Crushing on Valentine Hearts

Would it be odd to decorate for Valentine's Day? Because it might be nice to sprinkle the house with little hearts...

Paper Heart Garland via Pinterest, Little Stone Hearts by Sarah&Bendrix on Etsy

Valentine Pad-Printed Bowls from West Elm, Heart Garland by Grace Street Paper on Etsy

Little Vintage Hearts by Sarah&Bendrix on Etsy

I love hearts as a graphic pattern, but ugh, look at me- I just kicked the Christmas tree to the curb, and I'm already moving on to decorate for another holiday. Too soon, Elizabeth. 

...but I think I will start tinkering with some letterpress Valentines.

In Bloom: Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are blooming around my neighborhood now, in white, chartreuse, periwinkle, and icy blue. But up the hill, just around the corner from People's Park, and planted outside an odd little cottage that makes me think of Alice in Wonderland, are these orbs of deeply saturated pink.

Apparently the coloration of hydrangeas is dependent upon the acidity of the soil. So now I have a half-joking explanation for this psychedelic color: they're high on acid. That's Berkeley for you.

I've been taking pictures of the hydrangeas in all of their hues (whether trippy or subdued), which I'll be  sharing on the Shock the Bourgeois facebook page today...

Happy Friday

A pink peony, a bowl of berries, some summer fashion inspiration... I'm ready for the weekend!

 

I so want to be that girl... crisp and lady-like, with no-fuss hair and chic black & white adornments. Forget bright colors and barely there bikinis, this is my idea of classic summer beauty.

xoxo

Elizabeth

Wedding Inspiration: Dusty Lace

What says romance better than the delicate touch of lace? I love it especially in muted gray and shyly blushing pink, looking very much like a "something old."

Images: Jenny Bowker Makeup, Martha Stewart Weddings, here via Pinterest, Tim Walker & Rhea Thierstein via Pinterest

About Time for Summer

Here in the Bay we've got flip-flopping weather, but not flip-flop weather. Get it together, June, it's about time for a bright pedicure and new sandals to show it off!

Photograph via Pinterest, Dolce Vita Dress from Ruche via Pinterest, Whitney Smith Pottery photographed by StB, Essie Nail Polish in Super Bossa Nova, Seychelles Chirp Sandals from Piperlime

You know the weather is rotten when even I, the black turtleneck devotee, am craving pastels and pink. Is it raining where you are too?

Tablescaping for a Tea Party

We modern girls are so accustomed to gulping down our caffeine on the go, out of a paper cup, no less!

Wouldn't a tea party be a luxurious change of pace? 

My great-grandma's good china is fussy (and fragile!) so I cobbled together a more casual tea service out of eclectic white ceramics. A flea market tin offers tasty hamentaschen and Adam's vintage toy milk truck is loaded up with condiments with for a witty way to pass the cream. 

It isn't terribly difficult to find an excuse to sip Earl Grey and savor conversation. Book club? Client meeting? Set the table with pretty paper placemats and a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils for jotting down notes. Keep the water hot and the refreshments at hand, and linger over good ideas.

Do you have an occasion that needs some tablescaping inspiration? Email me at shockthebourgeois@mac.com!

Bright Things for a Gray Day

It's a lucky thing that I've got such an affection for dim, rainy days- because Berkeley has treated me to three in a row. I love an excuse to wear galoshes, or to snuggle up with a cat and listen to the rain. Of course, washed in all of this gray light, my neutral decor and wardrobe could look awfully cheerless. When the weather is somber, I seek out happy counterpoints: my ruffly chartreuse trench coat, peachy lipgloss, pastel ranunculus.

Just as the rain will bring a green crop of clover to my little yard, all of my time spent indoors will bring fresh flowers to my neglected etsy shop! In the meantime, it's time to make room for new blooms at Rappaccini's Garden. I think that this Hot House Specimen ought to be gracing someone's pretty neck this Spring, so I've marked it down by over 20%... isn't that bright news on a gray day?

Happy Friday!