

• Eric Hutchinson's "Tell The World" is my new feel-good jam.  Linking up with Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos.

SWOON.

Ruffled

• Ruffled features a Costa Rica wedding with a soft color palette and pretty DIYs.
• Check out the prettiest 1930's-style finger waves at A Practical Wedding.
• Love this pink vintage equestrian birthday party at So Much Better With Age.
• Wedding Chicks features an elegant black and pink wedding with beautiful florals.

SOCHI!

• The best photos from Days 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the 2014 Winter Games.
• Psyched for Ashley Wagner's short program (Pink Floyd!) on Wednesday.
• Camille Styles features Olympic style through the years.
• How sweet are these Olympic drink stirrers from Oh Happy Day?

SMILE.

• I love Creative Homekeeper's story of how she and her husband share their interests.
• Grace from Design*Sponge shares some interesting thoughts on the state of blogging.
• I really want to make these pretty crepe paper peonies from Freutcake.
• If your kids were Pottery Barn Kids... (Suburban Turmoil)

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared Cinderella-inspired blue and pink wedding ideas, rounded up Oscar Party tips from around the web, shared my February blog loves, and featured navy and pink home decor.
• Two years ago I shared a very pink Sunday Simplicity and some snapshots from my weekend.
• Three years ago I shared inspiration for our wedding in textures, recapped our Valentine's Day as an engaged couple, practiced my flower arranging skills, and shared some of my favorite contemporary instrumental music for weddings.

sunday simplicity: by candlelight...

Kelly Kollar Photography via Style Me Pretty

olympics: history of the dove of peace

The Miami Herald

the dove of peace

During the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Olympics, one of the many standout moments was the Dove of Peace performance, which featured ballerina Diana Vishneva and other dancers performing to music from Swan Lake with glowing, spinning, jellyfish-like props meant to represent doves in flight.  I was intrigued by the unique performance, and did some research on the history of the symbolic Dove of Peace at the Olympics Opening Ceremonies.

The lighting of the Olympic Flame has been accompanied by the release of doves, symbolizing peace, since the post-World War I 1920 Summer games.  Since the Lillehammer, Norway Winter Olympics in 1994, symbolic doves rather than live doves have accompanied the lighting of the Olympic Flame.

In the most recent Winter Olympics, held in Vancouver, Canada in 2010, the Dove of Peace was represented by a projection on the stadium floor during k.d. lang's performance of "Hallelujah."

Turin, Italy's Opening Ceremonies in 2006 featured 28 acrobats creating the Dove of Peace with their bodies.

When the U.S. last hosted the Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002, the Opening Ceremonies included ice skaters flying theatrical dove-shaped kites as Sting and Yo-Yo Ma performed "Fragile."

In Nagano in 1998, biodegradable dove-shaped balloons were released following the lighting of the Olympic Flame.

Diversity Tree

In Lillehammer, the first symbolic doves were balloons as well, with a larger dove emerging from a large egg shape.

Daily Mail

The Summer Olympics have also featured symbolic Dove of Peace in their Opening Ceremonies.  In 2012's Summer games in London, 75 Dove Bikes featuring LED-lit wings entered the stadium in honor of Bradley Wiggins, the British cyclist who'd won the Tour de France just days before, as the Arctic Monkeys played "Come Together."

Watch the Beijing Opening Ceremonies artistic section on YouTube

At Beijing's lavish Opening Ceremonies in 2008, fireworks were used to portray a dove in flight, along with brightly lit dancers arranging themselves in the shape of the Dove of Peace and forming the bird's nest shape of the Beijing National Stadium during the performance by pianist Lang Lang and five-year-old Li Muzi during the artistic section's modern segment.

At the Athens Summer Olympics in 2004, runner George Sabanis carried an olive branch flag symbolizing peace and the city of Athens itself around the stadium, crossing tape dedicated to the previous 27 Olympic Games as he ran.  Doves appeared on three LCD rings representing a globe, which then displayed names of the cities through which the Olympic Flame had journeyed on its way to Athens.  A spectacular fireworks presentation followed the lighting of the Olympic Torch.

Sydney's Opening Ceremony in 2000 included a section which featured the projection of Olympic heroes, a Dove of Peace holding an olive branch, and the Olympic rings on an enormous piece of white cloth that was brought over the crowd in flowing waves, then held by the athletes as Australian singer-songwriter Vanessa Amorosi performed "Heroes Live Forever."

Round the World in 80 Days

In the last U.S. Summer games, Atlanta 1996, the Dove of Peace was represented in several ways:  while film composer John Williams led the orchestra in "Summon the Heroes," performers formed the shape of the Olympic Rings and a flying Dove of Peace with their bodies.  Later, the Dove of Peace arrived again in the form of 100 theatrical dove-shaped paper kites flown by children across the track.

paper chase: sporty save-the-date ideas

As we approach the second most popular date for couples to get engaged (Christmas Eve is first), I'm thinking about all of the anticipation that charactertized that season in my life and the excitement of finding a venue and setting a date.  While we decided not to send Save the Dates (our guests were primarily local and we sent invitations in advance), they are a fantastic way to add some character to wedding correspondence.  While traditional Save the Dates abound, complete with florals, calligraphy, and gold foil, I love it when couples have some fun with this first "peek" at what the tone of the wedding will be like.  Today, I've rounded up a few Save the Date ideas perfect for couples who are athletes and sports fans.

EmDotZee Designs

This race bib save the date would be perfect for a couple who does 5Ks or marathons together, or who met in a running club.  I love the way the date stands out!

Modern Mama Designs on Etsy

This ticket-inspired invitation is perfect for a couple who are major fans of the same team, and a great way to incorporate an engagement photo.

Martha Stewart Weddings

While definitely a more expensive option, this golf tee invitation is absolutely memorable and a great tip of the cap to a couple's favorite shared hobby or a country club wedding venue.

Super Runaway via Ruffled

These pennant banner Save the Dates from Super Runaway are my favorites of the bunch - a fantastic way to incorporate the wedding's color scheme and have fun with typography and vintage-inspired design.

Which of these Save the Date ideas is your favorite?

Treat Yo Self!

It's officially Valentine's Day week, and that means it's the perfect time to...

View this set on Polyvore

1. LOFT cable knit sweater  2. Zoya nail polish in "Rue"
3. Priti NYC nail polish in "Paper Birch"  4. Olivine lotion
5. Charming Charlie colorblock dress  6. Kiel Mead Studio knot ring
7. Lanvin crossbody (lookalike from Forever21)
8. TOMS crochet espadrilles  9. J. Crew ballet flats
10. Raspberry rose macarons from Splendid Sweet Shoppe on Etsy

Bonus points if you got the Parks and Rec reference in the title!  Have a great week and stay warm, lovelies.

Linking Up With:
Style Sessions at Style Elixir
Wednesday Style Connection at Unpredictable and Chic
What I'm Loving Fridays at Simply Lulu Style

clicks of note: dancing on our own...

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• Ingrid Michaelson's "Wonderful Unknown" is such a sweet, beautiful love song and Ingrid's haunting voice carries the story.  I love that she shot the lyrics video footage on a walk through her neighborhood.  I'll be linking up with Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos.

SWOON.

The Knot

• Cute pink and red Valentine's party ideas at Hostess With the Mostess.
• The Knot features a New York couple's picture perfect Southern wedding.
• Ruffled features a fun, colorful Southwestern wedding with lots of pretty details.
• Swooning over this romantic winter barn wedding at Elizabeth Anne Designs.

SMILE.

• Amelia Raun's yoga Flickr is inspiring.
• 1964 nostalgia: the origins of the drop-T Beatles logo.
• Take Parade Magazine's three-part Beatles trivia quiz.
• How cute are Allons-y Kimberly's Star Wars printable valentines?

SOCHI!

• Can we all agree on how awesome the folks at Google are?
• Beautiful pictures from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.
• With the world united, try your hand at The Language Game.
• Printable Olympic Rings nesting dolls from Paging Supermom.

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I featured poppy and taupe wardrobe inspiration, and makeup ideas, inspiration for a poppies and lace wedding, and my Cupid Swap experience.
• Two years ago I shared my first Photo-A-Day Instagram challenge round-up, a couple of snapshots from my Valentine's Day, and my first ever round-up of blog loves.
• Three years ago I rounded up table number inspiration for our wedding, made two fun Letters to Juliet inspiration boards based on the wedding that wasn't and the one that might have been, and shared some of my favorite poetry just in time for Valentine's Day.