WITH LOVE FROM: ROME

Ciao, it's Jessica, from Life's Little Jems, and I'm here to present a series called With Love From... where I'll be sharing some of my favorite fashion and home decor items inspired by various cities around the globe.

My first destination is the Eternal City: Rome, Italy, where Cassandra should soon be landing! A few weeks ago, I myself returned from a magnificent, much needed vacation to Europe, and Rome was my first stop. Here are a few wonderful treasures inspired by my recent getaway to this beautiful and historic city. Until next time…

1. Elizabeth Cole, Gordian Knot Bracelet 2. Zara, Zip Trousers 3. Mid Century Italian Chairs from Boo Radley 4. SuperHeadz, Wide and Slim Camera 5. Marble Roman Bust 6. Vespa LXV 150 7. Marni, Cannello Sandal 8. Reiko Kaneko Lip Tease Cup and Saucer 9. Ascaso, Dream Coffee Maker

COCKTAILS AT SIX: THE VENTIAN SPRITZ

Ciao from Italia, my loves!! Right about now, I'll be enjoying the beaches of Sicily, soaking up ridiculous amounts of sunshine, and hopefully sipping one these refreshing concoctions...

While this recipe originates in the north, it's popular all over Italy, and is a delightful mix of bitter and sweet... sort of how it's going to feel to leave this magical place in another week.

The Venetian Spritz:

4 ounces Prosecco
A splash of sparkling water
1.5 to 2 ounces Aperol
Orange
Lemon
1 green olive

In a glass over three or four ice cubes, pour the prosecco, a dash of sparkling water and the Aperol, being sure to follow that order lest the Aperol sink to the bottom without mixing. Garnish with a slice of orange, a twist of lemon (or both) and an olive.

*images via the glitter guide, recipe + drink via the nytimes, and marie claire

GONE TO ITALY...

Be back in two weeks!! In the meantime,  I'll still have plenty of posts from potential contributors and a few I put together myself to keep you entertained.

And when I'm back, there will be so much to share!! Lots of love... and ciao!

*image via tumblr, source unknown

FROM FANTASY TO FÊTE: PICNIC ON THE AMALFI

Since the moment Cassandra mentioned she was headed to Italy this summer, I haven't been able to stop dreaming of vino in Rome, shopping in Florence and most of all, long lazy days spent sunbathing on the Amalfi Coast...

Camille Styles here, and today's fantasy is totally inspired by the idyllic two weeks my husband and I spent in Capri and Positano on our honeymoon two summers ago. The incredible seafood, deep Mediterranean waters dotted with pristine yachts and sailboats, and the nautical-chic style of the jet-set as they escape the bustle of a bigger metropolis. A lovely little fantasy on which to base today's fête, no?

A sandy stretch of beach and a fun group of friends are really the only necessities for the success of this party. A lightweight folding table and swath of linen fabric are the base for a spread of fresh, seasonal dishes. On the menu? How 'bout a very Mediterranean cucumber, tomato & feta salad and this most-luscious marinated bean salad with grilled shrimp & watercress.

What to wear to such a summer get-together? A swimsuit of course, although a classic striped boatneck is a must to guard against the sea breezes when the sun begins to set.

Formal invites are not really necessary for a gathering this relaxed, but when the stationery is as charming as this by Mr. Boddington's Studio, you just might not be able to resist. The Wolfgang style is so fitting for an oceanic occasion with it's urchin-like pattern and inky blue script.

Arriverderci, Cass...we can't wait to hear about your adventures!

*images: {row 1} couple, bunting, compass escort cards {row 2} necklace, feathers {row 3} clementine place setting, capri, rope{row 4} map, invites, oyster, dress. all party images: roland bello. invitations: mr boddington's studio.

MAKING MY GETAWAY (IN CORAL + BLUE)

I warned you you're going to have to put up with a little pre-vacation dreaming and planning around here...

So, welcome to my first fantasy! I've got one last hotel to book on the Amalfi Coast, and I happened upon this one while perusing Mr&Mrs Smith last night. Welcome to Capo la Gala!

Their combination of modern decor with beachy flair and (hello!) those zig zag tiles in coral+blue put me over the edge! That headboard rivals the view, too!

Even the bathroom is done to perfection, incorporating coral tiles and high gloss surfaces in that same winning color combo. 

And then, you know, there's this.

And this. So that's pretty cool too. Who wants to come with me?

ESCAPE...

Good morning, beautiful people! How was the weekend?

As I promised myself, I finally took a few days to relax a bit after all the travel I've been doing and it was absolutely lovely. Of course... this girl can't stay in one place too long, which is why I spent Saturday night researching and making plans for a very exciting destination in June...

Italy!! Exactly one month from today my entire family (mom, dad and sis) will be jetting off for a few weeks in the saturated sunshine of Sicily. I'm already dreaming of the wardrobe I'll be packing and the fabulous hotels we'll be lounging in... 

Not to mention time spent on salty beaches as we make our way up to the Amalfi Coast! It's been years since I made the time to hop across the globe for a real getaway, and I cannot wait. We'll also be stopping through Calabria to visit the small town my father was born in, and - fingers crossed - spending one indulgent night in Capri just me and my sis.

Anyone have suggestions for our little escape? I'd love to hear them!

*images via pinterest, kimberly ayres, pinterest, and flickr

HAPPY (SUNSHINEY) WEEKEND

Whew! It's been another very busy week around here at coco+kelley, wouldn't you say? On top of the usual posts, we've been hard at work getting ready to launch the first week of contributing writers starting on Tuesday (SO excited!) as well as putting together a little guest post for our friend Tobi Fairley over at her blog (fashionable summer camp necessities, anyone?).

But what got me really excited this week was yesterday's post on Cote´ Maison ranking coco+kelley as their 4th favorite English design blog in the world ... listed just behind the big boys: Apartment Therapy, design*sponge and decor8. I'm still giddy and astonished! A huge congrats to all the other bloggers who were mentioned as well - it's a fabulous group!

While I wish I could say things were slowing down for the weekend, the truth is there is lots of client work to be done and sunny porch time to be had, so I'm off and running! In the meantime I'll be dreaming of this gorgeous Italian escape with visions of its whitewashed walls and fluffy pillows in my head...

xoxo,
cassandra

*photography via cote´ maison

The Perfection of Styling: Christine Rudolph

Rarely do I find a stylist whose collection is so gorgeous that I want to post every single photo. But, with the talent of Christine Rudolph, you'd want to too.

Last week over at Cup of Jo, the question was posed, "If you could do anything tomorrow, what would you do?". My original answer was to lay on the beach without a laptop or cell phone in sight! Preferably with a cabana boy to bring me anything my little heart desired. And then I stumbled on these photos and thought... scratch that. This is what I'd be doing. For the rest of the week!

Wednesday:


Thursday:


Friday:

A Tuscan Villa, fabulous fresh Italian meals, a pool, a bike ride, and a beautiful view. I mean, really... what more could you want? Not much, if you ask me.

But, of course, Christine's work is so much more extensive than just this, so here are a few more beautiful photos for your enjoyment...

Since we're on the subject of weddings these days:

A how about this fabulous look at these details and the room that houses them:


And, then there's true classic beauty in black and white:

Absolutely gorgeous, don't you think?

Charmed, I'm Sure!

Those of you who peruse the wedding blogs from time to time may already be familiar with event designer Lisa Vorce's incredible site for her company Oh How Charming!, which is simply overflowing with inspiration. Well, I popped by her site last night and loved this tabletop so much, I had to share...

Most wedding cakes are so overdressed, but this one is so simple and perfectly captures the more relaxed garden feel of this event. And, as noted in my post yesterday, I just love simple natural linens for their rustic Italian feel. Combine a bit of antique silver and the effect is complete!

Rustic farm tables! I simply can't resist them. Simplicity is still the key here, and that shade of red is just warm and divine.

Can we say Tuscan? I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to have a bit of an Italian feel to my own wedding someday, and I will definitely be filing these images away for inspiration! Love the fresh floral tucked into a clean white napkin with the red menu.

If you have time, pop over to Lisa's website for more amazing decor. As an event planner myself, I can say that I'm truly impressed with every single piece of her portfolio!

Room of the Week 1.24

I'm a wee bit late on posting today's Room of the Week for three good reasons.

1) After a long day at work, a long week of fighting a cold, and throwing a little dinner party last night for my roommate's birthday I was totally wiped out today.

2) I still haven't scanned about a million worthy rooms that are sitting in a stack and have been for the past... oh, two years.

And 3) My best friend Erin is coming into town tomorrow (yippeee!) which meant that today was spent CLEANING! Luckily, I was hunting through listings for Italian Villas (oh the life of a blogger) and came across this dining room and kitchen which might be the most wonderful thing I've ever seen (from an Italian girls' perspective anyway...)



The light! The warmth! The gorgeous table that still wouldn't fit my huge Italian family, and the KITCHEN! The curved shape is stunning. That can't possibly be the whole thing because there are no cabinets, but I can see the stove on the left, and tons of counter space, a little island table, and then a great big fridge. Heaven! Mostly I'm just in love with the way these two spaces flow into each other. In my perfect world, there's a long fireplace on the other side of the room to complete the picture. *sigh* I think I'm in need of a vacation!!