Archive for July, 2012

Leslie Knope is my hero!

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

She is! Leslie Knope is awesome!

She’s honest and loyal. She’s very very excitable and overzealous 98% of the time, which probably takes a surprising amount of work….to stay that excited all the time. She is most likely fueled by the copious amounts of whipped cream and waffles that she consumes. Leslie Knope is the ultimate hometown hero. She takes pride in her small town, with no apologies.

Oh the silly lessons that I have learned from Leslie Knope……

via

via

via

I also love Leslie Knope’s relationship with her best friend Anne Perkins on Parks and Rec. Oh Anne, what a beautiful tropical fish….

etsy love list : July

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

First of all I want to say thank you to every last one of you. Thank you so much for giving me an excuse to spend lots and lots of time on Etsy every month so that I can share tons of handmade and vintage beauties with you guys! So, thank you all! Here are July’s findings!  Be sure to check out these beautiful shops and lovely Etsy sellers!

//

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

//

//

1 // 2

//

//

1 // 2 // 3

1 // 2

//

1 // 2

Do you have a favorite Etsy shop or Etsy seller? Do tell .  :)

inspire me monday : all things fall

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Hello Monday…and hello readers!

I already told you guys that I am not a Summer girl (read here for proof!) But lately I have been up to some serious fall dreaming. I love a bit of chill in the air, that sense of quiet and renewal that always accompanies fall, the festivities that are abundant that time of the year…..I love it all! Here’s a few things that I am especially looking forward to for the fall….a few sparks for your own daydreaming if you are more fond of fall as well ;)

Scarves and cowls up to my ears!

I crave a warm coziness that takes up my entire neck! Cool breeze through my hair, chill on my face, toasty neck! Doesn’t that sound lovely?….it does.

So I guess that means I need to get crocheting huh?

1 // 2

A mug or thermos filled with hot steaming coffee, or tea, or cider

The best part of an unbelievable chill in your home is having an excuse to fill your belly with hot goodness ! It almost doesn’t matter what it is…coffee, hot chocolate, tea….or soup! I want to cuddle up on the couch with a full mug or go adventure with Matt with a thermos filled to the brim!

1 // 2 // 3

Warm shades and lots of layering!

As hot as it is here in the Florida Summer, you want to wear as few layers as possible, and light colors to bounce the hot sun away from you. Fall means fashion freedom! I love to layer, and when it’s not hot as heck I have the opportunity to do that! I also get to wear warm and dark shades ( in layers! ) without feeling like Wednesday Adams bringing the mood down with all the darkness…ya know?

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Cozy blankets, fresh, hot from the dryer

This is one of the best parts about cold weather…especially because we plan to lower our energy bill by not constantly running the heat this season! Oh man. Seriously if you need to relax, and want to feel incredibly cozy….toss your comforter or bedspread into the dryer for about ten minutes before you snuggle in to be…best sleep of your life!

Daisy doesn’t mind the warm bedding either! She’s LOVES it! She frolics through them when I put them on the bed. It’s the cutest thing….I will be posting a video of this adorable behavior!

1 // 2

Tights!

I know that people still wear these all sorts of cute ways during the warmer months but I’m not one of them….I just can’t hang with even one more layer!

Last year I really got comfortable in tights…I bought all sorts of colors! Tights are such an awesome way to add a little bit more color to an outfit or solve a too-short dress issue. LOVE!  :)

1 // 2

Bike riding!

Matt and I love to go on bike rides together! It’s one of our favorite free date options. I can’t wait to bring out the bikes, pack up a thermos of fresh (hot!) yumminess and some festive cinnamon something or other….and high tail it down to the lake for a fall picnic! Let the days of bike riding out cares away begin!

1 // 2 // 3

Cinnamon flavored everything!

The official flavor of fall is cinnamon in my opinion. I want to bake it in to everything (ah baking! another pass time that is perfect for chilly weather!) add it to my coffee, let a few sticks simmer on the stove to “flavor” my home…perfection!

1 // 2

You guys know my seasonal stance. What’s your preference? If you too love fall like me give me some more fun and festive things to add to my list of musts for fall!

Saturday Link love

Saturday, July 28th, 2012

Well it’s been a fantastic week friends! Just the usual workweek really but sometimes you just need to celebrate that there were no curveballs you know? I did some great blog-reading this week though…here are some favorites! While you are at these blog links be sure to stick around a while because these are all quality blogs written by amazing women!

Kyla Roma : eating for energy

Kyla is always an inspiration to me…she has great style, but even better business sense and intuition! This post is all about how she stays energized enough to run her web design business!…..so informative, you MUST check it out!

Dear Family: Summer hair to swoon for

Loving this hairstyle that Elise of Dear Family put together for the summer! It’s adorable…and so simple! I’m not really sure if my hair is long enough but I will definitely be finding out this week!

C’est la belle vie: (super cute and easy) d.i.y. summer tank

I just found this blog! I instantly loved it! She posts the cutest outfits and occasionally….d.i.y.s! This summer tank top d.i.y. is so cute! I need come t-shirts chop up!

Her New Leaf : bloggers summer reading list

Kira of Her New Leaf shares the best books for blogging that are on her Summer reading list! There are some really great books on this list…..if you are a creative and/or a blogger there are some lovely books with awesome pointers on this list! Make this list your Amazon wish list!

Secondhand Sundays: Neon Lights

Okay so how adorable is Bekuh from Secondhand Sundays? She puts together the cutest outfits (often perfectly pairing vintage with new) and this one is no exception! I’m loving this super bright summer dress, lovely accessories, and that curly hair! My goodness….so pretty!  :)

follow the link to see more details!

Deer Circus : iced coffee

This blog is becoming a daily read for me! In this post she described her new favorite way to enjoy iced coffee this summer….a wonderful idea and beautiful photography await you on the other side of the link!

Smile and Wave : Adorned

Rachel from Smile and Wave has the most adorable family life! Her blog is perfectly decorated and refreshingly honest. She shared photos of her newest tattoo addition ….a beautiful floral tattoo on her shoulder! Lovely….check it out!

burlap curtains

Friday, July 27th, 2012

Matt and I are in a new place. a new apartment that is….well new(ish). This is getting complicated.

Matt and I lived with family for a few years, but about six months ago we moved back into our own place. I love having all of my own spaces to call home. My own kitchen to decorate, living room to spruce up…the thing is….no money.

But! Sometimes you just have to work with what you have. Turn those old, unused objects into something that can make my apartment into my home. Enter: the large piece of burlap that once was my craft show table covering…it’s been sitting in a closet gathering dust.so sad. So I turned it into curtains to warm up our living room space!

here we go friends!

I took that old fabric from this:

My previous craft show table covering…..which I still find cute. But again…..gathering dust.

 

to this! :

Handmade, rustic, feminine curtains for the living room!

They are made from burlap in front of a big bright window, and so they were a bit tricky to photograph…but you get the idea!

I feel so accomplished when I can do something to spruce up my home on a dime!