This weekend we had big Saturday plans to go to Ikea and buy a new couch, but right before we left we checked the inventory online and saw that it was out of stock — bummer! So I was faced with a rare treat: a weekend day with zero plans. I decided to take advantage of our surprise day of freedom and threw a little impromptu dinner for friends. Since it was super last minute, I worked with what I had and re-purposed our table topper from our wedding, and some bright pink napkins from our rehearsal dinner, and then I finally broke out a few of our wedding shower presents, like my sea urchin salt and pepper shakers (I love them!), some Kate Spade candles, and a bunch of farmer’s market blooms — I was so happy with how it came out! 
Excuse the grainy iPhone pictures here, but in my fury of preparations for last weekend’s bachelorette party, this was the best shot I got of a fun little item I added into favor bags. I refuse to subject my gal-pals to the hot pink/zebra/glitter products of the bachelorette aisle at party stores and went with a DIY approach to favors. Among the contents were these mini envelopes filled with Advil for the after-after party. I got the bags and stickers at Gus & Ruby Letterpress, and drew a few silly sayings on the closure labels to let guests know that recovery was on the way – and from my personal experience, they came in handy come Sunday morning.
A few snaps from my fabulous cousin’s wedding this weekend — it was a gorgeous day and a gorgeous venue! She had perfect little touches like paper fans to keep guests cool and fun paper garlands and pom-poms on the chairs and around the reception. I’m a sucker for the details! Not to mention I had so much fun with my siblings dancing the night away — what’s better than that?
I’m dying to share pictures of the wedding, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share a few of the details from our rehearsal dinner. My lovely in-laws hosted a dinner at a waterfront restaurant near our wedding venue, and it was a perfect evening filled with all of my favorite things: fragrant peonies, gold polka-dot details, and lots and lots of nautical anchor motifs! Plus an amazing view out into the shipyards where our tasty dinner was freshly caught! Oh and did I mention the world’s best family and bridal party? 
Be still my polka-dot loving, metallic obsessed heart; could these two be a more perfect pair? A little tiered hem and a peter pan neckline make this Modcloth top absolute perfection; and the Caitlin Wilson pillow exudes the same level of cuteness in home decor form. One of each please!
If you just haven’t had enough of the gift guides yet, I’m guest posting today over on La Vie J’aime sharing what I’d want in my stocking this year — and there are some fun (inexpensive!) ideas for your stocking too! Check it out here.
The snow started falling in Boston on Saturday and it made me feel like the holidays were officially here. I snagged some really cute metallic wrapping paper and tinsel bows while I was out shopping — I can’t wait to start wrapping presents with these. And Sunday I found the holy grail at Trader Joes: Peppermint Mocha macarons in a bright shocking pink — this box was just a ‘test’ to make sure they lived up to expectations for some holiday entertaining — and they certainly did!
Next up in the Handmade Holidays series has a little bit of glitz — a decorative candle holder with gold polka dots!
I love the idea of using this handmade holiday gift for a little hostess treat when you’re visiting friends for the holidays. To start I used a craft punch to cut out circles on a piece of thick cardstock, then taped the cardstock around the candle holder to create a stencil. From there, it’s as simple as filling in your polka dots with a metallic sharpie — you can add-on an extra layer of metallic marker after the first layer dries if you’d like the color to be a bit more opaque. Then pair it was a pretty scented candle and some fun matches (I love these ones!).
There’s is an inexplicable force that makes me crave cozy pajamas and slippers and a day in my bed like crazy when that first snowfall hits… doesn’t that sound fabulous right about now? Maybe ordering new pink gingham flannel PJs will help hold me over until I can hibernate this weekend!
Cashmere scarf, gingham pajamas, polka dot slippers, monogram mug
I feel a bit nostalgic this week seeing all of the college students back in the city after a quiet summer. I’m a self-professed geek who actually loved back-to-school time and relished in getting my brand spanking new Ticonderoga pencils sharpened in preparation for the first day of classes. Long gone are the days of first days of school, but I’m still eyeing the desk supplies!
Notepad, Stapler, and Pencil Cup
