{happy all hallow's eve}

. . . a more luxuriously low-key weekend would not have been possible, for this time, [and the first in quite some time], there were no set plans, travel or otherwise -- only half-thoughts, whims & fancies, all fallen by the wayside, in favour of easy mornings and elegant dinners, the blustery romance of autumn at every turn and candlelight against dark windowpanes on early evenings, and later, ambling walks, leather boots and leaves, long cashmere scarves and very warm thoughts . . .

hope you've had a magical late-october weekend, and that it's beautiful where you are, roséline xo

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N E W F O R T H E W E E K / E N D :

* décor inspiration : let the leaves fall where they may
* at the office : the pantsuit
* beautiful details : bits of gold
* design : penguin classics by coralie bickford-smith
* table for two : pumpkin meringue tartelettes

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a f e w l o v e l y l i n k s :

* décor inspiration : warm winter whites
* at the office : stripe & field
* architecture : anderssen-wise
* at the shops : still in love with art deco
* inspiration : i have dreamt about you and forgotten everything
* perfect patterns : charlotte taylor ss2012
* utterly breathtaking : aurora borealis {via julia}
* at the shops : luna & curious
* before & after : a hand-carved staircase
* for tonight : a perfect cateye
* at the gallery : the tiniest art show {via tea for joy}
* places : cedar, marble & brass
* in paris : luxembourg gardens & a flower shop

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{as always, a few things you may have missed:}

* travel diary : lake placid lodge, new york

* hello & thoughts on a monday
* take me away : tips for buying luggage
* two lovely things : golden shades of autumn
* at the shops : kora, nairobi, kenya

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i n s p i r a t i o n f o r h a l l o w e e n

* white & gold
* a masquerade ball
* dark sequins & gunmetal
* gilded pumpkins
* lacy masks & cocktail dresses
* hermès orange & carved monograms
* diamonds

* more lacy masks: one // two // three // four // five // six // seven
* last-minute costume idea : be an "it" girl

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{images: daria // october roses // gisele // natalia}

{favourite five: floral stylist denise porcaro, part 2}

Summer is in full bloom, and that means being whisked away in flowing chiffon dresses to park picnics that have been long-awaited, basking in the glowing sunshine. Summer means long leisurely walks in the city, it means holding hands watching the sunset over the lush poppy fields of the countryside, it is the time when we can slow down to savor every moment and connect with the outdoors again.



And of course we couldn't help but to notice it all being more beautified with flowers, flowers everywhere. Whether in lush park gardens flooded with sunlight, in the bright floral prints worn poolside, afternoon dinner party tables adorned with peony arrangements, or in the crowns of daisies in our hair, flowers remind us that planting a seed and putting in the hard work has the most alluring and divine results, and that the warmth of summer is finally here to delight in.



This week, in a special follow-up interview, we called on the expert of glamorous bouquets and blossoms, Denise Porcaro of Flower Girl New York, to share with us her:

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{top five favourite flowers}

1. Lily of the Valley
"This blossom reminds me of my childhood, as it was always blooming in the spring on my block in my hometown of Jackson Heights, Queens; my grandmother’s home was on that same block and this flower always reminds me of her."

2. Honeysuckle
"This is another flower that takes me back to my childhood summers -- my aunt and uncle had the most beautiful honeysuckle vines behind their house; my mother showed me how to suck the honeysuckle out, and I was fascinated by that as a child. Their scent is intoxicating."

3. Grass
". . . reminds me of weekends in Long Island, taking in the summer sun and putting my toes in the grass."

4. Orchids
"There are so many different types of orchids, each unique and beautiful in their own way. Orchids remind me of going to the flower market when I first started my business -- I was just in awe of how amazing these flowers are and how many varieties of orchids there are. The vibrant colors they come in really struck me -- realizing that these vibrant colors actually grow in nature was such an "aha" moment for me!"

5. Garden Rose
"I just love the simplicity of this delicate flower. We take roses for granted because they are everywhere, but if you see a true garden rose, it is just so stunning when it is not processed."

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{p.s.} Roséline adores all flowers, but especially roses & stargazer lilies; I love ranunculus, lilacs and peonies -- what are your favourite flowers?

~ laily

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p r e v i o u s f a v o u r i t e f i v e s :

* actress & writer: shiva rose
* jeweler: camille eddera
* artist: kimia kline
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist, part 1: denise porcaro
* fashion photographer & illustrator: garance doré
* interior designer & architect: nina freudenberger
* entrepreneurs: rent the runway
* designer: rachel ashwell
* interior designer: tricia foley
* photographer: romina shama
* food editor & author: donna hay


{images: 1 - fleur; 2 - the cherry blossom girl via pinterest; 3 - wyck garden; 3 - portrait of denise porcaro by garance doré}

{favourite five: denise porcaro}

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."

~Claude Monet

. . . to enter the world of denise porcaro is to be swept away into an enchanting realm you only thought possible in the secret garden . . .

denise, the founder and owner of the alluring flower girl in nyc, has taken floral design to new heights with her exquisite eye for beauty and ethereal arrangements -- a delicate bundle she creates with dainty garden roses, ravishing wild flowers, or lavish peonies wrapped with the prettiest of ribbons will whisk you away into the romance of a bygone era

with a client list that includes stella mccartney, chanel and the illustrious plaza hotel of manhattan {and a blooming career that has graced the pages of vogue, instyle and elle} we will definitely be paying close attention to denise's:

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{five favourite pieces of advice for running a business}

1. dedication is key: know that if you're going to go for something, it should envelope your whole life; you're married to your business in a way, and you should know that going into it

2. have a business plan: you don't need a big business plan -- it can even be written on the back of a bar napkin -- you just need to write down your goals and visualize them happening

3. do what you love: if you're doing what you love, it is that much easier; it cuts all the work in half when it is your passion

4. read your client: cater to your client's unique taste; listen to them, their budget, their likes and dislikes -- that's what we do at flower girl -- we don't give our clients “package a” or “package b”, but really sit with them and figure out exactly what they want and do our best to give them exactly that

5. don’t sweat the small stuff: this is much easier said than done; when you're a perfectionist and you're doing this sort of work, it's hard not to sweat the small stuff, but you have to keep perspective and remember the big picture

~ laily



{images: vogue, february 2010, dress by jason wu, boots by dolce & gabbana; inset, vogue, may 2008}