Color Day Themes: Butterfly Garden

Springtime brings flowers and flowers require pollination so..bring on the butterflies!  Butterflies are delicate, beautiful, perfect for a whimsical springtime garden wedding. Sure having butterflies adorn your cake and tables is making a truly feminine statement, one that your guy might not be too keen on, but we say go for it anyway and celebrate your inner girly girl!  Go colorful and bright or light and muted, either way your sure to create a carefree and romantic look.

Images from: BHLDN, Saks, Martha Stewart, Neiman Marcus, Celebrity Prom Dresses, Cut The Cake Designs, Recycled Ideas, Nature Favors, Sweet Cookie, Bridal Shoppe, Pink Cake Box, Garden Leaf Design      

XOXO

Jen & Saira

The Big 5-0!

Omg! We just hit 50 followers. Yay!

 Thanks for all your support, dolls!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Saira's BHLDN Dream Wedding

Now that you saw Jen's "dream wedding", it's time for Saira to share. While we both have similar styles, Jen's look is a bit more soft and romantic, while Saira's can be more casual or hip. The wonderful thing about BHLDN is that it encompasses both our styles, and everything in between, to create unique bridal fashion that everyone can enjoy.

The Dress:

Traditional wedding gowns are gorgeous, but not for everyone. If you're a hippie chick or love the vintage look, then this burnished organza gown is perfect for you. It has a bronze sequined bodice which adds some personality and color to the dress, without being overwhelming or gaudy. The five tiers of silk create a wonderful silhouette, perfect for gracefully swishing down the aisle.


The Jewelry:

Because the neckline of the organza gown is so embellished, we suggest wearing a bracelet rather than a necklace or earrings, in order to avoid too much clutter in the neck region. We think these simple moonstone bangles are a perfect compliment, dressing up your bare arms with just a touch of gold.

The Shoes:

 These peep toe sandals would work for both the brides and bridesmaids (below), adding some color to both ensembles.


The Accessory:

If you can't tell already, a pea / lime green is Saira's accent color of choice.  It would look great with the bridesmaid dresses (below) and tie the whole look together.


The Bridesmaids:

If the bride is dressed simply, then so should the bridesmaids. This short and sweet pleated dress is wonderfully simple, but chic! It is in the same cream colored family as the organza gown, with a pea green sash to add some color. The chiffon neckline gives it a vintage feel, making the bridesmaid the prim little sister to the free spirited bride.

Happy wedding, dolls!

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Jen's BHLDN Dream Wedding

If you read our blog regularly you may have noticed we tend to focus on items from a handful of stores that we find stylish and unique.  One of our favorites is Anthropologie, so, you can imagine our excitement to hear that  Urban Outfitters (the overarching company for Anthro, Free People, etc.) has launched a brand new BRIDAL LINE called BHLDN (pronounced "Beholden")!  Although we agree the name is pretty terrible, we can ignore that small detail because the clothes and style is simply wonderful. To share the wonder that is BHLDN, we've decided to put together our "dream weddings" based on what we found while exploring the new site. Here is "Jen's Dream BHLDN Wedding".  Be sure to check back next week for Saira's BHLDN picks:

The Dress:

 Be a carefree, bohemian goddess in this Cascading Goddess Gown. Light, airy, and flowing, this dress suits Jen's relaxed and romantic style and is perfect for an outdoor garden or beach wedding.

The Jewelry:

Sweet and delicate, these tiny gold floral studs, accented with freshwater pearls, are the perfect understated accessory to the whimsical and  enchanting gown above. 

The Shoes:

These bronze shoes, with pretty floral cutouts, go along nicely with the gold and cream tones to create a look that is earthy and ethereal.  

The Accessory:

Sticking to neutrals, this kisslock clutch is just the right combination of bohemian and romantic with its brass, kind of rustic looking, floral and pearl applique and soft, muted taupe/grey color .

The Bridesmaids:

Why should the bride get to have all the fun? This blush pink dress would compliment the bohemian bride nicely and add a subtle pop of color to the ensemble.  This dress is features beautiful sequins, velvet, and fun appliques all in a silhouette that is practical and a material that is light and comfortable.

Offbeat brides, rejoice!

XOXO,
Jen & Saira

Color Day Themes: Life's a Picnic

Springtime weather allows you the comfort of relaxing in the sun while enjoying the cool breezes, making it the perfect time for a picnic.  We love the feel of picnics - cuddling up on a blanket, watching the flowers bloom, filling your belly with homemade snacks, and really just enjoying the fresh air after being cooped up all winter!  Picnic parties are casual, low key, and fun for all.  Grab your blanket, your basket, and as much gingham as you can find, and have yourself a cozy little picnic.

Blue and White/Gingham/Picnic Inspiration Board

Images from: Elizabeth Ann Designs, Once Wed,  Delish, Maggie Aach Chi,  My Asian Wedding Favors, Ruffled, Wedding Tea Towels, Camille Style, Mod Cloth

XOXO

Jen & Saira   

Spring Fever

Dolls, rejoice! It's officially spring, so let's celebrate the season with some lovely floral looks available this year.  While floral prints usually exude all that is soft and feminine, it's easy to make these pieces more hip and edgy, or glamorous and stylish.  It's all about the attitude and accessories.  Here are some ideas:

A soft floral printed dress, like this belted dress from Forever 21, can be worn with a light colored cardigan, flats, and soft curls for a very sweet ensemble. But add some stockings, military boots, and eye liner, and all of a sudden you're Little Miss Grunge-Shine, à la Angela Chase.

Who said florals are for kids? Throw on this gorgeous sparkle necklace from  J. Crew, and you'll dazzle even Edward Cullen.  It would look great with a crisp white blouse and pencil skirt for some major style at work, or with your trusty LBD to make a major statement out on the town.

 We consider this dress to be our Dream Dress, as both of us separately fell in love with it on Mod Cloth and are still dreaming of excuses to purchase it.  The soft floral print, lovely pastel colors, and perfect vintage style fit is exactly what we dream of in a springtime dress.  The only downside is the price, but if you have an event in mind to wear this too, then there should be no stopping you.

The wonderful thing about Target is that they tend to have the cutest shoes and accessories, even if for only a limited time. These floral flats by Xhiliration are one of the cutest shoes we've seen at Target for a while, so make haste and grab yourself a pair before they're out of stock.  Saira's already invested in a pair, and for $19.99, so should you.

This floral skirt from Top Shop is so Kelly Kapowski, and we love it. While we don't suggest wearing this with a giant scrunchie, rolled down socks, and keds, we do think this would look great with nude colored peeptoes and a racer back tank, with maybe a long necklace to complete the ensemble.

Crossover bags are very in right now, and we can see why.  They're a nice change of pace from our oversized bags that can be used as a miniature weapon, resulting in an accessory that has both form and function.  If you plan on traveling this spring, or just don't want to feel weighed down, then go for this tapestry crossbody bag by Ecote.  It's just the right size to fit your cell phone, camera, lip gloss, and a pack of tissues (if you have nerdy allergies), and has a rustic tapestry print that is perfect for the spring.

A floral, flowing mini is pretty much our go to outfit for warm weather.  Just wear a plain tee or tank, and you're ready to go.  Delia's has a few nice choices, just remember to go for a size up because we're no longer 16!  Forever 21 is also a great place to look, as they have a number of different prints and colors available, the majority of them for less than $20 a pop!

Just because you're stuck indoors all day doesn't mean you don't appreciate seasons!  For your work wardrobe, incorporate florals with a simple patterned cardigan.  This would look lovely with a pencil or full 50's style skirt and is seasonal but subdued, perfect for a stodgy office. 


Spring is in bloom!

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Glee Character Inspiration: Emma Pillsbury

Stylish Emma Pillsbury, McKinley High's germaphobic guidance counselor, rounds out our Glee character inspiration series.  Easily the most polished dresser, she flawlessly coordinates colors, patterns, and styles that keep her looking fresh, bright, and cheerful.  A perfect blend of modern and vintage, Miss Pillsbury has a style perfectly suited to mimic her upbeat and quirky personality. 

Miss P may be afraid of germs, but she is certainly not afraid of color and prints.  Emma would shine in this teal and chartreuse Anthropologie frock with its fun polka dot print, pleats, and button details.  Pair it with your chartreuse cardigan for a totally coordinated look.

We are pretty sure Emma has every color cardigan imaginable but the allure of her style isn't just color, it's also the details!  What we love most about her tops is the fact that many of them have special embellishments on them that add a bit of vintage charm or romantic flair.  The above cardigan, with it's big romantic bow, would be welcome additions to what we imagine to be Emma's obsessive compulsive-ly organized closet.

A crisp white pussy bow front top is quite possibly the most important piece of clothing that you will need to add to your wardrobe if you want to dress like Miss Pillsbury.  Emma is seen over and over in tops like this (in all different colors and prints) that button all the way up and tie into a feminine bow.  This top is the perfect basic to go with your pencil skirt and matching cardigan!

What better to pair with your boy tie blouse than this sweet pencil skirt?  Not only is the color bright and bold but those bows are just too adorable!

   Emma has a wonderful, vintage style full of bright colors and bold prints. This sky blue and red cardigan is straight out of the 70s, and would look great with Emma's fiery red hair. As she's all about color coordinating, we can see her pairing this with a red pencil skirt and some sky blue jewelry.

Emma would also match her shoes to her colorful sweaters!  We particularly think she would love these red patent leather mary jane style pumps to with the above cardigan and some vintage blue baubles.  They are feminine and dainty and feature an adorable vintage inspired button detail on the side - simply charming!

 Emma looks delicious in peach, which is why she often wears it. This slim fit, trim cardigan from Forever 21 is straight out of Emma's closet, and would look great with a collared blouse peaking out underneath. We also recommend wearing this with a red or coral lip color... no dark purple (sorry random Forever 21 model!)

 Emma looks lovely head from toe, literally. She has flawless taste in footwear, and coordinates her outfit perfectly. This two-toned, low heel by Franco Sarto is perfectly Pillsbury, with the vintage style and dainty bow. She'll be stomping over Mr. Schue's heart with great style.


"A nooner is when you sneak out for desert in the middle of the day... right?" Oh, Emma!

XOXO
Jen & Saira

Color Day: Erin go Bragh

Roughly translated as "Ireland Forever", the phrase "Erin go Bragh" is a common phrase used to express allegiance to Ireland.  Saira is definitely not Irish and Jen is not quite sure what she is, but lucky for us, in the U.S. you don't need to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. St. Patty's Day is known for many things from leprechauns and rainbows to drinking Guinness and eating cabbage.  But, for most of us it is simply associated with the color green and the lush rolling hills of the "Emerald Isle:". Planning a springtime wedding or event?  Embrace the luck of the Irish with this inspiration board featuring shades of green and joyful clovers.

St. Patty's Day "Erin go Bragh" Wedding Color Inspiration Board

Images from: Liquid Courage, LilliansGarden, BeaconLane, Aprilink, JannysGirl, Green Wedding Shoes, Style Me Pretty, Wish Special Events, Simply Jubilee Blog, The Perfect Palette, Wed Share Daily, Abby Larson via Style Me Pretty, Martha Stewart     

May the road rise to meet you.

XOXO

Jen & Saira      

Happy Pi Day

Happy Pi Day, dolls! We've decided to get a little irrational this week and show some some geek chic items for you featuring the symbol or numbers of Pi.  We're no mathletes or even math enthusiasts, but, we do appreciate stylish things and there's no denying that there is a bit of charm and style in geeky fashion and decor.

 Celebrate Pi Day with a few drinks, just don't forget to protect your table with stylish, uber nerdy coasters like these!

Say "I Do" while showing your love for math with thesefun cufflinks!

Pretty sure we've shown you this one before, but we can't help but love it.  This copper cuff bracelet helps assure us that Math can be cool.

Simple and yet fascinating, this decorative glass bowl features the numbers of Pi to 1,498 decimal points. And, from now until the end of April a part of the proceeds will go towards relief efforts in Japan.

Your engineer, scientist, or number loving significant other will enjoy cracking open a cold one with this Pi bottle opener.  These babies sold out fast so they are now taking pre-orders.

Take Math class by storm with these colorful Pi pencils.  They are to 96 decimals or as long as your pencil is.

And, if you have pencils, you'll certainly need a stylish case to store them in. This hand embroidered pouch would be great for your pens, pencils, makeup and more!

Perfect your measurements while you shower with this modern, partially see through, shower curtain featuring the symbol of Pi.

We love jewelry and accessories and find the geeky but stylish pieces are hard to come by. But, when we saw these fun little disc earrings that are stamped with the Pi symbol we knew the search was over! 

These vegan homemade soaps are cute, colorful, and come in fresh and fruity scents. Just remember, this is Pi, not pie, and even though they smell good enough to eat we wouldn't recommend it.

XOXO
Jen & Saira

Glee Character Inspiration: Rachel Berry

With a style self described as "sexy school girl librarian chic", Rachel Berry surely has a look that is all her own.  Always trying her hardest to be stylish and well liked, Rachel never fails to look sweet and adorable. While she may not be a trendsetter at McKinley some of her style choices might look ok on their own, but there is just something about her ensembles that are slightly off.  If you want to dress like Rachel you'll need to pair your cute dresses with thick tights, wear plaid and knee socks, and then of course there are all the childish prints featuring hearts or animals.  Here are some ideas for channeling your inner diva.

 Every sexy school girl needs an equally sexy pleated skirt. We've had our eyes on this pleated skirt from American Appeal for a few years now, and although it's a bit pricey, it's definitely worth the investment.

Pair your pleated skirt with an equally as sweet top like this one that features some of Rachel's favorites like lace, puffy sleeves, and adorable little bows!  

We love Rachel Berry, but at times she looks like a very cute pilgrim. Keeping with her modest look, this crochet collar dress from Top Shop is right up Rachel's alley. The high neck and loose fit keeps it modest, but it's a bit on the short side, to show off Rachel's stems. We can see Rachel rocking this with a pair of bright red knee socks as she sings "Memories" while staring at a picture of Finn.

It may come as a surprise to you all, but many of Rachel's dresses come from Forever 21! This pink dress prefect for Rachel and would be easily Rachel-ized with a pair of opague white tights, a modest cardigan, and some Mary Janes.

You obviously can't get that Rachel Berry look without being able to rock a childish animal print shirt.  This shirt, covered with tiny black poodles, would be great paired with one of her many skirts, black cardigan, and red tights!

Dainty and pretty with a childish flair, these fancy little flats are meant for the spotlight.  Slip on a pair of these and we're sure they'll keep you dancing all the way 'til regionals.

Show your star power by wearing a star necklace, just like the one Finn gave Rachel. It's just a little bling for the tiniest of divas.

Defy Gravity.

XOXO
Jen & Saira

Color Day Themes: New Orleans Love

So, we're a little late, but we figured a Mardi Gras theme would be appropriate for this week's color day.  The festivities may have ended with the start of the Lenten season today, but that doesn't meant that you can't incorporate a similar theme into your party or event any time this year.  Carnival or Mardi Gras themes are festive and fun so break out the beads, put on your mask, crank up that jazz and bring and little of "The Big Easy" to your event.

Mardi Gras New Orleans Theme Wedding Inspiration Board

Images from: WeddingInspirasi, The Moon Maiden, Fashaddix, Bride Finds, Nordstrom, Ali Express, The Knot, Ten Thirteen Design, One Wed, The Posh Event, RBKCreations, Wedding Bee, Blue Moon Studios           

Let the good times roll.

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Happy Birthday, PDR!

Today we are so excited to announce the first birthday of Paper Doll Romance.  As PDR turns one year old we thought we would do something extra special, but we couldn't think of exactly what to do.  We thought, maybe a "best of" post, or a giveaway, or even a "Paper Anniversary" post. But, in the end, we just couldn't decide and figured we'd just keep it simple and post a little thank you to all of you who keep us going.  This year we've seen our little blog go from one or two followers to over 40, from one or two visits per day to over 400, and, to our great surprise, to this date our blog has been viewed by over 30,000 people worldwide.  We are so grateful to you all for keeping us motivated to write more and always welcome your thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc.  So, without further ado, please join us in wishing PDR a very happy 1st birthday.

Thanks, again!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Wedding Themes: Green Thumb Love

It's feeling a lot like spring, so let's celebrate the warm(er) weather with inspiration from a favorite spring activity: gardening. Gardening wedding themes can be quirky and stylish, perfect for the eco-chic couple who loves the great outdoors. Plus, gardens come in all types and styles from veggie to rose to wildflower and beyond so you can really use any color scheme you want, and mix and match your plants and flowers to create a very romantic escape.

Show your love of all things green with simple floral invitations. You can create a theme, with your save the date, invite, and thank you cards all portraying a different type of flower, creating an informal but very pretty look.

As a favor / place setting, use tiny potted plants. We think potted bamboo would be a great choice, but you can opt for something more leafy, or floral. This is a lovely way to add some color to your table settings, and give something nice for your guests to walk away with.

Instead of flowers, how about planted grass as a table setting? You can adorn it with smaller flowers, or keep it green and simple.  This is an especially attractive choice if you and your guy aren't into florals, and it has a clean and modern edge to it.

 Have a fragrant walk down the aisle holding a herbal wedding bouquet. We're partial to lavender, but thyme and oregano make equally fragrant and flattering additions to your wedding bouquet. The more green, the better!

Wearing a boutonniere is not every guy's dream, so make it subtle, like this mint boutonniere. Not only does it look chic, but he can chew on this to freshen his breath before the big kiss!

Make your  cake look like something our of a fairy tale with little birdies hanging on delicate branches. We especially like the "tree stump" serving platter, which really brings the look together.

Look like a faerie princess walking down the aisle with delicate flowers adorning your hair in lieu of a veil. This look is especially great with with soft curls or a loose updo, and is perfect for a laidback, carefree bride with a fun sense of style.

XOXO,
Jen & Saira