SiBelle

Now that fall is here I'm pining for lazy summer beach days. I've been on the lookout for a comfortable but stylish cover-up to wear on the beach and I came across SiBelle who makes the most gorgeous beach caftans and lingerie. She is based in New York but you can buy her stuff online at her site. Put on a caftan, some chunky jewelry and gladiator sandals for a sexy pool/beach look. Here are my favorites:

Wedding Clutch

I'm on the lookout for an evening handbag and wouldn't this Valentino baby blue masterpiece do the trick? A little something blue I can use over and over again. Enough drooling. Time to find something similar:)

Wedding Website

Lo and behold little ol' me actually created a wedding website! I didn't realize what a necessity it was until I started getting bombarded with questions from guests. It really helps having everything online for people to view. After searching online for a "free" wedding website I came across Bridal Fever. And yes, it really is free. You can create your website from a variety of templates offered which I found to be pretty cute and customizable compared to other similar sites. They offer basic html instruction so I was able to add links, add my own background (a really cute fleur de lis pattern) and customize whatever details I wanted. After saving images for inspiration, it was a breeze to insert pictures I already had on hand throughout the site. I chose to buy a domain name for personal use (Wedding and Non/Wedding related) from Go Daddy for a steal (compared to what you have to pay for at regular wedding sites that typically expire soon after the wedding) and I forwarded my bridal fever site to my domain. I highly recommend going this route for an easy to use, inexpensive and design friendly wedding website.

Free Opera Concert

Have you ever heard an aria outside at dusk? If not then here is your chance! Lyric Opera of Chicago is presenting a star-studded free outdoor concert as its annual pre-season gift to the city. Artists include Natalie Dessay, Nicole Cabell, Jonas Kaufmann, Gordon Hawkins, Raymond Aceto, Elizabeth De Shong, Amber Wagner, Dimitri Pittas, and The Lyric Opera Orchestra will be conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. We plan on packing a little picnic and riding our bikes to the Pritzker Pavilion and setting camp. See you there!

A Challenge

My sister had the temerity (gasp!) to nasay my views on the pocket square without tie calling it "messy and unpolished". I disagree sis, oh I disagree:) And to top it off she said men that wear purple could be seen as "girly". She challenged me to a duel so without further ado here are some images from the Satorialist that prove that men with pocket squares sans tie is stylish and sexy:

Pocket square without tie? Check! A bit of purple? Check!

The nail in the coffin. Take a look at this dapper fellow:

Clothes Make the Man

It's not all about the bride... right?!? The groom has to look sharp too. I found a couple of images going through my old MS magazines and I love this look. LOVE IT. It's unfussy and elegant. I'm usually really turned off by the boutonniere's I see out there; men typically look like they have a flower shrub on their chest. Here a single freesia blossom is tucked through the top hole on the lapel for a cleaner look and the pocket square adds a jaunty flair. I think utilizing the pocket square is a great way to add a little punch of style to a man's ensemble. It's the equivalent of the woman's handbag; it completes a look. For men that hate wearing ties you can still keep it stylish by forgoing the tie altogether and adding a pocket square for a sharp and elegant look.

The pocket squares I've looked at typically come in linen and silk. The linen pocket squares are typically "crisper" and more traditional. They have to be ironed out before folding to retain that crisp fold everyone loves. Silk pocket squares like the one below have a more billowy look to them so it really is a matter of preference. I'm not sure if you can see the tie below in detail but it has little fleur de lis on it! The colors also happen to coordinate with my bridesmaid dresses. If only I could get pocket squares with the same design/color! The tie comes from Duncan Quinn and they have a fabulous selection to choose from. Duncan Quinn is known for it's "rock and roll meets Saville Row" style. Check them out!

Marry in Blue, Lover be True

Before Queen Victoria popularized the white wedding gown, the most popular color to be married in was blue. In ancient Rome, blue represented purity and fidelity which was then syncretized by the early Christians and came to symbolize the same in the form of the pale blue robes of Mary. Blue was then forever tied with the concept of purity. I've always associated the color blue, especially baby blue, as a feminine color. In fact it's my favorite color. With that said, I'm hoping to include touches of blue during my wedding day. To date the only touch of blue I have is on my garter so I have been brainstorming on what other discrete touches of blue I can add. How will you be incorporating the color blue? Here are some of my favorite images/ideas I have come across:

Gorgeous Adrienne Landau pale-blue capelet to the left (Image Source). Larisa Barrera purse to the right (Image Source)

Festoon your getaway car in pale blue ribbon (Image Source)

If blue is your main color for the day you can use this beautiful pale blue invitation set by Lettered Olive as inspiration (Image Source)