To all of you!

Just popping in to wish everyone a Happy 2009! Thanks to you all who drop by each day, we feel honoured! We hope 2009 brings hope, love and prosperity to your lives!

{Tea party candelabra from anthropologie.com)}

Special Guest Post: by Ladies and Gentlemen

Here's to the Sparkling New Year!


This is a public service announcement from Ladies and Gentlemen:

Friends don't let friends succumb to another New Years of guzzling bottles of cheap champagne (we all know how that kind of evening ends…). Take the high road (but affordable) and toast the years past and forward with an artful array of tasty mix-your-own cocktails that are guaranteed to get the next 52 weeks off to a good start.

Here are some ideas to set up the ultimate mix-your-own cocktail bar:



-Set up a bar: Have a designated area. We like to use our vintage ironing board for this purpose. It's portable and stows away, is the perfect height, and has an interesting form.

-Vessels with personality: Pick vessels with various forms and characters to mix things up!


-Typewritten tags: You know that vintage typewriter you bought just because it looks so cool…Now here's a good excuse to USE IT! Get some simple tags and type an individual mixing instruction for each drink. You will be rewarded by the praises from your guests. We guarantee it.



-Personalized cups: Pre-mark or allow guests to mark their glasses by getting rub-on letters (by Letraset or Chartpak). Not only does this assure that no mix up happens, it will also keep your guests entertained for good 10-15 minuets. THEN you can bust out your Wii or your good old karaoke machine for the real fun.
Pssst! The letters also come right off in the wash when you scrub it, so don't worry about your glasses!

-Top it off: Provide various toppings and garnishes for drinks loose and nicely arranged: Pomegranate, mint, lemons, cocoa powder, cinnamon or whatever you feel like! This will allow everyone an opportunity to customize and expereiment making their own drinks.

Here are some drink recipes to jump-start your ultimate New Year celebration party!



Irish Coffee (via Drink Mixer)
15 oz Irish whiskey or Irish Cream
10 tsp brown sugar
60 oz hot coffee
Heavy whipping cream
Cocoa powder

Make the coffee (stronger the coffee the better), add sugar and mix Irish cream or whiskey (or both!). Mix.
Whip the whipping cream. Put whipping cream and cocoa powder in separate bowls on the side.

Click here for our other drink recipes!

If Martha taught us anything, it's that it's all about presentation and involving your guests…this is no time to forget that lesson…bust out…go the extra mile. These mixes don't take long, they can be prepped in advance, and will make your bar look totally stocked and glistening! The best part is that now you don't have to spend the whole evening mixing drinks for everyone else…the guests can mix their own darn drinks!
Enjoy and we hope that this can come in handy for any celebrations! Happy New Year!

Jean&Dylan
ladiesandgentlemenhome.blogspot.com
ladiesandgentlemen.etsy.com

Editor's Note: A huge thank you to Jean and Dylan for this amazing idea! We are off to buy some new vessels!

14 Websites that will change the way you live: Real Living Magazine

Hello Australia! We're thrilled to be featured in Real Living Magazine (out of that beautiful country down under) in an article that they've written on "14 websites that will change the way you live". Thanks to Hana and all the staff there for including us (we're totally honoured, stoked and stoked!) A HUGE thank you to Lisa Congdon, who's beautiful home we featured in our blog last year (in a collecting post) who supplied the beautiful images and Jill Rosenwald's lamps to represent us! This blog would not be what it is, without the beautiful designs, displays, photographs, art that all you creative people make, and we'll never forget that! Thank you all for allowing us to feature you and your work. Other blogs featured in the article is Desire to Inspire, Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy, Bloesem and more! We haven't seen the spread officially yet, but Desire to Inspire has it up on their flickr here (where we got these from) if you'd like to take a look! (And it's summer there - so hard to imagine as we still are trying to dig ourselves out here)!

Fall Favourites

It's taken me a while but I've done it! I've poured over hundreds of photos from the runway, the latest collections of all the best designers worldwide. This season is diverse, with many designers' collections being vastly different from one another. However there is a decided trend towards more sophisticated silhouettes and experimental embellishments; unique little touches and loud unusual adornments placed on the gown in areas which are not traditionally used for detail. Here are my selected favourites, the unique, exceptional and classical. Some of these gowns may not yet be available, some only available overseas and some only as couture, so please keep in mind that a trusted dressmaker could be your new bestfriend for making a dream dress come true.

Angel Sanchez

Badgely Mischka

Reem Acra

Elizabeth Fillmore

Farah Angsana

Monique Lhullier

Melissa Sweet

Jim Hjelm

Jane Wang

Rosa Clara

Watch out for future posts featuring in more depth the collections of Monique Lhullier, Angel Sanchez and Rosa Clara, three collections I absolutely loved for their inventiveness. I found it so difficult to chose a favourite from each show that I have to post on all of them seperately!

(Image Credits; Cedar Creek Estate Winery; All others Brides)

Inspiration and a giveaway @Rhonna Farrer's

I just found these inspirational posters by Rhonna Farrer today at her etsy shop. Known for her digital scrapbooking kits, I just found she has these digital prints you can purchase online, ready to print out and make one instantly happy. Available here. Also in celebration of her new blog, she's giving away your choice of *209 of her digital kits or fonts! (*For personal license terms of use only). Click here for giveaway details!

Mecanorma towels by Stiksel

Nice new colors in Stikel's screenprinted letter-patterned Mecanorma type sets designed tea towels. Handmade in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. stiksel.etsy.com.

modern + craft: bleu nature

Bleu Nature has done it again with their latest white lacquered covered driftwood designs recently spotted on their website bleunature.com. Driftwood slices made into a hanging pendant, driftwood and lacquered metal lamp, trunks of driftwood with lacquered tops and wood bench. A true example of modern + craft.

Nautical Style in The Naughties

There was a decided trend last summer in fashion of navy touches and prints. Blue and white stripes and touches of red, navy style cut jackets and buttons to match and those cute little white shorts that looked straight out of the 1950s which was when the last major surge of naughtical fun happened. The look spilled over a little into this season as well and its one I delight in. It brings to my mind images of old movies in technicolour set on the french riviera with a blonde bombshell heroine and a dark, silent hero setting out on a boat looking so picture perfect in their blue, white and red. I love the ocean, I love sailing and I love seaside interior style. Nothing makes me calmer than walking into a whitewashed room filled with pieces of furniture in pale worn wood, shells everywhere, and navy blue and white ticking stripes on cushions and upholstery. Especially if the view out the window is of the ocean... clear blue water stretching all the way to the horizon, only broken by the flash of white sail. Now imagine your wedding in such a setting. Bliss!

In our inspiration board, touches of white and navy blue striped ribbon adorn bouquets, daisy pomanders and table centrepieces. A seating chart is made up using old navy sea crests and an ornate gold easel. Table numbers are stencilled onto the sails of model sailing boats and guests are given old fashioned sea compasses which double as escort cards. For the bridal party; a pair of retro bright red heels for the bride, a sleek navy blue suit and white tie for the groom and pleated skirts for the bridesmaids. The brides dress has white on white striping for a more subtle take on the navy trend.

Brass Anchor Paperweight. Available at Red Sky At Night.

Lightouse lanterns from The Style Salon.

Blue and white striped corset dress from Victoria's Secret.

(Image Credits; Brides; Inspiration Board: Style Me Pretty; The Knot x 6; Style Me Pretty x 2: In Style Weddings; The Style Salon; Victoria's Secret.)

New Year, New Style, New Weddings!

A new year is fast approaching and so is another decade. 2009 will be our last year for this decade, the first in the new millineum. What better way to celebrate than to revisit some old styles from years past and reinvent them to match our modern times and weddings? Time flies and fashion in all areas of our lives moves just as quick with it. So I will be showcasing some trends from years past all throughout January and putting a new spin on them, using inspiration from fashion, interior design and really forward thinking weddings and stylists. All these posts will be categorised in the Style File folder. Enjoy!

Submission Deadline Today!

Today's the last day to get your submission in for the "Love Transforms" market. Running January 12th through February 13th! Click here for more details.

Collecting (Stamps): New British Design Series

Britain's Royal Mail has a new series of stamps coming out January 13th, British Design Classics, a handpicked selection of ten of the most iconic and enduring examples of British design at its best. Available January 13th! (Via Pret a Voyager).

font testing @ something's hiding in here

We are always being lured by the creativity that is overflowing at Stephen and Shauna's home/studio. The latest? These fonts they are testing out for their new green wall... (um, when can we move in)?

Something's Hiding in Here's photostream
Something's Hiding in Here's blog
Somthing's Hiding In Here's etsy shop

faux cabin living

How nice would this faux cabin room be just about now. As we freeze here in the Pacific Northwest, the thought of a room one could go to that looks out onto the water like this (without the cold blowing in), would be a perfect escape right now. Spotted on flickr here (by Walldancer's).

boxing week(s) sale!

We hope you are enjoying the holidays! You are invited to join us at our online "curated" handmade and vintage goods market from now through to January 9th, 2009 for our Boxing Day Week (well two weeks) Sale! A great time to land some of those handmade pieces you've been eyeing. Click here to check out the deals! {Items shown, may not be on sale}.

we are in a snowglobe!

Snow is falling thick and furious today, and in Vancouver, that's a rare occurrence, we know to most of the world Canadians live in a snow globe, but - for today, that is - we actually do! We captured a little glimpse of our world and bottled it up in this virtual snow globe. It's our way of sharing our little christmas night snow with you.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Merry Christmas

Vintage Charm Santa, wreath and bunting Country Home Magazine, shoes in pot Sarah Kaye presents

Panettone Sarah Kaye Presents, Votives Country Home Magazine, Sleigh Annika Vannerus, Ballet Shoes Sarah Kaye Presents

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, to my readers, commenters and blog friends.

Signing off now as all my family and friends arrive here in Spain for the festivities and off to attempt some mince pies D!

A Christmas Playlist

What we're listening to this holiday season:

1. The Christmas Song, Catherine Feeny, The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs
2. Christmas Time Is Here, Vince Guaraldi Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas Holiday
3. No Christmas for Me, Zee Avi, A Brushfire Holiday's, Vol. 1
4. Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, Jack Johnson, A Brushfire Holiday's, Vol. 1
5. White Christmas, Bing Crosby
6. Peace On Earth, Little Drummer Boy, Bing Crosby & David Bowie
7. Skating, Vince Guaraldi Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas Holiday
8. Winter Song, Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson, The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs
9. Silent Night, Zach Gill, A Brushfire Holiday's, Vol. 1

Boxing Day & Week Sale @PoppytalkHandmade.com

Join us here Boxing Day - for our online Boxing Day and Week Sale at Poppytalk Handmade! Lots of amazing deals on handmade and vintage items starting on the 26th!

Twelve days of Christmas Weddings ... Red & Green

As with white weddings for a white christmas, the traditional red and green of this seasons holidays works beautifully for weddings. Just try to keep it simple using mostly red and touches of green from foliage and natural elements. You don't want your guests feeling they've stepped into a christmas tree when they walk into your reception! If you do want to use a fair bit of green a lighter shade looks better with a cherry red than a dark forest green. Touches of gold or silver work really well with red weddings or you can have a more rustic earthy style by using plenty of browns and natural woods. It's actually a very hard colour to perfect so remember that red is a very rich hue and whilst a lot of it may be overpowering, if it's done right it can be spectacular.

(Image Credits: Project Wedding x 2; The Knot; Natalie Lemus; Cheri Pearl Photography; Cake That)