3 Inspirations and a Wedding....

Have you ever been shopping without any pretenses on what you will buy? That's my favorite kind of shopping. Going in with an open mind and heart and listening to what the clothes tell you (or anything else you are shopping for; accessories, antiques, furniture, etc.). Then when you actually find that one thing that you do need and it is magically just perfect on you. You look and feel like a princess. I don't usually want to feel like a fairy tale type princess but when I am feeling like this princess:

I am giddy.
When the bride requested we all wear little black dresses I never thought I would find something so perfect that it makes me feel like Princess Grace.
I'm. in. Love.

Since I always have been so inspired by Grace Kelly as a style icon, especially before she became a real life Princess, I am looking for some classic but fancy shoes that fit this wonderful dress.
How about these Stuart Weitzman little lovelies, they are called Gigi.

I adore them. Open toe, classic. Ruffle, adorable. Heel, sophisticated. Perfection!

I'm always so inspired on Mondays. Peaceful weekends=time to dream about redecorating every room in my house and perusing magazines to find new projects I just MUST do.

This is what inspired me this weekend.

While shopping for a wedding present, from across the room these beauties cast out a glimmer and put a twinkle in my eye. I could not get across that room fast enough to look at them up close. Gotta love Ralph Lauren!

Up close they don't look like "Mandarin" should be their name. The etching is so detailed and gorgeous. It really inspired me to try some new things with my glass etching.

Check out this vase!

Yep, I'm going to have to find some glass vases and use this "Mandarin" inspiration!

I am loving all things with bows and ruffels. I always have been drawn to them but not like lately. I think it might be the girly dress I'm about to wear (that funny enough, doesn't have a bow).


The fact that this is from Anthropologie well, only makes me adore it more.




The Bow Tied set has a matching duvet and dust ruffle but the pillows really speak to me. It is feminine but not too much so and the creamy color is absolutely perfect. I think my hubs might go for it....Maybe?

And last but not least oh, that Sarah Richardson. You gotta love her! This chair is divine:

The velvet and that piping! I can only image how this feels when you sit on it. Pure luxury. And those legs. I am coveting this chair. I see myself sitting in it and reading for hours and hours. Beautiful!

So now that I am all inspired, off to do something!
Hmmm what to do first. That is always the question.

I hope you have an inspiring Monday.

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.

Henry David Thoreau

Yard Sale Stealing

What happens when you find something you have been looking for for years and it is only $10 at a yard sale? Well, you snatch it up and as you walk out with a little smirk on your face, you secretly feel like you are getting away with STEALING!Isn't she a beauty? If you can't tell by now most of my little lovelies are either a he or a she depending on how they feel to me. She is just too pretty and the green patina on the base matches the color scheme I am working towards in the kitchen. I'm going to be painting my cabinets soon and this scale only helped me solidify my plans.

I was originally inspired by Layla at The Lettered Cottage (she inspires me with every post-check out her cabinets! They are gorgeous, as is the rest of her house) because early on in her blog she showed a couple of scales and what she did with one of them as a trash to treasure project, but this one isn't going to be painted! I think she is perfect just the way she is. After playing around with where she should live I decided to (for now) have her live on top of my mothers antique silverware chest, next to my rustic birdhouse. I'm keeping my eye out for just the right bowl to place on top for Granny Smith apples or onions or whatever we have access of around the house. I am so glad I didn't have too much guilt about "stealing" her because she makes me smile almost every day. Isn't it lovely how simple things can make you happy for a lifetime!
Ain't life sweet?

Weekend in a tent

Well, finally we were able to get out of the city and took ourselves to the mountains to camp. It is mighty late for us to just be getting out for our first time!

If only it was in this kind of tent:

(I can see myself spending a whole summer in THAT tent)

As we were packing up to head out, our precious pup decided she just couldn't wait any longer. She parked herself in the car and waited patiently for us to get ourselves together. She tried to hide her exasperation but you could tell she was twiddling her thumbs and rolling her eyes at us everytime we made a trip to the car.

We happened upon a new spot that is only about 35 miles away and it was beautiful. This is the path to the site and the view from behind our tent:

Behind us was a mountain side of large granite rock that when you hiked up it revealed a big open meadow on the other side. Did I mention how it was beautiful, because it was?

Nature always inspires me but this time, with the new colors of the granite, the river and everything being so green this year I wanted to take "swatches" from everything so that I could incorporate each and every color into my home. This trip really rejuvinated my spirit!

On Sunday it rained and thundered for quite a while. We had all the gear packed up except for the tent (thank goodness) so we hung out in there while it rained. I love the rain in the mountains! It was beautiful but the hubs and the dogs were getting a little antsy and that lends itself to complete silliness.

So, now that we have had such a wonderful weekend, it was time to go home.

For some of us that isn't the worst part of the trip:

Ask and you shall receive

But I didn't ask!

But you see, I have great friends. My wonderful friend tells me last night she has a suprise for her I can't spend a dime right now friend, and this is her sweet and oh so thoughtful gift.

Isn't he handsome?

And here is his mate:

Isn't she darling? She isn't a really frilly or fussy girl but that's what I love about her. They are a little beat up but I like that too! They have been on adventures together, they've seen the world! I could make up a thousand stories about where they've been together and what they've seen.

So after obessively contimplating where these little gems should go I stacked them on the end of the loveseat.

Added our precious little shamrock, some old jars and a leaf tealight holder (I'm a mountain girl and I love leaves like ocean lovers love shells)

And voila!

I would like to add one more suitcase so that the stack is a little taller and can actually be used as a end table. But for now it is just perfect! But, I might add some books under that plant though, hmmm.

So, that inspired me to make our antique hall tree look just as pretty.

I added a basket full of magazines on the awkward bottom shelf along with an old soda crate filled with little treasures and our umbrellas because lately we have needed those on hand. It has been so rainy here!

I am going to add an old steel letter Z that my dad has in the lower left corner of the crate but I just couldn't wait to get it from him to take these pictures!

Some fresh flowers and an old tin canister and presto, new charm to my old hall tree.

So, sweet and thoughtful Nancy, thank you. You have just made a little corner of my world a happier place!

THIS used to be a potting shed!

When I first found Heather Cameron's gorgeous greenhouse I was instantly inspired. As a wedding gift her husband dismantled an old potting shed and rebuilt it as this amazing little space. When he was rebuilding it he used 11 windows that were from salvage, using some on the roof as well for a greenhouse effect. This pic is the only one that gives you a glimpse of what this little potting shed gem used to look like in its previous lifetime.

When his wife took over the decorating it became a masterpiece.

Let's take a look inside!

Can you believe how beautiful this is. So bright and shiny, so lovely! See those Chandys, they aren't even wired but I almost bet that they don't need to be, when the sun hits them I am sure they bounce rainbows over every little surface. See the Milkglass and Jadeite wares tucked above an old wood door that she cut into two and made shelves out of each piece. That's my kind of girl! I will be doing that. Any smart use of an old door pulls on my heartstrings.

I love the use of pictures in this space! In my minds eye (or in my imaginary greenhouse) I see them all suspended on a wide colored ribbon with a number stenciled down at the bottom. Also, how great is that ladder as a display case of sorts. I feel the need to lean it up against a the wall but I am inspired to use this on my back porch! And the metal tub housing those beautiful hydrangeas, the only thing missing is a number, how great would a big number 2 look on the front of that tub. Sigh, I just can't get enough.

Tucked inbetween that adorable display ladder and her linen covered couch is a stack of vintage luggage used as an end table. I have been scouring the antique markets and yard sales for luggage just like these for quite a while now, to do this very same thing. They make great storage as well for extra linens and pillows. Throw down a jute rug from IKEA and voila instant coziness! I want to start my mornings here, cup of coffee in hand and birds singing their happy wake up songs.

I did notice that there are NO letters or numbers in this space at all! I would say that that is the only thing missing from this stunning space. I see coffee bag pillows, a letter tucked up on those fun shelves along with maybe a plate adorned with a number, another number hidden on the top of the ladder, and a big L above the entry.

Wouldn't this be a great little place for a tea party! I can already envision the menu and there is no need for extra decorations, this place is already perfect.

Well thank you Heather for allowing us into your adorable potting er...greenhouse!

Needless to say I wish this would have been my wedding gift.