pic me a palette : the donut.

Ever since Alison and Marc’s wedding this past Saturday, I can’t get donuts off the brain. My favorite part of the entire night? When the DJ proclaimed “ok folks, the bride and groom are now going to cut the donut!” Um – yes, complete & pure awesomeness if you ask me.

I am over the moon anytime I see couples doing something non-traditional on their wedding day, and substituting a traditional wedding cake for your favorite sweet is the perfect way to do so!

These lemon poppyseed donuts look absolutely scrumptious and the beautiful blue/grey tone of the poppyseeds makes me swoon.  I definitely might have to try whipping these together one of these days. I also love how Jessica of The Novice Chef doesn’t claim to be anything that she’s not – she’s just simply a gal following her passion for sugar and cooking! You gotta love that!

photo cred : {the novice chef}

the alphabet.

This week is already off to one crazy busy start! With an amazing Kinfolk shoot yesterday (details to come!) and a fab styling opportunity for the Blog Brunch gals coming tomorrow, things don’t looks like they are slowing down anytime soon! Unfortunately what this means for the blog is one super slow week – my apologies!

Before I head out in the rain to round-up and source the last of the props for tomorrows shoot, I thought I’d leave you with a beautiful alphabet video sent along to me by my Aunt Sue. As evidenced in last week’s post, I’m a fanatic for unique fonts/type and this video just makes me grin from ear to ear – the french music doesn’t hurt either! I hope you enjoy!

Oh and BIG changes are about to happen around here – new blog coming SUPER soon! Stay tuned! Happy Wednesday friends!

video cred : {n9ve}

inspired by : typography.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a birthday party, wedding, baby shower or dinner party – you’ve gotta somehow get your guests there. 1st step? Invitations.

One of the best parts of creating pretty paper details is finding the right type. Font is such a huge aspect of invitations and finding the right fit can at times be the most challenging part. The type can really set the tone for the entire shindig.

photo cred :  1 {baster} 2 3 5 6 {steve buffoni} 4 {behance} 6 {typography served} 7 {unknown}

skillet + scout.

After a weekend of being knee deep in counting/organizing inventory and a busy day yesterday prepping for some exciting upcoming photoshoots, I’m excited to be back blogging today!

In celebration of the fab week ahead, I thought I’d share some fun pics from an open house scout. was involved in awhile back. I had the pleasure of collaborating with the fabulous Noah of Skillet to create/style a spring tasting at Melrose – full of whimsy and perfectly eclectic funkiness. Julie captured the night and it was such a blast meeting everyone that came out for the night. If you haven’t tried Skillet’s waffle & fried chicken concoctions you are missing out! Find a truck here.

Oh and isn’t the American flag in the back of the room the cherry on top?!

photo cred : {Julie Harmsen Photography}

spring inspired shoot + weekend fun.

Happy post Easter weekend! I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and got some much deserved time with family & friends! Adam and I spent the weekend with my little sis in Albuquerque, NM and had a total blast! BUT honestly, there is nothing to make you feel older than spending 3 nights in your little sis’ college pad – yowza! It was so much fun seeing Coli in her space, and I’m always so so grateful for any amount of time I get with her. Seeing her this weekend also made me all the more excited for our upcoming trip to Europe too! 4 weeks and counting….wahoooo! I’m now doing the standby travel thing and waiting patiently at the airport for a flight to Denver and then on to Seattle. No luck with a flight last night or early this morning, so currently crossing my fingers for the 10:20 outta ABQ. We shall see!

In the midst of waiting for a flight home, I thought I would share some cute pics from a recent holiday/spring inspired shoot that made its way onto Style Me Pretty last Friday. Jessica of Jessica May Photography asked me awhile back to share some scout. goodies for a fun spring inspired styled shoot and I’m so so happy I did! Jessica’s adorable detail shots sure did brighten my holiday weekend and it’s always such a thrill to collaborate with other creatives! Isn’t that ombre cake by Dianne freaking divine?! For more pretty pretty pics of the shoot head on over to Style Me Pretty.

Happy Monday friends!

photo cred: {jessica may photography}

inspired by : patterns.

I’m pretty sure my infatuation with patterns started when I was little and would take trips to the fabric store with my mom. As she scrolled the aisles looking to be inspired for her latest craft or home project, I’d run my hands across all the soft fabrics in total awe of the beautiful patterns.

At the time I had no idea where my life might lead or how truly inspired I’d become by the simple sighting of a pretty pattern, but I’m always on the hunt for the perfect art-to-material to add to some aspect of my life.  The paper to wrap a gift for a friend ; a new dishtowel for the kitchen ; a bright summer maxi dress ; or even now potential fabrics for reupholstering scout. goods – there is nothing better than a perfectly eclectic pattern. Patterns are so crazy inspiring  and these by Ashley Goldberg are certainly some of the cutest I’ve seen. What inspires you?

art cred: {ashley goldberg via flickr}

apt therapy design night!

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking at an Apartment Therapy design meeting and it was SUCH a blast! I will fully admit that I was super nervous to public speak leading up to the night, but once I got talking I couldn’t stop! I shared a bit about how I got into the creative world, some thoughts on where I see my biz going in the future, and some design tips for adding vintage decor into your space.

It was so exciting seeing so many creative peeps interested in hearing about scout. and pumped to learn about estate sales & seeking out vintage things. I had so much fun meeting everyone who came out for the night and was thrilled to see some of my close buddies there as well!

Thanks to my hubby for taking pics, to Andie & Emily for such a warm welcome in their adorable studio Assemble and to Manuela of Apt Therapy for allowing me to share my story! For more pics and details of the night head on over to Apartment Therapy here!

photo cred: {adam blake via apartment therapy}

a week in instagram.

Wow – is it Friday already?!! I thought I’d share a peek into my week through my instagram feed – if you don’t have instagram and you have an iPhone – get on board!! I absolutely love capturing all kinds of random stuff using this fun app and I really can’t imagine life without it – it’s so entertaining! Plus you can keep up with what all your buddies are doing through their own feeds! If you’re ever interested in following me I’m currently snapping away under: bowtieandbustle.

a week with an instagram summary:

1: chocolate milk – i’m officially addicted. that + a current exercise restriction = a recipe for disaster. 2: ikea – ehh. i despise that place on the weekends but sometimes it’s a necessary evil. 3: bailie decided this week that my face was  an appropriate resting place for her head. funny thing is – i didn’t really mind. 4: the littlest of peeks into an editorial shoot i worked my tail off on this week – pretty bentwood chairs are the best! 5: new glasses! finally! i was lazy for a really long time and didn’t want to go in for my eye exam. i finally bit the bullet this week and got myself some new specs. 6: i’m really into patterned socks lately, which is funny because i remember thinking as a kid how horrible they were. wow how things change… 7: restore – my favorite place to rummage around. always something fab hiding in a really dirty corner. 8: those chairs stole my heart this week! i wanted to take them home with me so bad! 9: the price of gas is about to send me over the edge. the beast i drive around for scout. deliveries is certainly not helping the situation. 10: i absolutely love my sidesaddle kitchen tee – its so comfy and i’ve been wearing it everywhere. my dear friend laura has this kick ass vegan pastry venture that i can’t stop drooling over. she is so stinkin’ talented and insanely adorable to boot! check out her yummies over here. 11: one of my newest additions to the scout. collection. i about fell over when my eye caught the color of this desk. it would be such a perfect piece for a mini dessert bar. i’m in love! 12: ended up on my favorite corner of cap hill this week and couldn’t help but admire my favorite wall. the street art is just so gorgeous.

Along with hours & hours of sourcing for the shoot and lots of random biz stuff, i found some great new vintage finds, had some fantastic nights out with friends & family who came in from outta town and took a MUCH needed day off on Thursday. I kinda forgot what it feels like not to work. I’m also taking tomorrow off too (wooohoo!!) and heading outta town with Adam for a quick trip down to Portland to visit some of our buddies! I’m absolutely ecstatic, although the sun is finally out in Seattle and I can’t help but wonder if it’s shining a few hours south as well. Cross your fingers for us!

Some not so fun things going on? Found out yesterday that my hip definitely needs surgery. I have a torn labrum (the cartilage around my right hip socket) which has made it difficult for me to walk/stand/sit let alone exercise or deliver scout goodies. I got a steroid shot about a month and a half ago hoping that would be a long-term pain reliever but that hasn’t been the case. I’ve been a bit defeated by the entire thing because it’s never fun to realize that your body isn’t as healthy as you hope for it to be and as 30 slowly creeps towards me I honestly feel like I’m going on 80. After discussions with my doc I realized it won’t make sense to have the surgery before my trip to Europe as the recovery period is at least 6 weeks ZERO activity!!! It’s gonna be quite the challenge to find the time to take care of my ol’ hip – but I’m hopeful this summer or late winter will lend some time to taking care of it. It’d be so so great to be able to deliver a settee without feeling like my leg might fall off!

Adam and I have also been talking lots about some fun trips this year since we have free standby airline travel for the entire year! I know, I know – we are super spoiled. We are hoping to get to see some of our long lost friends that we haven’t seen since we got married & spend some quality time together later this year after the wedding season. I keep telling him it would be SO fun to go to Australia but with Adam’s limited vacation schedule – that might not work. A girl can dream though right?!

I hope you all had a great week and your weekend is filled with spring weather & loved ones.

*JB

photo cred: {moi iPhone + instagram}

trophy cupcakes & party design project.

I’ve been really excited to share these pics that my buddy Julie captured of my recent design project for Trophy Cupcakes. I shared some instagram pics a while back here, but professional ones are so much more pretty right? I absolutely LOVE the pic below. It captures the bold, simplistic beauty of Trophy’s Bravern shop to a tee! Thanks for the pics Jules!

I had the time of my life creating window display concepts and store details for Trophy earlier this year ,and I’m absolutely thrilled with how everything turned out. It was so so so much fun incorporating some vintage details from my scout. collection and the gold & white chevron flooring that I painted by hand is one of my proudest design details of this project. I can’t get enough of all bold color + chevron + gold – YUM!!!

Jennifer Shea (owner & cupcake extraordinaire) wanted the design to really speak to Trophy’s mentality of “the party starts here!” and I couldn’t imagine anything party related without some fun confetti. I created custom multi-colored confetti and a custom fringed streamer backdrop for both their Wallingford & Bravern locations. I also created some whimsical garland and streamer chandeliers for the inside of their shops too! The colors to this day make me just smile. They are just so so happy!

Thanks to Jennifer and her team for allowing me to crash their stores on multiple occasions to rock out the color. I can’t imagine a more fun and celebration-focused company to work with. I heart Trophy to pieces and I look forward to working with them in the future!!!

**Also! A GIGANTIC thank you to my little sis Coli who spent part of her Christmas break knee deep in color with me. Couldn’t have done it without ya – muah! xoxo!

photo cred: {julie harmsen photography}

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}

blogshop + scout!

I can’t even begin to tell you what a thrill it was for me to play a part in last month’s BLOGSHOP here in Seattle. I had the pleasure of attending Blogshop + a mini version last year in the Berkeley & Portland areas and had the time of my life! I learned crazy amounts of PS skills that I’ve had the good fortune of applying to my blog AND I met some of my dearest creative friends (this lady, this gal, this lovely & this chick too!) during the class. Let’s just say – BLOGSHOP ROCKS IT – hardcore.

Sooooo when I found out Bri & Angela would be coming to Seattle I was all too excited to offer my Scout. loot. I had a crazy amazing time styling up the Fred Wildlife Refuge and giving a little scout lovin’ to the weekend!

Thought I’d share some pics taken by the uber talented Angela Kohler herself, as well as a video by Stephan Gray. If you’d like to see more pics of the weekend check out Bri’s blog here! Oh and if this looks all too enticing to resist, head here to see when Blogshop might be coming your way.

photo cred: {angela + ithyle} video cred: {stephan gray}

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

assemble + apt therapy + scout.

I’m excited to announce that I will be speaking at an Apartment Therapy Design Meeting this Saturday, March 3rd from 6 – 8 pm at the adorable Assemble Gallery and Studio in Phinney. I’ll be sharing some insight on my inspirations behind scout and vintage decor as well as spilling some tips about scouring estate sales. If you’re in the area and interested in dropping by I’d love to see you! Find out more info about this special event from Assemble or Apt Therapy here or here!

photo cred: {apartment therapy}

rue mag.

The night before any new issue of Rue Magazine I end up feeling like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. I get these little flutters of excitement bustling around in my belly and I wake up with an energy only explained by a longing for inspiration.

Every time I flip through the pages of Rue I feel every cell in my body clinging to every last drop of color that spills off the pages. When I launched my design companies (BT&B + scout) last year, I dreamed of the day I’d have the opportunity to be involved in a magazine like Rue. This month? I got my chance.

It was such a pleasure to work alongside the creative talents of Kira, Shannon & Sara (the gals behind the Hens & Chicks Collective), the fantabulous lady behind the camera Sarah and adorable Miss Cassandra. The day was such a blast and I’m so honored to have my scout. furniture & decor grace the pages of Rue!

photo cred: {rue magazine and we are the rhoads}

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!