August Obsession: Peachy Keen

Martha Stewart Weddings

Peach is traditionally a spring color but I like it this time of year because it seems like an appropriate precursor to the darker, rusty tones of Autumn. I also love how delicate and ladylike it is- is there anything more beautiful than a bouquet of peach-toned flowers? I think not.

Southern Living

Joy of Kosher

Style Me Pretty

We Heart It

Spring

I'm sick of cold weather and so until Spring decides to grace us with its presence I'm just gonna go live here, ok?

Image: Marks & Spencer/Sally Cullen via Bright Bazaar

Winter Blues

It's hard to believe that winter is only getting started because the city has been pummeled with snow twice already and I'm beginning to seriously consider a move to the west coast. You know what I hate about winter? I hate that it follows you inside. I hate that I have to wash my floors twice as often (meaning, I actually have to wash my floors at all) because there is sludge everywhere. I hate that I have to immediately disrobe the second I walk in the door to avoid getting melted snow all over my kitchen. I HATE that my entryway is crowded with snow boots and other essential outdoor accessories because there is no room to store them properly and my neighbors might steal them if we were to leave them out in the hallway.

Winter. It's so inconvenient for the decor enthusiast. 

What I would like right now is a beautiful, bright, organized entryway that makes me excited to come home and toss off all evidence of the outside world. Perhaps something like this entryway, which belongs to Kimberly Cornelison and Alfie Ferreyra and which I've been coveting since it was featured on Design*Sponge back in September. These people know a thing or two about snow- they live in Minneapolis! Even though the space is small, they've carved out a distinct look and feel for the little nook. I adore the bright wallpaper and pendant lamp and the simple burst of color from the flowers and basket. 

How can a little snow get you down when your home looks like this?

Image: Design*Sponge

Carnation Nation

Yesterday a friend showed up at my apartment with flowers (And homemade chocolates. God, I'm spoiled!) and ever since I have been thinking about how important it is to have fresh flowers around. It can brighten any day and do wonders for a bland apartment that has yet to be set up or unpacked or repainted. It can also add variation to your color scheme. Say, for example, you have a room that is all neutral colors or all black and white. You could add several small arrangements in hot pink and suddenly your room is totally Parisian chic! Perhaps you decide you hate pink and replace them all with bright yellow and voila! your room is Venetian Art Nouveau!

I tend to be quite snobby about flowers. I hate things like baby's breath and hyacinth and anything too tropical and pointy. I also hate most filler flowers with the exception of carnations, which I am starting to adore. I especially like the fuchsia and white stripes in this simple yet classy bouquet. They're not wedding-worthy or anything but they'd be so nice scattered throughout a living room or in several small bud vases on a windowsill in the bathroom.

I vowed not to say anything about the wallpaper but come on, it's fabulous! I have had my eye on this style for quite some time and would love love love to use this in a bathroom above crisp white subway tile.

Image: Katja of Nestled In

Best. Picture. Ever.

Basically, this is heaven. Isn't this just gorgeous though? There's something about the color and texture of the flowers next to the dark matte chalkboard that is so obscenely fascinating to me.

Ps. I have no idea why I am suddenly so freaking obsessed with chalkboards right now. It's not a THING I promise. 

Image: Wild at Heart's Shop via {frolic!}

Party Planning: Tea Party

I spend a lot of time planning parties. Sometimes it's for other people but mostly it's for myself and my friends. I've been known to throw fancy brunches, dressy cocktail parties, cookie-decorating, gift-swapping, and dessert oriented soirees, but my favorite by far is the old fashioned tea party. There's something so delightful about sitting down to a proper tea, complete with tea sandwiches, scones and little cakes or petit fours.

Of course, it all depends on how well you prepare. To start, you need the perfect invitation. I prefer smaller tea parties, no more than 6 people, including myself. These invitations by Gina B. are perfect for a refined afternoon tea. A delicate but modern floral against a bright background sets the tone for the event and the card leaves enough room to hand-write the invite.

Once your invites are out, you can turn your attention to the table. Tablecloths are traditional but I like to go a bit more modern with just a table runner. This works especially well if you have a nice wood table. When it comes to napkins, stay elegant and traditional with cloth napkins if possible. I like this table runner from Pier 1 and these cloth napkins from Pottery Barn. 

Flowers are essential for a tea party. And any party for that matter. Make things easy for yourself with a simple arrangement with only one type of flower. If you have a longer table, divide the flowers up into 3-5 smaller arrangements running the length of the table. Stick to flowers in season to avoid spending too much money:

Spring-- Lilacs, Peonies, Sweet Peas

Summer-- Hydrangea, Delphinium, Dahlias

Fall--Chrysanthemum, Zinnias, Asters, Marigolds

Winter--Camellias, Amaryllis, Forget-me-nots

When in doubt, always go with roses- they are always in season and easy to find at your corner deli. 

Of course, the most important thing to consider is the teapot and teacups themselves. I like this one from Teavana. On a recent jaunt through Anthropologie, I spotted these tea cups. I love the idea of using them as both a place card and a party favor for guests.

On to other table necessities. Tea! Good tea is v. important. I'm a huge Teavana fan, thanks to Hanna, but obviously tea can come from anywhere. I love the loose tea tins at Pearl River Mart here in NYC. They're cheap, they're pretty and they come in a variety of flavors. Even if they aren't featured at your party, they would make a great addition to the table decor. Also necessary are beautiful cake stands and platters. I found this vintage hobnailed cake stand on ebay, and these wonderful platters at Essentials, a fabulous store in Northampton, MA. 

Check out Epicurious for yummy recipes like these Whole Grain Cranberry-Apple Scones or these Radish-Chive Tea Sandwiches with Sesame and Ginger and don't forget the classic Cucumber Watercress Sandwiches!

Now all you have to do is figure out who to invite!

Images: (from top) Kate's Paperie, Pier 1, Pottery Barn, Fleurs Bella, Teavana, Anthropologie, Pearl River Mart, Ebay, Essentials, Epicurious, Bristol Farms

Oh. My. Gah.

Every two years, landscape architect E. Stautemans designs and builds one of the most beautiful large-scale public art pieces I have ever seen-- a flower carpet lining the square in front of the Grand-Place in Brussels. 

Using over 700,000 begonias, the newest carpet--his 14th!--was on view from the 15th-17th of August. 

You can watch a video on the making of the piece here.

Images: Brussels Homepage, Brussels' Flower Carpet

While we're on the topic of flowers...

I am in love with an artist by the name of Jude Miller. Her fantastically realistic 'botanical sculptures' can be seen in shows around the world and are available on commission as well. I think my adoration is mostly due to the fact that she makes her flowers primarily with tissue paper. Her pieces range from roses to passion flowers to Northern European wildflowers and Miller is so meticulous in her quest for realism that she has even been known to dissect petals and stems and make plasticine moulds just to get the proper shape and form each flower petal might require. I think they are exquisite and I'm not going to lie-I'm already wondering how I could get her to design a headpiece for my fantasy wedding.

Images: Jude Miller Flowers

Fleuuuuuuuuuuuurs

So, I am a total sucker for fresh flowers. I am that weirdo who goes to farmers' markets and spends nearly 20 minutes staring longingly at the decadent, fist sized peonies and wonders if it would really be so bad to blow my whole fruit and veggie budget on one big bouquet.

Ranunculas are my all time fave. They're gorgeous at every stage: just starting to bloom from buds, half open, and then when they're all the way opened they look like big bunches of crepe paper.
When I stumbled upon this pic I was in love: what a great way to decorate little pockets and corners of a room! I love the idea of using colorful tea tins, boxes and jars to hold a bunch of this week's market flowers. Also great for table centerpieces!

Image: Emma's Design Blog