tgif

Have a lovely weekend, Dear Readers. Hope it's full of fun!

See you next week!
xo, Kristin

(Chickadee Eggs by D.S. Brennan Photography)

PS - I realize this photo has nothing to do with weekends... unless maybe you're a chickadee farmer... but I just thought it was lovely and wanted to share.

look what i got! (part 2)

New kitchen chairs from The Painted Lady!

We had a couple reasons to buy new chairs... Lulu took a liking to our old chairs (that were made of wicker) and chewed through the arms on every single one and she ate one of the seat cushions - darn dog!; and we decided we're going to go with booster seats in lieu of highchairs so we needed chairs that we could attach said boosters to. My one caveat was that I didn't want a "regular" set... I wanted something unique.

And so here's what we found! Four vintage, black-and-white chairs with worn appliques on the inside back. They're totally unique and are just the right amount of kitschy cool.







(Please excuse the bad photography... if it's one thing I could learn to do it's to take better pictures!)

look what i got! (part 1)

One of my new favorite things that I picked up last week at The Painted Lady.

I've been looking for a tall, narrow cabinet for the past year or so, and as soon as I saw this vintage, metal black-and-white locker cabinet I knew it was the one! It holds tons of stuff... like extra glasses, recipe binders, and kitchen linens, and is totally one-of-a-kind. How's that for lovely yet practical?

Needless to say, I love love love.

(12 compartment vintage locker cabinet.)

(Detail shot of the bottom.)

(Detail shot at the top. See my little magnet clothespins?)

design inspiration: from Veranda magazine

I was strolling through the pages at Veranda and couldn't resist posting a few lovely pics from this South Carolina home...

(These are the guest quarters?! Wow... if I ever visited, I'd have a hard time leaving!)

(Guest House Kitchen)

(Yellow & White Guest Bedroom)

babies update

We found out on Thursday that we're having a boy and a girl! Things couldn't be more perfect.

Both are healthy and growing just as they should be.

(Fraternal Twins by Think Like No Other on Flickr)

And Dear Hubby got to feel his first kick this weekend!

This pregnancy thing? It's pretty amazing...

big bins

Some lovely fabric storage bins from Canadian artist Jenna Rose.

The designs are hand-drawn and and then screen-printed on natural cottons and linens. I really like the soft colors and simple illustrations.

(Big Bins by Jenna Rose)

To see the full collection of bins, bags, blankets and more click here.

happy memorial day!

I hope you get this extra day off to enjoy in whatever way you wish.
A long weekend? That's a wish come true!

(Swings by JP Greenwood)

tgif + happy memorial day!

It's a holiday weekend!
That means one extra day to spend however you wish...
A quiet afternoon watching the sun go down sounds good, no?

See you next week!
xo, Kristin

(The View at Riverside Cottage on Martha Stewart)

design inspiration: kid's playroom

I wish, wish, wish that we had an extra room in our house for a playroom just like this...

(Kid's Playroom on Living Etc.)

i want it now: flirty & feminine

The feminine, flirty details of the spring/summer line at J. Crew are simply irresistible. Just pretty as can be.

(Tiered Linen Playa Dress in Papaya)

(Perfect Fit Chiffon Ruffle Tank in Beechwood)

design inspiration: blue redo

What was once a dreary, dull bathroom has been completely updated into a fresh, contemporary bath that's bursting with blue! I love the library sconce that lights the vanity and the vintage farmhouse sink sitting atop a simple blue table. The penny-tile floor is fabulous. If I was redoing our bathroom, I would totally use some of these ideas.

(from the pages of Coastal Living; photography by Erica George Dines & Tria Giovan)

I'm pretty sure that House of Turquoise would love this. I think it's absolutely swoon-worthy! Hope you like it, Erin!

spotlight: midwest modern girl

I love letters, I {heart} fancy fonts (monograms are one of my favorite things!), and so of course I am swooning over these handmade invitations.

Just perfect for a baby shower, no?

(Alphabet Invitations by Midwest Modern Girl)

i'm happy today because...

The lovely Michelle over at Oh Mishka! tagged me and now I'm tagging these six ladies to name the six things that made them happy today: Dionne, Emily, Anne, Joslyn, Mary and Suann.

So now, in no particular order, the six things that make me happy:

1. It's Friday! I know it sounds cliche, but I have been looking forward to this weekend for months. My dear friend is getting married tomorrow, and I can't wait to celebrate with her!

2. I'm 19 weeks pregnant this week. Almost half way there!

3. Enjoying ice cream treats with my co-workers. I don't know whose idea it was, but boy was it a good one! I haven't had a Good Humor strawberry shortcake bar in ages. And I confess that this was actually from yesterday... but that ice cream bar was so darn good, I can't stop thinking about it!

4. Looking at inspiring photos of nurseries to get my mind rolling on how to decorate ours. And I think I found our crib!

5. Knowing that tonight is going to be a quiet night at home after a sort of busy week. Take out is a must.

6. Looking at pictures of Lulu from when she was a puppy. She was the cutest little furball I've ever seen. Seriously.


Even though my list is sure to be different from yours... I do hope that you take a minute today to think about what makes you happy.

tgif

Have a sunshine-y weekend that's full of fun!

See you next week!
xo, Kristin

(Sunny Day by April Rocha via Frolic)

Visit her shop for the rest of her collection.

design inspiration: fireplace nook

I love the cozy living room with its corner bookcase in this charming beach bungalow. Most of us couldn't get away with a turqoise floor but here the hue is perfect. It's beachy keen!

(Living Room at the Beach Bungalow on Martha Stewart)

spotlight: mia joie

Adorable!

(Amelia Shoes from MiaJoie)

Bright and cheery eco-friendly baby shoes from Mia Joie. I'm swooning over her entire collection...

And how lovely do they look paired with this?

design inspiration: a caribbean cottage

A lovely little glimpse into the Beside the Point Cottage in Bahamas' Cistern Cay. The 250-year-old cottage is bright and cheery with glossy white walls and ceilings, a jumble of traditional and contemporary furnishings, and views from nearly every room of the crystal blue Caribbean.

Sounds dreamy...

(Coastal Living Wish You Were Here: Beside the Point Cottage)

Guess what? You can actually rent this beautiful cottage by the week! For more visit here.

i want it now: cap-sleeve dress

I really love this dress...

I think I can pull it off for my friend's wedding this weekend. (I just have to picture it with a little baby bump under that skirt!)

(The Grand Holiday Dress from Anthropologie)

*Update: I went to the store last night to try on the dress, and yikes! it was much better in the photograph. Definitely way too much cleavage for me -- especially now that I'm expecting (if you know what I mean!). So, instead I picked up this to wear with this lovely necklace. And because I have the hardest time making decisions, I also got another cute dress, but I can't seem to find it online. Now I can't decide which dress I like better!

tgif + happy mother's day!

Be sure to give all the momma's in your life a nice big hug on Sunday.
Have a wonderful weekend and see you next week!

xo, Kristin

(My momma and Me, circa 1978)

spotlight: zoetropa

I was shopping for some notecards when I stumbled upon these adorable hand-printed goodies. They'd make perfect baby shower thank-you cards, don't you think?

(Little Shoes Notes from zoetropa)

i want it now: green glass pitcher

A beautiful green ribbed pitcher from Madison Belle...

(Green Glass Pitcher, $38)

The idea of a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day is so tantalizing.

design inspiration: attic bedroom

How can you not think spring when you see a bedroom bedecked in citrus-y yellows and greens? Of course, the striped rug caught my eye and that wall of built-in bookshelves is a wonderful idea for taking advantage of every inch of space.

Growing up I always wanted an attic bedroom and now I do all over again after seeing this brilliant space.

(Small Bedroom on Country Living)

dream house: porch

The elements of my dream house are always changing. I'm constantly finding inspiration in all sorts of interiors, but through all the revisions, one thing remains the same... I definitely want a huge porch (complete with ceiling fans) for spending lazy days with family and friends.

Kind of just like this...

(Front Porch at Riverside Cottage on Martha Stewart)

(Porch Rockers at Riverside Cottage)

spotlight: leptit papillon

Loving the bright colors and whimsical feeling of this colorful garland handmade by Leptit Papillon. A lovely way to brighten any room...

(Macaroon Colors Garland)

For more handmade creations, visit her Etsy shop.

tgif

April showers bring May flowers!
Happy first of May... and have a wonderful weekend.

See you next week!
xo, Kristin

(Spring Greens from Green Island Studios)

tangerine dress

Since my days in non-maternity wear are numbered, can someone please do me a favor and get this dress?

It's just too darn pretty to go unworn...

thanks!

(Fiji Dress by Modaspia at CandyStore Collective)
Via Oh Joy!

spotlight: dottie angel

I think this is a pretty clever way to display photos of family and friends. Send in nine photos to Dottie Angel, and she'll make them into a lovely banner using bits of vintage fabrics.

(Custom Photo Banner by Dottie Angel)

For only $48, it's an inexpensive and one-of-a-kind way to display cherished photos.

design inspiration: tybee island renovation

From the pages of Coastal Living (March '09)... a few interior shots of a renovated hundred-year-old house. The beach house was given new life when the owners opened up the spaces, painted the walls a powdery white and brought in pops of bright colors. All the while, the goal was to keep the identity of the house as when it was first built. It's left me wanting to see more! (And oh, how I long for a trip to the beach!)

(A Light and Bright Kitchen with an adorable turquoise blue screen door to the pantry.)

(See walls of unpainted boards saved from the original house in a perfect example of Old Made New in a Dressing Area.)

(A Perfectly Positioned master suite in what used to be a wrap-around porch.)

For the rest of the photo portfolio (and to see before pics -- always a favorite of mine! -- click here.

(all photos by Richard Leo Johnson)

spotlight: she's crafty

Some irresistible handmade goodies for the bambinos...

From the very talented Hadley Fierlinger of She's Crafty.

Visit her Etsy shop for more great handmade goods.

tgif

Another weekend is upon us, dear readers. Have a lovely one!

See you next week!
xo, Kristin

(Free Spirit by Shirae)

See the rest of her collection here.

spotlight: city of dionne stationary

I simply cannot resist cute and unique stationary. The cards are hand-illustrated by the very talented Dionne (check out her blog!)

(Simple Joys in Life, set of 4 cards, $12.50)

See the rest of her collection here.

travel: waterfront cottage

I want to go there now...

A three-bedroom Maine cottage rental right on the water. Porches, a fireplace and nearby lobster bakes? I'm in!

(Maine Cottage Rental)

(PS - thank you, Liz Lemon, for giving me a cheeky line to say all. the. time.)

spotlight: periwinkle bloom

Have you seen the lovely collection of organic tots' attire from Periwinklebloom? I'm finding it hard to resist...

(Gathered Dress, $48; Bubble Dress, $62)

design inspiration: holly aird's london retreat

From the online gallery on Living Etc. ...when can I move in?

(A pretty flowery rug brightens up the neutrals of all those comfy pieces of upholstery.)

(A beautiful farm table gets a new lot on life.)

(I never would have thought to put a big photograph on the backsplash of the stove. And now I can't stop thinking about it)

(Such colorful bedding! I am loving that embroidered trim on the sheets.)

(I have never seen a pink tub. Nor have I loved a tub so much.)

(A perfectly playful child's room decked out in bright colors.)

To see the rest of the photos from this amazing house tour, please click here. I know you'll enjoy!

tgif

I'm hoping all of your weekend wishes come true.

See you next week!
xo, Kristin

(Everyone Needs a Wish Jar 5 x 7 print, $8, by Beth Retro)

I first saw Beth's work on Creature Comforts.

See the rest of her collection here.

spotlight: weeds & wild things

Hello, wee little village.

I'd like to take you home with me.

(Shelf City by Weeds and Wild Things on Etsy)