Nest of a Dove (Gray)

London bedroom of jewelry designer Fruszina Keehn

In November of 2006, Elle Decor featured the sumptuous and serene London bedroom of jewelry designer Fruszina Keehn.

In 2009, my boyfriend sweetly gave me the Bible of interior decorating- Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Decor, which featured the above bedroom.

Today, I decided this bedroom had to be mine!

I love this room! How could you not sleep like an angel drifting on a cloud in this gilded yet grounded bedroom? It's the perfect mix of calming and stimulating, with dove gray walls and silk taffeta curtains, gilded antique mirrors, and a lacquered wooden console table. I love the whole mix.

Fruzsina Keehn collaborated with designer Alex Papachristidis to create this wonderful space. Much to my surprise, however, another of my favorite rooms is also in her London flat AND was decorated by Papachristidis!

Keehn's Parlor in collaboration with Papachristidis

I'm sure you can guess why I love this room. Number One- zebra rug. LOVE it. Number Two- gilded accessories. Number Three- the cool gray motif junxtaposed with warm brown wooden chairs.

Keehn and Papachristidis also created this unexpected spot in her London home.

Yet another Papachristidis and Keehn collaboration in her London home

I have never been so excited about lamps in all my life! The purple lacquered lampshades are such a creative way to energize (and glamourize) this space. And is anyone with me when I say good looking, affordable lamps are hard to find? Plus, the tassels hanging from the drawer keys add such a thoughtful detail, and I love me a good tassel.

But back to the bedroom. How am I going to achieve this gorgeous look at home?

I found this paint color for the walls and this fabric for the two x-benches at the foot of the bed.

Martha Stewart paint color in Zinc and zebra striped fabric from Printer's Alley

I think I would cover these benches with the zebra fabric.

X-Bench from Ballard Design

And while I plan to make a headboard, this bed is my inspiration, also from Ballard Design.

Camden Untufted Bed

Now to find the white linens (most likely Private Quarters!) and gilded accessories. Like I've said before, after I redecorate my room, I'll probably be too excited to sleep! Maybe I'll resort to counting sheep...skin rugs...

Tour de Fashion

Normally when I see an announcement for tour dates, I think of a band traveling the nation performing their latest and greatest hits. Never in my wildest dreams had I considered a rock-n-roll tour of great fashion!

One of my favorite lines Alice + Olivia has taken style to the streets, er, highways. On June 10, Stacey Bendet, creator of Alice + Olivia, and her band of stylists, djs and photographers left NYC, and set out in their silver Airstream for the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Machester, TN. Since then, the team has been traveling across the Southeast, playing dress-up with customers and fans, participating in charity events, and making over three lucky ladies in every city hand picked by the band.

And lucky for me, Wilmington was one of their stops along the way!

Long-established Wilmington boutique Monkee's hosted an Alice + Olivia trunk show all day Friday and ended the day with a fantastic Bryant Park-esque fashion show. (White tents, rows of fans and followers, photographers, the works!)

I made it JUST in time to see this fabulous event in person...

Alice + Olivia Fashion Show at Lumina Station

The scene at the A + O show

Metallic gold cargo pants, with hot pink, gold-flecked tank- Gotta love it when metallic meets military!

One-shouldered turquoise dress with white belt

ONE of my favorite outfits of the night- LOVE the gold sequined skirt!

THE dress of the night. Afterward, all the girls were talking about it.

I also like it in olive...

Alice + Olivia dress as seen on Shopbop

Gorgeous make-over winners!!! Love those sequins!

Prints, brights, metallics flash by as models take the finale walk

Every piece of clothing was fun, perky, and fresh. Lots of one-shouldered dresses stomped down the red carpet, while we also saw metallics, olive green, bright prints and fabulously tailored pants, the Alice + Olivia claim to fame.

One piece that I loved but did not photograph well was the flirty olive green mini skirt, great with a button down for day or tucked in to a silk blouse or tank for night...

As seen on the runway, Alice + Olivia mini skirt with pleated waistband in Army (Shopbop)

And, as a curly-haired girl fighting the constant summertime battle against frizz, I loved that Lavish in Lumina Station boldly styled the models' hair with voluminous, beachy waves. It's inspired me to really let my hair down and not be such a control freak!

At the trunk show, one piece that I did not see on the runway really caught my eye, the perfect piece for chilly indoor stops during the summer and a lightweight sweater for fall...

Brianna Beaded Crochet Shrug

And if I had one more wish, it would have been to see this looker in person...

Charlie Embellished Ombre Dress

Alice + Olivia brought a great vibe to the Port City Friday night. Maybe it was the outdoor venue near the beach or the flowy maxi dresses parading alongside mini skirts and floaty blouses, but a cool breeze definitely blew through Wilmington while Alice + Olivia was in town...

Chartreusion

Source: PopSugar/Getty Images

The invasion of chartreuse has catapulted through the neutrals and pales of spring and summer this year. The color is youthful, vivacious and fun but also matches more colors than one might initially consider...

Aqua and Navy

Lela Rose look from Spring 2010 (and the outfit that started my obsession)

Emerald Green and Light Blue

Another Lela Rose Spring 2010 chartreuse look

Pale Pink and Gray

3.1 Phillip Lim handmade silk jeweled dress

Based on some of the latest Resort 2011 fashion shows, this color has more staying power than your favorite desk highlighter! Resort 2011 shows projected citron pieces well past this summer and into next year.

Matthew Williamson showed this inventive luncheon look in his Resort 2011 collection. The chartreuse top really pops against the gray, metallic fabric, but I love how he incorporated emerald green into the lapel of the jacket. The green on green-derivative gives some cohesiveness to the look while the textured, neutral fabric is far from basic but still complementary.

Matthew Williamson Resort 2011 Look

Diane von Furstenburg also mixed the peppy hue into her mostly black and white geometric Resort collection. Besides featuring one solid head to toe chartreuse look, she also popped shoes, bags and even visors with the bold bright.

DVF Resort 2011 from Style.com

DVF Resort 2011 from Style.com

DVF Resort 2011 from Style.com

Pairing chartreuse accessories with classic black and white really highlights (pardon the pun) the pieces, making classic espadrille wedges or a ladylike clutch a bit more adventurous! It also allows you to play with a little bit of color if a solid chartreuse dress or top seems intimidating or overwhelming.

Adam Lippes at ADAM also embraced the color but took a more basic approach, keeping shapes classic, such as with this staple cool-weather cardigan.

ADAM Resort 2011

At Anthropologie, stylists broke up the bright color with a tribal white pattern while also toning it down with khaki satin shorts. This top is available now if you want to dip your toe into the chartreuse puddle...

Flowering Pasutre Blouse at Anthropologie

If you think you might be interested in citron this year, try it out. You won't be disappointed, especially since you'll be able to wear it now with pales, khakis and whites and swing it into autumn with gray, taupes, and black.

Join the invasion. It's a close encounter of the stylish kind.

Sweetly Ever After...

The cake table at Cacky & Eamonn's wedding

Last weekend, I attended the fabulous wedding of one of my dearest friends, Cacky Allen. This precious Southern princess married sweet, doting, adorable (I could go on...) Eamonn Higgins. Besides being a great friend and person, Cacks is a wonderful event planner! I knew her wedding would be creatively styled with every imaginable detail! But I was pleasantly surprised and inspired by some of her amazing ideas...

The bridesmaid luncheon, hosted by Cacky's "second mom" Mrs. Foscue, was entirely Lilly-themed. A Lilly Pulitzer maxi dress complete with pink hat and sandals greeted us at the door...

"Greeter" decked in Lilly Pulitzer at the Bridesmaid Luncheon

The room was decked entirely in Lilly decor- pink and green pom-poms, patterned paper rings around the chandelier, pink and green flowers, Lilly tablecloths, napkins, and RIBBONS...shall I say, To The Nines?? Even Cacky, her mom, and the hostess wore Lilly for the kick-off to the special weekend...

The Room Dressed in Lilly

The Bride with Her Momma

White peonies and pink hydrangeas

Polka Dotted Cake, Complete with Old English Symbols (I pulled the cross, a symbol for a peaceful life. THANKS BE TO GOD!)

All the bridesmaids with Mrs. Foscue, in the pink hat, and Cacky, to her right.

Later that evening, after a wedding rehearsal complete with communion, we headed over to an amazing new furniture showroom called The Factory. The entire interior was made out of light wood and exposed beams. I should have taken more pictures inside!! Eamonn's brother played amazing jazz music with his band as we toasted to the almost newlywed-couple. I was mesmerized by the giant water tower in the middle of the courtyard!

Mid-Courtyard Water Tower

Eamonn and Cacky

Cacky dances with her father (lots of red water tower beams)

Happy couple

Saturday morning, we attended a brunch at one of Cacky's family friend's houses in High Point. The whole setting was lovely- tall trees shading (almost) every inch of the yard, a beautiful French-chateau-style house on a hill, and precious white boxes tied with green ribbons containing fried chicken! (I don't eat chicken, but it was a genius idea for anyone who was hurting from the night before!)

Gorgeous front door- the face carved above the door is the original homeowners' daughter when she was a little girl. Apparently it is an old French tradition to carve a child's face above your front door. Today, her children and grandchildren live in the house still!

Boxed Lunches

It was finally time for the wedding, and Cacky lives one block from her church. We bridesmaids met at Cacky's house as her mother and mother's best lady friends gathered around to help Cacky get ready. We took great pictures on the shaded front porch and in their gorgeous living room, and then we paraded down the block.

Father and Mother of the Bride

Cacky's bridesmaids: Sara, Brenning, me, Adair, Emily, Lindsey...missing our third Lindsey!

Bridal party parades down the street to the church.

Cacky had a genius idea for her wedding bouquet, a single magnolia bloom!

Gorgeous Cacky getting ready to walk down the aisle...

Coral peonies for the bridesmaids' bouquets

Cacky's pink shoes!!

Cacks laughs with her matron of honor

Front doors of Saint Mary's Episcopal Church

The ceremony was flawless. Afterward, we proceeded to downtown High Point for one heck of a reception. There was a rockin' band, delicious food, friendly guests, and, of course, mini-doughnuts and a doughnut tree! Yes, a tree of doughnuts...just look and see!

Door to the reception- "H" for "Higgins!"

(Cup) Cake table

AMAZING arrangement around the chandelier!

Inside the reception

Centerpieces- very organic, architectural but still feminine with the roses, hydrangeas, and votive candles dangling elegantly from the edges

Mini-doughnuts served on silver platters next to the doughnut tree

Cacky and Eamonn drove off into the night in Eamonn's suped up 1980-something blue Volvo. Eamonn revved the engine loudly about five times, showing off his months of hard work, before he peeled down the street, leaving us with the smell of burning rubber and sounds of jubilation. The Higgins may not have been riding in a horse and carriage, but they'll still live sweetly ever after...