Texture

A little bit of texture, fit to inspire on this lovely Monday afternoon...

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Cafe Lights

When I moved from an apartment building into a town house, I had every intention of dressing up my back patio with cafe lights. Target sells them for pretty cheap, and lighting is totally necessary when your patio backs up to an alley. Our first backyard BBQ came too soon, and we decided to string old Christmas lights along the fence, instead. A year later, the Christmas lights are still up--with a strand burnt out, because we're classy like that--and I have yet to pick up my beloved string lights. I also think cafe lights are a perfect addition to a casual, tentless, al fresco wedding. They add a little whimsy to the already gorgeous night sky. String them over each individual table, the dance floor, or the entire space! Alright, that's it--Targé here I come!

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In-betweens

Every single time I meet someone new, they ask my why in the world I would ever move from sunny California to DC. My answer? I don't know! As graduation grew closer, I realized I didn't see myself living in CA forever. I grew up on the East Coast and always knew I would go back. I decided on DC for a few reasons. First, my brother already lived there and loved it, and second, my sister was planning on moving there with a bunch of her girlfriends after graduation--built in friends in a scary new city! An amazing job opportunity sealed the deal and next thing I knew, I was looking for an apartment in a city I'd been to only twice in my life.

DC is the perfect city of in-betweens. It's not as overwhelming as NYC yet still has that city vibe. It's not too far north that I would freeze to death and be miserable, because let's be honest, I hate the cold. I live in the city, yet my neighborhood is quiet and peaceful. I often still question why I moved here, but after the dreaded winter ends and spring kicks in, I am reminded why. This was my view just last night, as I sat with my girlfriends during happy hour, celebrating (if you can call one of your BFFs leaving, "celebrating") Sara's new job in Dallas, where she will move next month.

This year marks the year of change for everyone around me. It seems as though all of my friends have either started a new job in the last few months, are heading off to school at the end of the summer, or are moving to a new city for a fresh start. Next year will be so drastically different from this past year, and that scares me! This year has been one of the best in my life, and I hesitate to embrace change. Sometimes, I just need to be reminded why I came here in the first place, and how lucky I am to live in one of the most gorgeous cities in the country. I think I might stay for a while, and that's not so bad now is it? :)

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Sweet Summertime

Memorial Day has passed, which in my mind means summer has officially kicked off! Summer is by far my favorite time of year. Tonight I'll be celebrating with my friends at POV and walking around the monuments, because, well, we live in DC and should do that more often, right? Saturday I'll be assisting a fabulous wedding at the Newseum, and Sunday my friends and I will prolong our weekend with brunch and a Nat's game! During the winter months, I'm lucky if I even make it out once a week! Do y'all have any fun plans this weekend?! Happy Summer!

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J.Crew Wedding

I tend to have expensive taste when it comes to wedding dresses. Most of my favorite designers make very few dresses under $5,000. Amsale, Oscar, Vera!?! Yes, please! Although, once I really start to think about it, I'm not sure I would ever be able to shell out thousands of dollars on a dress I'll never wear again. And that is where J.Crew's's fab-u-lous wedding line comes in. Few dresses are over $2,000 and some are even as low as $500 (That might sound pricy but wedding dresses are insanely expensive these days--$500 is a steal)! The dresses are simple and modern, and remind me a lot of Amsale's lines, actually. They may lack the exquisite detailing you see on more expensive collections, but that is more my style anyways. And today, this wedding over on Style Me Pretty reassured my love for J.Crew's gowns, especially the Tulipe Bustier Gown--this dress might be my favorite to date! Ok, perhaps it's tied with this beauty, but it scores major points for the $1,800 price tag. I don't even want to know the price of the other!

Guest

Life's been busy and with my recent trip to Puerto Rico, I feel like I totally lost my blogging mojo--right when wedding season is starting, no less! But, I haven't been totally absent in the wedding world as of late--I did some blogging for my lovely boss at Simply Chic Events while she was on maternity leave, and I thought I would share those with you. I wrote a post on print mixing, showed off a trend setting color palette, wished readers a Happy Easter, and created a springtime inspiration board. Jamie made some edits! (Rob actually edits Pink Poppy Social in case you were curious. He'll probably kill me for telling you that...). I hope you enjoy :)

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Toast

Remember when I briefly covered the debate over an open bar verses a wedding with just beer and wine? We'll now I'll hit on the next alcohol related topic (I swear I'm not a lush!). Let me tell you about what I believe to be the biggest waste of money at any wedding--the champagne toast. Honestly, anyone who wants a drink, will have a drink so I don't see the need to drop hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on a bubbly drink that half the people will leave half full (believe me--I see it every time). Have it as an option at the bar, but no need to pour everyone a glass. I think it's a nice perk at a wedding, but if I we're on a tight budget, this would be the first thing to go. I do, however, love my beloved almond champagne! Please, if you haven't tried it, do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle next time you're at Trader Joe's--so good and cheap! Win win.

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