Friday, September 28, 2012

Santa Barbara Photo Shoot | Elizabeth Messina









Soft, beachy, casual yet elegant, a little bit vintage... what a stunning shoot by Elizabeth Messina.  Really, I haven't seen a photograph by Elizabeth Messina that I haven't loved.  I'm pretty confident she can make something as unappealing as a sink full of dirty dishes look beautiful.  So when you have her photograph something that is gorgeous on it's own, the result is simply perfection.  

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Elderflower & Mint Daiquiri


Elderflower & Mint Daiquiri
makes 1

sprig of mint
60 ml light rum
20 ml belvoir elderflower cordial
25 ml freshly squeezed lime juice

Fill cocktail shaker with ice and all ingredients.  Shake vigorously and pour straight up into a glass.
Garnish with lime and mint.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Whites & Greys







I've been sorting through my saved images for a work project, and I can't help but notice my aversion to color.  I love, love whites and greys.  They're clean, crisp, and soft - and, when you do add a pop of color, it doesn't look overdone.  I'm pretty sure I will never get sick of this muted color scheme. 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Friday, September 21, 2012

Blackberry Mint Julep


Ingredients
1 1/4 cups fresh blackberries, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup + 4 tablespoons bourbon
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, plus whole sprigs for garnish
shaved or crushed ice
club soda, chilled

Directions
1. Mash together the blackberries, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl and let macerate at room temperature until juicy, about 20 minutes.  Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing against the solids with a rubber spatula to extract as much juice as possible.  Discard the seeds.
2. Put about 2 tablespoons of the blackberry liquid and 1 tablespoon of the bourbon into a silver mint julep cup.  
Add 8 mint leaves, and muddle together.
3. Add shaved ice until the cup is half full.  Insert a sprig of mint and then pack in more ice to about 1 inch over the top of the cup.  Pour 1/4 cup bourbon over the ice.  Add a splash of club soda, and garnish with several mint sprigs and blackberries. 
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 4 drinks.  
Serve & Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Photoshop | Chalkboard Effect

Pencil sketch:


into chalkboard effect:



My friend Cassidy is getting married early next year, so I've been playing around with her and Sean's name to possibly use for paper goods.  I found this tutorial on creating a chalkboard effect in photoshop, and since I already had pencil sketches lying around I decided to try it.  It was pretty simple, and turned out really neat.  Now I'm brainstorming fun things we can do with this...

Outdoor Wedding | French Inspired










If this doesn't make you want to have a casual outdoor french affair, I'm not sure what would.  
Linen, peach tones, rustic elegance... I'm completely smitten. 


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Vera Wang | Diana



Stunning Vera Wang gown with undulating layers and layers of tissue and satin faced organza and tulle

Vera Wang

Inspiration Guide


Parisian Townhouse | Vancouver








With stunning exterior architecture, parisian gardens, gravel lined paths, white marble bathrooms and linen upholstered furniture, this French home in Vancouver couldn't get any more beautiful.