E.S.

Elie Saab

Known as E.S.

The couturier who has taken luxury gowns to their zenith.

Self trained, he came to notoriety as the man who dressed Halle Berry for the Academy Awards.

Will any of the starlets be wearing his creations Sunday?

His designs enhance a womanly shape.

A standout!

Ethereal!

Unique Fabrics. Creative structure and design. 

This style is made for the tall willowy woman

A blush of color. Magnifique!

This could even go bridal.

A woman wearing this red, red, number will definitely leave an impression!

The next Royal Wedding

~We were enchanted~

Remember this wedding? It was like a fairy tale come-to-real-life right before our very eyes.

Did you receive your invitation yet?

Didn't your heart melt when William explained his decision to give Catherine his mother's wedding ring?

Their radiant faces say it all.

~I do~

William has grown to become the handsome prince marrying his true love!!! We wish them a forever, loving, happy marriage. Catherine is just gorgeous!

What a great photo!

Remember when Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer became engaged? We truly hoped it would last forever.

If Diana were alive today~if only she were still here....we miss her presence...her death came too soon..tragic really...but her son has shown the world that she is still remembered today...her ring is now shared with her future daughter in law and they both share a very special young man...William of Wales.  

Anthro Wedding Gowns

A bombshell dropped on the "wedding world", February 14, 2011

BHLDN.com

(beholden -- Dutch meaning to keep)

Anthropologie has entered the bridal and special events world. Until recent years, we were also enscounced in that world~so w-e-d-d-i-n-g-s still grab our attention! How exciting to see the winds of changes blowing through this institution at a record rate! Cookie cutter weddings are falling fast by the wayside. Have you seen blogs like, 100 layer cakes or ritzy bee? Couples are really infusing who they are into their wedding and being true to themselves, budget and all. In the end that's much more meaningful and endearing. This new addition to Anthro postures them right into the "now" mix. By the end of the year they will have  ventured into wedding receptions and the special events arena also.

What's cool about BHLDN is that their approach is similiar to the Urban Outfitter organizations model on design and lifestyle. Their website allows you to browse through times past weddings, become further inspired, and find your style be it Nostalgic Romantic, Neo-Sophisticate, La Bohemienne, or Lady With a Twist. You can view, gowns, dresses, shoes, lingerie, jewelry, coverups, hair adornments and accessories within each of those muse type categories or go with an even more eclectic selection on your own.

They plan to not only to utilize their own designers, but feature guest designers as well. Each season they will develop their line of vintage, heirloom quality, bougie wedding designs. Gowns are priced from $1,000.00 to $4,000.00 and bridesmaids or special occasion dresses will be placed at around $200.00 to $600.00. You can check it all out at BHLDN.com. 

 Sift through BHLDN's collection of past weddings for inspiration.

Do you know anyone getting married? Do they have that individualistic flair about them? Be sure to tell them about BHLDN.com

Roasted Heirloom Carrot Soup

Our guest is motoring down for the holiday weekend...it's raining cats and dogs...a roaring fireplace and a cup of hot Heirloom Carrot Soup w/Parmesan Croutons awaits them. It's easy to whip up a creamy vegetable soup, but we are continuing down the coast with them for a holiday weekend sooo.... we'll post this recipe when we return...

Happy Holiday!

Toss carrots, onions, celery, garlic and sage with Olive oil and salt and pepper. Sometimes simple things are the best 

Garnished w/Apple Smoked Bacon Bits, Creme Fraiche, and Parmesan Crouton.

Astier de Villatte

If we could fill our sideboard with Astier de Villatte ceramics...we just might never retire from the table...our meal would definitely linger. Each hand crafted piece is an amazing work of art. What makes Astier de Villatte pieces so unique is their form--it reminds us of times reminiscent of wares found in French Chateau's set in the 17th or 18th Century countryside. ADV has achieved the art of merging modern sensibility with the luxury designs of a bygone era. The milky glazed surface of their designs is pitted with deliberate surface imperfections. Pictures just do not do these ceramics justice. Now did we mention that you can pop these into the dishwasher or microwave?

Works of art!

Aren't you intrigued?

White is the little black dress of the dining table. Always chic and food is displayed at it's best when placed on white! It looks fresh and modern when done as a uninterrupted collection en masse if you will.



Little Inexpensive Valentine Touches.

Begin Valentine's Day with a glass of fresh squeezed juice in your favorite crystal goblet, garnish with an apple heart made by using a mini cookie cutter.

Adding color to your favorite sugar cookie recipe or store bought sugar cookie dough is a way to pump up the Valentine's volume. We chose 3 colors - pink, red and purple. We divided the dough into 3 even pieces, colored each one. Rolled each out and stacked them on top of one another. Then we just rolled them up into a tight cylinder. Put them into the freezer to harden to make cutting easier. We baked them according to recipe directions, after cookies were baked and cooled we used melted white chocolate to dip each cookie into then added some sprinkles and red hot hearts..it took a little time..it appeals to the child in each of us. A very nice munchy treat with love sprinkled all over it!

Let your kids cut out double layers of newsprint into various heart shapes. Attach them to thin string of filament. We are so impressed with how much children love to craft, they are always so pleased with the results of their handiwork. We adults linger over our projects as though it really mattered if someone else is pleased with it or not. When we make things for others that come from the heart...others will receive them in that same way...let your inner child come out to play.

These Lavender filled hearts are a simple project. The supplies are listed below. Fragrant hearts are the perfect size to tuck into a suitcase, the side of a purse, or in a lingerie drawer to keep everything smelling fresh. 

We used a wheat colored piece of felt and roughed it up a bit with a spiky brush to soften the surface, cut it into hearts, added a coffee stained message, and then stitched it all around with a blanket stitch leaving a hole to fill up with Lavender before closing. What a sweet thing to find amongst your things..makes a wonderful memory.

I Heart Tea

Why not try making your own heart teas to give for Valentine's Day. We used coffee filters~double stacked them~cut out heart shapes with pinking shears~used double thread of embroidery floss to sew around the edges (start in the top center) and stop about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Fill with 1 serving loose tea~continue stitching up~leave the tails long~glue a saying or heart to the end~see above sample.

Getting to the heart of the matter!

Side view

Do something good for others and yourself, invite a friend to tea and a "chic-flick" movie.

Sprinkle the sugar with colored nonpareils. Delighting in good conversation is a gift you can give a friend.