That's Freedom.

Just in time for your 4th of July festivities, Savoir-Flair has gone all Glossi again. This mag features the top picks for celebrating your freedom in style. God bless America! 

Catch the full issue on Glossi.com and let freedom ring! 

Pre-Order Madness

 J.Crew, you fancy now! Much to my surprise this morning, J.Crew announced the option to pre-order pieces from its Fall/Holiday 2013 collection. For real?? 

Even the guys can get in on this action! I know very few who are organized/excited enough to pre-order their clothing but it's still fun to have the option!

Have you pre-ordered or will you pre-order anything? 

Fine Feathers

Ever since I visited the birds at Sylvan Heights, I've found myself particularly drawn to flamingoes! These punchy pink birds squawk summertime to me. Luckily tons of playful flamingo prints are available for your personal feathering this year. Here are just a few of my favorites.

1- Target Outdoor Pillows/ 2- Flamingo Print/ 3- Samudra Clutch/ 4- Tory Burch iPhone Case/ 5- Tory Burch Swimsuit

Until I get my claws on these, I'll be perched on one leg. Do you have flamingo prints in your house or closet? 

Arrangement Of The Week: Calla Lilies And Improvisation

Hello, everyone! I hope you all had lovely weekends. I spent part of Sunday at Trader Joe's and came home with three bunches of tall and slender calla lilies. Thinking that would be more than enough, I put all three bunches in a clear cylindrical vase hoping it would highlight their long, graceful lines. However, when I put the stems in the vase, I realized I needed at least two more bunches.  

Floral fail. At $6 a bunch, I wasn't about to just go buy more.

It was time to improvise. After digging through every cabinet and my sideboard, I felt like the best bet was a champagne flute. In fact, my champagne flutes have a really similar shape to the lilies themselves. Hmmm...

To start, slip as many stems as will fit into the slender section of the flute. Cut the remaining blooms to gradually build up the bouquet from the outside in. 

And then voila! 

Champagne and lilies! I can't think of a better combination. Will you try this arrangement in your home? 

Biker Chic

via The Sartorialist

via New York Times 

via Harper's Bazaar

Some of the chicest women in New York City ride bikes to reach their destinations and they do so quite fashionably. This summer, designers have taken note, incorporating bicycle motifs in some of the season's fabbiest prints. Maybe you don't have a Beach Cruiser or maybe you do. But you can effortlessly reveal your love for the nostalgic days of riding around the neighborhood in your wardrobe and in your home...

Tray/ Shorts/ Print/ Blouse/ Tank (only $8!!)

No helmet necessary.

By the way, there will be no Look For Less post today. If you're looking for deals though, I strongly advise you check out Neiman Marcus. All of their sale items are an extra 25% off now through July 9! This necklace and these jeans are definitely on my list...

Father's Day Safari

On Saturday, my dad took my beau, mom and I to Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck. Scotland Neck is a teeny tiny town of about 2500 people in northeastern North Carolina but in the center of it all is a sprawling and pristine bird sanctuary full of exotic and endangered birds from all over the world. They house everything from eagles to emus. It's such a great experience because in many areas of the park you can really get up close and personal with the birds. Yes, some birds are contained in cages but most are interacting with each other within an arm's reach!

The flamingoes were my favorite. Two different species live right there in Scotland Neck!

They even let you interact with some goony birds...

Love you, Mom and Dad. ;) 

Don't forget your panama hat when you go! So appropo, don't you think?!

Horticouture: Arrangement Of The Week

How about "Horticouture" as the Arrangement of the Week series title? Is it too Real Housewives sounding? Be honest!

But more importantly, it's time to talk flowers! On Saturday, I headed to my parents' house for a little Father's Day q.t. I wasn't quite sure what the arrangement of this week would be since we were going out of town but I did know my father's yard would not disappoint. Dad majored in Horticulture at NC State back in the day and was a landscaper straight out of college. He and his sister, my aunt, have planted some serious plant knowledge (get it?? planted!) in my brain. Dad had several beautifully blooming hydrangea bushes going in his yard, among other things.

I found it interesting that one of Dad's hydrangeas was blooming blue and the other pink when they were RIGHT next to each other. The acidity of the soil affects the color of a hydrangea bloom so you would think two plants next to each other would be the same color. I decided to make that cool color different the highlight of this week's otherwise plain and simple bouquet. Pink blooms acted as the base layer while traditional blue blooms filled in the center...

By the way, it turned out that the pink blooms were still in their pots. Hence, the difference in color. 

Remember when you arrange your backyard blooming hydrangeas to keep them out of the hot sun, even indoors. Indirect light or even some shade are better for these pretty blooms. When we left this arrangement outside during a marathon fishing excursion on Sunday, we came back to very limp and droopy flowers and leaves. Keep them in a shady spot to avoid the same fate! 

Wednesday's Look For Less: Navy Halter Swimsuits

Like it or not, ladies, it's swimsuit season. (Insert groans here.) I busted out my new one- thank you, J.Crew 30% off sale- for the first time last weekend. The fit is great and I felt really comfortable chasing my pup all day long. Halle-freakin-lujah.

Finding a suitable swimsuit at a good price can be really daunting and completely discouraging. In case you flipped through the Summer Swimsuit Guide and didn't find what you were looking for, here are two great options at two great prices. In fact, they are so similar, it's nearly impossible to guess which one costs more.

A navy halter one piece is a classic. It reminds me of what Brigitte Bardot would have worn during a modest moment on the Riviera. What's even better? You can get these classics at bargain prices. The suit on the right from J.Crew is $88. I love its ruching along the waist- so flattering for one's midsection. The suit on the left, from Old Navy, rings up at just $14.50. Seriously. Fourteen dollars and fifty cents. Stop it. Of course, the less expensive option has fewer details to flatter but at that price, you could certainly afford a fabby coverup if need be! 

You lanky ladies are probably just fine without any distracting ruches. Me? Well, I think I'll go for the pricier option for those days when I've had more than one or two Trolley Stop hot dogs...

Tropicana Crazy

Tropical prints and patterns are nothing new. They have decorated the walls of the Beverly Hills Hotel and Greenbrier Resort for decades. 

Greenbrier Resort via Glam Pad

Beverly Hills Hotel via Glam Pad

via Etsy

But the fashion world has launched them back into the forefront with full force this summer and I am 100% on board! The vintage, California cool appeal of the banana leaf print screams summer vacation to me. When you're stuck at work/busy with the kids/heading to summer school classes, the thought of a tropical trip feels very far away. However, slip on one of these pieces and you might just catch a hint of that salty ocean breeze...

Milly Cosmetic Bag/ Joie Shorts/ Topshop Bikini/ Equipment Dress/ Joie Tank

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I've already taken the plunge- that Joie tank is miiiine all mine! Can't wait to take it on its maiden voyage...probably paired with those Madewell shorts when it's 90 degrees this week...

Bring on the heat!

Arrangement of the Week

Hello, everyone! I hope you all had lovely weekends. I spent part of mine at our downtown Farmer's Market gearing up for the next Arrangement of the Week post! (Can I come up with a better name? I think so.) 

Last week's kale and hydrangea bouquet kicked off this new series. This week, I went local with some sunflowers grown "up the road a piece" in Ivanhoe, NC. With inspiration from The Flower Recipe Book, I put together what I would call an asymmetrical boho chic arrangement. It's a cheerful, eclectic mix of blooms I haven't seen together before now and is certainly a departure from the tailored and girlie peony bouquets we see so much of this time of year. Perhaps this would be a good centerpiece for a Father's Day cookout?

Here's what you'll need:

5 branches of greenery- I cut camellia branches

2 allium stems

3 sunflowers

2 cyclamen

rosemary sprigs optional

colorful vase to complement the color scheme

Begin by placing your greenery branches. Mine weren't tall enough for the vase so I wrapped the ends with floral wire to keep them from sinking into the water.

Cut your allium stems so that one rests on the lip of the vase and the other an inch or so above it. 

Place two sunflowers on one side of the vase and one sunflower on the opposite side. The two sunflowers should be cut like the allium so that one bloom rests on the edge of the vase. The lone sunflower should rise above the other blooms so keep its stem a bit longer.

Add cyclamen blooms on the side with the two sunflowers. Again, these stems may be too short so wrap them with greenery wire to keep them from sinking. Make sure the stems can reach the water. 

When the arrangement was finished, I still felt like it was missing some texture so I added a few sprigs of rosemary. I like this extra dose of the unexpected. I wish you could smell this bouquet because it is so fresh and summery. 

I like that this arrangement doesn't have your typical girlie feel. It's unexpected, fun and carefree. Could you use it while you celebrate your dad or husband this weekend?