Sixties wedding dresses that are totally on trend

Did anyone else see this post on Buzzfeed? I looked through it because I love old photos and retro fashion, but as I was scrolling through, what stuck out to to me was how many of the brides were wearing trends that are super popular right now (and not just the "vintage" trend).

Short Dresses

I love Say Yes to the Dress and fairly often, there's a mama on there freaking out because her daughter wants to wear a short dress instead of a long traditional dress. Haha, well, this is 50 years ago, look at all the short dresses! So many!

via Buzzfeed

via Buzzfeed

via Buzzfeed

via Buzzfeed

via Buzzfeed

Wedding Dresses with Color

Wedding dresses that aren't all white or ivory are a huge trend right now. So many people want a white wedding dress because they're traditional. Even though it's no secret that that "tradition" only goes back less than 200 years to the wedding of Queen Victoria, even in the 60s, there were wedding dresses in colors besides white.  

via Buzzfeed

I mean, how awesome is her light blue wedding dress?!

Leu Gardens Weddings

So last week, I wrote about Leu Gardens, a great Central Florida day trip.  While researching to write that post, I found lots of images of weddings there!  So this week, I thought I'd share what a great wedding venue it is... in addition to a fun place to visit!

via Rai Cox on Pinterest

Thrifting to Decorate My Kitchen: The Corner Cabinet and the Girl Scout Fiestaware

When I was house hunting, I wanted built-ins.  Oh my goodness, did I want built-ins. I craved cute little fold down ironing boards and bookcases and cute corner hutches.  One of the main things on my house wish list was one of those cute wood scroll things above the sink that were so popular in 50s kitchens and seem to be ripped out constantly on those awful remodeling shows.  Alas, when I found the right house for me, while it did have the original wood cabinets that I so desperately wanted and a nice built-in bookcase in the living room, there was not a cute scroll-y thing in sight.  

A few months ago, my mother and I were at an estate sale (we do love a good estate sale) and I saw this corner hutch.  All the fun scroll work I could handle, plus it looks like something that could have feasibly been built into my 1947 house. It had a few coats of old flaking paint on it, but a fresh paint job and it’s good as new.  Here it is mid-paint job:

personal photo

Around the same time, I scored an awesome stash of Fiestaware at a Girl Scout fundraiser garage sale.  My mom had gone to the garage sale before me and told me that I had to go back.  They had Fiestaware... cheap.  We got there just as they were closing and luckily, they reopened just for us.  There was tons of Fiestaware, much of it brand new and never used.  I scored all of this awesome stuff for about $25.  Super exciting.

And here is my new corner hutch with a piece or two of Fiestaware, some awesome family pieces also by Homer Laughlin, a few other pieces, and my (fake) raven lurking at the top.

Obviously, it’s not totally done looking, but it’s well on its way.  This corner was the catch all for a long time, so to get it to this point is a victory. 

When the season of life is changing...

I've been in a somewhat melancholy contemplative mood today, as I have been, like many, saddened by the passing of actor Robin Williams.  I always felt a kinship with this man that shared my name and brought such joy to so many people.  People and things all have their seasons of life and sometimes they leave us before we're ready.

I recently started a new job and while new beginnings are exciting and hopeful, it often means that with this same cycle of life, some people and things reach their end.  I was thinking along these same lines a few weeks ago, when I heard that Chalet Suzanne, a local restaurant and inn that had been open for 83 years, was closing.  It was a quirky family-run landmark that had a special place in many people's hearts.  I always feel change very acutely and it makes me sad when the vintage places that I love close and are so often torn down.

B and I went out to Chalet Suzanne a few weeks ago for a final meal.  We brought the camera and got some great pictures of this awesome old place.  It is obviously in need of some maintenance, but you can still see the greatness of what was there.

MY HOUSE! The kitchen....

I'm finally writing about my house! When I bought my house about a year and a half ago, almost every surface in the entire place was yellow.  And not light, cheerful, sunny yellow... icky, sickly, mustard-y yellow.  The walls in the bathroom, sunroom, and kitchen were all painted the same shade of yellow, the kitchen had yellow countertops, and the bathroom had vintage yellow tile up the walls (in addition to the yellow paint).  Anything that wasn't currently yellow had clearly been yellow at one point, since when paint chipped off of doors, cabinets, or anything else, there it was underneath. It was a lot.  I'm pretty obsessed with keeping original details in vintage houses, so the kitchen countertops and the bathroom tile are staying.  The sickly yellow walls had to go though.

Before I moved in, I painted every wall in the house (including the weird green bedroom) to shades of greige, grey, and navy.  I ran out of time though and the kitchen languished in yellow purgatory for a few more months.  Eventually, I couldn't take it any more and painted the walls a light ivory just to make it more bearable.  Still though, it remains the room that has gotten the least attention.  It got a pretty corner hutch (which will get a post of its own) and a new stove that I love, but while it's a vast improvement, it's still the most overlooked room of the house.

The rest of my house is about 90% finished inside (the exterior is a whole other story... we spent the entire day yesterday planning what we want to do out there, but I digress).  The interior needs a few decorative finishing touches and some organizing, but it's mostly the way that I want it.  The kitchen is the major exception though and I'm excited that its time is coming.

So now for my design plan, some before photos, during photos, and some inspiration photos....

vintage hutch, Grow House Grow wallpaper, similar table to what I have: Saarinen Dining Table from hivemodern.com, similar bentwood chair: Sweetheart Bentwood Chair from americanchairs.com, similar houseplant from houzz.com, my kitchen cabinets, mint canisters from Pier 1, grey cabinets: marthastewart.com, appliances are from GE.

GLITTER + PLUM by KARO on ETSY

I'm really digging this treasury on Etsy that I was featured in recently.  It combines the gold glitter that I've been loving on everything lately and the purple that's becoming more popular with the declaration of Radiant Orchid as the Color of the Year.  Really pretty.  This could be a really great color scheme for a wedding.  Shades of purple with some gold glitter thrown in for good measure, I like it!

NEW YEAR'S ROUNDUP

I can't believe 2013 is almost over.  It's been a year full of transitions and changes for me and I'm hoping to see a few good things come to fruition in the new year.  A big one for me is trying to get this blog up and running as well as regaining momentum on my Etsy shop.  I'll be kicking the blog off more officially in January with some profiles of weddings featuring my Etsy items and home design posts including pictures of my house.  Anyway, without further ado, I've put together a round up of New Year's-themed items!  

2014 banner by LittleLoveLane on Etsy

For better or worse, banners are super trendy lately and this one is cute and sparkly.  Fun for a New Year's Eve party or just to decorate the house in the new year.