Our Wedding, June 2010

It was bound to happen.  I have a blog and I got married.  We just saw a few of the pictures late last night (most of them won’t be in for weeks), so here is the inevitable:

My Wedding Blog!

Don’t worry.  I will let the pictures do most of the talking and save you the “lemon fondant icing” details.  But first, I will show you these somewhat lackluster pictures (Aaron is clearly the only photog in the family) I took of our invitations, because we loved them so much!  Our very good friend Ruthi Auda who is an incredibly talented artist designed them for us and this was the wonderful end result:

On the back of the RSVP cards was a space for guests to send us their “words of wisdom”.  We enjoyed so much getting to read people’s thoughts, advice, and insights!

A few weeks and months passed and June 6th, 2010 finally rolled around.  It was a hot one.  Not just Texas hot, but breaking records for extreme heat in Texas hot.  The good news is it didn’t rain 🙂

Here is the rest of the story in just a few pictures:

Neil Lane Jewelry and Hair Combs

Diego Dolcini flats from Confederacy.

I added the silk rosettes and switched out the existing ribbon for the silk ivory ribbon.

The groomsmen wore black cardigans  and dress pants with their polka dot ties, striped socks, and Vans.

All three of them are already so i-Phone savvy it will blow your mind!

I am not ashamed to say that the first words I spoke to Aaron when we got into the car and were leaving the wedding were “Please! You have got to loosen this corset!”

Mariah McManus on guitar singing Adele’s arrangement of “To Make You Feel My Love”.

The fireworks were a great surprise from Aaron’s brother and bestman!  We left under a sea of sparklers into the back of a 1940 Cadillac Limousine to end the most perfect night!

Venue: Barr Mansion

(We were actually the last wedding to take place in their old artisan ballroom.  Sadly, it caught fire a couple days later and burnt to the ground, but is already being rebuilt as we speak.)

Photographer: Jake Holt

(Not all of these photos are Jake’s.  My good friend Brittany snapped some great shots that night which I used here as well!)

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: J.Crew

Groomsman: Topman, J.Crew, Vans

Groom’s Tux: Paul Smith

June 2010

Hello, again!  It’s been awhile, I know.

The month of May was non-stop between wrapping work on American Idol and The Ellen DeGeneres Show and planning a June wedding and honeymoon.  Needless to say, I needed to take a short break from Effortless Chic.  Not to worry, though!  The combination of many hours on a plane spent perusing foreign magazines and days of wandering the unfamiliar streets of Spain and the Mediterranean produced an incredible time of creativity and inspiration.

Let me first just say that while the last month and a half have been nothing short of amazing, there is no place like home!  I am so happy to be home with Aaron in sunny Los Angeles delving through pictures of the last few weeks, cooking up fresh food in the kitchen, and finding perfect places for all of the wonderful, new things we have received from our wonderful close friends and family!

First, just a few pictures from the last 5 weeks!

The Wedding

Honeymoon Part 1: Mallorca

Honeymoon Pt.2: Barcelona

Honeymoon Photo Credits: Aaron Pinkston 😉

Hood River Oregon, 2009

I think I must have dreamt that I was back in college earlier this week because I woke up to the sound of rain outside and thought to myself, “Maybe I will just skip class…”  It didn’t take long for reality to set in and for me to become cognizant of the fact that “skipping school” was not an option!  However, there were two pieces of good news that followed: First, I remembered that I have a really cute raincoat.  More importantly, though, I realized there are only 6 weeks left of taping until hiatus!

Counting down the days til summer almost always includes counting down the days until we go back to Hood River, Oregon!

It is such a relaxing visit.  We stay in little re-finished cabins on our friend’s orchard and vineyard, all with beautiful views of Mount Hood.  Nell is a certified organic gardener and has the most beautiful produce!  We pick strawberries in the morning, blackberries in the afternoon, and squash for dinner.  We go swimming in the lake and ride tandem bicycles up and down (preferably down) the rolling hills and winding roads, passing barn, after orchard, after farmhouse all looking perfectly picturesque.  In the evening after dinner, we all sit out under the starry sky and drink the wine grown from the vineyard.  Ah!  I am more relaxed already just thinking about it!

Did I mention blackberries in the afternoon?  Blackberries in the afternoon often translates to blackberry cobbler in the evening.  (Although, I am not ashamed to admit that I have had blackberry cobbler for breakfast !)  The simpler the recipe, the more delicious, which is why I love this one.  Perhaps it will hold me over these next several weeks!

Blackberry Cobbler

(as told to me by Nell Able… and then practiced by me in my Los Angeles kitchen one day later… with smuggled Oregon blackberries!)

3 c. blackberries

1 c. sugar

1 c. flour

1 egg beaten

5 tbls. melted butter

Pour berries into 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan. Stir flour, sugar and egg mixture, will resemble coarse meal. Sprinkle over berries. Drizzle melted butter over top of cobbler. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy immediately.

Enjoy again for breakfast 😉

New York Trip, September 2009

Ahhhh… September in New York! The leaves are changing, the air is crisp… or not!  Instead, on the first friday of fashion week I land at JFK and am greeted by the steady drip of rain that will be my constant companion for the remainder of the day.

Rainy Day

Don’t get the wrong impression, though, it was a wonderful day that began with a full morning and afternoon of Madison Avenue shopping… for work of course, but shopping nonetheless!  Barneys, Bergdorf, 45RPM and Jil Sander to name a few…

Bergdorf

Thoughts of the morning: Jil Sander does the most luxe takes on a classic.  The fabrics are beyond sumptuous and the cuts are perfectly precise.  I could get lost in Barneys and preferably on the fourth floor surrounded by their incredible shoe assortment.  The smell alone is worth taking the trip to 71st for 45RPM’s unique goods that have a lived-in-totally-effortless vibe.

45RPM knit vest

A look by 45RPM

After pulling for hours, I headed downtown for the Rag & Bone Spring 2010 collection in Chelsea.  According to the cab driver who finally dropped me off still 12 blocks from my destination and already 5 minutes late, 40 minute trips that day were taking 2 hours.  So I took my chances, ditched the cab, and began bookin’ it with the birkin… probably not something birkin bags are accustomed to!

Well worth the run, however, because the show was amazing!  Simple and classic and totally wearble.  Here is a little Spring preview:

Spring 2010

Spring 2010

That’s me! Emailing away on the blackberry waiting for the show to start…

Anna Wintour & Grace Coddington front row at Rag & Bone. Anna in head to toe wine! (See post ‘Wine and Dine’)

 

Amazing show! Amazing Day! Amazing City!  Rain drenched and jet lagged I shopped until closing time and called it a night!

My pile of belongings: 5 seconds after walking in the door, 5 minutes before passing out!

End of Day 1! More to come!

fall things effortless…

Missoni Fall 2009

Burberry Prorsum Fall 2009

Rarely does it happen that the stars in the fashion universe align in such a way to bring us an “It” accessory of the season that requires such little effort!

Be honest, who hasn’t looked in a mirror with a scarf in hand and faced the dilemma of how it would best be tied?  Models on the Missoni and Burberry runways encountered no such predicament as they moved along in the season’s stand-out accessory, the snood: a scarf with no need to be tied!

The best news?  Should your pocketbook be a little under the economic weather, the Do-It-Yourself-How-To is pretty self-explanatory on this one.  Last season’s scarf is just this season’s snood in waiting!

(Very first post Effortless Chic post published on 08/12/2009)

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

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You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

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The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

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• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
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You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.