paper nerd: in love with origami cranes

I've mentioned previously that I am a 'paper nerd'. I'm not sure though, if I really drove home the extent of my nerdiness. I just love paper - any sort of paper - and could literally stare at swatches, colours, textures, and patterns for hours. I constantly ogle the loveliness on Paper Source and basically any paper store I can find. And I have oodles of paper hanging in my office that I don't actually know what to do with! They are just hanging there looking pretty and making me happy.

Anyway, I've had a strange fascination with paper origami cranes lately, and I wondered what cool decorative things could be made with these beautiful folded creations.
This glorious paper crane mobile was spotted in a home on The Selby.

How about using them as place cards holders? {top via Julie Mikos, bottom via Project Wedding}

And check out this gorgeous use of paper cranes at Yuli and Keith's wedding {via Robert Sukrachand}.

According to an ancient Japanese legend, anyone who folds 1000 paper cranes will be granted a wish...better start folding! Have a great weekend Bloomers...

bouquet caught by brides.com!

Yes indeedy, it was a lovely surprise to see inBloom's bridal bouquet from Julia and Iain's wedding on Brides.com yesterday, featured as 'Flowers with Flair'! This is one of our favourite bouquets, as it is just so cheery and bright...a glimmer of sunshine in a bundle of fleurs. Click here to take a peek at the article! Thanks so much, Brides.com.

skylights are in too

Have you seen that skylights are the in thing lately?! All the new condos in the city are getting them. My cute little apartment has taken the liberty of installing it's own skylight. I came home the other day, and construction was already in progress...complete with a waterfall...sweet!

my wedding hair!

I got my wedding hairpiece in the mail today!! Its so cute and perfect. I fell in love with it while browsing one day and decided to base my whole Practice Wedding colours on it! Thanks to House of Telsa I'm now equipped with my adorable Mini Flapper {love love love the name}....ta da!

back to the trenches

..back to trench coats, that is, thank goodness. Have you noticed the trend of trench dresses lately? Nice fitting trench coats, cinched at the waist with a belt, and worn with heels. I've seen them in all the style mags. I quite like the way they look ... casual but very incognito. {First pic from Mango.}

{from elizabeth and james}

{From Christopher Bailey's Luxury Warrior Collection - pic from SugarPoppins}

petticoat bride

I'm looking for a crinoline petticoat to go under my vintage "Practice Wedding" dress. It has to be in a bright colour - probably either yellow or teal. I've found a few options out there. I was super excited when I saw this beautiful yellow one up for bid on ebay for $9.99 but then when I checked back the item had been pulled because it was lost or damaged!!! What are the chances?! Also I'd kill to wear the one that was made for the dog...so unfair!

{This one was on ebay but its now broken or lost...sniff sniff}


{This one on the GoodEye Etsy store is a beaut...but unfortunately the wrong colour}
{What the frig?! Why is this gorgeous one made for a dog?? Why not pint sized humans?}
{Minty! Too bad its from the UK!!}

dandelion ranch

I think I'm in love! I happened upon this floral design studio in Los Angeles - Dandelion Ranch - that has simply the most beautiful and organic flower arrangements I have ever seen! With a philosophy to maintain the natural movement of flowers, as if they are growing in a garden, and arranging them in vintage or modern opaque containers, the effect is stunning! And although their client faves are 'long and low' centrepieces, I would have to say that their tall and puffy arrangements are incredible too. Take a peek and start salivating {click on the photos to get the full effect}!

{found on Green Wedding Shoes}

for the uber organized germ freak!

Wowee! I think this line of travel products from Flight 001 takes care of any OCD, germaphobic, and anal tendency I've ever had {and even the ones I haven't had a chance to have yet!} I would love to open my suitcase and see all these labeled bags and fantastic compartments. Something about it reminds me of the Dharma Initiative on Lost. Like how in "The Hatch" it had packages of everything they needed. Although I guess it wasn't really clean and germ-free...

I love the "Germ Pack" and the one marked "Clean". It really warms my heart.

{Pictures courtesy of designvagabond}

anthurium beauty

I was immediately taken by the pictures of this Australian wedding posted on Style Me Pretty . The pictures looked so incredible lovely in almost a haunting way. But the story behind the wedding got me even more, and it's almost as if I could sense the meaning of the event just by glimpsing the pictures. Apparently, their wedding took place during the terrible wildfires in Australia, on a day where thousands of people lost their homes. The bride and groom had no choice but to carry on with their wedding day - can you imagine how hard that would be? It's almost as if you can see the ash in the air of their pictures. Apparently, their original bouquet and flowers got scorched. But still they managed to create themselves a beautiful moment, during a horrendous, chaotic time. It must have been such a bittersweet moment. I love the groom's anthurium boutonneire and the bride's simple anthurium bouquet. I didn't see pics of their bridesmaids, but I think it would have looked lovely if their bridesmaids had each carried a single anthurium bloom as their bouquets as well.

practice wedding linens

For my "Practice Wedding" I'm looking for some vintage-inspired fabrics for tablecloths. I'm only having small 4 person tables scattered about so they can be fairly patterned. I desire a 'mis-matched yet matched' feel - like I just threw it all together even though everyone will know that I didn't really. The colours seem to be leaning toward a aqua/yellow palette. So far I've found these fabrics as options but I'm not completely sold since they are a bit more green than they should be. But do they give an easy breezy vintage mis-matched yet matched feel? Or do they scream 'she tried too hard!'? Again, in case you don't know, its a Vintage Circus slash Tim Burton's 'Big Fish' themed wedding! Anyone brave enough to make suggestions?!

mimosa mimosa mimosa!

Maybe if we say "mimosa" three times fast, we'll feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Apparently Pantone, the global colour authority, named PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa as the color of the year for 2009. They call it warm and engaging, and say that in a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow. How lovely! Not only do I love the colour mimosa, and does it go with almost everything, but I actually also love the mimosa plant too. I've been filing some of my favourite mimosa wedding florals away, and decided to put them all together now, in honour of the new colour trend! Hallelujah mimosa - you've been waiting a long time for these honours!

I pulled this out of my Bride and Bloom magazine a long time ago, because I found this bouquet to be delightfully yummy!

Such a pretty vintage bouquet with mimosa in it {from Little Winter Bride}

Hello?! Mimosa coloured shoes with the black feather on it?! My feet would never be happier {pic from Little Winter Bride}

My favourite mimosa bouttoniere also - cut from Bride and Bloom a looong time ago too!

Ok, this is not mimosa the flower, but the colour's the same, and I thought this was a cool idea for a ceremony, rather than using expensive poms!

loving target

The world is definitely getting smaller and so many of my favourite stores from the US have made their way to Canada in the past year - Crate and Barrel {yum}, West Elm {double yum}, and soon Anthropologie {yummiest of all!}. But...for all of these lovely stores that have finally arrived, the one I wish would leap across the border the most is Target - or 'Tar-jay' as said with a snotty French accent. That place is unbelievable! It's a Walmart with soooo much more style. On the strange popcorn machine purchasing adventure in Buffalo with Shayna Bloomer last summer, we stopped into Target and I picked up a kick-ass cobalt blue sweater, some beautiful little white dishes, and some other cool houseware items...I just can't leave that place empty-handed.

Here are some funky finds from one of my favourite stores - seriously!



1. Orla Kiely Stoneware Canister
2. Abstract Print Upholstered Chair
3. Floral Print Chaise
4. Clybourn Loft Floral Print Chair