Miss your face

 

I've edited about .05% of my photos from our trip. I plan to continually post randoms until I'm done.

San Diego, Take Two

While I did not get to go see Shamu in San Diego, we did head over to Balboa Park one afternoon. It was so pretty!

I think this was the biggest tree I have ever seen! Unfortunately our photo in front of it made us look like ghosts.

The Spanish style architecture in California is so beautiful.

The buildings throughout the park were completely amazing.

Unfortunately we went to the park on a Monday, and we found out that pretty much everything inside the park is closed that day of the week.

We were able to get inside of this open air greenhouse though.

Seeing these photos again after over a month makes me want to head back.

Dan pretty much wanted to pack his bags and live the life of a beach bum during this trip, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

However, next time we are definitely going to see Shamu.

The view from my front step when I woke up this morning...

Sure it's not the best mountain view money can buy but it's still so pretty. Also, note the moon! I think that means that I was up early, which for me is quite a feat!

Happy Friday!

Sister Sister

Okay, so I promise I am not going to reflect on the ridiculous TV show from the 90s. However, do you see the hats in the picture above? I may have sported a few a la Blossom around that time of my life. Thankfully it was a time before digital photography took over the world!!

I actually came across this article from the NY Times today named, "Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier". It makes me miss my sister who I won't get to see until the end of December! 

See, don't we look happy? Miss you Melis.

Home Design Style...

Do you know what yours is? Mine is:

55% Rustic Revival

36% Nantucket Chic

9% Cottage Chic

I discovered this by taking the style quiz at Sproost. It was really quick and easy and I think that my results cover off on my design aesthetic pretty well. If you're interested in finding out more about your style, you should head over there.

My percentage allocation means a whole bunch of things that I'm going to document here along with images so that I can refer back to this when various pretty things on the Internet strike my fancy. I've also included some of the images that they show to detail out each style. All of this comes from the Sproost site.

Rustic Revival

• Urban Country
• A mix of modern and country. 
• Clean lines of the modern softened by rustic /vintage elements is the perfect mix
• Appeals to young and old alike. 

More >

Materials

• Material palette  runs the gamut because of the two extremes being mixed. 
• Countryside: lots of wood, woven rope, canvas and linen, rustic metals and wrought iron, cowhide and vintage leather. 
• Modern side: acrylic, satin and polished nickel and chrome, glass, faux fur, refined leather, fiberglass and sleek woods. 
• Floor Coverings: Seagrass and natural woven materials, Concrete and natural wood floors are very popular, and work really well together.

 

Colors

• Think light, casual and airy. 
• Colors that make nice, subtle backdrops: White, pale gray or beige, khaki and sage
• Reference colors from: natural linen, concrete, iron, rust
• Key: keep the spaces feeling open and yet warm  
• Go light on walls and major pieces 
• Use color on accents and accessories

Nantucket Style

• Think Beach
• The feeling of the seaside is both abstract and literal in the design of your space. 

More >

Materials

• Art and accessories: Things that remind you of the coast. Pieces of driftwood, pictures or paintings of views
• Fabrics: Natural, cottons and linens and are light in color and touch.
• Furniture: Wood or wood framed (the lighter the better) and wicker, when done right, is a must.

Colors

• White, light beiges and grays of the sand and driftwood
• Variety of blues for the ocean and sky
• Greens and vibrant blues of the sea glass
• Key is white! Your space should feel light and airy and have a laid back mood

 Space Planning

• Furniture: Comfortable 
• Layout: Cozy 
• Space: Both durable and casual

Cottage Chic

• Love the carefree spirit of cottage interiors, but also appreciate modern art & hip treasures
• Love old and new alike, and love to highlight them to expose the uniqueness of each
• Light Background

More >

Materials

• Accessories: Bring humor into space
• Fabrics:Natural (cottons and linens) and light in touch. 
• Furniture: Wood or wood framed (the lighter the better) and used sparingly or with modern lines, wicker here and there.

Colors

• Colors are similar to colors in Nantucket Chic section.
• Key is balance of old and new

Space Planning

• Encourages intimate gatherings 
• The color throughout is light and airy
• The main color seen and felt throughout the house is white or very light versions of colors that feel almost white. 

But Will It Make You Happy?

Did you see this article in Sunday's New York Times? If you missed it, you can luckily still read it right here. It talks about how spending money in different ways impacts happiness. If you have 5 minutes, you should read it. It made me think a little bit more about what is really important to spend my money on and what might just be something that will just suit my fancy for a short period of time.

While the article may not entirely agree, one of the things that I've been spending my money on lately is my new favorite drink:

The XXX flavor is the best! And for a little thing, it has definitely been putting a smile on my face!

Artistic Endeavors

Dan's been learning how to use our photo editing software. I thought I'd post some of his latest work... we'll see how long it takes for him to figure out that this has happened, as I'm pretty sure he is only reading my blog when I'm on it and am sitting next to him.

I think it's so fun to play around with pictures and make them completely yours!

Oooh Mexico! It sounds simple I just got to go...

Yup that's right, we're going on vacation, and not for a wedding or a holiday, and not to visit anyone we know! This is a big deal and I am so excited.


We are jetting off in a few weeks to the beautiful shores of Cabo San Lucas. You can see what Dan and I will look like while we're there in the photo above (and yes, I will look that good in a bikini ;-). It's still a few weeks away, but we are really excited and will be dreaming of the beach and the pool and the warm weather as the trip approaches. If any of my many readers have recommendations on restaurants to eat at, or things to do or see while we're there, please let me know. Now I'm off to listen to Jimmy Buffet's "Mexico," because it's been making me pretty happy with this trip on the horizon!

Is $600 too much to spend on the possibility of a future filled with dream-filled nights?

I'm in love with this bedding from Anthropologie. I think it would look perfect with my new bedroom paint colors.
I plan to dream tonight that this goes on sale for half the price :)

Post-it Inspiration

Stumbled across this video the other day on YouTube. It's been made using stop motion photography and a bunch of post-it notes!




How creative!

Dress Hunt

So I have a few weddings coming up this summer and would like to rotate a new dress into my wardrobe to wear to two of them. I love the dress that Cat Deeley wore on last night's, "So You Think You Can Dance"! The picture above is pretty horrible and does not do it justice but it's about all I can find at the moment. Does anyone know who the designer is? It's probably out of my price range, but a girl can dream, right?

On a second note, I'm so excited about SYTYCD this season. It's the first season I'm watching all the way through and the choreography is just awesome to watch. The team that works on this show is so incredibly creative and the dancers are just beautiful and inspiring. Right now my favorites are Jason and Caitlin and Randi and Evan. If you haven't checked out the show ever, I recommend you set your DVR now!

Perfect Summer

As the owner of an old home, I have a natural love for any person who puts their time into fixing up a neglected space. This little lake cottage from Chicago Home and Garden Magazine has been moving around the blogosphere and I am just in love with it.

It was a rundown 11' x 11' space that the owner moved and restored to what you see above. What a beautiful second home this would make! If you're not sold yet, check out the dock that's just down the way.



This would make a perfect summer!