mason jar mania

Whether acting as candle holders hung suspended from a lush tree, quirky table centerpieces, flower pots, or just as a drinking glass, mason jars are perhaps the item that best encompasses all things DIY.  This multi-purpose jar instantly makes the product handmade and crafty—no matter if you just pulled them out of an attic and threw sand and sea glass in them.  They exude casual and almost beg for you to know just how unplanned and organic an event is.

I'm not making fun—I honestly love the backyard patio-party/summer lemonade feel that I associate with these containers.  I feel I need to find some stash with an abundance of the jars in order to try every craft I've seen with them...

Enjoy some of my favorite incorporations of the mason jar into everyday life and events. Some of these were taken at Beau Jo's Colorado style pizza, which serves their drinks in a mason jar.  The rest can be found on StyleMePretty—an extremely fun and organized way to get wedding inspiration.

the golden age

Like Gil in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris", I believe the Golden Age was none other than the 1920s:

"Imagine this town in the 20s. Paris in the 20s, in the rain. The artists and writers!"

I feel as if there are a lot of girls recently that claim they like the 20s fashion, actresses, etc. but I would like to take a perhaps overly possessive and intensely hipster statement and say that I own the 20s.  In my freshman year of high school, I purchased a gray cloche (see type of hat above) and spent years trying to find an excuse to wear it.  With my large curls and love for all things antique I thought it was the perfect fashion accessory for me—until there were mass productions of them being made at Wal-Mart.

I have since embraced the surge of popularity in swing dancing, big band music, and Marylin Monroe posters in college dorm rooms because I do not own the 20s any more than I know who will be playing in the 2012 Super Bowl.  And the type of class, beauty, art, and fashion that resulted from that era deserves to be celebrated on both large and small scales.

So DePaul's 'Old Hollywood' themed homecoming last weekend was the perfect excuse to break out my pearl headband, ruffled dress, and—yes—the cloche.

The last photograph is one featured in Once Wed as one of the best 20s-inspired weddings I've seen.  For more of this beautiful bride's photographs by Josh Goleman, click here.