Not So Pretty in Pink: Before and After.

I have to start of by saying that this entire post is pretty trite in the wake of the Boston news. I am holding my friends and their friends in Boston in my thoughts, what I nightmare.

This is the last photo I will ever show you of the pink room, I promise. Look at this rosy cheeked little helper. He was eager to climb the ladder but it turns out that his painting skills are subpar so we sent him off to bed and powered through this room. Truthfully, we got the primer up and then had to stop for about four days before we had time and energy to power through.

So last Friday night we did it up real good. We put on our sweats, grabbed some brushes and painted this room!

We found the color through a home tour on Design Sponge and fell in love with it! Originally we wanted it for our bedroom but it was just too dark. I thought I had to let it go. Then JJ had the vision for the dining room and it's so awesome!

Here are some details of the room that I once disliked with the pink but now think look really great. The ornate fixtures clashed so much with the previous color that it was hard to take them seriously. But once the new shades were up they suddenly looked classic.

We are still in the process of decorating and clearing things out but it's looking better everyday. I attempted to get curtains for the big french doors that open to the street but wasn't in love with anything and was told not to force it. So instead, I picked up this cool gold vase as inspiration. I hope you like our new room. Happy Friday!!

Classic Charm

Spring is right around the corner...right? I've heard the birds chirping in the morning so I have to believe that they are happy about something. Warmer weather means lighter clothing and sunny colors. 

I've been working hard with some brides for their upcoming weddings and while finding the perfect fabrics for their weddings, I've also been finding the perfect fabrics for the shop. It's really hard to narrow things down for myself and to know when to put things back. This Liberty of London was a must!

We'd be drowning in fabric if I got every single one that I like! So here are a few of the new ones that I'm gushing over! I just love the way that the diamond point looks, it's just a little different but still so classic. Plus I'm getting much better at tying the bow ties myself too! I'm off to start the day, I hope yours is a good one.

We Are Family

We had the pleasure of taking Oliver to his very first wedding last weekend and it was so much fun! My husband comes from a large family of very close-knit cousins so this wedding was filled with a lot of love. His cousin married an amazing woman and we are just so happy!

The wedding took place about two hours south of us on a beautiful and huge farm with an amazing greenhouse filled with hundreds of hanging baskets, a koi pond, and tropical plants galore! The ceremony was outside on picturesque land in some pretty sweltering heat. Luckily it was simple and lovely and we were able to escape indoors quickly to cold drinks and large fans.

 




Our little guy is pretty lucky to have so many adoring older cousins. They danced, played, and kept him giggling all night! And as the family photo above shows, Oliver discovered a new favorite food, pizzelles! His Great Grandma would be so happy.

Here he is with his Grandma and his Great Aunt, the mother of the groom. They all looked so beautiful!

Stylin' in his bow tie and suspenders. The bow ties will be available for purchase very soon! Not so subtle plug...

After an amazingly fun afternoon and evening, we took the long and winding road back to Cleveland. Congratulations cousins, we love you! Thanks for baring with me those of you that have already seen this photos.

My Current Favorite

Is it the summer sun, the hot days at the pool, or just a passing trend that has me obsessed with the color yellow? Even though it can be a hard color to wear, I've always been a fan. But there is something more this summer (now that it's official begun) that keeps me gravitating to it and it's this necklace. I'm practically dreaming about it. Do you ever find yourself wanting something that you just shouldn't buy? Me too.

There's this fine knock-off out there too...but I still hesitate. Then the other day while I was out at my favorite spot, I found a very lovely and affordable alternative. Oh happy day!

P.S. If you are looking for something fun to do tomorrow check Larchmere Porchfest for live music and dancing hosted on 30 different neighborhood porches! You can find the line up here.

Image Sources: top // middle

Well Crafted: Crochet Cluster Necklace

My little man and I took a trip to a craft store the other day looking for a chain to repair an old necklace that I broke long ago. While there I got inspired by all the crafting supplies and did my best to only spend $13. It takes practice and serious restraint. The last time I went without a plan I ended up with a ton of fabric that I'm still looking to use... Anyhow this time I picked up just a few things and made a pretty fun necklace that seems perfect for spring. I'm all about appropriate short cuts so finding these crochet embellishments felt pretty good. But if you can make them, then more power to you!

Materials

Crochet embellishments

14" of chain

Needle & thread

Clasp 

4 jump rings

Jewelry pliers, preferably with metal cutter

Scissors

Measuring tape

Sew the crochet flowers together in an overlapping cluster. I played around with it a bit until I got them just right. Using the pliers (or scissors) cut the chain in two pieces measuring 7" each. Attach a jump ring to each side of the crochet cluster and loop the chain through. Attach the clasp and wear it, sister.

I'd also like to give a shout out to Natalie for the new braided bang hair do!

An Elegant Evening Out

Lace Esme Dress // Tart Deco Essie Polish // Pleated Slingback // Earrings

Style From The Archives

It was an exciting Friday night at our house and we were cleaning out the basement. I found a bag of things from my Granny, lots of old crotchet pattern books and this wonderful Simplicity magazine from the seventies. It's too good not to share. 

My sewing skills are not top notch but I'd be willing to practice if that meant my husband and the babe could have fly gear like this. Happy Monday, friends!

The Black and Gold

I'm feeling inspired by this golden sunshine we are experiencing.

Image Sources: studs // necklace // dress // shoes // ring 

Away We Go

Wednesday it was an unbelievable 65 degrees here in Cleveland. And it had me dreaming of hot sun and sandy beaches. This image evokes the feeling of an easy, breezy, and hot vacation. We are not ones to pick up and travel on a whim but I certainly have the bug in me. It would be a dream to just jet off to the Mediterranean or Caribbean for a week's worth of R&R. But I'm not too sure who would be against that. Since it's all make believe anyway, I would take these items with me! Happy Friday!

Image sources: photo, shoes, poncho,  glasses, bag, suit 

A Spectacle

It was well past the time to get my eyes checked. I actually dread going mostly because my doctor is a strange man and his team is even stranger. And I'm being nice.

Anyway, last year my husband had a great experience ordering from the company Warby Parker. The process is really easy. You get your eyes checked and then take your prescription with you or WP will call your doctor for you to confirm. You can get 5 pairs of sample frames shipped to you at time to try out. Once I picked the ones I wanted, my prescription pair showed up very quickly. One of the best things is that for every pair you buy, the company donates a pair to someone in need. 

I thought it was pretty cool. And now I have these stylish glasses. They appear to be brownish in photos but they are actually grey.