Visiting Friends

Here are a few blogs that I highly recommend visiting. I enjoy them anyhow...
Perhaps you will too. They always have:

• A fresh perspective
• Pretty pictures
• Clever ideas
• Good Vibes (which you know I like to proliferate)!

Also, they are portals to dream worlds. It's some good old fashioned escapism!

Hooked on Houses is on my Blogroll because I. LOVE. IT.  Julia's niche, all about awesome realestate, is remarkable. I love to go there and eat my heart out.

Bri Emery is the Founder/Director at Design Love Fest. It's a crisp clean blog and she is so charming. You can't help but become enraptured by her and her view.

Creatively Driven is rad. Loretta is real and wonderful. Down to earth and seems like a person you could have coffee with, during which meeting you'd likely learn all about the world.

Bekuh B. has a simple yet pretty blog full of daily inspiration and creative insight.

Weddings Here at P & P

I have a wedding blog that I used to be very active on. I designed folks weddings and thus had a little side business going. I even made shoes for some of my brides (including myself) hence the name La Bottine Couture ("Bottine" means a lady's boot in French). Somewhere along the line I grew disenchanted with the whole thing and sort of threw my chips in. The thing is, though, I still love the pretty of a wedding. The love involved and the care taken in creating the most magical party of any couple's lives still get's me going. I love the dresses, the flowers and the clever details. I have decided, since I have let La Bottine Couture fall by the wayside, I should still employ my loves of weddings, on occasion, right here on Poppies & Paperbacks.

As you might've seen from an earlier post, I love dresses. As I was growing up, my mother used to exclaim, "You are all girl!" I'm pretty sure she meant I was girly and high maintenance. I don't think I'm high maintanance. I just like frills, and lace and ruffles and ribbons and bows and taffetta and organza and....

But I can roll around in the mud with the best of 'em too.

Nevertheless here you go. More fancy dresses of the Bridal variety.

Does anyone know the maker and style number for the image above?

Source

Haley Paige Style 6201

Source

These are called "Wendi" and I made them.

La Bottine Couture

Sun and Soil

A friend told me recently, "You have got to try this new place."
So, Lori picked me up one day for lunch and we went over to Sun and Soil; a little haven of good for you, yummyness. They serve organic, made-from-home, tasting smoothies and juices that are truly delicious and healthful. Plus, drinking there is like visiting an old friend in their well appointed living room. It is bright, airy and clean. It's a progressive spin on the smoothie/organic culture. So refreshing. I do have one tiny criticism, however. Bring a load of cash. Each juice is roughly $9.00 and you have to pay a $2.00 refundable fee for the bottle. $11.00 for a juice is more than a bit dear! The smoothies are more affordable at around $7.00 for a 16 oz. selection. Nevertheless, taking care of our bodies seems worth the splurge.

Lori!