Tuesday, March 29, 2016

DREAM HOME EYE CANDY


I've been wanting to share his home with you for awhile and am just getting to it now. I have always had a quirky side to me, which I feel hasn't been utilized as much as it should be. I love a mix of New England meets LA, which is what this Nashville home reminds me of. After laying eyes on this home in Trad Home Magazine , I was lost in dream home la la land. Designed by Paige Schnell of Tracery Interiors and architecture by Blaine Bonadies. As I turned each page, I fell more and more in love. Then there was the kitchen, it was the inspiration photo I saved for my own kitchen. I had no idea that the rest of the house was so amazing, but I shouldn't be surprised. It's got my style written all over it. I'd pack my bags and move right in and live happily ever after.

You had me from the moment I saw the exterior. I absolutely love the color. Then enter through the modern entry and those metal and glass doors....ahhhh. 



My brother just sent me a link to this entry table the other day. Sometimes I think we share the same brain. Similar one here if you live near Lancaster Pa you can score a similar one here 

This grand family room has a couple things I'd change, like the stone on the fireplace. I'd maybe choose ship lap or a wood tile plank to give it a more of a clean modern look. But the chandelier is hot! And the floor to ceiling windows are stunning. 


The dining room is bold but I like it. Do you see the legs on that table? 


This was one of my inspiration photos for our kitchen. 
I love the double thick counters, the slate blue grey island and black metal windows and the brightness of this kitchen.




Not a fan of the 2 end stools but love the striped benches. A bright pop of color would have been fun on the benches. 


This den reminds me of something my dad would enjoy. Reminiscing about his bike riding days. 

Who doesn't love relaxing under twinkling lights? I could see many bottles of wine and laughs shared on these sofas. 

Then retreat to one of these bedrooms. I call dibs on the second one. 




This looks so peaceful. Imagine doing yoga or relaxing with a good book. Because you know the kids would be down for that. 


Or we could just lock them in the game room. 


And finish the night with some smores by the fire. 


This is an amazing entertaining house! I'll just keep dreaming. 






Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Sandals for Summer

Happy Spring! It's snowing outside and I'm browsing sandals and finding many that I like. Spring is usually my favorite time to shop for clothes but the stores have seemed quite blah lately. Anyone else feeling that way? Besides a couple cute off the shoulder tops and some printed maxis I haven't been blown away. Hoping it's all coming out soon. While we wait for the cute clothes to come out here are a couple sandal options I've had my eye on. And yes, a lot of them are from Target. 



Sunday, March 20, 2016

MINECRAFT BIRTHDAY PARTY

Today is my oldest's 10th Birthday (wah) and I'm still in denial about the 9th birthday. It's going to take me a bit to realize I have a double digit-er in our house. Looking back on previous years (thanks fb), I was reminded how much fun I had planning his 9th birthday. A Minecraft Video Game Truck Party! Birthday parties have come a LONG way from the days of roller skating parties and sleepovers. I actually thought (for a second) about having a sleepover party this year and then I realized that sleepover parties are much different for a bunch of girls. A bunch of 10 year old boys and I may be asking to have a sleepover at one of my friends houses. Hosting a bunch of boys for pizza and cake followed by sword fights in the backyard is about as much as I can handle. But what mattered most is that my son said this was one of his favorite birthday parties. I hope it will be a memory that he'll remember for years to come. 



If you're looking to plan a minecraft party you'll quickly find that there aren't a lot of options for party decor. I couldn't believe this at the time and now writing this a year later I still don't recall seeing much minecraft party decor. So I had to channel my inner Martha and get a little creative. 

We definitely had plenty of Minecraft toys laying around the house. They served as the main decor for the party. 



I created personalized all access passes for the boys from etsy. Printed them out and placed them in lanyards they could wear around their necks. 




Water bottle labels personalized with my sons name purchased on etsy


 I found this idea on pinterest and added green gatorade.  Big hit with the boys! 


Using square glass vases I had, I wrapped these TNT bands around them and added red licorice for treats. 

 

 

While I was searching under Minecraft party I stumbled upon this cake idea. Everything in Minecraft is a pixel/square so I figured how hard could it be to create a cake like this. Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Using regular cake box mix or you could do brownies as well, I created the earth. With green frosting I piped the top to make it look like grass. The beach part is made of rice krispy treats and the water is blue jello. Finished off with little Minecraft figures from my sons collection I think it turned out pretty cute. 

 

Goodie bags from Target (another cute option) were adorned with personalized thank you tags from etsy. I punched holes in the bags and attached with a little white ribbon. 





The expression on his face when this pulled up in front of our house was priceless. Genius whoever came up with this idea. 



Navy and green striped runner was created with fabric from my stash. (Similar)  My sons creeper head from his Halloween costume was the centerpiece for the table along with minecraft figures. I filled little silver buckets with pretzels and gold fish for the kids to snack on. 







 
 Party success!! 


Friday, March 11, 2016

FRIDAY FINDS EASTER DRESSES


Since I was a little girl I loved picking out my Easter dress and things haven't changed much. So I decided to pick out a couple dresses for you that have been catching my eye. These would be great for Easter Sunday as well as carrying you into Spring/Summer for weddings and other events. I noticed there are a lot of great sales going on right now so you can score some of these at a great discount.

I love this black and white striped Boden Maggie Dress because although it's a print it's also a classic. It can be worn with flats, heels, fun accessories and worn year round. I love adding pops of color such as red heels or a trendy gold necklace.

This little red number also from Boden can be worn multiple ways as well. Add a little leopard print belt or throw on flip flops and this hat for a vacation getaway. Similar style for a steal at Target



and we can't forget the bling! These necklaces would work with almost every dress above. 



Wednesday, March 9, 2016

A PERFECTLY CURATED HOME

Six years ago I joined an amazing company called Stella & Dot. I was able to feed my love of fashion, while staying home with my boys. What I didn't realize was how much fun I would have, how many wonderful and loyal friends I would make along the way and the talented people behind the company that I would be so fortunate to meet. One of them is Blythe Harris our very talented Chief Creative Officer. Blythe has quite an impressive resume. Originally inspired by her grandmother Dot’s vintage jewelry box, Blythe’s creative vision mixes the beauty of vintage design and craftsmanship with the modern aesthetic and versatility of today’s stylish woman. Blythe’s design experience is truly global, ranging from working with local artisans in India and Ecuador to the fashion houses in Paris. As an artist in residence of the prestigious Parson's School of Design/Paris, Blythe studied sculpture and accessories design. Upon returning to her native New York, she pocketed an MBA from Columbia and was identified as a rising star at LVMH. At Banana Republic, she led the dramatic growth of the jewelry department. Her entrepreneurial leanings arose at an early age. While many college grads were mastering the art of the interview, Blythe was launching Primordial Toys, makers of the award-winning Zoob. Above all, she is a fearless innovator and inspired collaborator who puts the style in Stella & Dot.

So it's no wonder that her home is as stylish as her creations are for Stella & Dot. Take a peek inside her California abode featured in the upcoming April Edition of Elle Decor. Our Sunset Globetrotter scarf is also seen on the cover and can be purchased here and you can also see her other beautiful creations in the form of accessories. 




One day I dream of having doors in my home just like this. 



 






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Friday, March 4, 2016

FRIDAY FINDS: FAVORITE BLOGS

This week has been a bit chaotic for me. I spent a lot of time distracting myself with home decorating magazines and blogs. I sometimes immerse myself in these bloggers worlds and get lost for a minute or give myself anxiety because I don't have a house as neat and organized as theirs but we all know it's fun to imagine. Here are some of my Top Five Blogs I read on a daily basis. 




One of the blogs I've been reading the longest. I was attracted to Mackenzie's preppy style and travel guides. She has the cutest online boutique too! 



Another favorite I've been a fan of for awhile. She recently had a little girl and she gave her the most gorgeous little girls room. I mean how awesome is the painting above the crib? What I like about Megan's blog is her DIY projects which you can check out here




Kirstens blog was one that I looked forward to daily. Formerly 6th Street Design School she and her best friend Erin now have House of Jade Interiors. Their fresh take on living spaces catches my eye all the time. I love how they create beautiful neutral spaces like the kitchen above and colorful spaces for their clients as well. 




Kristen's blog inspires you to hunt for pieces for your home that give you that high end feel but not the high end price tag. She likes to mix vintage, DIY and high end pieces to create a space that is layered and you. Her use of color makes her rooms seem so happy. 




I remember the first time I heard about Jen over at IHeart Organizing. I was watching The Nate Berkus show (I miss this show) and I remember thinking this girl is good. Well, if it's possible she has gotten even better. She's the organzing guru behind this blog and my go to when I can't come up with a solution for a cluttered space. I think she has a solution for every space imaginable and makes these organized spaces look so pretty too. Just writing about her makes me want to go purge something. 




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