Happy Friday!

I have to do a repost today from 100 Layer Cake and the "Hollywood Glamour" themed bridal shoot they did!  It is SO my personal style, as in classic silver screen starlet!  Elements I'm loving: perfectly arched eyebrows, birdcage veils, and the fox fur wraps!  Enjoy!

New Week, New Projects!

Good Morning my dears!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend.  Mine seemed to last a long time, probably because a lot happened!  One of the most significant things was that yesterday evening our clunker Chevy Malibu gave it's final death rattle on the highway and was towed off to my brother's garage in Mankato, where I await him to pronounce it legally dead.  So while we start looking for a new "every day" car our beautiful 1963 Mercury Comet is going to be our main ride.  Not bad for a back-up car!  My father has already suggested another 1960's classic car to be the Malibu's replacement. I told him, while that'd be fun, I was concerned about driving a car like that in the winter, to which he exploded with "Well for Pete's sake little girl!  We drove those cars year round in the sixties! No reason you couldn't!"  All I know is the comet takes corners like a pontoon boat and I can't imagine trying to control it on the ice!  ...So that's a project to think about for a while!

My other more fun project which I've been putting off for months is re-decorating our bedroom!  It's not the worst room ever but I've never been happy with it.  It doesn't need a total re-design but just some updating really.  Most important things on the list:

• New nightstands!  We still have the junky ones from college.
• New lamps!  My bedside lamp doesn't even work anymore.  
• New sheets!  A little touch of luxury would be nice.
• De-clutter!  A box from when we moved in a year ago became a permanent fixture, acting as a side table. Many other items without homes seem to end up stacked in this room.  This will end now! 
• New dresser for Dylan!  Again, the junky one from college which has broken drawers and is totally falling apart. 
• New Headboard! I'm excited about this.  We don't have a headboard and it's going to bring the room sophistication I think!

Perhaps the most challenging thing about this is that I'll be doing it on a shoestring budget.  But small budgets seem to bring out the creative & clever side of me so I'm not too worried.  I'm going to check out a few of shoppers secrets (as well as craigslist) but this weekend I mostly just collected inspiration.  This is what's on my mind so far!

I really like the nightstands and lamps in these pictures!  {source}

I'd love to add a side chair too.  Which I will have room for if I de-clutter!

I love how calm and luxurious this room is.  The curtains are so sumptuous!

Headboard and canopy are to die for!  So romantic!  The window/door/flooring situation in this picture is similar to my room.

I love full canope beds but I don't think it would work in my small room. This 4 post bed is a nice compromise I think.

Love this nightstand, and it's an Ikea hack too so budget friendly!

Workwear Wednesday

First a confession.  I am not even close to wearing something that'd be considered "office appropriate" this morning!  I'm wearing a cut-off shorts and  a pink t-shirt with bleach splotches all over it.  But once I leave the house I'll dress like a grown up, I swear!  

Actually I think it's sort of tricky to figure out what to wear right now.  The summer heat and humidity has suddenly left us in Minneapolis, and for the first time in months I want to wear sock to keep my toes warm!  And yet it can still get pretty hot in the afternoon sun.  So how do you dress well in late summer?  Like your mamma always said, dress in layers!   {images via pinterest}

Quite possibly the perfect late summer work outfit, incorporating a sundress like this.

Okay so this isn't layering but I am CRAZY for this outfit!

Workwear Wednesday

Yeah, yeah.  I'm still obsessing over navy blue & white.  Actually it's what I'm wearing today, cinched with a braided leather belt.  Isn't that crazy how braided belts are in now?  I remember seriously making fun of my mom for wearing them throughout the 90's. But anyway, onward with Workwear Wednesday & I'll try to limit the navy & white!  Oh, did I forget to mention I'm also obsessing over stripes? 

Scenes From Last Monday: ForeverTV Party!

So last Monday we were super happy to be attending a red carpet event at the Guthrie thrown by ForeverTV for Twin Cities wedding industry professionals!   What can I say?  We had a blast!  I attended the swanky affair with my husband (& Laura Whitney Couture's web guru) Dylan and our good friend Holly.  Of course we HAD to arrive in style so we took the Comet which is always fun especially when you're fabulously dressed!  So Dylan, in his ultra cool vintage tuxedo and I, in my red bombshell dress, swung over to pick up Holly and then were off the the big event.

When we arrived we walked the red carpet and headed inside.  ForeverTV host Amanda Day was outside filming an episode, interviewing several of the guests.  Once inside, the party started without hesitation.  If you've never been, the interior of the Guthrie is seriously posh!  We're talkin' swank-tastic!  Several talented bartenders were serving up cocktails & well dressed waiters carried around trays of nibbles while a DJ pumped out surprisingly good beats.  If you were elsewhere in Minneapolis that night wondering "where da honey's at?" it was because all the beautiful people were at this event!  And it didn't take long before my guys Matt & Jacob from Traveling Photo Booth Co. found me!  (Don't tell but I cheated on them with another photo booth that night!  Shhh!)  Mid-party ForeverTV's Amanda Day and the shows producer Charles Even Eide stood up to speak and to thank everyone for attending.  They were certainly the gracious hosts whom I had a chance to meet later in the evening outside on the endless bridge.  Besides seeing old friends and meeting new ones, this was just an all around fun event to attend.  There were a lot of very cool things like live mannequins, a candy bar, beautiful table displays, Miss Minnesota was in attendance, there was dancing and of course great people watching!   All in all, a great time!

Could Tuxedos Make a Come-back?

So a funny coincidence happen in that my husband and I have been hitting up vintage shops the last couple evenings for an awesome tuxedo for him to wear to a fancy schmancy event we're going to next week at the Guthrey.  Two days ago, 100 Layer Cake posted an article about a bride-to-be who was upset that here fiancée wanted to wear a tux to their wedding and wanted advice on how to convince him to wear a suit.  Admittedly, tux's have been dragged thru the mud since the 1970's and most of us just think of the hideous prom tuxedos we're used to. The advice she got was, if he wants a tux then let him wear a tux!  And then there was additional discussion on finding fantastic vintage tuxedos. 

We are excited to have found a fantastic 1960's era tuxedo jacket from Blacklist Vintage last night!  Just need to find some pants for it now.  I really think that going vintage, or at least buying a well tailored tux from somewhere other than Men's Warehouse (gag!) is a good way to go.  And if you're still not convinced here are some images of super sexy tuxedo-ed gents! 

Dylan's new tux jacket looks a lot like this!

Slim fitting midnight blue tuxedo is very stylish!

Workwear Wednesday

 How funny is this picture!?!  This is an image from the National Career Advisors website and they might just wanna update it.  This woman is super excited about wearing her turtleneck under those giant lapels!  And they're all wearing beige.  Ha ha!  I guessing this picture is from the early '90's and thank god we don't have to dress like this for work anymore! 

I would much more prefer to wear something like this to work! 

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Nicely Nautical

On Tuesday I saw the first sail boats back on Lake Calhoune.  They were there again yesterday too!  It's a lovely sign that the lake is thawed and no matter what the weather man says spring is here to stay.   I absolutely love watching the sailboats all summer on our little city lake.   It makes me feel like I'm living on the coast!  A few people close to me could tell you that I hate only seeing the ocean every few years (I'm over-due!  It's been like 5 years now!) and that's why I've got a soft spot for beachy and nautical decor.  I'm not talking cheesy, light house motif or sea shell themes.  I think when it's done right, you walk in a room and think, "oh, this room reminds me of the sea side." without any obvious symbols jumping out at you.  Here are a few nautical interiors I think got it right.

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This is really similar to the look of my room, very calm with cool neutrals.  Source

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Happy Monday!

Good morning all!  It's a beautiful autumn morning here in Minneapolis but best of all my kitty Groucho is walking about a bit & has regained his appetite after his car accident.  I'm on top of the world!

I am just loving this autumn weather!   But it's made me realise that I got ride of just about all my fall/winter wardrobe when I was clearing things out before our move.  Oh, darn!  I guess I'll have to go shopping!   I've already gotten a couple pretty all-purpose sweaters which are kinda staples in ones wardrobe but my real prize has been this amazing pair of vintage Laredo cowboy boots I got for a steal!  I can't wait to wear them! 

Other things I'm loving right now are wool skirts, delicate textured knits, pretty much anything plaid and trench coats.  Coats of any kind actually!  They are one of my favourite things to shop for and the last thing I need more of so I have to resist the erg to splurge. 

my new boots!

classic wool skirt {image via dress, design, decor}

{image via dress, design, decor}

pretty little knits {image via dress, design, decor}

1938 photo of a woman in a block plaid coat.  Classic fashion! {image via Time & Life Pictures}