asheville wedding

What prettier place to have a wedding than The Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina? A sweet friend of mine got married there a while ago and I've been meaning to post my photos ever since. Laura and her darling Lee had beautiful, sunshiney weather, gorgeous flowers and a fun Victorian theme, complete with period furniture and little charming vignettes set up on a terrace outside the reception at The Grand Bohemian. So pretty!

{Photos by me at The Biltmore and The Grand Bohemian.}

hello, springtime

Spring definitely feels like it is here in full force. In celebration, here are some flowers for you – Ranunculus from Trader Joe's – my favorites!

happy birthday, lonny!

Have you seen it yet? The first-anniversary issue of Lonny is nothing less than awesome. John Robshaw's country house, a gorgeous Thanksgiving table by Eddie Ross, and Celerie Kemble's Manhattan apartment? I'm kind of in design heaven right now.

The images above are from the latest issue. And, in a nod to their birthday celebration, I've posted some older Lonny mag photos below – dug out from deep in my inspiration folders – a lot of which they now have available in the Decorate section of their site. These are some serious favorites from Lonny's first year in action:

Ooooh! Just now realized that Lonny staffers have started a great new blog – certain to keep me company in between issues! Yes!

{All photography above is by Patrick Cline and art direction is by Lonny Editor-in-Chief Michelle Adams – both co-founders of the magazine. Photos used above from the Oct/Nov issue feature, from top: John Robshaw's porch; LuLu de Kwiatkowski bookshelves; Celerie Kemble powder room; LuLu de Kwiatkowski breakfast room (Btw, how cute are those kids? They look almost exactly like my twin cousins when they were little. Adorable!); and Eddie Ross' beautiful Thanksgiving table setting. For the photos above from older issues, from the top: Michelle Adams herself arranged this cheerful bookcase; bedroom by Lisa Fine; Ashley Wick living room; two by Ashley Putman – kitchen and bedroom; Ben Brougham bedroom; former Domino magazine Editor-in-Chief Deborah Needleman's home office; Rita Konig's outdoor pool and lawn; Cath Kidston dining room; and Elizabeth Bauer living room.}

spring!

In honor of spring finally being here at last, I thought I'd get you these pretty flowers. (I heart Ranunculus + Hydrangeas together – two of my most favorite kinds.) Hope you are having a happy spring so far! All kinds of new designs are in the works, and I'm still sprucing up the new office space. Can't wait to share with you!

camera phone photography

 I'm always amazed at the capabilities of cell phone cameras these days. It's frustrating to not have an actual camera around when a good photo op comes along, but mine seems to take some decent shots every so often. Pictured above are a few that I've taken recently. From the top: at the car wash during the Jackson Pollock-style, scented foam-bath cycle (scented?); great pattern on a fabric panel at IKEA; Auguste, a lovely Bordeaux from a fun girls' dinner; and French botanist Patrick Blanc's vegetal wall at Capitol in Charlotte – one of the most gorgeously designed shops I've seen. Side note: make sure to check out Capitol's fantastic new blog!

And, happy birthday to the most fantastic sister ever. Laura, hope you have an awesome day today!

fresh flowers

 

 

Oh, I've been the world's worst blogger these days! Here are some flowers for you - got these pretty blooms of ranunculus and hyacinths at my local Trader Joe's - promise I'll be back soon with lots of new posts!

hi there, spring!

It's really here! Although, a little chilly and breezy today. Regardless, I'm so glad for springtime. In honor of pollen dusting the sidewalk and tiny plants peeking through the potting soil, here are some new beth perry DESIGN foldover notes. From top - Hothouse, Barton and Roadside Stand - the last two were commissioned by a client as birthday gifts for her friends. She wanted them to reflect the different personalities of each recipient. I love the grey and pink color combination in the Barton design and the pop of aqua blue with the black flower in Roadside Stand. Flat printed on soft Italian papers, they really turned out beautifully.

easy, inexpensive hostess gift

I love getting dinner invitations, especially to the Kelly’s house, where I am treated to the best gourmet cooking like it’s straight off Top Chef. But, with book clubs, staying with friends for out-of-town weddings, parties and dinner invites, it gets hard (and expensive) to come up with new and fun hostess gifts to bring along each time. I have this huge rosemary bush that I planted about a year ago. What started as little more than a seedling is now as big as a stuffed armchair. (Tip: they need plenty of direct sunlight!) So, I’ve started taking little bundles of rosemary with me as hostess gifts whenever I get an invite to someone’s home. I tie it up with some pretty ribbon (shown above with Martha Stewart Crafts Seam Binding in Apricot and Feldspar) and I’m done. It’s a great gift, and perfect for anyone who loves to cook and entertain. Do you have any ideas for easy, inexpensive hostess gifts? Submit a comment!

there's no place like home

I went home last weekend to see my family (and my Mom’s doggie, Jake). I really wanted to take time to get some photos of our house, which my mother is planning on selling soon. (She’s moving to a great 1930s-era home, and as a widow, the smaller space will be easier to deal with.) But, before the house my Dad designed, and which we moved into 2 weeks after I was born, goes on the market, I made it a mission to capture it in pictures. Well, I hadn’t been home in a while and my mouth just dropped when I saw the garden. My mother is the epitome of a green thumb and her hours and hours of work really show. She cried when she saw these, but she said they were happy tears.