Inspired By: Wine Labels

Let me preface this by saying that I know what comes out of my mouth next is going to sound incredibly girly and portray me out as a total wine neophyte, and that may be true in part. But I'm going to say it anyway.

I choose wines for their labels.

There it is. I judge my books by their covers. I am more impressed with the artistic design of the bottle than what is in it. In my own defense, I suspect a lot of designers do the very same thing. When you know the work and creativity that goes into something, you can appreciate it perhaps a little more than others. Or maybe that's just a front for my vapid, topical reasoning. Who knows, who cares. What I do know is that no one can deny the awesomeness of these great labels.








I've had more than my fair share of the La Vieille Ferme (delish, 13.5 %, and only $9/bottle) and Mollydooker, both of which I highly recommend. They all have me thinking of ways to emulate, whether in palette or as inspiration for stationary. Several of these have that vintage French advertising poster quality to them. Do you drink a wine with an unusual or fun label?

DIY Love: Button Tree

My love of buttons comes from visiting my grandmother when I was a little girl. She had jars and jars of colorful buttons, all shapes and sizes, from vintage to new. She was a wonderful seamstress and like most granddaughters, I regret not learning all I could from her. But I digress. I came across this darling do it yourself button tree from Makin Projiks and thought "what a great way to get those buttons out of the jar"! A little time consuming, but easy peasy and oh so pretty. I really like the combination of pastels as shown here. If you found enough buttons (yards sales are gold mines for them), these trees would make great wedding centerpieces, or decoration at the guest book and/or cake table.



For instructions, click here.

Blog Stalking and Other Adventures

Here is a round-up of my favorite things from the web this week:

Unbelievably cute invitations and marriage certificate from Rifle.

Heather Bullard's design blog; repurposed German enamel utensil holder. Killing me.

Cindy from Brass Paper Clip not only recommends the best blogs to read, but her vintage Etsy shop it by far one of the best.

Over at The Bride's Cafe, Stephanie is rockin' the most amazing dress from Seattle designer Chrissy Wai-Ching. Grab a hanky, 'cause you're about to drool.

Totally fun wedding from 100Layer Cake with loads of vintage and custom details. My favorite!

Check out Ruche's blog for a chance to win a pretty and sweet cardigan!

Old fashioned candy inspired wedding.

A giant Orea? I'm pretty sure I need this.

By far the best food blog. Ever.

If you're a fan of the wise owl, you'll love this.

I'm really looking forward to next week when all of the changes to Smitten will be in effect! Thanks to all of you for your continued readership! Happy weekend to all.

Jennifer & Mark, by Lisa Lefkowitz

Romantic. That's the first word to come to mind when I got a hold of these photos from the amazing Lisa Lefkowitz. Lisa, once again, has done an amazing job capturing the details of a wedding that make it personal. Jennifer and Mark hired the ridiculously talented Rebecca Reategui to put their Durango, Colorado fete together and boy did she deliver a winner; the soft peach and ivory tones lent themselves to all aspects of the wedding, providing a, well, a most romantic, seasonless mood. The stunning florals were designed by one of my favorite florists in the country, Ariella Chezar, known for her vintage, still life looking arrangements and bouquets. Honestly, if I lived on the West Coast, I'd want all three of these ladies involved in my wedding.






For more photographs Jennifer and Mark's extraordinary wedding, visit Lisa's blog

Real Wedding: Lori & Bobby, by Colin Michael

There is something about the glow of the sun in California that is different than any place else in the world. For Lori and Bobby's recent wedding at Santa Ynez Gainey Vineyard, Colin Michael captured the glow beautifully.

Everything for the affair was just so lovely; from the chocolate wedding cake to the vintage bike! And I love the use of yellow in this wedding. Everything else is quite neutral then POP! A big burst of gorgeous goldens. It makes me happy!











See more of Lori and Bobby's wedding photos here. Congratulations to you!

Visit Colin's blog for more delightful samples of his weddings and other events.

Invite, please!

My gift to you this Labor Day weekend: Sunday Suppers. The blog is an orgy for the eyes. My mouth drips saliva with every scroll down the page. It's another one of those 'now why didn't I think of that' sort of things, but truth be told, I am not acquainted with a group of folks as passionate and talented as the participants. Every single detail is utterly gorgeous. From the table arrangements to the letterpress menus to, of course, the food. My only question is, how do I get an invitation?

Berry Consume with Lemon Champagne Sorbet. Divinity. And, believe it or not, the recipe looks doable.

{photo by Karen Mordechai, recipe from Aron Goyoaga (a must read blog as well), custom bowl by Gleena Ceramics}

See more from Sunday Suppers here.

I Dig..

Amy Osaba's floral design:


Dress by Rose & Ruby:


Shoes by Irregular Choice:


Digit Spice Jars from Anthropologie (can you say table numbers?):


Vintage Silhouette Cocktail Shaker from Ruby Lane:

DIY Wedding: Botanical Place Cards & Milk Bottle Table Numbers

Check out Planet Mithi's blog for these DIY projects from her recent wedding:





Don't you love the vintage milk bottles with the circus font numbers!

Real Wedding: Corinne and Chuck

Phil and Mindy, the creative team behind Phindy Photography, recently shot Corinne and Chucks wedding in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The weather, the location, everything about the day was just perfect. The fete was put together by the talented folks at A Delightful Day.

Can't go wrong with mismatched bridesmaid dresses in your color palette.

How rad is this dress?

The palette and details are so pretty. A lot of vintage details, especially with the lily of the valley bouquet. Glasses tipped to Phil and Mandy for capturing everything so beautifully. Check out more of their work here.

Oldie but Goodie: Anne Benjamin Letterpress

It's been two years and I am still in love with Anne Benjamin's work. Her letterpress designs are absolutely spectacular. This wedding invitation is one of my favorites:




Every detail is gorgeous! Her custom invitations are oh-so vintage but with a modern twist. Take a peek at her website for more drool worthy designs!

Inspiration: Shades of Purple

Growing up, purple was my favorite color. I loved everything from eggplant to lilac, orchid to lavender. Even though I am too indecisive to have a color preference these days, purple has a special place in my heart.

{from top left: duet weddings; fdiy french soap; the image is found; country living.

2nd row: etsy; country living; etsy; flickr.

3rd row: ariella chezar; etsy; martha stewart; elizabeth milay.

In Love With...

I have had so much inspiration this week, and here are a few reasons why. These things make my heart pitter patter, my eyes sparkle, and my mouth smile.

Gorgeous dresses from Calypso. You must check out their website. This set is on sale now! Perfect for mismatched bridesmaid dresses in vintage art nouveau colors.

From Calypso's new collection. Ridiculously beautiful.


I still love ballet flats. If you're going to be on your feet all day, be comfortable! White ruffled flats by Jeffrey Campbell; blue velvet flats from Miu Miu.


I discovered Michelle Rago's blog by chance and fell for her pretty papery and how she chronicles her personal creative process. The lovely seahorse and coral letterpress invitations and escort cards are a wonderful deviation from the typical seashore theme.


Krista Raak's accessories are a to die for combination of vintage charm and elegant opulence. I imagine Daisy Buchanan carried a bag or wore a choker very similar to the ones Krista designs.


I can think of dozens of uses for this sash from J Crew. I think giving one of these to each of your bridesmaids would be an excellent way to make the Calypso dresses (above) coordinate, and/or make a sweet gift. I'm ordering mine today!

Leave a little love! I heart comments~.

Inspiration: A Vintage Yellow Wedding

It's getting to that time of year when you can just feel that fall is right around the corner. That's my inspiration for this board. I am dying to find the yellow gown picture in the second row. Isn't it to die for?

Real Wedding Wednesday: Rosie Parsons Photography

I stumbled upon Rosie Parson's blog a few weeks ago and fell in love with her style; and it seems I am not the only one! Her work has been featured in more than a few wedding publications and a favorite with wedding bloggers. You can imagine my delight when Rosie agree to share one of her recent shoots with my readers.

Ashley and Roberta were married at Notley Abbey near Aylesbury, England which provided a gorgeous backdrop. My fondness for this particular set is in part because of the details Rosie captured. Magnificent! Rosie worked with another photographer and friend, Sarah Vivienne, on Ashley and Roberta's wedding. The bride and groom incorporated modern and vintage aspects to the wedding with great success! Here are several photos I'm gaga over:

I heart the little shoe place cards. They remind of old die cut images.

Sprigs of lavender are so sweet.

It is with a sinful amount of envy that I share this photo. Laduree macarons for the female guests! Unfortunately for my fellow Americans, these delicious, decadent treats aren't available to us. But I digress...

Give the people what they want. The men received bottles of Jack Daniels. Now this is my kind of wedding!

This cake is simple and sweet. Perfection~!

Pretty table centerpieces; the palette is lovely vintage pinks.


A pretty little newlywed quiz for guests. Another charming detail.

After you have peeled yourself away from these photos, see more of Rosie Parson's work (and the rest of the photos from Ashley and Roberta's wedding) on her awesome blog. Thanks a bunch for sharing Rosie, and congratulations to Ashley and Roberta!