St. Thomas Is A Beautiful Place...

St. Thomas is an island that is truly amazing, you feel safe, everyone was super friendly and the locals were really cool people. We met lots of new friends, and went to some of the best bars I have ever been too. The water is crystal blues and greens and the weather couldn't have been better. I highly recommend visiting the beautiful island of St. Thomas.

These pictures were taken in downtown St. Thomas. Due to possible hurricane's they board up all of their shops at night to keep them safe. The boards that they put up over the shops are all very vibrant colors of blues, and yellows, and reds. It really adds character to the town not to mention that all of the houses in St. Thomas are super colorful as well.

As we walked down the long narrow streets we passed numerous jewelry shops which is what they are known for. Whatever gem you wanted they had it, and you could get it for a great price if you are a good negotiator! However, the market by the water with the local vendors is where the real culture was, we talked to lots of vendors and this was their life. They were all there trying to make a dollar to get by. I bought a few really neat things from the market which I will always treasure. My boyfriend actually got some great shots of the locals which gives a true portrayal of the island natives. I will be posting those this week. :)

At the end of one of our days in town a steel drum band was playing! The guy playing the drums called me over and let me play his drums! Everyone was watching and it was really fun, not sure if it sounded any good but I had a blast!

As a last minute shopping tip, before going on any trip this summer, I found a TON of cute things at H&M that I wore almost every day on my trip! I got that cute canvas purse that was only $14.50 and I got that leather bracelet with the charms on it for only $12. I am in love with both and they were the perfect accents to most of my outfits down there. I wanted to pack light and find a bag I could wear out every night and this small canvas bag was all I needed.

More pictures to follow this week!

All photos were taken by Matt Mahoney
www.mattmahoneyfilms.com

Kiss Me....I'm Irish!

Adorable vintage clover ring from BeautySpot....$20

Felt Clover Headband by SafiyaAlyse....$12

Oh so cute Lucky Bird with Clover mug from Addled Hill Pottery....$28

A friend of mine Janelle Haskin's super cute Green Knit Bow Headband....$24
(she is adorable and her etsy shop is amazing)


These are my St. Patty's Day picks from Etsy and they are all reasonably priced!

Party like your Irish tonight! Happy St. Patty's Day!

P.S. St. Thomas pictures coming soon, finally.

Pretty Spring Anthro Dresses

Kingston Road Dress

Silken Stitches Dress

Marble-carved Peep-Toes

Tres Flores Bracelet

I am LOVING these adorable flirty spring dresses from Anthopologie! The Silken Stitches dress is beautiful and can be layered with any cardigan, blazer, or cropped leather jacket to spice up the look. The colors of the Kingston Road dress make the dress seem vintage and would make any girl feel feminine and beautiful. Can we talk about the Marble-Carved Peep-toes, the neutral tone makes them perfect to wear with any spring dress! I want these shoes really bad. The lovely Tres Flores bracelet is so simple and dainty, and I love the tiny flowers attached to this bracelet for a pop of color.

What do you think of Antho's new Spring line? I am in love!

All photos from Anthopologie.com

Amazing Cupcakes by Jennie Cakes

~Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Filling and a Raspberry Buttercream Frosting~





~Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting~

~Mini Margarita Cupcake with Tequila Lime Frosting and Sea Salt~




Miss Jennie Cakes herself hard at work, perfecting her own "signature swirl".

Jennie Cakes is always baking delicious cupcakes for Philadelphia and surrounding areas, she has been providing delicious, gourmet cupcakes in a variety of flavors for all occasions since 2009! I actually work with Jenn Higgins and she brought in her cupcakes for one of our events at work and they were amazing! Everyone was raving about her cupcakes and little did I know that she had her own cupcake company! Jenn has been baking her whole life and her dedication and creativity pay off! She even had an article written about her in the NY Times!

Here is a small sampling of her current menu:

Margarita Cupcake w/ Tequila Lime Frosting and Sea Salt

Mojito Cupcake w/ Mojito Frosting

Chai Tea Latte Cupcake w/ Honey Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Chip Cupcake w/ Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

Pina Colada Cupcake w/ Pineapple Coconut Frosting

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcake w/ Chocolate Mint Frosting

Cinnamon Apple Cupcake w/ Caramel Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cupcake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

White Chocolate Cupcake w/ Peppermint Buttercream

I really want to try one of those Margarita cupcakes with the tequila lime frosting and sea salt! They sound so yummy!

Which kind sounds good to you?

Like Jennie Cakes on Facebook to see what new cupcakes she creates! You can also email her to see her full menu at jhcupcakes@gmail.com! If you are local shoot her an email to see her menu and place an order for your next event!

All Photos by Maureen Guerin Photography

DIY: Feather Tree Centerpieces

These amazingly awesome Feather Plume Centerpieces were for a French themed baby shower in NYC from the blog, Hostessblog.com! I am in LOVE with this idea, think it's super creative, and I love how colorful the feather plumes are. I am a huge fan of the color yellow and blue together! Even the piece that dangles down from the feathers looks incredible. They did a fantastic job putting this shower together and I have so many ideas now for future parties. I adore outdoor events in a garden setting, I just wish I could have attended this shower just for the decor alone! haha

Here are all the DIY details for the feather trees:

*****

You’ll Need:
19″-23″ Ostrich Plumes (approx 20 – 25 per tree *see note)
Straight Stem Bouquet Holder
Eiffel Tower Vase – (24″ or 28″ height)
glue dots, earthquake gum, or similar other type of adhesive

Optional Embellishments:
Ribbon
Hoops Beaded Curtain (or similar)

DIRECTIONS:
1). Insert the feather quills into the foam bouquet holder to create a “palm tree like” look, starting at the bottom of the holder and working your way up to the top. (You may need to trim some of the quills if they seem to be a little long and start to run into each other when inserted.) The best thing about this centerpiece is that it’s so easy to adjust. If it looks too full/empty in one particular area, just keep moving things around until you’re happy with the look. When you’re done, give the holder a little shake to make sure all of the feathers are secure and to help fluff them up.

2). Decorate the vase with ribbon (optional). Wrapping ribbon in a diagonal direction from the bottom to the top of the vase gives it a fun “candy stripe” look that’s perfect for circus themes (or holiday!).

3). Insert the stem of the bouquet holder into the Eiffel Tower Vase so that the feathers sit on top to form the “tree”. Use glue dots, earthquake gum, or another gummy adhesive to help secure the bouquet holder to the vase. This is especially important on this size of a centerpiece, because the top can get pretty heavy due to the large size of the feathers. If your party is outside, I definitely recommend using a strong adhesive to help combat any wind that might pick up!

4). Embellishments (optional): Pull a piece of the Hoops Beaded Curtain or a similar decorative element to hang from the feathers. The Hoops strands are so light , they can easily hang from one of the individual feathers, so we were able to hang them a few inches away from the vase so that they were more visible. (If you’re using a heavier element like a crystal ornament, you may need to hang it directly from the top edge of the vase.)

*Note: It’s MUCH more cost effective to purchase the large ostrich plumes by the pound. You’ll get approx 110 pieces for $190, which is enough feather for 5 centerpieces, as opposed to paying $80-$94 for 20-25 individual feathers for just one centerpiece. These centerpieces aren’t exactly inexpensive, but when you compare them to the cost of a traditional flower arrangement or large-scale event or wedding centerpiece, they still come in well under the standard price, especially when done in bulk! PLUS, you can re-use the feathers over & over… or lend to friends, etc. =)

Some of the feather trees at the party were grouped with additional decor – such as small framed signs & the candlestick arrangement pictured above. (The white candleholder is from Z Gallerie, and it’s topped with a funky melamine zebra salad plate from Social Couture and a fish-shaped Mini GurglePot from Delight.com.)

Hopefully you got some ideas for future party decor! Please check out Hostess with the Mostess blog for more fun party planning ideas. I absolutely love this blog and am always inspired by the beautiful events they put together. :)

2011 Oscar Fashion - Best & Worst

Besides the fact that James Franco and Anne Hathaway were way to young to be hosting such a prestigious show, I still enjoyed the fashion! I know I am a little late on my best and worst dress picks from this weekends 2011 Oscars, but here they are!

First of all Mila Kunis, the Black Swan star, was by far the best dressed! What a beautiful lace and satin organza gown by Elie Saab Haute Couture. This dress is flattering, feminine and sexy. I am in love with the color and looks great with her skin tone.

Florence Welch was my second favorite best dressed. A lot of the reviews said they hated this dress and even called her the worst dressed! I couldn't believe it, because I think this dress fits her style and personality perfectly. It looks very vintage and I love the lace at the top and the tiered look. Her simplified accessories complimented the dress as well so she didn't take away from her beautiful dress.

Finally Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves looked stunning. They opted for simple classic looks. I love the volume in Camila's dress with a more simple elegant top that was super sexy. McConaughey went with the classic bow tie and pocket square to really set off his look. Best dressed couple for sure!

Now for the worst dressed. I heard a lot of people raving over Cate Blanchett's Givenchy Couture dress. There are certain things I like about it, but I really can't get past the big circle cut out at the top of the dress. My eye goes right to the center of that circle and I can't enjoy the rest of the dress. Dresses should be works of art and your eye should scan the canvas, however, this one was difficult for me to enjoy. I like the bottom half and wish there was a different top without that cut out. What were your thoughts on this dress?

Oh Amy....what were you thinking??? OK Amy Adams is wearing a deep violet, sparkly, cap sleeve dress by L'Wren Scott. The dress is really pretty, but she ruined this look by adding that silly green necklace and bracelet. YUCK! Any dress that goes up to the neck should not have a necklace over it. First off, she already has a super sparkly dress, so why did she need to add the necklace and bracelet? She should have just worn simple stud earrings and maybe a simple ring and called it a day! I would really LOVE to know who made the decision for her to put those accessories with that dress. She gets worst dressed from me!!

Should we even talk about Reese Witherspoon's boring black and white number? Terrible....

What were your thoughts of the 2011 Oscars Fashion?

All pictures from mtv.com, Florence Welch picture from Celebbuzz.com