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Happy Happy New Year 2010!

The Best of Fab*Blog: A 2009 Roundup!

• Antoinette shared her fun, funky, and all out unique wedding in two posts featuring gorgeous photos from her ceremony and reception. Her and her husband Sheen are just too cute for words and Antoinette's post made us feel like we were there celebrating with them.
• In May, Allison totally got in on the American Idol mania and shared her thoughts on throwing an American Idol karaoke party. Check back with us in a week or so as we gear up for the upcoming season that starts on January 12th.
• In July, Antoinette started Fabulous Flashbacks and was inspired by the nerds, the jocks, and even Mr. Belding himself with a look at Saved by the Bell. Since then, Fab*Blog has traveled decades back in time with Flashbacks to Dirty Dancing, Where in World is Carmen Sandiego, Mary Poppins, 80's Fashion, and A Christmas Story. I have a feeling 2010 will bring more Fabulous Flashbacks!
• The whole Fab*Blog team and a few of IC's invitation designers went on a crazy scavenger hunt of modern design when we visited Ikea. We took silly pictures and showed the Scandinavian home store what creativity really looks like. 
• Brittany got us excited about Where The Wild Things Are with her adorable post and images of children's Wild Thing themed parties.
• Halloween got the whole Fab*Blog team really pumped and brought us several posts including my own vampire themed Halloween Birthday Bash and some fun photos from our office celebration.
• I really got into Wednesday Trendsday in 2009! The posts were so fun to write, and it got me in touch with what the cool kids are doing. My faves include the posts on New Moon, Glee, and Fabulous Feathers.
• This year, Antoinette gathered amazing images of inspiration from some of our favorite photographers, including Our Labor of Love, Agnes Lopez, and he & she photography for her Fab*Bride series. The series has given readers the chance to get to know and garner advice from real brides. We're all so excited to meet new Fab*Brides in 2010.
• In December, we got to know our newest blogger a little better with Kaity's holiday wish list. Just one peek and you'll see how much this girl adores the University of Florida! Allison, Brittany, Antoinette, and I also shared our holiday wish list with you!
• And finally, Brittany welcomed her boyfriend Jeff home for the holidays. Jeff is a soldier in the US Army, and he was kind enough to share some thoughts with us!

Happy New Year to our Fab*ulous readers and friends!

Turquoise in '10 | Fresh Color of the New Year

Recently, PANTONE named turquoise as the color of the year for 2010. Now, we all know that turquoise is a great tropical color and pairs perfectly with other bright colors, but I wanted to change up the pallet you would normally see turquoise in, and give you a slightly more muted color board to work with. This lighter shade of turquoise can be dressed up for an elegant look or down for a more casual feel, looks great on all skin tones, and has a way of complimenting almost any color you put it with. Above, I have found 10 items that are terrifically tasty in turquoise!

Invitations. No matter what season, turquoise is a perfect fit. Whether you are having a wedding, graduation, birthday, or engagement party, you're sure to be in style with these trendy invitations.

Apparel. Turquoise will be huge in 2010 for wedding color schemes, and Liz Fields is a great place to find the perfect shade of turquoise for bridesmaids gowns. Not getting married? Incorporate the color into your wardrobe with a cute pair of pumps or a warm cashmere wrap.

Accessories. Turquoise is an excellent accent color. So, with a couple cool pieces like this leather shoulder bag or turquoise and silver beaded necklace, you'll be totally trendy in '10.

Home Decor. Looking to bring turquoise into your home decor? This dinnerware set by Kate Spade brings a gorgeous hue into your home that is sure to delight.

No matter how you choose to use turquoise this upcoming year, it's definitely a color that will always be in style. Its cool, stylish, and refreshing tone will be sure to compliment any pallet. Best wishes for a tremendously turquoise '10!

Tweet with me @brittanica2

Image Credits:

Bridesmaid dress, Bride's pumps, Handbag, Necklace, Cashmere Wrap, Dinnerware.

Invitations:

Mayfield Aqua, Turquoise Dots, Hampton Cocoa, Engaging Pattern.

{Sherlock Holmes Style} Fashionable inspiration from the year's hottest flick!

Four of the year's most anticipated movies opened on Christmas Day. 

• It's Complicated with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin & Steve Martin made its very comical film debut
• Nine, a musical showstopper with a star-studded cast
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, with limited release, showcasing Heath Ledger's last scenes before his tragic death.  The film also stars Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell stepping in as alternating replacements for Heath's role throughout this very imaginative film.

Without further ado, the fourth and possibly most exciting release of the year was undoubtedly Sherlock Holmes. Yes, James Cameron's Avatar is getting much acclaim because of its cutting-edge CGI technology and thorough storyline, but SH captures the essence of a well-known American superhero and so many viewers were curious as to how the classic would pan out on the big screen.

The motion picture, directed by Guy Ritchie, stars Robert Downey Jr. as the famous detective, Jude Law as his witty sidekick Watson, and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, a notably seductive Sherlockian character.  There have been many interpretations of Sherlock Holmes; Ritchie chose to stylize his set with a Victorian backdrop of London.  It has been said that Ritchie steps too far away from Doyle's original novels, but in my opinion he's modernized a story, focusing much on character development and makes the movie fully action-packed.  What's most interesting to me is how Ritchie realizes Sherlock's famous minute-by-minute thought processes and then reveals to viewers in the most exciting way how the thoughts become his next action.  Love it or not, I thought it was a thoroughly entertaining film and utterly stylish.

The setting for the movie is quite filthy and industrial.  It's smoky and greasy, yet full of a modernized flair. Men stroll around London in period, eclectic suits with plaid, hats, and muted palettes.  Women, specifically Rachel McAdam's character, don Victorian garb with a bohemian flair and gorgeous jewel tones...definitely adding the pop of color that the movie so desperately needs at times.

We've compiled a few details to pay homage to Ritchie's classically modern reinterpretation:

• A Burberry Leather Wrap Watch - a stylish watch with an antique flair
• A Puff Piece - According to the New York Times, Downey Jr. is making pipes cool again (along with Hugh Hefner and Paul Kinsey of Mad Men)
• A Female Touch - Thanks to Polyvore, we were able to find impeccably stylish details: a ruffled satin shrug, open-toed ruffle pumps, formal vintage cocktail wear, and a top hat with victorian cameo goth
• A Victorian Wingchair - this one is upholstered with a luxurious fabric, but many are a soft leather with studded details; either choice can give you that old-time coziness that you're searching for. These stacked books are perfect for a library or reading nook.
• A Full Ensemble - for men; Alexander McQueen's London-inspired Fall 2009 Runway Looks show a mastery of construction and exquisite details.  Military-inspired, these ensembles are put-together and eclectic all at once.  A perfect fit for men seeking to look like they belong on Baker Street.

...And just because we love a good party, a little mystery is always a good theme.  Throw a dinner party inspired by Sherlock Holmes with dingy details and antiqued elegance; it could make the perfect tablescape.  Gather a large group together, create a faux mystery that must be solved, and have your attendants compete whodunit style.

Thanks for reading!  Make sure you see the latest installment of Sherlock Holmes.  I hope I didn't spoil it too much...and get excited!  There will be sequel ;)

Christmas Card of the Day

Woof Holiday

I'll Be Home for Christmas | A Soldier Story

As you know, we at Fab*Blog love writing about new trends in wedding, party planning, and design, but we also love to take time to update our readers on the big events and milestones that are happening in each of our lives. And today, I have a big event to tell you about!

The holidays are perfect for spending quality time with our loved ones, but for lots of military families out there, they may not be able to get that time together. If you've read my past posts, you may have noticed that I mention my boyfriend, Jeff every so often. What you may not know is that he is a soldier in the U.S. Army. And although I can't stand being away from him, I am so proud of him and greatly appreciate everything that he and all of our service members are doing every day to keep our country safe. It is during this holiday season that I have found it a perfect place to write a little bit about someone who means so much to me.

This past November, Jeff joined the Army and was quickly sent to WTC (Warrior Transition Course) in Oklahoma. Since he was prior-service, serving in the Navy from 1996 - 2000, he was sent through this accelerated training course in preparation for Infantry training, which will begin in January. Throughout this short (but seemingly impossibly long, in my view) time away from him, the Fab*Blog Team, and staff of IC has been so supportive of him and played a huge role in helping me (the never-been-in-a-long-distance-relationship chick) get through the past 6 weeks.

The photo above was taken last week, when Jeff arrived home from Oklahoma. As I waited in the airport, I watched some of the other military families in their anticipation for their loved ones' return. I even got teary-eyed as I saw a couple of 3-yr olds jumping and waving tiny American flags. I had been keeping in touch with Jeff through letters, texts, and phone calls, but for someone that has never had to spend any amount of time away from a significant other, being apart was almost painful. This feeling, in addition to thoughts of him being even further away for longer periods of time is tremendously scary. It is for this reason, plus many others, that I am so happy to see him and spend time with him. Luckily, that moment was perfectly captured when we ran into one another's arms in the middle of the de-boarding passengers from his flight.

So, would you like to hear from Jeff? I asked him... "How has your life changed since you joined the Army?" Jeff: "Well, a lot of things have changed since I re-entered military service, so I'll shed some light on a few of the big changes and then some small ones."

Christmas Card of the Day

Retro Holiday Blossoms

Merry Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays from Fab*Blog!

 
2009 has been such a special year for Fab*Blog. We've added three new members (Antoinette, Brittany, & Kaity), and have been so joyful to share celebration ideas with you. As I write this, teary-eyed, I just want to express to you how grateful we all are for our readers, our friends in the blog world, our customers, and our team at Invitation Consultants. You keep us going, keep us joyful, and keep us fab*ulous. Because some of you may be wrapping up in anticipation of this weekend, we want to say have the sweetest of holidays and best wishes to you and yours. Brittany will be back tomorrow with a very touching post, so drop by then, and then next week as we start preparing for the New Year!

Love and Peace,
(from left to right) Antoinette, Reilly, Kaity, Brittany, and Allison (not pictured)

Christmas Card of the Day

Jolly Reindeer Faces