Spring Finds & Party Planning

I am one of those people who loves having fresh flowers around the house. It changes my whole mood. I normally just pick up a $5 bouquet from Trader Joes and put a couple of mason jars around the house with a few stems. My favorite flowers to have around are tulips and hydrangeas. But it’s not always practical to have fresh ones on a daily basis. While at Target last week, I spotted two little spring “pick-me-ups” as I like to call them to have on hand! They won’t die on me, and when I come home with fresh ones, I can put these off to the side. I love the periwinkle blue color with the green in my dining room. At least the apple is real!

And I couldn’t leave this cute little orchid vase at the store all by itself. It needed a cozy home as well right next to my green elephant.

 

This weekend we are throwing our first ever beer tasting party. It just sounded like fun! Relaxed and low key. We’ve been a bit emotional around here lately so spending time with good friends is just what the doctor ordered. I will be back next week to share the deets and any tips I learn along the way in case you are up for throwing one as well.

Each guest will have a beer tasting glass with their initial on it. I used little squares of chalkboard vinyl I made. That’s all I will share for now . . . a couple of my guests are sweet enough to pop in on this little blog of mine every now and again so I don’t want to share all of my secrets just yet!

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h a p p y   w e e k e n d

 

Colorful Outdoor Spaces

Spring has arrived and I am so excited about spending more time outdoors. We are lucky to have beautiful weather most of the year, but there is nothing like the first few weeks of Spring. I like that the flowers start to bloom and the grass takes on a vibrant green hue. We spend a great amount of time on our front porch watching the kiddos ride bikes. A few new toss pillows for our porch might be in order after spying these pretty spaces from World Market. These images make you want to pour a tall glass of chilled lemonade. See for yourself!

…………………………………… punch of color

 

……………………………………….coastal vibe

But if you prefer more subdued, coastal hues, than maybe some of these spaces from Pottery Barn will catch your eye:

And I dream about one day having a space like this! Your all invited!

{five images above via pottery barn}

While I might not have any of the above spaces, I do have an excitement about Spring and know the power of a few great outdoor pillows and some brightly blooming flowers. That I can do! Oh, and don’t forget the ice cold lemonade. Enjoy your day.

 

 

 

 

A Place for Jewelry

First and foremost, a huge heartfelt thank you to all of you who sent such sweet messages yesterday as we were spending time honoring my brother’s memory. They meant more than you can imagine.

It is ingrained in blogger’s brain to take great “before” shots.  I followed through on that code of conduct and took  before shots of a space in my bedroom. But alas, I have searched high and low and in every file folder imaginable and somehow they are gone. So today I am only able to show you after photos. Not the same impact, but believe me when I say this little spot was a disaster. My hubby can attest to that. Do any of you have some built in cabinets in a room or hallway that tend to collect junk? Constantly? We have such a spot as you walk into our master. The storage is fantastic, but the top area always becomes cluttered. I knew I needed to give the spot some purpose. I find that if I have one single purpose for an area it remains clean most of the time. So I decided to turn this spot into a jewelry station for myself. It’s near the master closet and bathroom so it’s a perfect spot to pause and grab a bracelet and my watch and head out the door.

The fish is totally random, I know. I picked him up at HomeGoods one day. No matter where I went in the store he seemed to keep catching my eye so I had no choice but to scoop him right up and bring him home. The monogram art work I made here {Megan had inspired me on that one!}. The photo is my daughter the first time we let her walk around in the sand. She LOVED it and headed for the water the whole time. It’s one of my favorite photos.

The accent color in our master bedroom is a tangerine/coral hue. I picked up this wrapping paper at World Market. Have you seen their gorgeous papers? They are extremely heavy . . . almost cloth like. If you are looking for a cheap and beautiful way to dress any wall, I highly suggest you check out their papers. They are frame worthy and make great art. For this space, I just used thumb tacks in all four corners after measuring the paper to fit. I like that it ties in the other pops of coral and is a much prettier backdrop.

I also picked up two items from Anthropologie. The egg dish and the bowl are two of my favorites each time I walk into that store. This was a nice spot to incorporate those pieces to hold my everyday jewelry. My other costume pieces are hanging in the cabinet above.

 

Inside the upper cabinet I used a cork tile from Target. They come with sticky squares to use to adhere it to the door. I then used thumb tacks to hang my necklaces from.

Here is a look while walking into our master so you can see exactly where this little spot is. Off to the left is a built in upper and lower cabinet and now I have my little girly girl spot to put my pretty things!

What about you? Do you have a spot that is getting clogged up with clutter? Giving my clutter spot one single purpose has changed everything.

 

A Birthday Tribute

I will be taking the day off today to spend time with my family. We will be honoring a piece of us that is missing.

 

march 26, 1970 – august 27, 2011

My big brother would have been 42 today. He is missed every single day. Among so many things, he was a talented and gifted writer. And for me, writing my blog each day has been a valuable way to grieve and to feel connected to my brother.

brilliant . . . hilarious . . . charming

I miss you, Tim. Thanks for watching over us. We plan to spend the day doing things you loved to do.

Friday Eye Candy: Austin Style

A couple of weeks ago I met up with a dear friend of mine in Austin, Texas. We had both never been to the city but had heard amazing things about it. Austin certainly did not disappoint. Not only are the people extremely friendly, but the city is overflowing with great places to see. I have to admit that we spent the majority of our time exploring yummy places to eat. We even hit up a spa for a relaxing manicure and pedicure. One of the spots that was a must see after meeting a well informed Austin-ite at The Bar Congress was Urbanspace Interiors. While once known as Threshold, Urbanspace Interiors is the standout source for cutting edge design in Austin. Names like Missoni and Kartell are at home in this showroom.  I was a bit like a kid in a candy store. Here are a few images I snapped while wandering around the fantastic space. And a huge thank you to Kevin Burns for letting me pop in and take a peek.

………………….……………..urbanspace interiors

And how cute is my friend chilling while I soak in all of the eye candy. She is looking pretty comfy in that stylish chair!

Speaking of chairs, the wall of chairs had me at hello. Just stunning.

We also took a break from our normal routine and treated ourselves to some pampering at milk + honey. What a fantastic spa. The service was wonderful!

 

I can’t say enough about Second Bar + Kitchen. Located on Congress, it was nothing short of scrumptious. The chef is truly gifted and everything we tried was delicious. Great staff and a fun place to grab appetizers, dinner, or just drinks.

 

The W Hotel was a perfect place to stay. It is in an ideal location and within walking distance to many shops and restaurants. The hotel itself is swankalicious and boasts many lounge type areas for relaxing as well as being social.

 

…………………………… the ginger man

Known for their fine imported beers, the ginger man has rich history and is a fun pub to drop in on. This spot is across the street from The W Hotel.

 

Horribly dark and blurry phone photo, but no trip wrap up is complete without a personal photo. Tina and I have been friends since freshman year of college {just a couple of years ago!}. So blessed to have her in my life and what a great adventure we had in Austin!

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What about you? Any great places in Austin that you never want to miss?

Easter Ideas: Gathering Inspiration

We are very excited to be hosting Easter this year. Spoiler Alert: to my wonderful and sweet family that reads my blog you may want to shut her down! That way you will be surprised on Easter Sunday! I decided instead of racking my brain this year and trying to reinvent the wheel somehow, I would look to others to inspire me and give me some much need direction for my Easter table. So who else to turn to but Martha to get the juices flowing:

That seems simple enough. . . I am sure I can figure out how to stick some grass to my candles.

This I like and I suddenly have a few egg cups on my hands for another party I am hosting in April. Hmm.

Simple and sweet. But I would have to paint my egg cups or else it would look really bland.

This is completely adorable. However, with three children at our table and two teenagers, the candy wouldn’t stand a chance. Darling as it is, I think it would be a little too tempting for my crew.

I can only drool over this one. I love everything about it. It’s rustic and fresh at the same time. Could someone please drop this off on my front door! Anyone? Easter Bunny???

Also dreamy. So simple. So beautiful.

above images: Martha Stewart.com

My sister busted out with this last year. Gorgeous, right. One talented girl!

 

 

Emily sprayed her mason jars a soft aqua blue. I think I must use these in my Easter table setting somehow. Perhaps a mix of these with fresh white flowers and some rustic elements. I like clean, simple, and fresh. So the planning continues! If only it would all magically appear on my table somehow.

How about you all? Are you hosting Easter? next up will be planning the menu.

I will be back next week with ideas for that.