Little Ink in a Giant Box

I try not to use this blog as a soap box, but I'm going to break my rule tonight. Really, Utrecht? Is this huge box really neccessary for this tiny little plastic bottle of ink that's not even breakable? Really?? What a waste!! Ok, I'm done. I just needed to get that out of my system!

Concert, Yes!

I just saw Charlie Daniels play 'Devil Went Down to Georgia' live! I mean, when else in my life was this going to happen? I also got to see Wynonna Judd perform, and Montgomery Gentry. And The Grascals. Wow.  Way to go Operation Yellow Ribbon. It was an awesome concert for an awesome cause.

Mehendi Vase

I grabbed this little Mehendi vase today at Anthropologie for only $16! I brought it home with our bathroom counter in mind, since it's a little bare. But once I saw it in my living room I knew it had to stay. The colors are perfect with my home-made artwork that you can see on the wall behind it. 

Sweet Baby Shower!

I spent today in Memphis for Desiree and Philip's baby shower! It was hosted by cousin Carrie in her beautiful new home.

The parents-to-be!

This cake is made of diapers!!

Sweet details.

So many beautiful things to open. We can't wait to meet baby Makayla really soon!

D'Aquino Monaco

First off, I know this is a horrible scan...sorry about that. But I had to share this room done by New York design firm D'Aquino Monaco. I actually had the pleasure of meeting with this lovely company while I worked in NYC (about doing some freelance hand-renderings). This firm knows color, and they do it with finesse and style. Check out their portfolio here. This particular apartment is for antiques dealer Bernd Goeckler. Stunning!

Scraps of Ribbon

Why can't I ever throw away scraps of ribbon? Probably because my Mom can't either, and I seem to be a lot like her... :) She brought me this pile of scraps not too long ago and I've been wondering what to do with them ever since.

Inspiration hit tonight when I went to wrap a baby gift for a shower I'll be attending this weekend! We're all looking forward to meeting this little baby girl!

Gorgeous Garden

This stunning Texas garden is featured in the April issue of Traditional Home magazine. These gorgeous outdoor spaces stopped me in my tracks!

Images found here.

This little outbuilding is a playhouse for their grandchildren, complete with it's own garden! Unfortunately I don't have a very green thumb...how about you?

Birthday Thoughts

Image found here.

Well, I turned the big 2-6 yesterday. Thank you everyone for the sweet cards, texts, phone calls and facebook messages! Year 25 was good to me...but here's hoping that 26 is my best year yet! Check out this post for the things I'd like to accomplish in 2011.

Also, thank you Kane for surprising me with a limo full of my friends and a night out on the town. It was so sweet and completely unexpected!

Personal Shopper

Did you know that Macy's offers a free personal shopping service? I found out last weekend during my trip to Kentucky. You call ahead to make an appointment, give your sizes and what you're looking for, and any other relevant information. Then the personal shopper shops the store for you and has a selection of clothes pulled and waiting for you. It's wonderful! Then as you try on, she will continue to bring things in based on your feedback. I don't think I'll ever shop the same way again.

I was looking specifically for work clothes, and I wear a lot of dresses. So these are a few of the pieces that I ended up buying.

Michael Kors dress here.

Tahari dress here.

Tahari dress here.

DIY Letterpress

Have any of you ever tried a DIY letterpress kit? I saw this Lifestyle Crafts kit at Hobby Lobby today, but I'm not sure how good of a job it can do. Let me know if you've tried it! They had several great ink colors and printing plates. These are two of the ones I saw today that I liked the look of. You can also have custom printing plates made on their website, which is a great idea!

Images found here.

My Girls

Where my girls at? That's one good looking little family :) Can't wait to come spend another weekend soon!

Ivey Cake

Happy birthday weekend to Mom, MG and me! I had so much fun hanging out with my family in Kentucky this weekend! We celebrated with these lovelies from Ivey Cake in Nashville. Yum! I recommend the red velvet and the strawberry.

Just Because

Just because my husband is sweet and knows exactly when to bring home a $5.00 bunch of flowers from the grocery store.

I'm in Kentucky this weekend celebrating three birthdays with my family! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! 

Aquamarine and Gold

I have a March birthday, along with my mother and my grandmother. So I've always had a love for aquamarine jewelry. All of mine is set in white gold, but lately I love the look of aquamarine set in gold. Check out these great pieces from Etsy. Have a great day!

Find it here.

Find it here.

Find it here.

Antique Reclining Armchairs

Antique French reclining armchairs are a new obsession of mine. These are two that I've purchased in the past couple of months that are absolutely beautiful! The old ratchet hardware is the best part. I can't wait to get these restored and reupholstered!

A Wedding and an Engagement!

Geneva and I at UGA.

We're back from an eventful weekend in Atlanta! Posting has been light for the last couple of days because I've been busy having too much fun! Originally we planned this trip around the wedding of our friend Barrett. But the weekend ended up mainly being a celebration of my best friend Geneva getting engaged earlier this week!! As you can imagine, I am beside myself with excitement! Oh, and this is a little goody basket I fixed up for her. Nothing like champagne and wedding magazines to make it official! 

Easiest Manicure Ever

Have you used these nail polish strips from Sally Hansen? They are awesome and so easy to use! You peel off thin little strips of polish, stick them to your nail and then trim off the excess. I gave myself a crazy glittery manicure in the car on the way to Atlanta this weekend, with no mistakes or mess to worry about. I picked it up at Wal-Mart, and yes, they have other colors that are more normal!

My First Commission

I finished two canvases for my sister-in-law last weekend...now they're hanging in her dining room adding lots of color to their house!

Oh, World of Interiors...

Oh, World of Interiors Magazine, how are you always so fabulous? Sometimes I think you're the only authentic design magazine left.

What are your favorite design magazines?