Happy labor day weekend everyone! I hope everyone is having a relaxing long weekend and having fun with family and friends Sometimes doing nothing is GOOD for you! How backwards does that sound to us? We’re always pushing ourselves to better our business, use every working minute of the day we can, and are often telling people we wish there were more than 24 hours in a day so we can accomplish more. Phew! I don’t know about you, but just hearing talk like that wears me out! No wonder businesses are burning out, the expectations are so high! Of course it’s important to work hard and chase goals, but let’s remember how important doing nothing sometimes is too. Quiet moments of nothingness and reflection are vital because it’s a chance to focus on what it is you really want to get out of your job. We’re cluttered by our day to day activities and going through motions of what needs to get done that we never get a chance to sit and think and imagine. What do I want to be doing? What new avenues should I explore? How can I better myself and my business? Our “go go go!” mentality doesn’t leave room for reflection and will eventually damage us in all kinds of ways. Down time is healthy for your mental health as well as your physical health! We get so caught up in creating success for our businesses we don’t realize the stress we’re putting on ourselves and we forget how important a healthy mind and body are for maintaining that success. Relaxing and down time are vital to the growth of our businesses and we should all remember to slow it down once in a while.

“Summer, with it’s porch swings and grass lawns offers ample opportunity. Just stop, enjoy the moment and be grateful for the privilege of doing absolutely nothing for as long as you possibly can. Afterall, when people are caught in the worries of the future and regrets of the past, they cannot appreciate the beauty of the present.” – Mary Duenwald

Photo by Elizabeth Messina

Hats have always had some presence as a bridal apparel option. My mom wore a hat on my parents’ wedding day and I so wish I could get my hands on a digital copy of an image of her from that day for all of you to see. Ever since I was a little girl I always said that when I grow up and get married I want to wear a hat in my wedding just like my mom did. Whether or not I do decide to wear one for my wedding next year, I think hats add a a touch of timeless elegance and I just can’t get enough of them! It seems we are seeing a lot of the cage veil these days and as much as I adore them, I would love to see some daring brides take a courageous step and choose some less mainstream head gear for their wedding walk. There are so many options out there. Hats off to the below images of the beautiful brim shaded brides and grooms. Have a fabulous weekend!

Images from Martha Stewart

Images from Elizabeth Messina

Image from The Brides Cafe, photograph by Orange Girl Photographs

Found on JL Designs, photographed by Stephanie Williams. Top and bottom image produced for Utterly Engaged.

Guys can wear hats too! Love this one photographed by Tec Petaja

Images by Jose Villa

Found on Amy Osaba’s blog Images from Harwell Photography

I LOVE tulips! They can successfully work their way into several settings and look completely natural. They pop up at elegant dinners, playful parties, in a garden, and on your kitchen table. I like to think I have the same adaptive abilities :- )

My favorite tulip is the parrot and no surprise to my devoted readers, green is my favorite. I love their modified mullet appeal-business on the bottom and party on top. I love that even when you cut them they continue to grow! They seem to have a resolve all their own. What  a nice reminder for us in business and in life. Go on… be resilient, be beautiful, be you. Have a great weekend!

By Rae Florae

The Below Images were designed by JL Designs, Photographed by Stephanie Williams and Featured in Utterly Engaged

Photographed by Jose Villa

Love this by Elizabeth Messina

Beautiful image from Martha Stewart.com

Handwritten notes seem to be somewhat of a lost art form yet they are such a simple way to make someone feel special. The most beautifully crafted email can in no way compare to a letter sent via snail mail in the sender’s own imperfect printing. One of my favorite episodes of Oprah was her interviewing the widow of an American soldier, who wrote beautiful letters to their infant son. The letters instructed him on how to be a man and all of the other lessons he would unfortunately not live long enough to impart himself. I love that their son has hard copies of his father’s heartfelt words for him. It makes them tangible and everlasting. Check it out for yourself!

My love for letters doesn’t stop at sending and receiving them in the mail. I absolutely love when they are incorporated into the details of a wedding. Handwritten tags, a note from the groom to the bride delivered with her bouquet or any bit of hand penned scratch, only lends that much more intimate charm to the day. Those of you who have seen the Sex and The City movie, surely remember the portions where Big emails Carrie love letters he retyped from great men from the past. They later incorporated them into their wedding vows, which is also a great way to work old beautiful words into your special day.

If you love letters as much as I do, check out the book, 150 Love letters you were never meant to see and the 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time.

Carrie and Big just after he uttered these words from Ludwig Van Beethoven, “Ever mine, ever thine, ever ours.”

Found on the blog:  Cultural Cocktail hour

Found on Hazelnut Photography blog

Found on the blog: Perfectly Bound

Found on The Ritzy Bee letter by Twig and Thistle

Found on The Ritzy Bee, Photography by Corbin Gurkin and styled by Duet Weddings

Found on Betsy White’s blog, cakes by Martha Stewart Weddings

Hand sewn, diaphanous threads coming together to make the most delicate of fabrics..mmm I just love it!! Lace has been around since before the 13th century and unless you’re locked up in your office staring at your computers all day, you will probably encounter some this week if not today. It is the essence of timelessness, femininity and is extremely sexy! Lace can make something simple look expensive and extravagant. It is also used to add a modern flare in fashion and design. As far as weddings go, lace is no longer limited to the bridal garb, you will now see it adorning bouquets, vases, candles and even see it as a pattern on the cake and stationery.

My personal favorite is vintage lace. It can tell such an inspiring story of an era from long ago. My grandma, who was a seamstress, gave me a collection of lace hankies, swatches, and various sentimental keepsakes that she had with her during World War II. These pieces definitely show their age but they are intimate reminders of history combined with love, strength, beauty, and grace.

Lace can easily lend itself to several different styles, whether it be rustic, romantic, glam or traditional.

Bride and groom picture photographed by Dana and Jeremy Grant, Wedding dress shot is by Gabriel Ryan, Cakes and pumpkins are from Martha Stewart, Lace wrapped bouquet stem is from JL Designs

Lace: still a tried & true option for the gown, although the style has surely changed through out the years

Some more lovely lace images! Photo below by SimplyBloom Photography

From a real wedding featured on Snippet & Ink Photo by Photography by Leah

Image via  Martha StewartFeatured on Ritzy Bee
Featured on The Bride’s Cafe Photo by David Schwartz PhotographyBeautiful stationery from Saima Says Designs
“There are no mistakes in lace, just misdirected threads that present a new challenge”- Barbara Bulgarelli

What a great metaphor for the road blocks and detours we face in life. Are they disasters? or just a different path we have to take to find an alternative and often beautiful outcome.

*if I used your images and did not mention you please let me know! I forgot some of the destinations since finding many of them a while ago..