with love from Guyana

Having grown up in Guyana, gingham makes me think of school uniforms. Children in Guyana, from nursery school (kindergarten) and even some in high school wear gingham on a daily basis. When the trend started to pick up I couldn’t wrap my head around being seen in school uniform material. Now, I like it when done right.

from pinterest.com

Since I associate gingham with adolescence, seeing the elegant and sophisticated styles that have been gracing runways and magazines has completely put a spin on what I now think of gingham. It is for looking cute and stylish in warm weather! It’s not just for your picnic table spread anymore.

Today, I am share a few of my favorite gingham styles and pieces with you.

from wachabuy.com

In Outfit Post

Outfit Post: Stripe Halter + Steve Madden Tassel Sandals

michelleandreaJuly 18, 2017July 7, 2017Leave a comment

The warm weather has taken me outdoors to explore new places, old houses, and paddle boarding. I paid a trip to the Ca’ d’Zan in Sarasota a few weekends ago. The Ca’ d’Zan is the mansion that the owners of the Ringling circus called home during the winter months. It is a Mediterranean Revival mansion directly on the water which allows it to enjoy fabulous breezes and has some of the prettiest stained glass windows I have ever seen on a house.

The estate is now home to the Ringling Circus Museum which has displays that are equally as fascinating as they are haunting. The costumes definitely yelled at me and I spent quite a bit of time perusing their construction. There was a gigantic to-scale model of what the set up of the circus would have been back in the day as it traveled around the country – talk about attention to detail on some of those pieces!

In Style

Outfit Inspiration: All White Everything

michelleandreaJuly 13, 2017July 6, 2017Leave a comment

Do you ever get an invitation to a party and the dress code requires an all white ensemble? They’re so tough to keep clean. Hello, I spill soy sauce on everything. But that woe aside, an all white ensemble when done right is absolutely stunning. Here are a few favorites that I’ve come across.

from lolobu.com

from gayazahariblog.com

In Event Planning

Event Planning: Tropical Decor

michelleandreaJuly 8, 2017July 5, 2017Leave a comment

Since this is a Caribbean inspired blog, you should know that tropically inspired functions and designs are always catching my eye, and I see the need to share them with you. Summer has hit us in full force which means that we finally want to take our events outside (when it is late enough in the day that the sun is no longer directly over head parching us). And of course, we need the decor to suit.

So while perusing Pinterest I found a few ideas and here they are…

from lonny.com

from bodasnovias.com

In Blog

Book Review: Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

michelleandreaJuly 3, 2017July 5, 2017Leave a comment

from thehoneycombers.com

As you may know, I have enjoyed both prequels to this book. Kevin Kwan did not disappoint in the third installment of his series.

The matriarch of the family is on her way out. The entire family is headed to Tyersall Park to bid their adieus, some in the hopes of having a nice inheritance and others to mend rifts in their relationships. We run into characters from previous books that have remarried and taken over other’s estates. There are characters marrying into European royalty whose stepmothers are insanely and irrationally jealous of them. There are couples who were previously trying to have babies to no avail finally welcome bundles of joy. And, divorces from hell including ex-wives that have to be hospitalized for mental breakdowns.