Friday Eye Candy: Backyard Party

Remember Three Men and a Lady! Well sweet Michelle is now 4 Men 1 Lady. And shortly after having her third baby boy, threw the most charming backyard bash. What makes this even more delicious is that they have just recently moved and most of their house is under construction. I would have made reservations! Not Miss Michelle. Look at what they did:

 

Fantastic, right! Can we talk for a moment about the cookies on top of the milk jars? Perfect. And while I have taken a table outside for parties before, I never dreamed of taking out frames, mirrors and chairs! Amazing. Michelle purchased the drink dispensers from Home Goods and the glass jars from Wal Mart. You can see more of the party details and sources over at her great blog. Thanks for letting us drool over this sweet party, Michelle.

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Happy Friday to you all! I will be spending the weekend painting the big boy room! Wish me luck!

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What are you up to this weekend?

I Heart San Francisco: The Chronicles

For our 8th wedding anniversary, my hubby planned a great stay in San Francisco for the weekend. We had a fantastic time. It’s only an hour flight from where we live and the children were in great hands. Having been to the city many times before, it was much more about enjoying the time away in a great place than seeing all of the tourist attractions. We stayed at the Hyatt right in Union Square. Such a great location. I was up in SF a day earlier for a blogger meet-up so I was able to shop shop shop while I waited for Ryan to join me. Wow. I had somehow forgotten about the shopping mecca that is Union Square. Dreamy. I also just relaxed and chilled in the square. It was really refreshing to have a cup of coffee and savor the fact that nobody needed me.

Union Square

The trip also coincided with the Special Olympics annual event at the Grand Hyatt. Extremely crazy brave men and women repelled down the side of the unbelievably tall hotel. Made my stomach turn just watching. I prefer my feet on the ground.

Night Life

If you are planning a trip anytime soon, we hit up some great hot spots both nights. All new to us and I always like to pass along fun places to go.

Zero Zero

Awesome atmosphere and so good we couldn’t get in until 9:15. Fantastic pizza and Italian food. Yummy. Loved the olive oil drizzled over ice cream {never thought I would have!}.

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Rouge & Blanc

Rouge & Blanc is a charming little wine bar with a comfortable feel. We shared the bake brie with fresh fruit and the ahi tartar.  And as you can see from the funky chandy, it definitely had a hip and current vibe.  Chef Laurent Manrique and the team at Café de la Presse created this unique wine bar.

 

Rick House

 

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“She’s a rick . . . . house!” Couldn’t resist. This place was fantastic. They specialize in cocktails and have mixologists {who knew} that take their jobs very seriously! Oh, and don’t order a beer like I did! Not the place to do that. FANTASTIC atmosphere and really really fun. In fact, while we were there, they were told they won the Best High Volume Cocktail Bar in the nation. Not bad. We both immediately fell in love with the brick walls, great lighting and rustic feel. This place fills up quickly!

Shopping

On our way down to Pier 1, we happened upon Anthropologie { I can’t seem to stay out of that store}. So glad we wandered through as they had the craziest bridge built out of Rice-A-Roni boxes. LOVE!!!!

PIER 1: Farmer’s Market

On Saturday, we headed down to Pier 1 for the Farmer’s Market. So worth it. I couldn’t get over the gorgeous flowers. Simply stunning. Also worth the $3 is the sorbet. Out of this world.

And while I tried to leave all technology and blogging behind for two days, I couldn’t pass up a photo of my favorite chairs. I LOVE an industrial chair and rustic table. And the oversized galvanized planters were super cute.

Fisherman’s Wharf

We then headed down to Fisherman’s Wharf courtesy of the cutest rickshaw driver ever. Missed snapping a pick but he couldn’t have been nicer and it was a super fun ride. We hit up Sabella & La Torre for delicious clam chowder and fresh shrimp cocktail.

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The Irish Bank {after a long walk}

Then my hubby decided we should WALK back to Union Square. Let’s just say it wasn’t short. Tired and done with walking we landed at The Irish Bank pub for a pint of Guinness. Another great spot not to miss if you are near Union Square. It’s a popular Irish Pub located in an alleyway and is filled with locals relaxing after work.

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Goodbye to San Fran

We really had a tremendous weekend. Although after writing this post I realize it seems like all we did is eat and drink our way through San Fran. There might be some truth to that. Always nice to push the “refresh” button and spend some much needed time away as a couple. And the best part of traveling without my sweet ones is not having to censor a word I say! Kind of nice for a change. Of course it’s great to be back and snuggling with the babies. Thanks for letting me share.

Big Boy Room: Artwork Part 1

We are busy working on G’s big boy room. We took down the crib and began building his bed here. I am now working on some special artwork to hang on his walls. I have always been a believer in meaningful artwork. Whether it’s a special photo or a child’s drawing, artwork appeals to me when it evokes a memory or special emotion. So our little G graduated from his Mommy and Me class! On the day of his last class, his AMAZING teachers put a special sticker on him. It read, “I did my best!” It was the cutest thing to listen to him tell his daddy that night that he had done his best and his teachers were proud of him. Ahhhh! Isn’t that what we strive for. It has quickly become a family mantra. Thank you Miss Wendy and Miss Carol. Here is our son on the last day wearing his special sticker!

So I decided to recreate the sentiment for one of the frames in his new big boy room. Here is what we can up with:

I will choose which one to use once we decide if we are going navy or royal blue! My son came into the room when I was making this and said, “What are you working on?” When I showed him and read it he said, “Because Grady did his best.” I love when he refers to himself in the third person! Where do they come up with this stuff.

Take 5 Tuesday #5: Repurposing Containers

Today’s Take 5 Tuesday is dedicated to the power of a pretty little container! I am all about organization and two things in my daily routine kept bugging me.

a pretty way to corral coffee

The first is my morning coffee routine. I am not quite awake until I have that first cup of coffee. I had been keeping the coffee and filters on the countertop and they just looked ugly. So I scooped up a darling little planter from Ikea. I am all about repurposing and this lacey little number holds my coffee and filters perfectly. Take a look

sassy soap container

The second pretty little container is actually a pencil holder from The Container Store. With a dispenser of soap slipped inside, it is much nicer on the eyes.

Overall, the kitchen is much neater and makes me smile every morning.

wrangling my rings

One of my bad habits is that I constantly take off my rings and leave them here and there. I can’t stand wearing jewelry when I am diving into projects. And because most of my days are spent doing some little project, the rings are constantly coming off. And then there is always the mad search for them before we leave the house. It drives my hubby cuh-razeeee!  So I found this sweet little elephant at Home Goods. I really have no idea what it is supposed to be used for, but I have it perched right above my kitchen sink so that I can slip my rings in it while cooking or doing dishes.

 

This blue and white dish is actually a soap dish. Home Goods has a super cute line of blue and white bathroom items right now and I knew this would be perfect for the living room.

What about you? Do you have some cute containers around your house that have been repurposed? I would love to hear about them. It’s amazing how such a tiny tiny change can make your life so much more organized . . . and pretty!

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please help me find a rug!

In a totally unrelated topic, I need your help. I thought our living room was just about finished. But sadly, I had to return my new zebra rug. Although I am head over heels in love with it, I couldn’t stand the shedding. It was everywhere. I have looked high and low for a similar rug. If you come across one, or already know of one, can you shoot me an email!

San Francisco Blogger Meet-Up

What a whirlwind trip! I flew up to San Francisco on Thursday for the blogger meet-up. It was so worth it. Thank you to Cristin from Simplified Bee and Malka of Closet Innovations for hosting. I have a few pictures for you and will recap my anniversary trip in another post. First up is a photo that most bloggers seem to pull off. You have seen the adorable Cassie from Hi Sugarplum and others snap cute shots of their outfits. So I gave it a try . . . I failed. This is the best I could come up with! Half of me. Ridiculous.

I tried some more but felt like such a fool that the best you are going to get is a shot where I have successfully cut off my other arm. I think I will leave the fashion posts to the other bloggers. So I flew in, did a quick change of clothes and it was off to meet up with the girls before the official meet up.

Michaela {Michaela Noelle Designs}, Michelle {Ten June}, Me, Natasha {Schue Love}, Tori {An Apple a Day}

Mackenzie, Tori & Michelle {Sisters}, Michaela

Michaela, Natasha, Michelle, Tori, Mackenzie {Design Darling}, Crisitn {Simplified Bee}, Kate {Centsational Girl}

 

Michelle, Erica from Moth Design, and  Courtney from Courtney Out Loud} . . .

Courtney and I even had the same exact calling cards! Great minds! And Erica is such an impressive interior designer and mom to five boys! She was in for the weekend from Canada.

Oh, I miss these girls already. It’s amazing to me that we have formed friendships through our blogs and felt as though we had already know each other a lifetime. It really was such a fantastic night. Thanks for all of the giggles, girls.

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I hope you all had a great weekend as well. I can’t wait to share more about my San Francisco trip as well as some more client rooms I have finished lately.  Have a great day!

Friday Eye Candy: Showhouse Inspired

Happy Friday to you all! I am gaga over this amazing home that Virginia Mary Brown created in Houston. She has always been addicted to decorating and was especially inspired by various show houses while designing her own. Virginia worked with an architect to make sure the home was not over the top and truly felt “real.” She succeeded. Pay close attention to the rocking chair. The names of all who sat in it to rock babies are listed on the fabric. What an extraordinary piece. Enjoy. All images are from Traditional Home.

Gorgeous home for her and her four boys! I love the gallery walls and that rocking chair. Beautiful. You can read all of the details over at Traditional Home. I will be back on Monday for a San Francisco wrap up party!