Introducing Molly Carr Fine Art Photography

Well hello there! For those of you who have continued following along during my prolonged absence here in this little space on the internet - thank you! If you follow me on Instagram you may already know, but for those of you who don't I'm excited to share that I have officially started my own photography business - Molly Carr Fine Art Photography. This has been a longtime dream of mine and I couldn't be more excited, hopeful, and terrified. My hope is to continue Dreams in HD in more of an inspirational capacity, but in the meantime, I will continue to be blogging about all things travel, photography, and weddings at www.mollycarrphotography.com. Thank you for your support!

Our Honeymoon: Santorini Part I

I'm going to be posting out of order here, but I'm still sifting through the rest of my photos from Italy and these are just too pretty not to share! For the final leg of our honeymoon we hopped on a plane, and after a short flight over unbelievably blue seas dotted with grey volcanic islands dusted with tiny white villages, we touched down in sunny Santorini. Five days on this magical island weren't nearly enough, and I'm already dreaming about when we can go back explore more of the mythical Greek Isles.

An Upstate New York Country Home

I've followed JCrew menswear Director Frank Muytjens' Instagram account for years without really knowing much about him other than that he has a fantastic eye and an absolutely adorable Vizsla. Today, after taking what seemed like the 100th screen shot of his upstate New York vacation home, I decided I needed to see more. A vintage collector's paradise, I love how every inch of his home feels lived in and special. The layers of fabrics and textures, the ephemera covering nearly every surface, the use of natural elements - all come together to create a space that is truly memorable.  

Our Honeymoon: Borgo Santo Pietro

After a magical week celebrating our wedding in Paso Robles with our friends and family, we headed east to Europe for our honeymoon. The first stop - Italy. And not just anywhere in Italy, but the magical Relais Borgo Santo Pietro. I first read about Borgo on Cupcakes and Cashmere four years ago, and have been dreaming about visiting ever since. When we started tossing around honeymoon destinations and decided on Lake Como, I knew we had to spend a few extra days in Italy to visit Borgo. So after a long flight and a night in Florence we headed south through the winding countryside filled with excitement.

Five Recipes Perfect for Fall

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Gnocchi {sans the pancetta} via The Bonjon Gourmet

For the first time this month, yesterday finally felt like fall. I couldn't wait to get home, turn off our AC, light my favorite fall candle, and open the screen doors to let in the cool, crisp air. There's something about the onset of fall that makes me feel the urge to nest. To sit by the fire with a blanket and a bottle of wine. To clear the house of clutter {a crazy busy summer has left me feeling perpetually behind on keeping our house clean}. To sit outside by the fire with s'mores. To give Ryan the feeling of coming home from work to a kitchen filled with love and the intoxicating scent of dinner on the stove. And for that, I've pulled together five recipes that I'm looking forward to trying this fall. Enjoy!

The Ritz Paris

Ever since my first trip to Paris in 2012, the Ritz Paris has been closed for renovations. I've walked by it countless times on the Place Vendome, eager to take a glimpse inside one of the world's most iconic hotels. Throughout its storied past, the Ritz has hosted a slew of famous guests including Hemingway who used it as his base when he covered the war and Coco Chanel who lived there for 34 years.

Amanda Brooks' English Country House

I've long been a fan of Amanda Brooks. From her days as a street style icon to her time as the fashion director for Barney's New York to her current Instagram account that showcases her idyllic life in the English countryside (with just enough time spent jetsetting through Europe, New York, and the Caribbean), I've always found her style to be aspirational yet attainable and love her relaxed and effortless aesthetic.

Hello!

Well hello there! It's been far too long and I've got some big news - I'm officially Mrs. Molly Carr. After over nine years of dating, Ryan and I were married on a golden afternoon in California at HammerSky Vineyards. The day absolutely overflowed with love and joy, and will forever remain in my heart as the happiest day of my life.

In the midst of working full-time and planning a destination wedding (which I could not recommend more), I seem to have neglected this little space of the internet. To be honest, whenever I would think about it I would feel a pang of guilt because blogging has always been one of the ways that I find time for myself. It has always given me such fulfillment and been such a wonderful source of creative inspiration. I have found that blogging is one of the few things in life that seems like whatever I put in I get back ten-fold. So, now that the wedding is over I am going to turn my focus back to myself and in turn to this blog. Thank you for your love and support over these years, it truly means the world to me and I look forward to reconnecting with each and every one of you!

Spring Vegetable Tartine with Grilled Meyer Lemon

Last month Kate of Taffeta & Tulips asked me if I wanted to participate in a recipe swap with her, and of course I jumped at the chance! Inspired by the spring bounty at my local farmer's market, I put together a quick and easy recipe for a spring vegetable tartine with grilled Meyer lemon. Originally shared on Kate's blog, it was too good not to share here too. Enjoy with a crisp glass of Chenin Blanc on a warm summer afternoon.

Colefax & Fowler's Bowood

Over the years I have been very vocal about my love for wallpaper. I still smile every time I walk through our front door and admire my all time favorite print - Nina Campbell's Perroquet - on the walls of our entryway. Always on the lookout for my next favorite print, I was recently perusing my Pinterest boards when I noticed a commonality in several of my pins - a beautiful pale blue floral chinz being used everywhere from walls to chairs to beds. After a little research I found that it was Colefax & Fowler's Bowood, and I'm officially obsessed. I love it as a wallpaper, but my favorite application is as a headboard. Paired with crisp white monogrammed sheets, a dark grey nightstand, and a framed vintage print, the Bowood print perfectly epitomizes the casual elegance of English country style.

The Orient Express

Maybe it's the fact that I live in the landlocked Midwest, but I look forward to being able to ride the train in Europe almost as much as being there itself. One of my favorite experiences was the nine hour trip from Lucerne, Switzerland to Vienna. The train quietly weaved its way through the alps, alternating between gorgeous pastures, snow capped peaks, and ancient villages. As much as I wanted to sleep, my desire to soak up the gorgeous surroundings kept me awake the entire trip. 

A California Home Designed by Rita Konig

As I've mentioned before, Rita Konig is my all-time favorite interior designer. Her use of color, pattern, and antiques give homes a whimsical yet timeless vibe that always feels comfortable and lived-in. So when I saw on her Instagram account that Elle Decor was featuring a home she decorated in their March issue, I knew I would have to get my hands on it!

Ballyfin Demesne

Although we have been to Europe several times, we have not yet been able to make it to Ireland. It seems like every time we plan a European vacation one of us suggests it but we ultimately decide that we will wait until next time. Well, at least that was until I stumbled upon the majestic Ballyfin Demesne...

Our Wedding :: Floral Inspiration

One of the elements that I'm most excited about for our wedding is the flowers. Our florist, Adornments Flowers & Finery, is amazing so I'm really going to just let her take my ideas and run with them. Here are some flowers that are currently inspiring me.

Sonoma Travel Guide

As I mentioned before, my mom and I took a trip to Napa and Sonoma over Memorial Day last year to check out wedding venues. While we ended up picking a venue in Central California Wine Country {you can see it here!}, my mom and I had the best time on our girls trip and were able to squeeze in time to check out some local shops, galleries, farmers markets, and of course - tasting rooms. It also didn't hurt that nearly every venue we looked at was a gorgeous vineyard which meant that although we were technically wedding planning we almost always had a glass of wine in hand :)

Recipe Swap: Taffeta & Tulips Meyer Lemon Cocktail

I'm excited to share that today Kate, of Taffeta and Tulips, and I are doing a recipe swap featuring one of my favorite spring ingredients—Meyer lemons. Kate is one of my long-time blog friends and I couldn't be happier to be partnering with her again. Kate's effortless sense of style translates perfectly to her recipes which are always simple, elegant, and fresh, and her Meyer Lemon Cocktail recipe is no different. Enjoy Kate's delicious cocktail, and be sure to check out Taffeta & Tulips for my Spring Vegetable Tartine recipe.

Miguel Vallinas‘ Roots

Spring is officially here, and what better than to celebrate with photos of dreamy spring flowers from Miguel Vallinas? His latest collection of work, entitled 'Roots', shows a series of flower heads and explores the development of personal identity. The photographer explains, "Roots searches once more in human nature for what we believe we are, what others think we are, what we really are and what we would like to be." Everything from the fashion choices to the bouquets to the model's poses feels intentionally styled to be uncomplicated yet beautiful—a way of reminding us to return to our roots and embrace the simple pleasures in life.

My Juice Cleanse Experience

Last week I mentioned that I was in the process of completing a three-day juice cleanse, and a few of you reached out to see if I would post on my thoughts and experiences. I purchased the Level One Cleanse from our local juicer—The Garden Table—and since I had tried nearly all of their juices before {they are delicious} I was extremely excited. I had been eating very clean for the past few months, but after a few weekends away, visitors, and dinners out, compounded with stress, I was left feeling unmotivated and overall pretty 'blah'. I decided a cleanse was just what I needed to jump start my healthy lifestyle and inspire me to back on track.

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but I couldn't be happier that it's Friday! I'm on the final day of a three-day juice cleanse and overall think I'm doing pretty well, but if you ask me again in five minutes I might have a different response :) Tomorrow is supposed to be warm and sunny, and I plan on spending the morning at the farmers market picking up some ingredients for a very special blog post {stay tuned next week} and the afternoon outside with Yoda. On Sunday I'm going home for the day to work on wedding invitation designs with my mom which I couldn't be more excited about, especially because Oakwood is always extra beautiful this time of year. What are you up to this weekend?

A Rustic Chic California Home

One of the best parts about planning a destination wedding is being able to squeeze a couple extra vacations out of it. We spent about a week and a half in California last summer checking out venues from Northern Sonoma down to the Central Coast, and we will be going back about a week early to explore Santa Barbara and Central California Wine Country. All this time in California has really allowed me to start to appreciate the rustic, laid-back Cali lifestyle which is evident in everything from the fashion to cuisine to decor. To me - this feeling of casual elegance is perfectly captured by designer Wendy Bellissimo's Hidden Hills home. More from Lonny...