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I heart invitations.
My sister's wedding is coming up in a few short weeks, and I have been really busy with all the paper items - programs, signs, tags, labels. It's a lot of fun, but there's a lot of it to do!
Here are two invitations that I recently designed for her.
Instead of an Afternoon Tea, the Bridal Shower is going to be an afternoon 'breakfast', since Breakfast is Karla's favorite meal of the day. When I think of breakfast, I think of coffee, toast and reading the newspaper, so I decided to incorporate newsprint into the background of the invite, but keep it girly with adding a frilly detail.
Then for the wedding - it's going to be a casual wedding, with the ceremony at the beach and the reception in a backyard. That's why I had the invitation printed on wood, to add to that casual theme.
What do you think?
PS. Speaking of Weddings. For all Houstonian couples - Precious Nuptials and Destinations is hosting a giveaway of a free Engagement/Anniversary shoot. Stop by here to enter!
I could never pull off getting a tattoo. It's just not me. I think my friends would probably laugh if I decided to get one.
My sister has a tattoo. A small tattoo of the word "love" behind her ear. Just the word with a period after it. love. In simple unflourished text. It looks quite pretty. Nothing over-the-top or in-your-face.
That's what I like about the etsy store McCheek's Mayhem. It reminds me of a simple tattoo. It has the quirkiness of a tattoo but with an understated beauty. That's a rare combination. Carole's store is full of quirky ceramics adorned with bold colors, strong fonts, and then lovely flowers. Her style is unique and definitely memorable - I really like her work.
Carole is inspired by pattern and bright colors, along with elements of nature. She also finds inspiration in her friendships. With Carole's eclectic style, it's no surprise that her favorite colors change from time to time. Her current favorites are bright blues, oranges, yellows and reds.
In addition to being inspired by nature, Carole also enjoys contributing to it. She is quite the Green thumb, enjoying gardening and watching her plants thrive. Taking photographs is also one of her favorite hobbies, and the next thing she'd like to tackle is learning to sew her own clothes.
Carole is generously giving away one of her Bird Nerd mugs (pictured above). To enter, please leave a comment here telling me what kind of slogan you'd like to see on a mug. I will announce the winner next week.
(PS. The winner of the Gloaming Designs giveaway is Karen. Congrats!)
I want to go to Paris!
I want to run down the streets of Paris with a silk scarf flapping around my neck. I want to stop at the Antique Markets and hunt for lovely trinkets. I want to buy gourmet fromage at a corner store along with a hunk of french bread and take it to a nearby park. Then after a lovely picnic, I would sit at a tucked-away cafe with big glass windows and indulge in dessert and coffee.
One of my top twenty favorite Etsy shops makes me daydream about exploring the romance of Paris: Gloaming Designs.
Abigail's charming store is a palette of soft whites, creams, and other vanilla hues. She carries beautiful vintage fineries and delicately crafted accessories in her magnificently curated store. Her store reminds me of a lovely vintage foreign film, so full of wonder and delight. Abigail is blessed to live in the city of Paris, France. She was even proposed to by her fiance near there, in a town to the east - Bois de Vincennes, a woodland area with a large arboretum and bike paths and lovely woodland clearings. How romantic!
Abigail is inspired by pre-loved items. She enjoys imagining who touched these old pieces in the past and what their lives were like. She also learns a lot from nature, especially her home state of Maine and it's coastline. But most of all she is inspired by love. Stories, good food, people doing what they love, her fiance - and how much she loves these things help her to keep her creative juices flowing.
Her favorite colors are hard to pinpoint because she has so many, but according to her fiance, it would be seafoam green. The pale, calming tone harkens back to her childhood by the ocean.
Her hobbies include her work, so she is one of the fortunate few who earn money doing what she loves. She enjoys making things by hand and dreaming up new things. She also relishes in cooking, reading, knitting, bicycling and gardening.
Abigail is generously giving one lucky reader the Bloom #108 Brooch pictured above. Isn't it gorgeous? I wish I could enter! To be in the running to win this lovely piece, please leave a comment here telling me about a time when you felt so swelled up with love that you thought you would burst (whether it be for a spouse, child, puppy, friend, whoever!). I am in such a romantic mood! I will announce the winner next week.
(PS. I have my first post up at the Precious Nuptials blog. It's all about Long-distance themed weddings. Stop by here to check it out and leave some comment love!)
(PPS. I have an AWESOME tutorial up at Meylah today. It's a DIY Paper Cupcake Stand tutorial. Come see over here!)
Happy Tuesday, my blog friendersons!
I have a small announcement to make...
Some of you know this through my Facebook page, but most of you don't. I recently took on a job as a Lead Wedding Planner for a local and destination Wedding company here in Houston - Precious Nuptials.
You all know how much I love weddings and being creative, so this really is the perfect fit for me. Precious Nuptials is a great company to work for, and they put on a GREAT wedding. They were recently featured in The Knot Houston magazine.
So from now on, as well as over here at City of Dionne, and Meylah, you can also find me regularly posting at the Precious Nuptials & Destinations blog. I will be posting there two days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays). Today they officially introduced me to their community - so stop on over and leave us some blog love at my bio post here. And come "fan" us on Facebook here.
Life can get so busy!
I wish that life was as simple as a tin of sardines.
I'm sorry that I haven't been blogging as often as usual - I have been really busy with life. All good things, thankfully, but I feel like I have been a little neglectful of blogland, and I am sorry!
(PS. The winner of the Octavia & Brown giveaway is Weezie. Congrats!)
Most of you know by now that I love entertaining and throwing little parties.
Hosting, baking and cooking for friends, decorating... I love all of it. Anything that involves creativity and people is right up my alley. So because I like to entertain so much, I love peeking through online stores at all the housewares they have available to decorate my home.
........
Octavia and Brown is a charming Etsy store run by Liz, who has stocked it well with delightful vintage homewares inspired by her worldwide travels and cross-country road trips.
Liz has a passion for architecture, museums and galleries - all places that speak of other lifetimes and distant pasts. On the flip side, her love for the old is balanced with a love for the new - she enjoys reading different blogs, and has an obsession with magazines. The beach and unruly gardens also speak to her - so she is really able to find inspiration anywhere she goes.
With two of her favorite places being the beach and gardens, it's no surprise that Liz is drawn to calming shades of blue and lush greens. Cheerful hues of yellow also have a space on her palette of favorites. 
Liz lives in New York and appreciates that there's something always going on in her city. She loves the fact that any given day she can go out and see what the city has waiting for her. New York is a relatively new home for her, so often she still feels like a giddy tourist exploring the sites and sounds of a new place. Running through Hudson Park is one of her favorite ways to take in the New York scenery, and when she isn't running and vintage-hunting, she enjoys cooking, baking and redecorating her apartment on a regular basis.
Liz is giving away a prize to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment here telling me how you like to explore the city you live in, and which of these three items you would like if you won (all among the pictures in this post): Black Glass Trophy Vase, Set of 6 Amber Dessert Glasses, or the White Elephant. I will announce the winner next week.
(PS. For another fantastic giveaway that is open until July 20th, head on over to Meylah to win a gorgeous necklace by Melissa Hull over here!)
(PPS. My latest Meylah article is up about how to dress for success. Come stop by over here.)
English pubs are so homey.
Last night, Brian, some friends and I went to grab dinner at a darling English Pub in Houston called The Black Labrador.
Shepherd's Pie, Beef Wellington, Fish and Chips... I love it. I haven't been to an English Pub in about 5 years, so it was a nice little treat.
How was your weekend?
(PS. the winner of the Cynthia Vardhan giveaway is Courtney. Congrats!)
