Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Blog Love


Hi friends,

Both Kriste and I love to follow blogs.  They inspire us, they are a welcome distraction, and they serve as a great way of building community as well.  I (Andrea) wanted to take a few minutes to share with you some of my favorite blogs that I follow regularly and why you should check them out!

Food:

The Pioneer Woman - Her recipes and her spirit make you feel right at home .  I own one of her cookbooks and can't get enough of it.  She is totally a homeschool mom but she is wonder-woman, and you gotta love her for it.  My favorite recipe is her restaurant-style salsa - I make it all the time!

Seemingly Greek - like me, this American girl loves Greek food.  She lives on the Greek island of Lesvos and does a fantastic job of teaching Greek recipes because she has lived the culture for so long.  If you haven't cooked Greek food you've got to try it.

Strawberries & Tea - my friend Lacey from college started this blog and it focuses on "living healthy in a processed world".  Her recipes and guilt-free, and she inspires me to be more thoughtful about my choices.

Family Fresh Cooking - Marla has really creative food ideas - they are pretty out there, but I love her take on family meals.  Even with a family of two, it's relevant.  I highly recommend her recipe for chicken with coconut lime peanut sauce.

Interior Design:

Design*Sponge - This website is incredible.  You will find all aspects of design featured, and a collaboration of writers.  People have called it "Martha Stewart for Millenials" - couldn't have said it better myself.  Check out the home tours, they are my favorite.

Birch + Bird Vintage Home Interiors - Founded on the principles of simple living, thrifting, and design, this female team of bloggers is a breath of fresh air.  Their style has inspired my home more than anything.


Fashion:

*Valentine* - This French girl is my favorite person I've never met.  Her European style is cute, eclectic, and ladylike.  And she rocks bangs!

Fancy Treehouse - Coury is the queen of vintage and you will fall in love with her dog and her Nashville life.  She finds vintage clothes and sells them right from her page - genius. 

Kendi Everyday - Kendi is the ultimate girl-next-door and she is a bargain shopper.  She just recently fulfilled her dream of opening a boutique in Texas and her photographer husband takes all of her photos.  She is hilarious and you will feel like you know her within a few posts.

The Clothes Horse - Rebecca went to my college as well.  I have followed her blog faithfully for years and although her style is quite different from mine, I find that it challenges me.  She features art, poetry, and even movie reviews as well as her outfit posts.  She is an "old soul" and just lovely.

Atlantic-Pacific - Oh Blair.  This girl's style feels almost out-of-reach due to her fabulous NYC lifestyle and seemingly endless wardrobe budget.  But she still serves as an inspiration.  She does a great job with making 50's and 60's style fresh and ALWAYS looks fabulous.  I personally believe this can be done on a budget as well so I steal a lot of her ideas and make them affordable.

Sincerely Jules  - A california stylist with an eye for the unexpected.  I've gotten a lot of great ideas from here, including my Warby Parker glasses.  She dresses in a way that looks casual and effortless.

There are so many more but there are a few of my favorites for starters!  I haven't even gotten to wedding blogs yet... 

You can follow blogs like these easily from your phone with the free app "Pulse", which Kriste recently introduced me to.  It's great to be able to browse them easily over my lunch hour for some light reading.  

So tell me... what are some of your favorites?

Happy blogging, ladies! 





Saturday, April 20, 2013

One Good Morning

Hiiiii.

Andrea here, still glowing from a day full of glorified errands.  My mother and I "left no store unturned" in the Harrisburg area as we began gathering details for my sister's upcoming bridal shower.  Can't wait to show you pictures of the event when the time comes. 

One of the highlights of the day was our stop into my mom's favorite coffee and tea shop, One Good Woman.  Nestled on Market Street in Camp Hill, this cozy store contains all the specialty coffee and loose leaf tea that your little heart could desire.  Owner Holly O'Connor started the business by selling gourmet coffee out of the back of her Jeep in 1996.  Years later she seems all the more passionate about quality tea and coffee, evident from the way she warmly greeted us when we entered and left us with a piece of wisdom: "Never store tea and coffee together in your kitchen, ladies".   At One Good Woman you can find thoughtful gifts, kitchen gadgets, and a wall of tea worth writing home about.  Looking for a cute little teapot?  Search no further - they have a great selection.  I walked away with a freshly ground bag of Rainforest Caramel Crunch coffee.  See a few photos from our venture..

Tablefulls of coffee

Loved the honeybee kitchenware.


Wine flavored tea? How original!






Outfit of the day:  Headband - H&M, $5  Glasses - UO, $7 Sweater - TJ Maxx, $16  Jeans - Forever 21, $26  Shoes - DSW $52

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Hanging on the Clothesvine

Hello Lovelies!
What a wonderful weekend it has been. After a long week of work I (Kriste) was so grateful for some fun shopping with some of my favorite ladies on Saturday. 
Our wanderings brought us into Carlisle where we stopped to look for a dress for one of my bridesmaids. Upon entering the Clothesvine , I was immediately swept away by it's delightful charm. From the extremely sweet and helpful store staff to the beautiful colors and textures of product throughout the store, the Clothesvine brought my weary soul to a place of immediate solace. My absolute favorite part was the creativity in each of their displays. It is so evident that no shelf, hanger, table goes without special thought. 
I found the clothing to be trendy with a vintage flair. I could easily picture some of the pieces in an Anthropologie or Madewell catalog. While a regular price dress or sweater may run you $60-$80, there is a special treat in the back room where most clothes have been discounted at 50%! Which for the quality of each unique piece, we definitely spotted some steals! Whether you're sticking to the budget and want to check out the sale or are in search of a special occasion piece, I would encourage you all to go and check out the Clothesvine! It is definitely on my list of favorite local boutiques!
I'll let you all drink in some of the wonder for yourselves. 



Looked up and found this glory hovering over the dressing room 
Sweet wee little chair in the dressing room- perfect for a purse or coat rest
Gorgeous repurpose- old ladder turned into belt rest. 
One of my favorite parts of small boutiques are treasures like this. Small pooches to bring some smiles to  your face while you roam. Our friend had a special connection with this little guy! 

Sale room! (our favorite :) ) 

Another wonderful idea- screen door made earring display
How gorgeous is this little tree created to nest necklaces and bracelets?? 




 Overall, it was a very successful day! We found a dress for my bridesmaid and I was able to find a couple of sweet pieces for my own closet! Be sure to check out the Clothesvine on Facebook and stop in yourselves!




Top: Clothesvine $40, Shoes: Minnetonka (botton details added by me) from Marshalls $29, Jeans: Adriano Goldsmied $20 from Gabriel Brothers, Sunglasses $5 Five Below, Necklace (see below): $14 the Clothesvine. 








Thursday, April 11, 2013

Mixing Patterns

Hey friends,

I am seeing more and more print mixing on the fashion blogs these days and I am eating it up. A big trend this year has been mixing stripes and florals, leopard print and either stripes/florals, plaid and polka-dot...really the sky is the limit!

Have to admit, I get a little weird about having to match. For some reason I have always wanted everything I have on to really "go together" - but it gets a little boring, hey?

Mixing patterns (and textures) is a little daring and it's not foolproof. Best way to learn how is with a little inspiration via pinterest! Follow us on Instagram @sherwoodhollow and show us your attempt!











Spring Sunshine Never Felt so Good

Hello, dear ones! I hope this note finds you all enjoying a wonderful spring day like the one we are having here! I (Kriste) got to spend most of the day roaming the cobble stone downtown, soaking in the warm sun and cool, spring breezes. 

Two things to share with you today. Two things that make one of the best combinations in my only humble opinion. First thing, letter writing. There's just something about spring that makes me want to venture outside, find a quiet spot and put pen to paper. The urge swelled up inside me earlier this week when I stumbled upon cards published by Black Olive Studio on Pinterest. Possibly some of the sweetest, charming pieces of goodness I've ever seen! I was unable to find a retailer here in the US, but images alone were too lovely not to share. 






Just the images alone filled my soul with spring goodness! A lot of stores in the US carry very similar products like Anthropologie and The Paper Source. So go find a store and get lost in the wonder of paper for a few hours!

The second part to this combo is music. Words fail to describe the beauty that fresh notes can bring to a spring day! Recently, I've been loving The Oh Hellos. Sometimes you just can't get enough of something- and this sibling duo from Texas fits that bill. Crisp, fresh, rhythms and harmonies will keep your foot tapping and soul singing throughout the day. Give them a listen and see what I mean! 









Sunday, April 7, 2013

Spring is for Leather

Good evening lovlies.

Wanted to take a moment to share one of my favorite spring trends with you.  This is a secret I learned from living in Europe (specifically Greece) for two years.  There are two magical items that every person, guy or girl should have in their closet:
aviator sunglasses and a leather jacket.

Europeans are hopelessly fashionable, although they do have their quirks like over-bedazzling sweatpants.  Europeans have less clothes than the average American.  They buy fewer items but they buy smart.  Every Greek guy and every greek girl seems to have the same uniform come springtime, the timeless aviator and sunglasses combination.   And it does wonders.

You can have the worst hair day, leave your makeup off and put this on - good to go.  You will look like a movie star without trying too hard (or looking like you did).  Just make sure the leather jacket is fitted, black or tan or deep red look best.  You will find a leather jacket can be worn indoors, over sundresses, with jeans, in winter with a scarf - it is one of the best items you can have in your wardrobe.  I found mine at Target for $40 (they are hard to find cheaper than that unless you experience a thrift store miracle) and it has become a "wardrobe MVP".   For guys, I recommend Urban Outfitters, and I'm a big fan of those with hoods, like the one I picked out for my husband Paul.   Aviators are all over the place - you should never have to spend more than 10 bucks for a pair.  The ray ban style works too.



Here is my attempt, and my husband's version (he's still mad I made him pose)



Jacket: Target $40, Glasses: Target $10, Blouse: Forever21 $18, Shoes: Charlotte Russe $15