Day 730's anniversary

Today is our two-year anniversary! As much as it seems like our beautiful wedding day was just yesterday, it also seems like we have been together forever. It's hard to imagine myself without my husband, and I am grateful that I don't have to.

Day 729's party pictures

The shower on Friday night was a big success! Of course I stressed a little too much, but it went off without a single hitch, and I think everyone had a great time. Here's a little peek ...

Invitations printed with navy and "pool" blue ink set the tone for the party.


We used mis-matched cloth napkins in shades of blues.


I bought a half yard each of navy calico and blue-and-white striped ticking from Wal-Mart (the teal fabric came from my stash) and made string of flags to hang on the mantle.


Hydrangeas from the wholesale florist were the biggest and most beautiful I'd ever seen!


We opted to have the food catered from a local Mediterranean-style restaurant. Rice and chicken kabobs are an easy crowd-pleaser, and since the party was in the evening, serving dinner was a hospitable gesture.


I dressed my glass canisters (which I was waiting to use until after the party!) with fabric left over from the flags, and served lemonade and blueberry iced tea inside.

Day 726's pretty

Since I have been on the subject of all things blue lately (here, here, here, and here), I thought this pretty bench was a nice end to the week. Doesn't it look so perfect for napping?!

Happy Weekend!

Day 725's dessert

Nearly all of my childhood Fourth of July holidays were spent at my grandparents lake house. There was much swimming, boating, hamburger-eating, and firework-shooting, but also blueberry-picking at a nearby farm. For me (and many Southerners, I'm sure), blueberries and the Fourth of July are one-in-the-same.

Now, my granddad -- Pop -- has a yard-full of blueberry bushes that he offers up to anyone with an empty bucket to fill. The last time I checked, they were nearly in (above photo). I have go-to cobbler recipe, but this year, I think I'm going to branch out a bit. The top contenders are ...


Smitten Kitchen's Blueberry Crumb Bars


Martha Stewart's Blueberry and Buttermilk Tart


Cooking Light's Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

How about you? Have any summer memories or blueberry recipes to share?

Day 724's kitchen love

I know I said I wouldn't be around much this week -- and I still have plenty to do! -- but wouldn't you know that we'd have major technology issues (actually it was called a "catastrophic hardware failure") during one of the busiest weeks ever?!

So ... I've got kitchens on my brain. I've been slooooowly working on a little makeover in our kitchen, and I got to see Brooke's gorgeous makeover in person on Monday, when she graciously hosted our little group of Birmingham bloggers. I was impressed when she posted it, but let me tell you, it looks so much better in person. And she totally tackled the tile herself!

Which brings me to these kitchens. We get several IPC publications at work, and I almost always tear out the ads for Plain English, a UK-based cabinet (er, cupboard) maker. The kitchens are so simple and well-edited, and I love the country feel -- they get me every time! Have a look ...

Day 723: more party inspiration

More blue and white party inspiration, this time courtesy of Carolyne Roehm (of course) and Veranda magazine.


What a dreamy porch!

Day 722

This week is already shaping up to be a real doozie. There is A TON to do at work, and plenty of last-minute things to take care of for my sister's shower this weekend. I hope I'll be back at least a couple of times, but I won't lie, it's not looking good at the moment!



Photos: via I Suwanne, and Country Living.

Day 720's pretties

I've been meaning to post about New York, but there really isn't much to say. I only had an hour or two here or there to wander around, and didn't go far since I had my laptop, purse, and a huge umbrella in tow, and was wearing a trench coat, to boot.

One morning I ducked into Anthropologie to admire the always-impressive merchandising, and thought this Central Park Chinese dogwood covered in raindrops was pretty. See? Not much.


Though I did sneak a photo of offices for the Web site I'm working on for the next couple of months. That was exciting!

Day 719: new decorating rules

Oakland, California designer Sheri Sheridan offers her new rules for decorating in a recent issue of Sunset magazine. Some wise words, I think.

Celebrate tchotchkes: Make what you already have display-worthy.


Indulge in art: "Never be afraid to buy original art if you love it," Sheri says. "Art is always a smart investment."


Salvage something: This bench came from the side of the road, and was updated with paint and a fabric remnant.


Shun labels: "I love mixing time periods and styles so they work together," says Sheri. The combination makes the vintage seem current and the contemporary pieces less stark.


Mix the old with the new: I whole-heartedly subscribe to this one, which I'm sure is no surprise to most of you. To me, there is nothing more boring in the world than a room chock-full of brand-new furniture. Old things give a room a personality and a history that simple cannot be found on a showroom floor. Do you have any decorating rules of your own?

Day 719's post

Today I am so flattered to be the "featured guest" in the Through Her Eyes series on Layers of Meaning. Head over to check it out, and say HI! to Maria while you're there!

Day 718's pretty party

Megan at Beach Bungalow 8 recently hosted the exact party I've been fantasizing about. Held in her front yard, the baby shower's blues and whites color scheme was sweet without being saccharine, with no cheese in sight. My kind of party.


Megan found an ebay seller that offered Blue Willow plates for $4 each, and bought the rattan chargers at Pottery Barn and World Market.


Burlap covered the table, and fresh limes served as placecards. Blue and purple hydrangeas, green PeeGee hydrangeas and white roses were arranged in silver bowls.


I've been wanting to throw a blue-and-white themed party since I stumbled on this idea board at Style Me Pretty. I love the crisp, summery look.


Blue and white can also take on a slightly vintage feel (as seen on this board from Snippet & Ink), which is the direction I'm hoping to go for a shower for my sister at the end of the month. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

Day 717's house love

I'm head-over-heels for the Savannah home of Liz Demos of @home, featured recently on Design*Sponge. The mix of architectural salvage and flea market finds with an edited color palette is so great, and there is more to discover each time I take a new look.


Check out what Liz has to say about some of the interesting pieces in the house: "The old school globe is one of those ones you can write on with chalk to learn about geography. It is one of my favorite possessions. The white country cabinet houses the TV and lots of our son’s toys."


"I love metal furniture and you can see why, lots of drawers and great surfaces. They look modern but not totally out of place with all my other old things. The faux wood grain metal cabinet next to the sofa is from an old library. The drapes are from Ikea (about 5 years ago) and we bought extra to upholster valances. I think this is a great trick to get a custom look from off the shelf draperies & you get lots of extra fabric if you decide to make pillows later." Totally love this idea!


"Close up of library cabinet and on top a vintage bingo spinner, an arts & crafts lamp and a 19th century fabric sampler."



"I adore Swedish painted furniture so when I spotted this 1920s dining table and chairs set I scooped it up."


"The sideboard is also a vintage find from a central Florida antique fair. I made the drapes from wide striped ticking yardage."



"This is a view of the top of a cabinet in the hallway. In the assortment: tin purses, a print of a pigeon, an old mirror and an alabaster lamp."



"This is a shot of our bathroom towel hooks under a shelf that houses a collection of pond boats and one of my many apartment for rent signs. I also like antique wire hangers so you can see two of them hanging near the window. The are like sculpture and all so different."

Day 716's love

This weekend seemed like the first real summer weekend of the year. To me, summer means ... hydrangeas and Queen Anne's Lace (plucked from behind an Auto Zone) on the kitchen table.


Dinners off the grill every night ... Saturday it was salmon and grilled veggies.


And fresh, delicious blueberries in a cobbler for dessert -- with ice cream, of course! What are you loving about summer?

Day 713's pretty

Photo via Apartment Therapy

Promise to be back next week with more regularly-scheduled blogging. But for now, I'm taking off a little early to get some things done so I can enjoy the weekend.

Happy Weekend!

Day 712's scatter-brain

I got in from New York at midnight last night. There is a lot of information in my brain that wasn't there when I left on Monday, which means there is not a lot of spare room for things like blog posts and cohesive sentences (either verbal or written). So let's look at some pretty pictures instead.




Photos, from top: Annie Schelter (I don't think that is spelled correctly), via Home Sweet Home, John Willey, and Cottage Living.

Day 711's explanation

Where have I been? Well, mostly in the Time & Life building working hard for the money. Took a little foray into ABC Carpet & Home to have dinner with a friend and then promptly accidentally deleted all of my photos (irritating!). Be back in action soon!

Day 711's top ten list

Quick image and link to pass the time today. I know there are a few readers that will appreciate #2 on this list.

Day 709's winner!

Congratulations to Mary Grace, the winner of our Olympic Paint giveaway! Mary Grace, please e-mail me so we can get you your paint and you can get to work painting your kitchen! And a big, big thanks to everyone who participated in our first giveaway. It's nice to know that we're not the only ones with seemingly-endless to-do lists, and it was even nicer to hear from some of you "lurkers" for the first time. We hope you'll say hello again soon.

Day 706's pretties

Loving these mix-and-match metal beds, today. Effortless, summery style is always appealing, but especially so this time of year. It makes me want to strip my house of all the fuss, put a big pitcher full of hydrangeas on the table, and settle down on the porch with a tall glass of iced tea.

Happy Weekend!

From the top, Kyle Timothy Home, Country Living, and Martha Stewart Living.

PS -- Don't forget to enter our Olympic Paint giveaway!

Day 705's gratuitous Maddie picture

She loves to lie in the windows on the front of the house and look out. I love the natural light -- it makes picture-taking easy.

Day 704's giveaway!

As you know, we've been working on our guest bedroom, and -- as with any project -- the decision that really had me tossing and turning was choosing a paint color for the walls. In the end, I decided on Blue Shamrock by Olympic Paint, and had it mixed in their fabulous zero-VOC formula. I'm very pleased with the outcome (that's a little sneak peek, above), but man, what a pain choosing a paint color can be!

That's why I'm so thrilled to announce that the folks at Olympic have offered one of you two free gallons of zero-VOC paint in your choice of color and finish. To help you choose, they're including a Colors of Inspiration book, full of every color they offer. To enter for your chance to win, simply leave a comment on this post letting us know what you would do with the paint. Please enter by midnight EST on Friday, June 5 to be eligible. We'll draw a winner, and announce it on Monday. Good luck, and happy painting!

Day 703's inspiring spaces

Sometimes even the most attainable-looking rooms published in the most attainable-feeling magazines aren't what they seem. Often they're filled with fine antiques, to-the-trade only fabrics, and accessories with price tags that would make your eyes pop out. Or maybe that's just me.


Now, don't get me wrong, I love an interior done to the nines as much as the next person, but what I love more (much, much more) is an interior done by a real person, with a real budget.


Especially if they have great taste, and maybe even access to a really, really great little thing or two to put next to a lamp found at a thrift store.


Such is the case with this little gem, home of Style Director Michael Penney, published in Canadian House & Home (courtesy of Erin at Elements of Style).


Every time I look, there is more to love. And -- even better -- there is that thought in the back of my head that, "hey, I could do that."

Day 702

Not only did Monday come a little too quickly, but how is it already June? We had a fun weekend at the lake, including a little one-on-one time with my mom (and our dogs) yesterday afternoon. We soaked in the sun and chatted and I tried to memorize all of the great ideas I spied in the pile of Better Homes & Gardens issues she brought. I know it was fun because I didn't take a single photo. On the agenda for this week? Painting the guest bedroom (finally!) and a fun giveaway!