Black + White Home Inspiration

Today I’m loving the crisp contrast of black + white details — from dark walls to striped rugs:

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{jenna lyons apartment via ill seen, ill said}

Black-and-white-kitchen

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{kitchen + chair via decorology}

I’m also super-excited… because my one-year blog anniversary is coming up on September 8!  I can’t believe it’s been a year already… but it’s definitely been one eventful year!

I’ve got some really fun giveaways planned to help celebrate the anniversary during the week of September 7.  I can’t reveal too many of the details just yet, but I think you’re all going to love what we’ve got in store!

Wedding Invitations — Brown Sugar Design

I’ve been a huge fan of Brown Sugar Design since I came across their portfolio while researching for my own wedding last year.  Husband and wife design team Whitney and Jonathan create beautiful (and completely custom) wedding invitations, using just about every printing method possible.

Whitney and Jonathan were kind enough to send over a few photos from their portfolio, so let’s get right to it:

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Brown-sugar-design-letterpress-blue-brown-pocket-wedding-invitation
{allie + paul}

Brown-sugar-design-orange-letterpress-wedding-invitation-suite

Brown-sugar-design-orange-letterpress-wedding-invitation-detail

Brown-sugar-design-orange-letterpress-wedding-invitation-enclosures

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{jill + nick – love the gorgeous orange + chartreuse in this letterpress invitation design}

Brown-sugar-design-gray-yellow-teal-wedding-invitation-invite

Brown-sugar-design-gray-yellow-teal-wedding-invitation-rsvp

Brown-sugar-design-gray-yellow-teal-wedding-invitation-suite
{missy + garrett – featuring a fabulously bold yellow, gray + teal color palette}

Brown-sugar-design-green-botanical-wedding-invitation-suite

Brown-sugar-design-green-botanical-wedding-invitation-invite

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{sonya + michael}

This invitation, which incorporates a vintage map as a key design element, is one of my favorites from the Brown Sugar Design portfolio:

Brown-sugar-design-map-wedding-invitation-band

Brown-sugar-design-map-wedding-invitation-suite

Brown-sugar-design-map-wedding-invitation-passport

Brown-sugar-design-map-wedding-invitation-reception

Brown-sugar-design-map-wedding-invitation-enclosures

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Brown-sugar-design-map-wedding-invitation-wishcards
{linnea + paul – they used these post cards as “wishing cards” so that each guest could write a wish for the bride + groom’s new life together}

I’ve got one more invitation suite from Brown Sugar Design to share with you a bit later today.  In the meantime, you can check out more from the Brown Sugar Design portfolio right here.

{photos via Brown Sugar Design}

Summertime Farmer’s Market

One of my favorite things about living in DC is the farmer’s market during the summer, when crates and baskets are overflowing with super-ripe produce.  The selection at the farmer’s market has been amazing the last couple of weeks, so I took my camera to the farmer’s market this past weekend and snapped a few photos:

 

Eggplant
 
Purple-Basil
 
Heirloom-Tomatoes
{seriously the biggest tomatoes I’ve ever seen – these things were the size of soccer balls!}
 
Market-Display
 
Chives
 
Summer-Herbs
 
Yellow-Watermelon
{yellow watermelon – yum!}
 
Green-Beans
 
Peaches
 
Sunflowers
 
Dark-Red-Dahlias
 
Sigh.  Even the dahlias were gorgeous + huge.  I love the summer farmer’s market.
 
 
 
{all photos by me}

Happy Weekend!

Between the NYIGF and Brides.com field trip, it's been an incredibly full week — and I'm looking forward to a weekend filled with a trip to IKEA, the farmer's market, and getting a few gorgeous real invitations ready to share with you over the next couple of weeks! But in the meantime…

Black-and-white-glamour
…here are a few things making me happy right now:

That's it from me for this week — I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I'll see you back here on Monday!

{photo from here}

Brides.com Wedding Blogger NYC Field Trip – Let’s Eat Cake!

As much as I enjoyed each of the stops on our NYC field trip, my favorite stop of the day was the studio of the incomparable Ron Ben-Israel.  This was my first time meeting Ron, and everything I’d heard about his effervescent personality and great sense of humor were immediately confirmed — I don’t think he stopped smiling and joking the entire time we were in his studio!

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{photos by Amanda Schwab for Brides.com}
Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he has created some truly beautiful wedding cakes – and they even taste good! (yes, we had a little taste test)
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{past cakes on display above dozens of containers full of sugar flowers and leaves}
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{one chef ices a cake in the kitchen, while another creates tiny green hydrangea flower buds out of sugar paste}
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{I couldn’t get over these amazing details – each flower is hand-painted!}
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{I loved this charcoal gray cake – so unusual}
Every element on one of Ron’s cakes is edible – even the lace and bow on this cake is made from poured sugar:
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In addition to being my favorite stop, our visit to Ron Ben-Israel’s studio was the perfect ending to an already wonderful day.  A huge thanks to Brides.com for pulling together a wonderful field trip and giving us a behind-the-scenes look at some of New York’s iconic wedding vendors!
I’ll be back with continued recaps of the NYIGF a bit later…
Photo Credits: Except where noted, all photos by Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper