1. April in Texas

    April 12, 2012

    Besides a short spring break last year, this is the first spring I’ve spent in Texas. A few weeks ago, when the fields on the drive between Houston and Austin began to bloom with blue bonnets, I got a little bit giddy because it was my first time seeing them for real! It’s so beautiful to look out at, and I can see immediately why Texans are so proud of their April blue bonnet season. Blue bonnets are so sweet and special, and they make the perfect inspiration for a spring wedding in the Hill Country!

    {April in Texas}
    {Bride and cowboy groom: McGowan Images via Style Me Pretty| Bridesmaids in navy blue: Nathan Westerfield Photography via Southern Weddings| Mosaic cow skull: McGowan Images via Style Me Pretty| Blue vintage car: Half Orange Photography via Style Me Pretty| Bouquet with bluebonnets: Arielle Doneson Photography via Style Me Pretty| Blue invitation suite: Justin & Mary via Style Me Pretty| Baby’s breath and blue bonnet aisle decor: McGowan Images via Style Me Pretty| Texas sky: Korie Lynn Photography via Style Me Pretty}

    If you tell me you didn’t swoon at that shot of the bride and her cowboy groom, I will not believe you! :)

    Love,

    Lisa

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  2. April Inspiration

    April 3, 2012

    April is my favorite month! Not only do I love Easter, the beginning of spring, and for me, the school year wrapping up, but it’s also my birthday month! I feel quite lucky to have diamonds as a birthstone ;) I like to surround myself with my favorite things even more than usual in April, and here’s what I’ve rounded up to inspire me.

    Wedding: This gorgeous wedding was like a breath of fresh spring air! The bridesmaids were dressed in the prettiest lilac, the bouquets were gorgeous, the paper products were divine, and the bride and groom…well, they looked like this and took pictures on a swing. What’s not to love? I’ll be looking back at this one all month as a reminder of how beauty and joy are equally important in a wedding. Picture by SheWanders Photography via Style Me Pretty.

    Fashion: My style mantra for the month? Effortlessly ladylike. There’s nothing more fun than throwing on a swingy skirt on a warm spring day, and I’m determined to do just that as much as possible in the next few weeks. Blair Eadie is the perfect inspiration for girly outfits and flawless accessorizing (another element I’m working on!).Via Atlantic Pacific.

    Interior design: I’m sure y’all have seen Dallas Shaw’s office floating around on Pinterest, but seriously, isn’t it flawless? From the gold folding screen, to the white furniture, to the perfectly placed details (I spy the same Rifle Paper Co. calendar that I have!), everything is so pretty and inspiring. Picture by Alison Conklin via Poppin.

    Foodie: I went to visit my boyfriend over the weekend and learned something new about him–he makes the most insanely addicting banana cream pie. Surprise! Now that I’m back in Austin and craving that pie like crazy, I’d love to whip up a lighter version of the Southern staple, banana pudding. Via Southern Living.

    Holiday: Okay, so my upcoming 22nd birthday is not really a holiday, but y’all are welcome to celebrate with me by enjoying some cupcakes or champagne on April 15th! It’ll make tax day much more fun, I promise :) Via Oh Happy Day.

    What’s inspiring you this month?

    Love,

    Lisa

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  3. March Inspiration

    March 1, 2012

    Happy March 1! I can practically feel spring break getting closer. :) As you may remember, I’m starting out each month with a round-up of inspiration in all different categories. This is a really fun exercise for me, and it definitely helps me focus in on what I’m really drawn to at the moment, which in turn helps me dream up blog posts!  Without further ado, here’s what I’m inspired by for the upcoming month and the beginning of spring.

    Wedding inspiration: Keeping it classic and understated, but full of style, for March! This Reem Acra dress is one of my new favorites, and I love how this bride paired it with a a bouquet that balances elegant (fluffy white peonies) and modern (succulents and untied stems). The look all put together? Pefection. Picture by The Nichols via Style Me Pretty.

    Fashion inspiration: Is there a more wonderfully preppy color combination than navy blue and kelly green? I’m in love with all the navy-and-kelly striped shirts out there recently, but for now, this picture of the always-gorgeous Sarah Vickers is the perfect inspiration for taking a trend or color scheme and making it your own. Picture via Classy Girls Wear Pearls.

    Interior design inspiration: One exciting event of February was signing an apartment lease for next year with some of my friends! We’ve been pinning like crazy, and have finally come up with a theme for our main living area. This is our inspiration picture, and the more I look at all of the details in it, the more I love it! Picture via House of Turquoise from House Beautiful.

    Foodie inspiration: The arrival of spring always makes me crave cheery, lemon-flavored desserts. I don’t have much experience baking lemon things, but I’m determined to change that this month with these adorable Lemon Meringue Cupcakes. Pretty great styling too, isn’t it? :) Pictures/recipe via Jamie of My Baking Addiction.

    Holiday inspiration: St. Patrick’s Day decor is almost always undeniably cheesy, so I love the idea of chic-ing it up. Burlap, baker’s twine, a few deep green accents, and maybe some green glass vases are just the ticket. A few four-leaf clovers can’t hurt either! Via Better Homes and Gardens.

    What’s inspiring you for the month ahead?

    Love,

    Lisa

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  4. Spring Weddings

    July 5, 2011

    Summer is often thought of as “wedding season”–I mean, how many of you need at least two hands to count the number of couples you know getting married between June and August? For the rest of the week, I’m going to take a look at the pros and cons of getting married in different seasons, and I’d love to hear your thoughts about how/why you chose your wedding month! First up, spring weddings :)

    {Pros}
    Tons and tons of beautiful flowers in season. Early spring is still considered the “off season,” so prices are lower. No real expected color scheme, so it’ll be easy to pull anything off. Symbolism of new beginnings.

    {Cons}
    Depending on where you live, there could be a high chance of rain, cold, and in some unlucky places, even snow.  Allergies. Friends and family members either in school or with children in school may not being able to attend.

    Any thoughts? Stay tuned for summer, fall, and winter all week long!

    Love,

    Lisa

    Picture credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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  5. Springtime Ohio Engagement Session

    May 13, 2011

    Happy Friday! I am so excited to show off a seriously adorable real engagement session here on Something Pretty to finish off this week. Amelia and Michael fell for each other swing dancing, and if that isn’t the cutest thing, I don’t know what is! Amelia’s roommate (who helped them get together in the first place!) happens to be a fabulous photographer, so she took this springtime engagement session in Ohio. Thank you so much to Lyndsay Angelia Photography for sharing these sweet pictures, and to the lovely bride-to-be for sharing her and Michael’s love story with me!

    {The Beginning} Michael and I first met during our freshman year at Franciscan University when we were introduced by our mutual friend. One night, one of our friends was going to teach a group of us how to swing dance. We went to the little room in the fieldhouse and Michael started dancing with my roommate, Lyndsay. She knew I liked Michael, so she pretended she was tired and told him to dance with me. After that, we became dance partners and got to be really good friends. In the fall semester of our sophomore year, Michael asked me out!

    {The Proposal} After a picnic, Michael asked if I wanted to go geocaching, which is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. I agreed, so he checked his phone to see if there was one close by, and it said there was one on a trail. We started off on the trail till we came to a brook with a little bridge. He said it was somewhere on the bridge, so we both began to look. Eventually, he found it under the bridge, so he brought up the container and handed it to me, saying I could open it. When I opened it, rose petals and a ring box were inside, and then he got down on one knee and proposed!

    {The Engagement Pictures} We got our engagement pictures taken around our college campus where we met, including a playground and golf course near the school.

    {The Upcoming Wedding} We plan to get married on July 14th, 2012, at my church in Maine. Other than that, our plans have been on hold because of finals. Now that they are over, I will finally be able to plan some more!

    What a sweet couple! For information about submitting real wedding and engagement pictures to be posted on Something Pretty, check out my Real Weddings page. :)

    Have a fabulous weekend!

    Love,

    Lisa

    Category: Real Engagements Tags: , | Comments (1)