Winter White.

February 26, 2014

Topsfield MA, Salem MA, & Boston MA

While I have certainly been MIA here on the blog front, I have to admit I have a pretty good reason… my sister got married!!  In the midst of one of the most bitterly cold and stormy winters that New England has seen in years, she planned a gorgeous, quaint, winter wedding at the beautiful Willowdale Estate in Topsfield MA, and while the week was filled with unexpected snow showers, lightning, and rain, Saturday, her wedding day, turned out to be a “warm” and sunny 48.  An unexpected break in a string of chillingly cold and stormy weather, perfectly fitting for a perfect day.

When I arrived in Boston earlier in the week, I remember being astonished, first of all that the plane landed in the middle of the blizzard that was happening and second, about just how much snow had accumulated everywhere.  Even though my family provides me with constant weather updates, it doesn’t seem real when you’r living in 70 degree weather every day.  Then, as if he was reading my mind, the flight attendant got on the intercom and said “Welcome to Boston.  And welcome to an actual, real winter.”   I laughed a bit and then quickly found my scarf and hat and braced myself for the frost-filled air that was awaiting me outside. 

It was winter alright and I got a heavy dose right away.  Quick dinners in the city turned into longer ones, as I attempted to wait out the sudden blasts of snow that set in as we ordered our meals.  “Where did that come from?” I’d ask, but no one even seemed to notice. This has become their everyday.

I honestly think the weather made Erin’s wedding even more lovely.  She embraced the rainy weather at her rehearsal dinner by wearing adorable blue rain boots (“something blue”) with her white cocktail dress and coat.  The few photos that I’ve seen were stunning in the snow and the venue and hotel were both suited for a cozy winter venue.  The white candles that flooded the reception area and snow covered windowpanes were truly romantic.  Erin glowed in her stunningly classic gown, and my lively family kept the dance floor full throughout the night.

On the way into the church for the rehearsal.

The cozy Willowdale Estate.

On the way to the ceremony.

Pretty accessories.

I’m so thrilled that my sister found such a wonderful guy to spend the rest of her life with. She is so happy when he’s around- I could’ve been in LA to feel the love at this wedding.  I wish you guys nothing but the very best! xoxo

A Snow Bunny Bachelorette

January 3, 2014

Loon Mountain. Woodstock, New Hampshire.

Happy New Year!

I hope you all have had a relaxing holiday break.  It feels like centuries since I’ve been able to sit down and blog, but I’m finally back!  I wanted take a moment today and deviate from my usual posts to share a bit from my sister’s recent bachelorette weekend.  It was a blast and I figured it would be fun to share.

My sister, Erin, has chosen to have her wedding in New England… in the middle of February.  Risking a potential blizzard on her special day, she has decided upon the peak of ski season over the typical warmer months that most East coast brides go with, and thus, when planning her bachelorette weekend, I wanted to keep in line with that same wintery theme.  Since Erin has already attended quite a few Boston pub crawls I wanted to do something different… and since I also wanted to include a bit of relaxation (for those of her friends who had new babies or were pregnant) with the wild times most bachelorette parties include, I felt like a weekend away at one of the most popular ski resorts in New Hampshire was the perfect fit.

Not knowing much about the area, I relied mostly on the reviews I found online for both dinner/bar/and rental accommodations. Luckily (shockingly??) it all turned out amazing!  A few of us got there early and decorated the place with fresh greens we cut from right outside the cabin (errr, I hope that’s okay!), along with candles, white lights, homemade snowflakes, pinecones, and white ribbon.  It really doesn’t take a lot to make a place look lovely- some great ideas from Pinterest can really go a long way!  The goal was to quickly turn the place from a typical cabin into a page out of Pottery Barn’s winter catalogue… and by the time she got there it (almost) looked like that! Regardless, it definitely looked like a cozy winter wonderland. 

On the first night, we got settled in by drinking tons of champagne, eating delicious food, playing Cards Against Humanity, dancing and relaxing.  On Saturday, we hit the slopes and took breaks at the slope-side bar.  In order to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the diners/bar-goers, we decided to go out in theme… and what could be more fitting for a bunch of ski-side bachelorettes than: SNOW BUNNIES?? 

When I found these bunny hats on KNITWITS, I nearly screamed with excitement.  They were exactly what I was looking for and I knew I had to get them.   I told the girls to go nuts with clothing and find sweaters with snowflakes, reindeers, etc. They all went along with my crazy idea and it was so much fun!

I went in search of the perfect all-white snow bunny look for Erin and found these love and snowflake leggings at PINK, and the sparkly white sweater at OLD NAVY. 

The rest of the night was an absolute blast and in a smaller mountain town where most of the people seemed to know each other, we stuck out… quite a bit.  It was a great getaway for all of us and I think my sister loved it (I hope!) 

Every winter, the snow bunnies of the wilderness have to find a way to stay warm.  During Erin’s winter wonderland wedding, these snow bunnies will definitely find a way to stay warm, with beautiful dresses, plenty of wine, and lots of laughs.  I’m just glad to have gotten things started on the right foot… and I can’t wait to do it all over again at the wedding.

Feeling a Bit Festive.

November 12, 2013

The Grove. Los Angeles, CA

I hope that you all enjoyed the long weekend.

I went on a nice long hike, caught up with some girlfriends I haven’t seen in a while, and even did a little pre-holiday browsing over at The Grove.  For those of you who aren’t local to the area, The Grove is a beautiful outdoor shopping center with great restaurants, a local farmers market, and grounds that are groomed so well,  they may actually be able to rival those at Disneyworld!  Oh yea, and did I mention, it’s already decorated for Christmas?  It is! It’s pretty magical over there and it’s basically walking distance from where I live so I try to pop over whenever I have free time.

Just so you know, I am not one of those over-eager holiday people -not that there is anything wrong with that- who already have the house decked out in Christmas lights- but I certainly do love the holidays.  I’m more of an after-Thanksgiving decorating kind of gal and when it comes to shopping, I’d even call myself a procrastinator.  Ok and not I’m not proud of it, but if I’m being totally honest, I’ve definitely spent a Christmas Eve or two scrounging around the mall for last minute finds- oops!  But in an effort to be more on top of things this year, I’m getting a head start- finding my go-to holiday outfits and gifting ideas ahead of time.   I’ll let you know how it goes, but so far, I have a good feeling.

I also got a new haircut. Sometimes a healthy chop can make you feel a thousand times lighter! (Oh and lightening your hair can also make you feel lighter).  I decided to add some highlights, which are certainly subtle yet newsworthy since I’ve only died my hair one other time in my life.  So I decided to live a little and go with some honey-blonde tones! Even though we’re heading into winter and most people tend to go darker this season, I think with my paler skin and darker clothing, I could use a little lift now more than ever.  What do you guys think?

My outfit today has a touch of a holiday party feel to it, but I’ve been wearing this black and white number for the past couple of months.  This adorable peplum off-white top from Forever 21 is so easy to throw on (it never wrinkles) yet it dresses up your jeans for a night out on the town with the girls.  I added the beautiful white big pearl necklace that I just got over the weekend from Loopsway.  This unique take on the classic pearl necklace adds that extra festive, holiday look to the outfit.  I just discovered this boutique online and the jewelry is gorgeous yet remarkably affordable- my kind of place! If you haven’t already, you should go ahead and take a look at the adorable pieces they have to offer!

Necklace: C/OLoopsway

Peplum top: Forever21 (Similar) 

Black Skinnies: H&M (Old) 

Hope you’re feeling festive on this Tuesday morning!  Although it may not quite be time to decorate just yet, it's certainly never too early to get in the holiday spirit.

Photos taken by: Jennifer Biswas