St. Lucia, Part One - The Beach

Holly Darling July 31, 2012

I originally told myself that I would limit myself to only two honeymoon posts. But, do you know how hard it is to narrow down 300+ pictures into two short posts? Ridiculously hard. It was hurting my brain trying.

So I’m not gonna even bother trying to narrow it down. For my own sanity. Instead, the rest of this week is dedicated to honeymoon photos, if you don’t mind. If you do, well, you should probably just step away and come back next week. Just sayin’.

First up, post 1/4 - the beach.

The beach! My favorite part! We spent 3 whole days relaxing, snorkeling, and eating delicious island tacos and sipping pina coladas on the most beautiful beach situated between the two Pitons. We kept wanting to go back. So we did. And I’m still daydreaming about that view.

Re-Wear

Holly Darling July 27, 2012

See that giant bow in my hair? That was my wedding bow. And I’m already re-wearing it. I mean, why not? I love it so much, I don’t want it to sit in a drawer somewhere just because I happened to wear it for my wedding. I plan on wearing it all.the.time. Same goes for my shoes - I’m sure you’ll be seeing them around here soon enough. And if I had any other occasion to wear a giant poufy white dress, I would re-wear that too.

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tank: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Buffalo Exchange

pants: Gap

leaf necklace: c/o Tyler Stained Glass Creations

ring: Museum of Natural History gift shop

hair bow: handmade

heels: Blowfish Shoes (won in a giveaway)

Inspiration and Motivation

Holly Darling July 26, 2012

Woah, an outfit post! It’s been a while, huh? Like I said last week, I seem to be having trouble getting back into the groove of things. After three weeks of not worrying about outfit shoots and blog posts, I’m finding it hard to get back into my routine. But I guess daydreaming about being back on the beach in St. Lucia doesn’t help that much. Siiiiiigh.

Anyway, one good thing about being away from this so long is that I’m finding I have a fresh new batch of inspiration. A whole bunch of new outfit ideas, post ideas, and shop ideas are floating around in my head. So, I have the inspiration, I just need to find the motivation to get to work. So yeah, there’s that.

shirt: Urban Outfitters, thrifted

skirt: American apparel

hat: Forever21

clutch: Coach

shoes: thrifted

5 Minute DIY Hair Clips

Holly Darling July 25, 2012

When I was putting together my rehearsal outfit, something felt like it was missing. I needed a little color. And I didn’t really own what I was looking for. So I whipped up these little hair accessories in, literally, under 5 minutes. I did end up wearing them for my rehearsal. And one of my bridesmaids loved them so much, she ended up stealing them and sticking them in her hair for the wedding the next day!

It’s actually pretty self explanitory, but here’s how I did it…..

What you need:

felt

heart template

bobby pins

needle and thread or glue

1. Use your little heart template ( just cut one out of spare paper or cardboard) to cut out your felt heart. Also cut out a small rectangular piece that will fit across the heart.

2. Slip the rectangle in between your bobby pin. place your rectangle/bobby pin on the back of your heart, and stitch or glue it down. Make sure to only attach along the longer edges of the rectangle, so you can still slide the bobby pin out. That way you can turn the bobby pin around and wear it on either side of your head without the heart being upside down. Does that make sense?

3. Stick em in your hair. Thats it! See, that didn’t take long.

A Magical Rehearsal Night

Holly Darling July 24, 2012

Today, I’m going alllll the way back to friday the 6th. The day of our rehearsal.

We went with a casual, laid back rehearsal dinner, held down by the pond on the farm. I actually had no involvement in this dinner, so imagine my surprise when I showed up and it was the absolute cutest Harry Potter/library themed party! It was absolutely perfect for us! Boo’s sister and mom did the most amazing job putting everything together. I was in complete awe the entire night at the attention to detail and work that went into it.

It was a gorgeous night. There were lights around the pond, s’mores cups, popcorn, and lots of Harry Potters walking around. Absolutely perfect.

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my dress: H&M

shoes: TOMS

Insta-Wedding

Holly Darling July 23, 2012

I’m baaaaaaaack!

Whew, what a whirlwind. It’s been a crazy and exciting few weeks. Everything was perfect - from the wedding to the honeymoon, and I have loads to share with you. But, the thing is, we won’t have our wedding photos back for at least another 4 weeks or so. So, thanks to the power that is Instagram and some crazy instagram-ing friends, I have a little sneak peek here to tide you over.

In the meantime, I’m busy editing the 500 some photos from both the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon. So look out for those soon. I’ll also be (hopefully) getting back into regular scheduled posting. It’s been 4 weeks since I’ve taken any full outfit photos, and it feels really weird!

So please forgive me, and be patient with me, while I try to gather myself and get back into the groove of things. It’s good to be back!

P.S - thank you SO MUCH to all the wonderful ladies who filled in for me and guest posted. Everything looked amazing, so thank you!

P.P.S - all of the above photos were either taken by my friends Amanda and Allison, or my Boo. They’re all pretty cool people.

Guest Post: Jennifer of If I Must Say So

Holly Darling July 19, 2012

Hey Everyone! While I’m away getting hitched and enjoying our honeymoon, I’ve asked a few friends to step in for me and keep HollyDolly alive and running.

Today we have Jennifer from If I Must Say So. She is here to share with you an outfit that reminds her of her own honeymoon - in Australia!

Hi, Holly Dolly readers! Jennifer of If I Must Say So here. I’m delighted to be back sharing a honeymoon-inspired outfit post while Holly and her beau are off celebrating their brand new marriage in St. Lucia!

My husband and I married here in Austin, Texas, back in October and we went all the way to Australia and New Zealand for our honeymoon. It was such a long trip, but we loved every ounce of it. And the shopping in Sydney wasn’t so bad either!

Sydney was our last stop before heading back to the U.S. and I knew I wanted to bring home a memento from our stay there. And that’s where I fell in love with the Melbourne-based brand Gorman. And this skirt! I’m crazy about the length, the colors, the sheer fabric, and the plush velvet pattern. Every time I wear it I think of bustling Sydney and our crazy little Australian adventure.

tank top: Gap

skirt: Gorman

shoes: Thrifted

bag: Thrifted

necklace: Madewell

hair pin: ban.do

Thanks for having me, Holly! I can’t wait to read about your trip!

DIY Passport Cover

Holly Darling July 18, 2012

I made my passport pretty, and here’s how……

1. Cut out two 12x6.5” rectangles. One in your outer fabric, and one in lining fabric.

2. With right sides together, sew a 1/2” seam around entire edge, leaving a small opening so you can turn right side out.

3. trim corners and seam allowance.

4. Turn right side out through opening. Press.

5. Using an invisible slip stitch, hand sew the opening closed.

6. Fold front end inward aprox. 1 1/4” and pin. Fold back end in aprox. 2 3/4” in and pin.

7. Stitch down (you can machine stitch if you want - just stay as close to the edge as possible. I chose to hand sew with slipstitch on the very edge, catching only the lining. It’s practically invisible).

8. Slip in your passport, and voila! You can travel in style now :)

Guest Post: Megan of Feathers and Freckles

Holly Darling July 16, 2012

Hey Everyone! While I’m away getting hitched and enjoying our honeymoon, I’ve asked a few friends to step in for me and keep HollyDolly alive and running.

Today we have Megan from Feathers and Freckles (who just recently got married, herself! Congrats Megan!), and I’ve asked her to share a vacation outfit with you all. So make her feel welcome!

Hi there! I’m Megan from Feathers & Freckles and I’m so happy to be posting for Holly while she’s off enjoying her wedding and honeymoon.

I absolutely love traveling but hate packing. I always end up with 9 pairs of heels that I don’t even wear but forget my toothbrush or underwear.

For summer trips that include lots of beach time, I like to pack lightly (as a pale redhead, ‘beach time’ means hiding under an umbrella and somehow still getting sunburned). I try to wear items that are easy, colorful and can take me anywhere from the sand, to a restaurant, to browsing the souvenir shops… because I’m one of those annoying people that must buy magnets and postcards for everyone I’ve ever met.

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Target romper, hat, and sandals, Fossil bag (similar), Handmade necklace & hairpin

St. Lucia Bound

Holly Darling July 13, 2012

And we’re off! We’re heading to St. Lucia for a week of relaxing and exploring. Heres a few things I’m packing, and a few outfits I’m thinking about wearing…

One dress, Two ways - from excursion to beach…

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