Favorite New Tees

Finding tee shirts that I love and that I can dress up or dress down a bit is always a frustrating process for me. This makes me get more attached any time I find a tee shirt that really works for me. I'd been on the search for good tees that I could wear with casual skirts and jeans for a while.

At Target a few weeks ago I decided to take a chance and pick up a few of these Merona tee shirts with darling appliquéd designs without trying them on. I was tired of looking and figured if they totally didn't work I could return them. I was so happy to find they are just right. I'm getting more, fast, before they're gone.

Have a great Tuesday!! Thanks for coming by to share this space with me. Love your comments, ideas and all you bring to the conversation.

all photos from Target online 

Makeup Bags - Great Stocking Stuffer & Gift for Friends

If you need a great little gift for friends or family these makeup bags are always a big hit and at a great price. Prices range from $8-15 depending on size in a variety of colors. Free shipping, local delivery also possible. Contact me for more information.

Pretty Things Posted to eBay

Just posted a selection of gorgeous dressy strappy sandals, peep toes heels, kitten heels and gorgeous, sassy clutch bags to eBay. Perfect items for your holiday wardrobe!

I also posted the most darling vintage yellow baby blanket with a charming 40s/50s style floral pinwheel pattern. It's in amazing shape and the cotton is so baby soft! You can check everything out here.

What Men Really Think

photo from young womens health

If you're in the process of beating yourself up about how much you ate this weekend, stop right this minute -- I demand that you stop. Take two minutes and read this article written from MSN Lifestyle by Aaron Traister, a husband who adores his wife and loves her to pieces -- ALL her pieces.

I loved what he said about what men do when they look in the mirror vs. what women do when they look in the mirror. Couldn't be more hilariously and sadly different. We should be more like men sometimes. It's amazing how much energy we women burn fussing about things like our appearance.

Seriously have you ever seen a man let a perfectly good day be ruined because his hair doesn't look just right or he didn't have the right belt to wear with a certain outfit. Stop it, ladies. I'm talking to me, I'm talking to you. Yes be healthy, yes take care of yourself, yes exercise...but then let's just be happy. Can we? You're beautiful, lovely and delightful!

A Little Holiday Spirit

I have been experimenting with the photo lessons I learned from Leslie Schewring, of A Creative Mint, in the BYW class this fall. Leslie taught us a lot about the charm of extreme close ups. I have a lot to learn about my new camera and have enjoyed experimenting with different photo shoots. I can humbly admit I've deleted a LOT of photos in the learning process.

This weekend I took some photos that captured the holiday charm I'm enjoying around the house. Here are a few shots from little corners.

I don't ever buy a tree because I've never been at my apartment for Christmas Day. I have a small 24" tall tree that I set up on a table and I decorate the mantle with garland, lights and the lovely ornaments I've been given over the years.

A new addition to the decorations comes thanks to The Man. A few weeks ago he found a large fishbowl sitting near the dumpster that someone was getting rid of. One of the nice things about living in a big city is that when people decide they don't need things anymore they often recycle them by leaving them at the side of a dumpster for others to take. It's amazing the great stuff you see on the curb or next to dumpsters in this city!

He had an idea we could do something creative with it. While at Target this week I found a collection of red and silver ornaments in the dollar bins. I bought a variety of glittered, glossy balls in a several sizes. Mixing the ornaments with a string of lights created a charming bowl of deliciousness to set next to the fireplace. All for just six dollars and some stuff I had laying around the house.

I'm working on a few new creative projects after a Saturday trip to Michaels. (Did I say trip I meant extravaganza!) I will look forward to sharing them with you here in the next few days. I'm making a fun wreath and having some fun with two styrofoam tree forms. And you can look forward to some giveaways in the next few days!

Stay Warm and Safe

For those of you heading into a weekend of bad weather, lots of time indoors and a potential case of family cabin fever, here's a best of post from last winter full of ideas to keep yourselves sane. I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the week focused on my time totally on family. Looking forward to seeing lots of people I love in the next four days.

Have a great day! Be safe!

photo from www.wallpaperdojo.com

Camping With Kids

Photo from Liz Stanley at My Favorite Things

I grew up camping with my parents. I did not stay in my first hotel/motel until I was six years old. I love family camping. I can remember more about camping as a kid than almost any other element of my childhood.

My parents, our extended family and friends had no problems going camping with big bands of children. It's sad to see how few people camp anymore. I have promised myself I will do more of it. One person who's been a big influence on my motivation to camp is Liz Stanley of SayYesToHoboken.

I was so thrilled to see she'd put together a list of tips for parents who want to camp with small children over at MyFavoriteThings. If you want to incorporate camping into your lifestyle, she's a great resource. Check it out here.

Holiday Projects In Full Swing

Holiday preparations are in full swing. Christmas decorating is happening tonight. Yes, I was once a hard-core purist about not decorating until after Thanksgiving but this year, I'm going for it. Want the holidays to be lo-o-o-n-g and enjoyable.

I decided to see how much I could make with stuff I already had on hand. So I rummaged through my craft supplies for holiday-ish papers, lettering, ribbon, glue sticks, paper punches and I stole a glitter pen from The Little Bug. She won't ever be using them again anyway, after the glitter glue pen disasters that occurred when they were purchased. That stuff is wicked messy and takes all together too long to dry, even for me.

I'm trying to keep the holidays on a very tight financial leash. I've been saving up coupons for every store I might even remotely walk into this season. Most of all Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics. On my list of purchases for this week are some dollar store doilies, more glue sticks, glitter pens, styrofoam tree forms, more holiday paper, clothes pins, an embroidery hoop and construction paper.

So far I have been whipping up some gift tags, paper garlands with fun holiday phrases, framed decorations and some experiments with foam core scraps. My biggest inspirations so far have come from Stylizimo and from the December Issue of Martha Stewart Living.  

I will confess that I have looked through Martha three times in the past 4 days, most recently last night to sticky tab all the pages of inspiration. In the end the magazine was pretty covered with sticky tabs. There is also a great 50% off coupon for Martha products at Michael's in the magazine. I think I'm going to get the circle cutter or an edge cutter...or a stack of lovely paper. There are good coupons for some other great retailers in there too.

Tomorrow I'll show a few more details of what I'm working on this year. Hope the beginning of your holiday week is going well. Happy Monday!

Home Interior Composition Part 2

This is Part Two of a series on pulling the look of your home together. You can see Part One here. Now that you've planned and organized, here's the fun part. Putting it all together.

1.  Ask for help – It never hurts to get someone else involved in your thought process. Talk to a friend you know understands you, get the opinions of people you know have a great sense of style and organization. I find that talking through my ideas with someone else is often the fastest way for me to identify the weak spots in my plan. Plus they may have ideas that will improve the great ideas you already have. They may ask questions you hadn’t thought of or know of resources that will help you put your ideas into action faster and less expensively.

2.  Do a quick shop -- Look for punches of color, interesting shapes and patterns that will deepen the look and feel of your composition.

 For smaller items you need to round out a room I like places home décor shops like Pier1 Imports, CostPlus World Market, IKEA and ZGallerie. Stores like Target, UrbanOutfitters, Anthropologie,  TJMaxx -Home Goods, Ross and Marshalls also wonderful resources for accessory decorating  items to brighten the home. If you are on a budget – and who isn’t – you can find some great deals at the lower priced discount stores.

Local thrift stores, flea markets, vintage fairs and junk yards can be great resources too. People often give away the little stuff when they’ve outgrown it or move to a new home.

Even when you're on a budget, don’t overlook the sales at the larger, more expensive retailers. You can often get amazing deals in store or at their web sites as they clear out older merchandise. Smaller items are more seasonal and more likely to go on clearance than large furniture items which stay for years sometimes.

Consider plants as part of your color and design scheme. Home Depot is now my go to shop for great plants. I may just be lucky and have a fantastic gardener taking care of the plants at my nearby location, but there is a fantastic selection of shapes, sizes and colors. Plants ground a room and give it life.

3. Don’t be afraid to experiment -- Unlike a home, sofa or dining table purchase, you can continually be changing your mind about your room composition. Don’t feel you have to find a perfect arrangement  in one day. You may need a week or weeks to play with it before you know what you want and you find what feels most you. Invite a friend to help. Sometimes all you need is an outside eye to see what is lacking or give you a confident “Oh, it’s perfect!”

4. Shake it up a bit -- Change your compositions regularly. Add a little something or take something away. If you have a beautifully styled bookcase and it never changes, it’s going to look staged and boring over time…and gather a lot of dust. Tweaking things on a regular basis shows your home is a representation of you, evolving and changing as the seasons and you change.

The composition that is going to feel best to you is the one that most reflects you and your life. Pull in things that inspire and excite you.  Use the things you collect – sea shells, sea glass, old post cards, family photos, vintage bud vases, travel souvenirs. Let it evolve with you. A home that is well composed is one people feel instantly comfortable and cozy in and one that will feel happy to you.

Do you have composition challenges? Are there areas you feel have never quite come together in your home? What has inspired you or helped you get over this decorating hurdle?

Have a fantastic weekend. I'm heading to Week Three of Girls Night Out craft night with Mariah B. as our fabulous and patient teacher. Tonight we're making Christmas Stockings. Looking forward to it. See you back here Monday for more creative fun.

Photo 1 Southern Living Magazine by Laurey W. Glenn

Photo 2 House Beautiful by Dominique Vorillon

Photo 3 MyHomeIdeas.com by Tria Giorvan

Photo 3 MyHomeIdeas.com by Tria Giorvan

Home Interior Composition Part 1

One of the things I find most challenging about interior decorating is composition. It can be quite easy to pull together great basic foundations for a room – things like a  great couch, a functional bookcase, beautiful window treatments, headboard, dining table, side chairs and lamps. Even identifying favorite art pieces and where they will hang is often simply dictated by wall space. Much of the time these larger pieces of the room are structured into the room by basic room shape, space available, where electric outlets are, etc.

Completing the composition of the room can often be overwhelming. I think this is why many people never feel like their home doesn't feel totally pulled together. After all this work, it’s time to personalize, accessorize and fill in a few little corners with just the right punches of color, variation of shapes and sizes to give the home a cozy, lived in feel.

It’s easy to go too bare or overboard. Getting just the right vibe can be a frustrating process. Here are a few things I find inspiring at this point in the process.

1.  Look for inspiration from well composed vignettes. Go through magazines that cater to your personal style like Dwell, Elle Decor, House Beautiful. Check out regional magazines too - such as Coastal Living and Southern Living. There are many of these regional design publications available in bookstores near you. Visit websites like DesignSponge,  Decor8, Stylizimo where they often have lots of additional content.

 

2. Create a file, digitally or with cut outs or copies of photos you love. I’ve have paper files, digital files and also a large sketch book of photos from catalogs I really love. It’s interesting to see over the years how these photos inspire my design. Sometimes I’ll go back and wonder why on earth I liked something I saved, but more often than not, what I loved five years ago, I still love the basics of today.  Even things that may feel outdated now can be update to fit your current style today.

3. Gather up what you have and make an inventory. You may be surprised at what you have around your home that you can use. Choose items for the specific space you wish to compose (home office, mantle, bookshelf, kitchen window, coffee table, dresser). Look for a theme in these elements, colors that compliment and contrast each other. Choose items with varying patterns, shapes and sizes which will be most pleasing to the eye and round out the space best. See where you need to fill things in and make a list you can carry with you.

Next up, later this morning, I'll give you four more steps for pulling it all together. See you then!

Photo 1 Country Living magazine by Keith Scott Morton

Photo 2 House Beautiful magazine by John M. Hall

Photo 3 House Beautiful magazine by Julian Waas

A Few More Thrift Store Finds -- I Didn't Buy

A little follow up post on Thrift Shopping. Found these amazing bedside tables at Goodwill. Didn't buy them because I don't need them, but I hope someone finds them and enjoys the life out of them. Great deal. I'm still thinking about this piece of art I keep seeing. It's way over priced but I look at it every time I stop in.

I would definitely want to re-frame it or at least I think I would. It's amazing how many times I buy something at a thrift store thinking I am going to upcycle it somehow and then get home and in my house I realize it's just perfect the way it is and I shouldn't change a thing. Hmmm, I'll see if it's still there next time...

I did buy a darling orange corduroy skirt, pink cotton pants with a cute applique on them and a frilly ruffled cotton skirt with a couple of rows of sequins in for good measure -- all for The Bug. The sizes are a little big but next summer they'll probably be just perfect and I paid less than $6 for them all. I also bought a pretty silver tin bucket/pot and a little bowl that matches. I'm envisioning they will go well with this little gem. Total price today as $12.

The Holiday Calendar of Events

The holidays will be here in two shakes and they'll be over in three. After such a busy, busy, eventful year I really want to make sure that this holiday season is a restful one, spent with nearest and dearest friends and family. At the same time it's so easy to get so busy that the entire season passes by and miss out on making the most of it.

So this year I'm taking action to everything I can to make the most of the season. Here's what I'm doing:

1) Getting all the work done early -- gifts bought, cards made, travel arranged. I've started but still have a lot to do. Goal is to be done by end of November. I am getting the house in good shape so that I can decorate just before or after Thanksgiving.

2) Researching local events  -- I started making a list of all the really memorable, fun things going on around town this season. I am also researching events going on while we're visiting family out of state.

3) Making a calendar of our plans -- I printed out a blank calendar for November and December and I'm filling it out and keeping in on the fridge. Hoping to see the lighted boat parades in Newport and San Diego. Will try to catch the tree lighting ceremony in our neighborhood. A couple simple dinners with friends. I want to keep it simple.

4) Relaxing and having some fun! -- My biggest goal is to make sure that my little clan  and I have a beautiful, sweet, relaxing season to celebrate the observance of a religious holiday that is very important to our families and the closing of one year and the beautiful beginning of another. Don't want to get to anxious about anything, just keeping it simple and happy.

photo from Country Living by Susan Gentry McWhinney

Holiday Inspiration from Country Living

Country Living has the most beautiful Holiday Decorations guide posted online. They cover everything in this gorgeous photo guide - inspiration for the mantle, the front door, windows, trees, every corner of the house. There is something for everyone. So many shots to drool over. It will definitely get you in the mood to make your home look magical this holiday season and give you a few good DIY project ideas.

The best part is this photo gallery loads really quickly and if you get impatient (like me) waiting for galleries to open and pages to change you'll be happy how fast you can scroll through these.

Check it out here.

Thrift Store Finds of The Week

I love that most four-year-olds can't read because then I get to share with you what I bought last weekend. More on that in a minute. My local Goodwill have been remodeled and it feels twice as big even though the space is the same. The selection has been really good lately.

However, I will say that the people they have pricing are heading in a bad direction. I saw prices for items that were more than you could buy the same item new in a retail store. Their pricing seems to be creeping up and on many items is just too high. I have seen over the past couple of decades a cycle where thrift stores offend and drive away buyers when pricing begins to be perceived by regular customers as getting too greedy. I will definitely say I was turned off by it in my past two trips. When pricing starts to go down again, customers start having more friendly feelings about their local stores again.

My loyalties to thrift stores are highly tied to my impression of whether they are providing a friendly, useful community-building service or just trying to gauge customers for every penny they can.They receive their merchandise for free from customers like me. I don't particularly like stores who have an antique section either. Prices are usually equal to what you'd pay in an antique store and thrifts are generally a little outdated on what has current value to shoppers. If you have any opinions on this I'd love to hear them.

Here's what I did purchase.

A great bamboo magazine rack. This just couldn't be more perfect for my home. My home is full of dark wood so I love the color of this and how it stands out against the darker palette. It looks so great with a pretty magazine in front.

A great pendant necklace. (See above) I love the beads on this necklace and I am crazy about the pendant. I am thinking of dismantling it because I always like big pendants on a longer chain or strand of beads. I definitely have some plans for this piece.

Love these earrings. I like the color and shape so much. They will be a great addition to my jewelry collection and will go with almost everything I have.

Last but not least. The Little Bug spends hours and hours playing with a large collection of little animals and dolls. She is always creating little environments for them to play in. When I found this ragged little doll house, my creative mind started planning up all the ways I could upcycle it for her for Christmas. It's pretty rough around the edges. Give it a new coat of paint, fix up the roof, put up some real fabric curtains, make some furniture. I think she'll go nuts for it. I'm trying to keep things very simple for the holidays, so I think I've found my fun play gift for her.

There are just two little details I really didn't consider: 1) where I'm going to hide it between now and Christmas and 2) what I'm going to do if we spend Christmas with family far away....Oh details, details. I'll figure them out somehow.

So that's my thrift store round up. Have you found any great treasures in your bargain shopping lately? It's inspiring to hear about them if you feel like sharing! Are you upcycling anything fun for the holidays?

Holiday Crafting with Mariah

My lovely friend Mariah has organized a series of Girls Night Out craft Friday nights. It was so much fun to get together with a bunch of fun, bright, spunky, entertaining women and whip up a little Christmas bunting.

Mariah was so smart to pick projects that were really doable in about two hours. The first week they made felt flowers. When I went on Friday no one left without a finished product. It was so great to have Mariah right there who could advise at every step along the way. It was nice to have someone else figure out all the logistics. All I had to do was follow simple instructions.

If you're in the LA area, we'll be making stocking next week. Get in touch with me asap if you are interested and I'll get you all the info and make sure there are supplies for you. Thanks Mariah for putting together such a fun series and for all your work!

I love to hear what you are doing with friends to prepare for the holidays this year. Shopping dates, craft projects, etc? Please share. Have a great Tuesday!

KK, A Cat & A Dog

In general I think a woman should never take children with her to shop for women's clothing. I staunchly believe that no child should be forced to endure a long, wandering trip to the mall for mom's sake on a Saturday afternoon. It's a recipe for disaster, right? We've all witnessed the meltdowns, right?

Well, here's some magic that happened when I had the audacity to do a little shopping for myself a few weeks ago. Here's the recipe: Little Bug in the big section of the shopping cart, my planner, a pen and me doing a quick, self-indulgent shop - which I never do with her.

Results: The first portrait of me she has ever drawn. She followed this up with one of Dad and one of herself. I haven't even seen her do stick figures. Apparently she skipped that phase and went straight to clothed stick figures. I can tell she takes after her very artistic paternal side. She's very serious about anything she draws.

Granddad and Dad are both very talented at sketching, cartooning, etc. It's fun to watch her work on art projects with her dad, they are so similar, so intent on the quality of their work. I can't really draw at all, so I'm excited to see what she creates over the years.

Over-sanitizing Can Be Bad For Your Health

Getting too focused on killing germs can create serious risks to your family. My mother is a nurse and I grew up in a community of wonderful medical professionals. You'd be amazed to hear how many of these people I have heard express serious concerns about America's obsession with hand sanitizers and over-sanitizing.

Hand sanitizers do kill the bad germs, but they also kill the good microorganisms that fight off disease and protect your immune system. Killing these microorganisms creates opportunities for super viruses to develop which are resistant to antibiotics which put us all at risk. Here is a warning on CNN.com about kids putting their hands in their mouths after using hand sanitizers made of significant amounts of ethyl alcohol. Another from The New York Times.

Cleaning too often with strong cleaners can also create serious health risks for you and your family. Over-sanitizing your home can be dangerous. Here's a great article detailing why cleaning must be done in moderation.  If your family is constantly sick and you are constantly sanitizing your home the cleaning may be the problem. Your cleaning chemicals may be harming your families health. Many strong cleaning products contain very intense chemicals which can affect breathing, kill flora in the digestive tract and more.

If you are looking for ways to protect your immune system some of the best are incredibly practical -- eat a wide variety of healthy fruits and vegetables, get plenty of sleep, exercise and maintain a healthy weight and avoid stress wherever possible.

photo via

Making the Most of House Cleaning

Set the task to do a quick clean up & rearrange of the home today. With all the comings and goings lately things are a little disheveled and I am eager to get things back in order to increase my enjoyment of my home, give me a clean slate from which to think and work, and to feel a bit more settled. 2010 has proven to be a most surprising, amazing and challenging year. I am ready to enjoy the sanctity of my home and ease into the holidays.

I'm half tempted to just put up the holiday decorations this week because once Thanksgiving comes things will get busy, especially if there is travel involved. I'm a purist about waiting until after Thanksgiving but I might make an exception this year.

So, what can one do to make house cleaning more enjoyable and less drudgery? Here are four things I am doing to make it less of a drag and it's actually inspiring me too -- which is making me work more quickly and efficiently.

1. Set a timer. Set your kitchen timer for 15 minutes and work without distraction. I try to choose one area to focus on, say a coffee table, a dresser, closet, bathroom countertop or a section of a room that needs to be picked up. I keep it moving and do as much as I can in that time. Then I give myself an earned, timed  five minute break to do something that makes me happy. (See #2) Then once the five minutes is up, I set the timer for 15 minutes and get moving again.

2. Inspire yourself. During my five minutes I allow myself something that feeds and replenishes me. Today I chose to open up Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, by Sarah ban Breathnach and read one day's inspiration from whatever page I opened it up to. I read something really cool and very simple tonight that I am definitely taking action on tomorrow. You could use this five minutes to lift weights, do sit ups, write a quick thank you note, send an email, or whatever will make you happy and brighten your day. I look forward to these five minute breaks and can't wait to earn them. I walk away from my physical work feeling accomplished, inspired, happy and energized.

3. Learn something. I'm just finishing up the last of my BYW class and am looking forward to listening to a podcast from our lovely teacher Holly Becker while I work. Using my cleaning time to listen and learn is another great way to make the time more enjoyable and less painful. There are so many wonderful books on tape you can listen to: self-helps, biographies or even silly romance novels can be very entertaining while you work.

4. Leave the TV off. Trying to do work while watching TV is a big distraction if you are focused on getting your cleaning work done quickly. It can often take two or three times longer to complete tasks with the TV on. It's easy to turn it on and leave it on for long periods of time, which can cause you to loose precious hours you need to get on to other things. If you really think about it there are many things you'd love to be doing that really feed you and inspire you once the work is done. Focus on those good things and speed through the work parts of your day.

Back to work I go. Hope you enjoy your cleaning work a little more today!

photo 1 from Microsoft Clip Art
photo 2 from Amazon.com
photo 3 from Amazon.com
photo 4 from Desktopmart.com

My Veteran's Day Tribute - God Bless My Boys & the USA

It's Veteran's Day. Being part of a military family I have to pause to salute LCDR-Select, The General, The Colonel, our dear friend Mike J. and every other member of the U.S. Military family at large. The sacrifices members of the military make are big ones. But they are made with a conviction that they are serving their country, that they are protecting our quality and way of life -- and the lives of their own families.

It's long periods of time away from loved ones, lots of physical and emotional wear and tear -- injuries on young bodies that our veterans carry with them for the rest of their lives.

I must send my love & support to military spouses and families everywhere and salute their sacrifices. Waiting and wondering how loved ones are, when an email or call will come and when they'll come home are not easy burdens to bear. Add on top of that the stress of maintaining the home front and managing all the duties for the family is both lonely and exhausting.

What I'd give to spend the day with LCDR-Sel, The General, The Colonel and Mike J. Sadly I won't be with any of them on this special day. But I send my love out to sea, up to heaven, two states east and across town to say thank you for all you've done to serve this beautiful land of ours. Mwah! Big Kiss!

P.S. Hey #76 good job helping those stranded Carnival folks!

photos shot by kalanicut

at the National Memorial Cemetary of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii

Tourist In My Town - Las Vegas

If you like Las Vegas, you'll love this Tourist In My Own Town photo shoot by my dear Christy of CCP. It's a collection of some really fantastic photos from all parts of the city. And here is a sassy tour of the Neon Boneyard.

Thanks Christy for sharing photos that capture the old school and new trendy sides of one of America's most interesting cities. Enjoy reader friends. Have a great Wednesday!

Hawaiian Shave Ice At It's Best

At times I get quite crazy cravings for Hawaiian Shave Ice with macadamia nut ice cream in the bottom, watermelon, strawberry and watermelon syrup, with sweetened condensed milk. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it. Mmmmmmm.

In Hawaii you can get good shave ice in many locations.Shave Ice is NOT a snowcone. It's a completely different thing, the ice is much finer. In many cities on the Mainland there are Hawaiian Shave Ice trucks and shops now. But I just can't eat Shave Ice between 10 pm and midnight on a weekday when the truck is in my neighborhood or chase the truck around via Twitter.

So I'm thinking I should just invest or put it on my Christmas list. Of course there are machines that cost over $1,000. But maybe I could snag one like this. My next problem is finding Dreyer's macadamia nut ice cream. Big problem, right? Maybe I need to find a recipe and add an ice cream maker to my Christmas list. Mmmm.

By the way this AWESOME ice cream is seriously on sale, makred down from $145 to just $79. A perfect Christmas gift! My mom uses this machine all the time in the summer and makes some seriously good ice cream very quickly.

Photo 1 by kalanicut

Photo 2 from Amazon

Photo 3 from Williams-Sonoma

The Wedding of Beautiful Nicole

Best thing I could share today is amazing photos of my sweet friend Nicole's wedding. She met her future husband in an elevator at a business convention in NYC two-and-a-half years ago. Weeks later he was in LA taking her on their first date and their love has been blissful ever since.

Nicole & I have shared some big stuff and some good times together. After going through the ups & downs of dating in the big city with her it was a lovely, crazy time when she met Jeff and I met The Man within just a few weeks of each other. Exhausted but joyful Nicole & Jeff enjoyed a cross-country courtship for almost a year until Nicole made the big move to the East Coast to be with the fabulous Jeff.

Talented photographer Duston Todd captured all the magic that is Nicole & Jeff and their dreamy wedding day. Hooray for Jeff & Nicole! Great Job, Mr. Todd! Just so you know, there is music when you click on the link to Duston's web site, for those of you reading at the office or other quiet spot.

photo by Duston Todd

A Favorite Spot for Before and After Inspiration

photo by Adrienne, via DesignSponge

One of my favorite things to do when I need some good visual, creative inspiration is to visit the Before and After section of DesignSponge. There are so many interesting projects there. It's amazing how many creative people there are out there doing the most fantastic things to restore, update and invigorate furniture and rooms. Take a spin through the Before and After section to see the most intriguing creations. There is something there for lovers of every design style.

You can also get some super instruction from Barb Blair at Knack on DesignSponge. She has a weekly column there and I've learned some great things from her there.

Have a great Monday!