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!
antiquing find: printing press drawer…
Posted: August 12, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., interiors., living small., personal., travel. Leave a comment »oh st. augustine… it’s been just the relaxing vacation i’ve needed. running on the beach, laying by the pool, reading books & blogs, resting, resting, resting & just a little shopping. yesterday the grandparents took me up to jacksonville to do a little antiquing… i was looking for clocks to add to our collection {& i knew those would be small enough to travel home on the plane} but i didn’t see ONE. baby ben’s must be extinct here or something, geez. BUT i did find this beauty. an antique printing press drawer. i’ve kind of always wanted one. i’m not sure yet if i’m going to hang it in our upstairs hallway or if i’ll use it on our coffee table.
what do you think?
it sure is a beauty right? i’m loving the original drawer pull…
;
new favorite iphone app: yard sale mapper…
Posted: July 7, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., favorites., travel. Leave a comment »last weekend i celebrated at a house-warming party for a very best friend of mine… lots of fellow antique extraordinaire friends of mine were there as well. we were chatting & dreaming about flea markets & traveling across the country together in budget trucks all the while stumbling upon piles of “junk” that we could make into something amazing.
after that the subject changed to yard sales… i’m currently looking for three pieces of furniture in particular for our house & mentioned them to a friend so that she could keep an eye out. call it luck or the Lord’s favor but this girl find some amazing things at yard sales & she shared her favorite yard sale app with me. pardon me? yard sale app?!?! why hadn’t i thought of this? after my brain readjusted i got really excited. a free iPhone app that find all the yard sales in your area on any given day using GPS & maps you there?! GLORY!
meet: yard sale mapper.
i’m guessing it uses things like the newspaper & craigslist to find the sales but who really cares when all the work is done for you?!
scroll to the day of the week…
pick a red dot…
& drive!
it will list them for you as well as give you the details of each sale… i loved this feature! it helped us find antiques & housewares while passing up things like tools & kids clothing…
gil & i got up early this morning & headed out to see what we could find… & well, this app is genius. every yard sale we mapped was exactly where is was supposed to be & we stopped at plenty of others along the way. i didn’t find my furniture YET but Gil got lucky with a vintage briefcase {$5} & a TDR biograghy {.50} can’t wait until next Saturday morning!
get up, go out & be curious!
costume check: charleston…
Posted: June 25, 2012 Filed under: favorites., personal., style & fashion., travel. 1 Comment »so, we’re back & i can honestly say it was the best. vacation. ever. {details in my next post.}
gil snapped a few photos of me this past week while we were out & about gallivanting around charleston… i’m a firm believer that vacation style should most definitely be laid back but styled none the less.
sunday: church & brunch at magnolias.{sunglasses: bpnordstrom. top: soprano via nordstrom. denim: urban outfitters + altered by my tailor. bag: lv eva. alligator belt: via gil’s dad in high school… his initials are carved on the gold buckle & they’re my initials as well!}
monday: celebrating gil’s 31st birthday & dinner at our favorite spot. {tank: f21. skirt: vintage christian dior. shoes: gucci marola flats. bag: lv eva. belt: vintage. watch: nixon.}
tuesday: touristy day visiting the U.S.S Yorktown. {dress: old navy from a million years ago, still a favorite piece in my closet. perfect for touristy travels in the sweltering heat. bracelet: jade via chinatown, nyc.}
wednesday shopping day & date night. {gil & i don’t venture out too often from our favorite items based mostly around neutrals, but for summer, brights just work. we shopped king street all day & dressed up in our new perfectly charleston preppy duds before dinner. my sweater: j.crew linen. his tee: lacoste.}
inspiration before vacation…
Posted: June 16, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., favorites., health & wellness., interiors., personal., style & fashion., travel., uncategorized. Leave a comment »omg. it seems like we’ve been waiting forever & it also feels like time is just flying by… i can’t believe all i have to do tomorrow is head to charleston with the hubs on our summer vacation. we’ll be spending a whole week {don’t mess with our ex-cop house sitter! } celebrating gil’s 31st birthday {it’s monday but we’ll celebrate all week} & focusing all of our time on doing whatever our little hearts desire. we’ll shop, hit the beach, explore & eat amazing food but i’m most excited to be away from the hustle & bustle… to relax, rest, refocus, be quiet, & mostly be still, which is really hard for me to do! but i’ve got a new book, my bible & journal & lots of magazines for the beach. plus a handsome husband to spend every waking moment with. done & done.
i wanted to leave you all with a few things that i’ve found inspirational lately & a list of my favorite places to explore on the web… ya know, to keep you curious while i’m gone.
first up this ahhhmazing DIOR video shot at Versailles. it’s over the top in a dior kind of way, but just when you think it can’t get any better the fountains go off… & then just when you can’t breathe, the sun starts to set… & Paris glows in a way you just can’t explain unless you see it with you own eyes. maybe it’s because i’ve always been obsessed with Versailles & being there last year was a dream come true {reminder to myself: paris post.} but the grandeur of this place is unexplainable & so very inspiring…
2nd: an encouraging note… not sure sure who’s going through what but you can be inspired & blessed by this truth.
3rd: i mean come on… i dare you not to cry.
4th: i’ve been really inspired by collections lately. i think it’s been my way to justify some of our clutter… that maybe if i can turn it into a “collection” than i can keep it right now i’m building our collection of clocks {mostly baby bens} books of course, maps, & i’m hoping to add globes & huge antique jars. this globe collection is perfection.
5th: we’ve all got to have a little inspiration to get fit & stay healthy… how else am i supposed to keep getting to the gym at 4:30 am & adding miles to my que?!
& last but not least a few of my favorite web candies from my bookmarks bar… moredesignplease. fashionologie. net-a-porter. apartment therapy. natural news. etsy. the sartorialist. & sadie olive. enjoy & be curious!
ok pupcakes… see you in a week!
*photos via: pinterest. & more design please.
costume check: wilmington wedding…
Posted: June 8, 2012 Filed under: favorites., style & fashion., travel., wedding... Leave a comment »last weekend Gil & I headed to Wilmington for a wedding… my sister-in-law London’s sister Madison was marrying the love of her life & we were ready to celebrate! we’d never been to Wilmington before & i was excited to spend some time in the quaint little town, even if it was just for 22 hours.
talk about a beautiful drive!
Madison & Cullen are both actors & their themed wedding was just too cute to handle. their wedding programs were to die for & looked exactly like a real play bill…
of course every wedding is an opportunity to get dressed up! here’s what i wore:
dress: diane von furstenberg- tolara (an incredible eBay find!)
shoes: sam edelman- yelena via nordstrom (on sale now!)
nail polish: butter- yummy mummy via nordstrom (see a post about how much i love butter london here.)
bag: louis vuitton eva with strap removed (i love a crossbody that turns into a gold chained clutch!)
a blurry iphone photo of the hubs & me…
my insanely gorgeous mother-in-law maggie…
we had a really fun time with friends & family… i love how weddings always seem to bring people together… Wilmington you were sweet but i didn’t get to see the beach… hopefully we’ll be back again in the future. ciao!
costume check.
Posted: February 4, 2012 Filed under: personal., style & fashion., travel. | Tags: perfect mix, spanish moss Leave a comment »gil, henry & i took a last-minute road trip to charleston for a few days this weekend to visit with gil’s parents, get away & just relax… summerville, (where gil grew up) is one of our favorite places to escape to. the feeling of “home” is overwhelming in a great way, beautiful historic houses line the small town streets & spanish moss hangs loosely in the trees. it’s quiet, serene & bubbling with southern charm. we spent yesterday downtown & today we ventured over to mount pleasant to visit celadon, a home store i’ve been just dying to see. it was everything i imagined & more… i left happily inspired & more excited that gil and i’s home style is really starting to evolve (a perfect mix of old & new.) here’s what i wore out & about:
jeans & pink tank: urban outfitters
cardigan: forever 21
jacket: j.crew
scarf: h&m
rings: tiffany & co. + etsy.
i’m obsessed with: rose everything…
Posted: January 22, 2012 Filed under: cupcakes., favorites., interiors., personal., travel., vintage prints 2 Comments »i’ve always had a thing for the silk-soft petals, unmistakable scent & sheer timelessness that is the rose. i was reminded of this while on a work trip in Philadelphia this past week. i was working on the new lighting install at our King of Prussia store, & it seemed like everything that kept striking my fancy this week was completely rose inspired.
i’d never say i’m a huge fan of everything pink but throwing on NARS desire blush & schiap lipstick always makes my day. muted pink also made it into our wedding colors, & i always choose pink for my toothbrush color. okay, so maybe i do secretly love it. there i said it. but even more than pink, i love rose. that faded, antique, & almost slightly dirty shade of pink. the fresh scent of the blooming flowers & even the unforgettable taste of something rose flavored. it’s all just so classic.
i’ve gathered all of the rose things i’m completely obsessing over right now… enjoy.
gorgeous tufted velvet.
equipment blouse via Nordstrom.
i haven't won the vespa arguement with Gil quite yet, but this is perfect.
i've been frequenting Dean & Deluca more often for this tastiness.
what a room.
the rose flavored macarons from laduree in paris still have me daydreaming. lucky america, they just opened a manhattan location. oh my.
wish i could find english roses in charlotte...
just perfect.
the prettiest of toms.
anyone have a wedding coming up?
i bought this at the King of Prussia Nordstrom and i'm more than obsessed. the scent is perfect and it lingers in a good way.
beautiful without any pink at all.
wow this wallpaper.
i would have bought all the roses from the paris markets if they would have survived the flight home.
what rose inspired things are you loving? be curious… and tell me!
home…
Posted: October 3, 2011 Filed under: personal., travel. Leave a comment »well, we’re home from europe… as much as i wanted to stay forever it’s nice to be surrounded by friends, family and our bun again. i can’t wait to share photos and stories with you all! i can officially say i’ve been on more train trips than i’d ever care to count, and the jet lag isn’t completely over yet, but it was the most. amazing. vacation. ever.
love under the eiffel tower...
