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Beautifully Rustic Virginia Farm Wedding {+ a CB dress legacy!}

You may remember from this post {about Kim + Phil's magical engagement in Paris} that I got to know Kim awhile ago when I was selling my wedding day attire. She was the lucky girl who "inherited" my beloved ensemble and I'm so thrilled and excited today to share her glorious wedding day with you! I have to say, it's  surreal yet emotional and touching to see my former wedding dress featured in the beginning of a new love story, befitting a fresh, beautiful, glowing bride ... it takes me back to remembering the overwhelming feelings of love on my own wedding day. :o) Warm fuzzies.

From Kim, on the dress legacy ;o) : I can't even tell you how much I loved wearing *our* dress. I felt like an absolute princess. Thank you for selling it to me, and to your mom for making the bolero. I love both pieces so much. It was the star of the show. :-)


Says Kim, "When we first started planning we talked about what we hoped for our wedding. We wanted it to be beautiful, but not extravagant. Spiritual, but not stuffy. It was the perfect day--an afternoon tea at an amazing farm!


It was rustic but romantic. We had lawn games and lots of types of iced tea. Instead of renting plates or napkins, we collected mismatched china dishes and vintage handkerchiefs.


The most special pieces of the wedding were the touches of our family and friends. So many people were willing to help us with the wedding -- from building and decorating the arch we were married under, to playing instruments for our first dance, to baking our wedding cake, to crafting our ring box. We treasured the experience of being so surrounded by love. 


My favorite part of the wedding day was sneaking off with Phil to take a few photos during the reception. It was such a nice way to breathe deep and slow down in the middle of it all!



We had so much fun at our wedding. In part it was because we had terrific vendors and family and friends who took care of everything for us. We also, though, were intentional about not worrying on our wedding day! Things went wrong (of course) but it was even better than anything we could have imagined. We spent the day giggling, kissing, dancing, and feeling so so loved. What could be better than that?


Thank you so much for sharing your radiant day with us, Kim! Congratulations and may you share endlessly happy days together! xox.

Credits: Ceremony & Reception at Grandale Farm in Purcellville, VA. / Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade / Photographer: Cramer Photo / Wedding Coordinator: Blue Canary Events / Stationary: Papered Together
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Braderie de Lille {+ a little escape to the French & Belgian coast}


Entry No. 12: Braderie de Lille // French + Belgian Coast


I am back, relaxed and rested from a whirlwind weekend that was Braderie de Lille in northern France. I really wish I would have taken more photos to share but we were so engrossed with shopping that I sadly neglected my little Nikon for most of the weekend. I snapped the shot above because I was toying with the idea of buying that old window casing from a French building ... I would have loved to have turned it into a mirror or a chalkboard - wouldn't that be fun? It would be beautiful holding a Menu sign at a wedding or any event, non? For some very stupid reason, I didn't even inquire about it and am now having a case of minor regret.


One of my favorite parts of the weekend was the glorious food ... I shared a freshly-steamed pot of mussels at every single meal and was in heaven with a Stella on the side. Perfection! It was the first time I had ever tried mussels and I can honestly say I am now happily addicted! The photo above is from a little seaside cafe we discovered on our way out of town in De Panne, Belgium ... the mussels were cooked in a curry sauce and omg, best.meal.ever! The Sangria was a fantastic touch, too. ;o) Warmed us right up from the coastal chill!


We heard that all the restaurants in Lille compete for the highest stack of mussel shells during the weekend festivities ... We probably added a pound of shells to that stack pictured above!


We were so close to the coast, we couldn't resist a trip to Dunkerque, France and De Panne, Belgium ... just to say we've visited the North Sea if nothing else. It was refreshing to see the sea again ... I've missed it. And that sweet little lamb greeted us on the way out of town. We were stopping at a local grocery to load up on yummy Belgian beers and he came over to greet us with a song of 'Bleeehs' ... I wanted to take him home with me! Look at that sweet face!

Okay, so you're probably wondering what treasures I ended up getting at Lille? Unfortunately, I didn't buy all that much as I just didn't see what I was looking for. I did buy two awesome bottles {one dreamy aqua-coloured seltzer bottle and an old Sirop bottle from Paris} ... a few vintage candy tins ... a pair of Paris-stamped opera glasses .. an Italian alabaster lamp {which I've been looking for forever!} ... and my favorite piece ... what I *think* is the footboard to an antique twin bed:


You may be wondering why on Earth would I buy such a random piece? Well, I have big plans! I want to hang this beauty above our antique cast-iron bed {like a pediment} and drape some gorgeous material underneath to create a canopy effect. I think when I'm done, it will look fabulous!

And I just had to share this amazing French street sign I picked up a few weeks ago at another French flea market ... and my favorite part? It's from Paris ... I finally have an 'authentic' souvenir from the streets of Paris ... literally!! ;o) I love the rust, too ...


What is your favorite flea market find so far? Do share!!

Braderie de Lille Ratings
Size ............................................ A+
The fair is said to boast almost 9,000 vendors and around 100km of stalls.
Not too shabby. Definitely enough turf to fill a weekend of shopping.
It certainly did for us!
Selection of antiques ...................... B
98% of what we saw certainly wouldn't be found in a museum or castle ...
which doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad selection but having been to a handful
of French flea markets, this one was and is my least favorite.
Fairness of pricing ....................... C
I really think the Braderie de Lille has become such a huge event
that it has succumbed to being a tourist trap ... which unfortuntely means
ridiculous prices. I actually had a hard time not scoffing and/or laughing
when I heard some of the prices {and I flea market almost every weekend in
Europe so I'm definitely in the know on the going rates}.
Friendliness of vendors ................ B
Like all flea markets, there was a mixture of moods and dispositions.
There were a few snooty vendors but there were also some very sweet vendors
we enjoyed buying from and even joked around a bit ... the laughter and smiles
outshined the negative.
Entertainment value ...................... A++
One of our favorite things to do at Lille was enjoy a bucket of mussels and Stella
while watching all the goings-on ... people watching was premium
here. So many different styles and backgrounds coming together.

Images by moi.

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