From the category archives:

Mood Boards

4th of July Mood Board

by admin on July 2, 2009

Happy fourth, readers! Even though my fourths are personally pretty uneventful, I have to admit that as a child I read the entire “Little House” series about 40 times. You know, even the one where Manny cuts hay in the field for about nine chapters straight?

So as a result, the fourth (in my mind) isn’t about jockeying for a parking spot in a field where ambulant salesman hawk glow-sticks and beer until the ashes of explosives rain down on me.

No, it’s mentally all about that prairie town spectacle of barreled pickles, lemonade made of lemons, street urchins in knickers (I think) and brass bands parading down main street. Yeah, that’s livin’.


Credits: 1) Red bouquet from TheKnot, 2) Bride in blue petticoat by Croft & Campbell, 3) Chandelier & bunting by Hindolbittern, 4) Chartreuse recipe favors from TheKnot. 5) Monogram pocketfold invite by BeyondDesign. 6) Bridesmaids in Dessy gowns from PrelovedUK, 7) “Blueberry season” tarts. 8) Kiera Knightley in blue gown via Green Wedding Shoes, 9) Red wedding shoes by Kim Robbins, 10, 11) Red patterned cards and ribbon-banded wedding cake from TheKnot. 12)  Handkerchief bouquet wrap from Initial Impressions. 13) Cake toppers by NakedPeggies, 14) Silk Ribbon Streamer Sticks by Syrendell.

Given that, I couldn’t resist tossing together a fourth-theme board that serves up a bit of homey Americana.

My favorite bits? The whisper of a blue petticoat under traditional white … or even Kiera’s pale blue dream gown. The monogrammed handkerchief-as-bouquet-wrap is super sweet, too. And it’s amazing how warm a little pattern — gingham or swiss dots, say — can look against crisp whites.

But we’re in the 21st century here, so you’ll find just a hint of chartreuse to freshen up the palette.

Enjoy, and happy grilling!

{ Comments }

In the Mood for Nudes

March 28, 2009

I remember a few evenings in this winter we’ve just gotten through, buried in wool, flipping through the fashion mags just to amuse all the moths. And running head-on into those predictions (as if the dark and damp wasn’t enough) that 80’s style colors were coming back in a big way. Yes, those very same [...]

Read the full article →

Vintage Nautical Board

March 18, 2009

A few weeks ago I was walking through the woods with Mister Two Big Browns, my better half. It was one of those fairytale spots during one of my favorite times of year … right before the woods wake up again. Believe it or not, a bunch of waterfalls were doing their waterfall thang below [...]

Read the full article →

Celestial Style for Starry-Eyed Couples

November 18, 2008

There’s a lot of interest in celestial and star themes, thanks in part to the fanatical attraction that most of us feel for Van Gogh’s signature work, and in part due to very hip couples liking to marry in unconventional venues with lots of drama, like planetariums.
So I’ve always wanted to do a celestial board, [...]

Read the full article →

Big Scottish Heart, All Elegance

November 13, 2008

Honoring your ancestors is a popular way to personalize weddings, especially when they happen to be the sort that invented golf, penicillin and higher education, inspired a Mel Gibson blockbuster, and continue to dominate all kinds of little fashion niches. (Scots: cool! Huns: not necessarily so cool!).
So unsurprisingly, wedding couples like to flaunt it [...]

Read the full article →

Board: Aqua Blue & Apple Green

November 1, 2008

Aqua blue! Not played out, says Martha! She says it is absolutely fresh and desirable when you hitch it up with apple green.

Well, I must admit that Martha has me here. This combo is crisp and modern and fun and you still! get! to use aqua! You can even go semi-Tiffany and look totally [...]

Read the full article →

Board: Pink, Espresso, Ecru

October 31, 2008

To me, it seems like brides are gaining confidence with pink and black. At first you saw it in the trail-breakers, the Offbeat Bride types. Then Martha roared in: pale tea rose with black and cameos. It was lovely. Finally the black & white damasks became ubiquitous in papers, favors and linens and the game [...]

Read the full article →

Board: A Navy Blue & Copper Brown Wedding

October 28, 2008

A Navy & Copper Brown Wedding, originally uploaded by WedSmack.
Credits: 1) The Knot, 2) Brides, 3) TBD, 4) Soiree Special Events, 5) Lazaro, at Brides, 6) “Navy Blue?” at Wedding Bee Boards, 7) Domino Magazine, 8) Studio G Occasions, 9) Jay’s Bridal, 10) TBD, 11) Queen of Tartes, 12) EventMakers, 13) Eric Limon / Gedney [...]

Read the full article →

Board: Playing With Purple

October 28, 2008

What if there was a Purple wedding and it didn’t use Chocolate Brown? Or Green? Or Pink?
Okay, I give. We do see weddings like that. But it’s still a little challenging — and a lot of fun — to use some of the new crayons in the box. Namely, all those smoky, old-world hues [...]

Read the full article →

Gray, Orange & Yellow Weddings

October 27, 2008

Why hasn’t gray taken off the way it was supposed to, as the new go-to color for all four seasons — and KO’ing chocolate brown at last?
It could be that chocolate brown just isn’t ready to throw in the towel. After all, we’ve just lately moved from choc brown + those familiar pastels (pink and [...]

Read the full article →