House of Hydrangeas

I've been busy this week getting some things done for my May brides.  And as a result, I've been immersing myself with tons of inspiring weddings.  So in response to that, I thought today's five things should be all about weddings!  Hope you enjoy! Hydrangeas aren't just for bouquets anymore.  I'm loving this hydrangea boutonniere.  Both of my brides will be incorporating jute into their wedding decor as well.  You can't go wrong with the natural look of the wrapped stems.    Pennant food labels.  Amazing.  I think these would work great at a beach wedding with the flags being reminiscent of nautical flags.  And I'd substitute the jar filler shown here for sand. I don't think I'll ever tire of grouped white flowers and jute wrapped mason jars.  Ever. Vintage bottles are a great way to serve drinks at your wedding or party.  Charming, unique and inexpensive (Ikea or TJMaxx sell these), these are sure to have your gu...

Aside from our new ottoman, we also have another new piece of furniture in our living room.  I found this dresser on Craigslist and stalked it for a couple of weeks.  At first, the seller wanted $150 for it, and then it was re-listed about a week later for $120.  I saw it disappear after that and thought for sure I'd missed out.  But much to my excitement, it reappeared a few days later at an even lower price of $100!  For an oak antique dresser circa (1890-1910) in great condition, I knew that was a steal! I immediately contacted the seller and set up a time to pick it up.  After a little maneuvering, the seller and I managed to get it into my tiny two-door car and secured the trunk with some string to keep the hatchback down.   I'm sure I was a sight to see on my drive home.  Luckily, the trip didn't require me to get on any major highways, and my new baby and I made it home all in one piece.  And I have to say, it was all so worth it. ...

Our new tufted ottoman  coffee table came in a couple of weeks ago, and I still haven't shown you guys.  Shame on me!  It is so lovely, spacious and comfortable--everything we wanted.   I couldn't be happier! You can see a little bit of my new  Craigslist dresser in this one.  I'll post more pictures of that tomorrow! To give you a little perspective, here is the before picture of the space with our old ottoman. And here's the after.

I'm not sure if it's my recent trip to the beach, my infatuation with  nautical stripes or my upcoming weddings that has me loving these shoes, but whatever it is, I do! Evie Peep-Toe Pumps by J. Crew I think these pumps would make the most adorable wedding shoes for anyone getting hitched by the sea. They are the perfect "something blue" and the nautical stripe adds such an unexpected surprise under the wedding gown. Seriously, how cute would these be in wedding photos?

Well after two months of living here, I finally made it to the beach this weekend!  I'm lucky to only live a few miles from the closest beach access, and it's truly a shame that I just now got my toes in the sand.  With spring in full force and summer right around the corner, I'm looking forward to many more days by the shore!

I'm pleased to show you some progress photos from the nursery  that I shared with you the other day.  The paint is up on the walls, the bed is in and the curtains are hung!  I'm in love with the sweet, softness of the whole space.  The Benjamin Moore-Silver Chain colored walls are just perfect. You can see a little bit of what the previous color of the room was in this photo.  Such a subtle change that makes a big difference.  I also wanted to show you this adorable goose that my clients found at an antique shop in Dallas.  Isn't it cute? And last but not least, some more of the items for the room have arrived!  My clients said "it's like Christmas morning around here!" :)  I love excitement that comes with transforming spaces.  It never gets old!

Jon and I have some visitors arriving on Friday, and we'll need a place for them all to sleep.  So far we haven't had more than two people visit at a time, so our guest room has always sufficed.  We have three bedrooms in our home, but one of those rooms is currently being used as an office space. But this weekend, the office will need to double as a guest room. Unfortunately this space has been the most neglected since we've moved in. It currently acts as our "place it in here if you can't find a place to hang or put it anywhere else" room.  Sounds like a designer dream room, right? Here's a shot of it a few weeks ago...there's pictures that need to be hung, stacks of random papers on the desk, etc.  And now it's even more crowded with our old living room ottoman currently residing in there as well since my new ottoman came in! In other words, we've got some work to do to get it ready for our guests by Friday.  I don't think I...

It's no secret that I have a great love for stripes-especially nautical stripes.  And here are just a few reasons why... Images via 1 , 2-3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10

I got to Skype with my sis and little Cohen last weekend, but this weekend I'm excited because I get to see them in person!  I'm visiting to watch my other nephew's first T-ball game.  I can only imagine how adorable all of those kiddos are going to look out there on the field. I've had this bouquet sitting on my desktop for quite some time and have neglected to share it with you guys.  Now that spring is almost in full bloom, I think it's appropriate.  The colors are so cheerful, and the pom pom ribbon tied around the stem is so fun and unexpected. I want to have an area like this in our next house.  I think it's a much more efficient use of the space right off the kitchen, don't you?  I'd rather dine all of the time in my formal dining room anyway :) This lace cardigan is my latest purchase.  I think it will work great for this spring/summer weather, and I looove the pattern and texture.  I ordered it from Forever 21 online.  I hope i...

I was watching an episode of Income Property the other day and was a little delightfully surprised when the end design included a gray tile backsplash in the kitchen.  I've seen more and more of these lately, and I'm really a fan.  Don't get me wrong. I'm all about a white kitchen, but there's something about that unexpected hue that really sets off a space. Image sources 1-2  Better Homes and Gardens , 3-5 Houzz , 6-7  Simplified Bee