The Invitation - Perfect Paper!

Sorry for the delay with our post! We upgraded our operating system today - Yay!

---

I am in love with Cat Seto's little boutique and paper studio on Polk Street in Russian Hill, SF (my old hood!). There you can find the perfect wedding invite, bridal shower invite, baby announcement or just the cutest note and thank you cards. Her shop has adorable clothing items, accessories and gifts. Her studio next door is where you can design custom invitations. All collections feature Cat's hand illustrated designs and watercolors and they are just beautiful! I am one of those gals who loves sparklies so I was thrilled when I found out you can add Swarovski crystals and give your paper some extra bling.

One of my favorite things about the invitation process here is that there are so many options! She has printables for the DIY gal, she has flat printing, letterpress or you can chose from something already designed in the huge pile of example books as well as create something custom. You can find her paper products out and about and at places like Anthro but for the biggest selection and just to see all the stunning examples you should try and make it to the store. Her website is pretty good (and her blog is great!) but there is a much wider selection in store. Make sure you stop by and find that perfect paper piece!

Photo source: From Trisha Dean's personal collection

Found! Adorable Modern Playclothes for Kid+Baby

I have to share this amazing new find for little ones. Think phenomenal baby shower gift or fabulous first birthday present! Jasper Hears Wren has the most adorable modern playclothes and accessories. Owners Heather Jennings and Lisa Schwartz who are based in Oakland, California, have created a fantastic line of hoodies, onesies, dresses and even cool totes for mom. The best thing about this brand besides the quality fabric and pure cuteness of the clothes, are their greener business practices. Their "catalog" is all online (saving some trees), their felt is made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic bottles, and their garments are sewn by local professional seamstresses. Good stuff.

You have to check out these onesies - the details are darling! Who wouldn't want a corn dog or a creamsicle on their belly?! My all time favorite has always been the rocket hoodie. I would like one in my size please! Another fav is the apron dress. And when the dress becomes too short, just let your little gal wear it as a top with jeans.

You can find Jasper Hearts Wren in these locations or save yourself the drive and order straight from their site.

Photo source: All photos JasperHeartsWren.com

Alice in Wonderland - Tea Party with a Twist

I wanted to start the week by sharing a stunning tablescape & concept photo shoot styled by one of my friends Kate. Kate is the owner and lead planner/designer for Kate Miller Events located in the Sacramento Area. Her work is simply beautiful! She partnered with some amazing vendors on this shoot (check out the flowers by Flourish - LOVE!) and it was featured on Style Me Pretty. So enjoy all the goodness that they created with their take on the Alice in Wonderland theme...especially the photos by Sarah Maren - this gal takes simply amazing photos. I heart the ones with Mrs. Whiskers the live rabbit in them!

Here is Kate's tale of the behind the scenes and what inspired the shoot:

"The story of Alice in Wonderland has been a favorite of mine since childhood – so of course, when the new movie hit the theaters, I was beyond inspired. Having been a fan of Salvador Dali’s more dark and twisted take on the story, I loved the rich color palette and slightly devious delivery that Tim Burton imbued within the set. More specifically, I was inspired by deep purples, rich moss greens, pale lavenders, rusty orange and that pop of classic Alice baby blue used in the photos depicting Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

We approached this shoot as an opportunity to incorporate fun subtleties of the storyline into a rich, rustic backdrop. The chair tie, place card, drink/eat me sign and menu Luxecuts™ in dark shiny plastic lend an edge to the woodsy flowers and hand-painted mushrooms. The juxtaposition of the large wood farm table and the gold accents in the Chivari chairs, gold-rimmed black spoke chargers, flatware and teapots created an air of elegance against the tree-lined path. Floral china teacups brought back a hint of the classic Alice tale, as some were filled with the same pansies known to sing in Disney’s version.

Playing to the recent trend of black and white in wedding fashion and black lace tights in everyday fashion, we fused the two with a lovely lace dress accented by a tulle sash and large rhinestone rose pin. Various black and white fascinators were fun to play with – but the best accessory was a tribute to the infamous white rabbit himself, showcasing a mink colored bunny (Mrs. Whiskers) paired with a gorgeous gold pocketwatch necklace. Finally, a frothy-tulle concoction blended beautifully into the wildflowers, topped with a velvet blue bow.

Our model, Alison (how appropriate, yes?) held a bridal bouquet containing a collection of rhinestone brooches, peach garden roses, dusty miller and lavender roses, finished off with a selection of teapot and clock charms. She snacked on our lovely dessert table filled with treats listed on a large Luxecuts™ menu – Tweedle Mallows, White Rose Truffles, Royal Suit Linzer Cookies, Down The Rabbit Hole Cupcakes, and Three of Hearts Chocolate Pretzels filled the table along with other various treats in our color palette.

I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful it was working with every single one of the vendors on the Alice team! The talent, the fun attitude, and the appreciation for the artful event industry really shines through in this project and I feel so grateful to have been a part of it!"

Photo Source: Sarah Maren Photography

Flower Friday: Peonies + Rununculus

It's Friday! And before we sign off for the weekend, I wanted to share these lovely bouquets. Loving the peonies and ranunculus! They are so beautiful! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Photo source: Michele M. Waite via 100 Layer Cake, Elle Jae Weddings via Style Me Pretty, Orchard Cove Photography via Style Me Pretty, Teresa Halton via Style Me Pretty

Walking on Sunshine - Yellow Wedding Fun

I just can't stop my love affair with all things yellow. I am summertime girl, Spring is nice but bring on the heat. In the quest for great photos I found the above image by Natalie Moser and it made me grin. So forgive me, but I am posting about all sorts of fun yellow finds that make me smile and think there's only a few more months til Summer.

Photo source: Natalie Moser, next two images theknot.com, Florals by Hucklebarry Karen Designs from BellissimaVita.com, kate spade.com, oncewed.com, jcrew.com, last three images from Martha Stewart Weddings.

All Dressed Up!

In the May issue of Brides Magazine there was a statistic from The Wedding Report stating 5% of brides buy more than one dress for their wedding day. About 3% purchase 2 gowns, and 2% buy more! I have seen this trend pick up momentum as gals are wanting a specific gown to match the look and feel of their ceremony and then another to reflect their reception. So how do you try and find 2 or even 3 perfect dresses for the big day?!

In the search for THE dress, I wanted to share one of my favorite bridal salons in San Francisco, Amy Kuschel Bride. The customer service at AK Bride is amazing compared to other SF bridal shops. There is a different kind of vibe here. No sales pitch and no rushing through a million dresses! When you make an appointment at AK Bride you get an hour and a half that's all about you - try on as many dresses as you like, spin around as many times in the mirror as you like, all while soaking up the salon's soft, romantic and almost vintage feel.

Typically, when you buy a wedding gown, you don't get to order it in your size. You order it larger then could ever seem necessary and pay and arm and a leg to have it taken in so that it fits well enough on your wedding day. Well, here is what I think is one of the coolest things about this salon, this gown is MADE perfectly to fit you!

At Amy Kuschel, dresses are custom made to measure, and they are made right in San Francisco! That's correct I said San Francisco - seamstresses right here make your gown. No shipping drama and no overseas sewing situations. In chatting with one of the consultants at AK Bride, when a bride chooses her gown, about 20 different measurements are taken and a pattern is made unique to those measurements. The fitting process begins 10 weeks prior to the wedding and consists of about 4 fittings. Also, brides who order their gown within their first two visits receive $150 off. Who wouldn't love that. Prices start at about $1800 and head upwards to $5000 and you can try on bridal sizes that range from 6-18.

I also want to tell you about the fab headpieces, embellishments and jewelry that can be found here. I am always able to find some adorable necklace or earrings that are begging to come home with me. The headpieces and dress embellishments, such as belts, are very sweet, exquisitely detailed, and sometimes sparkly. They have that amazing quality to them where it seems no two pieces are alike.

Here is a link to the Amy Kuschel dress in the photo above which was recently featured on Style Me Pretty. The photography and the ideas in this post are pretty amazing in itself. Take a peek and then go visit Amy.

Amy Kuschel Bride

23 Grant Avenue (btwn Market & O'Farrell)

5th Floor

SF, CA 94108

415-956-5657

www.amykuschel.com

Photo source: AmyKuschel.com via Style Me Pretty

A Modern Barn Love Affair

I'm in love with barns. Even the old ratty ones on the side of the road with the metal roof caved in. They look beautiful no matter what shape they're in during this time of year - I see them dotting the bright spring green fields, surrounded by rich yellow mustard flowers and I wonder what they once were and what purpose they served. It's not only the old barns that get me...there are also new barns, somewhat modern, where old movies are watched on wooden side walls in the heat of summer or barns with hay lofts and all the trouble that can be had there.

But the barn I really want to talk about is Barbara's Barn in Napa. I was once lucky enough to attend a party there. As my husband and I drove up to the festivities, a look of delighted shock came over my face. Barbara's Barn was drop dead gorgeous!! And for a barn lover like me, I was at a loss for words. In my wildest fantasies I never pictured something like this existed!

This fabulous barn can be rented for events and parties, but rumor is not weddings. My understanding is they did host a family wedding here once, but you might need to think engagement party or rehearsal dinner instead.

Contact Mint Locations to find out more about renting Barbara's Barn. Here is what I found out about the barn's designer from Key Events:

St. Helena based designer Erin Martin created a nouveau western-style entertaining space in a vintage barn in Napa Valley. In this unexpected environment, vast barn doors open into the chic Western interior where hay bales are topped with natural Belgian linen pillows for eco-friendly seating. The most unique element is the antique English Canoe skeleton hanging by jute rope from the ceiling with all the feeling of a modern chandelier.

Photo source: Sarah at Remodelista