A Shorely Chic Wedding!

This past weekend was the wedding of one of my favorite friends from college. We lived a house away at the beach (all the seniors at my college, Fairfield University, lived in these little bungalows on the beach senior year), studied abroad together in Florence where we drank chianti and ate the best food of our lives everyday, AND lived in NYC together after college (sharing a one bedroom if you can believe that)!

Her wedding was nothing less than what I would expect of a girl with her style and class, simply gorgeous down to every last detail and she and her mom planned the entire event themselves and DIY all the way through! 

The wedding was held at the Bonnet Estate on LBI, New Jersey and boy did we have a ball!

 

obsessed with these place cards

 

refreshments in front of the barn where the ceremony took place - iced tea and lemonade which I combined to make my favorite, Arnie Palmer :)

 

the most rustic beach little abode perfect for Lauren and Sammy to tie the knot in

 

the beautiful bride in her suite before the ceremony

and the most gorgeous couple I could imagine!

Congratulations, Lauren and Sammy!!

Before and Afters, with White!

I love a good Before and After, and after perusing Coastal Living for a little inspiration, I cam across this great article. Take a peek and enjoy these great before and afters to start your Thursday!

P.S. in the next couple of months, I may have a great before and after project to show you all, a BIG one nut I'm not saying anything to jinx it!

Beach Cottage Chic - Home in Fire Island to Die For!

It's funny, I used to complain and convince my boyfriend all of the time that we needed to paint our all white apartment walls different colors. His argument was always, why spend the time painting these walls only to paint them back once we move out. As I am a, "we'll worry about that later" type of person the thought of having to paint the walls over at move-out time didn't really concern me. Well, luckily, I never got around to painting the walls and I am finally happy about that because I am really digging white these days. It's so incredibly bright and having the freedom to choose whatever color accessories and changing them whenever you want because your walls are so neutral is a beautiful thing!

I love crisp whites paired with all different colors, think rustic furniture and antique frames with bright pink peonies and other flowers spotted all over the room - bliss!

Alex Bates, creative director of West Elm, did such an amazing job with her beach cottage on Fire Island. All of her walls are white and they look great paired with her family's slip-covered furniture and rustic touches. The result is low-key relaxed feel that is refreshing and just perfect for a beach house!

One of my new tray's would look great on her white coffee table, don't you think!?

Visit my Etsy store for details! 

A California White-Washed Dream

I recently did a post on white washing to bliss and was very pleased to see a feature on a California White-Washed Dream in House Beautiful's September issue. The entire home designed by Carolyn Espley-Miller, who also has a great blog http://slimpaley.com/ evokes a calm and tranquil mood inspired by the sea, which is what Shorely Chic is all about!

My favorite part of the interview with Carolyn was this:

Cregan: "Are you 'someplace else' when you come to this house?"

Miller: "I'm absolutely transported — I've stepped out of the fast-paced, modern world into this sea of tranquillity. I sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but everyone who walks in here says a feeling of calm washes over them". 

My point exactly!! 

I want my future home to look JUST like this! A mix of white, rustic, and of course, coastal inspiration :)

At the Edge of the Sea...

I thought this quote was so beautiful and I wanted to share it with you before we start our weekends:

“To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of year, to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea, is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.” - Rachel Carson, environmentalist

An inspiring photo from a facebook friend of dolphins swimming in Huntington Beach, California

Have a great weekend!!

My Day at Nate Berkus!

Today was awesome! I was invited by my local blogger and designer friends Carolyn and Cynthia of the Buzz to attend the Nate Berkus show with an amazing group of bloggers, some I am very familiar with and others I am so grateful to have been introduced to! 

We all met at a diner at 7:45 a.m. around the blog from the show and because we were VIP (!!) we were escorted into a green room to wait to be called in for the show. One of us was even featured on the show by Nate! Lisa from hamptontoes had sent in a video of her son's adorable room and they chose to show her room and interview her - how awesome! 

Nate's show will be premiering on CBS on September 13th. 

Check.it.out. 

Also, here are all the fab women I went to the show with today, visit their beautiful blogs for inspiration galore!

stacystyle  & http://dunesandduchess.com/

http://stylebeat.blogspot.com/

http://www.thezhush.blogspot.com/

http://bugandbearblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.prettypinktulips.com/

http://hamptonhostess.blogspot.com/

http://hamptontoes.blogspot.com/

http://lifeat5feet.blogspot.com/

One Hour, One Day, One Weekend

I love my mom - she always sends me the best articles that timely arrive to my work (day job) email address. It's so nice to see her name pop up in the mailbox and then to go on and read the pleasant articles she sends me which most of the time include recipes, quotes to live by, and home decor.

I LOVED this last article she sent me from Oprah and I am such a firm believer in the little things making a BIG difference in design. I even started a little home styling sideline to my business, which you can read about here!

Check out what designer Lance Boyd did for Elizabeth Fiore's tiny Manhattan apartment in one hour, one day and one weekend:

Before:

One Hour After:

Take It Away: Subtracting pieces helps a room breathe. Boyd pared down Elizabeth's collection of art books so that they wouldn't overpower the accessories on display.

Rezone: The key to the newly arranged living room is that it now has zones: an armchair and a lamp for reading, the couch and chair for entertaining, and a corner with a desk as her home office.
Soft Touch: A throw draped over Elizabeth's armchair gives the room a lived-in look.
 

One Day After:

Perfect Pairs: Boyd placed two stately lamps from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams on the credenza, and they do more than illuminate the room: They establish a sense of polish and symmetry.

Hide Away: The credenza is the perfect place to stash media technology. "Let's be honest," Boyd says. "No one wants to stare at a stereo or DVD player."

Aim High: To emphasize the ceiling's height, Boyd used heavy, dramatic draperies from Silk Trading Co. that cascade to the floor. He also placed two framed pieces of art, rather than one, between the windows to reinforce the longitudinal effect.
Dress It Up: "Adding new pillows and a nice throw can make it look like you've got a brand-new couch or armchair," Boyd says.

One Weekend!!

is this not an amazing transformation?! Lance created a heavenly new space for Elizabeth in just one weekend - amazing.

no word on the budget...

Thanks for sending the article mom, very inspiring!!