Pattern of the Day

I want this chair. At the very least, I need something in my home upholstered in this swirly, loopy, calligraphy pattern.

via Life in a Venti Cup

New Ork Poster

I love Ork Posters. I wish they had one for a city I've lived in, but I don't think they're going to be making one for Dallas anytime soon. (Maybe Austin next, Ork Posters people?)

I gave this one to a friend who lives in and met her husband in Boston as part of an early wedding present. I thought it was funny because when I visited her, she was trying to explain the neighborhoods to me and I just didn't get it. We had to resort to the condiments on the restaurant table, but I think this will help me out next time. Love the blues on the Great Lakes print!

Recently, Ork came out with this "Gotta Have Heart" print that I thought was really cute. It combines my love of typography with my The Hubs's medical background:

And then today, I saw on Far Out Brussel Sprout that Ork has also come out with this "Think Hard" print:I think these would be so cute hanging in a doctor's office. (Will The Hubs even have an office? Dr. K, cardiologist? Brain surgeon? I am already envisioning decorating his office if he goes into private practice. Never mind that that's years from now!)

The byline on the "Think Hard" print is think "hard about which color you like best". I'm thinking! I'm not totally in love with the black and tan, but I'm not really feeling the color either, even though I think the words pop more with the color:
Your thoughts? Since I'm horrible about making decisions, these may be saved off to my "save for later because I'm indecisive" list.

In other news, I feel like I've arrived - after mentioning her in my last post, I got a comment from one of my fave blogs, Young House Love!

Unproductive

This is a how I spent a lot of my weekend...

The puppy and I did a lot of lazing around...I did some grocery shopping and a little laundry that has yet to be folded. Read all of the Saturday and Sunday papers. Watched some a lot of TV.

Totally unproductive.

But it's my last without The Hubs (I visit him this weekend and he's back home for good the next !] ), so why not be lazy? Can't wait to get my cuddle partner back.

Photos via Pictures in Bed

Skull Candy

I've never decorated for Halloween, but I am liking these budget-friendly skull serving pieces. Makes me want to have a skeleton party!

Many found via Copy Cat Chic (a great source of the look for less):

Target Bone Collector Platter, $22 Target Cocktail Plates (Set of 4), $22 Target Skull Mugs (set of 4), $22
Target Skull Plates (set of 8), $16

Target Skull Platter (set of 2), $14 Z Gallerie, $13

Pottery Barn, $16

Speaking of budget-friendly Halloween decorating, have you seen Young House Love's post and video (embedded at the bottom) on what they did inside this year? All great ideas!

They dripped red candle wax down the pillar candles. I love this arrangement of candlesticks and can easily see switching out the candles to work for any holiday: Thanksgiving (orange), Christmas (red, green, white, silver), New Year's (white, silver), Valentine's Day (red, pink)

Great silhouette of Burger. The bones were adapted from his actual chew bones. How smart is Sherry? (If you can't tell, I'm a little in love with YHL.)

Again, I can easily see this cloche working for any time of year just by switching out the objects. Genius!
John doctored a copy of their wedding photo. Again, I think this would be funny for other holidays...Santa Hats at Christmas?

Halloween Decorating from Young House Love on Vimeo.

Etsy Love

My Etsy favorites list is exploding, so I thought I would start sharing some of my favorite finds. I was searching for elephant pillows (random, huh? more on that later), and came across this ring bowl:

I love the sentiment!
SugarStreetCafe Etsy shop, $17

I have an ever-popular one from the original Paloma's Nest. You can look through the photos for a lot of great inspiration for verbiage - I believe mine has "To Have and To Hold" with our names and wedding date. I love that it's a keepsake we can do several things with - hang on the wall, leave our rings on it, hang on the Christmas tree...

Paloma's Nest Etsy Shop, $34 (various prices)

I looked up what I bought it for, and noticed her prices have gone up - I would too if I was featured by Martha! Here are some other options that might also float your boat. I couldn't narrow down my favorites, so I have a lot from each shop.

lovegrowsbygiving's Etsy Shop, $24 (various prices)

SayYourPiece's Etsy Shop, $8-$12 as shown

Cuteness:

If feeling up to it, you can also try to make your own.

This is making me want to buy some more keepsake bowls/dishes. The last shop has some for babies and pets. Does my puppy need one? I could present her with her treats in her own fancy little dish.

I'm a Winner!

Yay me! I won a copy of the Feather Report iPhone app, AND my very own outfit post customized to my body type and occasion! (I'm a Curvy Cathy wanting to go out for a night on the town in Dallas, in case you wanted to know.)

When Melissa from The Lil Bee announced that there was now an iPhone app for the Feather Report blog, I was so excited. I mean, this is like having my own personal Cher Horowitz closet!



For those of you who don't know:
Fashion + Weather = Feather Report
If you’ve ever checked the forecast and wished the weatherman would just tell you what to wear, Feather Report is your place. Each day, to prepare you for the work week, Feather Report breaks down the forecast into style inspiration that actually makes sense.

Read more about all of the cool stuff it can do here, and then go buy it here for $2.99!
And if you don't have an iPhone, start following Feather Report blog!

A big thanks to the Lil Bee - my other iPhone apps are going to be so jealous of all the play the Feather Report is going to get.

October = Beach Time?!

I mentioned in a previous post that The Hubs is off doing his pediatrics rotation. He's 7+ hours away in Corpus Christi and has been gone 2 weeks now (4 more to go!). The newness of watching whatever trashy TV I want has long ago worn off, and it's been difficult having real conversations over the phone when he's not on call or studying or writing a paper...or exploring the beachy town (lucky duck).

This weekend, I'm flying standby to see him. I probably won't be heading to the Corpus Christi Bay, but will meet him somewhere between Texas and Mexico, where we will spend the weekend with some of his housemates at his parents' place in SPI. I've never flown standby before, so I don't know what to expect. Double cross your fingers for me that I make it there (and back on Sunday!) so that I can be here:

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Where I should wake up uber-early to experience this over the Gulf of Mexico:

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But will most likely watch it come back down with drink in hand over the Laguna Madre:

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The Hubs is flying up next weekend for TX-OU, and then I'm going back one more time Halloween weekend...and then he'll be back in no time. (I learned after the fact that he probably could have sold this coveted rotation for $500...instead we'll be spending that visiting each other...d'oh!)

B-T-Dubs, I found the last two images on Panoramio. It's like the photo feature on Google Maps, but much cooler to navigate. I could spend a lot of time on here exploring the world.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Office Wedding is Finally Here!

Watching these clips from Jim and Pam's relationship is getting me excited for tonight's episode of The Office!

Some previews from NBC:

This portrait Michael painted is actually kinda cute (imho).

Do You Love Craig?

I am always amazed by the great Craigslist finds of others - who knew what great afters you can make into seen-better-days befores?

Before

After

Love this office at Little Green Notebook

So I've been searching the site like a fiend for a variety of things on my to-buy list. (Entryway table, large framed mirror, mantel shelf, other coolness...) Do you know about CraigsToolbox? It shows the image previews with your search. Oh, how glorious! No more wasting time clicking into postings with crappy items! (Except my free trial has now run out, and I'm too cheap to subscribe. If I had loads of dough, I wouldn't exactly need Craig, now would I?)

Another reason I decided not to pay for the image preview is because my husband strongly doesn't approve of me buying anything off Craigslist due to shady happenings in the news. I was talking to him on the phone the other day (our main way to communicate these days since he is living out of town for his pediatrics rotation), and I mentioned that I found a posting for an awesome mantel shelf that will go perfectly with our fireplace - for only $25! - and I was really hoping someone hadn't already snatched it up. He got really upset and told me I cannot buy anything off the site. Rather than argue, I made something up about having to get off the phone. (If I every buy anything on there, I am fully planning on meeting in a public place and either bringing someone with me or telling others of where I'm going.)

So what's a gal to do? $25! I can't lie to The Hubs. Maybe sweet-talk someone else into actually making the purchase for me?

Have you found any great Craigslist steals? Are you ever surprised by prices being almost the same as retail? For example, I found a posting for this shapely mirror (swoon!) for $150. The ad says it's from Ballard Designs, so I had to check it out since I was curious to see the retail price: $180. It is new in box, but a $30 savings on something that much isn't enough for me to justify unless it happens to be close to my home. (This one wasn't; I actually hadn't even heard of the town.)
Meanwhile, I'll remain on the hunt. Don't tell my husband.

Here are some Craigslist searching & buying tips I found that might assauge his fears.

When a Poodle Walks in with an Itty Bitty...

I took our little one to the vet for her three-month shots today. She did great with the examination.

The only issue Uncle David could find that we'll want to keep an eye on?


Her butt is too small. (Compared to the rate of growth of her thigh muscles.)


Wish I had that problem.

Nie's on Oprah

Be sure to set your DVRs today Wednesday to catch Nie on Oprah! I just knew that's what she was doing when she posted about going to ChicagoAren't she and Mr. Nielson a beautiful couple? She is such a constant source of inspiration to me.

If you don't know who Stephanie Nielson is, please visit her blog or her sister's, c jane, and go back in time to read about how amazing life is. You won't be able to stop reading.

Happy Weekend!

I'm off on this beautiful day to consume some fried food at the State Fair of TexasFrom M. Sasek's This Is Series, This is Texas

What are you up to?

Put On Your Pearls, Girls

In my last post I mentioned my old affinity for Lulu Guinness because of the "LG" signature, but I forgot another one: her usage of silhouettes.

I adore silhouettes. And this is pretty much the silhouette to end all silhouettes. (And isn't the saying cute?)

I was browsing for an image of a Lulu Guinness zippered pouch with a different silhouette that I use to keep jewelry in when traveling and came across this:

source

I am assuming this is Lulu's home, because I don't know where someone else would have gotten such a large version of it. Love it.

Update: Using my mad Google skills, I turned up this post about Lulu Guinness's home. I don't know where the above is from, but I want it.

Virtual Shopping

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I adore this photo - and I want her ring.

I actually have this cute Lulu Guinness handbag, purchased off eBay in a phase in college when I was enamored with the scripty LG on some of her wares, my initials before I was married:
LG! It was like it was just for me. (Although I think it's safe to say I would not have done as much bidding on eBay if my initials were LV or CC.)

The daisy bag is a little cutesy for me to carry (it works much better for me in its umbrella version that I uh, also own), and I think I've used it only a handful of times. I can make a mental note to try and bust it out come Spring, but it will still be something I do not get a lot of use out of.

Do you have items in your life like this? I like seeing it displayed with my clutch collection, but this image is just as pretty as the real thing. I'd rather store the photo on my hard drive and have the money back that I spent on it.

That's what I love about blogs - I am inundated with more things I want to buy on a daily basis than I ever have been, but I am so much less likely to actually buy now. I will check out the linked website, I will add to my cart, I will make a note to come back later, but I can't pull the trigger.

Virtual shopping can be as good as the real thing to me, better in some ways because no let-down sets in after the initial elation of buying something new and shiny wears off. There will always be another sale, there will always be another free shipping offer.

In fact, I think I may have an anti-buying problem. Is that possible? I have been trying really hard to distinguish wants versus needs over the past year, and I noticed the other day when reviewing my month-to-month spending in Quicken (yes, I am a personal finance nerd) that I had made one apparel purchase in the last several months - a $15 cocktail ring when on vacation. It's been so long that I have some definite needs right now - some new heels, work clothes, a few new basic tops - all staples. Therefore, I am going to embark on a mini shopping spree this month. I'll let you know how it goes.