girls weekend

I'll check back in tomorrow evening after a refreshing girls weekend. It involves:

{Mmm... breakfast.}

This first!

nawlins' y'all

Here's a sneak peek of my latest design for my Etsy shop. My dear friend is expecting her second little girl. She lives in New Orleans and I'd love to surprise her with some little tees for her little ladies.

Voila!

show me some young house love

My basement is totally hideous. In Googling a solution for wood paneling I came across, Young House Love's post on the project and a plethora of "How-To's" I could implement (in my spare time). Here's their example of the project:

{Before - How-to wood paneling on Young House Love}

{After - wood paneling from Young House Love}

I love their site. I'm having my own young love affair with it. The photography is great. The guides look easy to implement. "House Crashing," a section that explores other's fabulous homes, is fun. I especially love their Design Advice service of $250 for a "review of your photos and any parameters you’ve set (paint color can’t change, table must stay) and within one short week we'll send you a mood board chock full of simple yet stunning design solutions to get the ball rolling and help you see your room in a whole new way."

Their site has inspired me to make some changes because of the aforementioned paneling and other scary items I don't even want to mention (barrel bar, cedar shake shingles, oh my!).

forever 31

I am approaching yet another year and man, do I feel old. Especially after stopping by Forever 21. Yes, most of their clothing is inappropriate for someone my age but a lot of it is really cute and all of it is very budget friendly. So I confess to purchasing a tank:

{Chiffon Petal Trimmed Tank by Forever 21}

Then... I ordered a couple of things I couldn't find in the store. I'm getting ready for a girls' weekend, so new outfits are in order!

{Floral Capsleeve Dress by Forever 21

{Color Stroke Dress by Forever 21}

I think these are adorable and still stylish but not over the top for someone that remembers neon, wayfarer sunglasses and leggings the first time around.

So, if I can't be forever 21, can I at least be forever 30?

feeling sassy

{gondola getaway top & 

lacy lifestyles tulip pencil skirt from Ruche}

This is a great look from Ruche. Very appropriate for date night.


If you aren't familiar with Ruche, get with the program!! Just kidding. They are a fabulous online shop that feels like Anthropologie without the hefty price tag. I love Anthro but just hit the sales racks for deals. Follow Ruche on Twitter and get the latest items posted to the site. Things go fast!

mead it, just mead it

Even though it has been quite a few years since I started "back to school," I still love the idea of getting ready with a set of new school supplies. Who doesn't love a new pack of crayons or blank Mead notebook? OR, a fabulously designed padfolio like the one I got for my birthday?

{French Bull by Jackie Shapiro stationery for Mead}

Not sure if I'll be taken seriously at work with one of these but I sure will look cute!

along came a spider

{Spider tee with black and white polka dots by littlehappycamper.etsy.com}

Here's a sneak peek at one of the designs I am working on for my Halloween collection on Etsy...

a word about verbena

Ver-whata? Yes, verbena. The world's best scent. I bring this up because I just received the most sweet smelling birthday gifts. (Not quite my birthday yet. I like to refer to it as birthday month since my husband takes all of June between a birthday and Father's Day. Oh, wait, he claims part of August because of our anniversary. Darn him.)


Anyway, take a whiff of this: k. hall designs verbena collection. I slathered on some shower cream this morning and then set about diffusing the bathroom.

We are very lucky to have k. hall designs in Saint Louis because not only do they have wonderful fragrances for home, body and bath online but they also sell very cool house ware items in their only storefront location. 

just coasting through life

{DIY Coasters with Amy Butler Designer Paper}

Latest project... DIY coasters using Amy Butler paper. This was super easy to make and didn't cost me a dime. I used scrapbooking paper I already had and white tiles leftover from our kitchen remodel. All I did was follow Prudent Baby's tutorial on Hostess with the Mostess. I did two sets. One I may make into a wall hanging... I'll let you know how it goes.

mr. postman

I love the mailman. He brings me the best stuff. Yesterday, I received the Linnea Design 2011 catalog with loads of new products--the next year's calendar, Mail Art stickers and so on. This was the first year that Linnea's daughter Johanna designed the poster calendar. I love both of their design styles. July's image is delicious!

{little happy camper kitchen wall}