exit, pursued by bear

and again!

Oops, had to pop back in and post something else I found while scouring the housemartin blog -- I love everything about this photo, including the quote, "Great style comes from confidence. Love what you love, and don't be shy about it."

{photo from Country Living via housemartin}

Can't go wrong with a green and white spotted lamp shade -- I am in love with the darkness furniture paired with the various greens and blues scattered throughout. Everything about this picture "works" for me. And who can argue with a desire for "confident style?"

ah, decisions ...

Do you ever come across something that makes you reconsider all your to-date decisions, tempting you to scrap everything and start over from scratch?

Visiting ink & peat's blog - housemartin - always does this to me. Pam is so incredibly gifted -- I love all her floral arrangements!

I fell in love with the colors in these arrangements -- they were some of her Valentine's Day orders:

{photos from housemartin}

I'm sure there were some very happy people when these beauties were delivered. Pink was never even a color I considered when I first started thinking about our wedding -- but these flowers are absolutely gorgeous! I love the rich colors and her use of texture is always spot on.

But it should come as no surprise to me that I was also able to find some amazing green floral inspiration for my weddng.

I love these bright, vibrant bouquets:

{photos from housemartin}

The mantle and table arrangements:

{photos from housemartin}

All so lovely and creative!

frozen!

A friend sent this to me today -- and since it's freezing here in Saint Louis, I thought it was appropriate.

bottled up.

"Finally she was empty of images: no more pictures left in her head. There remained only an insatiable thirst for all the joy and glory of the good times to come, the life she was soon to know."

- Beryl Bainbridge, The Bottle Factory Outing

{photo via vintage-retro.punchstock.com}

85 reasons to love you ...

This modern take on the chandelier has been around for a while now -- it was designed in 1993, I believe. I first saw it several years ago, in a local modern lighting and design store -- I have loved it since.

Designer Rodi Graumans created this piece (called, appropriately enough, "85 Lamps") for Droog Design. It requires professional installation and has to be hung from something that can support 55 pounds of bulb glass. Apparently it's feautured in numerous museum collections including the permanent collection of the MoMA and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

I was reminded of it last night -- Jeremy took me to dinner at this wonderful little Italian bistro and they had three of these beauties suspended from the ceiling. There was quite a bit of furious internet searching this morning, trying to track down the name of the chandelier designer. Success! :o)

In the future dining room of my dreams, this is hanging over the table.

Sometimes ...

... J. Crew really ticks me off. Why?! Why do they do this to me??! Why $98?! Crisp aqua Martine satin party clutch, I love you!

I have an obsession with knots -- I love knot tie shirts and dresses, I think they're so sexy. Also -- don't even get me started on all of J. Crew's cute little cardigans ...

Oh all right ... fine!

{Trastevere paisley cardigan, $100 - J. Crew} {Polka-dot three-quarter sleeve cardigan, $95 - J. Crew. Also comes in a fantastic yellow.} {Floret-print merino cardigan, $95 - J.Crew. There's that green/aqua combo again!} {Cashmere shrunken polka-dot cardigan, $178 - J. Crew}

The paisley and Floret-print ones are my favorites. So spendy, though!