Happy Halloween!

The spider webs are hung and the pumpkins are carved; all we need are trick-or-treaters to take the ever-tempting bowl of candy out of our sight. I hope there is still some left when they DO arrive...

I have to say although Halloween isn't my favourite holiday, I had a lot fun decorating this year. I picked up some fun new decorations (including the creepy birds and sparkly candelabra) which is quite the upgrade from my boring pumpkin window decals from last year.

At this rate, who knows; maybe we'll even throw a Halloween Party next year!



What are your plans for tonight? B & I will be barbecuing and watching the SNL Halloween episode while we wait for our trick-or-treaters.

However you celebrate Hallow's Eve, I hope it's fun + spooky but - more importantly - safe.

Boo!

Painted Pumpkins

If you need a last minute Halloween décor/craft idea you mustn't look any further.


Check out this quick, cost-effective, DIY which proves that pumpkins can be painted more colours than just white!




Come on. A chalk board pumpkin? How sweet is that?! Just think: your pumpkin could change emotions faster than Mr. Potato Head!

PS: thank you Sitting in a Tree for the heads up on this awesome DIY.


Photos courtesy of Could I Have That.

bonne fête.

In keeping with today's theme, check out this gorgeous party.

If I were to say I was mildly ecstatic when I saw Cassandra's Birthday tablescape, it may be the understatement of 2010.


The party was styled in true Kate Spade fashion with the florals taking their inspiration from the Fall 2010 Martha Stewart Weddings cover (I LOVE the red + pink).


The use of colour, metallics, and pattern is flawless; Cassandra truly outdid herself.


Confetti was made for girly parties like this.


Although it would be hard NOT to have a fabulous time at such a glamorous party, I wanted to send a belated birthday shout out to ms. lavalle and wish her all the best.

Thank you for the inspiration. It's been filed away for a special party in my future.



Photos by Char Beck & Flower Arrangements by McKenzie Powell Designs via coco+kelley.

Happy Birthday Bunting

Head's Up: the next person whose special day appears in my Birthday Book will be receiving this card. Please act surprised.


As if I could love bunting any more than I already do?


DIY Instructions by How About Orange via In Honor Of Design.

Pompom Getaway

Remember these reception exits? I'm currently smitten with sparklers; however, I also find this pompom option fun (& less dangerous).


Wouldn't the flurry of shaking pompoms be exciting to dash through?


Photo by Leila of Olive Juice Photography via Style Me Pretty.

If I were dressing up for Halloween...

... I'd be a flapper.


I can't get enough of 1920's style; champagne, dancing, and glitzy dresses are the cat's pajamas.

Are you dressing up for Halloween?


Vogue.

She & Him

What are you up to this weekend, friends? My sister and I get to spend some quality time together including tomorrow night's She & Him concert at the Orpheum. (Yes, this means that I'm traveling to Vancouver for the third time this month - Phew!)

Whatever your plans, do me a favor and take a few minutes, press play on this video, and dance around your living room.

She & Him - In The Sun from Merge Records on Vimeo.

If only we could all look as cute as Zooey...

M & J's Wedding-Party-Party

My new favourite photo of M & J (taken during the Nearly Wed Game)

Whew! What a party. We danced, we sang, we wined, we dined, all in celebration of Matt & Jen! It's safe to say that M & J's Wedding Party Party was a smashing success; as was the blind wine tasting. SO... as promised, here are the details of how this was executed (in case you would like to host a blind wine tasting of your own)!

Pre-Party Planning:

Guests were sent electronic invites (via cocodot) and asked to bring a bottle of red or a bottle of white, per couple. The Catch: the bottle of wine must be $12 or less.

Day-Of Set Up:

Bottles were bagged, tied with raffia, and numbered as they arrived and then arranged at the tasting stations.

All bottles (red + white) were originally going to be in the craft paper bags; however, during set up, J's mum raised a very valid concern regarding the fact that the paper posed an issue for chilling the whites. For this reason, we opted for black plastic bags for the whites so they could be chilled on ice up right up until the tastings. It proved to be a very important executive decision. Thanks Linda!


The Tastings:

Guests were given a disposable (+ recyclable) wine glass to pass through the whites and reds and their leisure. We did not assign the wines in a specific order; guests were therefore free to try all red, all white, or a combination of both. After each tasting, the guest placed his/her initials on the line that best described his/her feelings for that particular wine (our five point scale ranged from "I would only buy this for someone I didn't like" to "I would bathe in this, daily"). Guests had the ability to record their favourites (and least favourites) on a separate piece of paper they could leave with.


The Big Reveal:

Once everyone had finished tasting, the bottles were revealed (we kept the bottles with their "numbers" in case guests wanted to see how they scored a particular wine or make their final notes). We were quite pleasantly surprised with the overall consensus of the tasting results; these will be very helpful for M & J when they select the wines for their reception.


I have to send mad props to Alanna and Sam and Jessica who put this fiesta together. Big Love, ladies.

. . .

In case you were wondering... our party's top pick was "Soft White" by Bear Flag Wines. Not only does it have a rad label, it's also "bathe-worthy."

Brock House Wedding Show

My dears, are you attending the 20th Annual Brock House Wedding Show this Sunday? If your schedule is open, I highly suggest marching here to pick up you tickets a-s-a-p as this show is not one to be missed.

This wedding show is for the Brides (+ their besties) who enjoy mingling with fabulous vendors and watching glamorous fashion shows and for the Brides who love sipping on cocktails and nibbling delicious hors d'oeuvres while doing just that.

Still not convinced? Check out the list of Vendors. (Oh, and the grand prize Honeymoon giveaway).

The show is presented by Brock House and the amazing ladies of DreamGroup Productions and will be the perfect way to spend your Sunday afternoon.


Bonus: $2.00 from each ticket is being donated to Streetohome.

Sam & Brock

He liked loved it so he put a ring on it.

I'm SO excited to announce another 2011 wedding: Samantha and Brock! The two just returned from a romantic European holiday and they came back engaged!

SO much inspiration to come for this fall wedding. Stay tuned...

Isn't this sign perfect? Another friend - coincidentally also named Sam - greeted the newly engaged couple at the airport with this sign. So sweet.

Sam B. you are now my go-to for all future sign-making.

Halloween Décor, part three

Have you seen the Halloween shop by Pottery Barn Kids? They have a great collection of adorable costumes and party supplies and some very fun + spooky décor!

My favourites are the Crow Mobile and the ceiling web and fuzzy spiders (both of which are on sale)!


Pottery Barn kids.

See more Halloween Décor: part one + part two

An Engagement Party + Link Love

B and I are hitting the road early this morning to head to Vancouver to celebrate M + J's engagement! We're very excited to celebrate two of our favourite people with good food, silly games, and bling wine tasting! The guest list is chalked full of fantastic people; the night is sure to be divine. Tomorrow, the rest of the bridesmaid crew and I are heading to Washington with J to try on bridesmaids dresses. Woot! I'll share more about the blind wine tasting next week.

What are you up to this weekend, friends?


Some of my favourite links from the web as of late:

• Wedding dress inspiration, galore! The second dress is magical.


• How to use BLUE in your wedding. Swoon.


• What.a.party. You had me at confetti.


• A gorgeous Banff Wedding. Isn't that car fantastic?


• Upside down Pear Cake? Yes, Please!


• You don't need to be a kid to enjoy a donut on a string.


• I LOVE these Art Deco wedding invitations via here + here.


• You should buy this album.

très chic

Could Olivia Palermo be any more stunning? And with a bicycle, no less. I think not.




The Sartorialist.

Halloween Décor, part two

If you have been reading this blog for a while you may remember my Halloween Mantra.

Long story short: it's not my favourite holiday. That being said, I've found myself getting into the Halloween spirit this year. Perhaps, it's due to all of the awesome Halloween décor + party supplies available.

I love how John and Sherry have added subtle + spooky touches to the existing décor in their gorgeous home. The "creepy bird" and monochromatic palette are understated and fit in perfectly. I really dig the look of the white carnations speckled with black paint.




Young House Love.

As Jordan has aptly pointed out, Martha has done it again. Martha - whom I have affectionately dubbed the "Queen of Halloween" - has a new line of treat bags and decorations that are adorable + fun. (I love the sparkly chandeliers and beverage labels).

Martha's ideas for Halloween costumes, crafts, parties, baking, and other treats are endless. Proof.


Martha Stewart Crafts via babble.

Speaking of parties... if you're gong to throw one, I don't think you could find a sweeter invitation than one from this collection by RIFLE. I LOVE the trick-or-treater!


RIFLE.


So tell me, friends. How do you celebrate Halloween? Do you throw a party? Trick or Treat with the little ones? Watch scary movies with bite sized chocolate bars? Dress up and hit the town?

So far, the Halloween décor around here consists of a single pumpkin (with more to come). Stay tuned...

Long Weekend Love

This past weekend my family trucked to the Shuswap from Prince George and Vancouver to celebrate Thanksgiving at the cabin. Many-a-summer memory has been made at the cabin; however, my confession is that Autumn is my very favourite time to be there. Although I was missing the noticeably absent members of my family, B and I had a fantastic time.

After being inspired by this post I ran out to the dollar store and stocked up on sparklers. We spent Saturday evening lighting them on fire and dancing in the moonlight.




And if you're wondering what on earth we're wearing... ask my sister. She had the fantastic idea to wear the fabulous matching cord-and-canvas-jackets that have lived at the cabin since the early 70's. We're cute.


I love my family. and long weekends.

the Bar Method

Friends, have you heard about the Bar Method?


Vancouver is the newest city to open a studio offering this core strengthening program which combines yoga, Pilates, and ballet. Bar Method classes are one hour and consist of interval-training to tone, stretch, strengthen, and shape the body.

The classes offered at the Yaletown studio are not cheap; however, the results being tweeted, published, and blogged all over the internet indicate immediate results are to be expected.

The studio is scheduled to open on October 23. If you're interested, visit the Vancouver site to pre-register and take advantage of the introductory 30-day special. I am going to try and take a class or two on one of my next trips to Van (it's times like this I wish we still lived in the lower mainland).

Is this a program that you would be interested in trying? The idea of fusing yoga, Pilates, and ballet rocks my world.


Photo Courtesy of the Bar Method Vancouver

Barnhouse Elegance.

Every once in a while a wedding comes along that stops me in my sporadic-blog-scrolling tracks. This is one of those weddings.








I can safely to say that is one of my most favourite weddings out of all the weddings I've ever seen. That's a bold statement and I'm sticking to it.

I've only re-posted the reception venue here as it was what made me gasp out loud first... then came the bride's gorgeous dress and accessories... the shots of the couple on hay bales... the dreamy natural light captured brilliantly by Jack Wittbold for Sarah Yates Photography... the romantic DIY details (the bride + groom did all of their own invitations, flowers, and decorating)... the perfectly-executed vintage feel of the entire wedding... et al.

The wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty earlier this week and will no doubt appear elsewhere in the wedding blog world. I can't get enough of it and every time I swoon over the photos I find another amazing detail I didn't notice before. I'm in awe of the bride's creativity and style; I hope she considers becoming an event stylist.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this wedding as much as I do. I'll let you take it all in now. Le sigh.



Photos by Jack Wittbold, courtesy of Sarah Yates Photography.

Up.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Honeymoon Photoshoot any sweeter than this one. Seriously.






The colours are fantastic: the balloon, her dress, her bracelets!

I have a thing for hot air balloons and know my friend Jillian will appreciate this amazing collection of photos (she recently acquired a gorgeous Parisian-style hot air ballon wall hanging for her home). Have you ever been up in a balloon? I haven't but I expect it would be magical.



Photos courtesy of Jose Villa.

Indigo + Magenta

While browsing one of my favourite photography blogs, I came across another unique colour palette: Indigo + Magenta.

I have to say, this is how you pull of paper lanterns: the various shapes and heights of the lanterns draw you into the room and the perfect use of fabric panels accentuate the high ceilings. Dreamy.




Although these shades could easily become overwhelming, this couple has utilized colour perfectly. The bold magenta flowers are counter-balanced with the classic white linens and ceiling decor. The indigo accents add a somewhat masculine element, preventing the pink+white decor from being too "frilly." The chivari chairs add the final, classic, touch.

Love or hate the colours, it's a design masterpiece. (Clearly, I've got nothing but love for the event designers).

Check out the rest of the gorgeous photos from this Scottish wedding for more lovely details.



Photos courtesy of Lillian and Leonard Wedding Photography.