gift idea: chocolate "olives"

Yummity yum. Here's a cute gift idea...

They look like black and green olives, but they're actually chocolate covered praline dragees from a famous French factory that started making sweet confections in the late 1800's.

A recipe that old? It's gotta be good!

("Olives" from Quel Objet)

spotlight: linda bloomfield ceramics

Some gorgeous, understated porcelain pieces from Linda Bloomfield...

(Mug* & Pouring Jug)

*check out the adorable knitted mug cozy, too!

design inspiration: bathroom edition

Two baths that brought on some serious design envy...

(Country Bath)

(Chalkboard Bath)

The first is a charming space replete with all of the delicious details that I love... time-worn antiques, neutral tones, and lots and lots of light.

And the second. Well, do I need to even say anything? There's a chalkboard door! With a quote by the Dr. S!! So clever. So charming. It's a delight to behold.


Both are from here.

gift idea: cashmere socks

Some stripey cozies for your toe-sies!


Available here.


*UPDATE* I got two pairs of these socks from Dear Hubby for Christmas, and they are even cuter in person. And just as cozy as I suspected...

spotlight: k studio

These customizable Family Series pillows from K. Studio are adorable.

And what a great gift idea, too!




Be sure to check out the rest of the shop for totes, wall art and more!

design inspiration: white fireplace

A lovely image for your Thursday...

(via Home Sweet Style)

I really like the arrangement of white pieces on the mantle. And very much wish I had a mantle so I could copy. ;)

a small miracle

Dinner. A well-rounded dinner. With a meat, a potato and a vegetable.

This, my friends, may seem like nothing, a what's-the-big-deal-? to you. But to me? A new mom to nine (going on ten!) week-old twins? Well, this is a miracle. A delicious, nutritious miracle.

I can't believe I actually had the time to make and eat dinner last night. With my husband eating at the same time. At an almost leisurely pace. And we almost finished our whole plates, too, before we were interrupted by Little Man. He wanted to eat too.

It's the little things, you know? ;)



In case you're wondering what's on the plate, we had turkey meatloaf (recipe from the Joy of Cooking, balsamic potatoes (recipe from Everyday Food) and green beans.

book club: weekend retreats

We went out for a walk this morning, and as we were walking up Southport, I couldn't resist the pull of Anthropologie. So we stopped in just for a bit.

I took a minute to page through this book, and now I definitely want to get it. From what I can tell, it's full of lovely photos that are the perfect inspiration for creating cozy rooms.

(Weekend Retreats by Susanna Salk; available at Amazon)

*UPDATE* I picked up this book in the sales shelves at Anthropologie (it was half off!) and have loved slowly paging through and dreaming of walking through the lovely interiors. You should most definitely check it out for yourself.

design inspiration: child's bedroom

As a little girl, I always wanted a daybed. I begged my parents, but despite my persistence, they were not convinced that a new bed was better than the bed I already had. That matched the rest of my furniture. That I later sawed the headboard off of in an a-ha moment of design inspiration. (I'll explain that another day.)

Well, it's now many many years later, and here I am thinking about that bed that never was.

Because I spied this...

(via Dwellings and Decor)

That blue! Those pillows!

I would love nothing more than to give my little girl a daybed just like this.

Oh yes, this WILL be going into my favorites file.

spotlight: bella cucina

I like to give food gifts for the holidays. I think, because most of us never buy them for ourselves (so impractical!), but we all really enjoy nibbling on fancy treats. Plus, who am I kidding? I love food and therefore have a tendency to think that everyone on my gift list is the same.

Well, I drooled all over this site. It's full of tasty treats...

(Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce, Farmhouse Olives, Savory Salt, Cranberry Applesauce, Tuscan Olive Oil from Bella Cucina)

i want it now: my cardigan obsession continues

Will I ever tire of this wardrobe staple?
Not likely.

I {double*heart} cardis...

(Circuitious Cardi)

And now I'm majorly obsessed with this lovely number in my fave cold-weather hue (yay! soft gray!) with swirly felt appliques.

From where else? My favorite place on earth. My shopping mecca.

i want it now: anthropologie edition

There's a little game I like to play when I flip through each coveted Anthropologie catalog that hits my mailbox. I slowly look through it page by page and then at the end decide on one (yes, just one!) outfit that I'd want to wear exactly as I see it. Usually, this little game involves lots of dog-earing, flipping back and forth through the catalog and finally narrowing it down to just one.

This is hands-down my favorite from the November '09 edition...

(Full Bouquet Clip, Wassailing Jacket, Sky-and-Snow Blouse, ETT TWA Stephanie Boyfriend jean, Golden Discs Oxfords)

It's casual and romantic all rolled into one, and I love it. Head. to. toe.

spotlight: loley's & co

Another fabulous Etsy find...

(Vintage Necklace from Loley's & Co.)

I was really drawn to this lovely strand of gray, yellow and black vintage beads and baubles. And who can resist that darling owl?

deep thoughts - on a tuesday

To say that I have a lot of time to think these days would be an understatement. I'm awake more hours now than I think I ever have been, and there's nothing like a middle of the night feeding session in a dark, quiet nursery to get your mind a-wandering.

Anyhoo, my latest from last night's wee hours is that there should really be trick-or-treating for grown ups. Think about it... all of us "big kids" can go out house to house and get little glasses of wine and tasty hors de'ouvres as we go. No costumes necessary.

How do we get this ball rolling?

design inspiration: french bedroom

So dreamy...

I am loving this charming French bedroom inspiration found at Marie Claire Maison.

I've always wanted a lovely old armoire for our bedroom, and was reminded again just how much when I spied this photo. Think of all the stuff you could stash in there. It's huge!

The muted tones, shuttered windows and exposed beam ceiling make this rustic bedroom truly remarkable (and unforgettable).