30 October 2011

Lullaby and Good Night


Let's be honest- Some days I can barely take care of myself. On a good day, I can almost take care of myself AND remember to feed the cat. So, it's definitely going to be awhile (like five years) before we start thinking seriously about parenthood.

Right now though, it's okay to entertain thoughts of the serene sleeping Baby in a totally put-together sanctuary. Idealistic, I know!  



Carousel Designs Bedding

No question that it's a girl! So feminine. Very shabby chic.


Love the combination of grey and yellow. Check out the birds on the ceiling!  


Bit more modern, bright and airy.


Segreto Finishes

Just enough purple in this transition from a nursery to a little girl's room.


Carousel Designs
Shabby chic and pink Chinese lanterns revisited.



Another variation on the grey/black/ yellow theme. Not so fond of the black chandelier though.




Carousel Designs
Yup, more pink and green!

23 October 2011

Three things I am loving

Yankee Candle Lakeside Birch Candles-  I'm not a big fan of floral (lilac, gardenia, rose) or food scented (buttercream, apple pie, hazelnut) candles, so I think that's why I loooove  this sweet, woodsy, musky scented candle for fall.



14 October 2011

Pumpkin Spice Love

One of my favorite indulgences in the fall are Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Chai Lattes, so I was super excited to stumble across a recipe to make-your-own on RecipeGirl. To date, I've restrained myself and only ordered three Pumpkin Spice Chais this season. But I fear my consumption is going to dramatically increase now that I know they're so easy to make!

07 October 2011

Green Thumb

I've been thinking about how it's time to pull out the garden this weekend. For our first shot at it, I'd say it worked out okay. Our tomatoes and lettuce were plentiful.We got enough beans for sides to go with two dinners. The basil did moderately well. We got just one pepper from six plants, but the biggest disappointment was the butternut squash. It had flowers a couple of weeks ago, so I had hopes of butternut squash soup, stuffed squash blossoms, and butternut squash risotto. But nada.


So, I guess we'll just have to start hitting the Farmers' Market for our veggies. Maybe I can get our vegetables there and harvest the seeds to grow in next year's garden. There's been a recent movement towards collecting seeds of heirloom varieties that show up everywhere from farmer's markets to auctions. I heard a story on NPR this morning about a bucket of heirlooms that sold for $1000 at auction! People like Jeremiah Gettle, owner of Baker's Creek Seed Co. and the author of The Heirloom Life Gardener, travels the world in search of rare seeds. He explains:

"There are varieties from African-American heritage, Japanese varieties, German varieties," he says. "And each type comes with their own cultures — whatever they thought was greater, tastier, good-looking — so you have a lot of diversity."



Happy Cat Farm, featured in the July/August issue of Whole Living, is a seed and produce company that also is a CSA (community-supported agriculture) program. It's a way to buy local, seasonal produce directly from a farm. Typically, members buy into the CSA, and each week, they receive a box of assorted produce. I love the concept, but it takes a lot of commitment to plan meals around vegetables in order to avoid waste. Who am I kidding?! I can't plan and cook a meal myself, nonetheless an entire week's menu!



04 October 2011

Segreto- Secrets Revealed

Thanks to Crush Party for introducing me to HEAVEN! Interior Designer and decorative painter Leslie Segreto makes magic in Houston homes with her faux finishes and artistic skills. The neutral colors and caramel wood creates such a warm feeling in these spaces.





Then, there's the super elegant bath- white, marble, chandeliers. I could spend days just hanging out in here in a fluffy white robe.  



And, last but not least, how adorable is this kids room???




Leslie has a new book available, Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors, which features more breathtaking rooms designed by Leslie and her team of 25 talented artisans. Be sure to check it out, and also visit Leslie's blog for more photos of dreamy spaces.
 
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