one year anniversary + neon signage

My husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary of not living in sin recently.  This year it fell on mother’s day and of course neither one of us made a reservation for brunch like we had meant to until the Friday before. Woops.  After frantically pulling up Open Table and realizing that our options were VERY slim (Buca di Beppo anyone?!) I saw that the Hornblower Cruise Line was hosting their annual all-you-can-eat-buffet/Mother’s Day brunch aboard “The Belle”; a turn-of-the-century 292 foot sternwheeler (secretly what sold me was the bottomless champagne that was promised):

So knowing that it would most likely be pretty cheesy we signed up with our good friends Jason Hallows and Sarah S. for the cruise around the San Francisco Bay.

We started off anniversary morning with a sweet gift exchange:

and then grabbed a bottle of Veuve from our ‘fridge and paper cups from the liquor store across from the BART to meet up with Jason and Sarah.

Not only did we get LIVE entertainment (one lone man in an oversized tan leather vest playing Eric Clapton covers), but we were also encouraged to take photos of the handmade (is there another way?) special watermelon showcasing itself at the end of the buffet line.   So I did.

We actually had a really great time, proving once again that the company you keep makes all the difference.

The boat had some really cool details:

Which made me think of an interior detail I have always ached to do.  I love old signs and the Neon Museum of Las Vegas has some of the best in my opinion:

How great would it be to shove this 1970's leather tufted sofa against a huge brick wall in an industrial space:

throw a 70's Moroccan Beni Ourain rug under the sofa:

over beautiful polished concrete floors like these:

add one of these stunning metal base coffee tables with a Carrara marble top to play off the concrete floors:

Throw a couple of these felt Union Jack pillows by Karen Hilton Designs on the sofa:

with a few mongolian lamb pillows?  These guys are cheap from West Elm:

Maybe the Tom Dixon "Jack" lamp for and extra seat and mood lighting:

and an Arredoluce floor lamp like one of these ones from the 50's and 60's:

To complete the look - the grand finale - throw this on the brick above the sofa – "MODERN Casino", light it up and put on a record:

Soundtrack: The Rat Pack, of course.