Something Special

A little something personal that I wanted to share, as today is my grandmother Greta's 99th birthday.

She is quite the little lady. Raised on a horse farm in Kilkenny, Ireland from a family of 19 brothers and sisters. She left home at the age of 16, traveled across the ocean seeking a better life in America. Landed in New York City where she worked various odd jobs then traveled for some time working around the states, from Miami, Denver, Hollywood, San Diego and back to NYC where at age 27 she met my grandfather. They got married and soon after had my father followed by 3 more children, all names starting with the letter K, after her hometown in Ireland. Married for 50 years (my papa passed almost 20 years ago) a mother to 4, grandmother to 8 and great-grandmother to 3. She is a mighty women with beautiful strength, so much to admire. This is one of my favorite photographs of my grandparents on their wedding day in New York City, September 1940. 

I love when my grandmother tells me how papa asked for her hand in marriage:

"We were at Sunday mass, when Papa took my hand and slipped the ring on my finger. And that was that."

I also love that they're having a spot of tea at their reception. Oh and that my grandmother rented her dress. Why don't peeps do that anymore? Sure makes sense to me if you're on a budget, right? I'm curious, would you rent a wedding dress?

(greta and arthur on their wedding day)

JEWELS: 1907 Ring with a secret message...

This isn't your ordinary, classic, gold wedding band. Look closely, cause this little gem of a ring opens up to reveal a secret message of your choice. How ridic and sweet is that? Designer, Kristen Wentreck, the brain child and creator behind design company, Wintercheck Factory, was inspired by a family heirloom ring from 1907. How romantic! Do you love this as much as I do? I want one and I would inscribe a secret phrase that A. and I pretty much say to each other every day and every night.

What would you inscribe?

Watch the video for a closer look......

(image and video source)

1907 Ring from Kristen Wentrcek on Vimeo.

little weekly finds.......

dig this brides style in a chic, short, fitted, tank dress.
designer silver holiday dresses on sale 1, 2, 3
sea glass colored apothecary bottles
1950's wedding dress for $298!
Whichgoose has her new site
Gorgeous Art Deco green glass necklace
beautiful fall invites via Oncewed 
ghost writer photographer caused quite a stir this week

Off to my mother in law's for a cooking lesson. I'm trying my best to pick up her magic, Italian cooking skills, which you a can read about here next week.
Then A. and I are djing tomorrow night...yahoo!
And finally it's getting cold here in Milan, maybe Sunday calls for friends, roasted chestnuts, cheese and wine party....


Have a lovely weekend....

ACCESSORIES: Fur Caplet

I love the idea of vintage fur or faux fur caplets but it's sometimes a different story when it's on a real human being, it can make one look like a dressed up cuddly animal from the wild. Not to mention, the weight of the fur can add extra layers, one might not need or desire.  So, if you're a regular reader of LWB you might have seen a link on my "little weekly finds" last week to what appears to look like a fancy, smancy fur caplet. However, I'm afraid not all love this style. Too fur sweatshirt? (esb, love how you come up with this stuff). Now looking at it,  I have to sort of agree but then I remembered the winter bride pictured above from an old NYmag weddings issue and I have to say, she certainly pulls of the fur sweatshirt look. Quite chic, no? 

Fur not your thing?
Don't fret,  here are a few wool, caplets with a contemporary twist that I found on ArtLab.

(image barnaby drapper, bride pictured in a mink caplet)

TREASURE HUNT: Antique Brussels lace

This pretty little number is a "look but don't touch" you shall realize this once your eyeballs land on the hefty price tag. But how amazing is the intricate, handmade, antique, lace? I can't even imagine how many painstaking hours it took to make. Yikes! Here are a few other options that could be a lighter on the wallet.

Morgan Le Fay Spring Summer 2012 Trunk Show

Morgan Le Fay

Spring Summer 2012 Trunk Show

Wooster: Oct. 12th - 13th

Madison: Oct. 14th - 15th

Malibu: Oct. 19th - 20th

Santa Monica: Oct. 21st - 22nd

Spring, Summer, heck all brides, what are ya waiting for? If you're on the hunt for that, unbride, unique, quiet yet edgy, ethereal dress, then this is your place.

(image via Morgan Le Fay)

WEDDING DECOR: Greens

What to do when the beautiful flowers you've been dreaming of don't fit your budget? Don't under estimate the power of GREENS! Do use foliage for your decor. It could be as simple as this setting of ferns in gold vases. How delicate, warm and inviting do these tables look? This genius table setting created by the design team, Hey Look. 

Also, be sure to check out their latest, a Mediterranean table setting, pure, natural, chicness.

some lovely greens to consider: cedar, magnolia leaves, myrtle, ferns, seeded eucalyptus

or  green garlands

(found via ruffled)

FLOWER SPOTLIGHT: Ariel Dearie Flowers

Last week, I stumbled upon a new little flower studio (thanks to the lovely flowerette, Chelsea over at Frolic!) called, Ariel Dearie Flowers. The studio, a freshly planted seed in the ground of Williamsburg, Brooklyn creates: whimsical, free flowing bouquets and arrangements. Ariel, the creator behind this sweet studio specializes in weddings and events throughout the East Coast and in New Orleans (her childhood home) but willing to travel further. When she is not working on wedding related events, she also creates arrangements for photo shoots and restaurants. 

Imagine working with flowers all day long? Her work life sounds dreamy. Actually, magical if ya ask me.

I had a few, lovely, email exchanges with the creator and thought I'd share her personal journey on how she became a florist.

From Ariel:

"I grew up in New  Orleans, a city full of lush, overgrown gardens. My family's backyard felt like a tropical jungle; full of Banana Trees, Japanese Plums, and Wild Ginger, all canopied under a grand old Oak Tree. I had always appreciated my surroundings, but didn't realize just how much I would miss certain things until I experienced a few gray New York winters. I found myself happy to be living in NYC but yearning for more nature and green. I had done flowers for restaurants in New Orleans and New York and realized that this would be a way to bring those gardens with me. I interned briefly with the lovely Emily Thompson and then decided to leave my job and start my own Flower Studio. I haven't regretted it once!"

So, NYC/ East Coast and New Orleans brides, snatch this little lady up for your big day. Her work is srsly, enchanting. But that is to be expected, as she learned from the best.

I look forward to watching this little seed grow and flourish in the concrete jungle of Brooklyn. 

(image source: Ariel Dearie)

NYmag Weddings: Winter 2011 Issue

Just received my New York Magazine Wedding Winter 2011 Issue and took a little afternoon cafe break to read it cover to cover.

 Many goodies inside and of course my favorite, a feature on Monotone bouquets. Get ready to feast your eyeballs on a rainbow of flowers galore!

Be sure to pick up your 2011 Winter issue on newsstands tomorrow, October 11.

Can't wait till then? Then head over to their site for some wedding goods that should tie you over till the morning. Here are a few of my favs:

Love the top of this delicate lace dress

red hot unconventional dress

short style for modern minimalist bride

one dress four styles and I heart this one

dainty, rustic bouquet 

something blue with a little splash of violet bouquet

wild at heart flower bouquet

little weekly finds.......

Bohemian wedding via Frolic!

side braid

Urban woodsy wedding

the word is, BIG bridal bouquets

GORG Rosa Clara wedding gowns

winter wedding in England more can be seen here

winter cocktail time idea, champagne paired with smores! 

 Hey, winter brides, wouldn't it be great to get this style in a good fake fur? for all animal lovers, including myself, ya gotta look past the real fur part. what do you think, yay or nay? 

I would love to hear what you all think?

Apparently, I'm obsessed with fast tracking it to winter, as I sit through another Indian summer day here in Milano.  A. and I are off to Assisi for a fall weekend (hopefully it will feel crisp there)  to attend an art opening for two of my dear friends\ former colleagues, can't wait!

It's our first time to Assisi, so excited and if you want to see snippets of our travels

I will writing about it here

VINTAGE: Herve Leger

Herve Leger vintage for your big day....um can we say stunner?

now all you need is that BIG, dramatic bouquet

Flowers at Sofia Coppola's Wedding

 Stumbled across some pics of Sofia Coppola's very important guests arriving, the flowers! 

Looks like it was a flowers galore kinda of event!

Wouldn't you love to know how it all unfolded? I bet it was pure magic.

Maybe it will be printed somewhere, someday but for now we can settle for the Italian media video peek of the couple and tiny keyhole (literally video footage through a keyhole) peek of the event

(1st image, 2nd image, 3-5 images)

ACCESSORIES: Grey Lace Cape

We've barely dipped into autumn and I'm already finding myself digging around for accessories that would be perfect for little winter brides to be out there....like this gorg, grey lace cape? I still think grey\silver lace is the new winter time style

(image via eastside bride, she always finds rad, ridic, things)

REAL WEDDING: Treehouse for Two

How romantic would it be, to tie the knot, deep in an enchanted forest, high up among the treetops in a cozy, little treehouse? Well this lovely couple did. How wild and magical is that? Looks like a childhood dream wedding location come true, no? What a charming spot to host an intimate affair of any kind. And as always, the dreamy images by James Moes have me spellbound.

(photography by James Moes)

FLOWER SPOTLIGHT: Wild Flower Bouquet

Good morning, thought I would start off the day with this beautiful, wild flower bouquet, created by Found While Walking (a new blog in my book and a must add to daily reads) via the oh so talented, Lena Corwin

Isn't it lovely?

Stop by later today, to catch a glimpse of an enchanted forest and treehouse wedding for two

little weekly finds.......

Festive autumn cider cocktail

I've always been fond of the cascading, delicate, pearl-like pieris japonica flower and stumbled across some wedding inspiration for this lovely botanical.

how beautiful are these rustic orchid arrangements via Snippet & Ink

little scalloped layered silk jacket for the bride
ridic eye candy green jewels: here, here and here

 autumn eve wedding from the LWB archive

Have a lovely first of October weekend, my most favorite month of the year, hello, Halloween?

Have some projects to work on but also plan to fit in some mellow downtime with A.

and looking forward to having dinner here with some friends.

WEDDING DECOR: Autumn Table

Little autumn wedding details for your table decor

How stunning is that gold apple? I envision a whole bunch of these little nuggets, scattered, over a long table covered in a ivory table cloth and lit with tapered candles, preferably ivory. Then guests could take one home as a thank you.
Wouldn't it be perfect for a Big Apple Autumn wedding?

Clockwise starting from upper left corner: pheasant feathers, birds, bleached peacock feathers,  stone apple&pear, vases,, golden apple

And why not top it off with burlap texture table cloth

and dinner plate cafe au lait Dalhias?

 

 (image source: Burlap table runner photo)
(image source: Dalhias)

FLOWER SPOTLIGHT: Saipua's Flower Arranging Tips

Helpful tips from the ever so clever Sarah Ryhanan, creator and founder of Saipua, one the most stylish flower studio's in Brooklyn. While back home in NYC, at the beginning of the month, I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah and had a chance to visit her studio. What an amazing space and meeting Sarah was such a delight. I took the opportunity to pick her brain on what seasonal flowers would be available to use in a September wedding, as I was prepping myself for creating my bff bridesmaids bouquets. She was so sweet to give me some helpful flower tips. Grazie Sarah! 

Hopefully soon, I will have photos of the bouquets to share with you all.

It's always such a treat to meet blogsphere peeps, don't ya think?

To see more flower arranging videos by Sarah, go here and here
and for more photos of this project, ya gotta sign up here.

(video via One Kings Lane)

Flower Spotlight: Arrangement Inspiration

 

 

I'm mesmerized by the various unique flower arrangements found on house plant guru.

Makes me so happy to see a florist embracing the kind of petals that seem to get completely overlooked, Carnations and Gladioli (see image # 4 and #9) These arrangements seem to breath a whole new life in these unpopular stems.

Do you have a favorite, underestimated flower? I would love to hear from you

image 1.) Clematis 2.) Autumn arrangement 3.) Tiger Lily arrangement 4.) Carnations

5.) white flower arrangement with gold jug 6.) Geraniums 7.) wild flowers 8.) Jasmine 9.) Gladioli

WEDDING STYLE: Mirit Weinstock

 

Feathers and vintage wedding dresses are a match made in heaven if you ask me, like the designs created by Mirit Weinstock.

 Her unique, light, vintage wedding gowns, paired perfectly with one of her feathered jewels, makes for a sweet wedding style, don't you think?