{countdown to the royal wedding: high tea}

. . . and with the royal wedding merely days away, there is talk of duchesse satin gowns and horse-drawn carriages and happily ever after, and if you're hosting a tea party to mark the momentous occasion, be certain to serve vanilla bean buttercream cake, scones and profiteroles, and vanilla & coconut macarons, of course . . .











{photography by natalie hunfalvay for hello naomi, here & here via 79 ideas}

{spring things: organization}

. . . there is a vintage sterling silver serviette holder on my desk {below}, that is used for favourite photographs, letters, invitations, and gold foil-lined envelopes; however with a change in season and a brand new month, aside from the overwhelming desire to throw open every french door and window, there are also thoughts of redoing, perhaps repainting, but most of all, reorganizing, and at this moment {besides the closets} it is the office, currently overflowing with letters, cards, bills, receipts and recent boarding passes . . . and the serviette holder, however lovely, can only hold so much, so perhaps a silver vintage toast rack {beautiful and practical} may be just the thing . . .


above, on my desk, sterling silver serviette holder


above, vintage toast rack, from etsy


above, ultra-luxe english sterling silver toast rack from 1938, ebay


above, silver plated toast rack from mothology


above, metal and below, silver plate, both florence & florence



. . . and if you ever find yourself roaming about the antique markerts early one saturday morning, in paris, or otherwise, a latte in hand a boyfriend in tow, you'll most likely find a wonderful array. . . and of course, for those quiet moments on weekday mornings, there is always a vast assortment online, from etsy, {here}, and ebay, {here} . . .


{images: top, scan by this is glamorous from domino magazine, 2 - iphone photography by this is glamorous; 3, 5 & 6 -- as listed; 4 - scan by this is glamorous from domino magazine, february 2008, photography by justin bernhaut}

{runway inspiration: gianfranco ferré, milan}

. . . with sheer organdy blouses and elegant pencil skirts, structural jackets, and an intriguing mix of textures such as satin, flannel and cashmere, embellished with beading and bands of silver crystals, tommaso aquilano and roberto rimondi's most recent collection for gianfranco ferré made the runways of milan a beautiful study in "decorated minimalism", which, as far as minimalism goes, is the very best kind . . .

{images: gianfranco ferré fall 2011 rtw collection via style.com}

{holiday inspiration: tinseltown}

. . . and as a perfect foil for all the glittering & glamorous gold recently: shimmering silver pine cones and sparkling numbered votives, and for good measure, a bit of silver tinsel atop a pair of peeptoes for nights merry & bright . . .




{images: 1 - scan by this is glamorous, olivia morris shoes, photography by hugh stewart for british vogue december 2003; 2 - photography by sandra aslaksen; 2 - numbered glass votives by cox & cox via bliss}

{holiday inspiration: a blue christmas}

. . . on mornings when the snow softly dances and falls from wintry overcast skies, always imagine the holidays in shades of teal and turquoise, or an utterly perfect shade of tiffany's blue that intermingles most beautifully with vintage mirrors and silver etched trays, holiday hors d'œuvre and monogrammed tumblers . . .

{images: photography by patrick cline for the holiday issue of lonny magazine}

{at the shops: andrea bonelli jewelry, san francisco}

. . . have been having a wonderful time dreaming up holiday gift ideas, and quite adore self-taught san francisco bay area-based metalsmith andrea bonelli's beautifully simple and classic handmade jewelry line -- filled with diamond stacking bands and glittering moissanite studs, the collection is also eco friendly, using recycled and ethically mined diamonds and gems and would be the perfect gifts, boxed and wrapped in gold paper and tied with velvet ribbon, or, if you can not bear to part with them, equally perfect with silk-taffeta one-shouldered dresses for upcoming holiday parties . . .

{images: andrea bonelli jewelry}

{at the shops: neology by mina, brooklyn, ny}

. . . have fallen in love with these ultra-stylish and ever-so-thin gold & silver handmade rings and the beautiful way they stack and twist . . .

{p.s.} previous at the shops:
* mrs. press, australia
* rothschild & bickers, uk
* billy bride, australia
* satomi kawakita, new york

images: neology by mina on etsy via hip hip gin gin}

{two lovely things: white + silver}

. . . have always adored white with gold, never fully considering white and silver -- that is -- until happening upon these perfect pairings of a beautifully ornate mirror & a tiny metallic lampshade and crisp bed linens & a shimmering sequined pillow . . .

{p.s.}
* more: two lovely things
* ornate mirrors: here & here
* pretty, pretty: headboards

{images: 1 - editorial: yves forever, photography by alasdair mclellan for vogue paris, stylist: jane how via tfs; 2 - tony hutchinson}