this week's clicks.

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

• An eclectic, bohemian San Francisco apartment tour.
• From Ruffled, an elaborate celestial fairytale wedding.
• Thrifty Decor Chick's great bathroom transformation.
• From Intimate Weddings, a storybook Banff elopement.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Minding My Nest, Soggy Musings, Cross Cards.
• Cute alert: kids describe their parents to an illustrator.
• How cute are these icon enamel pins from Sketch, Inc.?
• My friend has this cork wallet I'm adding to my wishlist.

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: Potter-inspired books, a business trip Stitch Fix, driftwood and coral wedding inspiration
• 2015: Custard yellow and teal home decor and accessories, a bridal emergency kit, my early summer in Instagram, the Avengers book tag,
• 2014: a Sunday Social all about the special people in my life, reviewed an eShakti vintage-inspired dress, recapped our trip to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown Settlement, and checked in with Literary Junkies.
• 2013: inspiration for log home exteriors and interior design and collecting rustic wedding inspiration as we started planning Breeze's big day.
• 2012: a few of my favorite blogs and a round-up of braided bridal hairstyles.
• 2011: the bridal shower my friends gave me, my final hair and makeup trial, and my bachelorette party.

pinspiration: a stars and stripes hostess...

Happy Independence Day to all of my fellow American readers. I hope that whatever you're up to today, you have a lot of fun. Here are my best bets for the hostess - what to serve, what to wear, and the ultimate July 4th Americana playlist.

this week's clicks.

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

• My current guilty pleasure is this chronicle of Cole Swindell's epic man crush on Dierks Bentley. #sorrynotsorry

SWOON.

Zevy Joy

• Zevy Joy makes dollar store glasses look so elegant.
• An elegant wedding with bright florals in Washington state.
• A Toronto wedding from Ruffled filled with candlelit magic.
• A barn wedding styled shoot with modern geometric style.

SMILE.

• July desktops: Sarah Hearts, Daily Dwelling, Candidly Keri.
• How amazing is this treehouse from the Handmade Home?
• Now obsessed with the Accidental Wes Anderson Reddit site.
• Fantastic interview with Danielle Brooks (spoilers for OitNB):

"I want to get into some action films because I don’t like the sense that people feel that curvy women, plus-size women, aren’t active as well. I think that’s very important to let the world know that I can jump up shit and do fancy things with swords, too, like combat. I went to Juilliard, for God’s sakes, I know a little something about combat. To get in that, to show that side of someone who is bigger than a size 6, would be fun for me." 

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: a rustic wedding recap, my 4th Stitch Fix, favorite aliens for #5FandomFriday, and a Literary Junkies post about summer reads and re-reads.
• 2014: Sunday Social, patriotic style picks, romantic escort card ideas, and our Williamsburg, Virginia vacation.
• 2013: a movie-themed Sunday Social, sunny yellow poolside essentials, the return of SYTYCD, my mixed-berry cobbler recipe, and patriotic wedding inspiration.
• 2012: 4th of July style inspiration, party decor, desserts, and side dishes.
• 2011: our last-minute wedding projects.

pinspiration [pride and pineapples]

Today's Pinspiration is dedicated to all the best things about June.

this week's clicks [love is enough when you don't look back]

get your week off to a colorful start...

Happy almost-summer, darlings! Can't you feel it in the air? I've got some great stuff for you this week, so grab your coffee cup and get clicking! I'm spending the work week at my favorite place on Earth - my childhood summer camp - so be sure to follow along on Instagram!

LISTEN.

• The Barr Brothers were a Spotify discovery for me; I love live videos like this one where you can see how much creativity goes into actually creating music (rewind if you want to hear the entire intro).

SWOON.

Alisa Bobzen Wedding

• Alisa Bobzien's bright + funky ombre styled shoot in Detroit.
• Design*Sponge rounds up rooms decorated in lilac shades.
• Jenn's hand-lettered Bible verse printables are so lovely!
• A Southern mansion wedding filled with paper flowers.

SMILE.

• Desktops: The Everygirl, Brit + Co, Oh So Beautiful Paper.
• GMA got a tour of our queen Carrie Fisher's quirky LA home.
• You, too, can use Wonder Woman's confidence pose - it works!
• Dream destination: Julia Child's French cottage is an AirBnB.

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: late spring in Instagram and my "comfort food" movies.
• 2015: berry and olive picks, coral wedding inspiration, and Instagrammers to follow.
• 2014: summer favorites, Literary Junkies, a summer camp packing list, Instagram faves, and early summer in entertainment.
• 2012: an Instagram round-up and library-themed wedding inspiration.
• 2011: our plans for a sparkler send-off and reception sweetheart table.

this week's clicks.

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

Christina Bernales Fine Art Wedding Photography via Style Me Pretty

• From SMP, a classic summer wedding in Maine.
• A pretty winery wedding from Alicia Lacey.
• At Found, a bohemian glamping inspiration shoot.
• A wedding at a place called Villa Amor? Good stuff.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Smashing, Mospens Studio, Red Stamp,
• Pride merch that actually gives back, via Brit + Co.
• From Bored Panda: Photography vs. reality.
• Wanderlust: illustrated literary locations in the U.K.

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: my 6th Stitch Fix, blush and palm Pinspiration, 5 Broadway roles I love
• 2015: June favorites, tropical black and white, early summer entertainment faves.
• 2014: mint and gray picks and inspiration for a summer camp wedding.
• 2013: my blogging history with the Sunday Social girls.
• 2012: being intentionally considerate and what Father's Day means for me now.

paper chase: tropical wedding and party invitations

After yesterday's post, I couldn't get enough tropical inspiration. Here's a round-up from around the web of some beautiful tropical-inspired invitations that would be great for a destination wedding, summer bridal shower, or milestone birthday party.

Tropical Hawaiian Invitation by Sincerely May via Not on the High Street

Obviously I'm loving the pink hibiscus flowers on this invitation by Sincerely May.

Tropical Wedding Invitation by Fluid Ink Letterpress on Etsy  |  Paper Chase Press via Happy Wedd

I love the letterpress details in the Etsy invitation on the left. The collection on the right was designed for a bride who designs beachwear for a living - how perfect is that?

Maya Invitations by Rachel Marvin Creative

Palm Wedding Invitations by Kaydi Bishop for Minted

Tropical Wedding Invitations by FloptyDooDesigns on Etsy

Tropical Garden Party Invitations by The Distillery via Oh So Beautiful Paper

Which of these tropical invitations is your favorite?

pinspiration: let's get away...

The combination of blush pink and palm prints was one of my favorite trends last summer and I'm happy to report that it's back for round 2! Maybe it's all those childhood trips to Myrtle Beach, but I will never tire of kitschy, candy-colored beach décor.

Are you planning any summer getaways?

this week's clicks.

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

CYork Photography via Borrowed and Blue

• My friend Carley photographed this elegant distillery shoot.
• Obsessed with this bright lake house from Design*Sponge.
• Portraits on rocky coasts get me every time. (Kate Osborne)
• A pretty Rhode Island summer wedding from Snippet + Ink.

FYI.

• Vlogbrothers' Hank and Vox break down climate change.
• Wonder Woman crushed it at the box office this weekend.
• How to choose your meal when RSVPing to a wedding.
• Pantone's color system started with birds. Who knew? 

SMILE.

• June desktops: Sarah Hearts, Paper Leaf, Flipsnack.
• Digging the Glitter Guide's Palm Springs mood board.
• 10 emotional stages of seeing your fave book on-screen.
• Loving this DIY tropical leaf tote bag from Lia Griffith.

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: olive chinos 2 ways, the best Yogi Surprise box, my cousin's backyard wedding, June in entertainment, and the fandoms I just couldn't get into.
• 2015: strawberry style picks and gorgeous floral arches.
• 2014: summer brights, cerulean and pink wedding inspiration, more weird search terms, and June favorites.
• 2013: summer reminiscing and the weird search terms that brought people to the blog.
• 2012: inspiration for a mint and blue wedding.  
• 2011: a wedding planning meltdown and my decision to DIY instead.  

pinspiration: summer's around the corner

With Wednesday being the last day of school for students, Friday being the last for teachers, and Memorial Day, the unofficial beginning of summer, kicking off next week, I'm channeling some serious summer vibes this week on my Pinterest boards. Also this week - the made-for-television remake of Dirty Dancing. Are you planning to watch? The original, filmed in Virginia at Mountain Lake, is one of my all-time favorite movies and I don't think it can ever be topped! Whatever your plans for this week, make it a bright and colorful one.

Here's what I'm listening to this week while packing up my classroom and thinking ahead to summer fun, rest, and relaxation:

this week's clicks.

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

• One of my friends who works in Silicon Valley shared this link on Facebook - apparently, his company is OBSESSED with this phenomenon right now, and from a sociological standpoint, it's quite interesting. As someone on the cusp of being either a Gen X-er or a Millenial (born in 1985 to Boomer parents), I have to say I don't hate these songs!

SWOON.

• A Palm Springs wedding with the best tropical vibes.
• Rita Chan's interior designs are so simple and calming.
• An elegant fall vineyard shoot from Ruffled.
• Perfect fall vibes in this Style Me Pretty farm wedding.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Sarah Hearts, Smashing, Mel Armstrong.
• Wish list alert: Fitbit's new line. Rose gold, please.
• One high school's colorful tradition has gone viral.
• In case you need another reason to support Hillary...

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: Windowpane print wardrobe picks, my fall TV roundup, 5 fave things about fall.
• 2014: a rainy game day outfit, blurbed the fall shows I was looking forward to, completed the Geek Girl tag, and participated in a Sunday Social all about fall.
• 2013: lilac and rose wardrobe picks for fall, inspiration for a neutral pastel wedding, a roundup of ballerina bun hairstyles, and my personal manifesto.  
• 2012: my bridal portraits and our wedding's prelude.

sunday simplicity.

Kayla Barker Fine Art Photography via Style Me Pretty

“August has passed, and yet summer continues by 

force to grow days. They sprout secretly between the 

chapters of the year, covertly included between its pages.”

― Jonathan Safran Foer, Tree of Codes

Kayla Barker Fine Art Photography via Style Me Pretty

Pinspiration: Labor Day Weekend Style

Labor Day is next Monday, and I'm already thinking about what to do with my Monday off work - I'm hoping for an invitation to the lake, but staying home, turning on the grill, and watching Norma Rae again also seems like a good option. We've been in school for three weeks already and this teacher is exhausted.

What are your plans for Labor Day?

this week's clicks.

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

Dash Photography via Style Me Pretty

• A lovely Florida beach wedding with precious details.
• A Georgia inspiration shoot with the colors of the year.
• Al fresco summer fete inspiration from Tomkat Studio.
• Photographer Monica Wang's bright, modern home.

SMILE.

• Bustle recaps the Olympics' most emotional moments.
• Bonnie Christine's swan wall hanging is so gorgeous!
• PureWow rounds up inspiring women from every state.
• Following Design*Sponge's list of rural Instagrammers.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: Literary Junkies, chambray transitional pieces, and geeks who inspire me.
• 2014: memories of fall and college, favorite Colonial home features, and summer in IG.
• 2013: Olive and moss wardrobe picks for fall and a classic preppy gameday.
• 2012: Neutral wardrobe inspiration and home decor, a mod citrus wedding. 
• 2011: Tropical destination wedding ideas.

sunday simplicity

To Wander and Seek via Floridian Social

"O’er many a heath, through many a woodland dun, 
Through buried paths, where sleepy twilight dreams

The summer time away.” ― John Keats, Endymion

this week's clicks.

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

Gideon Photography via Ruffled

• IN LOVE with this chalkboard wedding inspiration.
• Digging the mudcloth trend in home decor fabrics.
• An elegant Harry Potter inspired wedding from APW.
• A super-elegant garden wedding from Snippet and Ink.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Design Is Yay, By Dawn Nicole, and May Designs.
• Women's Health shares a tour of the Olympic Village in Rio.
• Tonga's handsome Olympic flagbearer seems like a nice guy.
• My BFF and I both swooned over this Old Navy moto jacket.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: Visiting Allie's house from The Notebook.
• 2014: A quirky Sunday Social and my first day of school teacher outfit.
• 2013: Back to the past with Sunday Social, aqua and lime wardrobe inspiration.
• 2012: This in-between season, vacation wardrobe inspiration, Kate Midleton's Olympic wardrobe and budget-friendly versions of her outfits.  
• 2011: Ideas for honeysuckle pink wardrobe and home decor.

sunday simplicity.

Reality and Retrospect via 100 Layer Cake

“Every spark returns to darkness. Every sound returns to 
silence. Every flower returns to sleep with the earth. 
The journey of the sun and moon is predictable. But 
yours is your ultimate art.” ― Suzy Kassem

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?

sunday simplicity.

Cassidy Carson Photography via Ruffled

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your 
face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

― Roald Dahl

this week's clicks.

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

• Thank you, James Corden, for the gift to humanity that is Carpool Karaoke! Have y'all seen this one with Michelle Obama and Missy Elliot yet? These folks are having so much fun with "Single Ladies" and "Get Ur Freak On!"

SWOON.

• So jealous of Tara from Braid Creative's writing shed.
• A pastel vineyard wedding from Christine Sargologos.
• At Style Me Pretty, a chic San Francisco city hall wedding.
• SMP presents a cool visual history of engagement rings.

SMILE.

• Have a small window of free time? 15 productive things to do.
• Let Read It Forward's Book Apothecary prescribe one for you.
• Playing Pokemon Go? Check out these new tips from Vulture.
• For a laugh: 40 things everyone but you is doing this summer.

FLASHBACK.  

• 2015: favorite summer reads and picks for fall, Part 1 of our Charleston vacation.
• 2014: my favorite 3's, style picks for a tropical getaway, and inspiration for a modern Alice in Wonderland inspired wedding.
• 2013: a Sunday Social about food, beach bag essentials, quirky ceremony backdrops, and summer blog loves.
• 2012: President Obama's rally in Roanoke, wardrobe inspiration in shades of gray, inspiration for a destination beach wedding, and the Sunshine Blogger Survey.
• 2011: thoughts on what makes a wedding fun.