{a new week + happy monday}

good {late} morning! monday, monday . . . and hope you've had a perfectly stunning weekend -- here it's been afternoon drives and magical turning leaves, dazzling nightskies and romantically cozy cashmere nights . . . but now, it's back to work, and since we're still away for one extra day, it's strong coffees and out of the office, laptops and iphones and that wonderful feeling of being on holiday while working, although must confess that being immersed in such beautiful things hardly feels like work at all . . .

happy, happy monday! hope your week is off to a perfect start,
xo


{p.s.} for those that may have missed:
* this week's give-away: a simply exquisite crystal & 24 karat gold tray

{images: originally published on march 28, 2010 at a glamorous little side project}

{monday, monday . . .}

. . . hello! a bright & crisp september morning of a new week, and if summer has flown by quickly, this month has taken on an astonishing pace and perhaps already a little too chilly for open-toed sandals and on the weekend, tall leather boots for the very first time . . . but despite changing temperatures, very much looking forward to mornings in cozy knits, and especially marigold-coloured knitted capelets . . .

hope your week is off to a perfect start,
xo

{p.s.} also new today:
* colour inspiration: gold lamé & black velvet
* interior designer: tom scheerer

{image: a glamorous little side project}

{happy monday + thoughts for a new week}

. . . another summer weekend may have come and gone, but it was filled with french bread and escargots, nights in silk dresses and upswept hair, and a lingering of early morning breezes laden with a beautiful excitement . . . and over morning cups of coffee, reminded of a favourite winston churchill quote:

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

. . . a wonderful thought for a brand new week, and hope yours is off to a perfect start,
xo

{p.s.} late august, which means a wildly sporadic posting schedule and never quite seem to get into the week until it's nearly over, and so -- many new & wonderful things you may have missed at week's end:
* weekend romance & lovely links
* in the bedroom: only sweet dreams
* photographer: camilla akrans & autumn blossoms
* in the bedroom: crisp linens & scalloped edges

{my wonderworld}

{happy monday!}

. . . hello! monday, monday and a new week, and despite the weekend not being quite as quiet as anticipated, with plans and dinners, a little dancing and late, late nights, wonderful to have a few moments home again, to organize and plan and dream, thoughts filled with inspiration and excitement for the beautiful days that lay ahead . . .

lovely to see you again & hope your week is off to a perfect start,
xo

{p.s.} a few things:
* also new this morning: rome & cinque terre, italy
* thanks so much for all the wonderful well-wishes! x

{ylonka verheul, melissa tammerijn and marlena szoka by indlekofer & knoepfel for vogue germany, september 2010 via a glamorous little side project}

{happy monday + a give-away}

. . . hello! monday, monday and beautifully exhausted after a summer weekend away, lavender-laden thoughts still lingering . . . and while wonderful to get away, always lovely to return home again to a new week filled with a million brilliant things: to do, to see, to plan, to accomplish, to dream . . .

hope you had a spectacular weekend & wishing you a perfect start to the week,
xo

{p.s.} new & lovely things you may have missed:
* colour inspiration: shades of citron
* in the bedroom: crisp summer whites

{images: 1 - shabby chic via decorology; 2 - scan by this is glamorous, photography by jeff macnamara for victoria october 2001; 3 - style me pretty}

{happy monday!}

. . . after a beautiful weekend of organza dresses and perfect manicures, gold glitter and party preparations, running in heels and fashionable late, and always, always, a little romance -- it's back to business and a brand new week . . .

happy monday & first {long awaited} day of summer!
hope it's off to wonderful start,
xo

{image: a glamorous little side project}

{monday, monday + the winner . . .}

. . . there was much reminiscing about grandmothers, sad stories about never having had an engagement ring, attempts to sway with flattery and even a little bribery, a few brave men, one of whom wanted to give the prize to the woman of his dreams, but in the end, there could only be one . . . and so, the very warmest congratulations to . . . kristina from texas, the lucky randomly selected winner of the stunning, stunning diamond stacking band give-away:

*** congratulations, kristina! ***

thanks to everyone who entered & hope you're having a perfectly lovely {holiday} monday,
xo

{p.s.} most hilarious comment goes to anne @ the city sage, with offers of foot massages & chocolate chip cookies . . . and more fun photographs by hans van brakel here

{images: photography by hans van brakel}

{colour inspiration: buttercream}

. . . good morning! hope you had a lovely, lovely weekend; had the wonderful privilege of spending a perfect few days soaking up sunny rays on a terrace in the country, taking breaks only for ice cream at old stone cottages and glasses of chardonnay on wrought iron chairs at quaint cafés by the river . . . and today is so stunningly beautiful and summer-like, abandoning the indoors for a while for a few moments in the sun {such a lovely time of year!}, leaving you with soft and elegant, and always classic, shades of buttercream . . .

à bientôt & hope your week is off to a beautiful start,
xo

{p.s.} two new posts from late last week you may have missed:
* inspiration: summer, summer, summer
* two lovely things: entryways

* & one more day for the diamond give-away . . .


{images: 1&2 - gabrielle kai; 3 - country home may 2005 via greige}

{happy monday + inspiration boards}

. . . hello! a very late start this morning and after the rain and petal-laden breezes, away, away for a bit this weekend, not returning until late sunday night and now, a whirlwind all around and quite hopelessly drawn to the calm and order of these inspiration boards . . .

happy monday & hope your week is off to a wonderful start,
xo

{p.s.} aren't these lovely?

{image: 1 - domino via chateau de lu; 2 - hall ready}

{monday, monday . . .}

. . . monday, monday & hello! hope you had a perfectly lovely weekend -- it's a two cups of coffee and strewn books and bright bouquets kind of morning after a beautiful weekend, with many splendid things to look forward to in this sunny and brand new week . . .

hope your monday is off to a wonderful start,
xo

{p.s.} a little late, but the winner of the cable & heart bracelet give-away later today . . .

{images: photography by patrick cline for lonny magazine}