The Round Top Adventure I Missed

Twice a year in the small town of Round Top Texas, population 81, they have the most amazing antique fair your mind could never even fathom. I had to miss the trip this year because the thousands of dollars I would have spent at the "little" fair is allocated to getting hitched in 131 days. I did however purchase this locker basket through the help of my dear friends who attended the fair.

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I want to share with you all the pictures that were sent to me through out the entire weekend to remind me off all the fun and the out of this world deals I was missing out on. Thanks friends!!! Now worries their is always next year, it will take a cold day in hell for me to miss out on this adventure again.

Baby bumps are welcome!!!

Beyond Beauty

Browsing through James Michael Howard's website is nothing short of breathtaking. I love his calm serene style, and perfect blend of traditional and modern. Step into my dream home made up of all my favorite rooms designed by Howard....

Foyer

Dining Room

Kitchen

Living Room

Bed Room (my all time favorite)

Bathroom

On A Sunday Afternoon

Britt and I spent Sunday afternoon at his family's farm out in the middle of some where near the middle of no where. I brought the nikon to capture our little slice of calmness for the day. We stayed till after sunset so my camera could play with the lovely light.

I love these pictures. I love taking pictures. Their is so much beauty to be seen through the lens of a camera. It is so fulfilling to capture that special moment, or pictures like these that bring you to a calm place just by looking at them.

Yes, underneath the peaceful water rest hundreds of bass fishies - yummy!!

Happy Hump Day!!!!

"The Farm"

Project Wedding

Going to the chapel comes with a hefty price tag, and the more I start booking and buying things the larger my budget gets. Before I even started looking around I started a spreadsheet with a decent budget that I wanted to stick with, but I have already started to bargain with myself. I mean really what is a extra hundred here and there when you are spending thousands. While standing firm on the things I love and want for the wedding I have also learned that there is a cheaper way around most things. I wanted to share with you my bargain finds for the wedding.

Vera Wang guest book - instead of paying $75 for this beautiful guest book at the retail stores I got it for $35 on overstock.com. I would like to get it engraved with our names and wedding date. I never realized the importance of a guest book, I actually thought they were sort of a nuisance, but its a written account of all the witnesses of your marriage. Great keepsake!!!!

Candles from Sam's Club - I got a case of little tea candles for only $22, if your counting (like I am) that is about $2 per candle. Bargain!!!

Mint Julep cups from Whole Sale Flowers and Supplies for centerpieces at the wedding reception. I got them for $8.35 per cup. What a great deal considering the retail stores are selling them for $25 a piece.

A two teir fingertip length veil from Bella Bridal Veils on Esty for only $34. Both tiers are finished all the way around with a delicate pencil edge. I love Esty, they have amazing homemade and vintage stuff for a great price!!!!!

For the Bride and Groom exit I got white cones & bells on ebay. The cones took forever to fold and glue together but I managed to finish them while watching the most boring Bachelor finale in the history of the show. Yes I bought them knowing they would show up on my doorstep as a flat piece of cardboard, but sometimes a little more work is required when trying to save the monies. We will fill the cones with lavender pedals for everyone to throw, toss, launch, pitch, fling, lob or hurl at us. And whoever is not in throwing things at me will have the option of obnoxiously ringing bells as we escape.

Hankies for the ladies - as a gift for a few of the leading ladies in our lives I got these embroidered handkerchiefs to catch those happy tears. I found a vendor on Etsy.com and I picked out the sayings and color thread and she had them shipped to me in three weeks. The hanky below is for my grandmother, I think I am pretty save in not spoiling her surprise because she has yet to figure out how to turn on a computer much less check my lovely little blog. Give her a break she is 87 years old. The hankie reads "Your love gives me roots and helped me find my wings."

Retail Therapy

Yes I did a little shopping.

Yes my purchases made me very happy.

And that's why they call it retail therapy.

My "new" antique fan from Lagniappe Antiques (and it really works)!!!

My Monkey Slippers from Target

I could live in slippers, I almost wore them to work today!!!

Picture Perfect: Wire Basket

The possibilities are really endless for the use of these vintage wire baskets. Every time I see a basket I dream of perfectly organized magazines, mail, bath towels, soap, dishes, fabric remnants, remote controls.... I think you get the point.

I absolutely love the fact that some of my favorite home decor stores are adding rustic vintage pieces to their modern style. That's right, no need to go searching through the piles of antique stores in the hopes of coming across a needle in the haystack. Just walk into Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware and pluck it right off the shelf. Or better yet just use the click of your mouse like me and have it delivered right to your front door!!!

(true vintage locker room basket)

(via Pottery Barn)

(via Restoration Hardware)

Marry You Me

It's Friday and my mind is filled with complete randomness or on complete overload (you decide): I have a big painting project this weekend for a little girl's nursery. I am most excited about the color she chose for the walls - BM Pristine (pale pink). I love new babies and the color pink and my paint brush. Also have about four different sewing projects going on right now. Covering an ottoman for myself which has been put on the back burner, recovering outdoor patio cushions with this beautiful rich fabric, sewing linen curtains for the baby above "Little Miss Elizabeth", and fixing a few clothes. The kitchen table has turned into my command center with little pieces of thread everywhere. I have a reception tomorrow night in which I am the photographer - yikes very scary - but it should be a blast, no pressure. Only 155 days and counting till we say "I DO" - wishing it would come sooner. And finally, being sooo very thankful for the warmer beautiful weather we are having.

Happy Friday Everyone!!!!

How dreamy is this picture (even with the snow):

Tiffany & Company's winter advertisement

Name That Photo

I had so many titles I wanted to use for this picture:

A Day In The Life Of

Dream On

Zonked

Hard Not Life

Just Hanging Around

To Much Wine Last Night

Don't Hate Me Because I Can Sleep All Day

And I Do Mean Tired

If You Tranquilizer Her She Is Nice

Sleep. It's What's For Dinner

It's 9:45 am and my furry baby is on her third nap of the day.

All Washed Up

I have a thing for things that smell good. I mean who doesn't. My favorite smell is when my man and I are going out on a date and he picks me up all clean showered and smelling yummy. Since I am not going to share him with you I figured I could share my next favorite smell - clean clothes. In my quest to love the smell of my laundry, I have stumbled upon the best combination. I spent the entire weekend washing everything that could fit in the washer - yes I am a bit obsessive and I let it run free this weekend!!! You have to understand my long standing disgust with our front load washer - the year of mildew smell on clothes, the completely ruined towels that still reek of this smell, and after a long workout the sweat would release this horrible smell. I will stop here and tell you that after much research and sheer determination the smell in the machine is completely gone. But it has taken some work: leaving the door open at all time, many bleach cleaning cycles, and sanitary cycles, not to mention having to wipe the inside after each use. I love to hate this machine.

Ok so back to my "best laundry" of the century award. I really love scented detergents. After days, months, and perhaps years of smelling every detergent down the laundry aisle I have found the one. And the winner is:

All Small & Mighty 3x Concentrate Liquid Laundry Detergent in Fresh Rain

Snuggle Blue Sparkle Fabric Softener

The combination of the two gets my vote for the "love my laundry" award. It's a strong scent and the clean laundry smell will stay in your clothes for a while. No need to overdose on the idea of more detergent is better, just follow the instructions on the bottle. The detergent is colored blue, with a very thick consistency. I like to use the liquid fabric softener and also throw a sheet in the dryer. Now if your one of those that like your laundry to smell like absolutely nothing do not try this detergent, you will hate it. If your like me and would like your entire life to smell like a fabric bomb explode in your face, jump on board and share in my bliss.

Happy washing!!!

My Productivity Depends On It..

It's almost a sin how much I have coveted this desk from Restoration Hardware. I have a picture of it on my iphone and on every computer I own, and sometimes I just stare at it when I am feeling blue. Britt has a little nook in his living room that this little beauty would fit perfectly in, and my Mac would look so good sitting right on top of the thick glass top. It is the perfect mix of modern and rustic and so unique. The corbel is made of hand carved reclaimed teak wood (drool). I can only imagine for now how amazingly productive I would be if I could work from this very desk. Now I have to mention the only bad thing about this beauty - and you probably guessed it - the price is ummm ouch. Hope you all enjoy!!!

Here is a picture of the desk all installed and decorated - get out of that picture and into my house!!!

Because SNOW is in the Forecast...

And I am so over this cold weather.

Pink Sands Beach in the Bahamas and fingers crossed this could quite possibly be our destination spot come August. Yes, the sand on the beach really is pink and its 75 degrees and sunny right now.

A Sixpence Richer

I have never been satisfied with simply doing something for tradition sake. While I love tradition and consider myself a traditional girl I always have to know the reason behind the tradition before I step out and just do it. Weddings are steeped in tradition, and I have done my research on just about each tradition. So when my stepmother said she would let me "borrow" the lucky sixpence that has been in her family, I began to question just what and why I needed a coin in my shoe.

So I think just about anyone on the planet has heard "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" and I, just like most of you, though the poem stopped there but they have a part that is often left out ".......a lucky sixpence in her shoe!!" This coin symbolizes the promise of a lifetime of good fortune for the bride and a lifetime of good health, happiness, and wealth for the newlywed couple. Don't get me wrong I am marring Britt for true love sake, but what sane person would not want to beckon wealth on her wedding day?

Something old represents the link with the bride's family and past. Something new represents good fortune and success in the bride's new life. Something borrowed is to remind the bride that friends and family will be there for her when help is needed long after the wedding is over. Something blue is the symbol of faithfulness and loyalty. A sixpence in her shoe is to wish the bride and groom wealth.

My something old - my mother's diamond from her engagement ring

My something new - a new pendant neckless to put the diamond in to wear for the big day

My something borrowed - the sixpence coin in a lace envelope

My something blue - ribbon on the coin

And I now have a lucky sixpence for my left shoe!!!

Here are a few random facts that I found very interesting:

In 1775 a law was passed that a wedding was not legal if the bride wore any make-up during the ceremony. It was considered entrapment and so the groom would be trapped by the illusion.

Brides stand to the left of the groom because long ago the groom needed to keep his sword hand free to defend his bride from attack.

Bridal veil were first used when arranged marriages were common, the bride would keep the blusher covering her face till after the vows so the groom could not back out.

Stay tuned for more traditions to come.

Thinking Outside the Box

For all my fellow wine snobs I completely understand if you hit the little red x button on the top of your browser and never visit me again. Yes, it's true, today I am going to do the unimaginable and blog about wine out of a BOX.

Boxed Wine? Ewee

But times have changed from the cheap boxes I used to buy in my college years. It's time to move on, put the bottle behind us and experience the future. The collapsing bag-in-box, fresher than ever premium boxed wine. My go to label is "Black Box" and while I always keep a box on my cabinet I must admit to not yet having the courage of bring it to a dinner party or a nice restaurant for fear of being banished, shunned, and shamed.

Advantages: Stays fresh longer (an open box can last up to six weeks), better for the environment, less expensive than bottled wine, safer to carry around, great for trips on the beach or anywhere glass is forbidden, etc.

Tell me bloggers are you jaws wide open in disgust and disbelief or you willing to give it a try. Cheers from my box to yours!!!

Ikat It

Let me start this post with a confession: I am addicted to throw pillows. While I realize that this is not as bad as being addicted to other illegal or highly expensive things it is still a problem. The top of my closet is filled with little throw pillows that have been replaced by my habit of buying a better one. With that said I have brought my nasty little habit to Britt's house and yes one of his closets has the beginnings of being filled with pillows. So back to the reason behind this: finding throw pillows for this brown sofa has been nothing short of a thorn in my side. I have tried and tested many different styles and pillows but nothing worked like the image I had in my head. It's been almost a year and still not the perfect choice, but some good ones.....

Ikat believe it, think I may have found the solution to my design dilemma on ebay. I found this beautiful fabric that I will re-cover some of my "old" pillows with. It's Victor "Barbados" Ikat-design upholstery fabric.

Ikat is a style of weaving that uses a process kinda like tie-dye on the threads before the are woven. This process creates these amazing designs seen in the fabrics below. When used in moderation Ikat fabric can turn a boring room into something to talk about. Here are some of the professionals using this fabric in rooms.