cakes!

sorry...

for lack of posts...working on a better design!

Until then,

xoxo Bianca

flowers!

Living Details

I've been thinking about my new design for our living room these past couple of days, so I thought I'd look for some accessible accessories around the web. Here's the inspiration board...

and here are some details...

lamp, dog pillow, teacup candelabra, ethnic rug, mirror & candlestick @ Anthropologie, throw & rattan trays @ Zara Home,

I want this CAKE! and pretty pretty Kate...

SWOON!

from Style Me Pretty (of course!)

Also lovin this illustration from the look book of Maison Michel Paris headpieces, featured on the Bride's Guide...

Yep, that's Kate! Too pretty! I would like this on my wall.

Living Design

My living room is a bit confused so I am trying desperately to hone in on the essence of the room using some of the pieces we already own (sofa, chandelier, Fornasetti plates, ikea stuff) and a few that we could afford to buy or DIY. Here's the inspiration board...




It's coming together...and I'm liking the mix. What do you think?

Obsessed! Wedding Video Love!

Good morning! I don't know how I almost missed this on Style Me Pretty

This wedding video is absolutely awesome and adorable and I will be using it as inspiration for my own wedding video. If it's a toss up between this and dreamy-romantic, I'll take a dollop of that with a heaping spoonful of this, please!

Sarah & Rupert Wedding 16mm Film from sarahandrupert on Vimeo.

Wedding Photo Crush

Is it bad if I ask my wedding photographer to find a dog so I can reenact this on my wedding day?

Christian Oth Photography via Style Me Pretty

2010 Horoscopes by Mystic Medusa!

2010 Horoscopes by MysticMedusa via Icing

I am an Aries (March 31) and this horoscope is killer! Incredibly enough, we chose the month of June to get married, which obviously couldn't have been better (yay Uranus!)...I really desperately hope that 2010 is nowhere near as catastrophically crappy as 2009 was for everyone. I've got a feeling that 2010 is gonna be a good one...knock on wood!!!

***


ARIES

Style: Always the Alpha-Girl, you’re about to reinvent yourself yet again. An innovative new era starts in June. For the first time in 80 years, rad planet Uranus will be in Aries. Let your look lead the way via a make-over. Scheme for a mid-year relaunch: Honed bod from mega-fitness, scarlet, diamonds, tan, clean, eco, sporty & a sci-fi style scent concocted with ground-breaking technology. Nothing naff, chintzy nor old-school and the same with accessories.

Happiness: June to September sees you blissing out with Jupiter, the luckiest planet of all. Anticipate peak experiences as you assert yourself more stylishly. You’re soul-mining until March 11, as Mars Retrograde hypes spiritual life. Yoga, retreats & spa hols do brilliant work. Your professional life needs to be approached as a non-stop transformational junket. You’re incapable of stagnation there and things screw up fast if you try to go it in slo-mo.

Love: After April, you’re compelled to set better relationship boundaries. An uncertain phase lingering since October 2009 ends in July and serious deepening of commitments is on your agenda: Marriage, children, a business together or a casual flirtation ramping up into more passionate scenarios. However, you’re not in the mood for immature game-playing. If necessary, you’ll ditch scrappy love affairs and set off to seek something more sophisticated.

TAURUS

Style: Emerald is both your colour and birthstone, with ornate & velvety sensual styles becoming you best. Being ruled by sexual allure & beauty goddess Venus, you care far more for feminine appeal than tricky little fads. Recent years have demanded a strongly directional wardrobe. But in 2010 you’re back on the fun & relaxation track, requiring flattering leisure & lounging around gear. Think: Modern-day siren, totally comfortable and yet silkily gorgeous.

Happiness: Energy channelled into chez Cow repays with riches and peace of mind. But, for domestic bliss, hold off on home projects and big real estate spends until March 11. Rather than grumbling about a lack-lustre social life, take radical steps to broaden friendship circles from late Jan to May. Social life brings career blessings. Amazing opportunities to do with overseas or academia, which were hinted at last year, transform your life unbelievably in 2010.

Love: An erotic spring fling? Fateful love affair the likes of which you have never experienced before? From Sept 9 and for the rest of the year, you have your ruling planet Venus in the House of Love. It’s an extraordinary time for you in romance. Expect the most amazing synchronicity to connect you to people with whom you experience an instant and intense attraction. If you’re pair-bonded, temptation from an outside person may be an issue.

GEMINI

Style: Girlish in-a-good-way, on message with trends & lithe-figured, Gemini is the Zodiac Fashionista. As career takes off from late January, you’re inspired into a sleeker work wardrobe & polished presentation. You are your greatest investment. Pearls are your signature astro-jewel, wear-anywhere and always divine. Late April to June is your zone for zapping yourself into a whole new level of looks, charm and clothes-savvy. Un-rut yourself and live large.

Happiness: Personal freedom increases in 2010, along with fantastic career openings, prosperity and general success. You finalise an ongoing home, ex-lover or family situation by April. July is financially momentous: a new biz, marrying into money or bigtime promotion are all potential themes. Creative Geminis enjoy a huge degree of inspiration and recognition in the second half of the year. From Sept, work life takes on a strangely sensual and flirtatious edge.

Love: Thanks to Saturn at play, you are now way more cunning and manipulative in dating. You refuse to engage with anyone won’t afford you the respect you require to feel cool. Fertility & children could easily be an issue. Solo Gems are highly likely to meet a major love interest (not just a weirdo or player) in late January/early Feb, late May/early June. But all 2010 you enjoy fantastic social encounters and intense flirtations that flare up in seconds.

CANCER

Style: Yours is the most classic and romantic look of all. Fresh fashion with vintage styling suits your old-worldly beauty along with intricate archetypal jewels & accessories. Your flowers are the pink lotus, symbol of spiritual love, the lily and white rose. Silver is the Cancerian metal & moonstone the jewel of your soul. In 2010 you streamline the time-money equation by happening upon a designer who so totally gets your ideal look that it’s like clairvoyance.

Happiness: From late May till September, you benefit from sugar-dad Jupiter and radical Uranus in your vocational sector. This is the start of a cool and more prosperous new era for Crabby careers. Shake off rusty old limitations – dream big. The main themes of your year is travel, long-distance love, the higher mind and realising your most visionary dreams. September and November are extra brilliant for overseas junkets, business trips and finding yourself.

Love: A calmer and wiser you beams radiant, sexy self-reliance to the world and it affects your romantic realm for the better. Since late 2008, your love life has been way more passionate and karmic, a vehicle for your transformation. This process continues and if you have not yet, you begin a brilliant, intense and fulfilling Big Love story in 2010. September onward is hot, thanks to Venus in mystical mode. Fate reconnects you with someone from your Past.

LEO

Style: Suitably, for luxe-loving you, your lucky jewellery is gold and yellow sapphire. Wear both to enhance your gilded Leo beauty. Cash flows from May and you may enjoy money from unexpected sources. All the better to fund your unabashed love of beauty, art elegance & pleasure. Good living is not at all shallow to you.You make it an art. Your taste is singular, expensive & often ornate but you enhance the world and brighten the very air around you.

Happiness: In mid-January you initiate your most stunning health and chic physique metamorphosis ever. This year you’re also learning to love the biz side of creativity & your life. Until March 11, be tactical with everyone, especially career v.i.p.s. Play things strategically enough and March to June represents a jubilant professional phase in which you lap up lavish reward and recognition. A mid-year work trip or offshore biz interests are out of routine but so worth it.

Love: Romance is more mystical, strange and inexplicable than ever. You attract the most fascinating of lovers and there is a deep dimension of soulful emotion running through even the most seemingly simple of attractions. Destiny is at play and your dreams message you many clues as to your relationships. Pair-bonded Leos may be tempted by outside potential partners and ambiguity of attachments. Mid-2010 is off-the-scale hot for sudden love affairs.

VIRGO

Style: A sophisticated eye, ability to edit and fastidious fashion details consciousness ensures you are always chic. You’re a jewellery diva – jasper and peridot are your cosmically assigned rocks – but you favour subtle genius over overtly flash bling. The craft is all, as it is with your clothes. One brilliantly devised & rendered item of anything trumps a thousand cheap bits of tat. This year, especially from September, you are more overtly sensual in your image.

Happiness: Ditch people who drain your Qi or otherwise take your goodness for granted. Artistically, it’s time to put it out there. Anticipate dramatic changes in friendships, with some surprise re-entries back into your life. Bizarre but brilliant alternative health practices benefit beauty, well-being and peace of mind. Many of you are clucky, having babies and/or loving chez Virgo and family life more than ever. From July, you reinvent yourself as a biz whiz.

Love: It’s your absolute most officially lucky phase for true love in 12 years. For the first time since 1998, you have got lucky Jupiter gracing your relationship sector. The optimal times for love: January 18 till June 6 and then September onward. Existing partnerships are blessed – you two can definitely profit together. Solo Virgos meet a new person who is extremely good for you, an official ‘catch’ and adoring of you. A positive attitude helps unlock the luck.

LIBRA

Style: As your appreciation for gorgeous clothes and cosmetics testifies, Libra is the archetypal sign of beauty. In 2010, you have Saturn in your sign to contend with. This is your cosmic cue to add in a strategic element to image and grooming. Self-control and planning bring brilliant results when aligned with your natural-born feminine prettiness. Saturn also signifies investment jewellery and the desire to measure time with a meaningful watch.

Happiness: Saturn in your sign only happens once every 29 years, prompting you to unleash courage and a steelier persona onto those who would underestimate you. Don’t let them mistake your incredible charm for weakness. You enjoy fabulously transformative home stars and the chance to radically alter chez Libra so that it is far more you. Jan and July coincide with significant shifts in real estate, your key residence, attitudes to family and décor concepts.

Love: A mid-year love quake may manifest as a surprise suitor or your sudden yearnings to be emancipated. This astro-passage only occurs once every 84 years and it’s affecting you from June. Think fast change, a thrilling romantic life and unconventional relationships. eg; A way younger lover, someone who lives far away. However this plays out, expect that your boredom threshold is going to be much lower. Pity the person who tries to fence you in.

SCORPIO

Style: Scorps are either witches skulking in sheep’s clothing – yoga wear, urban warrior conservative office uniform – or they’re insanely charismatic and dramatic. With macho Mars dominating your public image sector until June, you now switching to full stun mode 24-7. Think in terms of your cosmic colours –blue and purple – with extreme design that only you could carry off. You’re adept at scent warfare and topaz is your personal powerstone.

Happiness: You’re ultra-fertile, both mentally and physically. Kids play a magical role in your life and you in theirs. You get off more than ever on your world, becoming a bona-fide life enhancer. Money merde fades from February and you enjoy a pioneering new sense of ease in career realms. June onwards is about awesome work opportunities and the chance to operate from a position of hyped freedom, if not total autonomy. You’re taking charge & feeling hot.

Love: From January 18, you have auspicious Jupiter beefing up fun and romance. You also have a high chance of meeting thrill-seeker style guys chez work. Options are multiplying non-stop. Your new relationship mantra? More fun – less fear. But the most significant love developments actually occur from September and into early 2011, as Venus spends way longer than usual in your sign, a wonderful omen for happy times and true love.

SAGITTARIUS

Style: Gorgeous citizen of the world that you are, your signature style is ravingly eclectic. Yes, turquoise is your official and lucky stone but you’ll grab anything that takes your fancy and make it your own. The Sagg speciality is combining haute and low, to devastating effect. eg; faded old jeans with a diamond tennis bracelet. A long gown for dinner by the beach with sandy bare feet. You’re getting wealthier in 2010, all the better to manifest your unique vision.

Happiness: You are renowned for candour and this obviously does not make you the greatest corporate player in history. But this year you enjoy a far greater degree of basic smarts when it comes to biz and work situations. Use April to June for redefining your vocational stance and upskilling if appropriate. Sensational opportunities arrive in July; Be prepped. Any time from September is spectacular for a retreat or deeply personal journey of discovery.

Love: Late May through to mid-August is when the fun begins. Think: Sudden romance, lust at first sight and exciting trips undertaken in the name of love. From September, you are in a situation where your relationship life feels blended with spiritual pursuits. As your ruler, lucky Jove, is in the home sector, you’ve a huge chance of hooking up with a new love interest via your family or a childhood friend. It’s also a prime time for fertility and babies.

CAPRICORN

Style: Capricorn is cosmically blessed with beautiful bone structure, good taste and the ability to look younger with every year. Your gem is the gorgeous garnet and platinum your appropriately power-vibing metal. You are in Phoenix mode all year, particularly in February and it is time to slough off vestiges of out-moded routines, much-loved but no-longer-you accessories and wardrobe. Unclutter so that fresh energies of renewal can enter your life.

Happiness: Life gives you the chance to be absolutely and radiantly yourself. It’s individuation to the max. You crave to be appreciated for nothing less than your authentic self. This attitude permeates every aspect of your life. Tres deep and oddly enough, profitable. You attract like-minded peeps to work and play with. The Solar Eclipse in your sign on January 15 is major; your real New Year and the best starred time to set some serious goals.

Love: Relationships that are basically fake, for convenience, to show that you can ‘get’ someone or inequitable dissolve. You’re not interested in wasting time on go-nowhere flirtations or dysfunctional lovers. Oddly enough your empowered new boundary-setting has love interests falling over themselves to pursue you. If you are looking to meet someone, Sept to November is your zone and it will be a relationship of immediate significance and depth.

AQUARIUS

Style: You discover or create a signature style early on in life, and constantly retweak it to suit where you’re at right now. That’s the Aqua way. You’re always eco-conscious, avant-garde and trend-forward of course. Your serenity-enhancing stone is the Amethyst although if you could tile your bathroom-sanctuary in lapiz lazuli, you would. In this year of more demand for your expertise, organise your wardrobe so it’s auto-chic, no angsting on your part.

Happiness: Jupiter, the luckiest planet of all, is in your $$ sector from January 18 to early June & then again from Sept 9 for the rest of the year. These phases coincide with magnificent money scenarios. It only occurs once every 12 years so do your utmost to co-operate with the cosmic largesse. In early June, Jupiter meets your patron planet Uranus. This is the best time in ages to launch a new enterprise or be daring in any regard whatsoever.

Love: Whilst a significant romance may seem to stall in the first few months of 2010, it is all back on track with Mars Direct on March 11. 2010 is a joyous and thrilling years for romance ever, especially April/May. Remember that this sort of astroscape, whilst exciting, does not so much favour steady and regular loving, as it does a surfeit of pleasure and fun. The New Moon on August 10 is your cue to clarify the direction of a relationship.

PISCES

Style: Jupiter affords you far more options for lavish living than you have had in a while. So take advantage of these celestial blessings to better define your look. Think; fresh make-up strategies & the symbolic new beginning of an extreme lingerie makeover. The Piscean gem is the Aquamarine and all variations of the colour become you as well. The part of the body ruled by your sign is the feet; beautiful shoes are thus vital to spiritual wellbeing.

Happiness: Pluto in your Social Sector transforms every element of your friendships. People whom you thought would be in your life forever may fade out for a while and you form fantastic new connections with enviable ease and speed. If you can consciously think in terms of expanding your social networks, the benefits are unbelievable. Jupiter in Pisces is about your self-confidence and opportunities blossoming. You’re particularly prosperous in mid-2010.


Love: Since late 2007, you have been under the pump, learning untold love lessons, thanks to Saturn in the relationship sector. Now, apart from a little flashback from April to July, you’re done with angst and are ready to shift into a more fun and flowing romance reality. But keep the emotional self-reliance & sophistication you have picked up. Magical months for romance include Jan/Feb and from September onward and into January 2011.

You're welcome :)

Dear God...

I would like to be this woman when I grow up. And on my honeymoon. Constantly.

via The Sartorialist, who I could be meeting right now in Florence if I knew about his book signing sooner!

I also love this.

And I plan on doing this for the weekend!

Fashion Plates - H&M edition

So does anyone else remember the game/toy Fashion Plates?? I just so happened to have started a "Fashion Club" in 3rd grade and we designed outfits with Fashion Plates during recess.

Enter the H&M Fashion Studio. I just spent about an hour playing around with this thing. Unlike Polyvore, you can actual put the clothes on a model, albeit H&M clothes only. But then you can go out and buy the incredibly cheap, fabulous outfit you just made! And I must say, it makes navigating the warehouse that is H&M much easier when you know what you're looking for. It's the new Fashion Plates! More stores should do this.

(the clothing is in Italian because I did it on the Italian site)

happy outfit-making!

Cheap Thrills - Zara Home

Living in Italy has it's up's and down's for sure, but one of the up's is that I have a Zara Home within 5 minutes of my house. There's no Zara Home in the U.S. (yet) so all you americans out there need to start praying to the European retail gods (they did get you Topshop, after all).

This store is filled with really affordable accents bursting with style for much less than you would pay anywhere else. Here are a few of my favorites right now:

William Trivet

Bella frames

Letras glass

Villes tray

Zara Home Kids is also a great source for adults looking for some fun stuff...

Buddha pillow

Laureate pillow

Globos pillow

Cuore towels

Box of 26 Letters

Circo knob

I really hope this great store will open in the U.S. soon, Americans are seriously missing out!

Wedding Style - Pale & Bright

So sorry I haven’t posted in a while…I was visiting my family for the holidays and it was a whirlwind of Xmas shopping and wedding shenanigans like my first fitting, bridesmaid dress choosing and invitation ordering!

So this board probably needs an explanation. I’m thinking about how to mix things up for my wedding and using my dress and bridesmaids as obvious influences. I didn’t really have a set color scheme, although I did a want a beigey pink for the maids and soft pinks, taupes and whites. My dress is the one-shouldered style by Romona Keveza (it’s really white) and we switched up the belt with a Swarovski encrusted one that I can’t find a picture of but is similar to the one shown below. I have a head piece, diamond studs and a chapel length veil for the ceremony, but I’m changing into a feathered-flower-sparkly side clip and chandelier earrings for the grand entrance and party time. Shoes are Manolo but we decided on  silver instead of white because it looks good with my jeweled belt and I could wear them again (my mother works at Neiman Marcus. Yes I am very lucky.)

We chose the Two Birds full length dress in Rosewater, not only is it super chic but it’s also amazing for travel and cool for Mediterranean temperatures.

I thought the fuchsia could be a fun pop of color for the cocktail hour/ dessert & dancing area. The floating blooms are pretty for the cocktail tables and a few stems in pretty bottles are great for dressing up the bar without being over the top.

The dining room centerpieces need a whole other board..but suggestions are welcome! I was planning on beige linens, gold-rimmed china and white flowers (was thinking hydrangeas but now with these bouquets I’m a bit lost)…maybe at every place I could put a fuchsia flower to tie it all together? I might have to play around with this one again!

click image for larger view and other credits from Style Me Pretty

Happy January! Affordable Art and Expensive Shoes...

So...I was a bad blogger this holiday season. I know I should have kept up with the posts, but I was home visiting my family, chilling out, running around doing some wedding stuff, xmas fun and being sick with a cold on New Years Eve. My dad's computer got a virus, which I needed to use since my poor ibook is considered "vintage" (aka unfixable by Mac) and is missing a hard drive(apparently it has exploded or something, luckily I have everything backed up).

So, on my first day online, doing a little catching up and checking out what needs to be checked out, I have stumbled upon Little Paper Planes, an online store of CHEAP original artwork and prints. I am officially obsessed and plan to by something ASAP. Here are some of my faves...

by janice jong

by ryan berkeley

by yumi okuda




Had I finished art school, I may have produced similar work. Alas, I was not that good and so these fine people are helping me furnish my home sans much effort.

Oh and while I was home I got my wedding shoes...

Looks like a pump, feels like a sneaker!

Carrie Bradshaw wasn't kidding...I probably could run in these, they are THAT comfortable.

And PRETTY!

This weekend will be full of unpacking and reorganizing, so see you Monday :)

PS Am loving this post on Design*Sponge!