the bachelorette dinner

so i've had a few requests to see images of what i ended up wearing to the bachelorette dinner while i was away - unfortunately we did not end up going line dancing...but that made the outfit selection a bit easier. i decided to go a bit glam and paired a black sequin blazer with my hot pink floral dress and heels. the tinge of discomfort on my face is due to a major sunburn that i acquired at the pool earlier in the day...

and here is what we wore the day of the wedding...
pretty yellow chiffon dresses, chunky turquoise necklaces and cowboy boots <3

  
more images to come when i get them...congrats to my lovely newlywed cousin! love you jess and jimmy!

i'm back!

dear friends...i'm back! i had an absolutely fabulous time visiting my family in oregon and i already miss them so much, but i'm excited to get back to blogging. how has everyone been?

image via: sincerely, cecelia (poppy field in oregon)

what's on your nightstand: lauren of pure style home

today's nightstand belongs to lauren of pure style home whose blog is filled with lovely bits of inspiration. if you haven't checked her out...make sure to!

this is a photo of my nightstand as it looks most of the time.  i use a dresser because i love a big nightstand and attempt to keep it fairly empty (which doesn't always happen ;) so there's room for a glass of water at night, and a book or magazines (but it drives me crazy at night when i can't find room to put my water back on my nightstand because there's a stack of magazines or a book in the way, and the worst is when i spill water all over.)

i keep a pretty smelling linen spray along with my vintage pierced ginger jar lamp. things often just accumulate here and get moved around and right now i have the cute photo my mom gave to me of our boys.

my nightstand is the landing place for my glasses and cell phone at night and i always keep a pretty little something out to put the day's jewelry and my hair rubberband in before bed (pictured is a milk glass 'hands' plate). i love having fresh greens and flowers on my nightstand too and usually do.

what's on your nightstand: jessica of destined to design

today's nightstand belongs to the fabulous jessica of destined to design!

about a year ago a, mutual friend recommended i check out destined to design - its the very first blog i ever read and i quickly became hooked & began following daily. jessica's style is very minimal, clean and ultra sophisticated which is so refreshing. be sure to check out her blog if you haven't already, she has some fun features like "for the record" and "weekly roundup" that will keep you going back for more. i am so happy to have her here today sharing her space for the series!

i like to keep things pretty minimal, as clutter tends to make me a bit loopy. nothing much resides on my nightstand beside a bud vase of fresh, pink peonies, whatever book i'm currently (usually slowly) making my way through, and my current favorite piece: a mid-century table lamp i snagged at the rose bowl flea market in pasadena last month. i'm a firm believer that less is more! - jessica

vacay

i just arrived in oregon for my cousin's wedding so posts will be a bit light over the next week. of course the regular nightstand post is scheduled for monday, otherwise follow me on twitter and facebook for the haps!

xoxo

h e l p

dear friends,

as i'm trying to pack tonight for my trip to oregon i'm finding myself in need of advice...

what does a girl wear to a bachelorette party including a sushi dinner and line dancing?

do i wear jeans? but are jeans okay for a nice dinner? do i have to wear western boots? am i thinking too hard??? ugh...i'm entirely stumped and with it being after 1am, i am so ready for bed. any suggestions would be much appreciated!!

xoxo, cece

flora & fauna

i'm not a big fan of the tropical duvet, but i'm finding myself completely drawn to this bedroom. the combination of the stark white walls, espresso headboard against the whimsical bedding and that incredible statement light fixture, totally have me wishing this space was my own.

on etsy | nan lawson

loving these quirky illustrations by nan lawson on etsy. i'm wild about the mounted deer, tiny terrier and the girl wearing a mustache. which is your favorite?

blog of the moment

my little blog is currently being featured today over at layers of meaning as favorite blog of the moment! her site is always filled with tons of inspiration and i definitely have her on my daily reading list, so as you can imagine it's an honor to be on hers in return.

thank you maria!
p.s. i think nelli and nico need a play date :)

what's on your nightstand: kirsten of 6th street design school

today we have the lovely kirsten of 6th street design school posting about her nightstand etiquette. she's got a great little blog that documents her adventures through design school (she recently graduated!) & life and everything that inspires her along the way. read on to find out what her bedside essentials are...

 

up until this year my husband and i didn't even have nightstands so i consider them a huge luxury and i have been loving the new ones we got. on my nightstand i have a tray from fringe, a lamp from pottery barn teen and a little clock that is also from pottery barn - each of these things is essential. i put my wedding ring on that tray every night before i go to bed. i love having a little reading lamp at night as well and i keep a stash of my favorite magazines in my nightstand to read before bed. my little bedside table is one of my favorite things in my home, a nightstand is essential to making your room a relaxing and cozy space.

images and post via: kirsten krason

sunday recipe: tomato, corn & avocado salad

i stumbled upon this recipe from martha stewart this weekend while searching for easy party recipes. what a perfectly fresh summer side salad, and it only takes three steps. incredible.

image and recipe via: martha stewart

tomato, corn and avocado salad


serves 4

ingredients

• 1 ear corn (husk and silk removed; tip cut off)
• 2 pints cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
• coarse salt and ground pepper

directions

1. stand ear in a large wide bowl; with a sharp knife, carefully slice downward to release the kernels. discard cob. 
2. add tomatoes, avocado, scallions, lime juice, and oil to bowl. 
3. season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine. 

g l i t z

i discovered this super feminine, dressy bathroom while browsing for tile inspiration.
isn't it fun?

image via: living, etc

on etsy | concarta

i am officially in wedding mode...this week i have craft-making and packing to do and next week i will be leaving for oregon to attend a bachelorette party and a week of preparation for my lovely cousin's wedding in which i will be a maid of honor (with my other lovely cousin). during a search for bachelorette party sashes i discovered concarta, a fabulous etsy shop featuring impeccably sculpted, paper wedding cake toppers. look at the incredible detail...

what's on your nightstand: jessica of the love list

first up in the 'what's on your nightstand?' series is jessica of the love list and owner of front porch studios. the first post i saw from jessica was her gorgeous design studio - i instantly became a fan. her style is feminine, classic, cheery and colorful and  the fact that she owns her own graphic design business at twenty-four is so inspiring to me. a huge thank you to jessica for participating!

my bedroom is definitely my little hideaway. i might share it with travis, but it's still pretty feminine -- i don't think he cares as long as the bed is comfy. my sheets are a combination of a couple of different sferra 1891 collections that i mixed and matched with throw pillows from french laundry. my faux bamboo chippendale headboard was a craiglist find -- totally free! i painted it and it looks good as new. my bedside table was a homegoods find... i'm still debating if i'm going to add feet to it, but i actually like how low it is! the lamp and botanical print are homegoods as well -- i love that place! i guess you could say i'm "homegoods happy" - ha! i always do my nails in bed (dumb, i know) so i always have whatever colors i'm using on there... right now it's essie 'ballet slippers' and 'turquoise & caicos'. of course i keep the reading material piled high and a cushy rug to land my feet on in the morning, and there you have it!

image and post via: jessica

what's on your nightstand?

i'm starting a new feature called, 'what's on your nightstand?' which will highlight creative individuals/some of my favorite bloggers and every monday a new guest will show us what their nightstand says about them. i'm so excited to share these fun posts with you and i hope you enjoy reading them as much as i do!

sunday recipe: happy 4th of july!

hope you're all having a fabulous holiday weekend! if you're in wine country come make your way up-valley to st. helena and visit me at lunaria...i'm working.

vanilla-raspberry sundaes with spoon-shaped cookies

makes 8 sundaes and 60 cookies

• COOKIES
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

•  SUNDAES
• 2 quarts Vanilla Ice Cream, softened
• 2 quarts Raspberry Sorbet, softened
• Blueberries, for garnish

directions

1. Make the cookies: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until dough comes together. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out 1 disk of dough to just less than an inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Using a paring knife, cut out spoon shapes, each about 3 inches long. Get the spoon template here.
3. Transfer to baking sheets. Chill in freezer for 15 minutes. Roll out scraps, and repeat once.
4. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Make the sundaes: In 8 small bowls, layer 1/4 cup ice cream, 1/2 cup sorbet, and another 1/4 cup ice cream. Garnish each sundae with blueberries, and serve with 2 or 3 cookie spoons. 

image and recipe via: martha stewart

la sirena

since i can remember, i've always had a love for mermaids. the little mermaid is my favorite disney movie of all time and if you asked me what i wanted to be when i grew up at the age of five, i would have told you i would be a ballerina or a mermaid. i still have a fascination with them, but interior design has taken me down a different career path :)

here are a few great mermaid-inspired decorative objects for the home that i'm currently loving to bits...

i think i'd spray paint her a fun color

mermaid bookends via modern chic home

i can't get this pillow off my mind since this post

scales linen pillow via modern chic home

she would be absolutely perfect for hanging towels or necklaces

mermaid hanger via riri creations on etsy

this cheery fishscale hand towel would make dish drying a happy time

scales tea towel via see also on etsy

perfectly patriotic

hope everyone gets out this weekend to enjoy a holiday bbq, some sun and of course a dazzling fireworks show - happy 4th of july! xo

images via: martha stewart and flickr

luxe for less: chrysanthemum coverlet

i absolutely adore the chrysanthemum coverlet by dkny. the floral stitching is gorgeous and it comes in many colors - however, at $149.99 for a full/queen it's a biiiit out of my prince range. in comes my bff...target with chrysanthemum's twin at just $59.99 BARGAIN! the only problem is that the target coverlet doesn't come in as many colors so i guess i'll just start saving my pennies for the ivory or charcoal dkny version.

thrifting

on my way home from work today i stopped in sonoma at a little thrift shop called the church mouse. my goal was to find some kind of tray to hold my jewelry at the end of the day - i ended up spending only $2.40 and i walked away with some treasures. check out my bounty...

my treasures include: a red ceramic vase (it resembles a strawberry...i couldn't resist!), two delicate milk glass bud vases and a small round silver platter to place my jewelry on at night. i'll definitely be visiting the church mouse thrift shop again soon.