friday favorites...

It's been rainy here most of the week, so these finds fit in with the cool, gray mood... (have a wonderful start to October this weekend!).
A cozy kitchen nook. (via)
Pretty shower invites.
Industrial meets farmhouse kitchen. (via)
An adorable wedding.

handmade faves: potter + butler

This shop has the prettiest handmade creations for topping cakes. (above: pom garland, chalkboard banner, and cupcake flags).

blog design (pt.1)

It didn't take me long after introducing the new site to make even more changes to the blog (it is an addiction, I tell you). And so, I thought I'd pass along a few tips & tutorials that I found helpful along the way, for anyone else like me who is web-design challenged (or just curious), because I know I am always interested in how things are done. So, here is part one (the very basics):

-using a custom domain through blogger.

-removing the navbar and the border/box shadows from images.

-removing the bullets from sidebar lists.

-changing the post header's color.

-further customizing the post header (making bold, uppercase, etc.)

-customizing the footer 'older-newer posts' links.

-adding and customizing a search bar.

Part 2 I'll post about adding side-by-side images, sidebar spacing, and other simple stuff I never knew. (photo taken in rhode island)

I (heart) parks.

Cute, camp-inspired work & other designs by Christine Wisnieski. (how cool are those buttons?).

(image 1, 2, 3. via design*sponge).

inspiration on a monday.

Russell Crowe // Cinderella Man. (images: 1, 2+3).

Saturday night we got takeout from a new chinese place down the road, and rented this movie for the first time. It was so good (tissues required...).

welcome, fall!

My favorite season (besides summer, of course) is here and I'm excited for what's in store. A few fall-inspired things from my bookmarked folder...
Colorful autumn leaves.
Warmer layers (via).
The cutest rain boots.
A cozy living room.
And, not pictured - this soup I'm making for the weekend. Have a good one!

(Ps. I'm sharing these & a few other fall favorites on Anastasia's gorgeous blog today, too.)

favorite things...

image sources: 1, 2, 3 / 4, 5, 6

Kate invited me to answer a few questions about mine right here on her blog today, as part of her fun series. I bet you weren't expecting this book and a striped top from me.

(ps. thanks for hanging in here despite the unexpected blog break these past weeks...I'm glad to be back again.)

a polka dot fall wedding...

My sister in-law is getting married in about 4 weeks and I am so excited for her. The date was just decided in August (!), so it's a short time frame to plan a wedding within, but I'm loving the simple theme: bold colors and polka dots. It fits perfectly with her fun, laid back personality.

Some of the details (with links to above):
polka dot garland, an ice cream bar + cupcakes for the reception, daisy bouquets + dark bridesmaids dresses, craspedias in the floral arrangements, and hanging lanterns in pink, yellow + orange everywhere.

colorful & light.

From my bookmarked folder (and wishlist..), a few pretty things: 1. my favorite of the penguin book covers, 2. cozy looks from the fall Boden, 3. beautiful flowers by Studio Choo, and 4. a brilliantly designed laptop tray with room for a mouse and snacks (found via).

Hope you have a good one! My plans include some girly wedding stuff, tennis, and visiting family.

a fall party.

(photography: andrea dozier)

Earlier this summer I spent the day with Andrea at the Toledo Botanical Gardens putting together this fall table setting, inspired by the colors* of the fig, for the Autumn issue of Styled.... the magazine is full of fun entertaining ideas and you can read it right over here.

(*It was oddly satisfying to walk into the fruit market and buy big bags of only green and purple produce for that centerpiece.)

classic party inspiration.

The timeless details of this pretty Connecticut wedding caught my eye: soft colored flowers, calligraphy, and one beautiful wedding dress.

(photography: charlotte jenks lewis)

mackinaw city.

We had to postpone our annual Labor Day trip to see family in Chicago, so we took advantage of the long weekend and rode up north with my parents for one last camping trip (read: three days of complete relaxation).

On an overcast day, we went into Mackinaw City nearby. After getting fish & chips at our favorite place, we walked along the shore and everyone was just in a good mood. I took photos of the cloudy evening sky as we walked along the marina looking at all of the boats and their names. My favorite was The Lizard with aqua-green stripes, and Q found his dream boat aptly named Cake & Ice Cream. We stayed until the lights on the bridge started to appear.

happy weekend and a few pretty pictures.

From my bookmarked folder, I find these colors & patterns endlessly inspiring: 1. desk view from MaeMae, 2. vintage inspired wallpaper via Peppermint Bliss, 3. a beautiful room via here (does anyone know the source? I'd love to know), and 4. stripey flats from jcrew.

Hope you have a lovely (September!) weekend. We'll be soaking up the last of summer by the lake.

black lake.

My friend took these beautiful (unedited) photos with her simple point-and-shoot camera while we were camping a few weeks ago. I love them.