(Fall)ing in love with Autumn

Fall is by far my favorite season. From the freshly sharpened pencils and the promise of a new school year to the changing of color in the leaves-- I have fallen in love with autumn. So when my friend, Kayla, was in town from Alaska and requested we take some photos to remember this time of our life filled with colorful leaves and even more colorful friends I was thrilled. I decided to wear a new dress from Ruche that captures the essence of fall with the leaf shaped detail at the top and the deep green color. Add my new favorite boots from Madewell and you have the easiest outfit ever styled.

                        {dress: Ruche, tights: Target, boots: Madewell, jean jacket: thrifted Levi}

                           

     

Most of my inspiration comes from my surroundings, including my friends differing styles and the colors of the seasons. Each one of my friends has an incredibly unique style that I love to steal and incorporate in my own style. 

There is nothing better than letting go of stress and to-do lists and jumping with friends in the 

fall leaves. 

"I Do" Inspiration: Lets Talk Dessert

I was recently talking to a friend about her other friend's upcoming wedding. The soon-to-be-bride was struggling with what to serve for dessert because she is not fond of cake. Her favorite dessert is frozen yogurt and she hoped to figure out a creative way to have a frozen yogurt bar. The conversation sparked a question in my mind: What are the guidelines for wedding desserts?

Now, I like to think of myself as a dessert lover. Okay, lets just put it this way, I am in the habit of eating my dessert before my meal just in case God takes me in the middle of my chicken. I am not playing around. I am a dessert lover. Therefore, speaking on behalf of all dessert lovers, I think I can say deciding what dessert to serve at a wedding is a struggle. The wedding mantra for this generation is "non-traditional" (a.k.a. let's do everything the way we want to do it!) and I am all for it. I value tradition, but I am also a lover of individuality and creativity. With cake a thing of the past lets go ahead and talk about the endless possibilities for DESSERT...

Exhibit A:
We have the traditional cake....

Exhibit B:
And then we got a little crazy and tried the cupcake...

Exhibit C: And then by the grace of God, some brilliant bride decided that she was going to have pie at her wedding. Then the heavens rejoiced and the fruit farmers received a paycheck that year.

However, people have become even more original with their dessert menus...

From Tiramisu towers

To a fan favorite mini...the cake pop

To a candy bar

And then on over to a wide selection of cookies

  

To delicious pastries such as scones, muffin, and donuts!

And let us not forget to acknowledge the crepe cake. Along with the donut cake and waffles. 

Oh and for those of you who do not enjoy sweets, there is popcorn.

Then, for the indecisive, there is the table of everything sweet...

And then quite frankly my favorite....

An ice cream bar.

And then I saw it...An ice cream truck...SAY WHAT? Yes, these people combined two trends...a food truck and a non-traditional dessert. And they just happened to be from my new home, Seattle, Washington, and used one of my favorite local ice cream shop trucks, Molly Moon's. I love their eclectic flavors and homemade taste. If you live in the Seattle area or happen to vacation there, Molly Moon's is a place to stop.

And that my friends is how you make a wedding, not only creative, but more personalized. The wedding is about bringing together friends and family to celebrate your union. So go ahead and share your story, through food, music, decor, and most importantly dessert.

Road Trippin

Smells something like summertime. That has been the moto for the last couple of weeks as I have been from one trip to the next. And each trip has given me little bits of inspiration for this blog, despite my lack of posts. And I am so excited for what I have planned for the fall. I love fall because with it comes school supplies, chunky sweaters, and more importantly routine and with routine comes consistency! So despite my wandering over the last couple of weeks, soaking in the last bits of summer, I am ready for a little bit of consistency. 

"I Do" Inspiration: DIY Jars

Sounds like a silly inspiration, but I cannot help but notice the versatility of jars--mason jars, apothecary jars, glass bottles. It is amazing what you can do with these jars to create a vintage and homey feel to your wedding. Here are some examples I have collected through interest and blogs. 

The lace jars below are a great DIY project. A little cement glue on the jar, then lay a doily or a strip of lace over the jar and let dry. Finish with tying with twine and ribbon, add a little button and a candle in the center and it makes for a romantic mood at the reception (perfect for night receptions!). 

Such a cute idea at the guest book table! At cake time you can read different pieces of advice as a way to involve your guests!

I love this idea for centerpieces. Collect antique pictures of your family and friends (or old postcards would be cute!) throughout your engagement and set on the inside of yours jars and then add bouquets of wildflowers in the center to personalize your centerpieces. 

 

Grab a little of your favorite fabric and cut into circles slightly larger than the desired size of your flower, scrunch it up to make it look like a flower (using the excess fabric of the oversized circle), sow on a button in the center to keep the scrunch in place, attach to twine, and put it around the lid of the mason jar and you get these adorable DIY mason jars. 

Search consignment stores, farmers markets, or garage sales to find various shaped bottles and jars to make unique and electric centerpieces. 

 I love the picture on the left. The hanging jars line the aisle way at the ceremony and give that extra personal touch to the ceremony, instead of just focusing on the reception. 

My Style: Deals for Days

 {shirt: Madewell, skirt + belt: Forever 21, flats + jean jacket: Urban Outfitters, clutch: borrowed (from my sister in Turkey!), sunnies: Anthropologie}

I do not normally shop at Forever 21. But every once in a while the cheap prices and endless possibilities draw me in. I saw this skirt in the window and wanted it immediately. The other romper, shoes, necklace, and blouse that came along with it after I perused the store were just impulse buys. Also, see this tank top, you cannot really tell but it is beautifully woven cotton. And I got it at Madewell for $20. Score. And those flats were on sale at Urban Outfitters for a good $10. Yes, I am bragging. But, who could not brag about the deal this outfit is? 

And yes, that last photo is candid. I like to laugh with my hand on my hip in front of my garage while taking outfit photos. Cool factor 10.