{inspiration board #74} An Elegant Affair

Many of my favorite things make up this wonderfully elegant board. I love the instance appearance and sense of grace when one wears a beautiful shoulder bearing dress, and anyone who has ever visited my humble blog knows that my preferred palette pleasers are pears and French macarons. I have a love of ornate and grand doors and recently I have thought myself a connoisseur of vintage doorknob. Could I have been influenced by the crystal doorknobs on every door in my childhood home? As a child, I thought very little of all those glistening doorknobs. Now, I wish I had every one of them.  And please tell me who does not love twinkle lights…all year long? They can make the dullest of rooms or gardens magical.

It’s funny how all of us have our “things” that make us happy and past memories that shape what we like and appreciate as adults. I sometimes wonder. of my online friends, what little everyday things fills their day with joy. What quirky things make you smile?

Dustjacket Attic, Call Me Cupcake, This Is Glamorous,

{inspiration board # 73} Let It Snow!

As much as I complain about cold weather there is nothing like the smell of cinnamon from a warm, freshly baked apple pie to keep the winter blues away…

{via Style Me Pretty}

Charcoal, Aqua, Sage and Vanilla – A Bride & Groom Friendly Palette

One of the first things a bride thinks about after being engaged is her dress and of course, the colors! You may change her mind a few times a week even a day but the one thing to keep in mind is whatever color you choose, it is your choice! Never let anyone sway because they do not particularly like that color or do not think it looks good on them {bridesmaids are famous for this}. I do suggest you confer with your partner {not every man is going to want pink tablecloths} so that you both are on the same page.

This leads me to a pretty color combination that is lady and gentleman friendly and happens to be one of my favorite palettes. The charcoal in this palette would be a great color for the groom and groomsmen suits. The creamy vanilla reminds me of a beautiful wedding gown with hints of a warmer white rather than a stark white. The light aqua and turquoise can be used as table linen {think a beachside wedding celebration}, or accents for the table décor. Flowers in these colors can also be added to your bouquet. Use sage for the bridesmaids dresses to compliment the charcoal suits of the groomsmen and groom.

What are your favorite gentleman friendly palettes?

{via}

{inspiration board # 72} The Gold Standard

Black, white, yellow, and my latest obsession, gold. As a child whenever my parents bought us jewelry it was always yellow gold. As an adult, I shied away from yellow gold and for many years white gold and platinum took its place. However, now as a grown up, there are times when I love the allure and the sophistication that gold brings to a palette. Whether it be white slacks, a black shirt, and an arm full of golden bangles or a simple necklace to dress up a white oxford shirt, gold continues to be the standard for many. Gold pairs beautifully with bright and bold colors, however I love gold paired with neutrals and a splash of yellow to make it a bit sunnier. I just love this palette, do you? Yellow or white gold which do you prefer?

{living room, bedroom, handbag, building, headband, dog, bike, stairs, perfume, camera}

{inspiration board # 71} Chic Rusticity

Contrary to what one may guess about this reformed city girl, a part of me absolutely loves the more rustic side of life and nature…especially around this time of the year. When our family left the city, we moved to a small town on Long Island, NY that was surrounded by woods, with tree lined street with old cape cod styled homes {I grew up in one} and lots of antique stores to forage for treasures. In these stores, these so-called “treasures” looked like someone’s old junk but once in the possession of my mother’s hands they were treasures once again. This inspiration board is about the things remembered and things that should never be forgotten…like the smell of your mom’s pumpkin pie baking in the oven.

Incorporating various gold and brown tones into a creamy vanilla palette will create a warm and inviting palette, perfect for this time of the year.

I hope you had a great Halloween and I hope that your memories of your childhood town are as wonderful as mine are.

{door, tree, violin, frame, bunting, pie, girl, invitations, horse, sign, washtub, file cabinet}

p.s. I cannot wait until the launch of my new site…the inspiration boards will be a bit larger and there will be so many new things to share with you! Yay for change!

{inspiration board #70} Weathered Gray & Lilac

For many reasons I love the combination of gray and lilac. It is a sophisticated combination of colors that is a bit more subdued than gray with bright plum, or regal purple. If you like plums and purples but want a softer hue, lilac is an elegant choice. Lilac reminds us of romance and sweet, never to be forgotten, memories. The weathered gray adds a hint of vintage with a romantic modern feel. It truly is an elegant look for any season of the year.

boat, place setting, wreath, teacup, mail sign, ice cream, dresses, architecture, spoons

{inspiration board # 69} Splendor

Often times the event designer in me, struggles with weddings that are already designed from start to finish by the couple. Not because they cannot. That is not the case at all. Besides the smile on the face of a bride about to walk down the aisle, event design is my favorite part of my job. I love when couples bring twenty dog-eared magazines with the pages falling out of images they love from the various publications, only to ask, “Do you think we can do something like this? Does this even go with our style? Can we make it work?” Besides creating a mean timeline, design is where I shine. My décor background coupled with my insatiable appetite for texture and all things related to  décor and design keeps me up into wee hours of the morning until I get it just right and ready to present to clients.

About four months ago I was hired by the father of a bride to help his daughter not only plan but design her wedding. The entire family and I, especially the bride, hit it off immediately which helps when you are starting from scratch. After finding out at a later date the couples likes and dislikes {no blue, they love warm colors, something vibrant but sophisticated, and it has to be young fresh, and fashionable… of course it does she live in LA!}, I asked her if she had any pictures to share with me. The images were warm and very fall like {which I love} but it still was not quite what I had in mind for this beautiful raven-haired bride. Then I came across this image…

Vera Wang

BINGO! Fresh young, vibrant, regal, and sophisticated with colors not commonly used in weddings outside of a “faux shoot”. A bit nervous,  I decided to create a board and present it to them anyway. I asked the bride a few more questions, sent her a few more images, and after a few minor tweaks I created  this board for their wedding day inspiration…

celebrities, dress, place setting, cheese, ceremony, cloche, shoes

Inspiration board #69 was a total hit! I am so excited to be working on this wedding. I love all the weddings I coordinate but this one is pushing the limit and allowing me to create exactly what the bride and groom wanted. I cannot wait to share with you the actual wedding day images…be patient…October is right around the corner. When creating for a new client what inspires you?

{inspiration board # 67} Inspire Me Pretty – New York Style

The ever creative, ever innovative ladies and gent over at Style Me Pretty are up to it again! Have you heard about the Style Me Pretty Network? No? Where have you been? There is now Style Me Pretty Texas, California Florida, and my home state, New York. Each local blog features weddings, ideas, and vendors from that particular area giving you, your own local eye candy. Clever I tell you, just clever!

Although I now reside in sunny So Cal I am a born and raised NYC girl. Not only do my roots {and my accent as I am often reminded} scream New York, so does my love for a particular New York baseball team! GO YANKEES!

So when Abby C. told me about this friendly little inspiration board contest, I had to join in the fun and you should, too! All you need to do is create an inspiration board using Style Me Pretty’s board builder and show them what about New York inspires you. No, you do not have to be from New York to participate but I knew you would think that! On Friday, Abby will her favorite board. So go ahead give it your best shot. Here is mine…

{via}

{inspiration board # 66} The Fairy Bride

This board, inspired by fairy folklore, is a rich and earthy palette.The colors are perfect for an outdoor wedding. Being surrounded by nature will further enhance your wedding day décor, naturally.

Look for a clearing in a forest and create your own magical oasis.Who knows maybe a fairy or two might crash your wedding!

{inspiration board #65} English Garden Pink

This lovely combination of rich magenta and deep burgundy paired with slate grey and ivory creates an elegant and sophisticated palette perfect for any season.

{via}