A Wedding in Details

Recently my husband and I got to shoot a wedding that I fell head over heels for so I thought I would share. The bride and grooms style is more on the vintage side and she had an eye for detail. The whole affair was laid back and truly fun. Here is the gorgeous bride and her groom...


The setting of the wedding was at a vineyard...


Driving to the site was made easy with these rustic and charming signs...


The shoes, flowers, and hairpiece were perfection. Isn't she lovely?




The bridesmaids were all family and they each wore a different dress from Anthropologie.


Down the hill from the wedding site was a pumpkin patch which the bride was not thrilled with, but she humored us anyway and they posed with a pumpkin. I just love an easy going bride!


They had this lattice set up with old family photos. Such a sweet and loving detail. It also made for some extra laughs when we saw some of the old wedding gowns, ha!


They had a table and quilt set up for taking Polaroids during the reception. The chalkboard message boards and the book just made it even more special. Talk about something you will treasure forever.


Birds were a reoccurring theme throughout. Oh, and this cake topper, what can I say, it had me at hello. All the milk glass wasn't too shabby either.




As the sun set and the lights came on, well, it made for a wonderful evening.

{images via Kellen Jacob Photography}

Outfit to Room...

Oh, J.Crew how do I love thee...


I think you would make for a lovely keeping room...

{via Oly}

A spot to place my tea...

{via Pieces}

Every room needs a focal point...

{via Target}

A cashmere throw would make a stunning statement on the back of the sofa or thrown over your shoulders...

{via Pieces}

This piece of art to toughen all up a bit...

{via here}

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Feeling Like Home












Since this will be a month of DIY projects here on Two Ellie then I only thought it be fitting to feature a DIY queen herself, Kristan Cunningham of HGTV. It seems the home is a rental so they did not want to invest a lot of money. For example her and her husband revamped the kitchen for under $1,000, looks fabulous to me. I love how it looks as if it all has come together over time. I enjoy seeing the wood piled up on the floor, although my children would see it as their own personal playground. Oh, and that rug I have been eying ever since seeing it in this local bloggers home. It would go lovely in my new room makeover, hmm.

{first seen via Rebecca June}
{images via The Los Angeles Times}

Tracery Interiors


While staying at Rosemary Beach for our vacation last week I was able to pop into Tracery Interiors shop. I made it a point to stop in especially after falling head over heels for their work and blog. I got to meet a couple of the lovely ladies and they were as sweet as can be. While chit chatting Bess, the blogger for Tracery, happened to mention my shopping hiatus. Oh, did I happen to mention I was mid purchase? Well, needless to say I have not done very well the past couple of months. I have a few home projects in the works and that's never cheap. Okay, I may have done a bit of shopping at the J. Crew outlet while at the beach too, you guys sure know how to drag it out of me. Anyway, for now I am not going to pretend that all my purchases are justifiable. I have thought them through and, lucky you, for the next couple of months you will be able to see my home come together even more. Being a stay at home mom plus a home body makes it hard for me to let projects sit. I am just ready to get it done, well as if it can ever really be done, ha!

I bought 2 of the above sconces to flank the large window in my bedroom and boy are they heavy. I would have given you all a full picture, but that will have to come later. I am still in need of that perfect curtain.

DIY Headboard

So I am redoing my bedroom, again. I am only going to show a snippet today because it still has quite a ways to go, but the bed is quite a large snippet I believe. I finally convinced my husband to let me make my own headboard. He was afraid it would look cheap, but he still gave me the go ahead.


The Supplies:
2 bags of extra loft batting
staple gun
just over 2 yards of fabric
plywood (thick enough so it would not bend)
2x4 cut into 2 ft legs
drill
screws

(I could have also used thick foam, but that would have added to the cost and I wasn't wanting anything to thick anyway.)

The plywood I had cut at our local supply store into a 76x46 piece. We have a king size bed and with this size it makes the headboard tall and have the ability to go down to our box springs. That way from a side view you wouldn't be able to see the legs.


I then took the batting and laid it out on the board and wrapped it around the back and stapled well. I used two bags of queen size batting to give the headboard some softness.


I repeated the above process with the fabric which was a remnant I found at a local fabric shop. It was only $8 a yard, yeah! The key to this step is to make sure you keep the fabric smooth. Pull taunt and then pull again, but be aware of creating ripples.


The final piece before adding legs. As you can see there are some wrinkles in my fabric. I tried ironing the opposite side, but being velvet it started to change the color so I am now just hoping they will work themselves out over time.


Next I attached the 2 foot legs to the back of the board with screws. These legs are 16" from the ground to the headboard. This gave clearance for outlets that are behind the bed.


My husband then helped me put the headboard behind the bed. We pushed our bed firmly up against the headboard and for us it seems firm enough. We could attach it to the wall at a later date if we feel a wobble, but so far so good.


Simple, quick, and budget friendly. I could not be more happy with the outcome.

Taking a Walk

I am so happy to be back! It seems I have a lot of catching up to do on your blogs and can't wait to get started. We had a wonderful trip. The weather could not have been any more perfect. Anyhoo, my dear husband and I have fallen in love with The Biggest Loser. As some of you may not know husband and I do not have cable, dish, etc. It's a life style choice we made years ago, but at the beach there is cable and we did watch a few shows. The Biggest Loser was one of them and now we are going to watch it on Hulu every week. It really made us reevaluate how we treat our bodies. For me, having a box of Cheez It's for lunch is no good so we have a plan on eating healthier and keeping active. I went from being an avid runner to basically nothing in less than a year, ouch. One activity that we did do at the beach was take long walks, when I mean long I mean a couple of hours long. Everyday the kiddos would climb into the red wagon and we would walk to here...


So the kiddos could play on this...


This is one of the views that we admired everyday, I just adore the symmetry of it all...


Then my sweet husband decided to take some lovely photos for you all, that way you can feel like you were with me, well sort of...


This puts my fire pit to shame...




Oh yes, my husband has no fear of peeping into people's courtyards. Nothing but the best for my readers I say...



He did have a problem with stealing when I asked for him to carry this home though...



I just adore the beach, sigh*...


If you actually read this whole post then I am quite impressed, way long, I know. Long walk makes for a long post, sorry.

UPDATE: we stayed in Rosemary Beach, Florida. My favorite.

{Oh, and we did arrive home with a few days of vacation left and we worked on our bedroom. Yes, I know it was only a mere 8 months ago that I re.did it the first time, but it just was not working for me. Tomorrow I will post a tutorial on how to make your own headboard, yeah!}

A Good Day

I am taking the week off for some much needed family time. We are heading to the beach which also happens to be my favorite place ever. We haven't even got there yet and my little Ellie is already asking if we can stay forever. I hope one day I can tell her yes. For now I will leave you with some of my most recent favorite photos of my babies...







Oh and here are a few of my favorite reads that for some reason have yet to make it on my blog roll...

For the decor obsessed... Blue Hydrangea.

For the foodies... Amy and Ann.

For the one's who love it all... Johns Journal.

For those who are having a wedding or those who just love them... 100 Layer Cake.

For the fashion lovers... Unabashedly Prep.

For those who need hope and inspiration... NieNie Dialogues.

I hope you all have a lovely week and will miss you, really.

{images via my love Kellen Jacob Photography}

Mr. Grant K. Gibson







In 2009 our beloved Domino magazine named Mr. Gibson as one of the "10 designers to watch". After seeing his home and portfolio I must agree. There is so much I love about this home. The architectural prints hung in a grid pattern in stunning frames, really can I say more? Of course you know I can. The high gloss black doors sing to me. The refurbished walnut floors are perfection. Everything about that entryway has me swooning. If even has me considering painting my front table black. Skirted tables, art hung at all levels, and impeccable styling makes this home all the better. Oh, and that bed is a $500 clearance piece from Pottery Barn Teen. He then had his seamstress make a simple upholstered headboard and then had it attached, brilliant.

Mr Gibson also has a blog, here.

{images via The New York Times}

The Illusion

The other night hubby and I had a date. We decided to head to the mall and just walk on the drizzly night. We ended up popping into Banana Republic and hubby found a few things to try one. Since I was sans kiddos I decided it would be fun to try on a few dresses. Well, I tried on this dress and fell head over heels. It is such an illusion. The banding around the waist makes mine appear smaller. The darts going down hides my "mama" bump. The darts going up gives me the illusion of having somewhat of a chest. Oh, and don't even get me started on the derriere. I am not one to spend a lot on a dress especially one that could not be used as an everyday dress, but I am wondering if adding a cardigan, belt, and tights could make it pass for a more casual look. As for now I am going to admire from a far, but if I am still drooling over the thought of this baby in a couple of weeks I just may need to go take the plunge, just maybe.

Enjoying Life

It's breast cancer awareness month in case you haven't heard. I got checked recently and was free and clear, which is always a sigh of relief. Getting checked yearly is a must so you mustn't forget. Oh, and let's not forget why this is so dear to my heart...

This is my mama and she is a survivor. She had a double mastectomy and never got rebuilt. She fought hard even when she felt beyond awful. I remember when her hair became sparse and it was time to let go of the rest. I remember that being harder for me than for her. Soon after I had Ellie and they wore matching hats. Wish I had a photo of that. Although I am not sure how excited my mom would be to have me post one of those. She is coming up on her fifth year of being cancer free. She is my hero...


and Ellie's. I mean really, I think Ellie would live with sasa and papa if given the chance. I thank God for allowing her to extend her life. Love you mama.

I'On Idea Cottage










I just received my new October issue of Coastal Living this past weekend and I could not have been more excited. So much goodness in one issue, it's a must to pick up if you don't already have it. This home is part of their 2009 Idea Cottage series. This one can be found in South Carolina. Did you happen to see the tile in the kitchen? Oh my, I am in love and it's from Ann Sacks of course. What I would give to be able to afford such a lovely tile, but at around $32.00 a square foot it's a bit a much for us. I adore all the brass used throughout. The fabric choices are stunning. And that outdoor space is amazing. Angie Hranowsky was the designer behind this cottage and I think she completely rocks.

To see more of this cottage be sure to go here.

Going to the Dogs

Awhile back I participated in the Dog Scarf Project given by Kelee Katillac. The goal was to decorate a "Play Strong" scarf and send a picture of your dog wearing it in order to earn a donation to go towards helping abandoned pets. Well, today is the day to celebrate all the donations raised and earn some more. Today is the Pet Parade over on The Katillac Shack, go and have a visit. And here is to our newish addition, Mellow.



FYI: Mellow was not harmed during this shoot. That is how they play, rough and tough. This is also why he is perfect for our family. What dog doesn't mind being dragged all around the house multiple times a day?

Leaf & Petal

It's that time of year again when my garden begins to fade and only the evergreens remain, so this past week my kiddos and I headed out to Leaf & Petal here in Birmingham to pick up a few things for some fall color. Leaf & Petal always display the most gorgeous assortments for pots. Our normal drill is to pull in, find our favorite pot, and simply say I want to recreate that. Then they bring us around and tell us about our selections and load it all up. Really it is the perfect way for us to spend the morning and even more lovely when they begin to remember your face.


This is the assortment we picked for the main pot as you walk up to our porch. The main beauty is flowering kale, I love everything about her. Her color and shape have me swooning. A petite evergreen tree was added for year round color. The orange mums and purple snapdragons are short lived and will be changed out to pansy's in a couple of months, but for now they make me happy. Finally we added parsley, because every pot needs something good to eat according to my Ellie.


This is our front porch. We spend hours here in the fall as the weather begins to cool. Normally I do not put a pumpkin out till October, but Ellie made a good point on how beautiful this one was and we should keep it, so we did. The stump is a recent addition and I could not be more pleased. We have some friends who had a some trees cut down in thier yard and I asked for a stump and they so delivered. I love the rustic element it adds.


These are a few pots I bought on my recent trip to Ikea. I finally added a few ferns and am quite happy on the way it further divides the kitchen from the living room. Although the bar is meant to be used for eating it is at a ridiculous height so even the tallest stools we could find are still not tall enough, oh well. Also the backsplash still needs to be tiled. Such a big decision and a pricey one especially when we need about 30 sq ft. One day I suppose.

{Thank you to Gracie Belle Butterfly for my blog award. You made my day.}

Outfit to Room...

The night's are starting cool off a bit and that makes for such wonderful evening strolls. I am welcoming fall with open arms...

{via Frolic via Domino}

Outfit to bedroom...

{via Ikea}

A four poster bed would make for a cozy night.

{via Benjamin Moore}

The walls would be painted Iron Mountain.

{via toast}

Simple white bedding would work, but this throw would be a must.

{via Remodelista}

A couple of lovely table lamps...

{via Revival}

to sit a top a couple of bed side tables...

{via West Elm}

A sheep skin rug would make getting out of bed not so bad on a chilly morning.

Have a lovely weekend!

Shopping Hiatus {2}

As of yesterday I was feeling quite good about myself for not shopping. It's hard to do when you can't leave your house, but that's besides the point. Then my lovely inbox taunted me with a sale at Nordstroms. As of late I have been just hitting the delete button, but I thought a quick peek wouldn't hurt. I found this lovely dress and thought how cute would it be with a cardigan and my Frye boots. I then got hold of my thoughts and decided to do some blog surfing instead. The next thing I know my idea of a floral dress, boots, and this one with a little brown leather jacket had me hopping right back to the sale. So now I am the owner of this dress...


because of this image...


Now I just need this jacket...


FYI: The dress will be a bit longer, I am that short. The Frye boots I got for only $20 in the children's section on an insane clearance, my feet are on the smaller side. Lastly, I probably won't be getting that jacket, not in the budget this year.

*This blog post touched me deeply. It reminds me of who I wanted to be years ago.