objects in color: green { + link up time! }

hello friends!

how are you today?

i am so excited today!!!

why? you might be asking...

well, today is my very first link up party that i am the hostess of!

in case you missed it...last tuesday, i started a brand new color series

that introduced a 3-D color inspiration board where i pulled together

various pieces around my home in hues of one shade - last week was pink,

this week i chose green!

i think i first fell for green the first time i saw great expectations

{the ethan hawke & gwyneth paltrow version, circa 1998}
i was so enamoured by all of the hues of green...
it immediately made the film visually captivating.
over the years, i have grown quite a collection of green,
which you will see pops of throughout my home.
here are some favorite pieces...

green i own: 1/ assorted buttons in shades of green // 2/ one of my most favorite gifts from a friend - my le creuset olive jar...makes for delicious warmed olives! // 3/ the tales of edgar allen poe // 4/ depression era green sorbet glass filled with "absinthe" sugar cubes - really just for looks // 5/ vintage silk scarf // 6/ anthropologie baubles // 7/ assorted green ribbons from paper source // 8/ love my crocodile staple remover! // 9/ vintage seltzer bottle // 10/ rifle fruit calendar - limes in april // 11/ an old nordstrom catalog cover that i love so much that i cut down to size and keep in a frame displayed in my living room // 12/ conscious seattle - a local publication

green spotted elsewhere:  1 / 2 / 3 / 4

i know that i am not alone in being inspired by color...

and i relish in the opportunity in being hands-on with creativity.

so, i had a suspicion that some of you might like to join in...

i was completely ecstatic when the e-mails started to come in

with a few of you saying that you ARE interested in joining in on the fun!

i can't wait to see what you creative ladies all come up with!!!

this link up is open to ALL...so if you have time to put a little something together today,

go for it! the linky tool is open until 11:59PST tonight! 

and I plan to continue with an 'objects of color' link up party each tuesday!!!
i would LOVE for you to join...the more the merrier :)

e-mail me if you think you may want to join in the future or if you have any questions!

there are no real rules to follow here...

just be inspired by color and get as creative as you wish!

make sure to pop by the lovely ladies' blogs that linked up below
to see what they have done with their own objects of color!

have a lovely day!
XO
brynn

designer crush: alberta ferretti {spring 2012}

hello lovelies!

can you believe it is monday again...already?!

my weekend was busy so it flew right on by!

how about you? did you do anything fun?

i must admit...i am loving the current revival of the 1920s!

with films like midnight in paris {so in love with that film!}

and the great gatsby 

{i can not wait for it! it is definitely one of my favorite books of all time...

and with baz luhrmann directing it + a stellar cast...well, need i say more?!}

and then fashions like these drop dead gorgeous pieces 

from alberta ferretti's spring 2012 collection,

i am lusting for a few or more 20s inspired pieces to add to my wardrobe.

{view entire collection here}

seriously. can these pieces be any more gorgeous??!!

i am BIG TIME enamored with that orange dress up top...WOW!

what is your favorite?

have a fantastic start to your week!

XO

brynn

match made : art loves fashion, fashion loves art

they make quite a perfect pair,

don't you think?

{lipstick dots painting by jen ramos, cocoa & hearts // photo via atlantic pacific}

{art unknown - grrr tumblr!!! - but you can find here // photo by marie zucker}

{photo via that inspirational girl // painting source unknown - grrr! again - but you can find here}

what are you lovelies up to this weekend?

i can't believe it's friday already! but hooray that it is!!!

i have a 1 year old's birthday party to attend

{no fear, there will be wine!}

and then a low key girls night on saturday :)

sunday i need to buckle down and complete my wedding website/blog!

p.s. i am so excited for all of you that want to link up on tuesday for the new color series!!! i can't wait to see all of your creative displays :) if you missed out on my tuesday post - i started a new color series and would love for you to join in on the fun!!! if you missed it, check out the post here and then e-mail me if you want to join in! :)

XO 

brynn

sugars, carbs and fries, oh my!

those are 3 words i am working on becoming unfriendly with!

so, i thought that if i titled this post

"let's get healthy" 

it might not grab your attention quite the same ;)

sorry, if you got excited about those things...

in all honesty - no more trickery -

i needed a little motivation to get moving on the health track!

{well, that & the fact that i am getting married in 7 months!!! YIKES!}

i am mostly a healthy eater...love my produce!

but i am absolutely guilty of being a complete slacker in the workout department.

so, i'll be keeping this post short & sweet today,

so that i can get to bed at a decent time to kick-start

my early morning workout routine...finally!!!

simply one of the BEST flow charts i have ever seen!

{design slightly modified by me...so that it coordinated with my real life pinboard! yep, that is who i am!}

i will do this...

and will absolutely NOT do this...

what inspires and motivates you to be healthy?

{or did you need a little motivation, too? if so, i hope this helps!}

have a fantastic day!

{is it just me, or is this week flying by?!}

XO

brynn

WEDnesday: bridesmaids

hello loves!

happy WEDnesday :)

today, i thought i would share my inspirations for

my girls' bridesmaid dresses!

i have been struggling for sometime with even knowing

what in the world i wanted...

well, i think i finally nailed it down!

our color palette is a mix of juicy and watercolor citrus tones...

instead of being all over the place with color in the bm dresses,

{originally i wanted to mix in a chartreuse-y green, too}

i decided to just go with multiple tones of pinks, corals & oranges.

i definitely want to get some pattern in there, somewhere, too!

i also want them to have fun shoes, too!

{row 1: 1/2/3/4/5  //  row 2: 1/2 //  row 3: 1/2/3/4/5  //  shoes via}

{p.s. i just picked up the 2 madewell dresses {2nd & 5th dresses on the bottom row for $79 a piece!!!}

for any brides out there looking for bm dresses that aren't really bm dresses...
polyvore is a fabulous resource, of course!
but i also found revolve clothing to be an awesome resource as well...
you can search dresses and it will bring up a variety of brands to look through!
what did or what will your girls wear?

and...totally unrelated, but...if you missed yesterday's post, i started a new color series
and want to know if anyone wants to participate & link up next tuesday...
so, if you missed it make sure to check it out here!

have a lovely day!

XO

brynn

new color series: objects of color

hello, friends :)

how are you today?

i am thrilled to introduce my new color series today!

you may have noticed that my color crushes have been non-existent lately...

it's not that i'm not crushing...it's just that i've been dreaming up a new way

to share my love for color.

i was in an organizing mood over the weekend,

so i began to sort through my closet, my drawers, etc.

while doing this, i thought to myself...'geez, brynn, you have a lot of colorful things!'

and, so there went the end of my organizing and the beginning of my inspiration...

i chose a color - pink {and a little sparkle...because, why not?!} - 

and gathered up items i had in my closet, drawers, or just floating about my home. 

i arranged them all together to create a real-life, 3-dimensional color board...

et voila! 

pink i own: 1/ sunday morning pastry box from our favorite gluten-free vegan bakery, the flying apron // 2/ handblown glass owl ornament from my mom // 3/ rose glass bowl {wedding decor} w/ beaded baubles // 4/ the cocktail: favorite cocktail recipe book // 5/ matches // 6/ coral glass {wedding decor} // 7/ pretty pink ribbons // 8/ watercolor notecard {as seen from yesterday's post} // 9/ rifle paper fruit calendar cover // 

10/  feather earrings // 11/ sequin cropped jacket tied w/ pink grosgrain ribbon // 12/ receipt from recent ribbon purchase at favorite local boutique, burnt sugar

additional pink goodness...

pink collection: dresses / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 // accessories/ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6, 7, 8 //

tops / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 // bottoms/ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6, 7, 8

pinks {& sparkles} that inspire: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

but, wait! there's more!...

no, really...there is!

i was thinking that it could be a lot of fun if some of you would want to join in

on the objects of color fun!

if any of you would be interested in doing your own tuesday post on the 

colored objects you find in your home, 

e-mail me! let me know :)

the length of this series is undetermined at the moment,

but at least for the next month, i plan to keep it going...

posting a new color or color combo each week.

there would not be any rules except to be inspired & have some creative fun!

i would tell you each week what my next color will be 

and you can choose to play along with the same scheme

or to choose whatever color you fancy!

display your items however you wish, photograph & link up!

if you are interested, please do e-mail me - click e-mail button on sidebar...

if there is enough interest, i'll start the link up next tuesday!

hope you are all off to a fantastic week so far :)

XO

brynn

snowy days = cabin fever = creative inspirations

hello, loves!

happy monday :)

how was your weekend?

the snow here in seattle finally melted away,

which was a bittersweet feeling...

we don't get to see snow usually more than once a year,

so i really love it when it is here :)

but, it is nice being able to get around now!

i thought that i would catch you all up 

on some of my snow week & the weekend happenings...

you also might notice, that my header/logo changed...

i have been wanting to create something more personal & authentic for some time now...

once i started playing with the watercolors, ideas were going crazy in my head!

so i painted out chartreuse & a...about 20 times and finally got the font perfect for my vision...

i then skinned a {real} lemon to make my "twist"...photographed, uploaded, photoshopped a bit & tada!

an officially official chartreuse & a twist header/logo was born! 

a few other things i managed to squeeze into the weekend...

* finally watched midnight in paris...can't believe it took me this long...i am completely in love with it!

* also, randomly caught brigitte bardot film on hulu called plucking the daisy {1956}...
i found it very entertaining...& it was so risque compared to american films at that time
{gotta love the french!}

* i attempted fleur de sel caramels...although they were still good
{hello...heavy cream, sugar & butter...it's pretty hard for that combo not to be good!}
the consistency was all wrong & there were bits of burnt cream & sugar...oops!

i'll attempt them again ;)

p.s. i am kicking off a brand new color series tomorrow & i am pretty excited about it! so stay tuned!!!

i would love to hear what you were up to over the weekend!

XO

brynn

i found my man...but i still need my girls!

i think that, from a very young age, when you meet your very first friend

you realize the value of friendship...

maybe not in the deeper sense that you do when you are older & wiser,

but you do appreciate your friends.

i must say that i have always been quite a lucky girl :)

from the time i met my very first best friend up to now, 

i have been extremely blessed to have the most amazing girlfriends!

i have never been one to have lots of friends...just a handful of extra special ones :)

there is just nothing in this world like a childhood best friend...

sharing secrets, playing make-believe, making up dance routines, getting into trouble together,

riding bicycles, exploring, dressing up, making over, getting scared in the dark,

being inseparable.

and then, you have your "grown-up" friends...and there is nothing quite like them either...

sharing secrets, daydreaming, going out dancing for girls' night, getting into trouble together,

riding bicycles, traveling, dressing up, making over, 

being inseparable {even with 1000+ miles in between}

isn't it funny how a whole lot doesn't really change over time?!

i am feeling extra sentimental about my girlfriends right now...

as i am planning one of the biggest days of my life,

i just keep thinking of how grateful i am to have 

my favorite girls by my side <3

speaking of which...

if only i had seen these before i asked them to be my bridesmaids!

{& then, out of the blue, i just heard from my childhood best friend! so weird, as i have been feeling all sentimental & nostalgic about my friends lately! it was such a pleasant & unexpected surprise!}

what are you dahhhlings up to this weekend?

all fabulousness, i am sure ;)

i will be pampering myself a bit...

hair, facial, nails...i am in need of it all!!!

cheers!

XO

brynn

image credits: bus pic / masks / walking down the street / lampshade / the "nuns" / gossip / girls' lunch / 

i found my man

WEDnesday: flora & cake

hello, lovelies!

happy WEDnesday :)

i have been a busy, busy girl with wedding planning...

in full force!!!

last weekend, i started putting together inspiration boards

for the various categories of the wedding.

this helps to keep me organized & focused 

{though i do keep switching out a few photos here & there}

and will be a fantastic tool of inspiration to give to my vendors!

two of my favorite things...

flowers & cake

were on my mind...

here is what will inspire these pieces in our big day

{via elizabeth anne designs}

haahaa...not really ;)

though it would be a totally cute idea for a brunch event!

in reality...

{from top, clockwise: 1 jose villa / 2 pinterest / 3 style me pretty / 4 pinterest / 5 design*sponge /
6 style me pretty}

.flora.

whimsical . feminine . just picked from the garden

.

.

.

.cake.

white frosted {buttercream} . simple . single tiered . garden floral details

{right to left, top to bottom: 1 & 5 photo from daniella marie, florals by saipua / 2 style me pretty /
3 style me pretty / 4 design*sponge }

*i will definitely being going with a few different single tiered cakes*

what did/will your cake & flowers look like?

have a lovely day!

XO 

brynn

designer crush: derek lam {women's menswear}

okay, so i admit it...

i really, really, reallywanted to do a post
on something in regards to spring fashion...

but, after remembering my words of yesterday...

about relishing in the beauty of now 

{even though it means cold, gray winter & 

all i want to think about is colors of tangerine & yellow}
i thought i better stick to them...

& luckily in that moment, i got side-tracked!

i came across derek lam's pre-fall 2012 collection

and i thought...well, perhaps talking fall is a bit premature,

at least some of the fashions could translate better to right now...

so there you have it...this is how my designer crush developed...
and, perhaps a new love for menswear-inspired womenswear.

i  love the menswear take on his designs.

i think that we have been seeing inklings of menswear trends 

over some time now,

but he has raised the bar...

elevating it to a very sophisticated & polished sartorial level.

isn't just the best being a girl??!!

we get to wear menswear & dresses

& look fabulous in both!!!

{credits: derek lam collection via vogue // men's street style via the sartorialist // women in menswear via // topcoat // alexander wang white collar button up // roberto cavalli tailored vest // 

valentino wool pleat slim // chloe bag // bow tie // gold lace-ups // final look}

i must admit that the menswear look would not be a typical look for me...

but fashion is too fantastic to say "never"!
i do like the idea of the super classic look, but 

i am feeling especially drawn to the last look...

it's a little bit cheeky, isn't it?!

how do you feel about menswear with a feminine twist?

would you wear the look?

XO

brynn

signs of the season

though it has been winter for nearly a month,

i have had spring on the brain... 

dreaming of bright colors & sunshine...
our winter had been pretty mild so far, so i was kind of in denial
& being naive to think that we might get an early spring this year!

well, i was quickly put into check over the weekend...

by the weather.

yep. seattle turned into a winter wonderland...

unfortunately it was not quite cold enough for it to stick,

but it was still gorgeous to look at as it flurried down...

& we are expecting more!

this got me thinking about how i need to relish more in right now...

winter may not be my favorite season, 

but there are still so many beautiful things to appreciate in these

present moments.

::: a few snapshots of my winter :::

there is something so magical about seattle's winter sunsets - there is a vibrancy & electricity that just lights the sky on fire.

i definitely holed up this weekend & felt inspired to do lots of cooking! p.s. i love meals in bowls {they just seem to taste better to me!}

bowl 1: oat bran/rolled oats combo w/ caramelized cinnamon & nutmeg apples - oh my word...delicious!!! it tasted like apple pie oatmeal! {to caramelize apples, sprinkle w/ cinnamon + nutmeg & saute in butter over low heat until soft...patience is key!...that's it. easy breezy}

bowl 2: shrimp tikka masala w/ rice {i used the ingredients from this recipe here for sauce inspiration} ...dan & i could not stop talking about how delicious this was...i am salivating now just looking at the photo!

enjoying.winter.in the present.means...

.cozy socks & slippers.

.BIG scarves.

.hot cocoa.

.enjoying quiet time at home.

.soups galore.

.hot tea.

.winter clothes.

.comfort food.

.bundling up in blankets.

.lots of extra snuggling.

{socks / pinecones / branch / blanket / hat / cocoa}

here's to a fantastic start to the week!

XO

brynn

friday's fancies: shift_

hello, gorgeous!

happy friday to you {& you & you & you!!!}

how are you feeling at the end of this week?

do you have a long weekend for mlk?

i do...& i even extended it by a day!

yep! i am taking today off :)

ahhh...so ready for some r&r!

so, it's been a very long time since i last linked up with

{av} over at long distance loving for friday's fancies

& i thought i would do so today :)

this week's theme is color crush, 

but i have been doing so many color themed posts,

that i decided to go with a silhouette crush :) 

my loves...

how much do you love a shift dress?

i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

my friend/co-worker & i were having a conversation

earlier this week about them,

which ended up inspiring me to 

give an ode to the shift dress...

a classic wardrobe staple, i think.

{long sleeve > tibi // sequin > jenni kayne // chartreuse button back > m missoni // leopard shift > phillip lim}

{leather shift > cacharel // sunglasses > uo // gold stack > via //  gold bangle > dinosaur designs //
satchel > brahmin //shoes > L.A.M.B.}

{coral shift > tibi // statement necklace > via // zebra clutch > michael kors // camel peep toes > giuseppe zanotti}

{all vintage shifts via etsy: peach // yellow // floral}

instant chic, isn't it just, dahhhlings?!

how would you wear a shift dress?

{i guess, in the end, you could say that
my color crush is neutrals with a pop of coral/red!}

i hope you all are up to something great this weekend!

i'll be working on wedding plans & taking it easy...

oh! & i'll be remaking/reshooting that salad i talked about yesterday!

have a fantastic one :)

XO

brynn

some days are better than others...but every cloud has a silver lining :)

hello friends!

how are you today?

i hate to admit it, but as i started writing this, i felt a bit on the somber side...

{don't worry...i get over myself pretty quickly...after a quick story below}

so, i had gotten all inspired while making dinner last night

and decided to make a post out of it...

{i am wanting to incorporate more foodie posts!}

i spent about an hour and a half {possibly longer} 

prepping, photographing, etc.

and this salad i was making turned out to be gorgeous...

completely gorgeous...

let's back up a few steps...

a couple of weeks ago, my iphone's antenna stopped working

{meaning no phone calls could go in or out}

so, no problem...took it to apple, they couldn't fix it

so they replaced it...easy breezy

well, with this new icloud thing, i've been letting everything back up on its own,

so i hadn't yet connected my new phone to my computer...

well, once i went to do so last night to load all of my gorgeous food photos

it automatically restored to original settings because it was an unrecognized phone...

{& the one thing i chose NOT to back-up via icloud was my photos...dumb me}

meaning that ALL of my data was erased...poof! into thin air...gone forever :(

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! i wanted to scream!

{actually, let's be truthful here...i did scream & cursed...it wasn't pretty}

but then... i calmed down and decided to choose happiness...

no sense getting all worked up over something that can't be fixed...

i will just have to make-up that post 

{i wouldn't mind making the salad again anyways}

so, i am sorry i don't have anything better for you than this story today...

{& a lesson well learned in backing up data!}

i thought about starting from scratch & just doing an entirely different post,

but this girl is downright exhausted & needs her beauty rest!

{i hope you understand}

every cloud has a silver lining, though...

so, to end on a happy note...i will leave you with a mini post

of a few gorgeous things to feast your eyes on :)

{i couldn't just leave you all hanging!}

 

{roasted grapes w/ thyme & ricotta on grilled bread / brown butter buttermilk biscuits /

herbed flatbread / penne friatta w/ basil & ricotta}

can you tell i'm craving carbs now??!!

{mmm...comfort food!}

can anyone out there relate to the trauma of working so hard & long at something

only to lose it completely?

have a fantastic day!

XO 

brynn

WEDnesday : looking for my sole mate

hello, loves!

happy WEDnesday :)

{half way through...hip, hip, hooray!!!}

now that the holidays are over & i am in full force

wedding mode, let's get back to some wedding talk!

soul mate? {check}

wedding date? {check}

venue? {check}

photographer? {check}

dress? {check}

snazzy wedding shoes?...???

{oh, & so many more unchecked items...

but we'll talk about those later!}

today, i am on the hunt for my sole mate...

looking for the perfect shoes for the BIG day!

i definitely want a pair of drop dead gorgeous, 

glitzy, glamorous heels!

these are some of my current obsessions...

definitely in love with them all, but especially 

enamored with {all} of the jimmy choos

{#4 are making my heart beat a little faster!}

1 > 2  > 4 > 7 ~ jimmy choo /// 3 > 8 ~ christian louboutin /// 5 > 6 ~ badgley mischka

{heart images - zipper back heels /// vintage heels}

match maker, match maker...

how ever does a girl CHOOse??!!

{p.s. slight dilemma: i am determined to wear heels,

but the wedding is outdoors...yes there is grass...

any advice?}

XO

brynn

lucy + bee

hello loves :)

so, those of you who have been stopping by for a while, 

might notice that i am starting to change some things up a bit around

the old blog...

i am trying some new things on for size.

it is kind of funny, because i have noticed that quite a few people out there 

have mentioned that they want to have some more routine posts...

i am feeling a little opposite of that & wanting to open my blog up to be 

a little more random...actually a balance between the two would be nice...

anyhow, i have been doing a lot of thinking about what i want to do with 

chartreuse & a twist in 2012.

i am not completely landed at the moment,

as i want to toy around with some new topics & ideas...

so please bear with me!

i will fill you in more once i have figured things out!

in the meantime, 

grab a cup of tea or coffee...or wine for that matter!...

sit back, relax & enjoy :)

i am quite the rambler this week! let's get on to the topic of this post!

let me please introduce 2 fantastic, fabulous, fashionable women...

who truly need no introduction at all!

lucy laucht + bee {atlantic pacific}

these 2 ladies are seen all over the blogging world & on pinterest...

and why not?! 

they are both ridiculously gorgeous & have insane {in a good way} style...

they are inspirational in so many ways,

always struttin' sweet fashions...

they are the epitome of personal style...

i just adore these ladies!

and here they are sporting 2 of my favorite looks...

polka dots + stripes

do these ladies inspire you, fashionably, as much as they do me?

have a gorgeous day!

xoxoxo

brynn