Have a great July 4th weekend and enjoy the fireworks!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
A Simple But Stylish July 4th Celebration
What's not to love about the 4th of July? Three day weekend - good; beach days & bbqs - good; friends, family, & fireworks - all good. I love the kitschy stars & stripes; red, white & blue decor (and food!); and the relaxed atmosphere of the celebration. I've come across some really beautiful 4th of July celebration inspiration but they seem a too fussy. I thought I'd give you some ideas to create a beautiful but really simple backyard party. Single color arrangements created with one type of inexpensive flower pack a big punch, desserts made with fresh berries look like they took a lot more time than they actually did, dressed up disposable dinnerware looks chic, and simple favors like sparklers and s'mores make the event feel special.
Monday, June 27, 2011
From the Garden
Friday, June 10, 2011
What to Wear - How About Stripes
This one's for Holly - How could I not participate in virtual #stripemania party hosted by one of my very favorite people? I am a self professed stripe addict after all.
shirt - boden
shorts - urban outfitters
(high-waisted and pleated, thought it was crazy to buy these but I actually love them)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
30 Days of Creativity
June 1st I decided to jump on board with a social initiative intended to encourage people to create everyday of the month of June. I was immediately drawn to the 30 Days of Creativity project because there are no rules, no pressure, and 30 days is not an overwhelming amount of time to commit to a project. I am making no plans about what I'm going to create each day, I'm just going with the flow. A few of my projects have included...
...a photograph of some gorgeous peonies that I picked up at Whole Foods...
...some watercolor polka dots ...
...and a wristful of friendship bracelets.
The best thing about this undertaking is that each small creative task has given me so many ideas for future projects. For example, I scanned the watercolor polka dots, created a pattern repeat of them, and had fabric printed with the design. And while the friendship bracelets was really sparked from a fun & silly twitter combo it lead me to a load of other jewelry ideas. Stay tuned to see what else I come up with.
West Elm Inspired Outdoor Dining
I loved the Mediterranean inspired outdoor collection that West Elm debuted this year. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the crisp, effortless look of the blue and white decor from the Mediterranean seaside.
Imagine my delight when I spotted this gorgeous outdoor dinnerware at Target. I couldn't help by grab a stack of bowls, plates, and serve-ware. They will be perfect when we host our first barbecue on the patio.
It looks like supplies are limited online but you may be able to find pieces at your local Target.
Imagine my delight when I spotted this gorgeous outdoor dinnerware at Target. I couldn't help by grab a stack of bowls, plates, and serve-ware. They will be perfect when we host our first barbecue on the patio.
Monday, June 6, 2011
What to Wear - In the Garden
Not exactly my most glamorous ensemble but this is my gardening uniform. I wear it every time I head outside to get my hands dirty.
All time favorite t-shirt - the gap but they don't sell these anymore :(
cut off, patched skinny jeans - the gap
A Suburban Oasis
Nick and I have been living in our condo for almost 4 years and we're starting to get the itch to purchase a home. Our number one prerequisite for the next home is a great back yard. We'd love a place to play with the dog and host barbecues for friends and family. And also have a garden that's larger than 4'x4'. Until that day comes I decided to hijack the small piece of outdoor space adjacent to our condo building. It's a long, narrow strip of weedy land that has been left unattended for years. Unattractive as it is outdoor space is still valuable. So with a small budget and some manual labor we turned this space into a not very glamorous but pleasant place to relax outside.
The patio is made from Platta decking from Ikea and the small patio furniture set was actually purchased at the grocery store. The three self watering planters also from Ikea and provide more room for tomato plants.
The patio is made from Platta decking from Ikea and the small patio furniture set was actually purchased at the grocery store. The three self watering planters also from Ikea and provide more room for tomato plants.
Friday, June 3, 2011
What to Wear?
Getting dressed in the morning has been a pretty uninspiring experience lately. It's probably because I'm out of shape and not in love with the way some of my clothes fit right now. Trouble is, dressing boring and frumpy doesn't really make me feel any better about myself. So I'm stepping up my game and putting more effort into what I wear. I'm not going to make this a daily wear series but I think a few times a week I will post a photo of an outfit that I feel good in. Putting this out there in blog land will hopefully make me follow through with dressing better. I also hope this makes me feel less awkward in front of the camera. Not likely :)
wedges - the gap
on my toes - sally hansen commander in chic
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A Garden Update
When we last visited the garden it was pretty early in the season so it was just looking like a wooden box filled with dirt:
My little seedlings are finally planted in their outdoor home and some of them are doing really well. The garden is a bit of an experiment this year. Conditions are not ideal, the location doesn't get as much sun as it needs so we'll see how it goes. It looks like if nothing else grows I will have a decent crop of cucumbers at the very least. The chicken wire fence enclosing the garden is to keep out that mystery critter that decent it was fun to dig up my swiss chard plants.
Are any of you attempting a garden for the first time this year or are you a seasoned gardener? Any lessons learned that you can share with this newbie?
My little seedlings are finally planted in their outdoor home and some of them are doing really well. The garden is a bit of an experiment this year. Conditions are not ideal, the location doesn't get as much sun as it needs so we'll see how it goes. It looks like if nothing else grows I will have a decent crop of cucumbers at the very least. The chicken wire fence enclosing the garden is to keep out that mystery critter that decent it was fun to dig up my swiss chard plants.
Are any of you attempting a garden for the first time this year or are you a seasoned gardener? Any lessons learned that you can share with this newbie?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
