J. Crack


Okay, lately I have been noticing that I wear a whole lot of J. Crew. It fits me well and I love the classic style so I won't feel guilty about it. We all know I love a good uniform so why shouldn't my whole uniform come from the same spot, right? So needless to say I have this top and the shorts. They make me feel all spring like. I wouldn't mind having these cute sandals to stroll around in, but then again I need another pair of sandals like I need a hole in my head. Of course a pedicure is in order while my tootsies are on display. The sunglasses bring a bit of edge to the look but the price may very well send me over the edge when I see one of the kiddos grab them. The purse would be easy to wear crossed over my shoulder while the kiddos and I get entangled in a game of tag. Oh, and when I become much too wore out to take another step then I would take a seat on a bench and start reading a good book.

Do you have a shop you can't get enough of?

Nashville

I am sure you have heard by now the devastating flood that took place in Nashville. It really is heart breaking. So many homeowners didn't have flood insurance and have lost everything. Stephanie's mother was one of those people. To see more of the destruction and maybe lend a helping hand be sure to go here.


You can also show your support by purchasing one of these posters to support flood victims. I was quite excited when I came across them on Bird on a Wire. Lift Up Nashville... such a great cause.

My Garden

I thought since I shared my garden inspiration yesterday then I would share my back garden today. Please excuse my weeds I plan to conquer them today. Oh, and yes I am well aware that the huge hydrangea bush needs to be moved. I had no idea it would get so big so fast. Live and learn, right?



Here is a view of my garden. I would love this look throughout, but wow its a lot of work. Well worth it though I think. What I would love is to disguise the fence all the way around. I love having a fence, but would love to mask it more. Oh, and that's the hydrangea that needs to be moved. I also plan to plant climbing fig to cover the vinyl back of our house. The other three sides are brick. I think this is my cheapest, I mean best option, right?


We have a swing set, not quite inspiration garden material, but it is fabulous for the kiddos. The swings and hand rings are from Ikea.


I am planning on getting new dining chairs this year. I am thinking these for the side and two big wicker ones for the ends.

Now for my garden to bloom so I can have cut flowers for free!

Happy Birthday to my sweet Mama! Can you guess what your present is?

Garden Inspiration









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This past weekend I finally watched It's Complicated and I fell head over heels so much so that I watched it twice. The home was stunning but what had me most in awe was the garden. It is simply my dream garden. I am quite proud of what I have done in our yard so far, but I would love to add more. My home's yard is not quite as grand (or even close) as the one in It's Complicated, but this one is quite similar only on a smaller scale. It has me swooning. Any gardeners out there now how much something like this (backyard only) would run me? I am assuming it would be more than our home is worth, ha! This gorgeous home is owned by Troy Rhone of Troy Rhone Garden Design. The home is up for sale, but again out of our price range for just under $390,000. Did I mention how much I love this garden?

Busy Busy


As you know we got back from the beach on Friday then that Saturday we had a wedding to shoot. The weather could not have been any more gorgeous. This image Kellen captured and I simply adore it. I also had a wonderful mother's day. I received a journal to write down all of Ellie's and KJ's sweet and funny moments. I have a feeling it will fill up fast. I will be back to regular posting and visiting and email answering tomorrow, I hope.

Heading Home


We are heading home from the beach today. We had the best time and I will share more next week. This is the work of a self timer. It only took a ridiculous amount of tries to capture one decent family picture. I will treasure it always. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a happy mother's day to all the mama's.

Traditional with a Twist















This stunning home I found while browsing our local real estate listings. The decor is quite traditional, but with the muted tones it feels quite fresh and young. The lack of clutter helps too. I would say this fits my style to a tee. So much so I would be more than happy to move right in without changing a thing, love that.

What's Next? with rikshaw design


I was so excited when Catherine of Rikshaw Design asked me to participate in her new series. The pic of Ellie and I was just to show how cute we could be in matching tunics, please excuse the bad photoshop job, ha! I just adore her work and was ecstatic to give some ideas on what should come next in her already fabulous line. To see more go here...

A Date


I always love a date night with my hot husband. I think this pretty dress would do the trick. A high pair of wedges would make it easier to sneak in a quick kiss or two. Maybe for this date I will even wear a bit of makeup and what would be more perfect to carry it in than the Ellie bag? Why such a big tote, well lets be real the kiddos will probably be going out on the date with us and I will need a place to store a few notebooks and pens for entertainment while we wait on our fabulous meal. When we get back to the house we can put the kiddos to bed light some candles, throw down some pretty fabric and a few pillows and enjoy a dessert under the stars in the backyard. Pure bliss if I do say so myself.

Kristen Hutchins


I have posted this office from Kristen Hutchins before. It is completely chic to perfection. Well, I recently came across Raenovate, a blog that posts before & afters that featured the rest of this home. I am smitten to say the least and am quite impressed with the transformation. And by impressed I mean let me just pick up my jaw that fell to the floor. Before & After...









*to see more of this homes before & after go, here.

A Boy's Room


This boys room would be perfect on the coast although I would love to recreate it here in the suburbs. Love the green painted floors with matching beds. It would be easy enough to rip up KJ's carpet and just paint the concrete then add a pretty rug. That sign with old barn wood and of course zinc letters from Anthropologie would easily top it all off. It's probably a good thing I am away or my husband may come home to a pile of mess, ha!

Beach Bound


We are beach bound and I could not be more excited. The beach is my most favorite place to be. As we head down to the sand I will sport a one piece because that is how I roll. My towel won't be nearly as pretty as this one, but it will get the job done none the less. Of course my sun protective self will be sure to have sunscreen and a lovely hat. A simple beach bag will be filled to the gill with sand toys and a good book for me. A pair of sandals are a must and will be sure to protect my feet from the hot board walk. Oh, and that pretty urchin vase can hold the a few buds that I am sure my husband will get me. Why so blue? Well, it simply reminds me of the ocean.

Thank You


Thank you all for your sweet, sweet words. I wish I could let you all know how truly happy you all made me feel. Blogging is such a funny world and some of the friendships I have leave me feeling very blessed. I feel much better and things are lining up. I may not know it all but I have comfort in knowing we are in God's hands. So all in all I am going to learn how to lighten up and not worry so much about the little things. And what's a post without a picture? I made this pillow the other night, just a simple envelope back and I now realize I should have ironed it better. It's Barbra Barry for Kravet. I got it from Jenny.

GROWING

I am feeling a bit uninspired as of late. We are going through a time of change and uncertainty. Hopefully after today and a few meetings things will be a bit clearer. I am one of those who enjoys knowing the future of life, but that can not always be the case. So I am once again having to reaffirm my faith in the Lord. Of course, that makes this the best place to be. Thankfully I have these two to keep me on my toes...

{we call him buggy}

{a bit of sweet sass}

And this one to do this thing we call life hand in hand...

{a pic taken by the family of one of our brides, love them}

Oh, and for those who are wondering I am a mere 5'3 on a good day and the husband is a good 6'7. I always forget the height difference until I see a pic like this. We are quite ridiculous.

A Bit of Shine


I never thought of myself as one who could do sequins, but this little top has me thinking other wise especially paired with the pretty drapey pleated short. I do know that I am not one to go without shades and aviators are my style of choice, well at least for now. I think a nude sandal would be lovely and help my short little legs not seem so stumpy. This bracelet had me at hello when I tried it on in the shop the other day, so pretty, but alas it stills sits in the shop. I would give my face a little color with this blush and it's gold little speckles. I think this outfit would work going to the zoo or a small casual dinner party. Since we went to the zoo yesterday then I am thinking dinner party and at my dinner party I would light the lovely candles on the lovely sconces and serve an array of cheeses on this lovely platter. Would you care to join me?

Elizabeth Dinkel Design








I posted the kitchen to this house earlier this week, but the rest of the home is just as smashing. Even though this home is on the grand side I love how it still feels cozy. It seems like every room is used and I could easily see children running throughout. To me livable design is design done right.

via here

A Sofa with Detail




It seems many new homes are being built with an open floor plan. In many cases this means the sofa must float in the middle of the room. This is the case in our home and we found a sofa by Rowe with a curved back that fits the space (and our wallet) nicely. I think it is important to take into consideration how a sofa looks from the backside in this case. Yes, a console table would work, but like in our case sometimes they just won't fit. I think this sofa would be rather nice with it's pretty detailing. I have become rather smitten with it actually.