DIY New Years Decorations & the year’s best engagement photos

This week, we’re reflecting on the year that’s almost past, and getting excited for all the change and possibilities to come. Check out our Facebook page, we’re loving all the engagement ring selfies our brides to be have been sharing.

Have a great weekend, and take a few minutes to enjoy our list of links we’re loving!

This series on raising kids around the world is a fascinating read, whether you have kids or not.

New year, new couch? We loved these.

Want to get off the couch and throw a bangin’ soirée? Here are 51 DIY ways.

What do you think? Here are Green Wedding Shoes’ favorite engagement photos of 2013.

These glamorous luxury caftans make us want to book a flight to somewhere tropical immediately! A must for a beach honeymoon, don’t you think?

Is it too soon after Hanukkah and Christmas for a cookie recipe? Meyer lemons are the epitome of fresh and light, so it’s fine.

No? Okay, here’s a refreshing grapefruit cocktail, then.

Our penchant for rose gold is well-documented, so we love this “Blush Bride” mood board.

And lastly, a wonderful little photo essay on Love, Marriage and Second Chances.

Have an amazing weekend!

Featured photo via Iris and Light.

we love: doing everything better

“What ever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” ― Walt Disney

This week, we’re learning how to do more things, even better. So here are some clever ideas how to do a lot of things, a little bit better. If you have any great tips to share, tell us in the comments!

Here’s how to help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

How to eat the healthiest lunch.

How to dress. The 10 fashion commandments, by J Crew’s Jenna Lyons.

How to get superhuman energy.

And here’s how not to mess up your day. (We love the part about only wearing clothes you love. So true!)

How to start a houseplant collection.

How to start a necklace collection.

How to peel a head of garlic in 10 seconds.

Use it to make the best garlic bread.

And how to feel glamorous every morning, without fail.

How to take natural and relaxed group photos. Check these out. So much fun.

And last, but not least, how to find the perfect engagement ring.

Have a swell weekend, everyone!

Featured image via.

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creative party ideas & spiked hot chocolate

November can feel a tiny bit dark and drab, so we’re trying to create a warm & bright vibe this week.

And on that note, how fun are these party ideas from Apartment Therapy?

Whether or not you have a country house, woodsy-chic touches like these trays from Fog Linen and these bark-covered votives feel just right for November. Great inspiration for wedding decorations, too.

And here’s a charmingly retro playlist to warm up your kitchen. 

little black dress with a twist. And it’s on sale. Where couldn’t you wear this?

And who doesn’t want to drink decadent hot chocolate? And here are 15 ways to spike it, if you’re so inclined.

For a decadent treat that has no calories, we love these fun Benefit holiday tins. Adorable and festive!

In case you’re curious, or really, insanely ambitious: What Beyonce eats.

Not feeling crazy-driven? Just kick back and relax with some sparkly wonders.

And the best-dressed sparkly socialites of the 2013 MOMA Film Benefit. We love art-chic!

So what’s sparking your interest on the internet this weekend?

Featured photo by Sean Taylor Photography.

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ask jeff cooper: wedding day rain & cool umbrellas

Rain on your wedding day is actually considered good luck, according to Hindu tradition!

In Italian they say, Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata, or Wet bride, happy bride. So why are we so worried about it? The hair, the makeup, the dress, the pictures.

Outdoor weddings are so beautiful and trendy, but there’s a great deal left to chance!

We were inspired to write this by the incredible wedding photographer Heather Jagger, who shot a friend’s wedding recently and she wrote, ” It rained all day but it only seemed to make it better somehow.”

So before we get any further, look at this. Beautiful, right? Your wedding will be, too!

Just prepare a little, then don’t worry. Like the Beatles said, Love is all you need. That is what makes or breaks a wedding, not a little (or a lot of) rain!

First tip: Wedding day makeup is a special genre and has to be danceproof, cryproof, hugproof and cakeproof, anyway. Everyday makeup doesn’t always cut it, so be prepared, and be a good sport, and all they’ll notice is you.

Second tip: Do your research.

Third tip: Rain (or potential rain) is a great excuse to express your style. There are cheeky umbrellas. Umbrellas that create an amazing pop of color in your pictures. And statement umbrellas like this or this.

Fourth tip: You may as well splurge on some chic boots, too! The blue gloss would make an amazing “something blue.”

Tip five is really the only tip you need: If it rains on your wedding day, own it!

Featured Image via Jagger Photography.

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Mar y Sol & the little gold dress

Here’s the week’s lovely list of links to help you give back, live well, pick a wine, and travel in style. Have a full and wonderful weekend!

Mar y Sol designs are so amazing, and so is the story, and the mission. Check out their vibrant fair trade bags, hats and pillows. We love beautiful things that make the world better!

We love a good party outfit, and this gold dress and hairstyle are so amazing! We might save this one for the “official” holidays, though.

A fun little flow chart for choosing a wine.

You gotta love fancy sweatshirts.

Drinks I want to try,” from Bleubird blog.

Nine pumpkin recipes.

Heirloom-quality travel gear that’s meant to last forever and age beautifully. (Great wedding gift!)

And on the other end of the spectrum, 30 bags that look expensive, but aren’t.

Happy reading!

Image via, by Brian Hatton, a New York City wedding photographer.

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ask jeff cooper: How to get great wedding pictures

We’re avid fans of weddings and great photography, and wedding photography is one of the most important, but mysterious parts of planning a wedding.

We attended a wedding this weekend where the photographer looked down on shooting a still life of the bride’s dress and shoes! So it pays to discuss these things in advance, and to have a list of shots that you have your heart set on.

That said, be open and spontaneous. When you find a photographer you love, trust them to cover all the candid moments that make your day special.

One of our favorite shoots is this series by Sean Taylor Photography, where the couple is clearly playful and comfortable. Trust your gut. If you don’t feel uninhibited when you interview your photographer, you won’t feel that way on the day of the wedding.

A great photographer listens, inspires trust, and is a consummate professional. Spend what you can to hire someone really special!

For more ideas, we like this guide from The Knot, with 85 great wedding photo suggestions.

And this one from Celebrity Bride Guide, How to get great wedding photos.

Featured photo by: Joel Chapman, a Bath, UK wedding photographer, via Moment Junkie.

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We love: Apple cider donuts & fall nail colors

The important thing is to be in love with something. ― Ray Bradbury

Or someone. ― Jeff Cooper

So here we are, with our weekly list of fun links and diversions. We hope you find something that inspires you.

Here’s something amazing. (A GoPRo camera strapped to an eagle.)

Something old. (Guy discovers a Van Gogh in his attic.)

Something new. (A wedding theme we’ve never seen before: Moon & Stars.)

Something cheap and chic. (Nail polish colors for fall.

Something seasonal. (Old fashioned apple cider donuts.)

Something virtuous. (A lemony salad.)

Something unexpected. (Bright eyecolor and a chic bun.)

Something understated. (Beautifully calming greys.)

Something light. (Beautifully calming white interiors.)

Something sparkly.

Something social.

And something real.(Our featured photo, a groom, overcome with emotion.)

We hope your weekend is really something!

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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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.

Zach Gilford’s Wedding Photos

Way back on December 29th, “Friday Night Lights” actor Zach Gilford married Kiele Sanchez. Now amazing wedding photographer Jonas Peterson has shared their beautiful wedding photos on his website.

The mood in the pictures is pitch-perfect.

We love the way the bride’s mermaid gown complements the drama of the Campovida farm and vineyard, and the emotion on everyone’s faces.

Cheers to the happy couple!