home design ideas: by invitation only

Showing posts with label by invitation only. Show all posts

By Invitation Only: A June wedding...

I am sure every bride would say that there are things they would have changed about their wedding. There are so many ways I would have done things differently!

I was young and pretty simple at the time...

So here is my now wedding if I was to do it again...

gorgeous hand done invitations are a must and I would love to have a wedding in Paris of course... but maybe some where a little bit more quaint more sheltered out in the French countryside ...

Amazing hand made maps to send the guests straight to us.

Always appetizers and cocktails.. Maybe even break tradition and start before the ceremony just to loosen up the crowd..

Beautiful places to sit make conversation and relax..

A simply beautiful dress..

Relaxed gorgeous hair..

A little color with peonies..

Out door seating with candle light.... a small party for close friends only.. not everyone we have ever met!

An amazing cake.. cake is one of the best parts!

And more than anything I would remember to have fun..

Sweets for each guest along with beautiful delicious food. Maybe I could convince Eddy Rocq to come to France to cater for me?

click on the images to be taken to the sites or check them all out here..

Vintage rentals from found

macarons from Rocq Catering

See what the other ladies are up to here..

By Invitation Only: Dream Day..

I am sure that many of you could have imagined where my dream day would take me.. Paris of course. This time with the Mr. we have not been to Paris together for over 10 years and I think a day spent with him there would be just dreamy. We would wake up to this view and have our Pain au chocolat for breakfast with a tall glass of juice.

We would then wander the palace and gardens at Versailles, where he would of course take me on a row boat on the water while I relaxed and we could chat (uninterrupted- this is a luxury).

We would then picnic on the grass with baguettes, fresh fruit, cheeses and wine. Once full we would lay back and find shapes in the passing clouds.

After a relaxing train ride back to the city we would window shop and go into some of my favorites for a real treat- Astier de Villate and always something vintage and memorable.

A nice visit to Merci would be a great idea too.. maybe a little light reading while we have a pick me up in the cafe.

A little more shopping.

A before dinner snack with a great view of the rooftops of Paris.

Finally a beautiful view of the city at sunset from Tour Eiffel.

What do you dream of?

Please take a moment to visit the other ladies and see what their dream days hold..

images and sources can be found here if they are not belonging to moi

Garden dreaming By Invitation Only

I am a little late to the party but let's just say fashionably late. I have spent the last few months gathering inspiration for what is the beginning of what will be one of our longest personal projects here at home. We are laying out the garden and it's rooms. Living in California we spend a great deal of time outside. In the summer months I work outside to be around the kids and to just have the fresh air. Our yard is pretty good size for the neighborhood that we are in so we have quite a bit of room to create. I want a small sitting area just off of the dining room similar to the one pictured above, a sweet space to have tea and waste away Saturday mornings reading magazines and books.

Of course my husband and I also want a pool, never having one really makes us want it all the more. These are both so beautiful.

I love the simple lines of these two pools nothing crazy just good clean fun!

I really love fresh flowers and Hydrangea are some of my favorites, we cannot seem to get Lilac to grow well here but it is so beautiful! So near my sitting area we are planning for a large grouping of Hydrangea and some hedging to back it.

Of course we will have Wisteria along the structures near the house.

I have seen some really beautiful stone troughs that I have been dying to find a use for so we are looking for the perfect place to put a fountain.

We need some large hedges to block out a view from the street above which has been our biggest challenge! These are fabulous!

These are my dream items (items that the husband is opposed to) I would love to have some ladies in my garden to keep me company and give us wonderful fresh eggs.

Finally I really need a pool house with ivy and Hydrangea, don't you think. Oh and this is a great example of what I have asked for surrounding the pool, cement pavers with grass running between.

I am excited to get a plan in place and see these ideas come to life!

Stop by to see what the other ladies have done too.

By Invitation: enchanted evening...

The invitations have been sent and we are off to an little holiday party... I am so excited to get all dressed up and have a lovely time with my friends! (I hope no one minds if I over do it a little- I don't get out much...)

We don't ever want to forget a gift for the hostess and a little something for the other guests too.. macarons to be enjoyed at the party and a little something for her to enjoy while relaxing after everyone has gone home...

Please do visit the other ladies to see what everyone was wearing!

dress, shoes, hair, bag

Dreaming {by invitation}

Dreams are such a fun thing. I have so many but there is one that keeps jumping out at me. I think it maybe more of a wish than a dream but I am truly not sure what the difference is any more.

I dream of having a wonderful place in France to spend time in with my family, when I say time I mean real time where we eat together outside, we cook together, take hikes and walks and learn about the surrounding areas. A home base to travel to new worlds together, just us, just for fun!

This beautiful home would be filled with my favorite of all favorites! Astier de Villatte dishes and furnishings mixed with amazing French finds from Brocantes and local artisans. Things would be striped down and natural just like the surroundings and the food. It would be amazing we would cook and read.