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 : 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

bow tie wednesday / 33.

wouldn’t this be a rocking engagement or love sesh photo??

bow ties for him AND her? love.

photo cred: {via natural belle}

friday find: take a seat.

some fresh finds. that super tall (perfect for a bar area!) chest is one of my favs! the brass detailing is insane!

happy weekend friends!

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

TC Creative snapshot.

What a busy busy week this has been, hence my lack of post yesterday…my apologies! My little Scout. Vintage Rental Co. is in full swing and I’m doing my best to stay on top of my beloved blog in the process.

Sharing a few shots today that I nabbed (isn’t instagram the best?!) during the TC Creative Studio Opening last week. Had a total blast participating in this one! Creating little vingettes with my collection is my favorite part of my job!

Also included some hilarious (and slightly embarrassing) Smilebooth shots above from the fab Sarah & Chris Rhoads. Such a fun night!

Hope you’re all having an amazing week!

xoxo! JB

words out.

Happy Monday friends! I hope you all had an amazing weekend! I had the chance to spend some MUCH needed time at home on the couch after what turned out to be one crazy bananas and SUPER fulfilling week last week! 2012 is off to a great start and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

In conjunction with getting a couple hours of some much needed rest this weekend, I had a chance to stop by the Seattle Wedding Show yesterday to check out some of our loot in the Twelve Baskets Catering booth. And let’s just say I was BLOWN AWAY! These gals sure know how to make pretty of a 10×14 ft space! Yowza! Flag bunting, adorable paper details by Heathoriginal and of course some of my fave scout. pieces sittin’ pretty…I was super pleased and proud to see scout. making a name for itself in such a big way! Thanks to the gals over at Twelve Baskets for allowing scout. to play along : )

Speaking of making a name for itself, I was also super excited to see scout. making an appearance in both the next issue of Seattle Met Bride and Groom AND Seattle Bride! Check out our adorable gold brass vases all done up by the fabulous Mckenzie Powell Designs on page 75 & 79 in Seattle Met and a little writeup about BT&B and scout. + the vintage trend on page 38 of Seattle Bride . Also if you get an extra sec, flip to page 48 in Seattle Bride to snag a peek at my flag bunting and scout. collection from our Montmartre shoot nearly a year ago!

So fun to see that the word’s out about scout! Made my weekend for sure!!!

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

sunday dreaming / 34.

dreaming of…

summer temps.

photo cred: {minked}

trophy.

a couple instagram shots of one of my most recent design projects.

trophy cupcakes window displays and decor including some of my favorite pieces from my scout. collection.

some of my fav design details? gold chevron flooring & gigantic confetti too!

if you get a chance, swing by the u-village or bravern locations this month to catch a peek!

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

starts with a board.

I’ve learned quite quickly that the best way to hash out design ideas with a new or potential client is through an inspiration board. I am naturally such a visual being that these boards are super helpful in helping me efficiently and effectively articulate the ideas I have rushing around in my busy little head.

I was all two excited a few weeks ago when I got the chance to chat color and rebranding across the table from Jennifer Shea, owner of Trophy Cupcakes. I’m still giddy that she put her confidence in me to revamp her window displays at her U-Village and Bravern locations for the New Year and couldn’t wait to get prepping. She wanted the window to reflect a “party starts here!” mentality and was hoping I could give the design some sort of Kate Spade inspired twist (aka a color bonanza!).

I’ve been dying to get back into visual merchandising, so this job was right up my alley. I knew I wanted crepe paper backdrops to scream “party! party! party!” and chevron flooring was an absolute must – had to make it happen. I also planned to tie in a bunch of my vintage pieces from my scout. collection as a fun juxtaposition to the never ending stream of color.

Here’s a little peek into my design inspirations for Trophy Cupcakes. Check back tomorrow for some instagram pics of the actual windows AND if you’re near U-Village in the U-District or Bravern over in Bellevue be sure to stop into Trophy for a yummy cupcake and a gander at my design.

pic me a palette: the winter cake.

photo cred: {rebecca hollis photography via ruffled}

friday find: dressing the tabletop.

I’ve been dying to get back into full time scouting. My vacation and a couple new (although VERY exciting!) projects have slowed me down a bit from finding new items to add to my collection, but yesterday I hit the pavement again in search of some pretty tabletop wares to add to the mix.

My goal is to get plenty of adorable china in all mismatchy patterns, so that any guest count (1 – lots) can enjoy the prettiness that can come from an eclectic table setting. There is such an unexpected charm that comes from mistmached china on a tabletop and I’m so excited to be offering more options to my clients.

I’m actually delivering a bunch of china pieces to a baby shower this weekend and I’ve had so much fun tonight picking out the exact pieces to take. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they are all unique – they’re all bring their own little flair to the party.

I hope you have a great winter weekend!

photo cred: {moi iPhone}

scout. launch party!

It’s always the best feeling in the world when a design you’ve spent many months tossing and turning about in your mind finally comes to life! Last month, I had the immense pleasure of collaborating with Trophy Cupcakes and showcased my scout. vintage rental co. collection in their adorable party room. The whole evening was SUCH a blast and I was so excited that so many of you came out to see my loot!

When dreaming up a way to share my collection my 1st thought was: “oh my gosh, how will I ever make it all fit?!” and 2nd…”I want people to be inspired.” The whole intention behind my vintage rental biz is to encourage others to find beauty in things that might otherwise be considered past their expiration date. I absolutely adore repurposing old items into new designs, and threaded that passion into a lot of the party details for the launch.

I wanted the overall design to emphasize the immense amount of color that I have within my collection. Blue chairs, green tables, orange enamel colanders. I’m obsessed with color and the party was nothing short of a color explosion!

My dear sweet friend McKenzie who also happens to be one of the most AH-MAZ-ING floral designers in Seattle, was kind enough to offer her own dose of color to the party with some stunningly gorgeous florals. The second McKenzie arrived the morning of setup I was flabbergasted by her floral choices for the party. Are those gigantic neon pink peonies not the most amazing things you’ve ever seen?! So so good. Thank McKenzie!!!

The entire design for the room started with the ceiling. I’ve been collecting vintage fabric for sometime and I really wanted to create a vibrant fabric canopy over the party. After many tireless hours of knot tying the canopy came to life. I also incorporated an installation in the center of the room using the wire skeletons of old lampshades. Thank you Adam, Heather & Kate for your additional hands with setup & prep! Couldn’t have done it without ya!

My green hutch is definitely one of my favorite pieces and I was so excited to use it as one of the focal points of the room. The cocktail & cupcake party wouldn’t have been complete without some champagne and little mason jars & thanks to Hads, Emma & Christa everyone had drinks in hand through the night! Thanks gals!

One of the things that I was really adamant about with regards to my scout. marketing is that I didn’t lose the vintage aspect of the brand in the details. I cringed at the idea of using a modern looking business card to promote my business. So after a bit of deep thinking I came up with the idea of using vintage used postcards (some of the one’s I’ve found have dated back to the early 1900’s!) and placing a sticker on top of them with all my info.

I have this really crazy rad mint colored mattress frame that worked perfect for displaying my biz postcards during the event. I filled the mattress with a bunch of pillows I’ve found while scouting and a few I made on my own from leftover fabric.

I also really wanted the party to be a direct reflection of the personality of the pieces. I’d been dying to name each piece for sometime and figured the party was the perfect way to kind of say “hello my name is” for each unique piece. My buddy Amy (a stellar graphic designer who is currently revamping the scout. brand) suggested I use library cards in bright colors from the adorable paper co. Knot & Bow to display the names and details of my items. GENIUS! I was swooning over the library cards when they arrived in the mail, and after multiple attempts to get that “vintage typewriter” look (I actually begged my printer to cooperate during a 4am debacle) I was incredibly pleased with how they turned out!

Overall, I’m ecstatic with how the party turned out, and I was so grateful for the generosity of all of the people that stopped by. The party left me with visions of my own storefront one day, and I can’t thank Jennifer and her team at Trophy enough for all of their help in making the party a total success!!!

P.S. Thank’s to Mo for all the great shots and for being there to capture the night!

photo cred: {Mo Hines Photography}

the GREEN list.

With the holidays right around the corner and my intention to shift this blog to a more male/female perspective blog sloooowwwlly gaining momentum, I figured there wasn’t a better time OR way to ring in the holiday cheer than with some him & her gift wishlists!

I’ve been all about bold pops of color lately and thought “why not” share some rad gift ideas for that guy or gal in your life?! For the next 7 weeks I’ll be sharing one color list a week…1st up? GREEN!!!

Check back next Friday for the next color wishlist.

Until then….happy shopping friends!

gift cred: HIM – marmot ama dablam down jacket {REI} architect lamp {crate and barrel} swivel video recorder {swivl} osprey aether 70 pack {REI} citizen canvas watch {via amazon} DODOcase for iPod {jcrew} onitsuka tiger by asics {zappos} HER – marni stretch silk-satin bra and briefs {net-a-porter} kate spade coin purse {kate spade} patent sidewalk skimmer {madewell} twinkle lights pencil skirt {anthropologie} rifle 2012 garden calendar {rifle paper co.} kendra scott drop earrings {nordstrom}

APARTMENT THERAPY.

I’m about ready to fall right outta my chair!!! My little vintage rental company scout. is making a its debut over on Apartment Therapy today!!! Woot! Woot!

Apartment Therapy is not only the raddest and most popular design blog out there, but one of those dreams I didn’t think I’d be checking off my list for many years to come. Floating on cloud 9 doesn’t even come close to expressing how excited I am! What a way to end my 1st year in business. SO PROUD!!!

Thank to Miss Andie Wurster of Assemble Gallery & Studio for spreading the word about scout. and the fab Trophy Cupcakes team for allowing us to use their gorgeous space! So elated to share our celebration over on Apartment Therapy!!!

photo cred: {mo hines photography via apartment therapy}