girl crush (on garance)

garance dore is probably the cutest french woman in the world. i'm pretty sure this is common knowledge to, well, everyone. you know this and i know this.

as if anyone needed more convincing however, garance has created a video series (or vlog, if you will) of her life as she covers fashion week in new york and paris:

(Pardon My French, Episode 1 also sparkling here)

so no, no one needed more convincing. garance dore is a total doll. it's a fact. but there is something about seeing this fabulous woman in her fabulous every day life that really seals the deal on the matter, isn't there?

what if...?

what if you could live IN an ikea?? or rather, a home made up entirely of things found in an ikea store?

but what if that home was only 52 square meters... and in the middle of a Paris metro station??

well that's exactly what 5 Parisians did for 6 full days last month! check out the assembly of the apartment and the roommates living together (not to mention being on public display 24/7!) below:

do you think you could live in this sort of situation, even for 6 days? i think it would be super exciting at first, and then become fairly claustrophobic and uncomfortable.

but honestly, if offered this unique opportunity, who could turn it down!? so neat.

kids, on marriage

these rules for marriage made me laugh. kids are so great.

(marriage facts advice sparkling here)

video games

i know lana del rey is old news. she's been hyped-up and she's been ripped down. but her album (finally!) dropped on tuesday and say what you will about her big lips or her shaky snl performance... her music is pretty amazing. it's haunting, sexy and catchy and that's not a combination you find everyday, folks.

when her video for the single "video games" was leaked last fall i must have watched it 20-plus times. i'd given it a rest up until this week when i got to listen to the rest of the "born to die" album. there are some major songs ("radio" is a favorite) and after listening to them all on repeat, i just had to return once again to the "video games" video.

the nostalgia of these retro clips, combined with her undeniable beauty and that smoky voice is just bewitching.

little white dresses for Everything But The...

Dress by - Diane von Furstenberg (Zarita Lace Dress)

Some girls wait their whole lives to wear that white dress on their wedding day, but when it comes down to picking out the perfect style, length and shade, it can be difficult to pick just one! What if you see yourself walking down the aisle in a fitted, lace gown with a long train but can't deny how fun and flirty a lace mini dress would look?

Not to worry! Leading up to your big day there are plenty of occasions in honor and celebration of your engagement and wedding, giving you an excellent excuse for a little white dress (LWD)!

Dress by - Marchesa (Fall 2012)

Taking a note from the popular saying is the idea of the LWD for "Everything But The" wedding! This white dress is your chance to wear a flirty and fun, non-traditional dress that makes you feel your very best, but might not be the best fit for your actual wedding.

The "Everything But The" dress is perfect for your bridal shower, rehearsal dinner or after party because it makes it clear that you're the bride. Plus who doesn't look amazing in shades of white and creme?

Dress by - Free People (Lurex Starlight Party Dress)

Thankfully many designers and department stores have taken note of this trend and are currently offering some amazing "Everything But The" dress options! Whether you want to look glamorous, sexy or demure at your upcoming celebration, there's bound to be many couture and budget-friendly choices fresh off this season's runway!

Dresses by - from left to right: Nanette Lepore (Ponderous Dress), Watters (Melbourne Dress)

Monique Lhuillier's current Spring 2012 collection is made up of structured mini dresses that are more fitted and flirtatious while her Fall 2012 collection offers playful, pocketed dresses that remind me whimsical springtime sundresses.

Dresses by - Monique Lhuillier, top row, from left to right: Taylor Dress, Pippa Dress (Spring 2012); bottom row, from left to right: Posey Dress, Lili Dress (Fall 2012)

BHLDN, much like their mother company, Anthropologie, is showing dresses with a cool, retro vibe in a number of different styles, from sheaths to baby-dolls.

Dresses by - BHLDN, top row, from left to right: Saturnalia Dress, Dainty Diversion Mini, Tracery Dress; bottom row, from left to right: Spun Sugar Shift, Quatrefoil Sheath, For Esme Dress

You can also check out tons of online stores such as Net-a-Porter and the British shop, Asos, as well as American department stores like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales for other great options!

Dresses by - top row, all available at Asos online, from left to right: Asos Brand (Skater Dress with Lace and Mesh), Whistles (Large Spot Dress), TFNC (One Shoulder Dress); bottom row, all available at Nordstrom online, from left to right: Maggy London (Tie Waist Metallic Lace Sheath), Antik Batik (Ilka Sequined Tulle Dress), Nordstrom BP Brand (En Creme Lace Illusion Dress)

As you can see, the options for fun little white dresses are seemingly limitless! When choosing your dress for your upcoming bridal shower, rehearsal dinner or after party, just make sure to pick something that speaks to your personal style and your beautiful bride-to-be glow will do the rest of the work!

**This post can also be seen on the blog for Stellina Events, a New York and San Francisco-based wedding and special events planning and design consultancy for which I have interned since November 2011. The Stellina Events article, posted on January 26, 2012 can be seen here**

baloonatic

i don't know if you know this about me, but i'm kind of super into balloons. i'd even go so far as to say that balloons are one of my top five fave inanimate, unnatural, non-food items. they're awesome.

balloons are fun, balloons make me smile and balloons are appropriate at basically every sort of event.

birthday parties? absolutely.

new years eve? of course.

weddings? why the hell not!?!

any given saturday? bring. it. on.

it's true.

once upon a time, balloons were only for babies and, but now balloons are for everyone! and that's mostly due to Geronimo!

founded in Seattle in 2010, Geronimo!'s amazing spherical masterpieces, coupled with signature fancy ribbons, have become a huge trend, but i'm sure i'm not the only one who believes this trend is nowhere even close to going out of style. this is one for the books, people.

i'm so obsessed with these balloons. so this post is basically just an excuse to be happy.

i mean, can you even imagine what it would feel like to be given one of these babies? and check out the valentine's day edition below! i. would. just. die.

hello again!

i know a lot of bloggers graciously apologize after being absent from their blogs for months on end, or posting too irregularly, but since i'm pretty sure i'm the only person who actually reads sparkle and swoon i'm going to just go ahead and ignore that etiquette.

basically, to keep it short and sweet, i've made a conscious decision to come back to blogging. everyone (ha!) alright with that?

how about some eye candy of the black and white variety to get us back on track?...

(sparkling here via pinterest)

(sparkling here via pinterest)

(sparkling here via pinterest)

see you again soon, blogland!