“The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.” ― Thucydides
We’re remembering the courage and compassion of our fellow Americans on September 11, 2001, sending our love to everyone who was affected, and praying for peace.
Category: Featured
Scarlett Johansson Engaged
Glamorous movie star Scarlett Johansson is engaged to be married! And the lucky man is French journalist Romain Dauriac.
Duriac proposed with a vintage Art Deco engagement ring about a month ago, but Johansson debuted it earlier this week at the Venice Film Festival.
The couple began dating 10 months ago, and haven’t yet announced any specific wedding plans.
Congrats to the beautiful and talented couple!
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Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake & Brunch at home
Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. ― F. Scott Fitzgerald
Shanah Tovah to all our friends and family celebrating Rosh Hashanah!
We love spending holidays at home with family, taking the time to make great food and great memories. And one tradition we love is hosting simple brunch at home.
How to do it right?
First, make the perfect Paloma.
And drink it while cooking perfect scrambled eggs.
And serve this perfect lemon poppyseed bread.
Don’t forget to get dressed up like a fashion editor.
Just kidding! A fancy manicure is enough to make things fun and festive. (And a definite must-have for any newly engaged woman.)
If you want to dress up your house a little, this Austin couple has some fun ideas. (We love the shag rugs, they seem so cozy and family friendly.)
And finally, some beautiful diversity to start the weekend (and the year) off right!
Featured image of Rosh Hahanah honey cake via.
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Seth Meyers Married Alexi Ashe
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers married his longtime girlfriend Alexi Ashe over the weekend, and how adorable are they? The wedding was held on Martha’s Vineyard where the bride’s parents have a home.
Jason Sudeikis, Allison Williams, Jimmy Fallon, Jack McBrayer, Kristen Wiig, Will Forte, Kenan Thompson, Fred Armisen, Ali LArter, Lorne Michaels, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg and Amy Poehler all attended, so it must have been ridiculously fun.
The couple met at a wedding and dated for several years. They announced their engagement this summer, and Seth told People Magazine about the proposal.
“I tied [the engagement ring] in a bow around our dog’s collar,” the funnyman told People. But his now-wife came home a little later than expected.
“I just had to sit there looking at the dog. I was like, ‘The dog’s going to eat the ring!’ ”
We love Alexi’s short sleeved wedding dress, it’s subtly body conscious, yet fresh and demure. She looked absolutely perfect.
Cheers to the happy couple!
Labor Day Meaning
“To achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” ― Gail Devers
As Americans, hard work is so central to our identity that we pay tribute, every year, to the achievements of our workers.
So here’s to a great year ahead, filled with liberty, justice and success for all Americans.
Happy Labor Day!
Wedding Inspiration: Bollywood, Indigo, Bohemian & More
Let’s savor the last weekend of the summer with a “summer sip that’s a little bit spicy and a little bit sweet.”
We’ve found so many epic wedding inspirations, we’re making a post of it. So just sit back and live vicariously through wedding ideas that exemplify pure style, joy and romance. We hope your weekend is beautiful!
The new BHLDN collection has some really chic, luxurious dresses. The intricate beading reminds us of some of our more sumptuous designs.
This Indigo-themed wedding inspiration is so fresh and beautiful. We love it.
This gold one we also love.
Here’s a real wedding we absolutely love. Every picture is just so full of joy and personality, it just doesn’t get any better. And the featured image above shows the incredible tree from the ceremony.
The headpieces and hair are a little silly, but this Bohemian wedding inspiration has the biggest, best bouquets. We’re in love!
And our favorite part of this Bollywood wedding inspiration is also the bouquet. We didn’t think jewels and flowers could be so perfect together.
Bright objects hypnotize the mind. But we already knew that.
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Kelly Clarkson Eloping: Celebrity Trend Alert
This week, Kelly Clarkson announced plans to elope with fiancé Brandon Blackstock, canceling their October wedding just one day after telling Ryan Seacrest wedding planning was “overwhelming” and that she’s “so over” it.
We wrote about her engagement here, and her lovely, trendsetting halo engagement ring. A wedding is such a personal choice in every way, we hope that Kelly and Brandon declare their love in a way that feels perfect for them!
Clarkson isn’t the only celebrity to choose privacy and intimacy over a lavish celebration.
Some of our favorite celebrities opted for elopements, like Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, who eloped in a sunset ceremony at her Bahamian estate in April 2008.
Longtime loves Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos eloped in Las Vegas in 1996. Goop style maven Gwyneth Paltrow married Coldplay frontman Chris Martin in Santa Barbara, Calif., in December 2003. The surprise wedding didn’t include any family members.
And famously private couple Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart eloped in a surprise ceremony that included their son Liam, in Santa Fe in June of 2010.
So how do you feel about elopements? We think they can be exquisitely romantic, as long as you don’t cut corners on the ring!
Bethany Hamilton married Adam Dirks
“Soul Surfer” Bethany Hamilton married Adam Dirks on Sunday in Kauai, Hawaii.
To unwind on the morning of the wedding, the bride “went surfing on the beach where I first surfed with one arm. I caught a few waves and messed around on a longboard.”
Attended by 300 guests, devout Christians Bethany and Adam exchanged vows at a private estate among gorgeous plumeria and orchid blossoms. “When I looked in Adam’s eyes, I almost started crying,” said Bethany.
Staying true to their spirituality, they shared their first dance to Ben Harper’s “The Three of Us,” and served local coffee in lieu of alcohol.
The couple met last year on a blind date where they jumped off a 40 foot cliff! We wrote about Bethany’s incredible story and her engagement here. She’s been an amazing inspiration to us and so many others, with her incredible strength and optimism.
We wish the adorable young couple a happy and exciting life together!
Photo via.
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We Love: Perfect Black Jeans & Shopping for Charity
We can’t hide from fall forever, so here’s a lovely list of links to get acclimated to cool weather and crisp new styles.
Summer’s almost over. so if you’re all wedding-ed out, check out these chic City Hall weddings. How beautiful are these couples?
And how romantic is this surprise proposal?
And the kiddos are headed back to school. Let’s reminisce with “Yuck,” the documentary about yucky school food directed by a kid.
The perfect inky black skinny jeans.
And how about these stud earrings for a cool-girl, wear everyday signature accessory? You know we love the rose gold so so much.
A-Thread has some affordable basics and cute accessories, and we love that your purchase benefits great nonprofits like LA Animal Services, Kiva, Thirst Relief and Children of the Night.
Now having shopped, want to eat dessert and feel good too? Try “This Dessert Saves Lives.”
And gentlemen, these Don Draper-ish sportcoats are so cozy and handsome. Please wear them.
Here’s a helpful guide from their blog on how to match necklaces with necklines.
It wouldn’t be fall without changing your lipstick. Here’s how to wear bold, dark color.
And a must for fall: the basics of pie.
Till we meet again, cheers!
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Featured photo via.
ask jeff cooper: buy me a ring
The question we hear most often from our clients is, “How do I pick a ring?”
The next most frequently asked question is, “How to do I get him to pick a ring I love?”
There’s some sound advice with a sense of humor over at East Side Bride, but we thought we’d offer some sensible advice from our experience.
If you want your love to propose, just nurture your relationship. Be thoughtful, be affectionate, be a great listener, but also have a life of your own so there’s some intrigue and mystery there.
Most people can’t gracefully come out and say “here’s what ring to get me.” But there are some ways to subtly influence your partner’s choice. If someone is thinking of proposing, they will take notice when your taste in rings comes up.
1. Tell your mom, sisters and all your girlfriends what you like. “I really love princess solitaires. No yellow gold. I love anything by Jeff Cooper.” Keep it simple and they’re sure to remember when he comes to them for advice.
2. Compliment rings you love in his presence, and be specific. “Your solitaire engagement ring is fabulous! What brand is it?”
3. Use language that helps your partner describe your personal style. You could say, “I love old fashioned jewelry. Or, “My style is really sleek and simple.”
4. And finally, if you don’t mind being a little more obvious, Like’ and ‘Share’ rings you love on Facebook, and repin them on Pinterest.
If you get a ring that’s not what you have in mind, you have two choices. Make the best of it, or ask to exchange it. As with any gift, graciousness is key. Be positive and grateful. We’ve known many brides who’ve said something like, “This ring is so beautiful I want to cry. You are the best fiance a girl could ever want. It is a little fancy for me though, how would you feel about us picking our something simpler?”
Your partner proposed to make you happy, so compromising on a ring is only as big a deal as you make it.
Love our featured image? It’s the Heidi Cushion Eternity Set from our vintage inspired Heirloom Collection.
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