buongiorno j.crew...

via and via

sigh. i don't know what's more interesting, watching listening to jenna lyons speak or witnessing the mastery of this italian shoemakers. their detail and care into their craft is really something to marvel at. i'm always impressed when i hear about someone in the fashion industry staying at one company for thirty years. means the company must be doing something right.

atlanta weddings winter 2011...

i was walking in the supermarket right before atlanta's snowstorm and i stopped in my tracks when i saw this cover of atlanta weddings. this is the first time any shoot that i have styled has made the cover of a magazine! i posted a snippet from the shoot a while ago, but it was so nice to actually flip through an actual paper magazine and see my first shoot in atlanta!

Photography - Harwell Photography

Styling - Ginny Branch Styling and Designs

Flowers - Amy Osaba

Cake - Sweet Sensations

Accessories - Corrie Wright

Jewelry - Mucklows Fine Jewelry

Hair and Makeup - MaraZ for MiaBellezza Cosmetics

Venue - Montaluce Winery and Estates

Car - Classy Car Limo

Real couple - Jennifer and Eric

i heart bando...

the bando girls are at again! new website, new eyecandy for valentines day, new items for me to obsess over! how much perfection is this girl- her hair, her lipstick, and that tomboyish shirt to compliment the feminine frills? yes and yes!

also, check out miss designlovefest's shout out too!

big love to my girl, jamie jean freed for sending me a link to their new website :)

happy birthday momma branch...

yesterday was my mother's bday. to celebrate i hosted a family dinner at our apartment. everyone brought dishes and my sister amy helped me tend to the stove. as she put it plainly, "sometimes you just need someone to stir the pots". we had giant silver foil balloons that spelled out her signature catchphrase, "yay you" but we ran out of helium to fill up the other 25 silver balloons. and our big sister's beautiful angel food cake arrived a little wilted. it didn't matter. we all were able to sit around and laugh and eat comfort food and gooey cake. sometimes it's ok to laugh at the imperfections of party planning and just enjoy the people you love. and we love our mom a whole lot. she's our best friend and a really, really good mom.

coveting her closet...

i had this post saved up ever since i saw mary kate's closet shot on the coveted. isn't she just adorable? i love her understated eclectic-ness. she smartly pairs romantic florals and 50s circle skirts with shrunken cable knit sweaters and practical jean jackets. mary kate seems like a girl i would want to be friends with. something about her also just radiates kindness. and she has worked her way up the Teen Vogue ladder from her humble beginnings as an intern.and she models her ambition from her father. heart.

i resolve to draw more. and keep more sketchbooks. i am so in love with these pages from meredith buck's sketchbook. so simple and childlike. i am in the process of creating a cozy artist nook next to my large leather club chair, complete with a watercolor set, fountain pens, and a moleskin. ok muses, i invoke you!

mulberry spring 2011...

so i'm a sucker for any fashion campaigns that feature lush blooms. i'm easy. also, good call on the redhead models- love me a ginger!

{steven alan spring 2011}

steven, you've done it again! aside from being addicted to his ruffly bloomers, i now covet his spring '11 line. the collection is so unapologetically easy. it reminds me of some old school A.P.C, right? i want to wear every look, particularly the white sundress/loafers/straw hat combination. and those suede totes bursting with cut flowers... genius styling touch. all i need is a snappy little cruiser and some sunscreen...

hand tinted photos...

via this flickr found via miss moss

when i saw these darling hand-tinted vintage photographs, my heart did a little backflip! i love how childlike the coloring is, like a kid who scribbled over family photos when no one was looking. wouldn't these be just perfect in a powder room? i might have to try my hand at this with my stockpile of old photos collecting dust.

girl crush: julia sarr-jamois

i've been pinning images of this gorgeous wonderland fashion editor for the past few months and decided to give a proper post, after seeing the latest image of her on my friend kelly cadet's blog. i.want.her.hair. julia is so effortlessly sartorial, and that fro of hers is the jam.

black, white, and read all over...

the kate spade newspaper collection of course! as soon as i spotted the rolled paper clutch i wished i was sipping espresso in a cafe somewhere in the middle of a rainstorm, wearing a beautiful trench coat. i think this clutch would compliment a really smart-looking trench quite nicely. me likey.

shower curtains...

{via refinery29}
confession: we have not had a proper shower curtain since we've moved to atlanta. just a scraggly clear liner-ha! for some reason i keep putting it off until i find the "perfect fabric" to "sew my own". who am i kidding? i only pick up the sewing machine once in a blue moon, and i am a pitiful seamstress. and shopping for shower curtains flusters me. most i find are far too twee for a married couple's bathroom. i kind of love these canvas curtains by izola though! i don't gravitate towards anything overtly graphic, but the apothecary packaging is awfully handsome, don't you think?

laura ashley brides...

{ all via nibs}

i just wrapped up a bridal shoot for atlanta weddings on monday, so i definitely have weddings on the brain. although, i kinda always do. i found these photos on martha b's blog and happily added them to my inspiration file. oh laura ashley, i love you for your adoration of vintage. she and j.peterman were celebrating my favorite time periods(1890-1930) back in the 90s, during the time of too much shoulder padding and slap bracelets and big, bad hair. i just want to hop into these pictures, mary poppins style.

artists j'adore: frances palmer

i had the pleasure of interviewing frances palmer, a potter whose handthrown cake plates make me all misty-eyed and chin-wobbly. brides-to-be, wouldn't you love to register for these? and her perfectly imperfect vases burting with fresh blooms(cut from her garden, mind you) are the bees knees. pop on over here to see the interview.

frances also recommends this book, the surprising life of constance spry, which i am adding to my wish list this minute. doesn't this all make you yearn for a little taste of spring?

a little au revoir simone for the weekend

in a snowglobe...

atlanta has been experiencing some serious winter wonderland-ness. i love it. all of it. things i am grateful for, in no particular order...

...i love that atlanta is wildly unprepared for any sort of snowpocalypse and most schools were closed all week long.

...i love that ed didn't have to go to work for half the week.

...i love walking our beagles in the snow(even though i slipped and fell flat on my back).

...i love numb noses and sloshy bean boots.

...i love walking to the grocery store for silly things like paper towels.

... i love hunkering down in my home and giving each neglected room the care it needed.

... i love making various soups for days on end(beef tenderloin, cauliflower, chicken & almond, and a hearty chicken and vegetable).

... i love curling up in my weathered leather club chair wrapped in a wool blanket, beagle in lap, book in hand.

i love being snowed in, because it gave me time to be extremely introspective and calm. it gave me incredible time to tend to the parts of my home that i had ignored. and it gave me time to be with my family in a warm and happy home, with burning cedar incense to pretend a fire was blazing. and lots and lots of soup.

j.crew and breton stripes...

this look is so good. i'm glad j.crew keeps revisiting the sailor stripe, it is a lovely classic staple i never tire of! one of my resolutions is to by investment pieces instead of throwaway fashions, and i definitely want to invest in a st. james shirt. i can't believe i've gone this long without one! although i am partial to the ll bean version, introduced to me by miss amy merrick!

we got amy...

i had this post scheduled for my big sister's birthday, january 11th, but i got snowed in with my computer trapped at the apple store. now i can finally give my sister, amy, my master list of why i am so glad she was born.

1. when my mom was pregnant with me, everyone played a game. whoever guessed closest to the day i would be born, would get to dress me. you won. you were the first and probably last person i ever let pick out an outfit for me!

2. you taught me how to climb out of my crib, a party trick that pleased our parents not so much.

3. for show and tell, i brought you to school. you had just gotten back from studying in france, and brought the entire class baguettes, nutella, and strawberry jam.

4. you love the phrase, "go cats" as much as i do.

5. i fondly refer to you as the naughty sister, because you really are hysterical! if i have any sense of humor, i definitely learned it from you.

6. you are the reason i wanted to be a fashion designer because i used to sneak into your room and read all of your vogues and glamours and marie claires.

7. you always gifted me your old makeup. you once gave me a bag of unwanted chanel cosmetics and i brought it to school with me to give makeovers. i was four. i believe your friends used to tease, "little ginny has cooler makeup than me".

8. you are extremely thoughtful and always make mental notes of things people love and are interested in. you definitely inherited this trait from our mother. you are an AMAZING gift giver!!

9. whenever i hear the song, "afternoon delight" i think of you playing it. loudly. on repeat. a song that i never could quite appreciate until i saw anchorman.

10. you named your cat p.posey... as in parker posey. party girl is one of your favorite movies... "he-he-hello!"

11. you took me to see the little mermaid in theaters. and clueless.

12. you are the queen of the mixed tape, and provided many a soundtrack for branch family roadtrips to the beach.

13. when i was a little girl you used to make me come in your room and dance with you to whitney houston's, "how will i know".

14. you makes a mean blueberry bread. and homemade bread. and chocolate cake. and sweet potato risotto.

15. you let me sneak into your room and watch 90210 and melrose place, even though our mom said i couldn't.


i love my big sister and am so glad you were born. you just turned 40 and are probably still
getting carded at restaurants. you have impeccable taste with your finger on the pulse for all things modern and au currant, yet you appreciate and adore all things classic and iconic. you are a grace kelly woman through and through.

you started a blog today and i am really excited and want to shout, "YAY YOU".

to-resolve-project...

{via}

ok, how charming are these resolution posters? i love resolutions and especially enjoy hearing other peoples' resolutions. also, in my next life i want to go back to school for graphic design. and art education.

a rose...

{1,2,3} {rose photo}

i'm dangerously close to purchasing lush's new imogen rose perfume. i love love rose scents. i use the florentine rose water daily before i slather on moroccan oil and i am on my last drop of cbihateperfume's tea rose. i've never used anything by lush nor have i ever tried a solid perfume, but i'm extremely curious!

the sartorialist...

i love this video. mainly because it makes me long for my old stomping ground~the west village. amy merrick brought this video to my attention and i am very grateful for that! and, who doesn't love to see the sartorialist in action?! i used to see him all the time making the rounds in the west village with his giant camera and soccer player calves. the man has some seriously muscular calves!

p.s his former assistant is one of the most adorable gals in town! seriously, i have a whole girl crush post coming soon about her!

p.p.s the gentleman cutting the sart's hair, mike the barber used to cut my hair too!

bookmark: pablo neruda & i love your style

stopped by anthropologie after picking up my brand spankin' new computer! i still haven't even opened it yet- i'm scared! it's so precious and pristine! anyway, i totally impulse-bought these but i'm sure i won't regret it. i can never have too many books!

wild red doll hairs...

{via}

i wish i was a cuter redhead, but alas, it does not suit me at all-woof. i want this girl's wild woman hair! i love a ginger.

on another note, tomorrow i will be purchasing a new computer since my keyboard has called it quits for certain letters. let's just say i've been copy/pasting a lot of this post.

today i am grateful for...

{via here and here}

1. finding cheap shelves at the goodwill to house my props(the organizing continues)
2. substitute teaching in my highschool's art department and getting to teach them fashion illustration.
3. playing with the amazing, amazing art supplies at school. LOVE.
4. taking a long nap with my beagles piled on top of me.
5. waking up to a really, exceptionally delicious cup of coffee.
6. receiving a thank you letter in the mail from my aunt & uncle-in law(love hand-written letters).
7. finishing a book and starting another.
8. meditating my way through a stressful parking lot and not panicking!
9. this website! and this one too!
10. prepping my interview with one of my favorite talented ladies for tomorrow's design*sponge column!

bryce dallas howard...

bryce dallas howard is such a delightful celebrity pick for kate spade. she's graceful, humble, introspective and downright lovely. and she looks like a porcelain doll! thank you wwd, for the teaser and i can't wait to see the rest of the advert campaign!

prop storage...

searching for inspiration from the queen of all things organized... miss martha stewart. this glimpse into the MSLO prop room has set the bar high. ok, back to work...

resolution: write down my gratitudes(and practice my calligraphy)

very wang thank you cards

i started this blog back in 2007, with the intention of chronicling my daily gratitudes. i'm a huge believer in thankfulness and mindfulness, and i want to make an effort to daily write down at least five things i am grateful for(and improve my calligraphy). it puts me in SUCH a better mood, and usually i start with five and end up with 17(random, i know).

so, even though currently i am in the middle of the torturous process of trying to organize my prop room, allow me to list 5 bright spots...

1. oprah has her OWN network!!! this is helping me feel better as i purge and turn my entire apartment into a war zone as i sort through my props. i love me some oprah. majorly.
2. in 2010 i have had the pleasure of working for (and with) incredibly talented women i admire, and continue to learn so much from them. annette joseph, grace bonney, joy thigpen, jamie freed, and amy osaba, this one's for you!
3. my husband walks the dogs every morning and brings me coffee. i'm not a morning person, and he's pretty awesome to let me sleep in.
4. i am a proud new owner of an ipad which is helping me be a better woman! seriously, it is like instant organization in one little screen. i feel so tech-y!
5. i just remembered i have some leftover bubbly in the fridge, which might make my prop overhaul more enjoyable- ooh la la!

*bonus- i scored some lovely flowers from amy osaba that are cheering up my war zone of an apartment. every time i look at them i bust out in a perma-grin.