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Celebrity Trend: Hipster Engagements

Two of our favorite young celebrity couples have recently become engaged and we haven’t seen any rings yet!

Mad Men’s Alexis Bledel and Vincent Kartheiser are on their way to the altar, as are Any Samberg and his musician fiancee Joanna Newsom.

Since both brides-to-be are keeping their rings under wraps, we thought it would be fun to play matchmaker and pick out some star-worthy Jeff Cooper rings.

We’ll start with Alexis.

We don’t know her, but Vincent has a reputation for being pretty quirky, and Alexis has played some pretty quirky characters herself. That said, she tends to rock flattering, retro styles that don’t look too high maintenance.

We’d love to see her in our Holly Engagement Ring. Its Art Deco details would look so perfect with this amazing green SAG awards dress. It has the star power befitting a her celebrity status, but its delicate profile and classic simplicity won’t overwhelm the petite, down to earth actress.

We think it’s perfect!

Now, we’ll match up Joanna. She’s a true hipster, being the only singer/songwriter to play a harp (!) and make the cool kids stop and listen. She’s marrying Andy Samberg, so you know she doesn’t take herself too seriously.

For Joanna, we’d pick the Lily Engagement Ring. It’s unique, botanical design would be perfect with this offbeat dress she wore for the Independent Spirit Awards. Lily’s teardrop motif is a sweet reminder of the performer’s sensitive folk songs, and the play of light across the nature-inspired forms lends enough sparkle to light up the red carpet.

 

Beautiful and lyrical, right?

Now, we can’t wait for Ryan Gosling to propose to gorgeous Eva Mendes, so we can pick a Jeff Cooper ring for her!

What Jeff Cooper ring do you love for Alexis and Joanna? Leave it in the comments!

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Ask Jeff Cooper: Wedding Planning

Since so many of our friends and fans are engaged and planning weddings, we’re aware of the pressure on couples to please others. Everyone has an opinion on the food. The dress. The officiant. And family members who contribute financially are even more invested.

These days, couples are expected to contribute creatively to the celebration too, putting a unique, or at least trendy spin on the day. It’s a lot to think about.

We came across this Andy Warhol quote that gets to the heart of the issue.

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”
– Andy Warhol

In other words, trust your instincts and do what inspires you.

For more Ask Jeff Cooper posts, click here.

Photo via Jagger Photography.

We Love: Agate Stone & the Monarch Butterfly

It’s spring again! And along with the flowers and monarch butterflies we love, it’s brought the overpowering urge to paint it white like so. And so!

We’re also feeling The Forest Feast blog’s fresh food in a woodsy wonderland!

So much love. We dare you to watch this emotional wedding video and not cry.

How does Cupcakes & Cashmere’s ‘Grayed Out’ style inspiration make a monochromatic t shirt and jeans look so cool and rebellious? Maybe the matching stilettos and snakeskin clutch?

We came across these gem-like agate trivets and rediscovered how glamorous nature can be. We’ll take one of each, please.

How relaxing does this dreamy rental home look? Just looking at the pictures is like a spa vacation.

Or are you planning a beach honeymoon? They say everyone looks like a goddess in this Athena bathing suit. 

Can’t decide whether to eat superfoods or chocolate cake? Here’s both in one!

Are you on Pinterest? Check out Lindsay from Darling Clementine’s ‘Parenthood’ board. It’s the bee’s knees.

And finally, here’s the new epic installation art by Christo. What do you think?

Have a fabulous, beautiful spring weekend!

Butterfly photo by Sean Taylor Photography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ask Jeff Cooper: Engagement Rings How To

It’s the question almost every groom-to-be faces. ‘How do I choose an engagement ring?’

We went over the finer points of how to recognize quality here, but most of us still need help picking the perfect style for her personality.

Conventional wisdom says to ask the bride’s mother, sister or a close friend to come look at rings. That’s not necessarily the advice we’d give you.

FIRST, if you’re sincerely worried she won’t love the ring, just ask her what she likes. You can always pretend you’re researching a birthday or holiday gift.

If you want the ring to be a total surprise, the key to understanding (and conveying) her personal style is Hard Evidence. And the proof is in the pictures.

Here’s a short list of snapshots that will help your salesperson pinpoint the ring of her dreams. (You could bring them on your phone, but it’s way better to print out these pictures and bring them to the store.)

1. Pictures of her in her favorite outfits.

2. Snapshots of her favorite jewelry, that show the metals, stones, and styles she likes.

3. Pictures of her handbags, perfumes, or any brand names she likes may give valuable clues to her taste. If her bag, signature fragrance and coat are all classic, trendy or super feminine, you’ll probably want her ring to match.

4. Does she subscribe to any magazines? Whether she reads Town & Country or Real Simple, her reading material has the potential to be very revealing when it comes to the personal style she aspires to.

5. And last, but not least, does she have a Pinterest account? This is a goldmine of clues about her personal style, and you may actually find ring pictures in there. Take screenshots of anything you think is relevant.

SECOND. to get an idea how a bride’s personal style might translate into her wedding style, we like Brooklyn Bride’s “Phi Style” mood boards.

For example, if her Pinterest is filled with black and white pictures of movie stars and glamorous dress up outfits, she might dream of being an Old Hollywood Bride, who’d probably love an Ava Engagement Ring.

Is she an independent, sophisticated art lover? Does she collect images of modern, funky interiors and fashion? The Sculptural Bride might love the Estella Engagement Ring.

Or would you say she’s a bohemian flower child? Does she love nature, vintage style, or ethereal, romantic dress designs and photography? The Lily Engagement Ring is one to consider for the Kate Moss-inspired 1920s garden bride.

As you begin your search, just remember to be prepared, patient and relaxed. The perfect ring is out there!

Pictured above, a brand new design from our Laurel Collection.

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We Love: Fashion Bloggers & Art Photography

This week, we noticed these St. Patrick’s themed recipes on Epicurious, which go brilliantly with our post on emerald engagement rings.

We discovered 6 influential design bloggers to follow. (We already knew about the seventh one, Because It’s Awesome.)

We loved this interior designer’s own home, combining 19th century architecture with eclectic furniture and cool, contemporary art.

We watched this fun installation art video.

This weekend, we want to bake these triple chocolate scones.

And read these week’s end blog posts from Cup of Jo, Cupcakes and Cashmere and A Girl, A Style.

And spend time with Beatrice Jansen’s still life photography.

What’s your plan for the weekend? We hope it’s a great one.

We’d love you to Like us on Facebook, and talk to us in this blog’s comments.

Photo by Portland Wedding Photographer Sean Taylor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Love: Emerald Engagement Rings

As we mentioned before, Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year is Emerald, and being the jewelry enthusiasts we are, we’re so into it.

We’ve written about colored stones before, which we think are going to be huge here in the States in the years to come. In Europe, colored stones have been “in” for a long, long time.

Queen Victoria picked a fierce yellow gold serpent ring with an emerald head, to symbolize her endless love with Prince Albert.

And when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry his American lover Wallis Simpson, he proposed with a 19.77 carat emerald engagement ring, set in platinum and surrounded by diamonds.

Not to be outdone, our own royal family, the Kennedys have a majestic emerald ring in their history, too. JFK gave Jackie this emerald stunner in 1953, and we’re still talking about it 60 years later!

Today, Halle Berry and her French fiance Olivier Martinez are leading the emerald engagement ring comeback in Hollywood. He proposed with this bold yellow gold and emerald throwback to another era.

Not to be outdone, a trendsetting Jeff Cooper couples recently commissioned this Custom Tara Engagement Ring with split shank and two incredible halos of accent diamonds, surrounding an epic Emerald center stone (above).

Let us know what you think about emerald engagement rings in the comments, and Like us on Facebook!

We Love: Bridal Shower Games & Ideas

Happy Monday! Here’s our favorite bridal shower idea, from Apartment Therapy:

The best surprise party I’ve ever attended had no hiding behind couches, no yelling “surprise.” The honoree arrived at a party in progress and slowly realized that all her friends and family were there and the cake had her name on it! It was an amazing, low-pressure way to surprise her without all the drama.

How cool is that? Here are a few more cool ideas we’ve collected for throwing a memorable wedding shower.

Don’t care much for pink and glittery? From Grey Likes Weddings, this dinner party theme would make the best Bohemian wedding shower! How cool is that cake? Do it and send us pictures!

We love modern calligraphy!

Send out these recipe cards with the shower invite and collect them at the party. So personal and heartfelt!

And since it wouldn’t be a shower without a silly (but awesome) game, here’s how you play “Sticker Stalker” in 5 easy steps.

1. Give 10 stickers to each guest.

2. The object is to stick all your stickers on the other guests without them knowing, one sticker per guest.

3. If you’re caught “stickering” your target gets to put a sticker on you.

4. If someone falsely accuses you of “stickering” you get to sticker that person.

5. The first one to get rid of all their stickers wins!

Have any bridal shower ideas you love? Share in the comments!

Photo via A Fabulous Fete.

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We Love: Bespoke Wedding Dresses

This weekend, we’re so inspired by these links for food, fashion and culture. What’s inspiring you these days? If you have any amazing ideas of your own, we’d love to read them in the comments.

We were honored to have our Tatiana Engagement Ring named February’s ring of the month, by Engagement 101 magazine.

Got time for a wedding video and a quick cry? Of course you do.

Prepare to be besotted. We just discovered Laure de Sagazan, the bespoke, Parisian wedding dress designer. C’est incroyable, non?

We’re loving this ‘something blue‘ wedding inspiration shoot.

And wow, these pictures! Every detail of this wedding in Mexico is crisp and gorgeous, yet totally fun and casual.

Shopping for a honeymoon, a vacation, or just daydreaming, pinning or making a travel bucket list? Sunsurfer is a resource we love for pretty travel photography.

Our idea of a perfect shower gift. Cooking 101 from the mother of modern cooking, Alice Waters. And maybe throw in these.

Speaking of food, our hero Joanna Goddard says this veggie burger is the best, so we’re going to try it.

Oh the sparkle! If you’re a NY area art lover, get down to PS1 for this show. It’s open till March 31st. And don’t forget your camera!

Click through our slideshow above, of designs by Laure de Sagazan. Like us on Facebook and be the first to know about our new designs and giveaways.