New Sweater!

We opened Christmas gifts on Sunday with Greg's mom and older brother and his family, in an effort to make Christmas Eve a little less hectic. Greg's mom bought me this gorgeous sweater, the Side Zip Cardigan by Madison Lilly.

I cannot wait to wear it! It's mostly wool, so it will be so nice and cozy. Really excited about this one. Thanks, Pat!

Costco Photobooks

We went to Hawaii over Thanksgiving, and had a fabulous time. I took a TON of photos, and I wanted a way to document our trip. My sister-in-law told me that Costco now has photobooks! I was thrilled, because Costco's prices and quality can't be beat.

If you're looking for a less costly alternative to some of the higher priced photo websites, I suggest checking these out!

And just because I can't mention our Hawaii trip and photos without sharing one, here's one of my favorite shots...

$99?!

I just hopped on Target's website looking for something completely different (black leggings) and stumbled across this chair. I am smitten! If I had a place in my house for this chair, you can bet I'd be buying it. Regularly $169, currently priced at $99!!

It's called Avington Slipper Chair, in Whimsical.

It also comes in vine, if this suits your color scheme better...

Someone please buy this chair!!

Thom Filicia

I'm looking through the September issue of Elle Decor and just love love LOVE this look by Thom Filicia for Kravet.

The colors, the patterns, the fabrics...all of it. Great look.

Anthropologie Sale

I was browsing through the Anthropologie website last night and found a few fun items on sale that I wanted to share with you.

First, the Conduit Chains Necklace which is priced at a very reasonable $29.95. I think this necklace would look great with so many things and is at such a great price point!


Next, I found the Konnichiwa Sweater which is also pretty reasonably priced at $69.95. It comes in a few different colors and would be a really easy way to warm up any outfit.



And lastly, I found the Insouciant Tank, which is only $29.95! This also comes in a gorgeous yellow and a versitile ivory. Great on its own or with a cardigan over top.

Hudson at Costco!

I LOVE Hudson Jeans, and was so thrilled when I saw these at my local Costco yesterday. What are typically $187 jeans are under $105 at Costco right now. If you're in need of new bootcut denim, I suggest checking it out!

Polyvore

This is my newest favorite thing....It's a ton of fun.

Polyvore is a fashion website that allows you to make collages of clothing to create an outfit. It's so much fun!

Pumpkin Patch by stefb featuring a diamond earring

Old Navy Womens Stretch Crew-Neck Tees, $8
Women's Footwear - American Eagle Outfitters, $30
Princess Cut Diamond Solitaire Earrings at Shane Co., $8,325
Spun by Subtle Luxury Abstract Scarf, $20
Nine West Down Vest
Coach Sunglasses
Paige Denim Pico Boot Cut

Check it out! Super fun!

L.O.V.E.

It's not very often that an article of clothing makes my heart go pitter-patter. I tend to be kind of a plain-jane as far as clothing goes. I don't like to spend a lot of money on trendy items; I tend to dress in a more 'classic' way than trendy.

However. However......

I just saw this jacket on the Antropologie website and I think I'm in love. love love love. :)

Galison Cards

I was recently looking for some notecards to send out to clients. I went into our local pharmacy/gift shop (small town!) just as they were closing, and came across these lovely note cards by Galison.

I picked up a box of the Midnight Bloom cards...


and a box of the Dandelion cards.


These boxes come with 12 tri-fold cards and beautifully color coordinated envelopes, which are very cute on their own!

While looking at their website, I found a few more boxes I plan to get the next time I need cards.
Love these Origami Lane cards...


...and the Lucie Summers cards.

They are at a fabulous price point, and are great quality. I urge you to try them out next time you need some cards!

Salma Hayek + A Fall Look

I picked up the June 2010 issue of InStyle with Salma Hayek Pinault on the cover (partly for my husband, who worships the ground she walks on ;)) and just love this image. I love the way the sunlight is shining through the trees, the beautiful color of her gown, and the way it is complimented by the dark greenery behind her.

In honor of today being the first day of September, I thought I'd try to pull together some of the colors in an outfit that I might wear (because as much as I love it, I'm probably not going to be wearing her gorgeous gown anytime soon!), and to carry the color scheme into Fall.

Kind of hard to tell in this photo, but this cardigan is actually a deep purple (and only $49.90!), and think it would look great with either a white or grey cami.





I kind of like this necklace and think it might be fun with the above...


Or if you wanted a lighter look, this necklace from Anthropologie would look great too.






Pair it with some skinny jeans and flats and you've got a great fall look!

Truffles

A few weeks ago, Greg, Cameron and I, along with my parents and sister, traveled to Victoria, BC for my cousin's wedding.

We were staying just off the Inner Harbour in a great hotel called Parkside Victoria Resort and Spa. All six of us stayed in a suite that was really nice. Decorated nicely, and quite spacious for all of us. They had a great kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a pull out couch. It was perfect. I'd highly recommend staying there if you ever have the chance.

The day of the wedding, we decided to take a walk down to the Inner Harbour and show Cameron the boats, as well as walk through a small street fair/farmers market that was going on. It was there that I found these delicous truffles. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not much of a chocolate lover...but dark chocolate truffles that melt in your mouth are my weakness.

The particular flavor that I fell in love with isn't on the Terrible Truffles website, but they do mention to call for custom orders. I purchased a dozen of the dark chocolate with sea salt...which, I promise, melt in your mouth and are to die for.

I'd also really like to like to try the Espresso flavor...don't they look wonderful?!

If you're looking for a sweet treat, check out Terrible Truffles. Enjoy!

J.Crew

We were on vacation last week and I didn't spend much time on the computer, so I apologize for the lack of posts!

When we got home and I started going through our HUGE pile of mail, I realized it was 'magazine week' while we were gone. Between my husband and myself, I think we received nearly a dozen mags and catalogs!

I just started looking through J.Crew's September catalog, and found these beauties.

If only I had a reason to wear $285 shoes!

I also love this shirt...I wish it came in a pale blue check.

I'm a big fan of this cami, too...

...which I think would look great paired with skinny jeans and a longer cardigan in a rich color. I think I need to go 'back to school' shopping!

Entertaining Idea

I was just looking through the Pier 1 flyer that arrived in my mailbox last week, and found this idea for entertaining that I just had to share.

They have a new collection of dishes that was designed just for parties. They have little dishes, ramekins, and big platters that fit all of the minis. It's perfect if you entertain a lot!

There are more beautiful pictures, recipes and party ideas on the website....so check out more HERE!

Bags...again

Remember a few months ago when I posted about those great reusable shopping bags?




Well, a select few of them are on super sale over at The Mini Social right now, including this little lovely, which is marked down to $12 from $19:

If you're not familiar with The Mini Social, here's a little blurb from their website:
"Conceived by mom's for mom's, the mini social provides private access to the most hip and modern designer clothing and accessories for mom, baby and child, all at up to 60% off. The invitation only site features clean, simple design, paired with a super easy shopping experience, and will host two or more designer socials each week."

As mentioned above, it's invitation only, and these bags are only on sale for a few days. If you need an invitation, leave a comment on this post with your email address and I'll be happy to 'invite' you. Hurry to get the best deal!

My favorite cleaning products

I just did a bit of cleaning, and thought I'd share some of my favorite products with you. I'm constantly searching for things to make cleaning easier, less time consuming, etc. Here are some of my faves:

Martha Stewart Clean Toilet Bowl Cleaner and Bathroom Cleaner

I like these because they're easy to use, don't have a really strong odor, and do the job. Now, I will say, if your toilet is so dirty that it needs some MAJOR work, I wouldn't recommend this cleaner. It's for your typical weekly cleaning...not cleaning a toilet that 6 college guys share and clean once every 3 months. ;)

For dusting, I use a microfiber glove similar to this one.

It's super easy to use, and picks things up so well. I just slip it on, run my hand over the surface of my tables, picture frames, window sills, etc. It's fabulous.

For my hardwood floors, I usually use a Swiffer Sweeper first to get all the dust and crumbs up. Then I get the Scotch-Brite Hardwood Floor Duster cloth wet, and use Method's Squirt & Mop with it. It's super easy, and I'm done with my kitchen, entry, and downstairs bath in less than 20 minutes.

Happy Cleaning!!

Lonny Magazine

Oh Happy Day! I just received an email alerting me to the fact that the newest issue of Lonny Magazine is live! Hooray!

And of course, I've already found an ad that I'm in love with. As I mentioned in my last post, I've been looking for a new duvet cover. I've been looking for something light and cheerful, with mostly white and a little bit of a brighter green.

I love this look by Serena & Lily.




Individual pieces can be found here.



As an added bonus, Serena & Lily is offering a 15% discount for Lonny subscribers! If you're not already a subscriber, it's easy to do. It's an online mag and free, so check it out!

I'm sure I'll be back with more as I have a chance to look through more of the issue.

Dwell Studio

I was just perusing the Target website in search of a new duvet cover, and came across some of the Dwell Studio for Target line. You guys, they have some really cute stuff! Check it out...


Some kitchen towel sets:


And some really great bedding too.


It appears, from these photos, that I'm also on a green and blue kick. The colors remind me of the ocean, and I just love the bright, cheery feeling.
All photos via Target.

Wall Stencils

When I think of wall stencils, I often think of the stencils of the past. The 'country charm' style that was popular in the late '80s and early '90s. And while it reminds me of many of the homes in my childhood neighborhood (of which I hold wonderful memories), it's not something I want in my home now!


I was reading Three Men and a Lady today and she had posted about wall stencils. And I love these! So many fabulous stencils to really add something to a room.

You could do a simple small stencil on one wall like this (which I think would be adorable in a little girl's bedroom)


Or make a beautiful medallion above a chandelier like this...


Or do a full wall for a wallpaper look. I love this elegant look, and would love to do something like this without having the mess of wallpaper.


All images via Cutting Edge Stencils. Check them out!

Beverage Jars

I've been considering buying a beverage jar for awhile now. I got an email from Sur la Table today advertising their beverage jars at 20% off. So I popped onto their website and saw the jars pictured above. I think the Beehive jar is adorable!


So then I decided to look around a bit and see what else is out there...





PotteryBarn has some great options. The jar pictured above is acrylic which would be great for outdoors, especially if children are involved!

Another one of my favorites from PotteryBarn is the Mason Jar collection.



You can round out the beverage dispenser and mugs with these hanging Mason Jar Lanterns. How fun would that be for an outdoor dinner party?!




Now all we need in Seattle is a little Summer weather....