Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Decorating with the Stars

I love getting a look into celebrities homes. I know that they most likely didn't decorate anything, they hired someone and paid an insane amount of money to make it look beautiful, but at least they have good taste. Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite stars' homes...


Molly Sims {Molly Sim's' New York apartment, Instyle Home}


{love these polka dot stools, she got them at a Paris flea market}


{gorgeous grays and purples, loving the vintage seltzer bottles on the top shelf}




Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott


{gorgeous white kitchen, love the floors!}
{living room, blue & white is so nice}


Ina Garten's Hampton home

{dining, bedroom, Traditional Home}

{recognize this kitchen from her show?}

Giada DeLaurentiis' Malibu house

{her kitchen is surprisingly modern}


{cozy bedroom}

Gwyneth Paltrow's Hampton house

{dying over the black cabinetry in this kitchen}


{couldn't be more lovely, House & Home}












Monday, March 29, 2010

{Wonderful Weekend}

{freshly picked flowers found a home]

Well, its official, vacation is over. Back to work. Aren't Mondays wonderful? We had a nice weekend, even though the hubs didn't feel great. Saturday we had one of those days where you look at the clock and its mid afternoon and your still in your pjs, it was such a gray day. We just watched movies and I cooked a great dinner.

Sunday, we went to my Mimi & Pop's house for lunch. When you have both families in the same town, it is a blessing, but its hard on holidays. We are doing Easter with the hubs side, so that left Palm Sunday with mine. We had such a good time. I brought mac & cheese and my sister & I made the strawberry shortcake that I've been dying for. So Good! I love my grandparent's house. I feel so comfortable there, like I could take the best nap of my life at any time. My Mimi has the most incredible gardens, I always go over in the Spring and summer and pick the most beautiful flowers. I picked a ton of daffodils and forsythia that ended up in my living room. I love how free flowers can be such a mood lifter and so pretty. I strive to have an ounce of the green thumb that she has.
{strawberry shortcake made by Kelly}{calorie free mac & cheese}{some of the Spring flowers @ my Mimi's}
Chad and my sister left mysteriously after lunch together and came back with this...{my favorite pattern, sittin in a tree, Vera Bradley laptop case}
What a great guy. I have a wonderful husband that I take for granted sometimes. He is always doing sweet little things like that. He means so much to me and I hope he gets to feeling better.
Hope this work week flies by! Can't wait till next weekend!



Sunday, March 28, 2010

They're baaack...

There are a couple of things that I love to do that are kind of embarrassing. I talk to my dogs in a very strange voice/accent, I love me a certain fish sandwich at McDonald's once and awhile, and I love geeking out, watching Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood. I have been trying to figure out when it was returning cause it feels like it hasn't been on in like a year! Well, its back...April 5th, that's right around the corner! I don't know why I like this show so much, I think its Tori, she doesn't really care what people think and she seems like a cool chick. I think their family is too cute. I read that this season they will be on a road trip the whole time. Well, whatever they do, I'm sure it will be entertaining. My DVR is ready! {Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, on Oxygen}

Friday, March 26, 2010

Road Trip!

So, like I said, me, my mom, and my sister took off for a couple of days to Kansas City. We did some major shopping and ate some great food, it was a blast. First off we went to a MEGA Marshalls/Homegoods, I had never been to a Homegoods and it was great, very good prices. We also went to Old Time Pottery which is a huge warehouse full of anything and everything, I always find an insane deal there. We ate at the California Pizza Kitchen, so good! Our hotel was located in The Country Club Plaza, so on our second day, we walked around the plaza and went to Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Bare Escentuals, Papersouce, and ate lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. We also hit up a couple of flea markets and vintage shops, they have some great ones. And, of course we went to my favorite store, Pryde's of Westport, if you're ever in KC, you have to check it out, it has everything for the kitchen & house and so much more,there is even a bakery on the bottom floor.
I love getting out of town even if it only a day or two and only 3 hours away. Can't wait to go back!

{health food for the road}

{ Kansas City, here we come}




{retail therapy}



{kansas city}

Had so much fun in KC, took so many pictures! Here are a few from our girls' weekend. More to come!
Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Before & After (Penny Style)

My sweet little angel is a definite tomboy. She can play outside with our lab for hours, which in turn, means that she doesn't always look glamorous. Recently, I took her for grooming, like we do every Spring, cause, she was looking like a rag a muffin. Before, after playing for hours at my parents house in the country


After, she is such a pretty girl!!
And, a little more after, trying to get that dang bow out, a little frazzled!


Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Strawberry Fields Forever...



I have been craving fresh fruit so bad lately.
The snow has all melted, now it feels like Spring has officially arrived.
Unfortunately, our local farmer markets don't open for another month or two. That one of the things I loved about living in Texas, it seemed like fruit was everywhere, and if it wasn't at the local supermarket, I could go to Whole Foods {love!} or Central Market {love even more!}. So, I think I am going to head to Sam's. That's is the closest we get to fresh, good quality produce. Too bad its just me and my legal lover living here, so its a little hard to go through that much fruit. Fruit in bulk is not the best idea, unless we're having a partay. And, we're not. I have been wanting to do angel food cake with strawberries and homemade whipped cream, not the canned or tub stuff.


I love having time off, I have time to think about stuff like this and actually follow through. Anyway, off to Sam's.



Here are some pictures of what I have in mind...


































{strawberries with pound cake from Better Homes & Gardens}



















{strawberries with angel food cake, Southern Living}







Monday, March 22, 2010

{Blue Monday}

Here are some lovely blue inspirations. From flea market finds to fashion, blue is everywhere I look. It makes me so ready for Spring! {gorgeous seltzer bottles}
{jcrew fedora}


{Country Living, Blue Willow kitchen. So reminds me of my Mimi}


{blue hydrangeas, I prefer limelight, but blue is the theme}


{I love that chambray is making a comeback, Gap}





{My absolute favorite candle in the world, I pick one up every time I go to Anthropologie}






{Lastly, my navy striped Tom's, great reason to buy when it benefits a child with no shoes}

Monday is gone! Vacation is going by so fast, please slow down...


Sunday, March 21, 2010

{movie night}

I love popcorn, at the movies, microwave, whatever. Although, I don't think it could get worse for you, health wise. If you have never had popcorn made on the stove top, you have to try this. It is so good and not too bad for you! The perfect popcorn recipe:

3 tbs olive or canola oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
3 qt covered saucepan
2 tbspoons butter or alternative
salt to taste



heat oil over medium heat

put 3- 4 popcorn kernels in and cover

when they start to pop, pour rest of kernels in and remove from heat for 30 sec

return pan to heat, all kernels should start popping at the same time

gently shake pan and put lid ajar to let steam escape

add melted butter and/or salt and ENJOY!

With this lovely Spring snow that we received this weekend, the hubs and I watched a movie or two. Perfect weekend for it. We watched this documentary, that I had seen on Oprah and wanted to check out. I highly recommend Food, Inc. So scary what is in our food and there is nothing that we can do about it. Very eye opening. Can't wait until this snow clears and I can get my herbs and veggies in the ground, at least I know where they came from when I pick them.

To help with this movement and get more safe, organically grown food in stores like Walmart, go here to sign the petition.

Friday, March 19, 2010

{Vacation!}



Its finally here! I am on a well deserved Spring Break. I don't think it could have come at a better time. I have been super stressed at work and I can't wait to just relax. I usually try and plan some kind of trip on my weeks off, but this time I am just laying low.
I am planning on: cleaning, organizing, resting,catching up on my DVR'd shows, flea marketing, planning our trip to NYC, and maybe a little baking. I am also going to Kansas City for a day or two with my mom and sister to do some retail therapy. Can't wait to go the the Country Club Plaza, Old Time Pottery, Garden Ridge and eat at The Cheesecake Factory! So, hopefully this weekend is great (hopefully no snow (?!?) in the forecast) and next week even better!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Happy St. Patty's Day!

{have a great St. Patrick's Day, don't forget to wear green!}

Monday, March 15, 2010

{Scarf Style}

I love that scarves are still going strong. I hope they never go out of style. Its getting to be that time of year when layering is a must. I love that you can dress up a simple t shirt and jeans with a bright scarf. Here are some celebs sporting their scarves around town. I know up until about a year ago I only knew how to wear a scarf one way, for a step by step guide of how to wear your scarves several stylish ways, go here. {Kristin Cavallari in LA}{Rachel Bilson, she is so cute}


{Jennifer Love looking fab in stripes}



{Hillary Duff @ LAX}




{Jennifer Anniston @ Heathrow }






Thursday, March 11, 2010

Spring Cleaning & My Favorites






I know it is not officially Spring yet, but my plan this weekend is to do some major Spring Cleaning. The hubs is out of town ALL weekend and I do my best and most thorough cleaning without anyone in my way. I am doing it all: under the beds, reorganizing, dusting, you name it. I actually don't despise cleaning, I love doing laundry {I know, weird}. But, when you look around and there is dust on every surface it gets a little overwhelming. Also, me staying home and cleaning = me not going out and spending money, always a good thing.





Since I am a product junkie, I thought I would do a post on my favorite cleaning items. {can we say, nerd?} So, here we go...



I love all of The Mrs Myers products. I get them either at Target or the natural foods store. I would love if all of my cleaning products were all natural like these. I use the counter top spray in the Basil scent.

OK, these things I swear by, I don't know what the heck is in them but they work and I don't ask questions. These magic erasers and seriously, magic. If you can't get something off or out of something, you have to try these. I use them in my tiled shower, bathtub, cabinets, floors. The best thing out there.





When I first got granite counters, I looked everywhere and asked everyone what the trick was to keeping them shiny. I have practically black granite and it is unbelievably hard to keep clean. Someone finally turned me on to Method's Daily Granite. I use it with their micro fiber towel, and my counters gleam!

Now, onto floors and dusting. This is another Method product called Wood for Good. My hardwood floors are the bane of my existence. This stuff keeps them looking nice and it smells like almonds, so good!




I am going a little old school on this, but my Mom told me about it and it is awesome. I use this to polish our darker wood furniture and even our front door. It makes the wood look so rich.









Love, love,love these Swiffer dusters, got one as a free sample and have bought them ever since. It picks up dust like nones business.









Now onto my favorite, laundry. I go back and forth between Tide and Seventh Gen, but for dedicates and whites, Victorias's Secret delicate wash is so great. It is a little pricey {$16 - i think} but it smells SO insane, and the scent stays with your towels forever. I use it sparingly.






My sister in law gave me a coupon for this Ultimate Care Clorox a few years ago, and I am still buying it. I love that it doesn't smell as harsh as bleach, it actually smells great {can you tell I am a smell oriented person?} and, it doesn't ruin fabric like bleach does. Meaning no accidents.