sweet seattle…
Posted: February 22, 2013 Filed under: favorites., personal., travel. 3 Comments »in the world of visual merchandising we usually start dreaming of our january vacations starting in october… right around the time we start prepping for holiday. at first it seems like it will never come then— woosh! the trees are up then down & packed away & christmas has come & gone once AGAIN. the holidays are fun but long in retail & a vacation is much needed by the time it rolls around. when gil & i started chatting about our january vacation plans i knew i wanted to go somewhere we’d both never been before. but where? the Napa Valley & Chicago were on my list but weren’t winning. Seattle? hmmm. we’d talked about going to Seattle many times & i’ve alwaysssss wanted to visit. not only is it the home of Nordstrom Inc. (i call it the Mothership) & i’ve dreamed of visiting the Headquarters & Store #1, but everyone we’d talked to just LOVES the place. done. & just like that, on a whim, we were headed to the emerald city…
i was extremely lucky to get in touch with friends in the area who gave us lists & lists of thing to do, places to eat & sights to see. i had NEVER been west of Tennessee & was stoked about visiting the pacific northwest… it was one of my favorite trips ever & i can’t wait to see more or the glorious US of A.
my first ever view of arizona. breathtaking & like another planet…
ahhh! i tried not to faint from over excitement once i saw the view of store #1 up the street… a real dream come true.
real italian cappuccinos at cafe senso.
it was abnormally cold while we were there so we stayed BUNDLED up, but i couldn’t complain because it was sunny EVERY single day… blessed.
the famous gum wall. totally gross but i found a G!
fish at pike place market. i was dying to cook something french!!
oh so fun.
i love how retro the space needle is… built for the 1962 world’s fair!
gil rotating while we enjoyed brunch.
photos from the top: those are snow capped mountains from the distance!
quite possibly the best photo i’ve ever taken on my iphone… but this still doesn’t do mt. ranier justice. ahhhmazing.
what better way to see the whole city than from milion dollar condos? we took some fun tours to see some amazing real estate… the views & spaces are incredible.
our favorite places to eat+drink:
- Black Bottle
- Cafe Senso
- Root Table
- Portage Bay Cafe
- Crepe de France
- Hot Cakes
- Espresso Vivace
our favorite neighborhoods were Pioneer Square, Ballard & Capitol Hill.
our favorite sights+things to do:
- NORDSTROM of course! Downtown is the Original, Bellevue is amazing & don’t forget the Rack!
- The Space Needle is so fab, but beware… we wanted to do brunch at the top but didn’t know the restaurant operated separate from the viewing deck so we ended up paying twice. lesson learned. you have to make reservations & the 3 course (delicious) brunch is $50 a person but includes the viewing deck. rotating 360 degrees around the city on a clear day, eating crab eggs benedict with my gorgeous husband & gawking at the mountain… worth every penny.
- Downtown Shopping is fun, fun, fun.
- Pike Place Market is epic. along the water & just like i’ve always imagined. i was a total freak over all the sleepless in seattle spots… how many times did i say “tom hanks was standing RIGHT HERE!!!” eat the donuts, visit the crepe shop & meet the locals.
- Pioneer Square has the feel of the west village. Old bookstores, loft apartments, cute shops… it was my favorite.
- Mt. Ranier National Park isn’t too far away but winter wasn’t the ideal time to visit.
- The Music & Art world here is phenomenal… so much to to culture experience!
what we loved:
- the people were nicer than i expected! as a southerner who obsessively smiles at everyone i was surprised at how friendly the Seattlites were… people struck up lovely conversations with us everywhere we went.
- everyone seems young, healthy & in shape.
- pets are everywhere… there are twice as many dogs as children in the city, which as childless rabbit lovers we can appreciate.
- it’s GORGEOUS. i’ve never ever seen anything like Mt. Ranier… it’s utterly breathtaking & completely indescribable. we were lucky to see it almost everyday, which isn’t common. a friend of mine lived in Seattle for 3 months before she got a view!
- it has that big city feel with nature & the great outdoors mixed right in… wear jimmy choos or birkenstocks, celine or mountain hardware, either way you’ll fit right in.
- although we didn’t visit far outside the city Victoria, Canada is just 3 hours away & California is oh so close. it was hard to comprehend how far away from home we were but how many amazing places were just a hop, skip or jump away.
- it’s so fun to be surrounded by water, the views of everything around are gorgeous.
i’m really hoping to visit again soon… i’d love to experience the not-so-hot summer in the pacific northwest. seattle, you were fab.
twenty thirteen is here…
Posted: February 9, 2013 Filed under: business., personal., travel. 2 Comments »when i look back on this past year it seems a little blurry… it literally flew by.
i’m so blessed to have had another happy & healthy year with the hubs & bun. we both blogged A LOT, tackeled TONS of new house projects & are excited about 2013!! each passing year i’m always surprised & completely blown away as i watch the number of my blog readers grow. a HUGE heart felt thank you to each & every person near & far who stops by to check in, & read + comment on posts…
here are a few fun facts about the blog from 2012:
love, the looking glass has seen thousands & thousands of visitors this past year, of course from the USA mostly but the United Kingdom & Canada were in a close 2nd & 3rd. with over 275 new photos, i hope you saw things that inspired you to live small, dress up & kept you wanting to try more!
twenty twelve, you were great, see! but we’re ready for what’s coming next!
i already have SOOO many cakes & exciting things to share with you all. stay curious, there’s lots more to come!
our first real big house project was a built-in bookcase… we love it!
i’ve really enjoyed making our laundry detergent… we’ve saved TONS of moolah & i love knowing we’re not covering our skin with gross chemicals!
our summer vacation in charleston for gil’s bday was such a nice getaway…
i made my first rainbow cake… it was for a very hungry caterpillar party!
i ran my very first 5K ever! {the color run}
we turned our unusable back yard into a huge deck! i can’t wait to turn this into an amazing living space as soon as it warms up outside!
sadly my car died… but hubs surprised me & we got a Fiat 500! meet FiFi… & i learned to drive a manual transmission… it’s been interesting to say the least. 
hubs decided to come work with me at Nordstrom while he focuses on his masters degree… & we love working together! seeing his face more often makes a job i already loved even better. come shop with hiim, he’s a amazing personal stylist!
merry & bright…
Posted: December 29, 2012 Filed under: personal. Leave a comment »i hope it was the merriest & brightest of christmases for all of you!
hubs & i were somehow blessed to have a few days off in a row this christmas {which hardly ever happens in retail} so we packed up all the presents & henry & hit the road to charleston. it was my first christmas spent in the southern city & it was quite beautiful. the palm trees were all lit up & the carriage riders were bundled tight in blankets. on Sunday evening we did a little downtown shopping, ate at our favorite restaurant: Hall’s Chophouse then we headed back home to hibernate for the rest of the holiday… we really tried to rest. we slept in, stayed in our comfy clothes & the couch was my seat of choice. i lost count of how many christmas movies we watched, i don’t think we ever ceased eating + drinking & there were presents galore. i think my favorites from gil were tiffany rope rings, a le creuset enameled cast iron french oven, peugot salt & pepper grinders & a new julia child book. i have plans to really explore cooking & baking in the new year… i know gil is excited.
headed to downtown charleston… isn’t he handsome!?
SO happy about this beauty… i’m pretty sure i’m going to cook everything in it all the time.
my favorite wrapping paper to date… i heart herringbone.
we’ve already taken down all the holiday decor at Nordstrom! until next year…
we did a little family photo shoot with the talented andie linn… henry was very excited to be a part of it. obviously.
even though christmas seems to come & go so quickly it’s always such a magical season… each time i read the story of Jesus’ birth i am more awed by the gift that he is to us. one we could never deserve but one i am more thankful for with each passing year. this christmas was one to remember & we haven’t even celebrated with my parents yet!! can’t wait to spend new years eve with them celebrating the most wonderful time of the year…
i’ve missed you all…
Posted: December 6, 2012 Filed under: personal. Leave a comment »i didn’t mean to take a 2 month long blog hiatus but i did. i’m not sure if i needed a break or not but i do remember asking myself what i was doing. i remember thinking that if i wasn’t encouraging people to do something that really mattered then maybe i should just stop…
i think i’m still figuring it out but i do know for sure that i’ve been called to be a wife. one that brings good to my husband & not harm… one that helps the poor & speaks wisdom. one that is profitable… i’ve got staying up late & having expensive taste in the bag but watching over the affairs of my household & building a home is what i love most & i’m honored to do it.
i know it looks different for all of us. some of us aren’t married, we’re renting apartments or funds are extremely limited but no matter what, as women (no offense to my male readers like Marc) i think we’re the ones who can choose to make wherever we are a place that’s more than just a home. a place that overflows with encouraging words & reminders of His love for us. a place that’s a comfortable hideaway from the things stirring non-stop on the outside. a place that resources what we already have so that we aren’t wasteful, as well as a place that riles up the creativity inside all of us…
i’m doing my best & that’s all i can do. sharing ways to encourage all of you to live small, dress up, make changes, & be the best version of yourself is what i love most. so if now that means cakes, antiques, wallpaper, lots of spray paint & pin after pin then let’s get back to it… maybe i just needed a little pep-talk… but really, i’ve missed you.
i’ll leave you with a few things i’ve been up to these last 2 months:
i ran my first 5k the color run! isn’t my friend leigh cute?
this is the apple pie i baked with my mom on thanksgiving… it was more than delish.
i diy’d my own metal letters… i’ll show you what they spell soon enough
we have our christmas tree up & in a new corner! i added a huge burlap bow on top after i snapped this photo.
& this is what henry has been up to… he’s constantly resting under the tree between snacking on it.
costume check: a la brunch…
Posted: September 30, 2012 Filed under: favorites., personal., style & fashion. Leave a comment »you’d think that since hubs & i work at the same place we’d see each other often but that’s not always the case… i’m off on weekends & he works. i start early & he usually starts late. he gets an hour for lunch & i only get 3o minutes… not to mention my spare time is full of domestic duties, antique boothing & cake making while he spends countless hours studying theology… but, we have the BEST jobs & i couldn’t be more thankful for where God has us, & how he’s using us… it’s pretty much perfect despite having many days off together but we’ve never had that our whole marriage so we make it work! when we do have a whole day together we like to make it special… lately we’ve been venturing to saturday morning estate sales with coffee in hand but one of our most favorite things is to have brunch at toast in davidson.
i’m a total creature of habit & we never tire of this place. if you’ve never been you just have to try it… not only is the food impeccable but it’s located in a quaintly lovely historic college town. oh & they play the best music. honestly that may be one of my favorite parts. i could eat the cali benny & listen to the mama’s & the papas ALL DAY LONG. {hey south queen citiers, they now have a locations in dilworth & ballantyne!}
i’m loving this cooler weather so i thew on my favorite sweatshirt & jumped in the car.
sunglasses: bp nordstrom
white collared top: lush via nordstrom
jeans: forever 21
polka dot loafers: gap
bag: lv eva
phone case: rabito via nordstrom
bangs: dirty & pulled back
*this is NOT a sponsored post.
the great outdoors…
Posted: September 28, 2012 Filed under: before & after., exteriors., living small., personal. 1 Comment »well, we’re almost finished with our very first BIG renovation project here at the gatch house… a brand new deck to replace our sinfully boring & unusable back yard!! it was on a hill, we couldn’t get grass to grow, only weeds… it did not feel homey nor provide a suitable place to entertain. actually our concrete patio was barely enough room for a table & 4 chairs. we moved the deck to the top of our project list once we realized that fall was right around the corner & we just knew it would be something we’d both really enjoy. we LOVE to sit, eat & relax outside plus adding square footage to our tiny living space won in the race against hardwood floors. so those will come later…
it’s been fun having a building permit in the front window & i’ve loved seeing the progress each day when i get home from work. but now that it’s almost done i’ve been obsessed with finding inspiration to make it look & feel amazing back there. i can’t wait to furnish it, plant tons of things & really make it feel like an extension of our home, french inspired & all.
i’m kinda bummed that we’ve missed all the outdoor clearance sales but it will come together eventually. home decor patience is not one of my virtues… alas, there are a few must-haves on my wish list:
-a couch of some kind {i’d really love to find a great sectional that’s not $7 grand.} or chaise lounges?!
-a fire pit
-string lights a la paris
-small trees, i’m thinking a fig or lemon tree & a few others too
-a grill {we don’t have one. YET.}
-gil wants some kind of cool large outdoor rug
-a raised herb garden
-& lots of pillows.
here’s what i’ve been pinning lately… take a peep.
love the rug & the black & white stripes… right up our alley.
can you name this tree?! if so please tell me, it’s perfect!
i can’t wait to use these barrels for planting & drink sitting…
these lights remind me of our wedding… & paris. love, love love.
lately i’m loving greens way more than flowers.
wait, i wish i could afford this furniture for inside my house! love the mirrored table & all neutral pallette.
i’m thinking if i can’t find the perfect couch, my dad & i could build one out of pallets right?!
not sure if our HOA will approve a pergola, but we might try next summer. oh so homey!
what’s your favorite part about your outdoor space? please share! can’t wait to show you all the final product soon… be curious!
all photos via my pinterest board… click here to find the links.
it’s all about dark glamour…
Posted: September 5, 2012 Filed under: personal., style & fashion. 2 Comments »the closest i ever got to goth style was borrowing my best friends pyramid studded belt from hot topic in 10th grade & really wanting but never getting black lace up doc martens {fyi: i still really want a pair.} but this fall, it’s all about dark glamour… at least for one big trend. dark glamour in a nouveau gothic, enchanting, old-world victorian, eerie yet weirdly gorgeous, makes me want to watch sweeney todd kind of way.
here’s what i’m LOVING from the runways. i hope you’re inspired to add a wisp of dark glamour to your closet this fall. i know i am… allsaints & doc martens on ebay here i come!!
be curious!
every fall i splurge the $20 on a runway book… it’s the best way to peep all the up-close details &
feel a little closer to fashion week. this year, marie claire did a fab job.
helmut lang via style.com
lanvin via style.com
gucci via style.com
alexander wang via style.com
valentino via style.com
j brand rtw fall 2012… i would wear THIS outfit EVERYDAY.
a few “wish list get it’s:”
i heart these alexander wang shoes…
love these pleats!
philip lim 3.1 pashli transparent PVC tote
oh my these sleeves!
gucci ankle strap sandal… they come in navy too!
{wanna be on trend all the way? add wine stained lips, cage-like accessories, a belt & tall boots. game over.}
in my opinion fall fashion is always the best… layers, textures, the constant reinvention of silhouettes & the blowing of minds. enjoy it friends… resort is quite literally just around the corner.
*all runway shots via style.com. no one does it better than vogue.*
happy second anniversary love…
Posted: September 3, 2012 Filed under: personal., uncategorized. | Tags: love, wedding 2 Comments »labor day means celebrating another year hitched to the love of my life… with each passing 365 days i fall more & more in love with the man of my dreams. i can’t help but be all sappy… we’ve been rescued. we’re provided for, blessed & protected. the Lord continues to give us wisdom & show us what he created us for… & we get to do the things we love together.
gil, another year gone by… can you believe it? there is no one like you. you laugh at me. you encourage me. you know me. you take care of me. you show me Jesus more than anyone else i know. i love & cherish you. happy 2nd anniversary. here’s to the next one hundred & thirty-eight years we have left. xoxo
before & after: barely there entryway…
Posted: August 31, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., before & after., interiors., living small., personal. Leave a comment »i just love entryways. of course they seem to be the place to toss keys, mail, shoes & what-not but they’re the real “welcome” to your humble abode. it’s also a visitors very first impression of the place you call home & they deserve to be well dressed & functional. i found these photos via pinterest & they were just the inspiration i was looking for… clean, bright, white, & mirrored with just the right amount of un-polished charm.
here’s our before. & proof of just how small we’re living! it’s a TINY, barely-there {if you blink you might miss it} spot right behind the front door, but i refuse to let any space in our home go without a purpose. every corner deserves to be used to its highest potential right?! that’s what living small is all about…
& the after!
ahhh shoe storage!
we’re SO thrilled with how it turned out. i’d been looking for a more traditional console table for months when we saw this shoe storage cabinet in the new ikea catalog… it was much more our style than most ikea furniture, the measurements were PERFECT for our teeny space & who can pass up a place to store 14+ pairs of shoes?! i actually love scattering my things here each day when i get home & it’s such a great storage solution, it almost never looks messy. i toss my headphones, lipstick & everything else into the cute striped drawer, smell the fresh flowers, & glance a smile at my grandma. oh & i’m planning to carry the black & white stripes to other parts of our downstairs so you’ll see more of those.
if you’re working on your own entryway don’t worry. these sometimes awkward spaces can be a little hard to design. i suggest really thinking through what you’d like to get out of the space. do you need a place to sit, baskets to hide things, or lots of hanging space? do you need to store umbrellas, children’s backpacks, or pet leashes? do what works for you & your family. it can be as simple as coat rack or as detailed as entire foyer… it’s your home & yours only. enjoy it, & be curious.
*shoe cabiet: ikea.
*french mirror: the depot at gibson mill.
*pink depression glass & brass turtle: vintage from my grandma.
*black & white stripe hooks: anthropologie.
*picture frame: target {i love this polaroid of my late gran gran & my dad in his teens.}
*flowers: from the ONLY place i like to buy flowers: the kings drive farmers market, charlotte nc.
new favorite: ruby woo…
Posted: August 23, 2012 Filed under: favorites., personal., style & fashion. 1 Comment »let’s be honest, red lipsticks are hard to find… there are orangey red, blueish reds, pinky reds. it’s bananas!
i’ve been on the hunt for a new staple color… a classic matte red that has just the right amount of punch but is still lady-like enough to wear often, maybe everyday, maybe not. ya know what i mean? one that looks like this:
& i think i’ve found it. i only had to describe” it” once & my sweet as candy friend Jessi at the MAC counter via NORDSTROM knew exactly what i meant. MAC RETRO MATTE: RUBY WOO. sold. done. let’s go.
keep in mind that i’ve got pretty pale skin, but i still think it will translate well across skin types… it’s bold, bright, a perfect apple red & stays on forever… a tiny sweep of chapstick before painting it on will lock in some moisture. i love the retro librarian feel it had when i wore it with my glasses {it’s time for gil & i to get new ones but these a la high school square lovelys still work just fine.}
what’s your go-to red lipstick? be curious… shop ruby woo here.
*top photo via j.crew… they have got it going on.*
