Interiors :: Introducing Rifle Paper Co. Wallpaper!

It's no news that nearly everyone in the blogging world is enamored with Rifle Paper Co.'s quirky, colorful, and retro designs.  After waiting with bated breath, I'm thrilled to announce that their highly anticipated wallpaper collection has been officially released!  Rifle's founder Anna Bond designed six styles in twenty six different colorways utilizing her signature aesthetic plus a few new prints {how fun is her modern take on the toile print featuring sketches of landmarks from around the world?!}  Every pattern is screen printed in Chicago on coated, durable, and fade-resistant paper with a technique that gives a hand-painted look.  What's your favorite print?  While I love them all, my personal picks are the Mint Peonies and Blush Safari.  Have a great weekend!

Travel :: The Greenbrier Hotel

While the interior of The Greenbrier Hotel is stunning in all of it's Dorothy Draper fabulousness {see pictures here and here}, the manicured gardens, sprawling golf courses, hiking trails, and surrounding Allegheny Mountains are equally if not more magnificent.  We spent hours strolling the beautiful grounds and admiring the always beautiful tulips.  On our last trip we went mountain biking and horseback riding {both were amazing}, but this time we decided to take it a little easier and simply soak it all in.  We lucked out to have gorgeous weather everyday but one and couldn't have had a more wonderful four days!

Happy Weekend!

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for this weekend!  I'm going to be relaxing at home with my family and enjoying the perfect spring weather.  Be sure to stop over at The Way I Wanderlust today, as I am sharing the story of my trip through Europe as a solo female traveler plus giving some advice for those of you thinking to do it too.  Have a wonderful holiday weekend, xoxo!

Image via

In the Kitchen :: Five Brunch Recipes

Coconut Banana Oats Bowl with Black Sesame Quinoa Cereal + Mango by Half Baked Harvest

On those few weekends where we actually don't have any plans {or weddings!!} there is almost nothing I love more than a lazy, leisurely brunch.  I love waking up and looking through my cookbooks or Pinterest Board to find a new recipe to try, biking to the farmers market to pick up any extra ingredients I may need, and wasting away the morning with a hot cup of tea and a delicious breakfast.  Luckily for Ryan I am an early bird and will often have the whole thing ready before he even gets out of bed :)

Dark Chocolate Waffles by Bon Appétit

Butternut Squash and Barley Salad with a Poached Egg by Cherry on My Sundae

Buttermilk, Quinoa, and Poppy Seed Lemon Pancakes by Dreams in HD

Italian Baked Eggs by Damn Delicious

Stay Pretty :: Skincare Picks

Earth Science Clarifying Facial Wash // Clarasonic Mia // Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Night Cream // Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Eye Cream // Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 {Rose} // Ole Henriksen Truth Serum //  Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment // Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask //  Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 // Fresh Rose Floral Toner // Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish // Fresh Seaberry Face Oil

I got my first facial on my trip to The Greenbrier, and suffice it to say I'm absolutely hooked!  My skin has never looked better.  I typically take pretty good care of my skin but after my facial I am that much more inspired to keep it healthy and glowing.  To do so, I have rounded up my favorite products plus a few that I am looking forward to trying.  What are your go-to skincare products?

Earth Science Clarifying Facial Wash: I bought this cleanser on a whim while grocery shopping at Fresh Market.  I knew nothing about it but needed some new face wash so I figured I'd give it a try.  To be honest, it has to be my new favorite {even more so than Philosophy's Purity Made Simple}.  It smells great, never makes my skin feel dry or tight, and works amazingly well with my Clarasonic Mia.

Clarasonic Mia: Yes, I know that everyone has been raving about the Clarasonic for years, but I have to admit that I absolutely love mine as well.  I have had it for three years and feel like it does an amazing job at cleaning my skin and sloughing off dry skin cells.  If I skip it for a day or two I can definitely tell a difference in my skin.  Would I say it has changed my life {like many online reviewers claim}?  No.  But I love it and can't imagine not using it.

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Night Cream: This past winter wreaked havoc on my skin {thank you Polar Vortex!}  Like so many others, the record cold tempetures and wind completely dried my skin out which in turn caused me to breakout.  Dry skin AND pimples...not a pretty sight.  I started using this night cream every night and loved it so much that I actually used it as my daytime moisturizer as well.  Now that warm weather is finally here I have switched to a lighter face lotion but still use this every night.  It smells fantastic, absorbs quickly, and gives my skin that coveted glow.

Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Eye Cream: To be honest, I haven't actually used an eye cream where I see visible 'results.'  I use this more as a preventative measure {they always say your eyes are extra susceptible to aging due to the delicate and thin skin that surrounds them}, but I find that it absorbs quickly and keeps them feeling moisturized.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15: I bring a tube of this amazing lip moisturizer everywhere I go.  It not only makes my lips feel great and protects them from harmful UV-rays, but it the slight wash of color is a perfect way to always make me feel put-together {when in actuality 90% of the time I go make-up free}.  My favorite color is Rose.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum: I'll be the first to admit that I did not take the best care of my skin as a teenager.  I lifeguarded for five summers and in college stupidly visited the tanning beds quite a few times {WHY?!?!?!}  I now feel like I have to make up for the damage done, and have noticed a few tiny dark spots/permanent freckles on my face.  My facialist told me that Vitamin C is a a great way to turn back the damage, and this serum definitely packs a punch.  I only started using it a few weeks ago but the reviews are fabulous, it smells great, and absorbs quickly.  So far so good!

Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment: This stuff is AMAZING!  Put it on, and within 10 minutes the mask is covered with tiny little dots of dirt and oil that it visibly extracts from your pores.  My face looks clean, clear, and polished after this mask.  Plus, it's really fun!

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask: While I would love to get a facial every few weeks, realistically it just isn't in my budget.  Instead, I plan on buying this mask which I have heard makes skin glow beyond belief!

Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40: I use this moisturizer every day.  It absorbs well but my favorite aspect is that it is all-natural and protects my skin from the sun.  However, I just found out that they discontinued this formula and have read the new formula is not nearly as good...so buy it from Makeup Alley before it's gone!

Fresh Rose Floral Toner: The facialist at The Greenbrier told me that overall I was taking good care of my skin {YAY!}, but she did recommend adding a toner to my regimen to shrink my pores.  I haven't tried this toner from Fresh yet but the reviews are amazing, it is all natural, and I love anything that smells like roses :)

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish: I was under the assumption that my Clarasonic adequately exfoliated my skin, however the facialist at The Greenbrier explained to me that the main job of the Clarasonic is to deep clean, and that by adding an exfoliator 1-2 times a week it will help with overall pore clarity.  I haven't tried this polish yet but reviews are fantastic and I will definitely be picking it up the next time I am at Sephora.

Fresh Seaberry Face Oil: I recently received a sample of this face oil and am absolutely hooked!  I made the mistake of buying no-name Organic Argan Oil from Amazon.com as I figured it was the same as the popular Josie Maran version just less expensive...however I have used it twice and broke out HORRIBLY both times!  Lesson of the story?  I will be using my Argan Oil for my body and will pickup the amazing Seaberry Oil for my face.  I guess you get what you pay for :)

Inspiration :: An "Up" Themed Anniversary Shoot

Brace yourselves...because if you're anything like me you will need a box of tissues after reading this post {only happy tears, don't you fret!}  Even though Nina and Gramps were first featured on Style Me Pretty six months ago, their "Up" themed anniversary shoot is just too sweet not to share again.  Looking through the heartwarming photos brings tears to my eyes, both because the love that Nina and Gramps share is so palpable you can almost touch it, but also because seeing the couple together makes me miss my own Grandfather.  He and my Grandmother lived their own real-life fairy tale, and I will always aspire to have a love as deep and boundless as they had for one another.

Event designer {and granddaughter of the adorable couple} Lauren Wells explains…Meet Nina & Gramps: they have been married 61 years, have never taken their rings off, remain the best of friends, and have just one picture from their wedding day – their photographer stood them up!

On a personal level, us grandkids (they are my husband’s grandparents) thought an anniversary shoot would be the perfect holiday present for them, and that they would cherish photos of the two of them. On a professional level, I thought it would make for a perfect styled shoot, so I used the movie UP as inspiration. (Gramps is always wearing a bow tie, anyways!)

Caroline from Wildfolk managed to bring the balloon colors to life in her flowers, and Nina cried when she got handed her beautiful bouquet. Working with Cambria is always a dream, and these photos are pure magic – us grandkids cannot wait to see Nina & Gramps’ faces when they open these photos on Christmas morning!

Travel :: The Greenbrier Interiors Pt. 2

As I mentioned last week, I recently visited The Greenbrier with my mom and her best friend for Mother's Day weekend.  The hotel has always had a special place in our hearts...my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there, my mom's best friend had her honeymoon there, and my mom has celebrated birthdays and anniversaries there.  It was my second time at the hotel {we went once after my college graduation}, however my mom and her friend had both been about 5-10 times each.  

Before we went to the hotel I emailed them letting them know how excited we were about our visit and told them the reason we were going {to celebrate my mom being in remission from cancer}.  I didn't expect anything, I just really wanted to let them know how special the hotel has been for our family and to ask if there were any special events going on for Mother's Day.  I had absolutely no idea how above and beyond they would go to make our experience the best yet.

We were greeted at the hotel gate by the attendant welcoming my mom {who spent the first 20 years of her life in WV} home.  Pulling up to the hotel is an experience in itself.  It’s hard not to just stand and stare mouth agape, the hotel is just that beautiful!  We were greeted with smiles and thrilled to see Frank {who has worked at the hotel for 56 years} at the door.  I cannot stress enough how AMAZING the people that work there are.  They are kind, courteous, and professional...it's clear how much they love their jobs!

From there we walked through the beautiful lobby to the front desk.  My mom was again, welcomed home, and we were given a complimentary glass of champagne.  Along with our room key we were given a handwritten note welcoming us to the hotel. We were taken up to our room by a bellman named Maynard who must have spent 30 minutes talking with us and showing us his favorite parts of the hotel.  We were thrilled to see we had been upgraded to a beautiful corner suite and even more excited to find the most gorgeous fresh flower arrangement, another handwritten card, and a big box of the Greenbrier's Chocolate Truffles with my mom's name on them!  It was absolutely amazing.

The rest of our stay was equally magical.  We indulged in facials in the gorgeous spa {my skin has never looked better!}  We spent hours upon hours wandering the massive hotel and the sprawling grounds {more on that later}.  There are seven restaurants in the property, but my absolute favorite is the original Main Dining room, which has live entertainment nightly and fantastic dishes like Lemon Thyme Roasted Free Range Chicken Breast with Rolled Truffle Angel Hair Pasta and Jumbo Lump Crab Dressed with Citrus Crème Fraiche.  And of course if you are there you MUST order the famous Greenbrier Peaches...I got them every night!