Honeysuckle is the new black...

I recently ran across Pantone's list of the top Spring 2011 color trends. All the colors are beautiful, and I was interested to see how many are jewel tones because I think sometimes for Spring people think pastels and neutrals. Pantone is the world's color authority and they decide each year what the "hot"color is, based on a variety of factors including analyzing fashion designers and manufacturers ideas of color.

{Source: Fresh Home Blog}

This year, the "it" color is Honeysuckle Pink. It's a reddish toned pink that ranges in shades from an almost coral looking color to the bright pink with slight red undertones. Leatrice Eiseman, who is the Executive Director at Pantone, explains why Honeysuckle Pink is such a dynamic and strong color...“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues.” I think she's right, and it's popping up all over the fashion and design world. Even celebrities are sporting this bold pink on the runways. I love how Ginnifer Goodwin pairs it with nude pumps.

 

{Picture Sources}
1. The Colorologist
2. Pink Cardigan from Roxy
3. Ginnifer Goodwin in Honeysuckle dress spotted here
4. Kate Bosworth in Valentino at Vanity Fair Oscar party
5. Tory Burch tote found here
6. Kate Spade polka dot bracelet seen here
7. Essie nailpolish in "Status Symbol"
8. Colorful inspiration photo found here

P.S. While I do love this bright pink color for Spring, this weekend I will be sporting black and gold instead...I'm headed to Houston tomorrow morning with my dad to spend the weekend cheering on the RAMS! The 80-degree Texas weather will be a nice change of pace from these past few dreary, cold days in DC. Bring it on Butler, the Rams are ready!

A Classic Silhouette

Since last Fall I have been working in the event planning industry, along with my day-job. I started as an intern with Merriment Events while I was in college, and have now continued working with Courtney as an event assistant when she needs my help in Richmond. Since living in Alexandria, I have applied for a weekend internship with another wedding planner up here, and I will be working on events throughout the summer and into December with RitzyBee, along with working a few weddings in Richmond for Merriment} Working weekends, along with my 9-5 weekday job, will make for a busy few months coming up, but I am looking forward to continuing my work in the wedding planning field, which is where I would ultimately like my career to be someday. I read quite a few wedding blogs and I get so much inspiration from the beautiful photographs and ideas that brides have to make their wedding unique and creative. Here is a trend that I'm currently loving...

Silhouettes were highly popular in America from about 1790 to 1840. This traditional form of portraits was created by cutting thin black cardboard in the profile shape of a person's facial profile and mounting it on a white or neutral background. The invention of the camera ended the reign of silhouettes as the main form or portraiture.

Today, classic silhouettes are making a comeback. I think it's a beautiful way to capture the essence of a couple, and an alternative to using a traditional monogram as the theme throughout the wedding details. Here are some of my favorite images that showcase silhouettes...

Cornhole boards for lawn games at a backyard wedding
{Source: Katie Stoops Photography via Merriment Events}



{Source: Martha Stewart Weddings}

{Source: Ashley Brockinton Photography via The Bride's Cafe}

{Source: Love Me Do Photography via Ruffled Blog}

{Source: My Sweet & Saucy}

Scenes from Bridal Mania Weekend in RVA

This past weekend was full of bridal fun for two of my best girlfriends since Middle and High School. Lauren's wedding is June 18th and Saturday we had a beautiful shower at her family friend's gorgeous home in the country. Here are some pics that share a little bit of the fun...

Our lovely toilet paper wedding dress model - Kourt "The Modern Bride"...I still think we should have won

Dessert table - yum!

All the girls - together again :)

Bride-to-be and her mama

Dinner at Empress, and Lauren opening up a little Victora's Secret surprise - She looks a tad embarrassed ;)

Drinks at Balliceaux - Ending the night right!



We ended the night with Lauren's Bachelorette party at a new little restaurant called The Empress for dinner and Balliceaux later for drinks. {Random plug: If you haven't been to Balliceaux and you're in the area, I definitely recommend it! Not only is the food awesome, but they have a great atmosphere...It's one of my favorite new spots in Richmond for sure..."The interior design is simply breathtaking. A complete departure from Richmond's usual offerings." Ian Graham, RVA Magazine} Shockingly, it was a pretty tame night, but we had such a great time enjoying each other's company. We also had to be up fairly early for Britt's Bridal Shower brunch the next morning so we didn't want to all show up half alive...

I am the Maid-of-Honor for Britt's wedding on May 28th, so I worked with her Matron-of-Honor, Kate {her oldest sister} to put on her shower at a cute antique/vintage store in Richmond called Feathernesters, that also serves brunch on the weekends. It turned out fabulous and we spent the morning eating delicious food, honoring the Bride {which included watching her open tons of great gifts!} and continuing our girl's weekend catching up. 

These are the favors Kate made for everyone - Mason jars filled with ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies, so cute!

Kate and I set up a little dessert and mimosa bar - Kate made the cupcakes and I made this strawberry buttercream and the little flag cupcake toppers out of ribbon and toothpicks {in Britt's wedding colors: Guava and Pool Blue}

This is the Bridal Party! {without her sister Alex who had to head back to PA early}

I bought these 'M' mugs from Anthropologie and we got Strange's to fill them at the last minute with flowers to create these colorful centerpieces. Britt get's to keep the set of mugs for her and Matt!



This is an example of the invitations we sent out for the shower - Kate and I picked out the supplies and she put them together to send along. They turned out perfect! We also made wedding cake sugar cookies and decorated them for the dessert table.

In April we have Britt's Bachelorette coming up and then both weddings in May and June. Can't wait to spend more time together in the next few months. Lots of memories being made and fun to be had!

Go Rams!

I am so happy that I was able to be in Richmond this weekend. Not only was I there to spend time with my best friends for two bridal showers and a bachelorette celebration {more to come this week!} but there was also an exciting weekend unfolding for my college alma mater, VCU! I'm not a huge basketball follower, but it's hard not to be a proud Richmond resident and VCU alum after the two games this weekend. There was an air of excitement across the whole city. Friday night they played Florida State and after going into overtime, they pulled out a 1 point win {72-71} with seconds left on the clock. Elite Eight - yes please, we'll take it! Then Sunday, they played #1 seed Kansas and were ahead most of the game but struggled coming back after half-time. They were able to pick it back up and they WON! 71-61 = final score. There was talk before the tournament that they didn't even deserve to be in it in the first place. I can't help but wonder what those haters are thinking now...little {well technically huge} VCU in Richmond, VA is making a name for themselves and I am so proud!! The boys clearly have the heart and passion for the game and they are showing the country not to underestimate the underdog. In honor of the big wins this weekend, I wanted to do a little game-day fashion post featuring none other than...{Black & Gold}. Let's go RAMS, we want Butler! I am sure to be wearing a little get-up like this for the game this coming Saturday, complete with lots of sparkly gold details and maybe even my VCU baseball cap :)

1. Michael Kors watch found here
2. Skinny Gold Belt spotted here
3. Black knit cardigan at Anthro
4. Gold OPI nail polish for a little extra bling
5. Simple gold charm necklace found at Nordy's
6. Cropped Joe's Jeans from Anthro {Wishlist!}
7. Gold TOMS
8. Simple cotton v-neck from J.Crew

Go RAMS!
{Source: FameCrawler}

Joey Rodriguez
{Source: USAToday}

Coach Shaka!
{Source: ESPN}

Currently Snacking On...

I know it can be hard to stick with healthy snacks, especially in an office when vending machines are readily available, and in my case, there's also a cafe downstairs in my building that stays open all day with frozen yogurt, candy, cookies, chips, soda, etc. I usually get hunger pains around 3:30/4 in the afternoon when it's nearing the end of the day and lunch is wearing of. Sometimes I give into my froyo craving or can't get the sight of gummy bears and mike n' ikes out of my mind and I decide I simply can't live without them that day, so I'll take a trip down to the cafe with my friend. But more often than not, I bring along a healthy snack for my mid-afternoon fix. Here are a few of my staples at the moment...

These Chobani fruit yogurts are great! Plain Greek yogurt is hard for me, but the fruit definitely helps. There are 14g of protein in one of these little puppies. Top with a little granola and voila! Perfect for Breakfast or a snack.

  

I got a free Luna Bar sample at my gym and I fell in love. Usually I'm not a fan of these because they always have a funny after taste, but these really are awesome. They also have mini ones which are perfect for a little afternoon snack of about 80 calories. The Peanut Butter one is my favorite.

These mini cheese's are great with a few crackers, a handful of almonds, or a piece of fruit.

Hummus is always in my refrigerator. It is a staple in my diet and it's delicious paired with these Kashi Asiago crackers or baby carrots. Yum! (The spicy flavor pictured is awesome - but I love Sabra brand because they have tons of flavors to suit anyone's tastes)

Fuji Apples are great because they stay fresh for a long time. They are crisp and sweet.

What are some of your favorite healthy snacks?



New Do for Spring

I am beyond ecstatic that it is officially Spring! Who isn't? I'm ready to thaw out, open up my windows, go to outdoor concerts, and spend happy hours socializing with friends and co-workers on outside patios - hallelujah! This weekend I also ran across the beautiful cherry blossoms blooming in downtown DC when I spent Sunday morning strolling through the outdoor market. Last year I didn't move to DC until August, so I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing Spring in the city yet. I'm looking forward to taking my camera out to capture some of the seasonal changes that are taking place around town. Speaking of changes...I have a hair appointment this Friday {with my love Jerod who I've gone to now for 10 years!} and I'm thinking about a little change myself. Right now my hair is this length, or a little longer...and it has been for a couple years at this point...but I think I'm ready for a major snip snip {meaning more than just a trim, nothing overly drastic}. I'm also planning to get a few lighter highlights since it was a little darker for the winter months. Bring on the scissors and foils!

Summer '10

Here are some photos I've been drooling over for inspiration. I like the ashy blonde look, not brassy yellow, and I definitely don't want to go above the shoulder. I trust Jerod and I know he'll make my highlights the perfect shade of ash blond so they still look natural, and I know he'll give me an edgy/stylish cut with the length I ask for. What do you think?

{Source: Photo Blog}

{Source: Pinterest}

{Source: Carrie.org}

{Source: Coveted Canvas}

Somewhere between all of these perhaps? Haha, clearly I'm not completely sure yet, but I'll bring these into the salon for Jerod to see what I'm thinking about...Carrie Underwood and Kate Bosworth's styles are my favorite from above. Can you tell I'm a little excited about this?! My friends have mixed reviews about me cutting my hair so far, but I've pretty much decided that it will happen...I want a fresh new do to celebrate the end of gloomy, cold, snowy days and the entrance into gloriously long days of sunshine, random thunderstorms, sundresses, cookouts, patio-sitting, flip flops, and the list goes on....

P.S. Sorry about no Travel Tuesdays again, I haven't been travel-inspired lately but hopefully with a few trips coming up in the next few months, the bug will bite me again

Sunday Night Dinner: Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Happy Monday! {or not-so-happy Monday, whichever you prefer} :)  I'm really hoping this week is going to fly by because I have a big, fun 3-day weekend in Richmond ahead of me - yayayay! This weekend I took it easy since I know next weekend will be so busy, but nonetheless, it was great and relaxing. I had lots of me time, which is nice every now and then. Saturday I had spinning and then I spent part of the afternoon at the mall looking for a bridal shower dress - success, I found one! {and it's also perfect for Easter, double success} Sunday morning I took the metro to the Eastern Market in DC, picked up some fresh produce, then ran to the store and spent the rest of the afternoon taking Henry for a long walk and doing lots of laundry/cleaning that has taken a backseat in my routine the past couple of weeks. I finished my evening off with a delicious new pizza recipe and watching my favorite new show America's Next Great Restaurant - a restaurant menu of gourmet grilled cheese of all kinds? so awesome, right?!

So my co-workers and I sometimes head across the street for lunch to a little dive called The Continental. They have a great buffalo chicken salad that's kind of my current obsession. Tonight, I thought I'd try and make a buffalo chicken pizza {I've made a barbeque chicken one before and it turned out pretty delish and was super easy, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with this one!} Although there isn't much to it, it turned out so flavorful, spicy, and yummy. I looked around at a few recipes and sort of just came up with my own version...

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

- Premade pizza dough (or homemade, I was lazy and used Pillsbury)

- Frank's Hot Wing sauce

- Ranch 

- about a cup of Chicken {I bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded it}

- Scallions, chopped

- Monterey Jack Cheese

- Mozzarella Cheese

{I also had Feta in the fridge so I used a bit on top}

Directions

1. Preheat oven and roll out pizza dough on a stone or greased pan.

2. Prepare chicken {cook if needed and then throw wing sauce over it until coated} I put my shredded rotisserie chicken in a bowl with the wing sauce to coat the chicken.

2. Mix equal parts of ranch and hot sauce in another bowl and spread lightly over the dough.

3. Sprinkle a bit of cheese onto the dough and then layer the marinated chicken on top.

4. Top with more cheese, sprinkled Feta, and chopped scallions.

5. Pop in the over for about 10 minutes and you're done!

{I sprinkled a bit more ranch across the top to garnish}

Happy List

I've been in a great mood this week and as the thoughts of longer days, prolonged sunshine, and warm temperatures creep into my mind, I find myself embracing the little things that make me happy on a daily basis. After this weekend, things are going to start getting crazy busy with work, weddings, and traveling. Last night my friend and I chatted about how easy it is to get caught up in the stress of it all and the money we are going to be spending on all of the festivities coming up, but we really need to remember how fun the upcoming months are going to be, and the little things that will remain in our memories forever. There's nothing like reuniting with your best friends after everyone went their separate ways after high school. We treasure the moments we are all in Richmond and can spend nights watching hours of reality tv, gossiping over wine and junk food, and reminiscing about high school boyfriends and drama. We are all going to be together several times in the next few months and I cannot wait. In honor of remembering the little things that make you happy, here are 10 things this week that put a smile on my face...

1. Snuggling on the couch with Henry nuzzling into my side until there's no possible way he can get any closer.
2. Doing ridiculous exercises with my trainer until I almost cry but realizing how great and energized I feel after the fact {I guess that's his job right?}
3. Getting my gold, sparkly TOMS in the mail and thinking about all the cute outfits I can plan around them.
4. Mid-afternoon Starbuck's trips with a friend to escape our cubicles, take a walk, and breath in some fresh air.
5. Having the same morning routine day after day {including lots of coffee and a morning walk with Henry}
6. The promise of a great playlist for my Saturday morning spin class at the gym.
7. Making homemade sushi with a great friend and enjoying it in front of the TV watching Glee {oh Puckerman, so dreamy}
8. Sitting outside for margaritas and tacos with one of my besties at our favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant.
9. Daydreaming about my four day work week, hair appointment, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and quality time with the girls next weekend. 
10. Getting out of work while it's still light outside from this week forward. 

As things start to get crazy in the coming months, as I'm sure for most people it will, remember the little things, the simple things, that make you thankful for your life and where you are in it.

"If the sight of the blue skies fill you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has the power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive."  Eleonora Duse