jungle in your home

the past few days have been a whirlwind with an ugly cold taking over my life last week, family in town, and then the ny gift show this week. however, the gift show has been so much fun for juliet and i to peruse with my momma (also a small business owner) and we passed some surprisingly inspiring things along the way, which we're very excited to incorporate into our styling & designs this year.

i've been meaning to share this amazing photograph with you for some time now. check out the full story behind this amazing installation in the home of florist simone gooch here.

swiss cottage designs

on tuesday night we headed over to city winery along with some of our besties for a beautiful networking event. one of the best parts of the evenings was having the chance to meet the lovely courtney of swiss cottage designs. i don't know how we've never crossed paths before since she's based right here in brooklyn, but i think it will be a match made in heaven. her wedding designs are all beautiful, unique, and clearly a labor of love. we can't wait to have the chance to work with her soon. check out her work here.

bowery hotel wedding

we were so thrilled when brooke from brookelyn photography sent over a few shots from a wedding we worked on together at the bowery hotel. jessica & jay tied the knot on halloween weekend and if you remember we had a freak snow storm here in nyc that day. the bowery was the perfect, cozy spot to celebrate a wedding and how amazing are those gorgeous masks they passed out to their guests?! not going to lie i wish i was a guest at this one.

more to come soon...

instagram

juliet is still gone this week in south africa visiting family, so i've been holding down the fort around here. you shouldn't feel badly for me because in another week i'll be jetting off to costa rica and she'll be doing the same for me. whoohoo!

i got to thinking this week that there are so many social media networks to belong to these days that it's beginning to make my head spin. it also seems to be a bit repetitive to update everything from facebook, twitter, and instagram on a daily basis. not to mention i'm feeling a bit bored with twitter and facebook lately. my new crack is instagram. instagram is sort of a visual diary for your life with the only difference from your other diary is that everyone can view this one. most of the photos posted are gorgeous, which makes it even more addicting and you can easily see what your friends thought to be a pretty post or an interesting tidbit making the fun endless.

i thought this morning i'd share a few of my recent posts from the past two days. yesterday i woke up at 6am to deliver flowers to the james hotel for an event, which may sound horrid to most people but it was actually a fun little adventure. i had no idea that their view from the penthouse was so breathtaking and they have a pool to go along with the high rises! occasionally some of the flowers make it back to my apartment after an event, so naturally i woke up this morning and began rearranging them all just for the hell of it. i thought this second photo was a lovely moment captured of some gorgeous blooms hanging out together this morning. moving right along my boyfriend's catering company, michael stuart ny, catered the event yesterday, which means the leftovers come to me. i whipped up a bowl full of their homemade baked oatmeal (kind of like soft granola) paired with fresh fruit and a little bit of soy milk.

if you're interested check out my diary here.

dior

i'm not going to lie, high fashion tends to go over my head. i appreciate the craft and the elaborate runway shows, but often have a hard time picturing anyone actually wearing the pieces. christian dior's 2012 spring collection really stuck with me this time around. how amazing would these dresses be for a daring bride or perhaps a very festive rehearsal dinner?! that chevron print waist is simply amazing!

{images via elle.com}

poppies

after a short hiatus from our studio, i ventured down to the flower market this morning and picked up some gorgeous winter blooms for an event tomorrow. today reminded me why we included poppies in our company name to begin with. they are some of the prettiest flowers out there and i especially adore their tissue paper-esque petals. i must also give a shout out to the ranunculus, which were as big as garden roses and the most beautiful blush color i ever did see. mother nature you never cease to amaze me and i don't think i'll ever be able to stop the giddiness that i feel at first sight. it seriously took over most of my morning, but somehow i eventually managed to stop gaucking at the flowers and posting photos of them to instagram for long enough for a special guest to stop by our studio. it took me a minute to get over her striking resemblance to natalie portman in garden state, but once i did we had a great chat about her working with our team this upcoming year and she stayed long enough to make a very pretty arrangement herself. she rocked it out and did a great job!

i'm off to snuggle up to emails, proposal writing, and a call with a texan bride to boot.

cool hunting

check out juliet's new oyster adventure and interview on cool hunting today!

isn't she adorable?!

our plants

in the middle of wedding madness last october my boyfriend, our dog, and i moved to a brand new spankin apartment. at the time we were sour about the move, because we were being forced out due to flooding at our old house. once it was all said and done it turned out to be a blessing in disguise and it didn't take long for us to realize that. my favorite part about our new home are the huge windows and amount of direct sunlight we receive daily.

since thursday is our mandated water the plants day, i thought i'd share a few snaps from our dining room. this is the first time since i moved to nyc in 2002 i've been able to keep my plants happy and alive thanks to a lack of sunlight in most city apartments. some are even sprouting new growth, which makes me overly giddy on a daily basis.

it's the little things in life and i try to remember that!

i can't wait to share more of our humble abode here in brooklyn as we piece it together little by little.

butter + love

a few weeks ago we received an email from allison who is a super sweet chica who had helped us out in the past. she was announcing that she had launched a bakery here in nyc and was hoping we'd want to try some of her goodies. she sent some samples along for us to try and we were blown away! our favorites were marionberry rosemary sea salt sandwich cookies and her salted honey lavender shortbread. the shortbread was seriously like crack and i'd love to order more but i fear i would becoming addicted because it tastes so good. butter + love

jen huang workshops

we're coming back to cali and couldn't be more excited! jen huang photography's workshop is hitting the LA area in april and we'd all love to see you there. the last workshop we were a part of this past november brought in some amazing photographers, so we thought we'd share a few photos that we thought were just perfect by megan christine. come join us in april for more styled shoots and amazing guest speakers!

beach vacay essentials

nyc has been a whopping 20 degrees on average lately, leaving me cuddled up on the couch. somehow among the frigid temps and layers of clothing i can still imagine a warm sunny beach and day dream about our upcoming costa rican trip. i think it may actually be making me feel warmer.

i've come up with some essentials to a successful sunbathing adventure and thought i'd share them with you . sunnies are a must, vibrant string bikini, tribal print towel, bright nail polish, and a one piece for night time swimming. ok maybe the last one is a bit overboard, but i can't pass up the chartreuse.

1. chloe sunnies, 2. natori-sahanatowel_300.com, 3. calypso, 4. clambake nail polish by essie, 5. anthropologie

Liz & Dave

Liz & David's super 8 film highlights: The Foundry, NYC from Hello Super 8 on Vimeo.

This past season we were so lucky to work with Liz & Dave on their wedding at the Foundry. Our friend, Tammy Golson, was their planner and shared this fabulous video of their big day with us. The work of Megan Hill, of Hello Super 8 film, this wedding video was filmed on vintage cameras which I think makes it all the more unique and romantic. Congratulations Liz & Dave!

Tata Harper

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a bit of an obsession with skincare products. I can't help it; I'm an addict. My new love is Tata Harper's line. Fresh from her farm in Vermont, the line is totally natural and mostly organic. Unlike so many of its counterparts, it's got nothing harmful to your being in it. Tata's holistic approach to skincare (and stress relief... her aromatherapy oils are amazing) is just the ticket. I have to say my skin is looking particularly glowy despite all of the dry weather and over heated buildings in our fair city. My favorite product, though it's hard to choose, is her Hydrating Floral Essence. It's light enough to use as a toner in between washing and moisturizing in the winter, and moisturizing enough to use on it's own in the summer. Magic! Oh and I am totally a sucker for her gorgeous packaging .
Thank you Tata!

yes, please!

there are many reasons people tend to argue that the west side is the best side. for one the weather in the LA/southern cali area is pretty much sublime, there are a ton of super creative people living and working out there and well the attitudes towards life tend to be a bit more laid back. while i love new york city with all my heart and really can't imagine moving anywhere else in the near future, casa de perrin from a design perspective gives me the itch to pack up and move to sunnier lands. their boutique approach to rentals for weddings, photo shoots, and private parties is unlike any other. their collection consists of feminine, antique chinas, vintage persian rugs, unique flatware, glassware beyond belief and so much more.

plus the owners/couple have a very cute story to boot.

maria & oliver

maria & oliver were one stylish couple and when i say they have good taste in vendors that is an understatement! check out the full feature on ruffled blog today.

treat yourself well in 2012

winter is in full effect here in nyc and with the holidays past us it's important to find some fun new items to make each day a bit more exciting. since juliet and i are both on healthy kicks right now, i've been going to yoga a bunch of drinking lots of fresh juice. i used this yoga mat at a studio in nh over the holidays and loved it. i'd also like to acquire a pair of these awesome boots to show off my soon to be toned yoga legs (hopefully).

{1.rei, 2.juiceland, 3.rifle paper co, 4.j.crew, 5.no6store}

Monday with Matt: Paper

I've been thinking a lot about paper recently, and how with a bit of thought there is no end to the amount of pretty decorations one can make. I've noticed quite a few window displays featuring cut out snow flakes and paper garlands in shops all over town, and they really do look quite charming.
I found a whole bunch of paper flower crafts over on Martha Stewart, but I was especially taken with the dahlias.




Wouldn't that be pretty for a baby or wedding shower? All those lovely paper dahlias with bursts of them hanging from the ceiling?
Then these thoughts of paper and flowers and romance reminded me (this is how my mind works) of the Isabella Rosselini shorts on the Sundance Channel. Green Porno and Seduce Me... they really are much better than the titles suggest. Her production team has done some wildly imaginative design with mostly paper. The resulting videos are quirky and informative, but also strangely pretty.



I love the paper finger!

The Water

I came across this song, from Johnny Flynn & Laura Marling, yesterday and had to share. I think it is so sweet and enchanting. It reminds me of the old Ian & Sylvia records my dad used to play when I was little. Enjoy & have a wonderful weekend!

bridesmaids & gardens 2012

whitney deal is moving at the pace of lightning and i urge you not to blink because before you know it she's going to be at the top. her new line of bridesmaids and garden dresses for 2012 are sweet, airy, and totally desirable. i'd love to have the first one for my trip to warmer lands next month! stop by her shop and pick your favorite.

congrats to our lovely, amazing, talented friend!

jen huang photography's workshop

we have been waiting anxiously for the day when we could share these photos with everyone. you may remember last november we traveled to santa ynez, ca with jen huang photography, paperfinger, and michael stuarty ny for jen's workshop. overall it was one of the best trips we've taken in a long time and creatively it was completely inspiring and fulfilling. we had the chance to meet some amazing people while we were out there like jose villa, joel serrato, summer watkins, jen campbell, enjoy cupcakes, and donna small to name a few.

when it came time to get down to business, we found ourselves in one of the prettiest landscapes we've ever seen surrounded by beautiful things. these are hands down some of our favorite shots of our work that we've ever seen. a huge thanks to donna small from the source and the eye for allowing us to hang out with her in her gorgeous home, cut from her rose bushes, and play with all of her vintage props! also, if you have your eye on her dress it's from saja and you're bound to love the rest of her line. if you're getting married in ca this is the place to go! pop over to green wedding shoes to see the full feature.