C'est si bon

daily cup of couture: valentino fall 2012 collection

Hello darlings! It is Caitlin here visiting from Daily Cup of Couture and I must say that I am absolutely delighted to be doing a guest post here on C'est si bon. Given that "Fashion Month" has just come to a close I thought that it would be fitting to post about one of my favorite shows and designers ... Valentino.

Every season I truly look forward to the Valentino show and the Fall 2012 Collection certainly did not disappoint! Although many critics focused on the amount of black leather in the collection, I was most enthralled with the stunning ivory pieces, which each had intricate details. The styles were sweet yet sophisticated and will certainly push many women to wear white well beyond Labor Day!

xx,

{images compliments of: Vogue}

little reminders.

one of the most important aspects of our marriage

is our faith in the Lord & learning to put Him first, us second.

both my lovie & i wanted not just our wedding,

but also our lives together to be a living testament to the Lord's goodness.

we wanted our ceremony to be honoring to Him.

& we wanted our daily lives to reflect His love & grace.

while everyday we work to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord,

we are constantly failing.

thankfully, we have a gracious God and

we are blessed with little reminders that help us to enrich our walk.

when we got married,

we decided that we wanted to soak in as much

wisdom, guidance, and love from all those around us.

and so instead of a traditional guest book for our loved ones to sign,

we left our new little family bible on the table.

we wanted all of our family & friends to mark

scriptures that meant the most to them.

words of wisdom. promises from the Lord. and verses of faith.

it is such a blessing to flip through our family bible and

see where people have left a note for us to see.

a little reminder of love.

scriptures to encourage. give strength. teach perseverance.

words of hope. and words of trust.

words to remind us that trials will only make us stronger.

and to remind of the blessings to come.

words to live a life that is honoring to the most high.

and words that inspire joy and peace.

words of wisdom beyond our own.

and words that promise fulfillment through the Lord.

words of guidance & protection.

i cherish all of these little reminders in my bible.

reminders of the Lord's greatness & reminders of love from those so dear.

what verse do you try to live by?

one smart cookie.

i have always known that my lovie was a smart, smart man.

he stores all sorts of wisdom in that cute little hat rack of his.

he has a way of retaining everything he reads.

he only reads books to learn. and he listens to the economist for pleasure.

he. is. the. smartest. man. i. have. ever. met.

what i love the most is that not only is he smart when it comes to

law. history. economics. politics. & sports.

he is beyond smart when it comes to his little wife.

in fact, i think it is safe to say he is quite brilliant in the most important way.

my lovie knows how to make me happy. he knows how to comfort me.

he knows how to love me. and he knows how to read me like a book.

and best of all,

the man is brilliant enough to know how to get a lazy girl to become a workout addict.

i don't know how he did it.

actually, i do... but i am just still in shock.

being a girl who doesn't like to sweat.

loathes the idea of running. and looks dumb lifting dumbells.

i am in disbelief that he has successfully converted me into a girl who

needs her daily workout.

bravo, lovie.

{how did you grow up to be so smart?}

so, listen up all you ladies out there who despise working out.

here is the way to turn that around.

& i promise it is worth it.

after many months of failed workout programs

{i happen to be the least disciplined person when it comes to working out}

i finally begged my super-disciplined lovie to help me.

lovie, i need you to help me stick to a workout routine. please????

being the great man that he is, he agreed to help me by coming up with an incentive plan.

not just your ordinary incentive plan,

but one that he knew would work for me.

so, think of one thing that really makes you happy.

something that you love to do. love to have. just plain love.

for me, that is shopping.

i love to be dressed cute & for the season.

and my lovie, in all his brilliant glory, knows this secret about me.

{i made it perfectly clear before we got married}

he made me a deal.

a deal that i was sure to keep.

if i worked out four days a week for two months...

i got a little shopping spree.

sign. me. up.

i could totally do this.

and i did.

and i have the handbag to prove it.

little did i know, my smart cookie of a hubby had a much bigger plan.

he knew that if i could reach this goal, i would be hooked on working out.

the act of physical activity would become habitual & a daily need.
and boy, was he right on track.

not only do i simply love how i feel now that i am worker-outer,
i love that my body is happier, too.
i completed the incentive program a month ago...
and my four days a week plan has continued.
run. spin. run. spin.
oh, and one or two hot yoga classes.

thank you, lovie.
your big brain & huge heart are so very appreciated.
you helped me meet my goal.

you are one smart cookie.

snap. snap. snap.

i am in the market for a fancy new little camera.

you may remember that one of my new found hobbies to fancy

is the art of photography.

i am getting ready to take a photography class at our local arts center

so that i can learn how to capture moments in a snap. snap. snap.

moments of love. moments of laughter. moments of beauty.

moments of this glorious gift we call life.

so, here is where i need you, friends.

do you have a camera that you simply love?

one that you could not imagine living without?

if so, spill the beans, please.

here is to hoping i can find one as adorable as these little guys.

and speaking of cameras...
meet my dear friend kelly & her non-profit organization, 100 cameras.
her team is comprised of an amazing group of individuals who
love to show the love.
check out all the deets at the 100 cameras website.
it really & truly is an amazing cause.
snaps to them.

{all images courtesy of pinterest}

well, hello yellow.

yellow has always been my all-time fave color.

i love the energy. the happiness. the fresh & light feeling it exudes.

you can imagine my joy when i learned that one of the big spring trends is...

yep, you guessed it.

yellow.

wear it any way you like, ladies.

from the tip top of your head. down to your little footies.

yellow is the coolest way to say hello to spring.

so don your fave yellow number.

open your whimsiest parasol.

head out to enjoy the freshness of springtime & bask in all its glory.

yellow can be worn in so many ways.

being a big fan of monochromatic fashions, i adore this little get up.

olivia sure knows how to rock head to toe yellow.

check out those punchy, yellow strappies.

blake looks fresh in her citrusy dress.

and i am dying over this retro swimsuit.

the skinny little straps. the sweetheart top. the ruffles.

it is just too stinkin cute.

hello, yellow.

this entire yellow number belongs in my closet.

love the bag. love the dress. love the flower belt. love it all.

oh. my. yes. please.

yellow satin bow ballet flats.

perfection.

love this breezy yellow look.

and this sweet little look is just divine.

cuffed jeans. white blouse. yellow cardigan.

effortless style.

i am over the moon for this yellow kate spade necklace.

paired with a white tee & jeans for a fresh, casual look.

and of course, a yellow oversized clutch belongs in

every springtime wardrobe.

i simply cannot get enough of this yellow craze.

this spring yellow will not only pop up in your resort wear...

it is here to stay all the way through spring.

so pair it with any color you like.

yellow is the new spring neutral.

say hello to pretty. punchy. mellow. yellow.

{photos courtesy of pinterest}

a sunny & inspired day.

just some inspiration to help start your day off on the sunny side.

breathe in the sunshine.

& all the color that today has to offer.

{photos courtesy of pinterest}

a blossoming gardener.

do you have a girlfriend in your life

that you just know you were meant to be friends with?

you love all the same things. you get excited over the same things.

& you happen to think she has the greatest sense of style.

{~~partly~~ mostly because her style is so very similar to your own}

well, i have this friend in my life.

in fact, i have known her for many, many years.

she has been one of my moms dearest friends for a long time.

and i am lucky enough to consider her one of my dear friends, too.

if you ever get the chance to meet ms. debbie,

you, too, would surely adore her.

lately, i have been getting so much inspiration from her.

inspiration to start my very own little garden.

your heart would truly flutter

if you could see what this little garden gal has done to her backyard.

rows of roses. in every shade. and in every size.

climbing. potted. & perfectly manicured.

her labor of love has bloomed into the most lovely little rose garden.

and i happen to be quite envious.

i would love nothing more than to have fresh roses in my backyard.

to be able to stroll on out my back door, clip a few buds,

& instantly have a little color to brighten any room.

so this coming weekend.

i am off to buy my very first rose bush.

and. i. can. hardly. wait.

can you just imagine?

to have roses cascading over the fence...

now this would be just the prettiest view out my window.

and i simply cannot get enough of the climbing roses.

i love the romantic & shabby chic feel.

as a blossoming gardener,

i think it is a necessity to have this garden & laundry station.

i mean, a girls gotta have a place to really get her hands dirty, right?

when i was over at ms. debbie's garden the other day,

she said something that i have really held captive.

she was telling me how i would need to care for my rose bush

& how every year i must cut the bush all the way back.

no leaves. no buds. just sticks.

they are ugly. they are vulnerable. they are bare.

but the gardner absolutely must do this in order to

prepare the bush for growing new roses.

she turned to me and said with a giggle.

you know, its kind of like how the Lord works with us.

we have to be broken down to our very worst

before we can blossom into our most beautiful.

what a lovely reminder that the Lord gave us at that very moment.

i will forever remember that during the challenging & ugly moments in life,

i am being prepared to blossom into something so much more lovely.

so thank you, ms. debbie.

you have inspired me in more ways than one.

{images courtesy of pinterest & elle decor}

dayna decker giveaway winner.

congrats to sweet

beatriz cardenas maxson

you are the lucky winner of the dayna decker body lotion and candle!

hope you enjoy the goodies as much as i have.

thank you for being a loyal reader of c'est si bon, sweet girl.

xoxoxo.

gigi takes the cake.

it is no secret.

i have a tremendously large sweet tooth.

morning. noon. or night.

i am always up for the delight & indulgence of a sweet treat.

you name it. if it is sweet. i am all over it.

my lovie shakes his head at me on a nightly basis.

when i am well beyond a comfortable-full post dinner,

but still ask him in an excited little voice

do we need a treat, lovie? what is for our dessert, lovie?

i happen to believe that a night is never complete without dessert.

and many of nights a cupcake has been my dessert of choice.

i tasted many delicious little cupcakes in new york city.

and i certainly have friends who have mastered the art of a cute cupcake.

but none holds a candle to miss gigi's cupcakes.

you may remember gigi's cupcakes from this wedding shower i hosted a few weeks ago.

yep, those stunningly beautiful rose tinted cupcakes with golden flakes.

those little beauties were all the labor of love of gigi's cupcakes.

since day one, i have always loved gigi's cupcakes.

but after speaking with the beautiful woman, gigi herself,

i have such a huge admiration and appreciation for her.

her ambitious goals. her strong perseverance.

and her unwavering faith in the Lord.

she is the very essence of a proverbs 31 woman.

i had the pleasure of chatting with gigi the other afternoon.

and i felt like we were old friends.

sharing baking secrets. sharing our love for the Lord. and sharing laughs.

gigi was so gracious to share her time with me, so i wanted to share with you,

my friends, some of her sweet words & thoughts.

here it is. a glimpse into the heart and soul behind gigi's cupcakes.

i make time at night. after i put my kids to bed. to read the Bible.

i am currently reading the book boundaries.

and psalm 57 is my favorite of them all.

"god can take a broken life, a failure, and turn it into something beautiful."

for me, that was cupcakes.

i was spiritually led into this.

the Lord used my brokenness.

when my aspirations to become a singer didn't work out.

i started a house cleaning business.

and then i started a cupcake business.

i would clean all day. and then i would bake 12 dozen cupcakes a night.

i melded old family recipes. i melded until i perfected the cupcake.

my favorite of all the gigi's cupcakes is the hunka chunka banana love.

and on march 21 the new spring/summer menu comes out.

the new chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake is amazing.

one tip for all the bakers out there.

always listen to your taste buds.

you do not have to be so strict about going by the recipe card.

if you think it needs more salt, add salt.

if it needs more sugar, add sugar.

to collaborate with martha stewart or paula deen would be a dream come true.

well, gigi.

chatting with you was our dream come true.

we happen to think you are quite wonderful. in more ways then one.

after getting the scoop from gigi i scooted on over to the

gigi's cupcake shop in tampa for a private tasting.

oh. my. goodness. sugar. high.

{this was, in fact, my dinner for the night. best dinner ever}

i tasted six or seven different flavored cakes.

and six or seven different flavored frostings.

there was wedding cake. english toffee cake. lemon cake.

margarita cake. chocolate cake. texas chocolate cake.

and buttercream frosting. banana frosting. cream cheese frosting.

raspberry buttercream frosting. bourbon cream cheese frosting.

tiramisu frosting. chocolate frosting. just to name a few.

each bite was better than the last.

and as i piled double the frosting to cake, i was quite thrilled.

while chatting with sweet, adorable, manager megan,

she gave me the ins and outs to what makes gigi's cupcakes simply the best.

each cupcake is baked that very day and quality tested.

every. single. cupcake.

this ensures that you will be biting into the most delectable cupcake imaginable.

the cake itself is so good that no frosting is even necessary.

{but really, who says no to frosting?}

megan's fave cupcake is the english toffee.

which she describes as being "consistently exciting in each bite."

i love that.

now let's get to the frosting.

that sky-high-finger-lickin-delicious frosting.

always fresh. always whipped to perfection. always beautifully displayed.

many thanks to jessica, baker extraordinaire, for the outrageously adorable cupcakes

that girl can whip out enough cupcakes a day to make you dizzy.

oh, and the frosting is all made with fresh fruits. never any added flavors.

so, that makes it healthy, right? counts as a serving of fruits?

are you just dying for a cupcake now?

luckily, gigi's has 58 locations.

check out the website to find a location near you.

and to read more about gigi the great.

friends, it goes without saying.

gigi's cupcakes is just the sweetest place around town.

sweet treats. and even sweeter people.

gigi & friends. you take the cake.

thank you for letting me share in the sweetness of your everyday.

xoxo

love feast.

i was feeling nostalgic last night.

so i decided to look through all of our wedding pictures again.

we have been married for almost four months now.

but it still feels like the wedding was just yesterday.

it was perfect in every way possible.

i was one of those brides that loved, no really loved, planning her wedding.

everyday i would wake up excited to plan. and design. and imagine.

i would spend hours looking at absolutely lovely pictures of dresses. flowers. decor.

i would play out the night in my imagination. i would laugh. and i would cry.

i loved everything about planning my wedding.

i had a clear vision of everything i wanted for the wedding.

and i was so blessed to find a team that completely "got" my vision.

we were able to plan together. and the excitement was overwhelming.

one of my fave wedding projects was designing the tables.

oh, the tables.

i had visions of golden. glowing. feasting tables.

filled with crystal. and stemware. and candles.

long tables overflowing with people. and laughter. and love.

it was even more than that.

the tables were simply exquisite.

every inch of the room & every heart in the room

was glowing with love.

take a peak at these feasting tables.

eat your heart out.

i may be a teeny bit bias...

but those have got to be some of the loveliest tables i have ever laid eyes on.

c'est si bon.