#1.....

reason # 1 on why mr c should take me back to the beach:

there is plenty of room in our glass shell jar to fill with more beauties from mission beach.

need i say more?

i think not.

snipets from landon's room

Hi there.

Been a busy busy summer so far.

That makes it hard for blog regularity.

(that sounds like bad tummy problems...blog regularity)

Just thought I would post a few images of Landon's room.

You remember Landon, don't you?

He's the best.

He's the cutest kid.

Says he wants to marry me and live with me forever.

I had to break the news and let him down gently.

No marrying your mommy....

but you can live with me forever...that's okay by me.

(i want another one just like this guy...the boy...not the turtle)

hee hee

For Landon's room...

...he has the Boat Bed that I'm sure all of you have seen at PotteryBarn Kids.

I wanted to avoid too much of a fishy or nautical theme.

I'm not into overly doing a child's room by plastering gunk everywhere.

I tried to use a few elements that would work with the bed and its blue and white stripe on it...but I really tried to steer clear of doing too much.

We added some dark cork boards hung at the little guys level so that he could display his own artwork and change it around as he wants.

His bedding is also PotteryBarn Kids and has blue fish all over. I have quilts from PBK in all 3 children's room and I love them. Landon's has a green and white gingham on one side and is so great and easy on the eyes.

(that is landon's 'doggy' and boy has he been through it all)

We were thrifting at Goodwill last month and Landon insisted on this blue suitcase for his room.

We just stacked it on his night table and it comes down when he pretends to pack for his vacation.

I love to have their artwork framed and then hung in their rooms.
This is a self-portrait that Landon made last year in preschool at The Evergreen Cottage.

It is seriously one of my most favorite things in our home.

A simple yellow chair from PotteryBarn Kids with a powdery blue chair cushion on top.

I found the chair cushion last week at Homegoods for $10.

This sailboat and buoy are also from Homegoods.

The bot was $11 and the buoy was clearanced for $3.

I found this flag board at Michael's crafts last year for about $30.

I just like the hint of red it adds to the room.

This oar is a new favorite...I found it at TJ Maxx last week for $16.

I think I might head back to see if they have any left.

I love the chippy paint on it and the 5.

I have a horrible obsession with numbers on decor these days.

Do you love that chippy paint too?

Still a bit of work to do on the little guys room.

Apparently he thinks that he needs a flat screen tv...I disagree.

I tried the drop cloth curtains and am still trying to decide if I like them or not.
I saw them done on so many other blogs and I loved it in other rooms but am not sure if I love them In Landon's room. I will let you know and post a picture of what I decide on.

::::::::

Hope to get in some sort blogging routine this summer...forgive me if it takes some time.

Happy summering!!

(is summering a word?)

No matter...

HAPPY SUMMERING!!

purple iris

Hi there friends! I just wanted to share this lovely vintage jar that my sweet sweet friend, Tara, sent to me over the weekend. She has got to be one of the sweetest gals I know. Last week, she gave me a little heads up about keeping my eyes peeled for something in the post. A box from San Clemente arrived late Saturday and when I opened...I discovered the most wonderful jar under the sweetest hand written card. (im very big fan of handwritten cards and notes)

I was delighted.

So, while out today...I stopped by the market for a couple of things and walked out with 2 bunches of purple iris and nothing else that was on my list. I think that I lost all thought when I spotted them and I knew exactly where they would be going! Into my vintage jar. I wish that you could see the blueish green color that the jar has without the water in it. It's so pretty.

(the lid is my favorite part...it has such a wonderful patina on it)

I filled the jar up with water, stuffed my iris in it and then wrapped some burlap string around the neck and dangled a little crystal drop off of the end.

Now really, how sweet is this little arrangement?

Almost as sweet as the girl who sent it!!

Thank you again, Tara!

I love my vintage gift.

She fits in perfectly in my home.

::::::::

ps...isn't this world of blogging the most wonderful way to meet and befriend other women?

I spend more time here than in my kitchen.

shhh...don't tell mr c!!

p.s. i love you

P.S. I Love You.

This is one of my favorite movies.

I can finally watch it without crying like overgrown sobbing baby.

I have a habit of falling in love with a movie and watching it over and over again.

But watching it for design ideas and not necessarily for the plot of the movie.

(although..a movie with hot irish men who sing is reason enough to watch over and over)

(oh...and a lot of the time, said hot irish man has no shirt...i'm just sayin')

So...back to the movie and design ideas.

I fell in love with Hillary Swank's bedding in this movie.

(have picture but is of poor quality)

You can kind of see the yummy chocolate duvet and shams in this photo.

There is also lovely matelasse on lower half of the bed.

I am a sucker for a lovely matelasse.

(that is why i have 2 of them from restoration hardware on bed)

I have fallen head over espadrilles for this bedding set and have been searching the interweb for my very own yummy chocolate linens with white accent appliques of my very own.

I found that the bedding is 'out of production'...however, I did find the link to the textile company who makes the bedding and ladies....I heard the choir of angels singing when I took first glance.

I know that I want something similar in color to what was in the film...the chocolates and creamy whites are very much in my color palette.

John Robshaw Textiles is where I discovered this bedding that I am putting on my birthday list and Christmas list and any other list that may present an opportunity for asking for a gift.

(is it acceptable to make a memorial day list?)

This is the actual textile company that produced the bedding from the movie.

The coloring on this set is perfectly me.

I would absolutely require all photographed pillows as well.

A girl can never have enough pillows, no?

If you haven't already been over to

John Robshaw's site...jump on over there now.

You will be delighted with what you see.

(photos will also urge you to jump out of your chair and remake your bed so that it is of John Robshaw photo quality...the way these beds are put together is nothing short of stunning)

(i do like to use the parenthesis quite frequently, don't i ?)

I was very excited to find out that Bungalow, over in Scottsdale, does carry some of his product line. I am just hoping that this particular set is in store...would like to give it the 'run my hands accross it' test before potential purchase.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Mr C and I might be making a trip out there sometime soon.

I'll be sure to keep you posted!!

p.s. are there any other amazing must see linen companys or shoppes that i might not know about yet?

if so...please do share.

so good

I'm in love...again.

This time...the receiving end of my affection are my new pillows.

Burlap pillows with crown embellishments to be exact.

Oh...add some linen and the No 7 and I fell.

I feel hard.

I first saw these spectacular pillows on Heather Bullard's blog.

(her photo of them was incredible)

I was left with a serious case of the must haves.

(i always get the must haves...do you?)

She posted the link to the pillows creator, Rose.

I immediately (if not sooner) headed over to

The Tarnished Crown

so that I could get my hands on some of these beauties and cure my case of the must haves and pass it onto someone else.

:::::::

I spoke to Rose a couple of times on the telly and she is just the sweetest.

The sweetest!!

I placed my order for one crown pillow and then Rose (i think on purpose because she could obviously tell that i was an easy close) mentioned to me that she had made extras for future orders...

hmmmmm

Oh really?

So...I asked Rose to add a couple more pillows to my order and surprise me.

I knew that all of her pillows are spectacular and would all be welcome in my home.

:::::::

The one above is my favorite.

I love her use of the burlap with the linen and crown on top.

I am in love with and fully support this Burlap Pillow Movement.

I had mentioned to Rose that I liked the No 7 pillow that she had on her blog...

and voila....

....she now sits in my home.

I have developed major crush on these earthy tones.

(do you have a bad case of the must haves now?)

So ladies...if you are finding yourself with a bad case of the must haves...then head over to Rose's blog at The Tarnished Crown and have a look for yourself.
(her email link is listed on her bloggy)

I will leave you with this warning.

You will fall madly head over heels in love with her pillows.

They are so pretty.

So go now...I have to get back to fluffing my new pillows.

Cheers to Monday!

:::::::

(fluff, fluff, fluff)

weekend floral

So...do you remember my last post on the "old Blog..."

I was moaning and groaning about never buying myself flowers anymore.

(not very lady like, I know)

Well...I decided enough is enough!!

I stood up today and declared to the house ( even though I was the only one home)

that I would fill it with flowers this weekend.

And so I did...

I bought bunches and bunches of floral and have put together a few arrangements thus far.

Have a peek with me...will you?

I found these green pom pommy things at Trader Joe's and fell head over heels in love with the color.

Okay girls...my hydrangea come with a little bit of a story.

From the beginning...

I drive a very big SUV Denali with big shiny wheels (thank you Mr C). I can't park this girl just anywhere. When parking...I take a little extra time to circle all lots for prime and spacious parking. When I parked...I noticed to my front that a familiar SUV was parked and the driver, who I immediately recognized, was already in walking route to Trader Joe's entrance. Apparently, she is capable of parking reasonably smaller SUV faster than I can park my big black bus. Now...I am going to tell you all who it was (cuz aren't we all nosey) but first lets continue on. I see "her" enter the shop and I knew I better high-tail it in there if wanted any shot of decent floral.

I am now in the shop and I see Mrs. Alber who owns the beautiful
Domestic Bliss shoppe in downtown Mesa (I frequent there often) is parked in front of the floral with her red Trader Joe's shopping buggy next to her (she was wearing super cute orangy dress...wonder where she found it?) All that I can see is the lovely Mrs Alber grabbing hydrangea bunch after hydrangea bunch and placing them in her buggy. I was heart-broken because really...that is the only reason that I was at Joe's in the first place. For the hydrangea. And now it was all gone. I thought for a second that I could probably take one or two of the bunches out of her cart while she was perusing the other flowers...but when push came to shove...I lost all nerve.

I literally stood and watched Mrs Alber pay for all of her flowers while pretending to be interested in the pots of fresh basil aside from her register (because if she was going to have a sudden mind change and put some back...I wanted to be at the ready). There was no mind change and little Mrs Alber in her cute orangy dress waltzed out of Trader Joes...hydrangea and all. I was a little sad but understood (after a fit of anger settled) that the white hydrangea were too beautiful to just take one bunch.

I will forgive Mrs Domestic Bliss and be back in your shoppe soon to purchase my Macintosh Trapp candle as usual.

So...I called my sister afterward and cried (not really..but close) and had NO OTHER CHOICE but to head into Tempe and try my luck at another Trader Joe's.

This is pure hydrangea dedication, girls.

Let me just say...I'm sure there is some nice girl out there now, crying to her sister via cell phone, complaining about the fetching girl in the espadrilles who took all of the white hydrangea bunches right in front of her.

I am sorry to whoever you are...but those babies were coming home with me.

Aren't they lovely?
(thank you tara for the inspiring idea about the burlap. genius!)

I found some other pretty flowers...some Roses, Lillys and Daffodils... and I made sure that they knew that they were just as important as the hydrangea...although I sense that they know the truth.

Roses are entirely appropriate on the night table.
(hard to see...but they are resting in an old bucket. charming!)

I'm off ladies...time to put some more arrangements together.

I hope some flowers make their way into your homes this weekend.

(Mrs Alber...I love your store and you are as chic as they come ...and no hard feelings for the hydrangea hogging)!!