May & June are always my favorite months in Los Angeles. The days get longer, the sun isn’t too hot, and the jacarandas are beginning to bloom. When you drive around the city, the urban sprawl of sidewalks and strip malls is broken up by bursts of  pretty purple jacaranda flowers. The blooms that have fallen from the trees carpet lawns, sidewalks and cars close by. Sunlight filters through the large, open branches. Absolutely lovely!

from top left: kate webber | corrie bond | wendell webber | rebecca thuss

There are some color combinations that look so stunningly pretty when paired together. Blue & green is one of them. I love the still life photo taken by Corbin Gurkin on the top left showing Love in a Mist and blue Delphinium flowers against a periwinkle damask background. The spearmint leaves as greenery and the bear grass ties makes it look so effortless, so simple, and so pretty.

Love in a Mist, by the way, is so ethereal when planted in masses. It has needle-like foliage that blurs when moving in the breeze and creates such a dreamy effect. I can’t get enough of this flower!

clockwise, from top left: corbin gurkin |  michael david adams | martha stewart weddings | grace edmunds

In celebration of a royal wedding…a simple mood board in celebration of the Union Jack!

clockwise, from top left: elizabeth messina | rebecca thuss | elizabeth messina | souder photography

I’ve been seeing so much Easter decor the past few weeks that I was inspired to make a quick mood board celebrating pretty pastels and happy balloons.

clockwise, from top: via the princess blog | rebecca thuss | andrea singarella

When I first saw the ad campaign for Miu Miu Resort 2011 last fall, I knew I wanted to do a fun polka dot mood board for the spring. Polka dots are so much fun to not only decorate with, but also create textured graphics & patterns around. They can fit into any scheme at all. Whether they’re paired off with a damask print – as I’ve done in this mood board – or blended with a striped pattern, they give a great visual snap that is at once easy and peppy.

clockwise, from top left: miu miu resort 2011 | joseph de leo | siouxsie factory | peggy porschen | tie that binds

For the Love of Lilac part Deux

Over a year ago in November, I posted a mood & inspiration board dedicated to the color lilac. Last night at the Oscars, the two dresses that generated the biggest fashion editorial buzz were the ones worn by Mila Kunis and Cate Blanchett.

Mila Kunis wore a dress designed by Elie Saab Couture for Spring ’11. Cate Blanchett wore a dress designed by Givenchy Couturre for Spring ’11 Couture. Cate always kills it on the red carpet and I adore that she can carry off edgy and forward fashion. Mila has been making her presence on the red carpet the last few months with “Black Swan” being nominated for several awards.

I usually don’t blog about the red carpet, as there are countless other blogs that have been doing it for much longer. However, I had to take a moment to note the lilac hues of Cate & Mila’s dresses and re-post the mood board from over a year ago.

Be prepared: lilac will be making it’s way into interiors and fashion in a big way!

clockwise, from top left: linda naranjo | via we heart it | reem acra* |  therese aldgard | via we heart it

* if anyone knows the photographer of this photo, please let me know so i can credit it!

Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day from the City of Love!

clockwise, from top: via we heart it*| via we heart it*| * | via we heart it* | via we heart it*

* if anybody knows the photographer of this photo, please let me know so i can credit