Working For The Weekend

Hooray for the weekend!  I don't have too many crazy things planned, but I'm looking forward to a trip to The Frist Art Museum with Davey tomorrow and some fun family birthday/Superbowl parties on Sunday.  Should be a great weekend here…hoping the same for you!  Enjoy the links and I'll see you Monday.

Is this actually possible?  Inquiring minds need to know...

Ooohh…this looks fun.

Gonna have to try these ASAP!

Weirdly obsessed with this dress right now.

This is genius and also amazing.

The Foodie Files

I've really been dropping the ball when it comes to cooking as of late.  I'm not sure what's gotten into me but for some reason I want to blame it on winter (ahh cold weather...my truest adversary).  I've been killing it on the snacking front, however!  Since I enjoy to lobbing the occasional snacking post in your direction, now seemed like a great time to share a few of my current obsessions.  

1. Most folks fall pretty firmly into one camp or another when it comes to grapefruit…you love it or you hate it, no middle ground.  I'm overwhelmingly pro-graprefruit…in fact, it's my citrus of choice.

2. Believe me when I tell you, Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownies will ruin all other brownies for you.  Period, paragraph.  Keep in mind, there's no wiggle room here…they have to be Ghiardelli and they have to be Dark Chocolate or it's no dice.

3. My darling brother brought Noosa to our family's attention a few months ago but I have to admit, I didn't actually try it until recently.  I was meandering around Target and threw a blueberry flavored one in my cart because Joey is on tour and I miss him and somehow it made me feel like buying something he likes so much would make me miss him less.  Turns out, it's delicious…so, so good!  Scary good, actually.  Wish I would've tried it sooner!

4. Let me start by saying I'm literally eating these right now.  The amount I consume in a sitting can't possibly be good for you, but if you eat them like a reasonable person they're a much better (and dare I say just as tasty) alternative to most chips.

5. I'm a creature of habit.  As such, I start my day with Starbucks darkest french roast and end it with Sleepytime Vanilla tea.  Don't be fooled, you can barely taste any vanilla…just a tiny twinge of sweetness that makes honey or sugar unnecessary.  At this point just smelling it signals my brain to start winding down which is just the best.  If you're looking for a light herbal tea, I highly recommend it.

3 Ideas

Since talking about the weather has basically consumed all of our lives, I'll try and limit my commentary on the matter to just the basics.  

1. It's very cold.  

2. Every time I think the worst of it is probably behind us that turns out to be, in fact, not true.

3. I'm getting a little stir crazy.

4. Can't.  Can't do it.  Need it to be spring.  

As you can see, I'm working through a few weather-related issues…here's a few tips and tricks I'm attempting to employ to battle through it. 

1. I decided very early on in the week that I was gonna stay in the house for as much time as possible…you know, avoid the cold and the roads and all that nonsense whenever I could.  It was a very logical call, but I'm realizing it's definitely contributed to my near breakdown.  I'm still trying to be smart about when I leave and where I go but I'm also making some calculated trips above and beyond work and the grocery store.  Today I walked around Anthropologie for about ten minutes and I feel like it brought me back to life.

2. This may not be your favorite suggestion, but hear me out: while you're stuck inside, do the stuff you've been avoiding.  That annoying organizing/cleaning/sorting project you've been avoiding?  Tackle it while you don't have a ton of better options.  When the sun comes back out you really won't want to do whatever it is so turn that into motivation and get it done.

3. Looking for practical ways to beat the cold?  The Today Show reported on a few mostly ridiculous but definitely interesting gadgets…check out the story here.

Wanted: Week Nine

1. Mason Pearson Brush, Amazon $145  2. Love Note, Sugar Paper $5.50  3. Duvet Cover Set, H&M $15  4. Nashville Field Guides, Wildsam $17.95  5. Key Bottle Opener, Jayson Home $48  6. Oscar DeLaRenta Earrings, Bergdorf Goodman $275

Design Musings

Working For The Weekend

It's the last chilly day of this chilly week and you know what that means…for two days hibernation is a gloriously real option.  Thus, I will impart to you this winter weekend blessing: may your leggings be fleece lined and your Netflix connection be lightning fast…may your blankets be many and your cravings for restaurants that don't deliver be few…may your naps be sprinkled with dreams of spring and re-charge you to face the tundra that is next week (and the church said amen).  Enjoy the links and we'll catch up Monday!

To quote Rachel Zoe, "I die".

Oh these just look too good…

So pretty!

All letterpress, all the time.

These work so well…highly recommend.

Minted Madness!

I've been in full blown wedding planning mode since December (give or take a few...years) and have just about all the big items in place.  We decided on the ceremony and reception venues in a snap, the heavens parted when I tried on my dress, the photographer was a no-brainer and so on and so forth…but when it comes to invitations…we're talking a whole other story.  Somehow or another I've tasked the invitations with the enormous responsibility of representing all parts of our big day…they should be classy but not boring, upscale but not stuffy, creative but not weird and a hush should fall over the room when they're opened.  As you can imagine, finding such an invitation has proved difficult.  Enter Minted.  Not only do they have some of the prettiest wedding invitations, menus and programs, I've come across, they also have birth announcements, (for a little ways down the road, don't rush me people), party decorations, business cards, art prints, journals and the list goes on!  Let's just say I've spent some time perusing the merchandise and I can say with confidence the selection is killer.  I gathered a few of their beautiful offerings below…I rest my case:

1. Ombre Menu, $1.63 each for 100  2. Wed in Type Invitations, $2.34 each for 100  3. Beautifully Penned Business Cards, $0.57 each for 100  4. Vintage Grid Birth Announcement, $1.15 each for 100 5. Wildflower Journal, $16 each  6. Miss Austen Print, $20 for 5x7
A collaboration with Minted, all opinions are my own.

3 Ideas

Hope all you Northern folks are staying warm and safe in this crazy weather!  We didn't get much more than a few flurries here in Nashville but it is cold as the dickens outside (I know, I know, that's no match for your 18 inches of snow).  Whether you're stuck inside via state of emergency or just trying to avoid the windchill, here's a few ideas to make the most of your time indoors.

1. Read a great book.  There's plenty of good ones out there, but why not go straight for a great one?  Think Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Man Who Was Thursday and so on and so forth.  Reading may be good for you in general but reading any one of these may qualify as medicinal!

2. Check out Luminosity, a surprisingly fun online brain "training" program.  I used to be just the slightest bit addicted to their app…the games are challenging and interesting and if nothing else they at least give the illusion of improved mental acuity (since you can see and measure your progress).  It's great for a rainy (or in this case snowy) day.    

3. Listen to a few Radiolab podcasts.  By their own definition, Radiolab is a show about curiosity.  Though some episodes are very odd, most make you feel like you're listening to an interesting conversation among friends and/or your favorite college professor delivering the best lecture ever.  They're extremely memorable so it's hard not to learn whilst you enjoy.  Kind of ideal, right?

Wanted: Week Eight

1. Shanna Murray Salad Plates, West Elm  2. Birds of Paradise Headband, The Cools $230  3. Sugared Pastel Kilim Pillow, Leif $95  4. Metro Round Leather Strap Watch, Kate Spade New York $195  5. Asymmetrical Court Shoe, Zara $39.99  6. Pathway Cuff, Pamela Love $400  7. Threshold Tufted Bench, Target $89.99  8. Medium Fabric Bag, Dolce & Gabbana $1,028

Design Musings

Never Fear, I'm Still Here!

Guys…I am loosing it.  I'm the worst blogger in the world!  I've always liked to think consistency was my strong suit but the last few weeks I've just been all over the place with my posting.  I'm so, so sorry!  Let the record show, I'm not looking to wind down and call it quits here…just adjusting to the new normal of house and wedding planning, moving, etc.  From what I'm told, this too shall pass but in the meantime I'll try my very best to stay on the ball.  It's a new week and a much needed fresh start, let's make it a great one!  

Wanted: Week Seven

1. Paw Decorative Magnifying Glass, Zara Home $18.90  2. Pebbles Earrings, Fab $47  3. Ballet Dress, Stella McCartney $1,600  4. Nate Berkus Marble Print Tray, Target  5. Multi Row Collar, Topshop  6. Opal Earrings  7. Peakin Cuff, The 2Bandits $98  8. Vintage Chinoiserie Bench, Jayson Home $2,695

Design Musings

3 Ideas

Happy New Year!!!  While my holiday break wasn't all that long in the big scheme of things, it was exceptionally eventful…in fact, I'm not even sure where to begin in catching you up.  I've been sitting on what I thought was my big news because I wanted to make a fun announcement at the start of the new year.  So announcement 1: (drumroll please)...after over 10 years of living a thousand miles away from each other my parents, brother and I are finally going to live in the same city!  As with any move there's a bit of chaos involved, but I'm so over the moon thrilled they'll be living in Nashville in just a few short weeks.  We've got some lovely things planned for their beautiful new house and (announcement 2) my beautiful new house next door…can't wait to show you the transformation!  Big news all around, right?  But wait, it gets better…the day before Christmas eve…

I got engaged!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, crazy right?

So, to recap: My parents are moving, I'm moving, and I'm getting married.  To a wonderful, wonderful man that I'm thrilled to call my fiancé.  And it's all happening in the next 6 months.  Needless to say, I'm starting 2014 with a few extra things on my plate…it's overwhelming in the best possible way.  I'm reveling in the fresh start the new year brings even more than usual as my normal resolutions (healthier habits, better organizational skills, etc) all of a sudden seem more necessary than ever.  That being said, this week's 3 Ideas basically writes itself...  

1. Set measurable goals.  For example: "I want to loose 5 pounds by May" is better than"I want to loose weight", "I want to eat more vegetables and limit myself to one fast food meal a week" is better than "I'd like to eat healthier", "I want to read one chapter a day" is better than "I've gotta start reading more", "I want to clean out and maintain an orderly closet" is better than "I want to get organized", and so on and so forth.  

2.  Focus on one thing at a time.  Your resolve is admirable, it really is, but you didn't wake up a new human being this morning so you can't expect to change everything about yourself at once.  Think about this new year as just that- a year…once you've successfully incorporated your first resolution, move on to the next.  

3.  Don't quit when you mess up…brush it off and jump right back in.  So what if you get to February and haven't been to the gym once?  Every day is a fresh start!