my winter in instagram.

We've had quite a few snow days so far this winter, but the snowfalls

have been small enough that I haven't had to do any scary driving.

A peek at my jewelry storage and a close-up of my favorite necklace.

Scenes from my kitchen: healthy color and a considerably less 

healthy lemon poppyseed bundt cake.

Our friend B moved into his own home and we celebrated the Super

Bowl there with a potluck party and Big Game Bingo.

Two of my guilty pleasures: nail polish and the world of wedding 

planning.  My best friend Breeze found a dress for her September

wedding and I can't wait to help her plan her big day!

If it's classic, I'll take it: some recent buys from Old Navy and LOFT 

and my all-time favorite C.O. Bigelow perfume.

I am happiest when my kitchen contains fresh flowers and baked

goods.  Right now, I'm pretty happy!

inspiration for a city hall wedding

True story: both my best friend and I considered city hall weddings - so Carrie and Mr. Big, so little fuss- but conceded to the fact that we have huge families and groups of friends who love weddings.  And, party planners at heart, both of us have gone the "let's have a quick ceremony and focus on the reception!" route.  However, I think one of the real draws of a city hall wedding is that the whole focus is on the ceremony - the vows, the promise, the marriage.  

Lindsay Docherty Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs

There's something so romantic about a wedding just for two, or a small, intimate gathering of loved ones.

Jerry Yoon Photographers

It doesn't hurt if you live in a big city (like San Francisco) where the City Hall is as gorgeous as any wedding venue.  We don't have those here in rural Virginia - our town halls are about as exciting as the DMV!

Cooking: "Gold Rush" inspired Pay Dirt Cupcakes

My husband and his friends have been pretty much obsessed with Gold Rush: Alaska since the first season, and for the first two seasons I basically mocked them for it.  I was pretty sure they were just watching a grown-up version of Bob the Builder to see bulldozers at work.  I could not see the allure of a show about gold miners fighting the elements, time, and each other for what would amount to a few glass jars of shiny flakes.  Somehow, this season, I've gotten sucked in.  It's already on my television every Friday night, so I might as well give it a try, I thought.  What I learned this season is that Gold Rush is really a show about relationships:  the relationship between 19-year-old Parker and his mentor and grandpa, John; the tension-filled relationship between Dustin Hurt and his dad, Dakota Fred; and the relationship between the Turin/Hoffman crews who had to work together to meet their goal.

So when Mr. Q sent me a text last Friday afternoon (a snow day off work for me) that said, "Gold Rush finale party tonight?"  I decided to make it a real party.  Which, for me, means cupcakes.  And guests.  And food.  But mostly cupcakes.

I was pretty lazy with these because I already knew exactly how I wanted to decorate them.  I used a boxed mix for the cupcakes themselves, then crushed a row of Oreos and stirred 2/3 of the crumbs into a container of Betty Crocker Whipped chocolate frosting.  After spreading the frosting, I added the big Oreo chunks and GOLD SPRINKLES!  We've hit the motherlode!

For dinner, we served seasoned turkey burgers and rosemary sweet potatoes.  We had a few friends over, including my friend C who had never even heard of Gold Rush yet caught on immediately that it is less about the bulldozers and more about the DRAMA, and we all had a great night.

Linking Up!

Flaunt It Friday at Chic on a Shoestring

Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife

Tasty Creations at Michelle's Tasty Creations

Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits at Stone Gable

Weekend Potluck at The Country Cook

Weekend Welcome Party at At Home with Bobi

Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots and Jello

style: my favorite 2013 Oscar looks...

As an ordinary girl who loves fashion and entertainment, awards season is one of my favorite things about winter.  I love having a good excuse to stay up late on Sunday nights!  Here are a few of the dresses I loved the most from last night's Oscars, and a few overall trends I observed.

Color!

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck via Huffington Post || Jennifer Aniston in Valentino via Perez Hilton

Jennifer Garner's dress was my absolute favorite of the night - she knows what looks good on her, and though her sheath dress/collar necklace/loose updo ensemble wasn't surprising in the least, it was elegant and perfect for a night when her job is to support her husband!  More purple on the Red Carpet, please, Hollywood!  Jennifer Aniston's poppy red ballgown was similar to the dresses Zooey Deschanel and Jennifer Lawrence wore to the Golden Globes, but still looked amazing on her - she said it felt "princessy" and it looked even better on the television screen than it does in still photos.

Ruffles and Lace

Amy Adams in Oscar De La Renta via Tom + Lorenzo || Sandra Bullock in Elie Saab via Perez Hilton

Ruffles, scallops, and lace are all very popular in fashion design right now, and Amy Adams and Sandra Bullock wore my favorite embellished dresses.  Amy's dove grey dress featured a sweetheart neckline and layers of ruffles, while Sandra Bullock's dress combined a conservative fit with a sheer lace design- I expect black and nude lace designs to trickle down into everyday fashion after being so prevalent this awards season (see Julia Louis-Dreyfuss at the Golden Globes).

Black and White

 

Adele in Jenny Packham via Just Jared and performing "Skyfall" via Huffington Post

While white or black dresses are always classic (see Renee Zellweger in 2004, Nicole Kidman in 2006, Jennifer Garner in 2008, and Gwyneth Paltrow last year), 2013's awards season has seen a lot of dresses that feature black and white designs.  Adele has been sticking to black dresses with a high neckline and 3/4 sleeves a lot this awards season, but the look works for her, and she chose a shorter, sparklier version of the same thing for her "Skyfall" performance.  This is a dress I would wear!

Metallics and Retro Beauty

Jennifer Hudson via Huffington Post

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Couture via HuffPost Style  || Reese Witherspoon via Gossipcenter

Metallics are a perennial red carpet favorite, whether it's Hilary Swank's bronze ballgown at the 2000 Oscars, Keri Russell's champagne dress in 2008, Cameron Diaz's gold-dusted gown in 2010, or the plethora of gold dresses earlier this year.  At this year's Oscars, Jennifer Hudson rocked a sparkly gunmetal-silver dress for her Dreamgirls performance.  I also loved Jessica Chastain's dress, which made for such an Old Hollywood look with her retro side-parted curls and red lipstick that I thought of Jessica Rabbit!

Reese Witherspoon paired a similar retro-inspired hairstyle with a modern trend - her dress featured a mermaid hemline and a black-and-blue colorblocked bodice.  I wish she had gone with a more dramatic lipstick, but her hair is so gorgeous that I will forgive her :)

What did you think of this year's Oscars?  Who was on your best-dressed list?

clicks of note: city love

get your week off to a colorful start...

WATCH.

• I was happy to see the Disney short film, Paperman, won an Oscar last night for best animated short.  I love its retro style and adorably magical storyline.

SWOON.

Style Me Pretty

• Style Me Pretty features a classic New York wedding with lovely photography.
• Also at SMP, a Georgia farm wedding with an ombre peach color palette -I ADORE the bouquet!
• Love this round-up of photo save-the-date ideas from Broughton Events and Design Studio.
• Sweet story from Crimson and Wool about tracking down the sender of a mystery telegram.
• The New York Times features a sweet profile from inside the Manhattan Marriage Bureau:

Mr. Mitchell said he and his colleagues do their best to accommodate special requests, and try to follow the maxim “Don’t interfere with anyone else’s happiness.”

SMILE.

• Milan Fashion Week is drawing to a close today, with Paris Fashion Week starting tomorrow.
• The next time one of my students breaks an arm/leg (teenagers get broken quite often), I'm going to ask if she'll let me bedazzle her cast, a la Demi Lovato.
• Aspiring fashion bloggers, check out Sincerely Amanda's tips on taking self-portraits.

MAKE.

• We're on a salted caramel kick here, and I want to try these salted caramel puddings from Portuguese Girl Cooks - there are more sweet ideas at my Pinterest board, For Dessert!

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared inspiration for a feminine wedding in shades of blue, purple, and gray.

sunday simplicity #109: seeing gold

Ossai Bridal Accessories

Oh So Beautiful Paper

Wildflowers Inc.

Still need ideas for tonight's Academy Awards celebration?

- Print out I Gotta Create's Oscar bingo boards (including one with blanks to add your favorites)

- Whip up some Shirley Temples with this recipe from Parenting.com

- Follow Chris Nease's directions for setting up a yummy popcorn bar!

Will you be watching the Oscars tonight?

winter color: navy and pink home decor

After Wednesday's blue and pink wedding inspiration, I wanted to share one of the most fun and unique combinations for home decor (that I could never get away with in real life!) - navy blue and hot pink!  Please Note:  If you'd like to add any images from this post to your Pinterest boards, please click on the link below the image and PIN FROM THE SOURCE!

Coco and Kelley

I like this midcentury modern-inspired living room with a navy sofa and pops of pink brought in via throw pillows.

Windsor Smith via Caitlin Wilson Design

Formal details in a kitchen are unexpected and fun - I love the navy blue trim on the French doors.

february blog loves: a year of love!

Here are the blogs I'm loving this month.  It's hard to believe that I've been compiling these posts for a year now after participating in Literally Inspired's Blog Romance link party!

Note to Self

• Note to Self - Sarah's blog is elegant, classy, and one of the closest things to a glossy magazine in the blog world.  Her design skills constantly impress me.  My favorite features are the monthly Playlist, Hers/Mine, and Words for the Week.

Rage Against the Minivan

• Rage Against the Minivan - I discovered Kristen's blog while researching international adoption.  Rage Against the Minivan goes into some deep topics, but my favorite feature by far is her guest post series, What I Want You To Know.  In her posts about handling parenting four kids while navigating religion, politics, and life, Kristen is so honest and real, and I love it.

The Vintage Housewife

• The Vintage Housewife has a really fun premise:  the author, Christine, stumbled upon vintage home ec textbooks, and, having always been drawn the June Cleaver era, decided to take on the challenge of becoming the perfect 1950's housewife.  So far, that's included dressing up to go grocery shopping, having flatware engraved, and skinning a tomato.  I think she could totally get a book deal out of this project.

What are your current blog addictions?

Featured in the first year of Blog Loves: 

• Lifestyle and Fashion Blogs: Fabulous K, Henry Happened, Hip Hip Gin Gin, The Everygirl, The Fresh Exchange, Little Tin Soldier, A Cup of Jo, Capitol Hill Style, The Daily Spark, Along the Lines of Style, A Beach Cottage, and Bleubird.
• Shelter and DIY Blogs: The Inspired Room, Home Stories A to Z, Post Road Vintage, Two Twenty-One, Perfectly Imperfect, Dandee, Ella Claire, Making it Lovely, The Swenglish Home, Bright Bazaar, Centsational Girl, Dear Lillie, and A Beautiful Mess.
• Inspirational Blogs: Rosie Molinary, Geninne's Art Blog, and Tiny Twig.
• Food and Entertaining Blogs: The Gracious Pantry, A Farmgirl's Dabbles, Everyday Occasions, SkinnyTaste, and The Pioneer Woman.

just for fun: oscar party ideas & play the academy...

Oscar party ideas from Glitter Guide

Oscar night appetizer:  Coconut shrimp from Skinny Taste

Oscar party wine bottle stopper from Curb Alert!

Coco and Kelley's mylar fringe banner - don't forget to roll out a red carpet, too!

pink and blue wedding inspiration for my cinderella

In college, I was lucky to live with one of my good high school friends in the dorm our first year and in off-campus housing for two years after that!  I still consider K one of my dearest friends.  K is a romantic at heart and loves fairytales, especially Cinderella, and hot pink.  She and her boyfriend are super cute together, and every time I see a fairytale-inspired wedding or a blue and pink color scheme, I think about how much fun we're going to have when it's time to plan their big day.

Note:  If you'd like to add any of the images in this post to your

Pinterest boards, please click on the link below the picture and

pin from the source so the creators get credit for their work!

The Tomkat Studio for DIY Network

Southern Weddings

Timmester Photography via Southern Weddings | Jen Huang Photography via Style Me Pretty

I loved the ruffled collars on the bridesmaids' dresses featured in both of these weddings, and I adore the bridesmaids' hot pink shoes in the picture from Jen Huang Photography!

clicks of note: that's what's up.

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• I am a fan of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and the video for their song "That's What's Up" might possibly be the cutest music video ever made.

SWOON.

• Emily's geocaching proposal story is so cute and unique!
• I wish I'd come up with these handmade gold table numbers featured on Emmaline Bride.
• Helpful rehearsal planning tips from Estate Weddings and Events.
• Intimate Weddings features a romantic destination wedding in Maui.
• Purple Wedding of the Week:  this pretty California celebration at Style Me Pretty.

CELEBRATE.

Camille Styles

• These gold-dusted cupcakes from Camille Styles are a great Oscar party idea, and there's more gilded goodness at my Pinterest board devoted to all things sparkly, Champagne!
• Just in time for the Oscars, CasaSugar shares home decor ideas inspired by Les Miserables.
• Babble has come up with Oscar party food ideas inspired by nominated films.

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared a very pink Sunday Simplicity and some snapshots from my weekend.

sunday simplicity #108: today was a fairytale

Megan and James - Snippet and Ink

"Can you feel this magic in the air?

It must have been the way you kissed me.

Fell in love when I saw you standing there.

It must have been the way

Today was a fairytale"

- Taylor Swift

Samantha and Christopher - Phoenix Bride and Groom

my CUPID SWAP swag!

I was excited to participate in Micah's Cupid Swap this Valentine's Day - I thought it was such a cute idea to  have bloggers matched with a mystery "cupid" and shower one another with gifts!  My cupid was Laura from Simply Me The Way I See It.

Two of the "likes" I'd listed in my survey were Paris and leopard print and I'd say Laura did a great job with this little metal art plaque and leopard print picture frame.  I think the plaque is going over my vanity.

The cutest little Eiffel Tower (which now lives in our living room) and a glittery box!

The best part... have you tried the strawberry swirl Dove milk chocolate yet?  If not, you really need to because it is amazing.  I think Mr. Q and I went through the whole bag in two days.

Thanks to Laura for being such a great "Cupid" and to Micah for hosting this fun gift exchange!  I played Cupid for Tiffany from My Smile Saga and I hoped she loved her gifts, too.