I resolved to create an unapologetically girly oasis for myself. To recreate the feeling I had felt when I first laid eyes on this sugary nook. To bask in the strength of being a women. To take care to attend to this internal call for pink before it was too late. And so I created this:

Ever poignant in my life now that I’ll be married in five month and forever more sharing an abode with him (and most certainly not decorating with pink), I’m abundantly grateful that I had the foresight to listen to that internal voice inside to grab for pink one. last. time. And I’m reminded again that when it comes to decorating, the heart always knows best.

*Photography: Emily Johnston Anderson for Rue Magazine

I’m rearranging furniture in my head, crafting color stories in my mind, and already dreaming up the big reveal. Along the way, I’ve found myself gravitating towards furniture pieces that feel substantial and heavy. Perhaps influenced by the upcoming challenge of not only decorating for myself, but also for the man in my life, there’s a certain masculinity I seem to be seeking out.

Black. Always sophisticated, eternally elegant, forever strong. For us, it’s that perfect, flirty dance between feminine allure and masculine magnetism.

*Images: 1. Annaleenas Hem, 2. Unknown, 3. Canadian House and Home, 4. Unknown, 5. Elle Decor,  6. John Bendtsen, 7. Ikea

Simply genius.

And one from Christina’s shop, Cabbages & Roses,  just for good measure:

Sometimes it’s nice to let your aesthetic wander to a place far from its home, don’t you think?

P.S. And if you haven’t already seen The Holiday, you must. I guarantee you’ll add it to your yearly holiday routine!

Whites with depth, unruly bits of nature, and hues so soft you can almost feel them. That’s the winter song my decorating heart is singing this season. May your weekend be filled with lots of holiday cheer.  -Crystal

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

The weekend after he proposed, we began planning our upcoming wedding. We knew we wanted to get married in wine country, just two hours from our home in San Francisco, at a place that captured our ‘casual elegance’ aesthetic. Durham Ranch was the last place we visited and once we saw it in person, we knew we had found our special spot. In fact, I couldn’t bare the thought of getting married anywhere else now that I knew this place existed.

We had been looking for a place in wine country, but for something that didn’t look overtly ‘Napa’. We wanted the serenity and beauty of the rolling hills, but not necessarily the barrel rooms and vineyards. And as a girl with an affinity for neutrals, I had dreams of a largely white backdrop to our wedding (and because I love the way white looks in photos). Since Andrew and I both work in the design industry, style was of course also at the top of our wishlist. Simply put, this place had it all and we connected with the property instantly.

So now that the place is officially booked (as of this morning!) I’m so excited to share that Andrew and I will be getting married at Durham Ranch in Napa Valley on June 15th in front of our friends and family! And I can truly say, I got my dream venue!

These days I’m really counting my blessings and savoring this unique moment in time. Of being on the cusp of a new life of everlasting love with the love of my life, my best friend, my everything.

I’ll be sharing more details about our wedding in the weeks and month to come, but in the meantime, I’m cataloging all my inspiration for the big day here.

[Durham Ranch is managed by the exquisit team at Paula le Duc, and owned by design industry talent, Ken Fulk. Be sure to check out the interiors of his cottage at Durham Ranch in this House Beautiful article. It's to die for! ]

*Photography: W. Scott Chester

One day, I happened upon Kristin’s feed, loved what I saw, headed over to her blog, and got lost for hours. I started blogging in 2008 and it felt much different back then to me. I remember a tremendous sense of community and support, of authenticity and genuine passion. These days, you can still find that, but you’ll also find a lot of sponsored posts, affiliate links, lucrative partnerships, and that’s just fine, too. But what I loved about Kristin’s blog, was that it felt void of all that. There’s a sense of unadulterated creativity, waiting to burst out of her mind and onto the pages of her handwritten (yes, handwritten!) blog. And I find it totally refreshing.

Here are some photos, pulled from Kristin’s blog, of her home. They caught my eye, and I hope you find them inspiring, too.

I hope you all have a little corner of the web where you can quietly go to find pure inspiration. I think we could all use a little more of that in our lives these days.

* Also, a lovely little interview with Kristin, here.

I love the idea of painting every interior door a nice, glossy black. It’s a classic look that adds visual strength to your walls and highlights (not hides) individual areas of your home. At a time when open concept floor plans are still all the range, I like the notion of embracing closed concept homes and stepping away from the norm.

When I first saw Nate’s New York home in the November issue of Architectural Digest, I immediately dog eared this image. Not only do I find it totally genius to place windows instead of walls between rooms allowing the two spaces relate to each other, I also love how Nate hung window treatments from them. It cozy-ups the space and works as a bit of a mind trick/optical illusion/unexpected surprise. An idea definitely worth borrowing!

*Photography: Architectural Digest

Dear Friends, I’m back. I’m officially back! And from the bottom of my heart thank you. Thank you for allowing me the time and space I needed to step away from this blog for an extended period of time. To pour all of myself, all of my creativity, and all of my strength into this thing I believe in so much and that brings me such passion and joy. All the while, though, this blog never stopped being special to me. It’s how I found my passion years ago. It’s why I started Rue and the reason I feel so much fulfillment in my life’s work. It’s what led me to San Francisco, where I’ve found home and met true love (since we last spoke, I’ve gotten engaged!!!). And now, all the pieces of my life seem to fit so perfectly together, all the tough times of getting a business off the ground and navigating new challenges feel largely behind me and I’ve reached my stride. Slowly, I’ve found this blog calling me to come back. Slowly, I’ve warmed up to the idea, waiting for the perfect inspiration. And today, feels like that time.

***

This weekend, my fiancé Andrew and I threw a Holiday Party at my place with about thirty of our closest friends. I thought I’d share some of the decorating I did for the occasion, in the hopes that if you’re still looking for some holiday inspiration, you might find some here.

Because my home is a palette of neutrals and grays, I decided to go with silvery blues and frosty whites for my holiday colors this year. I used some ornaments and decor I already owned (like these cloudy globes) and also made a Target run for some affordable fill-ins.

And of course, I couldn’t throw a party without asking my dear friend Edyta to capture the night. So a big thanks to her for leaving me with these beautiful images to remember the evening by. Here’s a favorite photo from the night with some people you might recognize from around the web.

Left to right: Vanessa, pinner extraordinaire; Tim (Kelli’s artist boyfriend); Kelli, also known as Rue’s superstar intern, my handsome fiancé, yours truly, Jacin, one of San Francisco’s most sought after wedding coordinators; and her dapper husband, Pat.

Happy holidays from my home to yours! I look forward to sharing more with you this season and into the new year!

*Photography: Edyta Szyszlo