holiday catalogue stylin'

the wildly talented jeremy harwell just posted these pics on his site from our latest photo shoot for mucklows fine jewelry. we shot their holiday catalogue in senoia, ga with our favorite makeup artist, mara z. our shoot was in senoia, ga an oh-so charming town with a big fish kind of vibe. senoia feels like one of georgia's well-kept secrets.

also, i really love styling and i am beyond happy to have made the switch from visual merchandising. i still have tons and tons to learn, but i'm lucky i have a very good teacher who is showing me the ropes!

photography~ jeremy harwell

makeup~ MARAZ

jewelry~ mucklows fine jewelry

wardrobe and photo-styling~ me :)

vintage j.crew holiday...

{photos found via j.crewing}
ooh wee! i stumbled upon this little tumblr gem which has some excellent "vintage" j.crew catalogue goodness. enjoy...

paolo roversi

{paolo roversi knows what's what when it comes to bridal photography. and all aspects of photography for that matter.}

gifts for the wanderluster...

{four years in paradise & i married adventure, women travelers}

{woerther 3m wooden pencil, warby parker monocle, pith helmet, compass, swissco tortoise toothbrushes, leather passport cover, zebra rug, j peterman carry-on bag, pentax k1000 camera}

man oh man, have y'all been reading miss amy merrick's travel diary on her blog? i have totally been bitten by the travel bug. i wanna make like penny lane and hightail it to morocco with my cute husband. or maybe just read osa johnson's books. or watch disney's UP. sigh. here are some treats for the explorers and adventurers in your life!

for your (not so) secret gardener...

top photos via belle fleur de lis blog
{a little piece of earth, denim apron, hunter wellies, paperwhite & amaryllis bulbs, galvanized watering can, gardener's hand cream, gardener's soap, nutscene twine, chinese scissors}

here's a little gift guide inspired by this secret garden blogstress. i'm stocking my home with houseplants to brighten up the place and i have already purchased some paperwhite bulbs and mason jars for some impromptu host/hostess gifts. this is my favorite roundup of garden gear for the green-thumbed enthusiast in your life!

fancy pants gift guide...

{mason pearson brush, bobbi brown gold eyeliner, hermes aline bag, hermes lock, fountain pen ink, caran d'ache ecridor fountain pen, iris hantverk nailbrush, trip to argentina, nespresso citiz espresso maker, claude morady brooch, daosto portico luggage}

allow me to indulge in some serious fantasy gift giving!! if you have any fancy pants friends or family with champagne tastes, these are some quirky and luxe suggestions. just a little guide for the folks who are recession proof(those lucky ducks)or for those who enjoy a healthy game of make-believe :)

bookmark: the pelican project...

{the pelican project via chance}

thanks to things magazine, we all have access to a spectacular archive of the now-defunct pelican book series. i had no idea that pelican publishing was an offshoot of its parent company, penguin. although if i had stopped to think about it for two seconds, it would have made perfect sense. pelican was known in the 30s-90s as the more informational and educational branch of the publishing company. i love the graphic quality of seeing these all lined up in a grid, don't you? now i have another collection of things to haunt ebay for. great.

hiberation holidays...

1. tartan throw
2. the principles of uncertainty
3. sofa
4. wood-burning stove
5. pajamas
6. beeswax tealights and tapers
7. brambleberry rose lip salve
8. pie
9. handknit slippers

my favorite seasons are undeniably fall and winter. spring has a special place in my heart and summer i can (barely)tolerate for the first few weeks. cold weather is my jam, although i can't exactly high five the sun setting earlier. i am already puttering around the house in deadstock union suits and chunky wool socks. we've hardly turned on the heat, and i find warm beagles are even better than hot water bottles. eddie and i have named pie as the fifth food group and nothing beats curling up on the sofa with a good book, or two, or three. if only this wood burning stove(or sofa) was in our price range...

gobble gobble...

{photo via life magazine}

happy thanksgiving peeps! i'm about to get a crackin' on my butternut squash soup and watch the macy's thanksgiving day parade. what are y'alls plans for the day? i hope wherever you are that you spend the day getting fatter and happier by the minute!

found my animal...

{all pictures from found my animal's website}

how fantastic are these doggy accessories? this brooklyn-based company employs new england rope-makers to handcraft leashes utilizing special nautical techniques! read more about the additional features here. what also won me over is that a portion of their proceeds are donated to the louis animal foundation. i think i may have found my christmas present for our rescued beagles! and it's a little luxury worth spoiling them for. good lookin' and philanthropic, yay!

bookmark: mark twain's autobiography

{via this is mark twain}

hello holiday gift for fathers everywhere! my dad is quite the samuel clemens mark twain fan. i was reading the nyt review and instantly went on the this is mark twain website(which is fantastic, by the way). the book is a four-pound memoir that is flying off shelves nationwide. i hope i will be able to snag a copy as soon as the next flush arrives. doesn't it look so enticing? 500,000 words makes this hefty tome the perfect night-time reading book. a book you can savor and enjoy every moment of. maybe not a great subway book or airplane book... unless you want to squeeze in some bicep curls as you travel ;)

french prep

{ photos via jak and jil & the william brown project}

bonjour thom browne pour les demoiselles! iconic french essentials: veuve, pearls, nubby tweed, and that tri-colored grosgrain. add a baguette or a macaron et voila! perhaps a colette lighter or two... je pense que oui!

girl crush: ali macgraw

{all photos found via google images}

this post goes out to amy merrick, who is currently on european vacation. she really introduced me to the film love story, and i am very grateful for that! i happened to find a paperback copy at one of my local haunts(thrift stores) and am just awed by ali macgraw. what a fox, huh? did anyone catch the reunion of ali and ryan o'neal on oprah? i have only seen clips online and am kicking myself for missing it.

back to ali. things she has aced: strong brows, 70s preppy style, smart-mouthed humor, and righteously sleek tresses. if you haven't seen love story, i highly recommend watching it(with a box of tissues). it's a perfect fall/winter film with excellent collegiate style. take ivy, take that!

flow-etry

{how to be a star style blogger & how to get photographed by the sartorialist}
i love cheeky little flow charts, especially with a side of biting wit. humor is one of my favorite things.

artists j'adore: cedric smith

here are some clips from my interview on design*sponge with artistic sensation, cedric smith. cedric is known for marrying bold, bright colors with vintage photographs of african-americans. he layers paint, photos, paper and fabric with the same finesse with which he layers different messages to the viewer. behind every seemingly nostalgic and whimsical portrait, cedric subliminally acknowledges the absence of the african-american presence in advertising. In addition to the powerful messages and ideas that it inspires, his work is just plain beautiful.

*****for more on the interview, pop on over to design*sponge!

the art of the scrapbook...

{found via nowness and a lovely being}

i have mentioned my love of scrapbooking many times, but my mind was completely blown when i stumbled upon cecil beaton's the art of the scrapbook(available for purchase in 3 days!). at a mere(*cough,cough*) $250, this too can be yours. i could pore over this book for hours, especially seeing all the teasers online. this has definitely inspired me to put down the laptop and pick up some scissors and glue. let me break it down why i think scrapbooks rule...

tactile+graphic+unedited+nostalgic+romantic= a recipe for two big thumbs up.

color wheel of dresses...

{images via susie bubble}

do you pinterest? it is one of the most helpful online site for archiving and bookmarking my favorite imagery. i stumbled upon andreas murkidis' shop of sheer silk dresses, in every color imaginable and instantly "pinned it" for my inspiration board. can you imagine a whole shop of these confectionary delights? yum.

voila...

colette's lighter collection at opening ceremony is the perfect stocking stuffer for your francophile, smoker pal OR for your stylist kit. honestly, i always forget to include matches or a lighter and someone always needs it for a shoot. i love the white one, so simple and graphic. i have a certain pal (ulysses marinez) who needs this. i smell a good stocking stuffer...

all the pretty birds...

{found via all the pretty birds and jjjjound}

this chris benz technicolor palette has been popping up all over lately. i admire this adorable blondie and her bold color choices! i wish i had that much chutzpah!

but seriously, first question...what kinds of birds are these? second question, can they be domesticated? polly want a cracker?

i hate perfume...

{photos from i hate perfume, 1000 fragrances}

time and time again i fall in love with cb i hate perfume. lately i've been wearing the tea rose scent which oddly makes me think of winter(february to be exact). i need to restock my walking in the air room spray. it truly smells like the first snowfall, and i wonder if this scent got its name from this movie. have you ever been to the cbihateperfume gallery? definitely a happy place of mine in new york. doesn't the gingerbread sound so yummy right now?

current obsession: cire trudon candles

the first time francesca described cire trudon's abd el kader candle, i was caught hook, line, and sinker. a "justifiable" splurge back when i (kind of/not really) had the means. it is the candle to trump all candles. the mere mention of walking in new york's new cire trudon store makes my heart flutter. i am also currently lusting for these bust candles.

and a cool factor pointed out by grace... they were candle-makers for marie antoinette. super cool.

{video found via honestlywtf}
good things: stop-motion film. pastries. ladurée. paris. louis vuitton. am i leaving anything out?

rust n dust...

mr. newton via refinery 29
hello cute blonde girl with a vintage copy of a.a milne's world of pooh. throw in that coat and her crisp white blouse and jewels... love!

one stop shopping: brook farm

i have mentioned multiple times my love for this store. if you appreciate the english paired-down, country-style like labour and wait, toast home, and bailey's home and garden, or if you are an oleson's mercantile fan, then be sure to swing by. for as glitzy as i like to doll myself up, i must admit i gravitate towards homes that are a slapdash of well-worn, crumbly, dusty, imperfect and OLD objects paired with simple, unassuming pragmatism. i don't have bold splashes of color, and there isn't a trace of lucite anywhere. whatever your style is, you can definitely find something for you/your mother/father/brother/sister/husband and the whole farm. my favorite one-stop shop. the owners are downright lovely and their shopdog mascot, nutmeg, sparked my beagle affection.

*also, pop on over to katie's blog to see her brook farm picks!

new york funky...

"new york is the place for funky people who don't fit in"

can't wait to go to nyc. i may or may not go to the anthropologie in the flatiron district and ask them for a funky cropped cardigan and a big ole funky belt. the best part is SNL made these rednecks from DECATUR, GA. that's like taking the cast of jersey shore and saying they're from the west village. yes milena.

current obsession: olio lusso

images via into the gloss

if i ever win the lottery, this will be my annual ultimate stocking stuffer. or if i was in the position to buy stock, this would be one i'd consider. linda rodin gave me a free sample of this baby ages ago when i was working here(click enter, the site is NOT under construction). linda herself has enviable skin, stunning silver tresses, and a boatload of charm. her product, olio lusso is a delicious-smelling, miracle in a bottle. i think other fancy creams should watch their backs...yeah, creme de la mer, i'm talking to you ;)

*although i must give a big ole shout out to embryolisse, a relatively reasonably-priced french moisturizer. it's one i can't live without and it also smells heavenly. i'd give up coffee AND wine for a week just to afford it!

the nutcracker

{all photos rachel papo}

i am getting fired up to go to nyc in december with my boss lady, annette joseph. it's going to be a busy whirlwind, but i hope to sneak in an evening at the ballet to see balanchine's the nutcracker. it is without a shadow of a doubt the most magical version i've seen. i am currently looking at rachel papo's behind-the-scenes photos of the costumes and swooning. i am tempted to start listening to the music, but i can't decide if it's too early or not.

* fun fact, when i would be running late to work in new york i would listen to the candy cane song and pretend i was kevin running through the airport in home alone. because i am just that dorky.

foodie idea: olive oil and sea salt icecream

{trader joes ice cream, salt/olive oil from terrain}

i love this ice cream idea from star provisions in atlanta! i gave it a whirl at home with some trader joe's ice cream and it worked! it satisfies the salty and the sweet in the best way. and the olive oil just adds another delicious dimension. my favorite kind of foodie treats are the ones that combine few ingredients with unusual flavor pairings. simple + weird, kinda like me!

*also, i highly recommend picking up some trader joes pumpkin ice cream- it is as delicious as it sounds!

christmas in... november?

{photo taken by jeremy harwell}

argh, poor thanksgiving. i am totally not giving it all the lurve it deserves. anyone who works in the editorial world(in any way, shape, or form) totally knows how november gets the shaft and becomes a kind of christmas-y month. here is a sneak peek from my latest styling gig with my faaaaavorite atlanta photographer, jeremy harwell and my faaaaavorite atlanta make up artist, mara z. it was so much fun. i could play with fake snow and diamonds all day long.

garden wedding: miranda brooks

{vogue feature, scanned by dF}

did y'all catch this vogue-featured wedding a little while ago? the bride wore this edwardian(love)-inspired, oscar de la renta dress smattered with embroidered poppies(her daughter's name). there were sprawling, wild-yet-artfully manicured gardens, and gypsy revelry, and queen anne's lace worn in the bride's hair. unconventional but not overdone. in other words, perfect.

oh yeah, did i mention miranda is a jaw-droppingly talented landscape designer? oh yeah, she's the real deal.

very merry indeed

i love the styling of j.crew's very merry gift guide! it popped into my inbox this morning and got me real excited! i wish i knew who styled this shoot so i could give them a high five.

and the pantone color award goes to...

chris benz, duh! this technicolor feather dream coat is probably one of the most delicious pieces of fashion eye candy i have ever seen. don't you just want to pet it? i'm so happy he won. lovely clothes, lovely palettes, lovely gentleman. hip hip, hooray!

for vintage pantone color swatches go here.

handerchief how to...

{source: one kings lane}

such a helpful little napkin folding tutorial on one kings lane. i must admit that i ALWAYS forget to add any extra touches on my table linens whenever i host a dinner party. i don't even own napkin rings! well, this has definitely inspired me to be more mindful of the little details.