October 30, 2008

Traditional Indian {Hindu} Weddings

Today I am going to be posting about the beauty of the traditional Indian ceremony. The majority ceremonies that take place in India follow the Hindu format. A Hindu wedding can be quite long (it can last around 5 days!), therefore many modern couples will choose only certain elements of the wedding to perform. I am not going to describe each piece of the wedding but for a full description of the ceremony follow this link {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_wedding}.



Traditionally an Indian bride will wear a red gown. This is not always followed in todays culture, but look at how gorgeous these brides are!



This woman isn't wearing red, but she is so pretty!
Below are some photos of some of the rituals of the wedding:

This is photo of the robe of the groom and the gown of the bride being tied together to represent the sacredness of the marriage.
This is a photo of the brides feet covered in Griha Pravesh. This is a mixture of vermillion powder and milk or water which represents good fortune and purity and is applied to the brides feet by the mother in law upon entering her new home.

This is a photo of the groom who traditionally rides to the brides home on an elephant or horse.
I also want to share with you the traditional 'vows' of an Indian ceremony. These aren't traditional vows but rather promised that the couple makes to one another as they take seven steps around a sacred fire.
  • "Let us take the first step to provide for our household a nourishing and pure diet, avoiding those foods injurious to healthy living."
  • "Let us take the second step to develop physical, mental, and spiritual powers."
  • "Let us take the third step to increase our wealth by righteous means and proper use."
  • "Let us take the fourth step to acquire knowledge, happiness, and harmony by mutual love and trust."
  • "Let us take the fifth step so that we are blessed with strong, virtuous, and heroic children."
  • "Let us take the sixth step for self-restraint and longevity."
  • "Finally, let us take the seventh step and be true companions and remain lifelong partners by this wedlock."
{English translation via www.theknot.com}

October 25, 2008

8 signs you're a terrible guest

My husband sent me this article about a week ago and I was, 1) shocked that he is reading party planning articles and, 2) impressed that he read a party planning article and sent it to me. I've spent a great deal of time in previous posts talking about how to be a good hostess/host, and I've never done a post on being a good guest. With the holidays coming up this is a very timely topic, so here it is:

At one time you felt you were the belle of the ball with party requests pouring in left and right. But suddenly there's nary an invitation in sight. If your mailbox and inbox are only filling up with bills and junk mail, it's time to take this Foxy test:

DO YOU...
  • think a plus-1 is always a plus? Unless the invitation says "you and a guest," chances are you are the only one invited. So, don't just show up with someone on your arm, even if you're eager to show off your hot new mate.
  • have a case of the loners? The whole idea of going to a "get-together" is to get together, not sit in the other room watching TV or playing with the cat. If you're just not feeling the party mood or aren't the type of person who can "turn it on," then it might be better to skip gatherings when you're not feeling 'em.
  • go heavy on the sauce? Nobody likes an out of control, fumbling guest at their party who accidentally knocks down half the buffet table or passes out on the sofa during group conversation. So, as the saying goes, "drink responsibly," especially when you're at someone else's home.
  • inhale everything edible? While any host loves to see guests enjoying the nibblies, it's not a good look to monopolize the appetizers by devouring the entire plate of passed dumplings or spicy tuna rolls. Remember, there are other hungry guests at the party too.
  • think your bluetooth is part of your ensemble? The point of a gathering is to socialize and mingle with other guests, not blab on your mobile phone or text on your Blackberry. That's just plain rude.
  • use the word "me" in every sentence? While you may be the cat's meow, letting everyone else know about it all night can be overbearing. The key is to be comfortable talking about yourself when someone asks, but be sure to pepper the conversation with plenty of questions about other guests. Other topics to avoid overdosing on if you want to be invited back include: your health, your therapist, and oh yeah, your sex life.
  • overhear people asking about a smell? Are you dousing yourself with an overpowering scent that other guests could be allergic to? Remember, one spritz is almost always enough. But it could be worse...you could be dousing guests with dragon breath or B.O. Good hygiene is crucial. Nothing's worse than trying to get through a sit-down dinner while seated next to someone who reeks.
  • enter empty-handed? It's always a good idea to bring a little something-something for the host of the soireĆ©. Something simple yet budget-friendly like bath salts, chocolates, a box of stationery, or a candle will do the trick. (Target and CostPlus are two favorite places to pick up affordable and stylish goodies). Bringing a gift is the classy way of saying "thanks for having me over."
{http://food.yahoo.com/blog/foxyfestivities/8806/8-signs-you-re-a-terrible-guest}

Sadly, I can think of people who consistently do 1 or more of the above. So just remember if you are invited to a get together be on your best behavior, or you may not be invited back.

October 17, 2008

de Gournay

If I were rich and had a huge house with gorgeous architecture I would hire de Gournay {www.degournay.com} to decorate my home with their beautiful hand painted wall coverings and fabrics. Their website only provides a sneak peak of their end product, but here are a few of my favorite photos.


October 16, 2008

Kendall Wilkinson Design

Check out these fabulous images from Kendall Wilkinson! I love her use of color and fabric. Even though the looks vary from client to client there is a very sophisticated and relaxed feel to each of the designs - I love it! She is based out of San Francisco and you can really feel that in each of her rooms. {http://www.kendallwilkinsondesign.com/}

October 14, 2008

The Pampered Chef

This weekend I am hosting a Pampered Chef party at my home (if you're interested in attending or see something you can't live without let me know!). I was very excited to see that they are carrying some really cute items in honor of breast cancer awareness month.

Here are my 2 favorite items:



Think of all the times that you could use these adorable items! Of course The Pampered Chef has TONS more of glorious stuff that I'd love to fill my kitchen with - check it out for yourself: {http://www.pamperedchef.biz/lynnsimmons}.

Stephanie James Couture

Today I am featuring Stephanie James Couture. Stephanie has created a line of vintage inspired dresses and accessories that are very feminine and just plain beautiful. Anchored out of her store in Huntington Beach, CA her dresses are carried throughout a handful of stores nationwide. She has created vintage inspired suits, tea length, and full length dresses. Here are a few of my fav's"

I love this blue tulle!
Gorgeous details!






Make sure to check her out online: {http://www.stephaniejamescouture.com/}

October 11, 2008

More fabulous linen inspirations!

A few days ago I introduced all of you to Wildflower Linen and the gorgeous inspirations that could be drawn from their gallery. Today I'm going to be showing you La Tavola Linen {www.latavolalinen.com}, another beautifully fabulous linen company with TONS of inspiration for your fall events and home decor. Enjoy!

October 7, 2008

New/Old Door

I am so excited! I was searching around on Craigslist and came across a glorious find! Every since we bought our house we have said that we are going to replace our entry door. It is a 1970's green-glass monstrosity that is just hideous, not to mention not in keeping with our home what so ever. So, like I said I was searching around and found an old wood, glass paned front door. It's painted black, so I'll need to sand it down and repaint it, but I can't wait to install it!


Here's our current door:


And here is the soon to be new door!

October 6, 2008

Pretty bookcases

The past week the man and I have been kind of sickly so needless to say our weekend wasn't all that exciting. Plans were cancelled, sweat pants were worn, and our book shelf was organized! (Okay, so that part was exciting...) We have a really beautiful antique bookcase that we recieved from my in laws. The only thing about it is that it is large in a small way. It is about 5 feet long, 4 shelves high. Now we have a lot of books, but we don't have quite enough books for that whole 'study' look. Over the past 2 years I've played around with different arrangements and I think that I've finally found the one that is going to stick for a little while! Check it out: (Just ignore my awesome camera work)


And while we're on the subject of pretty bookcases, here is a little bookcase love:


This photo is EVERYWHERE! It has good effect, but is a little bright for me personally. Still looks like a comfy place to nap though! From Flickr user, Chotda {http://flickr.com/photos/santos/27538777/}:



I really like this from India Hicks, via Domino Magazine. Chris looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested wrapping all our books!




This is pretty fan-tab-ulous if you ask me. A secret 'stair-case' designed by Levitate Architects. {http://www.levitate.uk.com/}

October 4, 2008

William Hefner

I was browsing around on architect William Hefner's website and came across a glorious home that I had to share with you all. I think you will fall in love just as much as I did!


{http://www.williamhefner.com/}

State Pillows

For a while now I've been lusting after vintage state souviner pillows. I don't know why but I love vintage state souviners. They are so cheesy and fun, I just love them! This morning ebay had quite the treasure trove of state jewels - including some of Missouri! Here are some that caught my eye (and a few that caught my bid!):












This pillow isn't vintage and isn't on ebay right now, but I am lusting after it.