Late Summer Musings

As August winds down and Labor Day weekend begins, I've found myself clinging to the last bits of summer. Thinking back to May 12, when Mr. V and I got engaged, it feels like minutes have gone by, much less three and a half months. This has been the best summer I can remember, but it was also a whirlwind...

Since the end of May, I've been to Berlin, Martha's Vineyard, Milan, Torino, Vermont, Virginia, and Florida. We've celebrated several friends' weddings (Mr. V has been to ten ceremonies since January; I made it to eight of those). Mr. V and I have also been working hard to plan our own wedding, which is seven and a half months away and feels like it's just around the corner. Additionally, we recently adopted a sweet kitten that we just adore. With all of these wonderful summer memories and experiences tumbling around in my mind, it feels hard to let go of the season. However, today's weather finally ignited a small yearning in me for fall. The air felt warm, yet crisp, and the light streamed through the trees, illuminating a few yellowing leaves, just as in this beautiful image of a farm's garden. It has left me exited for a new season and a fresh start, and I'm going into the long weekend feeling ready for the change. Have a happy final few days of summer!

Image via Modern Hepburn. 

The Perfect Gray

This summer I've been traveling more than I ever have before, and I've hardly spent any weekends in the city all season. After our time in Vermont, Mr. V and I went to Palm Beach to visit his family the last weekend of July, and this past Friday we decided to take a spontaneous trip to visit my parents in the Virginia countryside. We're finally tucked back in our apartment, and I'm contemplating what color we should paint our living room...

I have shades by Farrow & Ball, Pratt & Lambert, Benjamin Moore, and Martha Stewart all dotting our walls in the hunt to find the perfect hue of light gray...And gray is such a daunting color to find! Each one seems either too blue or too taupe. The most beautiful shades I find are all quite dark (like Benjamin Moore's Coventry Gray), so perhaps I'll paint the room white and add touches of the dark gray to our doors and bookshelves. I love the use of gray in the three images above this - even the monochromatic outfit is a beautiful inspiration for layering a room with texture and color. For now, I'm off to scan Pinterest for more images! 

Image one via Elle Decor; Image two via Cupcakes and Cashmere; Image three via Pinterest, original source unknown. 

Happy Weekend!

Today Mr.V and I are headed to Vermont to celebrate the wedding of our friends in Manchester. I've never been to Vermont, and we're really looking forward to our road trip (our first experiment with a Zipcar) and a few days away together!

Between all the travel I've been doing and wedding planning, I've been terribly remiss about blogging, but I vow to get back in the swing of things! I can't wait to share all of the exciting design that I've discovered while preparing for our wedding. Happy weekend, everyone!

Image of mountains near Manchester via AllPics. 

Independence Weekend

Happy (belated) Fourth of July! I hope everyone is enjoying a fantastic long weekend, hopefully relaxing in your red, white, and blue finest and avoiding the heatwave gripping the east coast. 

I spent July 4 in Milan, where I traveled for a three-day work trip this week. I flew back from Italy on Friday morning, and Mr. V met me in Virginia. We're spending the rest of the weekend here visiting my parents - and our new adorable kitten! We're adopting the sweetest little grey tabby that showed up on my parent's back porch last week...He's a real charmer, and I'm already in love. Happy weekend!

Image on via Note to Self; Image two via Paul Costello. 

Happy Weekend!

Mr. V and I are heading to brunch in TriBeCa to toast our friends who got engaged this week (yay!). Yesterday, we attended our other friends' wedding in the city, which was a fantastic lunch-time bash. They already had a stunning week-long wedding in Udiapur (that we got to attend!), and yesterday's nuptials allowed them to celebrate again with more friends and family stateside. I had never been to a daytime wedding, and it was a lot of fun!

This weekend I'm lucky enough to have a rare two days off with Mr. V, so I can't wait to get outside and soak up the warm, sunny weather in NYC and get some extra time with him. Happy weekend to you all!

Image from Lonny via The Glitter Guide. 

Happy Weekend!

Mr. V and I are spending this weekend in the city at the wedding of his family friend. Last night was the sangeet, where many of the female guests (including me) got mehndi and we all danced and celebrated the wedding. Tonight is the ceremony, and I'm looking forward to another fun-filled evening of revelry! 

I hope you have a happy weekend!

Image one via pinterest; Image two via Bella Pictures.

Vacation Days | Martha's Vineyard

Last week, Mr. V and I went to Martha's Vineyard to celebrate our friends' wedding, which was so beautiful. We made the trip into a four-day weekend, and spent the last two days exploring the island by rental car, seeing every town, beach, and lighthouse that we could find. It was amazing to be out of the city together for a little getaway, and here are some of the pictures from our adventure...

Happy Weekend!

If it weren't for its city view, this space would feel a million miles away from urbanity. The supersize glass paneled wall floods this charming apartment with lots of light, and the light wood and rustic accents would seem more at home in a country getaway...

It feels like an escape for them city, and this apartment must be so much fun to entertain in! Today, I'm headed to brunch with girlfriends at a favorite neighborhood Mediterranean spot, then may head uptown to Randall's Island to scope out the Frieze Art Fair. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Here are a few things I'm loving this week:

This awesome Les Lalanne exhibition perfectly merges fantasy and furniture (and Jonathan Adler seems to be channeling the husband/wife design duo here!).

I'm about to step up my domestic skills, as I've signed up for a cooking class at Haven's Kitchen, and a flower arranging class with The Little Flower School (with the owner of Saipua, and more on the School here).

The new Rue Mag has hit the digital stands.

This Sunday Supper is filled with my favorite bloggers, florists, and linens.

I'm feeling overdue for a beautiful beach vacation...

Image via The Design Nerd. 

Happy Weekend!

This simple and festive table, set under the bright setting sun, has me really yearning to eat a meal outside. With the current warm weather in New York, that could actually be in the cards this weekend! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting Saipua and meeting with Sarah, the co-owner, as we decided on floral arrangements for an upcoming event I'm helping coordinate. I can't wait to see her beautiful creations - she'll be using red charm peonies, red azaleas, coral sweet peas, and red ranunculus...All favorites of mine! After leaving Saipua's charming space, I popped over to browse antique jewelry at Erie Basin, a store I had long-wanted to visit (after many trips to their blog), and I'm now obsessing over a vintage ring that I would love to own (a danger of window shopping)! I'm off to start my weekend, and I hope you all have a fantastic couple days filled with lots of rest & relaxation. Here a few of of my favorite links from the week to enjoy...

It would be fun to be able to buy produce at this green grocer.

Have you ever had pressed sushi? I haven't, but I'd like to try it here.

These chairs from the new collaboration from Canvas and Jason Wu would be a fantastic addition to any dining room table...

I'm looking forward to seeing this Ernesto Neto exhibit.

Obama prefers Jay-Z to Kanye.

A delicious champagne, mint and lemon cocktail to enjoy on these warmer days.

Slipping away for a weekend at this Palm Desert home would be the ideal escape...

Image from this Maui wedding via Style Me Pretty, Photographer: Gina Meola.

Happy Easter!

Aren't these flowers beautiful? They would be a great accent to any table today.

Mr. V and I are off to meet our friends at the wonderful Joseph Leonard for a brunch filled with bloody marys, bellinis, and food from their to-die-for brunch menu. Yum! I hope everyone has a delicious meal this Easter Sunday!

Image via Style Me Pretty, Photographer: Nicole Paulson.

Happy Weekend!

Isn't this Rosemary and Rhubarb cocktail from bon appétit beautiful? I'd love to try it...It's ideal for this gorgeous spring weather. I am so excited to spend as much time outside as possible on this beautiful weekend...New York style, so that means eating and drinking at sidewalk cafés and taking a walk in Washington Square Park. Tonight Mr. V and I are headed to Alta for dinner with friends, and then to Sunday brunch tomorrow in the West Village. I hope you all have happy Easter or Passover celebrations! Here are a few links that I'm loving this week for you to enjoy...

Domino's Special Edition has already been spotted at the newsstands in New York! I can't wait to get a copy.

This week, Ruffled featured my friend Lauren's wedding, which was photographed by my friend Chrissy.

My obsession with Saipua's flower arrangements has only grown after seeing this fantastic wedding at the Gramercy Park Hotel.

Beyoncé's new Tumblr page.

Drake and Rihanna's new video.

This clear glass carafe would be a beautiful addition to a holiday table, as would this brass coaster (on sale!).

I'm dying to fix this Watermelon Radish Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette...Perfect for spring and summer!

Enjoying Life

Happy weekend, everyone! Last night, Mr. V very sweetly organized a belated birthday dinner and drinks for me, which was so much fun and really meant a lot. We were joined by our great friends and went to Highlands, a gastropub in the West Village that serves the most delicious food. I had the Scottish salmon with corn purée, sautéed rocket and roasted red pepper, while Mr. V and a few others devoured the truffle risotto with spring onion and parmesan. Yum!

Today I'm lying low after a (long) night out, and dreaming of relaxing in a tranquil setting like the one above, designed by Ruthie Sommers. How beautiful is this walled backyard? The variations in the brick add fantastic texture and color to the space. I'd love to hop on to that hammock and swing the day away...

Image from Lonny July/August 2011, Photographer: Patrick Cline.