friday find : sneak peek.

The past week has been full of some really fun and exciting collaborations many of which (I can only imagine and hope!) are just the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come!

I got the opportunity to collaborate with the fab and hilariously witty duo that is Laurel McConnell Photography and Barbie Hull Photography for a rad photo shoot (theme is a secret….ssshhh!) for the upcoming Get Hitched Give Hope event this coming fall. I’m telling you folks, you DON’T want to miss this event this year. It’s gonna be BIG! I’ll definitely be sharing more info about this fabulous night of giving back in the months to come.

I also participated in my 1st Trophy Cupcakes tasting this week – providing some of my mismatched china and some fun chairs and props to give the couples something fun to look at/eat off of while they nibbled on Trophy yumminess. Nevermind that I also got to bring home a few leftovers to enjoy with my hubs. Cherry on top of a great week!

I’m also in the midst of prepping for an upcoming shoot with Seattle Met Bride & Groom Mag (uh yes…I’m wigging out just a little! Sooooo pumped!!!) and a revamp/redirection of my blog. Lot’s and LOTS of changes are gonna be going on around here in the coming months and I can only imagine that my Europe trip (May 10th – June 19th) will inspire me to also make some exciting changes on the biz front. PLUS I’m REALLY hoping to come home with some new loot to add to my ever-growing scout. collection of course!

Here’s a few things around the web that I found inspiring (or at the very least entertaining!) this week:

– adorable web & graphic design by this local lady

– this coconut cream pie. seriously – you’ve gotta try it!

– minus the crappy acting i’m kinda obsessed with this show right now.

– i CANNOT get enough of this gal’s blog and amazing creative talents here.

– honored to be hanging out here.

– my fav wedding of the week here. part one here.

– way tooooo excited for these people. seriously i’m SO excited for them.

– slamming deal here if this sorta thing is your cup of tea.

I’m also sharing a little sneak peek this week of some pics snapped by this crazy-talented gal of my recent collaboration with Trophy Cupcakes. I’ve already shared a few instagram shots of my design/styling of Trophy’s windows and store details this past January, but professional pics by Julie are so MUCH better! More pics coming next week!

Happy weekend friends!

xoxo! *JB

photo cred: {julie harmsen photography}

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friday find : uh. yep!

Uh. Yep! I think I might have just nabbed the most jaw dropping vintage item I’ve ever gotten my hands on! I about screamed out loud when I saw this vintage rattan bucket seat on one of my scoutin’ adventures this morning. I can’t decide if I’m going to offer it as a rental item or selfishly keep it all to myself….it’s THAT awesome! I’m thinking it would look pretty fab in my office…

Yay for Friday right?!! What a week this has been! Lot’s going on on the scout/BT&B front, and getting super excited for all the fun/travel etc. that is to come this spring/summer! Does anyone else have any fun trips planned?? It always seems as tough everyone in Seattle is itching to get outta town this time of year…wonder why? Can we say : GREY?! Come on spring! Bring us some more of that sunshine!

I’ll be spending the weekend out in design/wedding land 1st at tonight’s Shilshole Bay Beach Club tasting (we’ve got some scout. goodies on display!), tomorrow morning I’ll be getting my brunch on with my Blog Brunch buddies (come hang with us! deets here!) and tomorrow night I’ll be sharing some estate sale/vintage tips at the Apartment Therapy Design meeting at Assemble Gallery & Studio. Sunday will include a very very exciting collaboration meeting with this gal and hopefully some time to continue planning my Europe trip!

Happy Weekend Friends!

xoxo! *JB

friday find : the channel back + exciting stuff.

Wowza! What a whirlwind couple of weeks this has been! Although things don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon, I’m getting a little downtime tonight to take a break and reflect on all the good fortune I’ve been afforded over the past month or so.

Just a few of the things I’ve been up to:

– lots of scoutin’. searching for some new pretty pieces to add to the scout. collection. found the above channel back chair at 2nd saturdayz a couple weeks ago and couldn’t resist it’s blush colored charm. got it’s debut this week at skillet’s tasting – YES!

– followed up with my doc this week related to my hip pain. my torn labrum is responding well to the steroid shot, but i’m on 4 more weeks of exercise restriction. BOO! all i really really wanna do is go for a run & break a mad sweat. upside? 4 more weeks of watching movies on the green couch totally guilt free.

– a rue shoot (TOTAL dream come true!) with cassandra lavalle, sarah rhoads and the uber talented gals of hens & chicks collective. can’t wait to see the next issue of rue mag and so honored to have worked alongside these creatives!! had such a blast!

– my first venue walk through with ellen. she & paul will be getting married in august at the beautiful laurel creek manor and i feel super privileged to play a role in their big day!

– LOTS of inquiries for our goods. so excited that the word is really starting to spread about scout.

– started massage therapy this week. in one word? AWESOME. in three words? best decision ever!

– some super exciting conversations & mtgs are happening between myself and miss amy moore. amy is the brilliant designer behind my scout. re-branding and someone i greatly admire. i’m BEYOND stoked to collaborate with her in the future!

– adam treated me to a super special day last saturday where i got to pick out all my fav foods down at pike place market and we had a little picnic in the back of our car at gas works park (it was too chilly to be outside). sounds kinda ridiculous to lay out a picnic blanket in the car BUT it was the BEST day i’ve had in a REALLY long time. i can’t thank my lucky stars enough for such a supportive partner.

– blogshop. blogshop. blogshop. i can’t say enough good things about how much i learned during my own time at blogshop in berkeley, so it was a total thrill & a half to provide some scout loot to angela & bri’s class here in seattle this month.

– i’m currently prepping for a super exciting shoot next month that has my creative juices in overdrive. so ecstatic to collaborate with some wedding peeps that i’ve never had the opportunity to work with before.

– adam bought me a new printer!!! not a big deal you say? TRUST ME. BIG deal! the amount of stress that has been relieved just to know that when i hit “print” something will actually come out of my printer with ink on it. uhhh-huh. HUGE deal.

– planning my upcoming europe trip. dublin & paris are all set (coli and i will be staying in this teeny tiny little gem for 12 glorious days in May) and my pure excited joy for some dedicated sister time with coli is becoming SUPER real…it’s gonna happen! we’re now on the hunt for places in rome, athens, zurich, prague, and a few other spots. any suggestions/tips are welcome!!

– a trophy party! jennifer and her team were nice enough to throw a “curator party” as a thank you for the window design & decor i created for their u-village & bravern shops. it was so much fun to have my closest buddies munch on cupcakes for the night and celebrate with confetti & bubbly!

– a SUPER DUPER fun filled and inspirational night with skillet this week. i was granted the opportunity to collaborate with noah of skillet for their spring tasting this week at melrose market studios. i unleashed practically my entire scout collection on the space and had a ton of fun styling it up alongside noah! looking forward to many more collaborations with skillet in the future!

I’m off to a colorblocking + gold b-day party this weekend for my buddy Julie, a birthday celebration for my dear sweet Hadley and a MUCH needed brunch with my nurse besties: Barb, Apple & Em. Also LOTS of work catch up. I hope you all have an amazing weekend!

***p.s. lots of pics coming soon of all the exciting things going on with BT&B and scout! check back!

friday find : lonngren/widell.

When I stumbled across these amazingly gorgeous interior photographs by Lonngren/Widell I couldn’t help but wish I could climb right into them and relish in all the vintage/rustic/eclectic loveliness. I’m always on the hunt for super special pieces to add to my scout. vintage rental company collection and these pictures made me want to hunt that much harder. A unique & inviting room can brighten even the dreariest day and these pics certaintly did this trick of this gloomy friday morning!

Do you have a favorite room in your home? What inspires you with regards to your interior decor?

Happy weekend friends!

*JB

{photo cred: lonngren/widell photography}

friday find : something to celebrate!

It’s Friday! AND…..it was SUNNY today! Yippee!

I couldn’t help but do a little happy dance in my driveway this morning when I stepped out and felt that glorious warmth touch my face. It felt as though there were so many things to celebrate this Friday:

1. Sun! It deserved a second mention.

2. It’s Superbowl weekend! What does that mean? A super chipper hubby and a no-guilt weekend full of non-stop mini-bites, pizza and beer. Who are you rooting for?

3. Tomorrow is Blog Brunch! If you’re a blogger and are looking to learn more about sponsorship and monetizing then stop by for brunch!

4. My adorable new vintage glasses above! They just sing “celebrate with me!” and were definitely a highlight on a recent estate sale trip.

5. Some pieces from my scout. collection get to come out and play this weekend at BLOGSHOP!

6. Despite waiting a loooonnnnggg time at the doctor’s office this afternoon (2 hours to be exact!), I found out that hip surgery might not have to happen! I’ve been struggling with significant hip pain for over a year now, and was SUPER relieved to find out that a shot of pain killers might just do the trick. Cross your fingers for me on Monday!

7. I’m planning a trip to Europe with my little sis! Coli and I will be spending 6 weeks traveling Europe this May/June and I CANNOT wait! I’ll be mapping out our route this weekend.

8. Oh, and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! What do you have planned?

Happy Weekend friends!!

*JB

friday find : take a guess game!

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of thrifting through the slushy Salt Lake City snow with another vintage loving Seattleite: Miss Danae of Gather & Hunt! We were able to snag a cab from The Grand despite the snow accumulation and ended up spending the afternoon rummaging through one of the local vintage malls and Decades (only the most gorgeously fabulous vintage clothing store I’ve ever seen!). I’m obsessed with the details, so I snagged a few up close and personal shots of some of my favorite shop finds and I’m hoping you might be able to guess what each item is! ***Answers below : )

I also took home a new yellow enamel pitcher to add to my growing kitchen collection, as well as a super duper fun sequined top in my favorite shade of blue. Let’s just say it was one successful afternoon! I definitely could have come home with a whole heck of a lot more, but my suitcases couldn’t handle the extra LB’s!

Looks like a roadtrip out to SLC is in the imminent future!

Anyone wanna tag along?

Happy weekend friends! *JB

friday find : oh baby!

A couple months ago I had the pleasure of supplying some vintage finds to my dear friend Laura Marchbanks baby shower. Her sister-in-law Leah reached out to me with the desire to create a vintage inspired dessert display and I was dying for the opportunity for my white dresser to make a splash at an intimate affair.

I was so excited to see how the dessert table turned out and was even MORE excited to provide my china collection to the shower. Laura is such a dear heart and I know she is going to be one amazing mama!

Laura is due in a matter of moments, and I wish her the very very best in her & Billy’s delivery experience! Yay for baby Brady!

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

friday find: a little bit of quirky.

a couple new pretties i snagged while out and about today.

so in love with all things quirky.

happy weekend friends!

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

scout launch party!

It’s been about 4 months since I officially launched my vintage rental company: scout. and it’s certainly time to get the word out!

With the help of my fantabulous friend amy moore (she’s a killer graphic designer…I’m telling ya, this chick has some crazy mad talent!) AND the lovely team at trophy cupcakes (if you haven’t sampled a sweet from these peeps you are TOTALLY missing out!), I’m hosting an official scout. “launch party” on Wednesday November 9th from 5-8pm in the Trophy Cupcakes party room in Wallingford and I couldn’t be more excited!

Check out the adorable invite Amy created above!!! I asked for a vintage postcard invite and boy did she deliver! I can’t wait to show off my collection to industry pros and beyond, and will spend all afternoon today and this weekend scouting for some new pieces to add to the party! Sooooo stoked!

Happy weekend ya’ll!

P.S. Been scouting like a mad woman over the past few weeks with little time to actually place the new pieces on the website. Keep your eyes peeled for some new additions : )

art cred: {amy moore studio}

friday find: the parisian flea.

One year ago this week I was frolicking through Europe solo, soaking in every last drop of gorgeousness that I possibly could. The one thing that I loved the most about my trip was the aged textures, century old architecture and nostalgic feeling of every last corner and crevice. Europe is just oozing with a distressed lovliness that is unmatched by any other place I’ve ever visited and I’ve reminisced about the “oldness” daily since my trip.

I didn’t have many regrets about my 7 week adventure but the one thing I wished over and over again was that I had a whole truck load of room to ship home tons of parisian flea market goodies. Since launching scout. there have been multiple moments when I wished I had access to those endless piles of treasure. Luckily there’s etsy where fantastic vintage finds direct from France are only a few clicks away.

Some of my favorite vintage french finds while perusing etsy today…

photo cred: tins {marmamamma} bottles {vintagefrenchlinens} cookie tin {sweetbrocante} dress form {paris couture antiques} pink buttons {ruby beets} cafe table {maison de larue} chandelier {paris couture antiques}

friday find: the knot event.

Last night I had the pleasure of participating in The Knot networking event here in Seattle. BreeAnn of Pink Blossom Events and Heather of heathoriginal. asked me to create a dessert display using items from my scout. collection and it was SO much fun to get creative!!!

I used ladders, wooden spools, frames, my favorite brass rimmed trunk and lots of fun little antique goodies & some new finds to add some vintage flair to the dessert table. I had such a blast participating in the event and was so thrilled to meet some new peeps! Thanks to everyone that came! So much fun meeting you!

Up next for scout.? A launch party!!! Yep. I’m stoked. Details coming soon! But 1st….2nd Saturdayz! Tomorrow is the second weekend of the month so I’ll be scoutin’ like crazy.

Happy weekend ya’ll!

*JB

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

friday find: 45 minutes & a ferry boat.

7:45am wake up. lazily check email. say good morning to bailie bug.

8:05 leave house late…what’s new?

8:26 making it to ferry landing.

8:30 ferry boat leaves Seattle for Bremerton.

9:34 drive off ferry boat into downtown Bremerton.

9:47 order decaf café mocha after standing in crazy long coffee line.

10:00 enter one of my fav antique shops and scout like a crazy lady.

10:45 load up 1 farm table, 2 ladders, 2 trunks, 1 head and footboard, 1 antique mirror, 3 chairs, 1 cake dome, 1 plant stand and 1 typewriter very carefully into the back of truck.

11:00 pay my hefty bill.

11:05 leave shop.

11:06 haul ass to 11:10 departure ferry.

11:09 last car onto ferry.

11:10am ferry leaves Bremerton to Seattle with trunk full of goodies.

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

friday find: the wire shade.

My favorite days scouting are when I drag poor Adam along and in the midst of finding a new treasure I turn to him for an opinion and find that puzzled look on his face as if he’s saying: “why the heck are you buying that?!”

Interestingly enough that puzzled face entices me to pull out my moolah that much faster. I LOVE LOVE LOVE purchasing old and tattered objects that appear to have a singular use and that of which is usually far expired.

Take for example these kick ass lamp shades I found while rushing around town on a random Saturday. I usually avoid garage sales at all costs – in my opinion people are WAYYYYYY to insanely attached to their junk and often find bartering an insult rather than part of the game of buying and selling old shit – sorry folks…this gal likes to barter!

So when I abruptly (and maybe a wee bit aggressively) whipped our car to the curb after spotting some possible treasures at a garage sale in Phinney Rigde a couple weeks ago, I had secretly hoped that the fantastically mute puzzled look that I adore so much would quickly ensue on my hubby’s face. The lampshades which I HAD TO HAVE were rusted (like crazy!) and the only remnants of the shades themselves, was a wickedly adorable grandma looking pattern, which was shredded in more than a few places on one of the wire frames.

After some pro-like bartering, I snagged ’em both for 8 buckaroos. Yeah, yeah, I know…probably even a tad much to spend on some rusted bent outta shape frames, but once you see what I have in mind for these little babies, you might think again!

Happy weekend ya’ll! *JB

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

friday find: not grandma’s milk glass.

I’ve been on the hunt for a while for some unique milk glass. I found some killer vases (GORGEOUS detailing) and some adorable little mugs while scouting in Colorado last week with my mama. I’m super excited to add them to the scout. collection.

photo cred: {jenn elliott blake}

drumroll please…

scout. vintage rental company is here!

After many long weeks, countless sleepless nights, an extensive and super fun photo shoot (minus the two gals who tried to get us kicked out of discovery park), multiple trips to fleas, antique shops and corner yard sales my dream vintage rental company is finally here! Last week, with an incredible amount of love, support and encouragement from friends & family, I launched my second business: scout. vintage rental company. scout. is now sister to bow tie & bustle and they are planning to take Seattle by storm : )

scout. was derived from the belief that vintage details offer a certain “something, something” to our lives and each unique piece has a story of its own to tell. My intention is to provide local photographers, event designers/planners, stylists, couples and individuals a seamless way to incorporate vintage details, props and decor into their special events and photo shoots. I’ve wanted to share my love of antiques and vintage pieces with the event and design world for sometime now, and I am so thrilled to finally open my doors. scout. was a TOTAL labor of love and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for my boutique rental company.

Sooooooo what are you waiting for?! Check out scout. here! Oh, and thank you to everyone for your generous comments and words of encouragement since scout’s launch last week. I’ve most certainly felt the love!

photo cred: {mo hines photography and my personal inventory pictures}