Happy Easter

Source: Uploaded by user via Trending Mom on Pinterest

Happy Saturday!

Well happy Saturday everyone!  I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend.  Today I am in need of a little inspiration to carry me through the business of Easter preparations.  Tomorrow morning we will have our egg hunt and my parents are coming for breakfast before we all go to church, so it will be busy.  I am making the most delicious egg and cheese casserole {a recipe from a friend} and I will share that with you later.  Mostly today is about being ready and freshening up the house and gardens.  

pinterest via Boden

How adorable are these little guys?  I want!

pinterest via kara's party ideas.com

Last year I hosted an Easter play date {view here} but the next time I will take a look at this sweet little party.

pinterest via etsy

I really like the chalkboard paint idea for eggs this year!

pinterest via Glitter Guide

I know that lilies are the flower of Easter, but I much prefer tulips.

pinterest via DGV

The perfect Easter breakfast/brunch table setting.  So beautiful.

pinterest via Susan Benner Rego

I hope all your preparations are going well.  Stay inspired!

Fun Friday: Playing with Patterns

RED Valentino striped shirt / Navy polka dot shirt, $39 / French Connection shorts / J.Crew j crew / J.Crew j crew / Marc by Marc Jacobs bracelet jewelry / Fresh lip treatment 

I love mixing patterns, and I love adding in pops of color to neutral outfits. I think for this particular look the fact that you are sticking to the same color palette allows you to go crazy with the patterns. This outfit is actually one I have already bought and have waiting in my closet. Well, I should clarify and say I have bought similar items; mine aren't exactly the same. And I do not have those amazing Sperry Top-Sider for J.Crew shoes, but I definitely have my eye on them for the summer! What a fun way to kick around. Hope you're all having a fantastically wonderful Friday! We are in San Francisco, so we really can't complain.

Easter via Rifle Paper Co.

Easter is just days away so I am in a panic to finish all the little things that Easter requires to make little ones happy.  I also want to make a beautiful flower arrangement for my mom who hosts our Easter dinner.  Today was Gwenna's last day of pre-school before Spring break and I wanted to get her three wonderful teachers a little special something.  Target is now carrying Rifle Paper Co. products so I bought a three- pack of gorgeous journals {you will see at the end}.  I looked on Rifle Paper Co's site , only to find other fabulous products for Easter that I thought I would share with you.

Floral Easter Egg Card

Wildflower Wrapping Sheets

Decorated Easter Eggs Cards

Easter Palms Card

Here is what I put together for my daughter's teachers.  A bit of trim and pretty pencils attached to these elegant and cheery journals {available in stores} make for pretty Easter gifts.

I hope all your Easter preparations are going well!  We still have to dye eggs and...well...fit in quite a few little things.  Today, though, we are headed to the zoo.

Wednesday Pinsday

What?!  Wednesday already?  That means that our spring break is almost over.  We have been soooo busy.  Yesterday we went to Universal Studios, today we are making a run to IKEA for some curtains for the living and family rooms.  Now that I am really excited about!  One step closer to being finished!
So, since it is Wednesday, that means another link up with the Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting!

                                                 hemingwayandhepburn.com via Lori on Pinterest

                                                                   Source: hemingwayandhepburn.com via Lori on Pinterest

                                                                    Source: hemingwayandhepburn.com via Lori on Pinterest

                                                                 Source: doubleblondestudy.tumblr.com via Lori on Pinterest

Notice any themes? I love the cut of pants in all those outfits, and the shoes are all gorgeous as well. Now, I'm off to book a hotel for a quick trip to San Francisco for the weekend- wish me luck!

Outfit of the Day and Lilacs!

 Let me just tell ya:  I've been sick.  Really sick.  I am just starting to feel better and I am so grateful to Lori for taking over the posts (among other things) and doing them beautifully!
I am thrilled that my lilacs are blooming in my backyard.  We transplanted these from our front-yard and they seem to like the change of scene.  Lilacs are my very favorite flower so these are cheering me up (even though I'm still looking a bit wan).

 I love the square buttons down the back of this blouse and the little collar chain detail on the front.  These little things take a plain blouse and make it a bit more special.  I also like to mix this elegant piece with my torn and old-as-mud jeans.  For me it is that perfect mix of casual and dressy that I feel comfortable in just hanging out or running around town with my family.

blouse: forever 21

jeans: Seven for All Mankind {Flynt}

flats: Alex Marie

Minor Obsession: Ampersands

This week, I thought I would link up with Jenn and Jessica for 5 for Five (see link below to check out others who are linking up).  Basically, you set 5 goals for yourself for the work week and then give yourself 5 days to complete said goals, and share next week whether you were successful or not.

Considering I can be quite the procrastinator, this could be just the motivation I need to get stuff done!

So here goes...

1.  Clean/organize my closet.

2.  Drop off donations to the Salvation Army.

3.  Call the trash company to get the broken dishwasher picked up and out of my garage.

4.  Mail my sister-in-law's (very) late birthday present.

5.  Establish a schedule for learning Italian.

Whew!  I could go on and on, but that first goal could literally take me all week.  Not kidding.  You should see my closet.  

 

So, wish me luck.  And now I'd like to bring you something that I am a little obsessed with: ampersands.  Ah, the ampersand.  I even love the word itself.  But seriously, how aesthetically pleasing is this little symbol?!  Am I the only one who just thinks it is so pretty?  Especially when it is portrayed as a wave with a ship resting on it.

Ampersand Boat by Francisco Martins

I am loving this print by artist Francisco Martins.  Good Lord.  I love it.  Those colors are fantastic.  

Ampersand Cork board at Kohl's

How cool is this cork board?!  (And it's on sale!)  I think this would be so fun in an office.  In my office.  

Calamari Studio

Watercolors are so pretty, aren't they?!

Fred Flare

This one is a bottle opener, so you can have another & another.

With that, I will wish you a happy Monday!

Sweet Spot Sunday: A Southern Bucket

I love finding beautiful things, don't you? So you can imagine my delight when I saw these gorgeous silhoutte-buckets on etsy.

Love this.  Buy it here.

I mean, really.  Come on.  I cannot stand how perfect these are.  I love silhouettes, and I love burlap.  And who doesn't just love a good bucket?!  Well, maybe that last one is a stretch, but a bucket is always a good thing to have on hand, right?!

Buy it here.

Or a tote.  Especially a beautifully monogrammed tote.  Simple.  Classic.  Gorgeous.

Buy these here.

Wouldn't these make beautiful gifts?  For your friends.  Or, you know, for yourself.

Buy it here.

I'm not getting married, but somebody is, right? How sweet/clever/fantastic is this ice bucket?

 So, as it turns out, I'm a little late to the party that is A Southern Bucket (they've been featured in House Beautiful and mentioned by Nate Berkus), but I am going with better late than never. 

Their site on etsy is definitely worth checking out.  I'm still dying over those personalized silhouette buckets in the first picture.

I hope you have a sweet Sunday!

Happy Saturday!

Hello all.  We were at Disneyland yesterday and did not get home until 2 in the morning, and bright and early this morning we are off to the discvovery center, so today I am leaving with you with some simple words of wisdom.

 

                     Source: thingsalwayshappenedforareason.tumblr.com via Lori on Pinterest

Have a great Saturday!

Famous Friday: Martyn Lawrence Bullard

Hello everyone!  Hope your week has been great and that you are ready for the weekend.  Fridays are so great.  This week has been a bit long for me.  My husband has been out of town and I have had our kiddos to myself.  My 8 year old is on Spring break and my 4 year old is home most of the time anyway so we have seen a whole lot of each other.  While I have really enjoyed it, I have found that the "I'm bored" line has been perfected by my 8 year old.  They have kept me on my toes with visits to the park, tons of board games (even a scavenger hunt I did for them), and crafts.  Today I will endure The Croodes at the theater and we might even fit in some miniature golf.  Phew.

Anyway, I wanted to show you a few fantastic spaces by the very famous designer to the stars, Martyn Lawrence Bullard.  Honestly his list of clients is longer than the red carpet they walk. While I, myself, am not terribly interested in whose who live in these spaces, I love to be inspired by these amazing images.  Have a peek.

interiordesignhq

architicturaldigest

designfinedblog

cultivate.com

onekingslane

designmanifest

marcusdesigninc

interiordesignhq

I love how all of these spaces seem to say, 'The day is always sunny and we are always perfectly at ease in our perfection.'  

Here's to a perfectly perfect Friday!  

What I Need

I have blogged about this before, this particular living room found on this particular blog, but this particular coffee table has been creeping its way back into my thoughts again lately.

You see, I rearranged the furniture in my living room recently, and while I am loving it, I realize that I need a new coffee table.  Yes, I said need.  I need one.  I need a brass and glass coffee table, to be precise.  I need one like Edie's, to be more precise.

Isn't it perfect?  Only problem is I can't seem to find it anywhere.  She has sources for just about everything else in the room, but not that table.
So imagine my surprise when, earlier this week, my Mom and I were window shopping at the just-closed Salvation Army in Bishop when we spotted glass and brass coffee tables through the window.  Well, we knew we had to come back to check it out.  And come back we did, even though my stomach was feeling a little queasy.  We waited around til the store opened, hopped on over to Vons for some pepto bismol for my stomach, and then braved the thrift store.  Nothing, not even an upset stomach, was going to stand between me and the perfect piece for my family room.  Long story short a little shorter, the tables weren't perfect and  I spent the next few hours pretty sick.
Thankfully my mom was there to take care of me.  And the hunt for the perfect coffee table is still on.

Horchow

also Horchow

There are a couple of options from Horchow.  Any other ideas?