holleeanne

vintage ad browser

2012-01-18T23:26:00.000-05:00

today i found this database of vintage ads via the herman miller blog. it is such a great website for wasting some serious time browsing old advertisements from the mid 1800's to today. it's handily sorted by category and decade... these are just a few of my very faves:

love the branding...c. wonder

2012-01-17T21:47:00.001-05:00

I love the branding of C. Wonder, a luxury retail chain full of design details and surprises.

The use of bright colors and pattern and how everything from the graphics to the store look

are cohesive in their look.

inspiring work space

2012-01-17T20:52:00.000-05:00

found here

trina turks new patterns

2012-01-17T20:45:00.000-05:00

love these new pattern's by Trina Turk for Schumacher

WPA zoo posters

2012-01-11T21:49:00.001-05:00

i came across this post on mental floss today and couldn't resist sharing these great posters done by the WPA of illinois and pennsylvania advertising local zoos during the great depression. i think the hippos are my favorite....

a most adorable teapot

2012-01-04T19:14:00.000-05:00

By Barbara Barry for Wedgewood, available here

happy 2012

2012-01-02T02:15:00.000-05:00

Charlton and I had a fun time ringing in the new year at the Campus Outreach New Year's Conference. We got to hear some amazing speakers such as John Piper, Matt Chandler and our very own Pastor Reeder. It was a wonderful way to start the New Year. Here are some fun pics from the New Year's party photo booth that my friend Stacy sat up at the conference to help promote the Briarwood Fellows.

And War Eagle! Auburn won the Chick-fil-a bowl!

camellias

2011-12-30T01:32:00.000-05:00

These camellias grew in my friend Lauren's back yard,

are they not gorgeous!

The Christmas Story

2011-12-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

merry christmas

2011-12-24T21:44:00.000-05:00

http://youtu.be/kWq60oyrHVQ

stephanie & mike on style me pretty

2011-12-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

ok, clearly i was so excited about stephanie & mike's wedding being featured on style me pretty that i got lost in the excitement and completely forgot to tell you about it here! (actually.... if i'm truthful, it's just been an insanely busy week so i haven't had 2 minutes to sit down and do this.)

....but in any case, i'm telling you now! stephanie & mike's wedding which i did the flowers for back in july was featured on style me pretty last friday, and i was so happy to see all of the beautiful photographs by levi stolove up and featured! - see pics from levi below, and the complete link is here!

snippet and ink

2011-12-09T01:06:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to have my work from Hannon's wedding featured on Snippet and Ink this week. Click here to check it out.

liz & sergio - city hall

2011-11-26T13:21:00.000-05:00

yesterday i put together some flowers for liz & sergio who had a black friday city hall wedding. i've been talking with liz about flowers for their reception here in nyc in the spring, and we decided they needed some flowers for their civil ceremony this weekend too. it was fun to put together a little preview of the concepts we've been talking about for the reception. plus, some of my favorite flowers are starting to come back at the market so it was exciting to work with them again! I put together a bouquet and some boutonnieres/corsages, and had so much fun delivering them down to city hall. there's just something so romantic about getting married at city hall in new york, and liz & sergio both looked so fabulous! - i'm hoping to share some images from their photographer later, but for now here are some of the pics i took on my own...

happy thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T20:38:00.003-05:00

i love this holiday in new york. really, i love any holiday that is centered around food...

these are a couple of gorgeous images from new york magazine's spread on thanksgiving recipes a few weeks ago. they were too beautiful not to share... like a dutch still life.

the photos are by zachary zavislak. more of his work...

speaking of dutch still life paintings... the other day in john derian i found some really great glassware reproductions of vessels typical to these paintings. if i had all the money in the world i would drink out of them every day. i'll do a full post about them one day - once i find out the name of the company that makes them. but for now, just imagine these brought to life:

ps - i'm sorry i've been missing in action around here lately - i promise more new posts soon. and they won't be as random as this one was.

christmas at the caroline house

2011-11-18T14:56:00.001-05:00

Each year, Briarwood hosts a women's ministry event called Christmas at the Caroline house. Women from the church decorate the rooms for christmas. This year some girls from my small group and I decorated the small dining room.

painting by Nicki Cochran

Eames Documentary

2011-10-18T12:06:00.001-04:00

i just got an email at work about this documentary on the Eames studio that's coming out at the end of the year. i can't wait to go see it! here's the description from the production company's website ... sounds promising. and the good news is that if it's not showing in a theater near you, it will be on PBS in December!

EAMES: The Architect and The Painter
Theatrical premiere begins in NYC at the IFC Center on November 11, 2011. Coming to Los Angeles' Laemmle Theatres on November 18, 2011. Broadcast premiere on PBS American Masters on Monday, December 19, 2011.
EAMES: The Architect and the Painter is first film about Charles and Ray Eames since their deaths and the only film that really endeavors to peer inside their collaboration, their marriage and the “Renaissance studio” they created in a gritty warehouse in Venice, CA.
Narrated by James Franco, the film draws from a trove of archival material, primarily the stunning films and photographs produced in mind-boggling volume by Charles, Ray, and their staff during the hyper-creative forty years of the Eames Office.
Family members and design historians help guide the story, but it is in interviews with the junior designers swept into the “24-7” world of “The Eamery” that a fascinatingly complex picture of this husband and wife creative team really emerges.

extremely loud & incredibly close

2011-09-30T08:52:00.001-04:00

extremely loud & incredibly close is one of my favorite books of all time, and the buzz is building around the movie based on it which is supposed to come out at the end of the year. i just saw the trailer for the first time, and it got me excited to see it! - i really hope the movie does justice to the book!

the weekender

2011-09-29T13:44:00.000-04:00

the mta (nyc's transit authority) is not exactly well-known for their cutting-edge graphics. and that is a complete understatement. but for once they've put together something that is very well designed! - they've enlisted massimo vignelli to re-work his 1972 version of the subway map to use on their new site called the weekender, an interactive site that keeps new yorkers informed of the scheduled service changes set to take place in the subway during the upcoming weekend (helpful!)

when vignelli originally designed the subway map, people had issues with the fact that it was more of a "diagram" than a geographically correct map, so they took it out of use a few years after he designed it. but now he has been vindicated and his map is back in use, with a few updates... as this article points out, his design was way ahead of its time so it was seamless to update it for a digital world. i loved the article and it made me think of you, holly, and your love for the vignellis!

homemade oreos

2011-09-29T10:48:00.000-04:00

Last night I made homemade oreos and they were AMAZING! They were also pretty simple to make and they look really cute. I found the recipe on my friend, Jenny-Lyn's blog.

these colorful calendars...

2011-09-28T12:06:00.002-04:00

...reminded me of you LA

found here

frank stella

2011-09-27T11:31:00.000-04:00

Frank Stella is one of my favorite artists...I cannot really explain why, but its something about the shapes uses and the color palette of his work that just captures me

I was excited to see on the Tory Burch blog that there is a new exhibit at the Paul Kasmin gallery of some of his work between from the Concentric Square and Mitered Mazes collections as well as, New Madrid from his Benjamin Moore series, which is my favorite piece they are exhibiting.

The show opens today and if I were in New York, I would definitely go.

my new specs

2011-09-24T19:48:00.001-04:00

yesterday at work, right before i packed up for the day, i got a super fun package delivered to my desk. i'd ordered a new pair of glasses from warby parker last weekend and they came way faster than i thought they would!
these are the specs that i decided on, and i already love them!

i could not say too many good things about warby parker - their frame selection is super cool! they will let you choose 5 pairs to have sent to your home for 5 days to try out and gather opinions before you send them back.... all for free! once you do decide on a pair, they're only $95, including lenses! (unless you're blind like me, but it's a pretty small fee for an upgrade to higher strength prescriptions.) shipping and returns are free! and for each pair you buy, they donate a pair to someone in need! also, for the dudes, you can order a monocle!... i really appreciate all of the really great packaging and collateral design. all in all, they just get what makes it easy and pleasant to choose a pair of glasses!

just about the cutest coat ever...

2011-09-23T17:33:00.000-04:00

i wish it came in my size

fox

dinosaur

precious little dress, so classic...

i think madeline would have worn this

all available here

laduree on madison

2011-09-23T17:24:00.002-04:00

Laduree, a french patisserie specializing in macaroons, opened recently on Madison Avenue.

LeeAnne, you need to go visit and give us a report on the new store and send me a macaroon.

Merci.

Photos from Habitually Chic

Also, nice write up here from the New York Times

hannon's wedding

2011-09-20T22:57:00.001-04:00

Hannon's wedding was this past weekend. I had so much fun working on all her paper goods. Here are some quick pics of her map and program and some iphone pics that one of her bridesmaids took. I cannot wait to see the rest of the pictures from the weekend.

spring 2012 color forecast

2011-09-13T14:57:00.000-04:00

Pantone released the Spring 2012 color forecast today. I am loving Tangerine Tango,

Cockatoo and Bellflower. Click here to read more.

most awesome lamp ever!

2011-09-07T14:39:00.002-04:00

Found here.

flowers for bruce

2011-09-04T13:29:00.002-04:00

yesterday my friend kyo helped throw a wonderful shower for our friend maggie, who will be having a baby boy later this fall. kyo asked me to put together some flowers for the shower, and of course i obliged! while shopping, i was secretly wishing that maggie was having a girl because of all of the beautiful pink garden roses that were out and i was dying to buy, but in the end i was really happy with the flowers that i did buy. i got the last bundle of tweedia from g.page and i think it was the perfect little boy touch. i'd also like to add that the white dahlias were absolute perfection.

here are a few images of what i put together...

....everyone, meet bruce... we can't wait for you to come!!

the makers

2011-09-02T21:53:00.002-04:00

i'm not sure how i've missed out on this since january, but i just came across this wonderful photo project by jennifer causey called the makers. she is a photographer in brooklyn who goes around to different artists in the borough and takes some beautiful photographs of their space and their working process. some of my favorite artists are part of the project, and i'm excited to have found several new favorites too. love it! it's so inspiring and encouraging to see all these people who are following their dreams and doing what they love.

***update: according to some twitter chatter i heard the other day, they're turning this project into a book!! can't wait!***

happy weekend and war eagle

2011-09-02T16:07:00.000-04:00

A wonderful thing about the South in the fall is SEC football, which starts up this weekend. I am excited this fall to get to go tailgate and watch the games. War Eagle!

govino plastic

2011-09-02T10:47:00.000-04:00

This morning at work we all got chick-fil-a chicken biscuits and mimosas for Kathryn's birthday. LeeAnne, are you jealous? Anyway, Carly had picked these super cute glasses up at the Piggly Wiggly. At first I thought they were glass, but they are plastic. They are just the right size and fit in your hand perfectly. They would be so great for entertaining. I think they would even work if you just wanted to serve punch or water too. If they don't have them at your local grocer you can pick them up online here or here.

poodles, owls and mice

2011-09-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

are my favorite animals... aren't these desk accessories cute from anthropologie

southern magnolia

2011-09-01T11:19:00.001-04:00

Happy Thursday from the South

Picture by Gabriele, my mom, the magnolia is in her yard.

happy wednesday

2011-08-31T16:55:00.000-04:00

I just think this little guy is precious...

Found here

rifle 2012 botanical calendar

2011-08-30T20:54:00.002-04:00

i realize i'm a little behind in noticing this, but i couldn't resist posting. i'm not usually a fan of many calendars without big blocks for each day to write everyone's birthdays on (it's okay - i already realize i am an old woman.), but i'm thinking i might have to get over that and go ahead and buy rifle's 2012 botanical calendar. it's just too beautiful.

house beautiful remodels

2011-08-30T12:01:00.000-04:00

I love the update that House Beautiful has done to their masthead, it still feels like their old masthead but better, more unique, i love the little dot serifs that they added.

old

new

j. crew kids

2011-08-30T10:11:00.001-04:00

How cute is this outfit for J. Crew kids?

I wish that coat came in my size...

slim aarons

2011-08-29T23:32:00.003-04:00

tonight i was at the strand and came across this book of photographs by slim aaron. he was a photographer who described his own career as "photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places"... and, fun fact (via good ole wikipedia) - he never used a makeup artist or stylist. here are some (ok, a lot) of my favorites i have found while searching for more of his pics:

christmas with humphrey bogart & lauren bacall, no biggie.

well, hello there truman.

nice pants

clark gable, van heflin, gary cooper, jimmy stewart. just chillin'

joan collins + pink poodle

(photos found here, here, here and here)

scout happenings :: southern femme

2011-08-26T16:53:00.002-04:00

Here at Scout, we recently rebranded and designed the site for Southern Femme, a fashion blog by Birmingham local Megan Larussa. Megan also does commercial styling as well as personal fashion consultation. Megan was really fun to work with and I enjoyed getting some fashion tips too...I recommend signing up for her 25 Ways to Style Yourself Chic.

laura's nursery

2011-08-26T01:05:00.000-04:00

A while ago I posted some calligraphy I did for my friend Laura's baby. Laura just finished Emma Scott's room and had a few things embroidered...the baby room is so sweet that I thought I would also share some more pictures of it as well.

I love these little owls...so cute.

i want one of these...

2011-08-12T17:21:00.000-04:00

but you can only get them in Japan....

found here...

can't wait

2011-08-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

til the new feist album is out...oct 4...here is a little preview

ruthie sommers' home

2011-07-29T11:42:00.000-04:00

I have seen LA designer, Ruthie Sommers' home in quite a few places lately.
I love her style: classic, livable and colorful.

Photos from House Beautiful and Lonny.

card for m-powers ministry

2011-07-26T00:43:00.001-04:00

I designed this card for M-POWERS ministry to sell for raising money.

100% of proceeds from the sale of this card support the ministries of

M-POWER including the Health Center, Education Center, and Literacy Center.

M-POWER Ministries provides opportunities for people to break

the cycle of poverty through education and health services.

If you are interested in ordering a set please e-mail me at

holly.b.cook@gmail.com. There are 10 in a set and the cost is $15.

Orders need to be in by September 9.

new love stamp

2011-07-25T16:52:00.002-04:00

I am so excited about the new Love stamp for 2012,

stephanie & mike

2011-07-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

yesterday i did the flowers for stephanie & mike's wedding at a gorgeous showroom in columbus circle here in nyc. it was a personal challenge for me because the look of the showroom and the taste of the couple was much more sleek & modern than my usual style, but altogether i was really happy with how it all turned out! argh - i am kicking myself because i didn't get a single photo of the bouquets! but i know that the wonderful photographer did, so i will post images when he puts them up. his photos will be better than mine anyway!

here are some images-

billy balls & safflower in the bouts

eremurus at the altar

centerpieces

buffet table arrangement

ps - this was the view from the outdoor patio!! - amazing.

neon neon!

2011-07-14T19:16:00.000-04:00

**alert: this is a shameless re-post (with credit) from someone else's blog**
i have been staring at the images in this post from miss moss off and on for about two days straight now, so i figured now would be a good time to blog it. i love neon colors so much and am a huge fan of yago hortal... miss moss is so so good at coming up with street fashion images to relate with artwork!

God bless America!

2011-07-05T10:37:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a happy 4th!

Saw this cute picture this morning by Lucy Olson

on Three Little Peppers and wanted to share.

flowers for tandus

2011-06-30T23:51:00.000-04:00

yesterday morning i put together some flowers for an event at the tandus carpet showroom. the theme was james bond, so i was trying to channel "bachelor pad" for this one. i was really excited with how this little trio turned out - the deep red cymbidum orchids were to die for.

birmingham, save the date

2011-06-30T19:07:00.000-04:00

I am so excited about the Design Sponge book coming out in the fall.

Grace has scheduled a book tour and will be coming to Birmingham on November 1.

Can't wait, it would be so fun to meet her.

matchbook magazine!

2011-06-30T18:58:00.000-04:00

I am so excited about the feature of the just married section of Matchbook Magazine.

Click here to see and turn to page 149.

doily placecard

2011-06-28T22:05:00.000-04:00

I love this place card idea I just saw on the Ritzy Bee Blog (they saw it on Martha Stewart). I can't wait to use this at my next party.

scout happenings :: new space

2011-06-28T10:32:00.001-04:00

We recently expanded our space at the Pepper Place. It is so nice! I love our new Steelcase Desks, we now have a roomy awesome conference room and our Mannington carpet really finishes the space off well.

peony prints

2011-06-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

I am loving these peony prints by Keri Herer seen on Design Sponge this morning.

designing women

2011-06-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

i honestly can't remember how i came to this link (probably via someone's twitter feed?) but i really love this slideshow from GOOD and finally got around to posting it after a seriously busy week. it features 25 super-talented women designers and illustrators. the full slideshow is here, with some of my faves below.

practice for july

2011-06-26T11:19:00.000-04:00

yesterday i put together a practice arrangement for a wedding i'm doing in a few weeks. the style of the wedding is more modern & clean than those i've done in the past, so i wanted to do a practice run to uncover any issues that might come up in putting them together. i'm pleased with the way it turned out, but also glad to have practiced and come up with a few ways to improve the arrangements before the big day. more to come from this wedding in mid-july...

date night kit

2011-06-24T23:44:00.000-04:00

I just finished making this date night kit for the couple that counseled Charlton and I before getting married. Benny and Brenda were so generous with their time and we are so thankful for the things we learned from them that we wanted to thank them. We thought the perfect gift would be 4 date nights planned and ready to go. This is a gift to Benny, so he doesn't have to plan and a gift to Brenda, because each night will hold something new for her to discover.

The ideas come from dates Charlton and I enjoyed while dating and we still enjoy being married today...you might enjoy them too, if you're in Birmingham.

Date No 1 :: A Casual Date, Beer and Pizza

dinner: whole foods market

recommended menu: portabello pesto pizza and 365 brand root beer

post dinner: dollar movie on lorna road

visit carmike.com for showimes

Date No 2 :: A Fancy Dinner Date, Bottega Cafe

pre dinner: take a stroll around highland park

dinner: bottega cafe on highland avenue

post dinner: on your way home stop by 32°

at the summit for some yogurt

Date No 3: A Coffee Date, O'Henry's

where: o’henry’s coffee shop on 18th street

in downtown homwood

what: enjoy relaxing and spending time together;

after coffee take a stroll around homewood

Date No 4: A Cheap Date, Spare Change

what: when money is tight, we like to fish around

for spare change and see if we can find

enough for ice cream

where: depends on how much change you can find

and you might have to share

mix

2011-06-24T12:18:00.000-04:00

Mix is my new favorite lunch spot in Birmingham. Chris DuPont of Cafe Dupot teamed with Corey Hinkel and opened Mix this past spring in downtown Birmingham. The have fabulous pastries and bread and a great lunch menu.

No website yet, so check them out on facebook for more information.

scor-it-all

2011-06-24T10:12:00.000-04:00

So I just discovered the scor-it-all board. We have one at Scout and it is awesome!

Scores things perfectly and professionally.

Click here to find out more.

scout happenings :: children's hospital

2011-06-20T18:03:00.000-04:00

Check out the Birmingham New's today to see this new creative shape ad for Children's Hospital, featuring their new branding campaign. There will be some more of these feature in the next few weeks, so keep a look out.

Also, speaking of Children's Hospital, their expansion is getting closer to being done

and is a wonderful addition to downtown.

take me to paris, please!

2011-06-20T13:00:00.001-04:00

Oh Happy day is having a contest to win a trip to Paris!

Today is the last day to enter.

Click here for details.

emma scott's calligraphy

2011-06-17T20:56:00.000-04:00

I just finished creating this monogram and name for my sweet friend

Laura Money's baby, due in September.

Laura is such a proud mommy to be.

Cute letters Laura has in Emma Scott's room.

Laura's mom brought her these stuffed elephants from Paris,

aren't they cute.

leeanne on ruffled

2011-06-17T11:48:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, one of the weddings Leeanne did flowers for was featured on Ruffled.

Click here to check out more of the wedding.

I love the color palette and all the unique little jars for flower arrangements.

Beautiful job LeeAnne and congrats.

leeanne's note: bethany's bouquet was made by the super duper wedding doula (and friend), heather, who also made bethany's dress. so as much as i'd love to claim this bouquet, all i can claim is a little bit of input & encouragement for heather...

Photography by Joyeuse

dottie

2011-06-16T20:20:00.000-04:00

If joy came in a bundle it would be named Dottie. This week I got to puppy sit for Dottie, a teacup poodle. We had lots of fun, here are some snapshots (from my phone) of our adventures.

Dottie would ride in the car in this little red bag, I would also carry her in it.

At work, Dottie slept on a paper towel next to my keyboard...

or sat in my chair.

We also had fun playing with Daisy and Bobo.

beautiful letterpress video

2011-06-15T11:44:00.000-04:00

Letterpress from Naomie Ross on Vimeo.

scout happenings :: mannington showroom

2011-06-15T11:42:00.001-04:00

We just finished with the Mannington showroom

in Chicago for Neocon 2011 at Scout.

The carpet in the first quad is Equinox.

QR carpet.

I designed this display for the Vivendi Collection which was a collaboration between HOK, Pallas Textiles and Mannington. The collection include matching carpet and fabrics for medical environment use. I drew the pattern of mums that is printed on the plexi glass.

These solar panels are made from VCT. This display showcases some of the facts

about Mannington's sustainability efforts.

Photos by Paul Crawford.

poppies and peonies

2011-06-14T00:42:00.000-04:00

My mom took these pretty pictures a few years ago when we were in Salzburg.

Have a lovely day.

happy birthday, holly!!!

2011-06-08T08:11:00.001-04:00

...

wish i could be there to help celebrate - i hope you have a fabulous day!
much b'day love from nyc!
-LA

holly featured in b-metro

2011-06-08T00:32:00.000-04:00

This month B-Metro, a local Birmingham magazine has featured my condo.

Click here to check out the write up or pick up a copy around town.

The photos are by Jeff Williams.

container gardens

2011-06-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I made 2 container gardens.

The first was a succulent container garden in a swan pot I have had from Anthropologie.

I planted the small succulents I have had for a while in it along with a new larger one I got.

I filled in around the succulents with some reindeer moss.

I love the way all the greens work together.

My second garden is a herb container garden.

Here are the plants before.

On the left is mint, the middle back is rosemary, the back right is boxwood basil,

in front of that is sweet basil and the very front is cilantro.

I first filled the blue pot my mom gave me with rocks, to help with drainage.

Next came the soil, I used Miracle Grow organic soil (no chemicals for my herbs!)

Fini!

current stationery designs

2011-06-01T01:47:00.002-04:00

Logo, business card and correspondence card designed
for aspiring actress, Leah Williams.

Notecards designed for Charlton's little sister, Olivia.

hannon & cameron save the date

2011-05-24T22:21:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to see these come back from the printer today,

I have had so much fun working on Hannon's save the date

and there more fun to come for her wedding...

Printing by Patrick Masterson

bethany & jerod's wedding

2011-05-22T23:39:00.002-04:00

this weekend i did the flowers for my friends bethany & jerod's wedding... they are a super sweet couple, and they had an awesome selection of antique bottles they collected from a beach in brooklyn called dead horse bay - which is a magical place where all sorts of old medicine/cleaning/liquor bottles wash up - on my list of places to visit for sure!
the color scheme was inspired by that of a peacock feather so we worked with blues, purples, greens, and golds. i put together somewhere around 60-75 little arrangements in their bottles which we clustered on the tables at the reception. since tiny arrangements are my favorite, this was a ton of fun! bethany & jerod had so many fun friends on hand to help make it all happen - every little detail in the wedding was truly a labor of love. some pics are below!

i am still obsessing over this hydrangea.

bridesmaids' bouquets - my oh my, there were TWELVE!!

an awesome old noxzema bottle.

only part of the bottle collection

kyo & tim - blogged!

2011-05-22T22:02:00.001-04:00

don't let my delay in blogging it fool you - i am super pumped because earlier this week kyo & tim's wedding was featured on green wedding shoes! - which means my flowers were on there too!! kyo did such an amazing job planning the wedding, i had so much fun doing the flowers, and i'm so excited that it was featured! - check out the full post here.

scotch nail polish

2011-05-21T01:16:00.000-04:00

Scotch nail polish has some lovely colors and the packaging is so well designed.

Scotch nail polish is also non-toxic and eco friendly.

julie and nathan

2011-05-20T22:23:00.000-04:00

Julie is a sweet friend and a recent bride I worked with on her wedding. I did her wedding invite and programs. I love some of her pics by Stephen Devries and wanted to share.

Julie and Nathan both love golf, their reception was at a country club,
I love these shots, they give me giggles.

I thought the cake by Angel's Confections was beautiful.
It really tied in well with the design of the program as well.

Leaving pictures are always so fun! Click here to see more.

cooking with jenny-lyn

2011-05-20T22:06:00.002-04:00

So Kathleen and I went to Jenny's the other night for one of her cooking adventures...we made homemade peanut butter cups, recommended by Brigette and found on Design Sponge...they were delicious, here is the post by Jenny from her blog Real Kitchen. Real Life.

These were also real simple to make, especially with the handy dandy help of Jenny's Pampered Chef products.

P.S. Jenny hosts the most fun Pampered Chef parties, so if you are interested in stocking you kitchen with some great tools click on her blog above and there is contact info for hosting a party.

What defines a friend? That's a deep question, but I'll give you one characteristic I enjoy: someone who sends me recipes to try. There's something about it when someone says, "Jenny, this made me think of you, so you should try it." Big. Warm. Fuzzy. That, my friends, is how I acquired this mind-blowingly awesome feast of chocolate and peanut butter goodness. My sweet friend Holly went on a send-Jenny-a-bunch-of-fun-recipes spree, and now all followers of Real Kitchen. Real Life. benefit. Thanks, Holly! You can tell from the picture these are worth making. In fact, you should stop whatever you're doing, buy the ingredients, and get to work.

(Displayed on a Dots Salad Plate from the Simple Additions Collection)

Peanut Butter Cups

chefjennylyn.com

3 cups chocolate

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 cup graham crackers, crushed

1 tsp. sea salt

Place liners in 12 muffin cups.

Melt 1 1/2 cups chocolate in a double boiler. Remove it from the stove, and turn off the heat. Paint a layer of chocolate in each cup, liberally covering the bottoms and sides. Set the double boiler aside, and save remaining chocolate.

Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes while making the peanut butter filling.

Combine peanut butter, crushed graham crackers, powdered sugar, and salt. Stir until well-combined.

Return the double boiler to the stove, and heat over medium-high. Melt remaining 1 1/2 cups of chocolate.

Remove the muffin pan from the fridge, and divide peanut butter mixture among the cups, smoothing it to fill the bottoms. Each will take about 1 1/2 tbsp. of this fluffy, fabulous filling.

Using a spoon, dip chocolate from the double boiler into each cup, and be generous! Smooth the tops, or create a swirl (whatever floats your boat).

Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator for 40 minutes to an hour.

Make history.

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This recipe is originally from Design Sponge

What's more fun than making sweet treats? Making them with friends! Holly and Kathleen came over to try these with me, and all three of us were pleased with the simplicity of the recipe and the great result. Kathleen is filling the Stoneware Muffin Pan with foil liners.

She'd heard of the Measure-All Cup, but this was Kathleen's first experience with it. All I can say is that she left a huge fan of this tool, the standard for measuring all things sticky, creamy, or gross. She used the Skinny Scraper to fill it up, and the rest is history.

Holly is the person who designed my blog, so you know she's super fun. Not only does she design well, but she melts chocolate like a pro. Put a little water in the 3-Qt. Saucepan, place the Double Boiler on top, and stir occasionally. This double boiler has been upgraded, so that's why it looks different on my website. You can't tell, but Holly's using the Mini Mix 'n Scraper to stir.

Graham cracker crumbs in the Manual Food Processor! I promise this tool is every bit as good as it seems, and it's even got a silicone grip on the bottom to keep it from sliding around.

Painting with chocolate! Holly's using the Chef's Silicone Basting Brush to get a good, thick coat on each liner. You don't realize how handy a basting brush is until you don't have one. This one is perfect, and it goes in the dishwasher for easy cleanup, even when it's full of chocolate.

Kathleen is using the 5" Strainer to sift powdered sugar into a Stainless Mixing Bowl. For small amounts, this can't be beat. This is about to become peanut butter filling. AAAHHH!!!

The Medium Scoop turned out to be the perfect size for to fill the chocolate cups. A leveled off scoop for each cup was what we ended up using, and there was just enough filling. Sorry, but there's not any leftover after that, so don't get ideas about snacking on the filling. In fact, I had to use the Mix 'n Scraper to get everything out of the bowl and stretch it to fill all twelve cups.

Each cup then gets a huge serving of chocolate to top it off, and boom! Recipe complete. Refrigerate these, and they're ready for consumption in less than an hour. If you're super excited, stick them in the freezer instead. Yes, the Stoneware Muffin Pan can go in the freezer.

These are full-size peanut butter cups. There's no playing with this recipe; it separates the men from the boys. Sure, I could only eat half a cup, but that just means I get to save the other half for later, right? I've got so many ideas for making these again, and I can't wait for an occasion that justifies the effort. Otherwise, I'll end up with twelve huge peanut butter cups in my house, and that has disaster written all over it.

kyo & tim - photographed

2011-05-14T23:42:00.000-04:00

even though i sprang for a fancy new camera this winter, i don't pretend to be a professional photographer - so it's always fun to see weddings i work on once they've been photographed by the real pros - in this case, the pros were merrill and tim - the sweet little photographers.

i am pumped because they just blogged some of their initial pictures from kyo & tim's wedding a couple of weekends ago... and of course they look WAY better than the photographs i took... i've posted just a couple of detail shots below, but the rest are awesome and can be found here!

sidenote - how fab was kyo's getaway dress???

more tornado relief

2011-05-14T00:14:00.000-04:00

It has been so cool to see how the community here in Birmingham has been pulling together to help with tornado relief. All the stores have been having clothing drives and lots of organizations and churches collecting food and supplies and gathering teams.

This little sweet necklace is for sale at local boutique, Doree, and 100% the proceeds benefit tornado relief.

You can get silver ($35) or gold ($40).

nathalie lete at paper source

2011-05-11T17:21:00.000-04:00

I love the illustrations of Nathalie Lete, so I was quite delighted to discover these new items at Paper Source.

new lonny office

2011-05-10T23:22:00.000-04:00

I love the Lonny's new office featured in their May/June issue.

jessica and wes cake topper

2011-05-09T14:40:00.001-04:00

I made this fun cake topper for my friend Jessica's wedding..I also did her program and invitation

and will share those when i get some pictures.

I love Jessica's bouquet of peonies and white anemone. Beautiful!

happy cinco de mayo!

2011-05-05T20:01:00.000-04:00

photo by jose villa, found here

more tornado relief

2011-05-04T18:51:00.000-04:00

i found these via twitter today, and have already bought mine (in orange and blue, of course!) and can't wait for it to get here.

they are from maggie crisler, a florence-based designer, and they are super cute.

tuscaloosa relief

2011-05-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

My friend Brooke made these cute Alabama shaped chalk boards help raise funds for families in her community who have lost everything. Check out her Etsy shop Playing Grown Up to purchase one. I can't wait to get mine and hang it in my kitchen.

tim & kyo's wedding

2011-05-02T00:16:00.002-04:00

this weekend i did the flowers for my friends kyo & tim's wedding. throughout the planning, kyo and i realized that we have very similar taste, so this one was super fun for me because i was given a lot of freedom to do exactly what i wanted. the venue was absolutely gorgeous, too and i was so excited about how it turned out! here are some of my pics.

a very crowded, tiny apartment!

the bridal bouquet ... my fave.

bridesmaid's bouquet

these suckers were ridiculously beautiful!

at the altar... beautiful weather, thankfully!

flowers in the amazing library.

in the bridal suite

dining room tables

the happy couple!

shot of the gorgeous, gorgeous dining room.

the royal wedding program

2011-04-29T22:29:00.000-04:00

I love the hand illustrated map of the carriage procession from the Royal Wedding program, the program also has some great photos of William and Kate and sweet details on Kate's new coat of arms.

the royal wedding cake

2011-04-29T21:47:00.006-04:00

I love all the details behind the Royal Wedding cake made and designed by Fiona Cairns. There were 900 handmade flowers on the cake in 17 varieties that Kate selected based on the Language of Flowers. Some of the swags and detail work of the cake are reminiscent of the architectural details of Buckingham Palace.

The Language of Flowers

Rose (white) :: national symbol of England

Daffodil :: national symbol of Wales, new beginnings

Shamrock - national symbol of Ireland
Thistle :: national symbol of Scotland
Acorns, oak leaf :: strength, endurance

Myrtle :: love
Ivy :: wedded love, marriage
Lily of the valley :: sweetness, humility
Rose (bridal) :: happiness, love
Sweet William :: grant me one smile
Honeysuckle :: the bond of love
Apple blossom :: preference, good fortune
White heather :: protection, wishes will come true
Jasmine (white) :: amiability
Daisy - innocence, beauty, simplicity
Orange blossom :: marriage, eternal love, fruitfulness
Lavender :: ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck.

Pictures and information found here.

elsa mora

2011-04-26T22:48:00.001-04:00

well if these little paper cuts don't have holly's name written all over them, i don't know what does...

so cute! - found via anthology mag.

royal wedding

2011-04-25T22:30:00.000-04:00

I am so excited about the royal wedding coming up, here are some details I have enjoyed and thought I would share....

I love Kate Middleton's crest, it is so unique, the ribbon detail is my favorite.

The invitation typography disappoints me, but I bet the paper and printing are very elegant.

This is a fun video clip in the invitation design.

These are really pretty commemorative souvenirs from The House That Lars Built.

happy easter

2011-04-22T13:31:00.002-04:00

daisy day no 8 :: weekly adventures

2011-04-21T19:02:00.000-04:00

daisy traveling to auburn to visit boo

jail bird

nosy neighbors

j.crew goes to italy: about a print

2011-04-21T11:40:00.001-04:00

Such a cool video! I love to see the artists working on a print and the archives.

honeymoon part 1 :: the westin

2011-04-21T00:05:00.001-04:00

Charlton and I are approaching our six month anniversary and I realized I have not shared any honeymoon photos and details. We had the most wonderful trip and are so thankful for the provision of the Lord for such a wonderful trip. We booked our trip through AAA and got an AMAZING deal. We would recommend this to anyone.

To start with I am going to share about our hotel. We stayed at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas. It was wonderful. Our room had a full kitchen, a living room, bedroom and very plush bath. The resort is right on the beach and has a couple of pools as well. Each morning we had a complimentary breakfast buffet which was out of this world. We both enjoyed the smoked salmon eggs benedict and the cheese blintzes. The service at the hotel was superb as well.

Part 2 coming soon...

dunn vineyards

2011-04-20T23:28:00.000-04:00

A few years ago at Lewis, I designed a promotional for Dun Vineyards...they did not go in this direction sadly but I still love the piece. I just came across the photos on my computer and thought I would share.

chad and alexandria

2011-04-20T00:58:00.000-04:00

My friends Chad and Alexandria just got engaged...I am loving their engagement shots by A. Bryan Photo

french menus

2011-04-20T00:52:00.000-04:00

While at the french antique store, they had a basket of old menus, I just love the typography on them...

northport :: potiger

2011-04-20T00:40:00.002-04:00

This weekend I went down to Tuscaloosa, home of UandA, with my mom and sister. Kathleen will be transfering next year there. Anyway, we visited the quaint town of Northport that sits next to Tuscaloosa and it was just about one the cutest little towns I have ever seen.

We came across a french antique store, I could of stayed there for a long time...

baskets full of vintage french postcards

They had rows and rows of documents like this.

These are herb knives.

There was a cute bakery in the town as well
and we enjoyed a snack after shopping.

strawberry cake

2011-04-19T19:09:00.001-04:00

This is about the best strawberry cake I have ever had. It is so pretty too.

The recipe is from Southern Living's Homestyle cookbook

and my mom made some edits to it.

cinco de mayo

2011-04-18T18:24:00.001-04:00

i love this cinco de mayo invite by andy peters, the little donkey is so cute