celebrating green...

my way of celebrating st. patrick's day has had many different meanings over the years...in elementary school i celebrated it by seeing how much green i could actually put on my body, in middle school i toned it down to just a pair of earrings, in high school i think i wore pink b/c i was trying to be cool by not wearing green, in college i chugged green beer, and currently i traded in all of that green for a bowl full of guacamole....

happy st. patrick's day...i hope you enjoy the green, whichever way you choose to celebrate it :)

*images courtesy of design sponge, glimpse of style, partierre garden, google image

personal touches

lately warren has been on my case about adding some personal touches to the house....and by personal touches he means family pictures. he thinks the house feels too much like a 'show house'...believe me, my house is far from a show house but it does have tablescapes in the main areas and to a 33 yr old man, that means a show house. we do have family pictures scattered around the house, but they are mostly in our bedroom. i have a gallery wall of black and white pictures of taylor that were taken when she was one. i guess, i have kind of moved away from tons of pictures on every table...am i at fault? my personal touches are items that have meaning like an antique bowl that was my great grandmother's or a great find that i discovered while out thrifting one day (men don't get these things, especially warren). last night taylor asked if this antique fan worked and warren replied "no, your mother likes to put old things around the house that don't work for some odd reason". am i a victim to wanting an over-decorated house? does this mean i lack personal touches? please advise....i want the house to have pretty tablescapes but i also need to please my husband b/c after all, it's his house too!

*images courtesy of jean randazzo, domicileid, unknown, verdigris vie, david jimenez, belle masion, domino, vogue living, shelter

when i picture perfection....

it comes in a subway tiled wall, a soft cream viking, and beautiful porcelain numbers that line my kitchen cabinets drawers.....

*images courtesy of jill sharp and country living

no words...

just pretty pictures.

*images courtesy of chocolate therapie, country style magazine, trisha brink design, beautiful paper

let's play...

i love this breakfast table combo from martha stewart....it made me want to play designer...so here are my thoughts on how to recreate a cute space on the cheap...let's get started w/ the main components:

(a) ikea docksta table will work perfect- cheap: check

(b) 4 bentwood bistro chairs...you can find these at any antique store/thrift shop/ yard sale (or maybe your parents attic or garage); and to add a twist, let's make sure they are all different styles of bentwood chairs...i would say you can find these bad boys for $25-30 a piece. and it doesn't matter if they have cane or wooden seats b/c we are adding a cushion.

(c) paint for the chairs...benjamin moore prescott green HC-140 (you will need to prime the dark wood first).

(d) stripe fabric...i like the unexpected pop of coral w/ this combo....so i am keeping it. any local fabric store should have a variety of stripes available...

(e) creating the diamond pattern for the fabric: cut the stripe on a diagonal (you will need 4 peices) and then align them together to form a diamond....simply take to a seamstress/ upholsterer/ your mom and create seat cushions

alright, now that we have the main things at a great budget...let's add a killer light...i love the goodman hanging lamp by thomas o'brien w/ the antique brass chain and white shade...circa lighting carries this little diddy. a little bit of a splurge but w/ all the money you saved, so worth it!!

that was fun! let's do it again soon :)

*first image from martha stewart

two weeks...

i have officially been on bed rest for two weeks. you learn a lot about yourself when you're stationary.... and while i try (really hard) to have an optimistic outlook on the situation, i would be lying to say it's not incredibly hard. you might find some tears rolling down my face on any given day. mostly b/c i hate having to rely on someone else to do everything for me (and b/c i am pregnant and pregnant people cry a lot). it's hard to give up control of yourself. and while i never knew i was a controlling person, i have realized that i like to have an opinion in most all situations. i cannot thank my husband enough for what he has had to become. i always knew he was amazing but to watch him be a dad, a husband, a housekeeper, a cook, a chauffeur, a grocery shopper, a dog walker, a waiter, a laundry folder, a carpool picker upper, and so much more- amazes me. he does funny things like hide the receipts from me when he gets home from the grocery store, he buys taylor outfits that maybe a little bit more tomboyish then i would prefer, he asks girls in the make up aisle what concealer is (and bless his heart, he comes home w/ some that would look amazing on a really tan person), he goes into freak out mood when i have contractions and makes me call the doctor....but mostly, he makes me so incredibly proud to have him by my side....and he puts a smile on my face everyday (even if i sometimes don't feel like doing it).

*images courtesy of aubrey + lindsay, curls and coffee, girly me

so pretty...

even if i can't be outside, just to see the sunlight pouring in my window makes me a very happy girl....

*images courtesy of beautiful paper, martha stewart, brunch at saks, everything leb, deliciously organized, eva lindh

it's the weekend....

play a game of hide and seek, pick out the perfect outfit for date night, find a good book and stay in bed, go antiquing, form a rock band....

whatever you do, have a great time doing it!

*images courtesy of what would summer wear, house and home, material girls, elle decor, tricia joyce

yes please!

i adore this outfit that erin created on elements of style. i wish i was wearing it today......

it's a lot cuter then the yoga pants i sport these days.

*images courtesy of elements of style, erin ever after, young house love

i confess....

i'm not going to lie, due to being on bed rest and sitting in a chair all day, i was forced to watch some crap tv last night. while flipping aimlessly and discovering nothing good comes on monday night at 8:00, i found myself watching the bachelor's final rose. not only did i watch it but so did my mother-in-law (who is babysitting me and tay while warren is out of town) and we became completely fascinated with it. (i found myself regretting giving my mom all of my old US Weekly's b/c i know that there were several stories about it!!) so, i confess- i thoroughly enjoyed the 3 hrs i spent watching crap tv last night.....

and while i am confessing, i also emailed the girl scouts of america last wk to see where they were selling cookies in beaufort. i was ecstatic when i received an email from the troop leader who informed me that they would be outside a grocery store down the road Sat. morning....and i have little guilt about sending my mother out to buy an insane amount of cookies (it's for a good cause)!!

ok, i have confessed....feel free to do the same.

*images courtesy of fiddlesticks and funny girls

don't you love when you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about stuff....maybe that's why i felt the need to get up extra early and work on my taxes...warren is meeting w/ the accountant tomorrow and since i won't be making the trip, i need to be organized or at least look that way ;)

on another note, i simply cannot thank y'all enough for all of the sweet comments you left about me being on bed rest. it brought tears to my eyes (and my mom's and my mother-in-law's) to see how kind all of y'all are. so a HUGE thank you for brighten my week and helping me get through a difficult time. y'all are simply the best and truly know how to make a girl feel special....

*images courtesy of the blue hour, mint, sanctuary, lake jane