{have a stylish weekend + links}

. . . a sunny & blustery late-saturday morning and the carryalls are packed for a weekend adventure -- crested blazers and crisp blouses and a cozy scarf or two for overcast skies and it's off to fireplaces and turning leaves, country drives and quaint cafés . . .

a million thank you's for stopping by to say hello this week, and -- of course -- for the thoughtful comments, tweets and e-mails -- hope you're having a spectacularly wonderful weekend and that it's beautiful where you are,
xo

{a few lovely links:}
* travel: blue skies & white sand
* shopping: this collection
* design: grooves & ruffles
* fashion inspiration: lounging around
* download: customizable cartograms
* guide: top fifty wallpaper resources
* fashion inspiration: lace & tweed
* at home: bronze & mirrored
* photography: miu miu
* design: textiles & handwritten table plans
* colour inspiration: changing hues
* for autumn: coats & capelets
* art: amazing handpainted floors
* recipes: apples & bourbon caramel
* décor inspiration: wicker pendants

{as always, a few things you may have missed:}
* a fond farewell to summertime
* look book: secret squirrel
* décor inspiration: gracefully gilded
* a new week & a hazy tuesday in september
* falling for fall: stripes, sequins & tartan

{& new for the weekend:}
* farewell summer: croissants on a friday morning
* fashion inspiration: lauren moffat

{images: editorial - chic en seine, raquel zimmerman by terry richardson for vogue september 2007, styling by emmanuelle alt via habitually chic & the fashion spot, scans by kissmesweet; textiles & handwritten plans via a life more fabulous}

{fashion inspiration: lauren moffat}

. . . socks with heels and soft leather satchels, paired with a boyfriend blazer or cinched at the waist, soon, there will be autumn mornings of hot coffee and impossibly chic tartan . . .

{images: lauren moffat}

{have an enchanting last summer weekend + links}

. . . the midst of the weekend and so far it has been topknots and trenchcoats, billowy clouds and late-summer skies, and in the evenings, country houses and cozy fireplaces and bittersweet farewells to these, the last of the summer days . . .

wishing you an enchanting last summer weekend overflowing with beautiful things,
xo

{p.s.} a million thank you's to those of you who took a moment to send along birthday wishes to p this week -- so thoughtful! had a wonderful time and the celebrations should continue well into the weekend . . .

{a few lovely links:}
* décor inspiration: open storage
* design: ketchup
* architecture: weathered wood & white
* fashion inspiration: belted sweaters & black on black
* at home: weekend organising
* in the kitchen: strawberry cake
* architecture: a courtyard pool
* fashion inspiration: floral & tulle
* architecture: morning light & marble
* last look at summer: icecream

{as always, a few things you may have missed:}
* décor inspiration: corner fireplace
* photographer: craig mcdean
* summer to autumn: wicker
* style inspiration: woven straw & hermès
* table for two: what katie ate
* colour inspiration: late-summer pink
* fashion inspiration: goldenrod
* perfectly ornate: late summer, early fall
* storage inspiration: shoes, shoes, shoes

{& new for the weekend:}
* colour inspiration: shades of hèrmes
* two lovely things: black & white
* happy september: live it up in a delicate dress
* at the shops: satomi kawakita, new york

{images: sophie holmes by koray birand for koton fall 2010 ad campaign, styling by defne kocabiyikoglu, hair by ibrahim zengin, makeup by erkan uluc via fashionising}

{lookbook: lover the label}

. . . one of the loveliest thoughts is that somewhere in the world, soon it will be spring, just as our days will soon fall into dramatically overcast and blustery skies, slightly chilly and romantically melancholic mornings, somewhere, blossoms are set to bloom and wrap themselves beautifully around branches and there will be pretty shorts and the sheerest blouses, elegant blazers and lacy, champagne-coloured dresses, and since shall always hold on to the very last golden and fading rays of summer sun, lover's spring.summer 2010.11 collection may be just the thing for these last, languorous late-august days . . .

{images: lover the label via studded hearts}

{have a wildly romantic weekend + links}

. . . every evening, fading beautifully into dreams, always overflowing with excitement for the surprises and enchantments that a new day will bring, for the very next morning and the early light, freshly brewing coffee and time for reflection and plans -- but weekends -- on weekends all of these things and even more so -- the mornings are a little longer, evenings a little later, and it's on weekends that romance is everywhere and daydreams fill every waking moment . . .

wherever you may be in the world and whatever plans you may have, wishing you a wildly romantic weekend & hope it's beautiful where you are,
xo

{a few lovely links:}
* while there's still time: seaside dreams
* fashion inspiration: enchanted
* in the kitchen: charlotte storrs stoneware, england
* round-up: wire
* the books everyone is talking about & where to find them
* décor inspiration: paper lanterns
* recipe: triple berry pie
* round-up: canopy beds
* summertime inspiration: picnics!
* pretty, pretty: paper {sarah via twitter}
* warm & woodsy: mountain retreat
* dessert: from coconut to fresh fig
* perfectly stylish: custom camera bag & in leopard print
* from before but still love: bubbles

{as always, a few things you may have missed:}
* hello & a few things
* back to work: trench coats + pretty pastels
* design inspiration: wooden laptop cases
* travel: bella italia
* table for two: desserts for breakfast
* inspiration: pear martinis + summer's end
* colour inspiration: brown, black and bits of gold

{& amazingly, three new for the weekend:}
* in the bedroom: only sweet dreams
* photographer: camilla akrans
* in the bedroom: crisp linens & scalloped edges

{images: photography by dan martensen for details magazine via love with the proper stranger; also seen at dustjacket attic}

{pear martinis + summer's end}

. . . every thursday, a late lunch with my sister, and yesterday was not unlike any other, with the exception of the discovery of a magical and secret garden terrace for drinks and laughter, and while catching up over pear martinis to the sultry sound of late-august leaves rustling in the golden afternoon light, had wished that summer could last forever . . . on the way home, however, a reminder in all the shop windows that the crispness and energy of autumn has its own romance and must confess that the fall lookbooks in late summer are nearly as exciting as the spring books in the last of the winter days, which can only mean one thing: le changement est bon / change is good . . .

{images: warehouse via katie armour}

{lookbook: lover the label, part two}

. . . and of course, in the even that you are ready for autumn, elegantly cut blazers with pleated & puffed sleeves, insanely stylish belted dresses, perfect trenches and the softest champagne-coloured cowl-neck sweaters . . .

{p.s.} if you've just arrived, see below xo

{images: lover the label; more of this collection at the side project}

{fashion inspiration: antonio berardi, london}

. . . after the beautiful nostalgia of revisiting the photographs of our countryside picnic once again, was happily reminded that there are still many perfect summer days left and still time to wear sexy summer whites, and what could be better than the elegantly cuffed trousers and tailored jackets, little white dresses with flouncy skirts and delicately sheer and lacy blouses paired with city shorts and strappy sandals of antonio berardi's resort collection?

{images: style.com}

{styling inspiration: fantastically french}

. . . utterly inspired by the impeccable french styling of this editorial for l'officiel paris -- a miu miu blouse paired with a tailored blazer, an elegantly draped dress and strappy sandals, and especially the sexy eyeliner and golden peachy lipstick, perfect for summer . . .

{images: julia dunstall for l'officiel paris via studded hearts}