Monday, April 30, 2012

never stop

"...growth is fueled by desire and innocence. 
assess the answer not the question. 
imagine learning throughout your life at the rate of an infant."
-bruce mau



I have to be intentional about personal growth, in every area of my life.
I have to be pursposeful. I have to choose to learn, choose to expand my knowledge, skills, 
mind, creativity...on a daily basis.
Ever since I finished school, where I was forced to grow, learn, and expand my mind everyday,
it's been a challenge. It's easy and comfortable to just stay where you're at. 
But I think life is too short to do so. 
Sometimes I miss that feeling the most of my time in college. That wonderful feeling of accomplishment, of achieving something difficult, new, something I never thought I could do.

I want to be a student forever, even if I'm not in school.
Although, secretly, I think I hope to be in school again one day.
We shall see what the future holds. 

We have family coming into town this weekend which always makes for a better, shorter week.

Cheers for now,
Bonte

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Friday, April 27, 2012

Need Supply Co.

Check out the Richmond, Virginia retailer, Need Supply Co. Their Spring 2012 lookbook is the perfect blend of Wes Anderson inspired style, retro/prep sport, with a hint of geeky on the side. Totally awesome if you ask me.












I'm a big fan. Have a swell weekend, and don't forget to check out our new wedding banners in the SHOP today!

Bonte


Thursday, April 26, 2012

Vim + Verve: Guest Post


Guest posting today is Hollin from Vim and Verve!

"One of my favorite things to do when it starts getting warm is going out on picnics.  Montreal has great parks and the greatest park, Parc La Fontaine is right down the street.  Some people like to build extravagant picnics but me, I like them fairly simple. I try to remember that, unless you have a car and you park close to your picnic spot, you'll be carrying a lot of these items, so try to pack light! Etsy sellers and other shops like World Market sell great disposable or wood picnic packaging to make your food all the easier to carry."
picnic times

picnic times by hollin featuring a straw hat
picnic time 2

picnic time 2 by hollin on polyvore.com

These recipes would be perfect for a summertime picnic.

Mini Pretzel Dogs 
Yogurt Parfait Jars
Rosemary Lemonade
Giada Fruit Spring Rolls
Sweet Pear and Rosemary Honey with Harvarti Grilled Cheese 

Picnic Inspiration by Hollin on Pinterest

Also, check out this summer picnic cookbook:

Sunny Days & Easy Living: Relaxed Food to Enjoy Outdoors 

Hope you are inspired to create a picnic of your own this spring and/or summer. What better way to enjoy the lovely outdoors, weather, blooming flowers and green everywhere, than eating outside with friends or a loved one.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

What I Wore Wednesday

Welcome to WIWW {Week 7: Umbrellas}

I've come to the conclusion that I just don't know how to dress what to wear for spring. 
The forecast  will say high 65, lo 40, 40% chance to thunder showers. Ok, so....long sleeve,
short sleeve, sweater, t-shirt with jacket, jeans, bare legs? I swear, some days I've changed
an extraordinary amount of times. I don't like wearing sandals if it's going to rain. I just hate
the feeling of wet sandal feet. Eewww I guess it will be plain hot here before  too long,
so I better enjoy the cool breezes while I can.

This was a blustery day, calling for rain showers. An umbrella seemed appropriate.











Jacket: Vintage // Scarf: Gap // Sweater: 'Kenzie' Nordstrom Rack // Striped Long Sleeve: Old Navy //
Jeans: J Brand // Purse: Vinage Coach // Shoes: 'Preview International' Nordstrom Rack // Umbrella: Target // 
Ring: gift from my Dad


Enjoy,
Bonte


Don't forget to check out The Pleated Poppy for more outfit inspiration. I love hearing your feedback as well, so don't be shy.


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Aglassjar: Guest Post


spring things, aglassjar style ;) 
i'm lisa, & i have a blog where i post pictures of where i am & what i find. right now, i am in sacramento california, with family, so you may find an overwhelming amount of pictures of family. but. we are due to move in a couple weeks, & i foresee lots of vegetarian recipes, home & garden projects, clothing, sunlight & definitely more cat posts.
depending on where you are, you experience spring differently. in LA, where I lived for five years, was probably the most bizarre way to experience spring. you don't really notice it. it's like any other season, except not as hot as summer. breezy, sunny weather in the 70s? yep. & you wonder why it's over populated. i remember saying, when we decided to move to NYC, "i am sick of 70 degree weather, i'm ready for some snow!" (<-- obviously wasn't in my right mind). anyway. i got what i asked for. here is me, in NYC during spring time, last year.
i'm serious, that was the end of April, last year. icaramba! of course, the following month brightened up a bit, & the storms subsided & pretty flowers started popping up everywhere.
having said all of that, the one thing that is definitely true no matter which coast you're on, is that flowers are blooming everywhere! herbs & tomato plants are for sale at every bodega, home depot & even safeway. love it! so, flowers, that is my number one springy thing, that i love.
(whoops, my new pair of dieppa restrepo loafers? how did you get in there...) after, what seemed like a year, of layering up clothes in new york (in reality, it was probably only 3-4mnths), i decided that i really didn't like layering clothes too much, and that a simple dress, or light pastel pants with a loose tank top was  what i really liked. so my number two spring thing is bright colored or pastel pants & floral dresses.
what? all of these items are available in the aglassjar etsy shop?? you gotta be kiddin' me! :) in the last a couple wks, i've purchased a pair of periwinkle (pictured), red, peach & minty green silky pants. like i said...
three : avocados! oops, i mean veggies!
this part also varies, depending on which coast you reside. we're lucky, in california, to have all kinds of fresh locally grown veggies available in abundance all year 'round ( did someone say avocados?) here, avocados are available all year, at insanely inexpensive prices! two-six avos for a doll-hair. this is why i was shocked to pay $4 for one (ONE) organic avocado on the east coast during fall/winter.  one of my favorite things to do, during the warmer days, when you don't really feel like a hot soup, is a raw avocado soup! i use this one from www.rawbeets.com for a raw tortilla soup! it's so good! if you've never had a raw soup before... this is the one to try.
four: hanging out, outside
most recently with my neice & nephew. i'm looking forward to eating (avocados...) outside, drinking outside (our new place has a backyard! i feel like we'll be doing a lot of drinking outside!), gardens, playing chase (w/ the kiddos), picnics...etc. just outside anything...really. five: green juice.  if you've never had a green juice, try starting with freshly juiced celery & oranges, so refreshing & delicious! then slowly begin to add other greens. you get tons of nutrients, minerals & vitamins that way. love green juice. it's more of a "spring thing" for east coasters & a year round thing for californians. six: bright nail polish. something so simple, brightens up an entire outfit. seven: blonde hair. every spring, i gradually go blonde! eight: cocktails! it's five o'clock somewhere! (stay tuned to mi blog, many cocktail recipes to come, once we move into our house!) wow, it got kind a boring there towards the end, w/ no pics... sorry! i love bonte rue, always get some sort of inspiration from looking at her bloggy... outfit ideas, photography, home decor, crafts, etsy find... & more :) very happy to be apart of spring time guest posts!


Monday, April 23, 2012

Fashion Inspo.

Well, I have high expectations for this week. We've had construction going on around our 
apartment the past 5, going on 6 weeks, and quite frankly, I'm tired of it. Our apartment
managers decided to redo our front porch, which needed it desperately, and we are very
grateful. But what was supposed to be a 1 week project has turned into a 6 week project.
Crossing my fingers for lots of sunshine and progress this week. I'm just dying to spray paint
my porch chairs, plant my flowers, herbs, and get my porch ready for summer parties.

We are also getting a window makeover, which we're in dire need of as well. We live on the main floor of a very old house. It's over 100 years old, with 12 foot ceiling and hardwood floors, and we love the character. One downside is the the rolling floors from it being picked up and moved to it's current location. Another is the windows. They are so drafty, which is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. But, they are replacing them all, PTL! They started ripping out the outside storm windows last week, and I'm expecting them back today to finish the job. Crossing my fingers for finished projects around here.

All that to say, after house guests and construction, I am ready to have my house back, and some peace and quiet. Hopefully I can get a little work done this week as well.

Anyways, enough about my house...Here's a little Monday inspiration for you.







Also, in case you didn't hear...We are so honored and excited to be participating in Etsy's first ever wedding event, To Have & To Hold. They are hosting it in NYC this coming Saturday for bride + grooms, event + wedding planners, and various press. More information here.

I'll be seeing you soon,
Bonte


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Friday, April 20, 2012

hair inspo.

I'm getting my hair done today, so I thought I'd do a hair inspiration post. I'm not doing anything new or crazy, but there is nothing better than the feeling of freshly cut and colored hair.


What's your current hair obsession?
I'm trying to get mine long enough to do some of these lovely braids and up-dos.
It's been a while...

Happy Friday all!
Bonte

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Blue Pea: Guest Post




Hey everyone! It's Gianna from Bluepea!



I'm super excited to be a part of Bonte Rue's fun spring guest post, but first, a little about me.  
I am an Italian girl (can you still call yourself a girl if you're 31??) with an eye for fashion and a love for photography, coffee, animals, food (mostly dessert-in fact I'm currently eating a Cadbury Creme Egg), travel, sunshine and rain (different days)...and apparently I also love parentheses. Jeez.  
When I'm not working my day job (cosmetics at Nordstrom), I am usually doing one of three things: shopping vintage, eating food, or blogging/photographing/instagramming.  Or more recently, doing makeup tutorials:) I shop vintage and occasionally create arts/crafts for my etsy shop, which you can check out here if you're interested!  Here are a few items to tempt you! 




So enough of all that, let's talk SPRING!!

I agree that Spring is one of the best times of year..it's hard to say it's THE absolute best because I also love Fall and Summer, but Spring is definitely a time where I feel the most light and energetic.  I have so many favorite spring things, it's hard to narrow it down, but here goes. In no particular order:

Number 1:
 Planting/gardening/digging!




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I don't understand how some people don't have plants in their homes.  I mean, I've definitely killed my share of greens, but keep at it!  It adds so much character to a home or yard, and the process is totally therapeutic.

Number 2:
Cute wedges.  It's so hard working in retail and not spending what's left of your paycheck at said retailer, but I am currently lusting after these Halogens and might just have to purchase them if the weather ever cooperates.


Number 3:
Self tanner.  And maybe a new set of dark sheets and a black robe to go with it...pshhh, I have a love/hate relationship with self tanners, but I like to have a tan and I'm not into tanning beds, so it is what it is.  I have yet to find one that doesn't transfer onto clothing, so that said, my favorite is St. Tropez foam/mousse.  It's immediate results, but you should probably use a glove with it, because it'll stain your hands beyond belief.  It's good stuff though-I mean, even Lady Gaga uses it soooo..:)

Number 4:
Home redecorating/cleaning/organizing/opening your windows!  I got a little burst of spring energy last night at about 7pm and started reorganizing and cleaning my entire kitchen.  Check out my instagram (search for bluepea) for photos! It just felt so incredible to have the sunlight still shining at that hour, and it was almost warm.  I even rode my bike to the local pizza place after that, without a COAT! That's what I mean about spring energy.  It's like you come out of the cave!!  Especially here in Washington State.  The downside is I woke up today to snow and seriously gusty winds. UGHHHH.

Finally, Number 5:
Get ready! Dog walking. Pedicures. Iced coffee. Car windows down. Skirts without tights! Shorts without tights! Lighter fragrances. Longer, lighter days.  Bike rides.  Hikes.  OUTDOOR BLOG PHOTOS!!  Running outside.  Riding my bike to work and not having to pay for parking. The proximity to summer!  New cocktails.  Fairs and festivals. 

The list could go on and on.  I hope Spring comes soon and stays for more than a day here!  No more snow, seriously.  

Anyways, thank you so much for reading and thanks again to Bonte Rue for having me!  Her blog is super cute and fun :)

Here are my spots: