Happy {Tropical Punch} Weekend

Well luvies, I'm off. The huz and I are making our escape to Belize!



Don't worry ~ I will only be gone for a week, but I will be gloriously isolated from all things electronic and I could not be more excited. Of course, I'll miss you terribly and I wouldn't dare leave you all alone.

I have a very special guest coming to keep you company next week. I hope you all have a marvelous time!

UPDATE: The Lo & Sons Getaway & Giveaway winner has been randomly selected. Congratualtions to Anna, of Tulip Louise! Lucky girl. And thanks to everyone for entering.

See you all in a week,
*Mrs. E

images via cognac and coffee, victoria's secret, {this is glamorous}, martha stewart, chanceco, ssense, glitter guide,prue ruscoe,  anthropologie

Style It Up: Minoux

Darlings, I don't know if you've been following along but some uber-stylish bloggers have been taking part in a Style Circle this week (brilliant idea!), putting their personal touch on gorgeous necklaces from Minoux Jewelry. And now it's my turn!

I had the pleasure of styling the Minoux Harmonic Mean necklace, with it's warm gold pyramid and bright turquoise cord. So far we've seen casual looks, beach looks, weekend looks and party looks with these pieces, so I thought why not bring it to work!





My spring wardrobe mantra is color color color and I love the deep bronzey-orange of this Rachel Comey top I snagged a few years back. And the turquoise chord pops off of it perfectly, wouldn't you agree?!

Pairing the two with a strong black pump and classic black leg-elongating trousers and I'm business meeting ready. I love the idea of pushing the envelope a little bit - hence the dream wardrobe option with Christian Louboutin and glittery gold lame!

I've been so impressed how versatile the Minoux pieces are. Be sure to check out all the other ladies' takes on them:

Monday - my style pill and honey kennedy
Tuesday - i am a greedy girl
Wednesday - Coco + Kelley
Thursday - where the lovely things are
Friday - me (thanks so much for stopping by) & squid

Happy Friday luvies,
*Mrs. E
what I'm wearing: bcbg trousers, piere victoria pumps, rachel comey top, obakki bag. Dream wardrobe: louboutins, roksanda ilincic

I've Got a Crush

On striking stripes,




On black and white,



On casual cool,



On flower power,



On solid wood,




On baubly bangles,

 

And on the amazing comments about your moms in the Lo & Sons Giveaway!




Want to fly away somewhere special with your mom? There is still time to enter so be sure to leave your favorite mom memory here. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow!

Island Fever

I'm hearing rumors that in some parts of the world the sun is actually shining. Well, wherever that is, this shopping list is for you. While Seattle continues to waste away under gray skies I guess I can't really complain because...



because we are headed to Belize! Very soon. But alas, my bags won't be overflowing with Marc Jacobs or Missoni.

I think a last minute trip here, here and here for some more affordable summer pieces are a must - because I'm not sure I even own shorts anymore!

You can check out my {fantasy} shopping list and  learn more about Belize in my Wunderlust guestpost on Luster.

First Anniversary: Paper

The first year of marriage goes SO quickly - I was totally caught by surprise when it was suddenly right in front of me and didn't know what to do for a gift! Tradition says the first anniversary is paper and after I wracked my brain it dawned on me: we'd gotten such beautiful images of our wedding taken by Jose Villa, but we'd never had any printed.

Thankfully, Pictureframes.com came to my rescue in the nick of time!





I worked with the team at PictureFrames.com to select the perfect frames, mats and sizes for our images. As a photography novice I so appreciated the expert advice. When they arrived (overnight!) I couldn't have been happier.

Voila! Anniversary gift problem solved!! And the huz was thrilled.

As an added bonus, PictureFrames.com is offering Apartment 34 readers 20% any purchase in their Print and Frame shop. Just use the code APT34PF until May 11.

Just in time for Mother's Day!

Cheers luvies.

Real Wedding {The Lovely Tulip Louise}

This week's installment of Wedding Wednesday comes from a gorgeous bride and a lady I feel lucky enough to call a dear friend. When I met Anna, stylist-extraordinare and the fashionista behind Tulip Louise at Alt Summit, she showed me pictures of her wedding on her phone.My jaw hit the floor.

You'll soon see why.

Anna conceived, designed and executed nearly every wedding detail herself. As I looked at one amazing image after the next, I told her she must get them published immediately and I'm so thrilled because she ran out and did exaclty that!

If you're in the South, run don't walk to pick up your copy of In Arkansas Weddings. In the meantime here's a little teaser of Anna and her darling hubby Austin's amazing fete.




You know it's going to be good when the bride wears Oscar.



Anna and Austin held their ceremony on their family's flower farm. So many blooms where picked on the spot! Guests not only entered on a bed of flower petals, but they also passed through an installation that the bride and groom made! At night, the soaring fabric walls served as the backdrop for a gorgeous light display.




There tables were set with striking black linens. LOVE! And you can't really see, but the bride and groom made drift wood center pieces that pulled in the tones from their natural wood chairs. When evening fell, the dinner tent positively glowed.



Anna and her groom departed in sweet style too - as guests released glowing paper lanterns into the night sky, she and Austin shared a sweet kiss - champagne in hand!

Now there's a girl after my own heart.

Huge congratulations to the beautiful bride. Can't wait until we get to celebrate your first anniversary my dear!

PHOTOGRAPHY The Hudsons Modern Photography, Fayetteville

STYLIST Tulip Louise, Fayetteville

Mix and Match

There is no better way to lift the spirits on a gray day than a fabulous combo of print and pattern.




I'm loving the mix of stripes and graphics as well as the perfect balance of punchy color. The neutral coat and denim keeps it ground and from feeling overly busy.

Don't sweat if you feel nervous about mixing disparate prints - this lady has skills. She's the executive editor of Style.com!


images via jak & jil and vanessa jackman

Tasty Tuesday: Spring Clean with Ritual Cleanse

As April showers turn into May flowers the urge to spring clean comes on strong. And I don't just mean for your closets and drawers. A new season is a great time to hit the reset button on your eating habits.

 

 

That's why I was so excited to take advantage of the offer to try the Ritual Reset Cleanse. (thanks for the inspiration Taylor!)

 

 

 

 

Last week, a gorgeous, bright green refrigerated bag landed on my doorstep and I embarked on a three days of subsisting on nothing but six health-filled juices. Sound a bit crazy? Some may consider it so but I love a good challenge. Disclaimer: being a relatively healthy eater already, a juice cleanse was not a huge deal for me...so take my experience with a grain of salt.

 

My absolute faves were Ritual's spinach, kale and strawberry watermelon juices. I loved them. I still want to drink them everyday. I was surprised and impressed by how easy it was to drink my juice every two hours and stick with it. I never felt overly hungry or super low energy.

 

Instead, my cravings for fresh fruits and veggies skyrocketed, I no longer desire sugary treats {like I can look at chocolate and just say nah} and I've skipped what was my daily cappuccino routine, sticking with my green and herbal tea  that the cleanse suggests.

 

I recognize a cleanse might not be for everybody but I do highly recommend taking advantage of the fresh produce hitting shelves right now. You'll be amazed how good you feel when you eat what nature intended!

Need more healthy eating tips? Some of my favorite go-to resources are:

~ With Style & Grace
~ Eating Well
~ Gluten Free Girl
~ What Katie Ate
~ Everyday Paleo (for you Cross Fit fanatics)

 

veggie images by with style & grace, juice cleanse shot by myself!

Sleek and Chic

I'm loving the look of refined, clean, put together lines. Especially with a little added hit of shine to them.




Basically the exact opposite of how I feel this morning!

ysl clutch via bluepool road | kenneth lane ring | todd lynn linen dress | giambasttista valli |valentino belt

Our Master Bedroom Makeover: The After!

Have you been following our master bedroom makeover on Curbly.com? As a quick reminder: we were given the challenge of redoing our room in single weekend, armed with $500 at Lowes, new energy efficient lighting from SYLVANIA and our creativity. And now, the moment has arrived - we can finally reveal our after!

As quick reminder, here was our insipration board.



We were going for a cozy, inviting retreat in a palette of soothing neutrals with a pop of shimmer for me and some masculine elements for him.

After much hemming and hawing {and compromising!}, we settled on a final project that we're both quite happy with. While I won't call it finished (it's going to be an evolutionary process to get all the finally elements that I really want), but the improvements are dramatic. 
 
Here is an exclusive sneakpeak of how it all turned out!



I finally styled up my bedside tables.



I designed a total refresh of our bed with the help of Dwell Studio.




And I'm so totally in love with our new pharmacy bedside lamps! This is just a sample of dozen or so projects we tackled (not recommended for the faint of heart!)

Head over Curbly.com now to get the full tour and the complete before and after! I can't wait to hear what you think luvies.

*Mrs. E

Monday Work Wear {Who Wears the Pants}

With spring {attempting!} to show it's face around here, I'm loving the look of light colored cropped trousers.



I may have to rock the look in the bottom right, with socks, sweater and jacket for an untold number of weeks but I'll jump at the chance to inject my wardrobe with a fresh look.

Hope you're able to start the week off with something new luvies.

Have a great week!
*Mrs.E

images via stockholm streetstyle and jcrew

Happy {Snuggle-Bunny} Weekend

Ahhh, Friday. Finally. Even with so much going on this week felt a tad long, wouldn't you agree?





And now the Easter holidays are upon us. It's a little hard to believe. But I haven't really had chocolate bunnies on my mind because this weekend I celebrate my first year as a WIFE. It still feels a little odd to apply that moniker. But I quite like it.

So we're headed out to the hinterlands for a little romantic getaway. I hope you enjoy some fun and relaxation however you celebrate this weekend luvies!

And if you missed it, don't miss the opportunity to win two plane tickets and two gorgeous handbags in the Lo & Sons giveaway.

Oh and if you haven't popped over to see our master bedroom makeover on Curbly.com please do! Today I'm sharing some of my favorite DIY projects. And the final before and after will be revealed on Monday - you won't want to miss it!

Till then luvies,
Mrs. E

images via {this is glamorous}, pretty stuff and le love

Everything's Coming Up Roses

I couldn't let Earth Day pass by without giving a little shout out to Mother Earth. Especially when she has this much sass!



I hope you do a little something nice for the planet today!

image by richard burbridge via nyt magazine

I've Got a Crush {On Living in Color}

I'm crushing on color saturated skirts,




On eco-friendly bright bags,



On rooms that pack a punch,




On pops of pattern,



On fine feathered friends,



On my new color-soaked master bedroom!

Apartment 34 Giveaway & Getaway {Lo & Sons Handbags + Plane Tickets }

My dears ~ it has arrived ~ our first wedding anniversary is this weekend! How did this year go by so quickly?! It's really kind of blowing my mind. This time last year we were en route to Mexico. I was feeling both blissfully happy and completely crazed by the millions of details dancing in my head!

But, when the big day dawned, you couldn't tell.



This weekend, the huz and I will mark this special moment in our lives with a little weekend getaway from it all.

But I couldn't leave you, dear readers, out of the celebration! That's why I am so excited to introduce you to the newest Apartment 34 sponsor Lo & Sons Handbags.



These incredibly versatile and hardworking bags are exactly what a girl needs to make it through her day, from home, to work, to the gym, or traveling, for business or pleasure.

And here's the best part. Lo & Sons is offering Apartment 34 readers the chance to win TWO  handbags and TWO plane tickets (!) anywhere in the U.S. for yourself and the special woman in your life - Your Mama!



Here's how you enter:

• Leave a comment on Apartment 34 about where you'd like to travel and why
• Like Lo & Sons on Facebook and let them know your favorite memory about your mom or someone else very special to you.
• Tweet about the giveaway for an extra entry - just be sure to include @loandsons tell me in the comments that you did!

A winner will be selected on Friday, April 29!

Here's to getting away with the ones you love,
*Mrs. E

wedding photography by jose villa