blog = amazing opportunity....

this blog has been a blessing for me for so many reasons and one of those was having the opportunity to be contacted by a magazine scout from BHG/ Meredith Group. i was beyond shocked when i received the email last summer asking if she could go see some of my projects. and luckily for me, the sweet team at BHG Kitchen and Baths Ideas liked what they saw. back in oct. i was able to go behind the scenes and witness how the magazines work w/ this photo shoot of my client's kitchen on sullivan's island (they also took pictures of the master bath which will be featured later this year). it is insane how much work is put into each shot and i tried to soak it all up...listening to how the photographers, editor, and stylist captured and tweaked each image (i think that would be so much fun). it took 2 full days to get 10 shots. and i couldn't be happier with the results or having the honor to appear on the cover of the july/ august issue. a huge thank you to sandi mohlmann for contacting me and for the best clients a girl could ask for, sammy and tracey, for giving me the opportunity to design their houses. and last but not least, for anyone out there contemplating what starting a blog could do for you....i hope this gives you the incentive to go for it :) i promise you won't be sorry!

*top 4 images from taken of actual magazine/ photographer richard leo johnson, bottom two me (behind the scenes)

today is the last day of camp for taylor so summer starts, well tomorrow....

so i will enjoy my last moments of alone time....coffee and pandora is a great start (brandi carlile is rocking my computer this AM)...and a thai lunch date w/ my hubbie isn't looking too shabby either.

*images courtesy of happnstance, sacramento street, wide open spaces

happy tuesday.

i am lacking things to say....i kind of feel like i am tapped out. do you ever feel that way...like your life is on standstill or that you are peddling a bike really hard but you aren't moving?

*images courtesy of once wed, polly wreford, oh so beautiful paper, house to home, heidi claire

a little pretty....

these gray and white pics have me swooning....such a pretty and fresh color combo!

did y'all receive the house beautiful 500 paint colors edition in the mail this weekend? i did...

i love reading other designer's favorite colors but beware, if you are loving the actual paint chip that they show in the magazine, it might be slightly misleading. I got out my paint decks to compare and somewhere b/w the paint and the printer, the colors got off. however, it is still such a valuable resource b/c these colors have been tested and used again and again by the designers. my only thought would be to take the magazine to the paint store so you can look at the actual colors they are suggesting in person. happy monday everyone!

*images courtesy of once wed, the city sage, house of bliss, this is glamorous

i can't thank y'all enough for my sweet b'day wishes....31 has been great so far. i'm off to get a mother/daughter pedicure *he got the hint*....have a wonderful weekend.

*images courtesy of linda and harriet, me, lake jane

31

yep...that's how old i am today...my husband reminded me last night that my b'day 10 yrs ago was quite different from this one (yes, i will definitely have to agree w/ that and thank goodness the video of it is lost) and that i am closer to being 40 then 20...sweet. so today, i am drinking 1 1/2 cups of DD coffee (pushing the limits b/c i am a rebel like that), me and the big belly might go float/ capsize in the pool, a pedicure would be great (hint, hint), and then my sweet husband is cooking some kind of special dinner for tonight (hopefully there will be lots of cheese dip and cupcakes...a pregnant girl's fantasy). as far as gifting, i can seriously say that part doesn't matter to me. warren calls BS on that, but it's true. we did buy some fancy camera that is way beyond my learning curve for our anniversary/ b'day. so once i get done reading the 300 pg manual in all of my spare time, maybe my pics will start appearing better on this blog! okay, enough...this girl is off to enjoy being a yr older.....and i am keeping my fingers crossed that this kiddo stays put for today and doesn't still my thunder.

if you've got to...

run errands, don't you wish that they would always look this stylish......

*images courtesy of rinne allen/ hable, lake jane, ish and chi, house and home

oh my....

is it june already.......

*images courtesy of sparkles and pretending, room 22 design, rikshaw design, lucky boy sunday

things that make me happy.

i love cooking in the kitchen w/ my husband....it puts a smile on my face. there is something so fun about trying out a new recipe, listening to music on the ipod, and then sitting on the screen porch to eat it....and lately we have had some great meals! another thing that i am loving are the flowers that are growing outside. i love having flowers from the yard scattered in random bottles throughout the house. it's like instant happiness. and last but not least, i totally want to make one of those herb pots....so easy and such a great idea (putting that on my to-do-list). it pains me to buy herbs at the grocery store when you just need a tiny bit for a recipe. and this is a simple, yet stylish solution. now if i can just remember to water them :)

*images courtesy of a diary of a lovely, the newlywed diaries, ruffled blog, black eiffel

excuse my french...

i just got back from the doctor and i felt like in a round about way, this is what he was trying to tell me. i've dilated (almost 2 cm) in the last week (basically since i have returned to normal activity). so a baby might be in our near future....he suggested that i make it to Monday, i told him i will probably make it to 40 wks. who knows...but i feel like maybe i should pack a bag and put my feet up and watch a movie.

*images courtesy of orange beautiful, seesaw design, bla bla kids, sweetie pie

three.

yesterday, my little girl turned 3! it's hard to believe how quickly she has grown up...part of me wants her to stay young forever and part of me gets so excited watching the little personality she is turning into. we celebrated with a pool party. it was her first b'day party w/ friends and she loved it (and it only rained half on the time). on her real b'day, i decided that i would make a second attempt at baking a giant cupcake for her class (for anyone who has followed this blog, my 1st attempt was a disaster). luckily, this time it actually worked...there happens to be a lot of web information on this cupcake and all the trouble it can cause....so beware if you are a beginner like myself- it's not as easy as it looks! luckily, it actually tasted okay too. here are some pictures from the weekend and yesterday....

on a different note, i have to say that taylor's b'day was met w/ a mixture of emotions...one of my best friends was in a horrible car accident w/ her children hours after leaving the party when her car hydroplaned. luckily, we are so blessed that the children were left untouched and she will be able to make a full, but slow recovery. when things like this happen, it makes you want to go around and tell everyone how much they mean to you. i love you B!