When we first listened to Honeypie, their songs instantly put a smile on our faces. With their cheerful vocals, we knew their sound was perfect for our latest spring lookbook, Tea for Two, and we couldn't wait for the rest of our Ruchettes to fall in love with them, too. Continue reading learn more about Ryan and Trisha, the adorable duo behind Honeypie.

What is the story behind Honeypie? How did you come up with the name?

We met in 2006; we were both in a band called Venus Infers. "Honeypie" is the name of a song from an album by one of our favorite bands.

Describe the other in 3 words.

To describe Ryan: ambitious, playa, yarp

To describe Trisha: prankster, songbird, fawn

What is your favorite thing about being a musician?

It's a way to communicate with people on a unique level. Also, it's fulfilling to work on a craft.

What’s one of your fondest band memories?

It was a great feeling listening to the final mixes of the album we put out last year, after working on it over a period of six months.

Who/what provides you the most inspiration during your song writing process?

Like most people, a combination of brand new music and classic favorites inspire us.

What’s your favorite original song?

Our favorite song of the last album is Della. It is the last song we wrote for the album, so it feels the freshest.

Name a song you can’t stop listening to right now.

Ryan: Swim and Sleep Like a Shark - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Trisha: Pink Matter by Frank Ocean. I like rapping along with Andre 3000

What do you do when you’re not playing music?

Trisha: Eating cream puffs, painting, and decorating cakes.

Ryan: Drinking tea and eating Mexican food.

Any upcoming plans for 2013?

We're going to record again at the end of the year. We're also looking forward to the new season of Arrested Development. The rest is top secret.

♥

 
Adore Honeypie as much as we do? See more!
Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | YouTube | MySpace

xo,
Ruche 

***Are you a musician too? If so, we'd love to feature you! Click here for more details.

If you love 1950s fashion as much as we do, you’re in for a treat! Our stylist has curated a 1950s inspired fashion collection filled with full skirts, skater dresses, and other 1950s fashion essentials to channel the decade this spring.

For ideas on how to style your picks and create a 1950s outfit with your current wardrobe, browse through our brand new illustrated vintage guide!

xo,
Ruche

Don’t allow a little rain in your life to keep you from seeing the beauty ahead! ♥

xo,

Ruche

Ruchettes, learn how to recreate this beautiful DIY that we used in our bridal lookbook, Forever and A Day.

Materials:

Hula Hoop

Scissors

Needle

Thread

Fabric

Lace

Directions:

1. Cut out a few long strips of fabric (about 2-3 inches wide). The fabric will be used to cover up the design of the hula hoop.

2. Tie one end of a fabric strip onto the hula hoop. Start wrapping it tightly around the hula hoop. Once you reach the end, secure the fabric strip by tying it into a knot. Continue until the entire hoop is covered.

3. Place the hula hoop onto the lace and start cutting around it. Make sure to leave 3-4 inches of extra fabric around the hula hoop when you cut. 

4. To secure the lace, fold the edges over the back side of the hula hoop. Use a needle and thread to start stitching the lace into place. You can cut or tuck in the excess lace into the back of the hula hoop. 

5. Continue stitching and tucking all the way around the hula hoop until the lace is tightly secured, and then you're done!

xo,

Ruche

♥

Have a DIY project that you are interested in sharing? We'd love to see it! Send your instructions and unedited photos to blog@shopruche.com for a chance to join our Ruche Blogger Family and become published.

We're in love with this elopement story by Guest Blogger, Nicole. Take a peek at her romantic outdoor ceremony and swoon over how she wore our bridal dress with a clever "something blue." ♥

"Patrick and I met in FL through mutual friends back in the 2008 and from that moment we spent the rest of our days together. After dating for three years Patrick proposed and  shortly after we relocated back to my home state of  NJ.   There were several trials and tribulations that contributed to us  both putting off making our decision on where we would get married that would "keep everyone happy" regarding location/travel."
"We had a vacation planned to visit Seattle in November 2012 when the idea occurred to us. We should just elope while we're in WA state! We did some research and found the perfect venue to hold our private elopement. It was called TreeHouse Point in Issaquah, WA. This place is a sight to see with towering trees draped in green moss and  cozy tree-houses. Our elopement package included an officiant who perfectly personalized our ceremony, an amazing photographer, a talented florist who through emailing photos created my  beautiful bouquet and a one night stay  inside the treehouse of our choice. The main house was even a bed and breakfast! It was just the most romantic place."

"Being that it was just the two of us there were no distractions, no worrying about if everyone else was happy just Patrick and I gazing deeply into each others eyes as we read aloud our own vows. What a perfect start we had, we wouldn't change a thing. Our wedding under the trees was simply romantic and absolutely unique."
"With less than one month to prepare I was on a mission for the perfect dress. I had seen Ruche's bridal collection and adored it, but I was skeptical about ordering my wedding dress online. So I continued to look for something similar in stores and continued to come up empty handed. Nothing compared to Ruche's vintage accents and attention to detail, so I took the plunge and placed my order and boy was I happy I did. Ruche had exactly what I was looking for,  it fit beautifully and I couldn't have been more pleased."   --Nicole

xo,

Ruche

Spring fashion has arrived! If you're looking for new spring outfits, here is our list of spring trends to incorporate into your wardrobe.

Spring Fashion Trend #1: Mixed and Matched Pastel Colors

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #2: Chic Black and White Pairings

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #3: Watercolor Prints

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #4: Floral Printed Suits

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #5: Stripes, stripes, and more stripes!

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #6: Feminine Ruffles

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #7: Ruffled Dresses (Who says we can list ruffles twice?)

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #8: Peplum Details

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #9: Coral (A vibrant color among the pastels is a must-have!)

shop the look

Spring Fashion Trend #10: Mint (Still one of our favorite trends, especially with lace!)

shop the look

View our feature, Stepping into Spring, to shop all the spring fashion trends. ♥

xo,
Ruche

Happy Sunday, Ruchettes!

xo,

Ruche

pictured above: fairmont empress lace dress

Meet Hayley, our April Ruchette of the Month! As a local customer, we got the honor to meet Hayley in person and she's just the sweetest thing! We got to talking and discovered that she not only has amazing style, but she has an amazing singing voice too. ♥ Continue reading to find out more about Hayley's sense of style and music career.

Tell us a little bit about your personal style. How would you describe it?
Vintage, but fun! Think: rhinestones and pearls.

Who/what inspires your style?
I love Teen Vogue. Also, I follow M Loves M [our stylist's blog!] and Ruche, of course.

What are your everyday styling essentials?
Earrings, always. And lipgloss.

What kind of earrings?
STUDS. Omigosh, I probably have 30 pairs or so.

Do you prefer... dresses or pants?
Everyday? Probably dresses.

Stripes or polka dots?
That's easy: polka dots!

Why do you love being a Ruchette?
I love the girly aspect of it, the classy style. It's a style for everyone.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself. :)
I'm really shy! But through my music, I'm able to express myself and share my story.

How did your interest in music begin?
I started singing at 8 years old. Seriously singing around 16 or so. I've always enjoyed writing too.

What inspires you most when writing your music?
Personal life or anyone I meet and their story. People don't take the time to listen, and I think we should.

Do you have a favorite place to sit down and write?
In my room! I can just sit down with my guitar and write there. It's my creative space -- vintage inspired and decorated in lights.

Do you have any favorite songs you've written so far?
“Please Don't Let Go”. I wrote the song as I was contemplating my hopes of being able to create music that touches people and travel and perform, etc. I was imagining all of these wonderful things happening, but thinking of all the wonderful memories I might be leaving behind. I'm really proud of it.

Who are your current favorite artists?
Ed Sheeran! When I first heard his music, all I could think was, "When are you coming to America?!" I also love Parachute. The lead singer is an amazing writer.

-- Hayley Solano

♥

If you adore Hayley, follow her music and inspirations here:
Website: http://www.hayleysolano.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hayleysolano
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hayleysolanomusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hayleysolano
Tumblr: http://hayleysolano.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/hayleysolano

xo,

Ruche

Send your outfit photos to blog@shopruche.com for a chance to be featured in our Style Files and to become our next Ruchette of the Month! *Please note that all outfits must include at least one Ruche item. In addition, be sure to mention why you love being a Ruchette, and let us know if you have a personal blog too!

When we asked Kate Fisher, the designer of Synergy Organic Clothing, to describe her brand in three words, she said, "Organic, comfortable, and flattering." We say, what could be better than that?! ♥ Continue reading to find out more about the organic clothing brand and how Kate promotes an eco-friendly lifestyle and fair trade practices.

Tell us about the inspiration behind the brand.
Synergy was originally inspired by my love of travel and adventure. When I was 21, I bought a one-way plane ticket to Kathmandu, Nepal and during my first week there, I bought some clothing and textiles that I sent to friends in in the US. I loved the appeal of bringing back clothing and textiles from Nepal and India to share with people in the US. It reminded me of the silk route traders from long ago, but with a modern day twist. Since then, the brand has evolved, and my inspirations are a synergy of everything from my connection to an organic lifestyle (which includes eating organic foods and practicing yoga), to my love of expressing oneself through fashion (which developed while growing up in New York City), to rock 'n roll music (as I first sold Synergy at Grateful Dead shows and still find music to be a source of inspiration), and to my love of travel and deep connection to Nepal.

How is the clothing produced?
As the designer for Synergy, I work with a local pattern maker in San Francisco who helps me develop new styles of clothing. We then have the entire line produced and sewed in Kathmandu, Nepal. They are hand stitched by Nepalese women, giving them a fair wage. I have been making clothing there for just about 20 years, since December of 1993, and I have a close connection to the people and the factory we work with.

[Pictured: Kate with her Nepal team! Fun fact: The design Kate is pointing to happens to be her new owl applique for Spring 2013.]

shop: owl applique dress

What is the importance of being organic and eco-friendly?
I believe in right livelihood: making a living in a way that is conscious to the planet and its people and hopefully contributing positively to the planet. That includes making as small a footprint as possible. In clothing production, we can do by working exclusively with organic fabrics and low impact dyes, creating as little waste as possible in the production and distributing process, making well-made products that will last over time and become long time staples in a closet, and by paying fair living wages that benefit many people.

shop: peacock dress

What is it like to work for Synergy?
Synergy is an evolving company that has been growing significantly every year for the past seven years, and as a work environment, I would say it is becoming more and more exciting to work for. There are a lot of very talented, dynamic, fun, nice people working for our company. It feels like everyone is able to contribute to the growth and direction of the company and we are like a family in many ways. I think our employees appreciate working for a locally owned family business. We are not a corporation, we value everyone involved, and as we grow there are more and more opportunities.

How would you describe your personal style? Do you have any favorite Synergy pieces from your collection?
Urban bohemian with a classic twist! I would not say I have a favorite piece in any collection, but for Spring and Summer 2013, I really like our tank paneled dress and the pocket dress. Both are easy-to-wear pieces that are flattering.

 shop: pocket dress

Lastly, we adore love stories, so we have to ask about your husband, Henry. What's your story?
Henry and I met at a Phish concert in Ventura, CA in 1997. He worked for the band’s non profit foundation and I was a fan of the band. We got together again at a Phish concert festival in Maine, which is the state where I was born. It was my 25th birthday and the stars were aligned and we have been together ever since (and now have two children). I was actually selling my clothing at the festival and Henry seemed to find what I did pretty interesting and mentioned that he would love to be apart of it. I still think back at his foretelling remark as here we are 16 years later working on Synergy together and synergizing our strengths and interests together to put into our company. It has been a beautiful journey together and I still enjoy seeing how it is all unfolding.

 -- Kate Fisher

Love Synergy Organic Clothing as much as we do? Shop the organic clothing collection here!

xo,
Ruche

above: pocket mirror, macaron trinket box (sold out), book & lipstick (Julia's)

A bookworm and a beauty guru? This set of items belongs to our fashionably chic and talented wordsmith, Julia! When we asked our copywriter about her must-have essentials, she said, "I can't leave home without a favorite lipstick! It's the final accessory I need to complete any look."

 

 above: business cards, shoe clips, sunglasses (sold out), peanut butter

Who needs business cards, stylish essentials, and something for her sweet tooth? Mara, our buyer and stylist, of course! While always on the go -- shopping, styling photo shoots, and meeting new designers -- Mara has something in her bag for every event of the day. "The most random, but essential, item in my bag is peanut butter," Mara says. "The to-go packets keep me energized!"

 above: rattle, notebook, pacifier & travel-sized perfume (Mai's)

As a CEO and new mom, Mai's purse has a few new additions -- baby items! "A rattle and spare pacifier are necessary now, especially in a restaurant when Amelie starts to cry!" While always on the go, Mai also comments, "I always carry a notebook with me. Whenever I get inspired, I love to jot my thoughts down on paper vs notes on my phone."

Tell us, what are your on-the-go essentials?

xo,
Ruche