DIY Swizzle Sticks

30 April 2009

I’ve loved this photo {above} since I saw it in the fall issue of Martha Stewart Weddings a few years ago. Serving lemonade or iced tea before the ceremony is such a sweet touch, and these little fabric flags are an easy DIY extra.

Instructions from Martha: With gardening shears, trim a wooden skewer so it’s a few inches taller than the glass you’ll put it in. Cut a 9-inch length of 15-millimeter grosgrain ribbon. Fold in half and make a loose knot. Slip knot over skewer and tighten. Notch ribbon ends.

I always love seeing projects from editorials in real weddings {especially from Martha, as she can be quite intimidating…}. These colorful swizzle sticks are pretty spot-on, aren’t they?

See the rest of this wedding on Style Me Pretty.

House Stalking No. 3

29 April 2009

Sometimes I stalk homes on evening walks, and sometimes I stalk them in the pages of magazines, like this darling farmhouse in the April issue of Better Homes & Gardens. A wrap-around porch and fluffy white hydrangeas get me every time.

P.S. This is the good kind of stalking. Swear.

Rosecliff: The Face

28 April 2009

For someone who loves the fancy, I am not much of a makeup girl. My typical morning routine consists of lip balm and a dab of foundation here and there… and that’s it. On special occasions, I upgrade to a more full-coverage foundation, a bit of bronzer on my cheeks, gold cream shadow on my lids, dark brown liner on my bottom lids, a swipe of mascara on the top lashes, and lip balm. I do not profess to know much at all about makeup, and since I’m doing my own for Rosecliff, I want to keep it simple. In the name of streamlining, I’ve only got one inspiration photo for you today:


{via perfect bound}

Gorgeous! I’ve got a ways to go before I can claim Natalie’s flawless skin, but the rest of the look is pretty doable, don’t you think?

Now again {with the limited makeup knowledge}, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here to achieve this lovely look, but after some study I think if I add a little pink to the apples of my cheeks, a little smoky gray smudge on my lids + liner on both the top and bottom, and some sort of light pink lipstick/gloss to my usual {fancy} routine, I should be good to go, right?

Now here’s where you come in, dear readers: I want to know your favorite sources for pink blush and moisturizing, un-sticky lipstick {colors you love would help, too!}. I’ll also take any tips on the smoky eye application you’re willing to dish up. As I’m sure you can tell, I need all the help I can get!

Previously:

The Location
The Dress
The Hair
The Jewelry

Skinny Minnie, v. 2

28 April 2009

Remember when I wrote that post about how I couldn’t get skinny belts to play nicely with me and my outfits? Well I’m happy to say that this past weekend I finally succeeded! {And of course had to take a photo to document the occasion.}

Want to know a secret?

I rubber-banded the belt in the back to keep the tail from flapping around… is this how the stylists do it? Is there a better solution? Let me know if you’ve found one!

P.S. Even J, who was not impressed with this style when he saw my inspiration photos, gave me the thumbs up on this look… yippee!