Friday Fancies::Summer Concert

Happy Happy Friday!!!

I am especially excited that it's the weekend because my best of best friends is in town this weekend!  We met our first week of college in the dorms and have been best friends ever since!  One of her good friends from San Diego is getting married in Tahoe tonight and then we'll spend time boating on the lake and listening to the Steve Miller concert Saturday night!

Summer Concert by schuelove featuring a sheer shawl

We're not actually attending the concert, but instead setting up a picnic and listening from the golf course next door!  Can't wait!  :)

I thought I'd dream up this little ditty for the concert...Friday Fancy style!

First, I am in love with this coral colored maxi skirt..it's only $625...no biggie right?   It all balances out with this adorable mint colored tank...knot included.  Love that trend right now.

The Joie gladiators and Prada bag are definitely staples with this outfit...gotta tread the greens lightly!  A light scarf will keep me warm, should I need it.

Last, I am loving the blue earrings and rings...also the gold bracelets.  Great accessories always make an outfit...don't you think?

Do you have any fun plans this weekend?

xo natasha

Our Wedding Details

Our two year anniversary is a little over two weeks away and each Thursday I've been sharing a little more about our wedding.  If you're just now tuning in, you can find my first two posts here and here!

Last week, I promised that I would share the details from our wedding.  It's posts like these, that I wish I had some photos shop skills...but alas, you'll have to bear with me!  :)

We got married in South Lake Tahoe at Edgewood Golf Course...on the lake!  It's beautiful, rustic and very open to the lake.  I found a spread in a magazine that was "rustic-organic-chic" and I knew that I wanted our wedding to include all three elements, plus a dash of elegance.  

We used willow branches for the center pieces with hanging crystal and candles.  

Lots of succulents were used throughout the day...in the centerpieces, on the cake, at the place settings...I just love them!

We also used navy blue to tie the lake in.

 Our escort cards were pretty traditional, but we included photos of loved ones that weren't able to be there with us and one of my grandparents on their wedding day, 61 years ago!

For my bouquet...I really wanted to avoid traditional flowers...so we pulled in peonies, gardenia, garden roses {there is a difference!}, and freesia.  I loved how natural and organic it looked...not too formal!

For favors, we did mini chocolate cupcakes, which was a nice transition from our lemon buttercream wedding cake.

Next week...I'll showcase my bridal details and some couple shots...here's a sneak peak:

Until then...Happy Thursday!

xo natasha

Craving New Calling Cards?!

WELL...I am very excited to announce that today is your lucky today!

A couple weeks ago, I debuted my new calling cards here!  

I received such great feedback from all of you that Pam from pixelimpress offered to give all my readers a 25% discount off your very own purchase!!! 

She's got plenty of looks and styles to fit any of your needs...here are just a few to consider:

Her designs come in all colors and font types...amazing!

Already have calling cards or want something else?  The pixelimpress shop also has adorable notecards, bookmarks, and gift tags galore.

Definitely check out her Etsy shop here.

Receive 25% off any item in her shop by entering the coupon "schuelove"

Offer is good now through August 5th!

I've already received tons of great feedback on my cards...so happy to offer you an incentive to carry around your own now too!

xo natasha

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

I am really enjoying baking with fresh berries right now...with the farmer's markets in full effect and the summer flying by...there's no better time to enjoy!  I saw this recipe a couple weeks ago and have had it bookmarked for a lazy Sunday morning.  The idea of creamy yogurt and bananas mixed with blueberries sounded absolutely dreamy!

And trust me, this turned our dense, moist, and ultra flavorful...definitely worth making!  I might recommend adding some lemon zest if you give it a try.

Recipe from Daily Garnish:

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Start by combining flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork until they are gooey and liquid-like.  Add eggs, sugars, and vanilla.  Add a dollop of Greek yogurt, about 1/2 cup.  Whisk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.  At this point, fold in the fresh (or frozen) blueberries!  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and distribute evenly.

Pop into the oven and bake for one hour, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.   Transfer to a cooling rack and (try to) let the bread cool for at least ten minutes before slicing.

 I topped mine with blackberry jam...YUM!

Hope you enjoy!  Bon Appetit!

xo natasha

Linked to: Tasty Tuesdays

SF Blogger Meet Up!

What I really should have titled this post is: "Becoming Besties with my Bloggy Besties"!  Does that even make sense?  I don't know!  But really...it's a funny thing...meeting up with perfect "strangers" right?  That's what our spouses and friends may say, but I can tell you right now...meeting these girls...specifically Courtney, Michaela, and Michelle, was everything I could have hoped for and more!  We all instantly connected and had a BLAST hanging out!

 Tori {An Apple a Day and Michelle's sis!}, Michelle, Courtney and me

 We got to test out Michaela's new wheels!

First, a special thank you to Cristin at Simplified Bee {a Tahoe native...love!} and Malka Closet Innovations for hosting this event and making it happen!  It got to meet a lot of new and fabulous friends which was great...you better believe those calling cards were out in full effect!  :)

 Michelle and Courtney {Courtney Out Loud}

 Michelle, Erica {Moth Design} and Courtney

 I won the giveaway...I've had some great luck lately, huh?  Currently being held hostage in Michaela's trunk...oops!  :)

Truly love this girls...what a fabulous way to spend a Thursday!!
Thanks to Michaela for sharing her pictures with me!  :)

Hubs and I had to jet back to Tahoe Friday morning!  We had a busy weekend...saw "Midnight in Paris" Friday night, golfed Edgewood on Saturday and gardened on Sunday.  OH and I joined Twitter...find me here!

How was your weekend?

xo natasha

Tweet Tweet

{via}

I did it!  I finally joined Twitter...and I have NO idea what I'm doing!  Any tips??  Let me know!

And you can find me here!

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday!

xo natasha

Friday Fancies::Day to Night

Happy Friday Friends!

Sorry for the late post today, but as a lot of you know, I was in San Francisco yesterday meeting a lot of fabulous bloggers!!!  I had a ton of fun and plan to recap on Monday {after I can steal some pictures!}.  For a sneak peak, visit Michaela's blog here.

Day to Night by schuelove featuring flat shoes

Anyway!  I am excited Friday is already here again because that means I get to link up with {av} from Long Distance Loving and show you what I'm fancying!  I thought I would switch it up and show off this lovely Madewell dress by styling it two different ways today.

We all have items in our closet that we might figure can only be worn to work or out at night...or only weekends.  But I am a firm believer that any piece can be versatile for the right occasion.  I love this Madewell dress because there are a TON of ways to wear it!

My day look includes a jean jacket by H&M, strappy flat sandals and some fun turquoise accents.  I love mixing and matching patterns too...which is why this ikat tote make a fun addition to this outfit.

For night, I threw on a chunky belt, switched the flats out for these fab Valentino heels and "fancified" the jewelry.  In keeping with the turqoiuse theme from earlier in the day, I thought this YSL clutch was the perfect touch.

So tell me...do you wear certain pieces multiple ways?  Do you find it adds longevity to your wardrobe?  I know I do!

Have a great weekend!

xo natasha

Wedding Festivities Galore!

In continuing with my Thursday wedding posts leading up to August 14th...I thought I'd share some of the fun parties that were thrown for us before the big day.  

First things first, I'm sharing the little bridesmaid invitations I put together for my girls.  I mailed these out when I asked them to be in the wedding.

I got them fun books on what to prepare for.  Each of the bouquets had a personal message written inside about how special they were to me.  It was so fun to get the phone calls when the girls received these in the mail.  Here's a close up of the little poem I wrote:

My childhood friend and mom threw us a beautiful engagement party down in Newport Beach...of course, you know the drill with me, I am TOTALLY kicking myself for not taking more pictures.  But her mom's backyard is stunning...like something out of Homes & Garden magazine...and there were three areas set up...one for Newport, one for Tahoe, and one for San Luis Obispo {where we met!}...all with coordinating drinks and food.  It was awesome.  Here is the backyard during the day...stunning:

Here's a shot of us from that night:

My maid of honor threw me the perfect Bridal Shower for the moms and daughters down in Newport as well.  It was a luncheon at the yacht club and super chic and elegant.  You can't see it, but this is right on the water and really "the place" to get married in Newport.  Super fun!  :)

We also had a tea in San Francisco for my friends and family up north.  It was a teat at the Ritz and was truly fabulous!

Since Hubs and I met during college, most of our wedding party were already close friends, so we decided to have a joint bachelor/bachelorette party in Scottsdale.  It was a great opportunity to bond before the wedding and spend time together.

The first night, we all went to a cowboy bar...ate good grub and line danced all night!

The second night, the boys and girls went their own ways! 

I had to wear a shirt full of dares...oh boy!

Needless to say...it was a lot of fun!

To round out this post {have you had enough already?!}, I thought I would share some pictures from our rehearsal dinner.  It was held at my in-laws beautiful home...and it was very sentimental as it was the house my husband grew up in.  It was great to have our family and wedding party there the night before the wedding.

My dad and MOH.

Pretty centerpieces.

And we're ready!

Next Thursday...I'm planning to highlight the details from the big day!

Did you have any fun parties leading up to the big day?!

Speaking of parties...catch me over at Naptime is the New Happy Hour, where I'm dishing on the perfect outfit to wear to a kid's birthday party!  Lots of fun...don't miss it!  :)

xo natasha