BHLDN, the two year old sister brand of Anthropologie, provides attire, decor, and accessories for any special occasion from an enchanting wedding to a sweet birthday soiree. With a selection of delightful gowns, stunning party heels, delicate jewelry, vintage-inspired wedding decorations and more, BHLDN is a one-stop shop for brides-to-be…or really anyone planning a fete!

A great way to personalize your bridesmaids’ attire on your big day is through accessories.

DO trust your bridesmaids and give them some freedom to select accessories that express their personal styles, especially if you are choosing the same dress for each.

DON’T be afraid to set some parameters. For example, choose color for your girls to work with when shopping for bridesmaids shoes but leave the rest up to them.  Soft, neutral colors or metallics are easy to find in a variety of styles and price points.

Pictured: Sterling Peep Toes, Rosebright Peep Toes, Supper Club Sandals

DO use accessories to add texture and shimmer to your bridesmaids’ ensembles. If your bridesmaids’ dresses are simple, adding a beaded belt or sash in a contrasting color is an easy way to turn an ordinary bridesmaid dress into something extraordinary.

DON’T go overboard with accessories for your bridesmaids. If you select more unique bridesmaids’ dresses with lace detailing or other embellishments, a simple pair of studs or small drop earrings adds that “just enough” touch.

Pictured: Sorbetto Dress and Gerbera Studs

DO gift wedding-day accessories to your maids. Your bridesmaids’ jewelry is one way to allow for personalization and is a great way to say “thank you” for their roles on your special day. A sparkly clutch is another gift that your ladies will look forward to using again!

Pictured: Cupola Bracelet, Deco Beaded Clutch

DON’T forget to consider the setting of your wedding. For an outdoor summer wedding, especially if it’s in the grass or sand, a wedge or flat sandal is the best option. A pretty cover up is a must for a winter wedding or to cloak bare shoulders during a modest ceremony.

Pictured: Maroma Sandals, Crème de Menthe Topper

Thank you Angela!  I’m obsessed with that deco beaded clutch!  Which accessory is your favorite?

Yes, you heard right!  Brooklyn Flea is heading south and launching a Philly based market.  And we’ll be there!

The flea will occur every Sunday at the Piazza in Norther Liberties.  There are a ton of great, well-known vendors lined up to sell at the market.  I can’t wait.

Ever since the time I shopped at the original Brooklyn Flea, I knew I wanted to be a seller there.  However, the early morning drive up to NY didn’t seem feasible.  I’m so glad they’re coming to us!

And if that isn’t enough, the following Sunday we’ll be closing out the Clover Market season on June 9th in Ardmore.  Sadly, we’ll miss May’s Clover Market but you should totally go!

Don’t worry we’ll have plenty of new inventory for both events.  We’re currently treasure hunting throughout the entire Northeast on our road trip honeymoon!  And, yes, that includes a few days in Brimfield.  I’m smitten…can’t wait to share details from the wedding too!

Can you believe I’m talking about June already?  Summer is almost here!  See you soon.

BHLDN, the two year old sister brand of Anthropologie, provides attire, decor, and accessories for any special occasion from an enchanting wedding to a sweet birthday soiree. With a selection of delightful gowns, stunning party heels, delicate jewelry, vintage-inspired wedding decorations and more, BHLDN is a one-stop shop for brides-to-be…or really anyone planning a fete!

Our first topic is HOW TO CHOOSE BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES.  It can be challenging to coordinate your bridesmaids’ looks but BHLDN fashion guru and stylist, Angela, offers expert tips for choosing the perfect bridesmaid dresses to suit your best girls and your gown!

Take it away Angela…

Use Your Gown as Your Guide

Your bridesmaids’ dresses should complement, not compete with, your gown. Use the style of your gown as a guide for selecting attire for your bridal party. If your gown is romantic or Bohemian, dress your girls in breezy, free-flowing styles with a little texture. The Idlewild Dress is a great example.

If your gown is more structured and sophisticated, your bridesmaids’ dresses should be more tailored. Keep fabrics clean but look for architectural details such as pleating, like that on our Feria Dress.

When selecting color, it’s all about personal preference and the old rules no longer apply. Brighter, punchier shades are still popular for spring and summer but pastels have been popping up in fall and winter weddings where richer colors used to reign. Neutrals, including shades of blush, nude, champagne and grey, work year-round.

Consider the Comfort Factor

It’s important to consider comfort when selecting bridesmaids’ dresses. Look for styles that are easy to wear, a comfortable fit and in fabrics that will hold up through hours of photos – and dancing!  Fluid silk, silk gazar and silk chiffon and even silk cotton blends (see trend?) are great options that breathe well and are relatively wrinkle-resistant.

Also, the season and setting of your wedding should be a factor in bridesmaids’ dress options. Sleeveless or strapless styles with shorter hemlines are ideal in warm weather, especially if your wedding is outdoors. Longer hemlines work well in more formal settings or during cooler months. Dresses with sleeves are also great options when there’s a chill in the air.

Allow for Personalization

It’s always great to give your bridesmaids options to express their unique personalities. After all, that’s why you love them, right?

Mix-and-match bridesmaids’ dresses are very on-trend for this very reason! In addition, mix-and-match dresses add another layer of texture and visual interest to your overall wedding scheme and look pretty in person and in photos.

Give your girls some guidance with a color palette or a specific hue and allow them to select a style that makes them look and feel their best. Some of our favorite color combos this spring are shades of sea glass, blush tones and classic navy.

For a more streamlined look while still accommodating different body types and personal styles, select dresses from a brand that offers multiple dress styles in the same exact color and fabric. BHLDN’s Jacqueline Dress and Levity Dress, both by Coren Moore, are examples of two different styles available in the same color and fabric.

If you prefer to dress your maids in one style, allow them to personalize their looks through accessories. A simple silhouette like the Niceties Dress is a great “blank canvas” for this option.

So which dress is your favorite?  Be sure to stop back next week for our second installment of Wedding Wednesday with BHLDN!

In the meantime, a little eye candy for you…

We have this amazing pair of oak twin beds in!  Only one is pictured here but honestly there is a phenom pair.  So I cleaned them up and hydrated the wood with hemp oil from Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint line which enriched the color and patina of the wood.  This hemp oil is the bomb.  I’ve used it for so many projects from hydrating wood like this to a top coat over paint on a porous surface and also in between layers of paint.

Each bed comes with a solid antique oak headboard, foot board, side rails & slats.  All you need to do is add the mattress and box spring. Check out the detail on the foot boards…

I pretty much love them and keep imagining a twin room featuring this pair of beds (only one bed is pictured).  So tell me, how would you style a room with these beds?  I pulled a few inspiration photos below of twin rooms.  (Please do not pin them from here, rather click the source link to take you to the original image.)

Sophisticated Twin Guest Rooms

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Airy Feminine Twin Rooms…

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Neutral Masculine Twin Rooms…

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Which is your favorite look?  And are you in he market for a pair of smokin’ hot antique oak twin beds??

I love that phrase – farm to table.  It sounds like such a basic concept.  It is one that we’ve embraced recently in our house.  Well, I guess it has been more like farm to store to table.  But once the harvest season starts it will definitely be more farm to table.  Anyway…

First let me say thank you to so many of you who have consistently followed up with us on Ryan’s MS diagnosis last fall.  He is doing just wonderful.  In fact, much better than before.  And me too.  We have embraced new routines and ditched a few old ones.  Mostly we’ve been really cognizant of what we’re eating and how our meals are made and, most importantly, how those foods impact Ryan.

I’ve never been much of a chef and I’m no food blogger.  There are plenty of fantastic blogs out there for recipes and such but as I’ve been sharing some of my new recipes with friends, they encouraged me to post about it.  Perhaps you’ll have an interest too.

We haven’t become vegetarians or anything official but we’ve embraced a highly vegetable based diet and legume based for that matter.  The turning point was receiving my first ever food processor at my bridal shower.  We ate veggies before but usually in a raw or steamed state as a side. Nothing fancy.  The food processor has hands down changed my life.  And I actually like cooking and experimenting in the kitchen now.  I had no idea how versatile chick peas are!  Yes, I’m getting excited about chick peas.  That’s the new me.

Let me just share some of my latest concoctions.  Ryan laughs at me every time I take pictures of our meals.  I take pictures of our sofa, mantelscape and everything else.  So why stop at dinner?

Chick pea “meat”loaf with carrot soup – my soups need some work

Sweet potato stuffed pepper with a garlic cream sauce – hands down, my favorite so far although probably the least photogenic.  Can you believe I never ate a radish before now?

Mediterranean loaf (with basil, pepper, tomato & mozzarella) – Ryan thinks we need to come up with a new word for “loaf”.  I agree.  Any suggestions?

Smoked salmon salad – an oldie but goodie.  I think we may be headed down the path of pescetarian but again, no official commitments here

Mango vanilla smoothie – we still go for the ol’ classic strawberry smoothie on the reg too. Apparently I don’t have pictures of either.

I seriously shock myself with my new found kitchen prowess.  Ryan is feeling very healthy and active which is the goal when you have MS.  You want to keep a high energy level and remain active so the disease doesn’t creep up on you.  Certain foods, like kiwi, can increase your energy level.  He’s even lost weight.  Men, they lose it so easily!  Hmmph.

And we LOVE doing yoga.  It is so relaxing & strengthening.  I find it helps me a lot with stress.  I never thought I’d become an organic, yogi but I think that’s the path I’m on.  Ryan continues to do all of the things he loves like fishing & bike riding.

It’s funny how life has a way of throwing you curve balls.  You can either let it get you down or embrace it and make the best of it.  I’m pretty happy with how we’re tackling Multiple Sclerosis head on over here

So what healthy recipes should I try next?

And also for keeping my sanity.

I haven’t had time to dive head first into a big paint project like a dresser lately.  If you haven’t guessed we’re in final crunch mode with wedding projects here but painting is very calming for me.  So producing a quick before and after is quite satisfying.  Let’s take a look!

The upholstered stool used to look like this.  

Although I’ve been in a needlepoint place lately, this stool just wasn’t cutting it for me.  Plus the needlepoint violets were super dingy.  Maybe that is not evident in this before photo.

I applied kitchen scale milk paint – two coats.  I didn’t add the bonding agent so I got some chipping around the top edges.

The violets got stripped and replaced with reproduction ticking fabric.

I never snapped a before picture of the other little stool.  This one was highly varnished so I was sure the milk paint would chip.  Sure enough, it did.  Linen milk paint is painted on top and lucketts green on bottom.  No bonding agent/primer.

In areas where the paint did chip, a great crackle formed!  Fun, right?  I love how the chipping and crackle gives such an authentically antiqued finish.

Well it’s been non-stop around here.  In 24 hours, I made visits to all 3 locations to restock.  Btw milk paint will be completely restocked on Thursday in Doylestown. Plus there are vintage treasures galore at both Serendipity in Doylestown & West End Garage in Cape May.  Our Brick & Mortar will not be open at all in May due to our wedding schedule.

After Thursday, I’m off the Circa Dee clock til I’m a married lady.  At least that’s the plan!  I do have some posts lined up for you but I will be tabling furniture projects and the general running around.  Be sure to check in thgouh.  I’ve got a ton of fun tutorials and projects to share post wedding!  The summer will definitely be busy at Circa Dee!