What to Wear: to Meet the Parents

Hi friends! Did you have a great weekend and a festive Thanksgiving holiday (for those of you celebrating)? I hope so! I just returned from a too-short trip to visit with family on the West Coast and now as soon as I get unpacked I'll be ready to dive into the holidays with open arms! Bring on the sparkles and cheer!

Thankfully while I'm getting situated today Audrey's dear friend Grace offered to pop by and share her savvy fashion advice with us all. She'll soon be meeting her honeybear's parents for the first time, and while still a little nervous, she has managed to deftly put together an outfit that has her feeling both comfortably confident and presentable. And of course being the clever bear that Grace is, she also thought to bring along a festive hostess gift (bonus points for Miss Grace). I think she hit the nail on the head...don't you?!

Grace wears:

• A buttoned-up but not even slightly stuffy Chambray Work Shirt
• Grace will win the parents over with her charming personality and this scrumptious Chalet Candle Tin in Spiced Eggnog 
• Just a little bit of something for her wrist Orbiting Rivets Cuff
• This Blomma Cross-Stitched Skirt is perfection in person...both delicate yet sensible (just like Grace)
• Grace will be keeping her legs cozy and modest with a pair of Opaque Tights in Dark Grey
• These Naia Booties are pretty and comfortable enough for a full day of family fun

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This post was kindly sponsored by Anthropologie, however opinions, illustrations, and fashion selections were made entirely by me. 

Color Inspiration Daily: 11. 26. 12

Hi lovelies! For today's color inspiration I thought I'd mix things up a bit and share a photo that I took while out in California during this past Thanksgiving weekend (it was a great trip).

My grandparent's deck is visited regularly by a wide variety of birds (the most elusive being the hummingbird). Of course I was bound and determined that I wouldn't leave California before capturing one of them with my camera. By the last day, with several stealthy but failed daily attempts behind me I was certain that I would be going home with empty camera in tow. With only a short while left before our departure, I decided to give it one last go, and crept out onto the deck.

Immediately I spotted a beautiful hummingbird perched on a branch in the tree nearby. I tried a few nervous photos from the doorway, but at that distance the little guy looked more like a miniscule leaf than a bird. I shimmied closer to the tree, certain that he'd fly off, but amazingly he continued to sit. Finally I was close enough to put my camera through the space in the railings...the perfect vantage point to get a great shot. I stealthily leaned forward (right before lifting my camera to my eye) and put my face directly into a huge spider web that I hadn't notice while in my hummingbird trance! Visions of black widows swarmed through my head, but since he was still posing for me I didn't want to risk scaring him off by batting at my web-covered face like a crazy lady. My little feathered friend was quite brave as I clicked away, turning his head in curiosity with each release of shutter. He only flew off a few minutes later when a crow landed nearby. After hastily wiping the web from my face I was delighted to discover that I had a handful of successful photos as a reward for my efforts. Next time I think I'll look before I lean though!

P.S. I added a small print of this Hummingbird photograph to my shop yesterday. There is also FREE Worldwide shipping available until the end of today (11/26/12). Oh, and my William and Margaux prints are now available as throw pillows! Awesome! Visit my shop here.

Three Awesome + Free Thanksgiving Printables

Happy almost Thanksgiving friends! If you're looking for a few last minute ideas to help make your day appropriately festive then you're going to love these three awesome + free Thanksgiving Printables that I discovered while blog browsing. Just print, cut out (perhaps add a decorative element or two if you're feeling extra crafty), and you're all set!

Have a holiday that is filled with all kinds of beautiful things to be grateful for. I'm off to spend time with my family for the next few days. See you all next week! xo Ez

One: Free Printable Thanksgiving Party Suite from The Sweetest Occasion.

Two: Free Printable Wall Art & Place Cards from Lemon Squeezy / find matching Printable Invitations here, and a pretty Printable Thank You Card here (designed by Muffin).

Three: Printable Thanksgiving Wine Hostess Gift Tags from Sarah Hearts / find matching Printable Pillow Favor Boxes, Printable Thanksgiving Toppers, Printable Thanksgiving Menu, and Printable Thanksgiving Leftovers / Take Home Labels here.

Color Inspiration Daily: 11. 21. 12

Gorgeous Autumnal flowers, photographed by Jessica Peterson and arranged by Sarah Winward. See a lot more gorgeous photographs from this photoshoot here. (seen on, via)

Give the Gift of Art

Hi friends! Today I'm happy to be teaming up with Art.com to share a few of my favorite picks for holiday gift giving. Art instantly transforms a space and makes it personal...and the fact that giving art takes thought and care is what makes it the perfect gift to give (and receive).

Over in my The Gift of Art board on Art.com I've been collecting several gift giving favorites for everyone from kids and teens, to guys and fashionistas. I hope you'll pop over to find some inspiration in my collections. You can also easily favorite art pieces and create your own collections (both private and public) for easy reference. And if you're up for even more inspiration (who isn't) check out the curated gift guides on Art.com with picks from some of our favorite bloggers. Here's to the season of giving...let's make it artful! xo Ez

Some of my personal favorites: 1. Paris is a Feeling | 2. Silhouette 3 | 3. You Are My Sunshine ($43.99) | 4. Mineola Motorcycle ($9.99) | 5. Deer Wearing Gym Socks | 6. Mountains at Sunset ($99.99)

Full disclosure: This post was kindly sponsored by Art.com, however all opinions expressed are my own.