After much internet searching I have determined that Engagement Photos ARE in fact a real (if not a more recent) thing you do when you get married. I really thought our wedding planner was just effing with us, because honestly, you could not imagine two people more awkward in a photoshoot situation. We were both already kind of dreading the posing for pictures at the wedding itself, but figured we would be all hopped up on LOVE goofballs and feel a bit more natural.
So now our photographer, with whom we get an engagement session included in the price of booking him regardless, and who am I to pass up free vanity…is coming out to Chicago in a week to do this so-called “engagement session”. And I have zero ideas of what to do.
Because who wouldn’t want beautiful, art-y pics of you and your special manfriend.
But WHO just naturally sets them selves up for a shot like this?
This is mostly what I tend to look like in candids:
Maybe they aren’t candid and you just ham it up and work the camera?
There are certainly a few prevailing trends:
The look-away hand hold:
Balloons:
Passionate Kisses/Intimate Moments:
And they are all lovely…but here is the thing. Pete and I never hold hands, its a clammy situation, and I don’t really need a picture of us posed American Gothic style clammed on. So that is out. And balloons…Meh? I mean I feel like they are cute and joyful but kind of done by now. Intimate moments/passionate kisses are ALWAYS my faves, but the idea we would just like sit there and canoodle while a guy takes pics sounds just too much like a porn-y sand dog situation.
I just don’t think we will feel comfortable enough to be natural in front of the cam, and even so, we have a severe lack of wildflower fields that I know of around these parts!
These too fools seem WAY more our speed. She is mimicking my dances moves/enthusiasm pretty much perfectly, and the threat of shirt removal is very Pete- except with Pete it is not so much a threat but a certainty.
Anyway. Who has ideas for unusual spots in Chicago to take our so called “Love Shoot”? Thoughts on how to chill out and be yourself? What you imagine Pete and I will be doing in our pics? Is drinking during them a bad idea?
It was ridiculous. And v. fun. And I can’t wait to do it again soon! As always- if you are in the Chicago area and are looking for a non craigs-listy good time, I’m your girl!
Today I am heading downtown to meet with lawyers and finalize some of the un-funner parts of starting a bidness. I feel all grown up/probably should start thinking about what needs to go down at said meeting and less about “My Most Responsible-Looking Ensemble”.
Afterwards, though, I am treating myself to an afternoon at FatCamp aka The Spa, in this case Bliss Spa Chicago. I thought my skin was beginning to behave after I started doing nice things for it like lathering on magic potions at night, and sleeping…
False.
So hopefully a little facial action will move me a bit closer towards bridal beauty. But what I REALLY want to try is their Quadruple Thighpass. They say it is for those with “thigh anxiety”, umm yess, and that somehow they can whip sluggish lymph glands into shape and that in 6 wee sessions you will have “fabu-legs”.
Now, I have mentioned before my intense fear of/issues with cellulite. And some smartasses have suggested margaritas and or cheese might be to blame (the real delicious kind, not the proverbial cottage on the leg kind) and I have suggested that they keep their opinions to themselves. But now I have like, 50 something days or something ridiculous until our wedding, and am open to all suggestions. And yes- I have been working out dummies- I am talking should I go in for the Quadruple Thighpass, or do you have some other fantastic snake-oil-esque solutions for me?
Well THAT came out of nowhere! Friday that is. I distinctly recall chanting over and over again to myself, “I just wish this week would enddd”. And look! It has!
I hope you all have hot dates with your significant Misters or Sisters, but if anyone is in need of a little matchmaker, I would highly recommend looking into VideoMate. Because I fell in love about 6 times while watching this gem.
Happy Weekend Everyone!
I will be back Monday morning with survey results/feedback, some of my most favorite rooms of all time, and virtual internet love for all of you!
(And yes that ridiculously lame title is all I got for you on this one)
Ever since I finally got up the nerve to start Quin B Studio, I have been trying to figure out how I would describe myself as a designer. “Random” doesn’t sound like it would inspire a lot of confidence in potential clients, but “Eclectic” sounds like a cat lady- but that might just be me. I have been really inspired by honing in on designers that I really admire and who I think I share a sensibility with, and somehow looking at their work has helped me figure out my own styles likes/dislikes and perspective.
One of the people on that ever-so-exclusive list is new-to-me Chicago designer, Summer Thornton.
Chick is super talented, her work always looks so fresh to me. Plus she is a babe, and I like pretty people.
The Chicago connection doesn’t hurt either.
We seem to share a love of velvet…
…a little drama, though I detest the word… …Gold + Animal print……wallpaper+velvet tuftedness yums……Bold, I usually am afeared of super dark spaces like this one, but I think all the textures warm it up for me……normally not a neutral girl, and kind of can’t swallow the furry fuzzy pillows, but loving the serene taupey gray…
…This is just rad.I don’t even know that it would occur to me to upholster a wingback chair with blue plaid and then plop it at the end of a big ol’ dining room, and that makes me kind of sad because I love it and wish it would have occurred to me. Probs her most famous space…Chick is not afraid of pattern, and I cosign almost all of her furniture choices. This room feels attainable, too. Not like in the junky ikea trip way, like in the smart choices way.
The bones were obviously in the space, and I think she took architectural elements that are more traditional and made them seem young and fresh.I know there isn’t a headboard, and that might be a nono to some people, and I don’t think the addition of one would hurt the space…But I love it. I love the gold wallpaper inset into the mouldings, I love the lamps. I love the bedding.
There are a few things here that look verrryyy familiar to me, but you guys are just going to have to wait and see!
So, my faithful readers who I turn to for all of life’s quandaries…how would you describe my style? What about Summers? What about your own taste?
Today doesn’t really feel like a Wednesday. And even though the wedding is now officially less than 2 months away, I have more exciting news to share with you today.
“Come Again?” you say? Well, remember back when I held that giveaway to discuss the new look of Peppermint Bliss, and asked for ideas to name my new decorating business? And then how you kind of thought I was lying because months and months passed and you never heard anything more about it, and nothing changed, and time stood still, and the continents just kind of started floating off of the earth?
Well, I am not going to get into the various debacles that befell the early stages, because Ladies and Gentlemen, Things are LOOKING UP for ol’ Bailey Quin.
First, I decided on a name. Quin B Studio. I liked that it referenced my name, but had the potential to be something larger (dream big!) since it wasn’t just straight up “Bailey”. I also liked the play on “Queen B” and the sound of it, kind of like a foppish, British “Quenby”.
I am still working with a typographer/illustrator to perfect the logo, and with my programmer on linking the page to Peppermint Bliss and hosting my full portfolio.
Which will, of course, feature this before……And after…Truffleberry finally got its curtains, by the way, AND is shortly awaiting the arrival of its new chair friends. So those new pics should be delicious once they are up for consumption!
So there is still a lot to do. But at least for now I have an internet home. And am open for business. If you have any business, sling it my way!
(Alaina is also the graphic talent behind the much anticipated Rue Magazine)
Who, although I know her personally, I still consider a magical creature because of how quickly she swooped in and saved me from the Graphic Design meltdown I was about to have. Within days of my last frantic phone call to her, she had whipped up the above lovely temporary Quin B Header, business cards, and about 100 different new headers/backgrounds for Peppermint Bliss.
So for those of you who keep saying, ‘what in the samhill is going on with this neverending facelift’, you should be pleased to know I am in more than capable hands and you should be seeing some rad changes around here rill soon. And if you need any graphic design work for your own bloggyblog/business, definitely check her out. She is talented, she listens, and is a blast to work with!
Sincerely though, I really want to thank all of you lovely internet stalkers for reading PB, and for supporting this nubile Decorating Business I have walked way out on a limb to start. It is definitely daunting, and I cannot tell you how encouraging all of your comments and emails are for me. Even if you don’t comment, just coming around here everyday means you are pretty much the funnest ride at the Fair and I love you all.
So what do you think? Do you like the name for Quin B Studio? Do you want to hire me? Do you want to fill out this survey since I am cutting it off tomorrow so I can go through all of your suggestions and make PB even awesomer? Do you need a hug?
Well, she moved here. Like, yesterday. And, like, in with us. Into Clifford, our home. Which proves three things.
1. I am a fantastic salesperson/negotiator/dancer.
2. Chicago is awesome.
3. I am really good at running a non-murdery youth hostel. Because-oh, by the way- we have 2 more friends moving in this week. Like our own little Urban Family.
But that is not what I am here to talk about today. That was just FYI. I am here today to discuss dining room chairs. Right now we have a totally fine situation, however our tabletop has recently bowed and when you eat your plate kind of slides into the middle of the table. Which is pretty fun, especially when you have guests, but probably not all that practical. So we got a new one. That very much resembles this:
But now we need new chairs, and I am sort of at a loss.
I have two “accent chairs” that Pete says are not going anywhere b/c he loves them, that look like this:
They don’t actually live at the table, but on either side of our buffet, because Pete the Decorator thinks they look cooler like that.
So natch my first inclination was to not rock the boat and go for these suckers:
But then I was like, meh, kind of boring maybe? Maybe I should mix it up?This guy is named Camille…silly name for a guy.This guy is called Gentry.
I am absolutely obsessed with wallpaper. It has taken super-human restraint for me to not just adorn every wall in our new house with some fabulous print. Basically this would be my bliss.
Except in a better pattern-obv.
I can get lost for hours at the mart just flipping through books of wallpapers, and literally lost my mind when I stumbled upon this amazing junk last week.
Verily I say unto thee, this. junk. rules. Everything about it. The colorways.
The sheer TEXAN-NESS of it all! I think I am just going to have to use it…somewhere…I don’t know where but I don’t care.
I think this best demonstrates the effect this wallpaper has on me.
It is called Yee-Haw (naturally) and is part of the Studio PrintWorks line now carried by Brunschwig in Chicago.
And trust when I say there is a whole lot more junky goodness from them out there as well.
Like…This little guy which I think would be presh, retro, fab in a babies room.
I love the names of the patterns too..
This one is called A Head By A Nose
Sgt. Pepper Paisley I mean…Trippy.
Pauline?
Boring name for super fab paper.
Trash Day.
South Beach Toille…
Probs one of my favorites.
Tell me this doesn’t make you giggle.
And…coming soon…BLAST OFF!
I want.
Am I just a complete child, or do these make you super happy too? Do you have wallpaper in your home? What are your favorite prints?
It has been awhile since our last survey here at Peppermint Bliss, and since then a lot has changed. We went from dedicating one day a week to design, fashion, weddings, entertainment, and any randomness that floated into my brain box- to pretty much focusing on interior design with a Wedding Wednesday or random musing thrown in. All along readership has grown, which makes me very happy so THANK YOU for coming ’round here.
There are exciting changes coming up, I know I have been teasing you for awhile now, but the ol’ bloggyblog is getting a fabulous face lift, and I will be launching a separate-but linked-site for my decorating business. None of this would be possible without all of you, and so I would really appreciate it if you could take a second to answer a few questions on how to make your Peppermint Bliss reading experience all the more enjoyable.
If you do it, a mini-fairy-me will magically jump through your screen upon completion, hand you a delicious cocktail, and wish you a magical weekend!
I think I have a sickness. Now that Clifford is finally winding down, and TruffleBerry Market is pretty much complete, ALL I can think about is my next project. Which would surely be the sign of a dedicated and driven decorator/visionary, unless you knew how stressed I have been the last month (or you saw my stress-acne’d face) in which case you might gently suggest I take a nap instead. Either way, I can’t help it. My mind is already off fantasizing about building another house- preferably for someone else this time, hire me!- and I already have a plan.
In my next dream project I am going to build a house around this island. Well really the kitchen, and then the rest of the house will take shape from there.
Isn’t it gorgeous? It is from an old bakery in France, and I saw it when Brittany (TruffleBerry client) and I went shopping in her neck of the woods.
It is from an antique store called Old Plank Road, and you would never guess from the outside how many teasures await you inside.
But I am not just telling you about our local hole in the wall treasure trove to torture you, because Old Plank Road is on 1st Dibs! And although the prices of most items listed probably leave it squarely in the realm of fantasy for most of us- I still enjoy browsing through and imagining how I would use some of their more impressive pieces to build a whole home around.
But in a legit inspiring way, not like those ridiculous commercials where the couple takes a stupid Kohler faucet to an architect and says, “build around this”. I have met a lot of architects in my days, and I would guess that most people in a group known largely for their arrogance would not nod and say, “yes ma’am, I have always dreamed of designing a masterpiece around a mediocre piece of plumbing. thank you for the opportunity”. Antique replica of the Eiffel TowerAntique Dutch DollHousePete would love to have this for his barPretty cool, huh?
I remember being younger and having to run errands with my Mom and it was always a dreaded day when “Antiques” was on the list. I knew it would be hours of me sitting on some uncomfy chair staring at some creepy doll while my mom hunted for buried treasure.
In the end I love whatever she did with those antiques, because they blend seemlessly into our home without it having a museum feel.
It is all very kid friendly, she would never buy a chair that was too precious to sit on, and that mentality has been passed on to me in my decorating.
I always feel uncomfortable in those homes where the antiques are there for The Pretty, not for the touching. And I feel sometimes like “antique” has become a dirty word in our super casual generation.
What do you think? If money weren’t the issue, would you use antiques in your decorating? Would they be there mostly as art or should it function day to day to earn it’s spot in the home? Or is you style just more modern and you have no interest in antiques other than for kindling in the winter? I liked our last discussion. Talk to me.
First off, I met Fallon of A Lovely Being yesterday for red velvet cupcakes and champagne, and to say it was blissful would be a ridiculous understatement. I guess we got too hopped up on cupcakes and bubbly to remember to take a picture, but I foresee many more playdates in our future so I am not too worried about it.
Cupcakes and champagne might just be how I roll from now on, so if any of you readers/bloggers find yourselves in Chicago and want in on that action…lemme know.
I love the idea of a Texas Bar B Q themed wedding. Most of you know I love myself a cowboy boot. I even toyed with the idea of walking down the aisle in my boots, but I tend to walk like a les-o-been when I wear them. Which I quite like from time to time, but stomping down the aisle with some tough chick ‘tude maybe isn’t the vision of bridal elegance Pete-and my Mom-were hoping for.
However, being that I am the luckiest Bride in Weddingland, this weekend I am going to get to live out my Texas-Themed Wedding fantasies as Pete’s Groomswoman (yes, you read that right. no, she does not have to wear a tux) is throwing me a Texas Shower. And I could not be more thrilled/excited.
So THIS wedding wednesday is dedicated a few from my favorites file inspired by Texas, Bar-B-Q, Country and FUN!
After much internet searching I have determined that Engagement Photos ARE in fact a real (if not a more recent) thing you do when you get married. I really thought our wedding planner was just effing with us, because honestly, you could not imagine two people more awkward in a photoshoot situation. We were both already kind of dreading the posing for pictures at the wedding itself, but figured we would be all hopped up on LOVE goofballs and feel a bit more natural.
…Gold + Animal print…
…wallpaper+velvet tuftedness yums…
…Bold, I usually am afeared of super dark spaces like this one, but I think all the textures warm it up for me…
…normally not a neutral girl, and kind of can’t swallow the furry fuzzy pillows, but loving the serene taupey gray…
Probs her most famous space…
Chick is not afraid of pattern, and I cosign almost all of her furniture choices. This room feels attainable, too. Not like in the junky ikea trip way, like in the smart choices way.
Images Via: 
