Christmas Wishes
Posted on December 16th, 2015
It’s customary (apparently) to post a Christmas wishlist on your blog. I know one of the fun things about getting someone the perfect gift is finding them something they didn’t know they needed until they had it, but to be honest I’m acutely aware of how supremely awesome receiving any of these things would be.
Is this asking too much? I just want to be able to take a honeymoon after my outdoor wedding ceremony. Vacuuming is loud and hurts my ears. Can’t a girl put her clothes away without the drawers falling on the floor? And I’m an adult, I don’t think clear skin is an unreasonable request.
Most importantly, it’s 2015, we have cameras that can take high resolution pictures of Pluto, but no one has figured out how to take the calories out of alcohol. It’s an embarrassment.
Please note that if none of the above is feasible, I would happily accept a lovely bag or coat. Thank you in advance for your consideration, Santa!
Twinkle Toes
Posted on December 13th, 2015
Part of the joy of the holidays comes from wearing outfits with which you wouldn’t otherwise get away in the dead of winter. Whether that means dresses with bows or sequin skirts, it’s a time for fun!
It’s understandable, however, that you might not want to commit to expensive pieces that you can only wear in a limited window. I adore this dress, but can’t justify the price. So let shoes be your solution and pack a pretty punch!
When I think pretty party shoes, I think of Kate Spade’s glitter options. Ian gave me the multi-color Karolinas for Christmas a few years ago, and I have been planning outfits around them ever since. Recently, I treated myself to the slightly more neutral gold Charm slingbacks. I can’t wait to take them for a spin next week!
The downside of the Kate Spade glitter shoes is their price tag (although I promise they are worth it!), but because I love y’all and am realistic almost all of my other holiday shoe picks are under $100!
Can I have them all? And make holiday dressing a year round thing? {Scratch that. I miss summer.}
Blackwatch // Buffalo Check // Suede Maryjane // Charm peep toe // Emerald sequins // Sandals with a bow // Metallic shimmer // Manolos (sorry, couldn’t help myself) // Plaid Pumps // Studded T-Strap // Crimson suede // Karolina glitter pumps // Black polka dot // Navy feathered toe! // Plaid crystal toe
I’m off to party. (PS My super fuzzy coat is on a super good sale!)
How to Not Give Your Mom Earrings for Christmas Again
Posted on December 10th, 2015
Given how completely obsessed I am with my mom, I dream about surprising her with an over-the-top Christmas gift. I would love to be really making her feel special with a weekend getaway or an amazing pair of shoes under the tree, but that is regrettably not in this girl’s budget.
There are always the old stand-bys, like these Kate Spade earrings or these gloves, but, if you’re like me, you do that every year. Real talk: I have probably given my mom six pairs of Kate Spade earrings. She wears them and loves them, but they don’t exactly scream, “I was thinking of you and you alone when I picked these out.” If you’re looking to do something a little unique or more personal, either as a bonus gift or a stand-alone item, try one (or more!) of these budget-friendly ideas:
- Lotion/shampoo from your favorite resort. Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory, and if your family has a special place you love to go, your mama will love being transported there while pampering herself in the morning.
- An ornament from the city in which you live. If you’ve moved far away, share that with your mom with a Space Needle (just a random example obvi) or a skyscraper.
- Donate to her favorite charity. Nothing says “Look Mom! I’m an adult!” like voluntary charitable giving, especially for a cause that means a lot to her.
- A bottle of wine from the year you were born. Because wine is fancy and old wine is even fancier. Check out this website for sourcing a few options.
- A Rocksbox subscription. This is like giving her the Kate Spade earrings… but next level. She’ll be able to tailor the pieces to what she wants, and keep her look fresh. (Use promo code helenbff51 for a free month!)
Since she’s your mom she will probably love you no matter what you end up choosing… but she just might love you more if you go with one of these.
Twice As Colorful in 2016
Posted on December 8th, 2015
Last week, in a nod to blurred lines when it comes to gender and fashion, Pantone named TWO shades for their Color of the Year. Both of which could be construed as inspiration for your cousin’s upcoming baby shower, but both are beautiful with beautifully ambiguous names.
I love that blush is really a year-round hue. I think it fits in most naturally with the pastels of spring, but the right pieces can be worn at any time. I have been loving this super cozy coat this fall and winter (yes, it’s on sale and you should get it)!
Mug // Ring // Sweater // Shoes // Bag // Dress // Nail Polish
What I like about serenity is it reminds me of that almost indescribable shade of blue you see in hydrangeas. So calming! The lighter shade of blue isn’t as readily available at this time of year, but there are still amazing ways to bring it into your life.
Pumps // Bedding // Dress // Nail Polish // Bag // Sweater // Coat
After Pantone declared marsala as the color of 2015, burgundy and crimson turned up everywhere– hopefully we’ll see the same thing with these shades!
And not to say too much… but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of Rose Quartz-esque shades at a certain wedding next summer…
Trim the Tree
Posted on December 3rd, 2015
I wrote about how special ornaments can be on Monday, and it’s really true. Each one is unique and seems to have a distinctive meaning, and trimming the tree can easily be a trip down Memory Lane. Of course, I’m just starting to add those kinds of special pieces to our Christmas tree, and we certainly had some holes to fill on our tree this year. I did a little shopping (obviously) and found some amazing little options. So I made this tree for you….
I know. I’m practically a graphic designer. I snagged a Kate Spade bow ornament— you might notice the official name is the “tacky bow ornament,” but if this ornament is wrong, I don’t want to be right. We also got a football for our tree since, in addition to a general love for the game, football featured prominently in my most memorable moment of the year! Our tree is eight feet tall, and I love basking in the glow of those golden lights every evening.
Ornaments make the best gifts, too! They’re a great way to honor someone’s personality, and usually without breaking the bank, too. Starbucks for the caffeine lover, or a delicious spread for the sushi devotee… Personally, I need this stand mixer ornament!
Hint hint. See a selection of beauties here:
Holiday Cards from Nico & Lala!
Posted on December 1st, 2015
Holiday cards are an amazing and random tradition. They combine the sending of genuine warm wishes with an annual update of “this is what our family currently looks like.” I love it! Growing up, we would love pulling up to the mailbox in December to see which cards had come, and Christmas Eve included a competition for the best Christmas card. (Someone with cute toddlers usually won)
We have always taken part in the holiday card frenzy. In fact, below is our holiday card photo from 1997. As you can see, my brother Turner holds a festive Santa figurine, while I clutch the customary Christmas tiger (???).
While there are so many cute Christmas card options out there (Minted! Paperless Post! Paper Source!), we have used Nico & Lala the past few years. This stemmed from my interest in supporting female entrepreneurs who are following their dreams, but (obviously) we have been so impressed with their work. Nicole and Lauren are based in Chicago (they’ve expanded to Nashville, too!), but they serve clients all over the country.
The process is awesome– we tell them the kind of style and aesthetic we have in mind, and then they do the rest! This year, we wanted to highlight the fact that we’re spread all over the country (Ian and I are in Seattle, my mom and one brother are in St. Louis, my dad’s office is in New York City, and my other brother is in school in upstate New York). I love what they came up with!
They featured our card on their Instagram last week (#famous). Ours can’t compete with the cuteness of this gem, though!
We’ve loved working with them so much over the past few years that we’ve brought them on board to do all of the paper for my wedding! They have designed so many beautiful suites for brides and grooms in the past. These are some of my favorites, but you can see more on their blog:
I couldn’t be happier to have our vision in their hands!
Crystal Clear Happy Tears
Posted on November 30th, 2015
It’s Cyber Monday, which is essentially a personal challenge to aggregate as many steeply discounted items as possible. These things might make you look cuter at holiday parties or enable you to watch Netflix on a bigger screen or give your mother a fancier Christmas present, but they are just things nonetheless. Instead of posting about all the great deals– with which you have no doubt already been inundated– I wanted to focus on instances where things represent so much more.
My family has a tradition of marking significant occasions with Waterford crystal ornaments. For a marriage, birth, or a new home, a crystal ornament from that year is the traditional gift. Two weeks after we got engaged, my great-aunt presented us with the 2015 two turtle doves ornament— the first I have received. Hanging it on the tree in our Seattle apartment brought tears to my eyes for so many reasons, and I’ll spare you the mush, but I really cherish both the symbol of a very special year and feeling like I’m part of the beautiful traditions of the very special family who gave it to me.
I have a tendency to fail to properly acknowledge major moments; I often feel like I’m just checking off the boxes on the way to some unknown destination. As in, “of course we got engaged, that was the logical step preceding getting married, which is a logical step preceding buying our first house, which is…” I certainly shouldn’t need an ornament to make me realize big things are happening, but seeing it twinkling on the tree I can’t help but pause and reflect.
Now I just need to figure out how to keep this little bit of Christmas with me all through the year.
No Tights November
Posted on November 26th, 2015
When I bought this ivory sweater dress on sale, I had Thanksgiving and winter parties in mind.
I was thinking I would pair it with my favorite tights, my everyday wedges (on sale!), and my staple pearl statement necklace (on sale!), and call it a day. It has a feminine and flattering cut, but would still loose enough to be comfortable after I gobbled until I wobbled.
But guess what? It was 65 degrees on Thanksgiving in St. Louis. Change of plans!
Enter the leopard vest (similar here) and Minnie flats. Bare legs in November? I’ll take it!
The dress is also on sale for an even lower Black Friday price— on your way to you for less than $50! The nubby dots on the knit are the best part.
I tried to get Gracie to participate in documenting this…
She just wanted to get back to watching football.
Full outfit details:
Beesing
Posted on November 19th, 2015
{Does anyone remember Beesing? Like in middle school when you would put Burt’s Bees on your eyelids and they would tingle and you were so hardcore? I promise this version is way better.}
For obvious reasons, I tend to shop at Nordstrom, so when I report a purchase from another retailer you know it’s major. I’ve written about Baublebar and their guest collections before, and I pulled the trigger on a piece from Olivia Palermo’s collection. The Queen Bee collar was on a “waitlist” when I placed my order, but still magically arrived within a week, so don’t let that deter you.
It’s to die for! If anything, shinier in person than it appeared online. I’ve already worn it a handful of times with grey/black/beige sweaters, tops, and dresses, and receive no shortage of compliments!
{For a slightly toned down version, I like the scarab collar, too.}
As usual, I cheat my way into looking put together with statement necklaces. No shame.
PS Would make a great gift for the Queen Bee in your life!! Or for your Honey. Or for someone who makes you feel buzzed. Any combinations of these bee puns, really.
How We Met
Posted on November 18th, 2015
{Not exactly a Wedding Wednesday post… but close enough?}
I love love. Romantic, platonic, familial– they pretty much all reduce me to a puddle of sentimental tears. The stories on the How He Asked Instagram melt my heart! I already shared our proposal story in September, but this week marks the 6th anniversary of my first date with Ian, so I thought I would take a little trip down memory lane and tell you all about how two know-it-all tweens became engaged to one another. Indulge me?
Some “How We Met” stories are longer than others– this one starts in 2002. Ian and I both sang with the St. Louis Children’s Choir, and our dads (colleagues at the time) introduced us, and then we promptly went back to ignoring one another. It was not until the fall of 2003 that Ian became a truly irksome force in my life, however. On Tuesday nights, he had the audacity to stand right behind me and sing off key. I now know this was a result of puberty and his voice beginning to change– he was 11– and an inability to match the higher pitches. At the time, I viewed it as a personal affront to my belief system and a deep character flaw on his part. Because I was a really relaxed person and so tolerant and patient.
(He defends himself by saying, “I was just trying to sing along with you! That’s all I have ever tried to do all these years!” He tries to soften me up with romantic babble. I’m not buying it.)
As you can clearly see, we were very cool.
Starting in the fall of 2004, we were forced to spend every day together as 7th graders… but I started to realize maybe he wasn’t so bad. He was super nerdy, but he owned it, and he had a brand of coolness all his own that I really respected. We continued singing together, too, which meant carpools and weekend interaction, and before I knew it we were friends.
So that was pretty much that for the next five years. We were good friends but certainly not best friends; I dated someone else for two years. The only glimmer of what was to come came in the spring of 2008 (while I was dating aforementioned high school boyfriend). Ian had brought his guitar to school, and we sang a duet of “Anyone Else But You” from Juno. I remember thinking about it later that night– how intimate yet comfortable it had been. Ian claims that’s when he started hoping for more.
The next 18 months were not particularly kind to me (Which is okay! Life is hard sometimes and less hard other times!), so by the time wearrived at our fall dance senior year I was pretty set on staying home. My mom had to bribe me with a new dress and new shoes and new Spanx and the promise I could leave whenever I wanted to get me to go. It was one of those massive group affairs where you take photos at a house with a big staircase and then try to go to dinner with 30 people and it’s so overwhelming. I saw Ian sitting at the table with an empty seat to his left and identified it as a perfect situation– he was non-threatening enough for my low self esteem, but a good conversationalist. The only photo from this dinner is a winner:
I remember the next 90 minutes in vivid detail. Surrounded by 28 of our classmates, it felt like we were having a private dinner for two. I remember what we talked about, but most of all I remember my heart being filled with so much warmth by the realization that I was finding myself totally enchanted by this person who had been there all along. For the first time in months, I felt totally comfortable and like I was right where I belonged in the moment.
But because I am not a Disney Princess, it was not smooth sailings and instant happily ever after. 12th grade is a horrible time to start a relationship, particularly when both of you are looking at separate colleges that are each scattered all over the country. I resisted, and relented, and resisted some more. Bless his incredibly persistent heart. When the dust had settled and our fates were sealed, I was committed to Vanderbilt in Nashville, and he was gearing up for a gap year in Paris before he would start Harvard. So that really should have been the end of that. But it wasn’t, and we didn’t want it to be, so we started long distance. I’ve already shared my thoughts on that, but the abbreviated version is NO THANK YOU. Hoping for a prom pic? You’re in luck…
PHEW we’ve grown up nicely.
The next years included some location shuffling– Ian’s family moved to Virginia, he started Harvard, I transferred to UPenn, I moved to New York– but we continued finding ways to make it work every day. The first half of college was hard for me; the second half was hard for Ian. They showed us a full range of flaws both in ourselves and each other that allowed us to press forward with full awareness of what wewere choosing. Of course, all of these shared years have also shown me how funny and creative and smart and loyal and loving Ian is, too.
By the time I gave up my New York life to move to Seattle in June, I was completely ready to throw my lot in with his. After all, I had helped him overcome cargo shorts and graphic tees, so I knew we were unstoppable together. We had so much fun together in our first four months of living together, so I didn’t hesitate when he got down on one knee in California. The ring helped a little, too.
It’s not exactly When Harry Met Sally… but when you find love with someone who was there all along, the world becomes a beautiful place.
