{style inspiration: pretty polka dots}

. . . the boldest colour ever worn was perhaps an iridescent turquoise raw silk blouse with pretty sleeves; and with that exception, nearly always classic black, crisp white and every shade of pale & pretty neutral imaginable, from fluttery nude to blush and champagne -- that is, before happening upon navy and polka dots, with a dash of perfect red for that elegant and effortless parisian je ne sais quoi . . .


{images: sandro spring/summer 2011 lookbook, discovered via eclecchic, images from sunrainey}

{favourite five: denise porcaro}

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."

~Claude Monet

. . . to enter the world of denise porcaro is to be swept away into an enchanting realm you only thought possible in the secret garden . . .

denise, the founder and owner of the alluring flower girl in nyc, has taken floral design to new heights with her exquisite eye for beauty and ethereal arrangements -- a delicate bundle she creates with dainty garden roses, ravishing wild flowers, or lavish peonies wrapped with the prettiest of ribbons will whisk you away into the romance of a bygone era

with a client list that includes stella mccartney, chanel and the illustrious plaza hotel of manhattan {and a blooming career that has graced the pages of vogue, instyle and elle} we will definitely be paying close attention to denise's:

......................................................................................................

{five favourite pieces of advice for running a business}

1. dedication is key: know that if you're going to go for something, it should envelope your whole life; you're married to your business in a way, and you should know that going into it

2. have a business plan: you don't need a big business plan -- it can even be written on the back of a bar napkin -- you just need to write down your goals and visualize them happening

3. do what you love: if you're doing what you love, it is that much easier; it cuts all the work in half when it is your passion

4. read your client: cater to your client's unique taste; listen to them, their budget, their likes and dislikes -- that's what we do at flower girl -- we don't give our clients “package a” or “package b”, but really sit with them and figure out exactly what they want and do our best to give them exactly that

5. don’t sweat the small stuff: this is much easier said than done; when you're a perfectionist and you're doing this sort of work, it's hard not to sweat the small stuff, but you have to keep perspective and remember the big picture

~ laily



{images: vogue, february 2010, dress by jason wu, boots by dolce & gabbana; inset, vogue, may 2008}

{coming up roses}

. . . once the glitter of the holidays and the sparkle of new year's has faded {just a little}, sometimes january's overcast skies can be a little gloomy, calling for extra bouquets of coral-coloured blooms scattered about, or better yet, flirty & foral sweaters strewn with roses . . .

{p.s.} poppies in the french countryside

Homefront: Christmas Mantel

 I would love a larger statue of the kneeling Santa and the baby Jesus.

 I love using reds, aquas and whites for Christmas, though it will change one day.

I love love love trees, I think it would be fun to get one each year.

 My childhood gingerbread house debuts, and this vintage reindeer pair I found at a garage sale is a favorite.

 Ornaments and garland that will be going up on the tree.

My oldest son is almost 5 and has been asking about Santa's 'realness'. I found this book and it ties in the Christ child and the Santa legend beautifully, and explores the historial roots of Santa. For any Christian family who loves tradition, but also wants to keep the focus of Christmas on Christ, this book is a must!
It's called A Special Place for Santa by Jeanne Pieper
I got mine at Hobby Lobby for $10 and it would make a great Christmas gift!

 

 We found this authentic Chinese drums at Goodwill for an amazing price. they had about 30 of them, so I think a local monastary must have closed down or remodeled around here or something. We got 3 of them!

To see 2009's mantel in my old home, see here. For 2008's mantel in another home, see here.

Post will be linking up with lots of Christmas Mantle parties!

•  The Lettered Cottage Holiday Home Mantel Linky Party
• December 2nd :: Rhoda’s Christmas Vignette
• December 7th  :: Kate’s Christmas Craft
• December 6th  :: Deck the Halls Party @ Between Naps on the Porch
• December 9th  :: Sarah’s Christmas Tree Link up
• December 9th  :: Coastal Charm Open House
• December 10th :: Cloche Party @ A Stroll Through Life
• December 13th :: The Nester’s Holiday Tour of Homes {here at Nesting Place!} AND Kelly @ Kelly’s Korner; Show Us Your Life Christmas Tour {don’t you love how I bold our day?}
• December 15th :: White Christmas Party @ Cuisine Kathleen
• December 15th :: Share the Decor @ No Minimalist Here

{colour inspiration: scarlet, crimson & vermilion}

. . . have been known to wear red lipstick nearly everywhere -- on early morning walks with the dog, at the shops and in the rain, and sometimes even to the gym, but very rarely, if ever, decorate with or wear the colour red . . . and yet, somehow, and only next to gold {an all-time favourite}, shades of scarlet, crimson and vermilion, always elegant and wonderfully festive in the form of short and stylish party dresses, are perfectly and utterly irresistable at this time of year . . .




earrings by janis savitt via gilt | yves saint laurent rouge pur couture lipstick | valentino couture bow d'orsay pump | chanel no 5 | dorothy perkins red velvet bow clips | red wine via jaipur, inverness | chanel le vernis in dragon | kelly wearstler brass kaleidoscopes





{chanel no 5 via the inspiration board, red dress via a glamorous little side project; eniko mihalik by camilla akrans for vogue nippon, august 2010 via fashionising; marion cotillard by ellen von unwerth via a dustjacket attic}

{runway inspiration: lanvin, paris}

. . . elegant leather detailing, glamorous jeweled embellishments, and form-fitting bodices perfectly complemented with luxurious and fluttery fabrics on the runways of paris . . .

{style.com}

{a stunning combination}

. . . would have never thought to pair the palest champagne with vibrant vermillion, and yet, in delicate sheers and pretty pleats, the combination is both striking and perfectly stunning . . .

{image: no. 21 style.com via wildfox}

Inspired Art: Red and Blue Illustrations

Hello Butterflies Postcard Pack~ Rebekka Seale

I have really be drawn to illustrations and the like lately, I thought this collection of red and blue designs looked smashing together. I am a little surprised at how many amazing portraits there were, I seriously had to refrain from posting more. But, you can find more blue and red illustration art here. They woulld look beautiful all framed together in tawdry, chipped up dark wood thrift store frames all gallery like.

Hodges Angus Logo by graphic artist Christian K. Schmid

Red Haired Mermaid Postcard ~ Yuki Koi

"Whatever you are be a good one" Abe Lincoln quote ~ 3 Lambs Graphics

Lou Le Petite Chaperon Rouge ~ Matilou

Violet ~ Water in my Paint  (she seems very Tale of Two Cities to me)

Deer Digital Collage ~ Hue Concept

Thelma Dothrock ~ Bret Pendlebury
{perfect shop for those drawn to vintage photographs, but love hand drawn art.}

How to Wear Red - 1955

Red is the color of fire and blood, and is a very emotionally intense color. This is why it is associated with passion, desire, and love. Studies show that red can have a physical effect, increasing the rate of respiration and raising blood pressure. Wear red when you want to stand out from the crowd and be noticed. Here's how to wear red with images from 1955.

Mme. Gres red jersey gown worn with a gold lamé coat.

Cotillion red strapless polka dot rayon taffeta party dress.

Sportgems red suit with flared jacket.

Balenciaga red silk dress.

At left: Lassie Jr. red wool flared coat. At right: Cosmopolitan Juniors red Chesterfield coat.

Need something red for your closet? Check out these choices from Couture Allure, all sure to raise your heart rate!

Homefront: Cinco de Mayo Dress Up

Over the weekend, we attended a little birthday party for me and a nephew and a baby shower for my sis. But this post is about the Cinco De Mayo themed party we attended. There was a piñata of course at a few of these and lots and lots of good Mexican food and authentic dulches Mexicanos (candy!) I had my first taste of yummy, perfected, homemade flan (made by her) and other authentic treats.

 Mexican Candy by Warm 'n Fuzzy

I wore this, yes I did. I actually own 3 of these Mexican embroidered vintage dresses. This long cream one, a short hot pink one and a short white one with pale pink embroidery (it's very pretty). 

 

I love them all, but have never worn them. I wore this long one with a vintage red belt, vintage red cowboy boots I got at an auction and these amazingly (huge, pointy, uncomfortable) red enameled flower clip on earrings. My ears hurt just thinking about them, but oh the cuteness.

Many people remarked how 'festive' I looked as I was pretty much the most colorful thing there (aside from the piñata), though I wonder if that mostly meant 'ridiculous'? Oh well. It's not everyday we get to dress up as a Spanish Rose (even if we DO look a little ridiculous). At least I didn't go all dio de los muertos with a  sugar skull, now eh?

piñata via ok history

For those of you wondering, Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a holiday celebrated in the United States and primarily limited to the state of Puebla in Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. (thanks, wikipedia) as my knowledge of Mexico is little more than a brief visit to Tijuana). Cinco de Mayo is also my little brother's birthday... Happy Birthday Jae!!