How cute is this shirt

So as we all know I love Ralph Lauren and just think his stuff is soooo classic.  So I bought this shirt and wanted to share bc now it's on SALE!  Wish I had know that earlier, but oh well.  Seriously I love it and would totally recommend it!

It's perfect for spring or summer and would look great with white or khaki pants or a skirt.  It's waiting for you!

Oh no looks like the shirts left now are only X's.  Oh well

Cocktails and Friends

So last night I did not have time to blog bc I was having some girls over for cocktails.  Vitamin Sea posted about it so I'll just share her link!  She captured the night perfectly!  Since I've moved I never ever get to see my old neighbors who I just adore.  We had such a fun group of cute girls at 4505.  Even though I only moved 5 blocks away on the same street (how absurd) life just gets busy.  So this is a way for us to all get together every month and hang with some new friends as well!  One night at Mekong our idea of gathering monthly to catch up morphed into cocktail club.  So here's the post to that.

http://vitaminseava.blogspot.com/2011/02/cocktails-anyone.html

This is a perfect way for me to socialize because I am such a cocktail girl!  I probably have cocktails more than most and by more than most I mean-Nightly.  Now this could pose a major problem when pregnant, but for now I can't remember the last time I went to bed without a teeny tiny night cap.  So I decided to share my favorites.  By far number one on the list which is really hard to find in Richmond is...........

Fernet Branca an Italian Liquor that the Wilson's introduced me to.  My father in-law lived in Italy for some years growing up and his father KK religiously drank Fernet.  The best part is..... It's healthy!  No really I promise! Even Dr. Oz says to have one a day.  It's literally fermented herbs, but happens to be 80 proof.  Most people do not enjoy the taste.  It's kind of bitter, but for me I can't get enough!

NUMBER 2 FAV actually has a tie!  I know everyone who knows me well would say Black Russians hands down no questions asked and those have always been my ABSOLUTE FAV, but I have to say I've been on a huge bourbon kick lately and am actually drinking a makers on the rocks as I type.  So Makers is def my drink of choice if I'm taking that route and is actually gluten free!  Thank goodness.  But my black russians will always be in signature drink.

Number 3 is of course red wine.  I prefer Cab.  Honestly what could be better than this......

Ahhhhh how relaxing after a long day!

So what's better for socializing than Cocktail Club for a girl like me!  I'm so excited to be down on my old block next month for the St. Patty's Theme gathering.  Now I need a green dress!

Bizarre Moments

This can only be titled........ A Bizarre Moment!

I'm not quite sure where I am, what I am doing, or how I found this pig, but this is certainly a very ME Moment.  AND for the life of me.......I can not figure out why I have these moments more than any other person I know.  Thoughts?

Lily's First Birthday

The Birthday Girl was in High Spirits and was soooo cute with her matching pink monogram, pink shoes and pink bow!

The Fam was also darling!

The Girls helped decorate all morning and were ready for some fun!  E, J, and O traveled all the way from Charlotte N.C. and were a crucial ingredient for fun!

 Now I have to take a minute to post about the decor which was a bit over the top for a one year old's B-day!  Usually a first birthday includes a cookout of some sort.  No No, not for Lily.  Lily had a steel drum band, Marcel from Friends-the real Marcel who ended up pooping on me (Side note apparently Marcel attends tons of celeb parties being from LA and all and his most fav celeb is Eddie Murphy-least fav is Oprah-I have to say I'm still partial!  She will always be a fav of mine), multiple monkeys and wildlife-all of who traveled from LA and some of who bar tend, bar tenders, and servers.  I am totally staging an intervention  before the sweet 16!

 Here's the Candy Bar station for all her guests and every detail was matching to the tee.

Every single last dish, champagne bottle, wine bottle, plate, napkin, candy jar, BBQ sauce, mustard dish, water bottle, straw, and even the burgers had this logo on them some where. Nico and Lala were responsible for all of the matching decor and did an AMAZING job!  I'm pretty matchy matchy but this made me look like a slob.

If I tired to display every matching detail of this party we would be here all day!  Bless her heart, Lily is totally destine to be OCD like her mother and God Girlie!

The adults had their area to dine and had some matching themes as well.

I think you get my point on the matching and theme, which is why I'm sooo glad I got her the pink elephant bowl over the plate with the pink bear.  Was def the way to go for the theme!

 Lily just loved her "SMASH CAKE!"

And Marcel was a huge fan of the cup cakes :)

I made friends with some of the guests and even shared a smooch.

 It was WONDERFUL to be in Houston and Celebrate with Mini Girlie!  I already miss her soooo much!

Ready for a Good Night Sleep

I had a wonderful weekend which I will blog about later, but for now I am soooo glad to be home!  The older I get the more of a homebody I become!  I just love coming home to my house, my dogs, my hubby, and curling up in my bed!  Now I am even more excited to curl up in my bed because all the Lilly Bedding that I have ordered has just come in! I am soooo excited!

The Navy is for the Master Bedroom, the yellow for the guest bedroom, and the aqua for the basement.  The only room that a pair was not ordered for is the small room which will eventually be a nursery! When?????- Is a whole other topic!!!! For now it's the dog room so no beds are in there.  Although we are thinking of buying them a small day bed.  They are sooo spoiled!  I just love all the fun patterns and truly think that the bedroom needs to be a beautiful yet relaxing place for a good night sleep.  Each one of these sets fits the room it was purchased for PERFECTLY.  I get so happy when I look around a room and love what I see right before I turn out the lights! Thanks Garnet Hill and Lilly.  I always love y'alls bedding products.

LOVE

So I have to blog tonight for tomorrow if that makes sense.  I fly out to Houston tomorrow and am DEATHLY afraid of planes.  So tomorrow I will be in a heightened state of anxiety that most have never felt before OR comatose!  I prefer the comatose part before I board. But here is my blog for Friday.....

Nothing in the world is more important that your actions every single day.  Wed night I went to dinner with a friend and we began discussing grief and how in awe we are of people's resiliency.  Honestly when I worked as a hospice grief and bereavement counselor I learned sooooo much more from my patients than I could ever give them.  I am constantly inspired by people who overcome tremendous tragedy.  I def tend to think that I would crumble in their circumstances.  Today I was talking with a girl at work who is finishing her internship at the middle school I work in.  We started talking about counseling and grief and she shared with me that her mother committed suicide when she was in high school.  She told me that the reason she's going to be a counselor is to help others who have suffered.  Is there anything more beautiful than this? No matter how much I love fashion, pretty fabrics, designing, and dressing up, social work will always be my first love!  It's only by meeting people like my intern that I become grounded and find my sense of peace.  I am sooooooo amazed by the people that I meet on a daily basis and how much they give to the world.  After good conversations like I had at dinner and meeting amazing people like our intern, I feel sooooo blessed.

People who know me well know that I have a personal goal to do one nice thing for somebody else every single day.  Something beyond the requirements of my job.  Try it, it's hard!!!!! I get so fixated on the meetings that I have all day only to find myself exhausted at the end of a long work day.  I then rush home to walk my dogs, feed them, cook dinner, do chores, and wake up and do it all over again.  So I have to consciously look for opportunities throughout the day and this can be a hard task, but I would challenge everyone to take the time to look for those moments.  I believe in Karma and Fate and that nothing is more important that the Love we give!

I took this picture in Martha's Vineyard 4 years ago and have always loved it's theme!

I love Themes

So I just adore Themes and love to make sure every detail is matching and perfect!  Since Lily's invite theme was that of Pink Elephants I figured I had to go with that theme for her pres!  Since I love all things Herend I wanted to start a tradition of giving her a piece each birthday so that she will have a little collection one day.  I was dying to get her the plate from the baby collection, but what's more perfect that this........

Ahhhhhhhh Don't you just adore it!  I hope Lily isn't reading my blog today so that she is surprised on Sat!  Love you and can't wait to celebrate!  Yes, Yes, I will stop blogging about Lily after her B-day, but for now I am just soooo excited to see her and celebrate the big 1!

Great Bangles for Spring and Summer

KEP Designs has the most perfect accessories or any Occasion.   These bangles happen to be a personal favorite, but the possibilities to accessorize are endless.  My only problem is trying to figure out what design and what color to order.  I want them all!  These are just a few of the options to choose from.  If you visit their website you will see starfish, anchors, elephants, and horseshoes just to name a few.  I LOVE my accessories so these will def be a must as the weather gets warmer.

A frustrating day, but I am finding the positive

There is nothing more frustrating than designing the perfect dress in your mind and then going to pick up the final product and it is not how you have dreamed it would be!  I created the Elizabeth Anne for my god daughter's first birthday and had every detail in my mind perfect for the big occasion.  The only problem with designing is communicating to the dress maker those exact details.  Despite the muslin samples it's the detail that never turn out perfect.  The perfect ruffle around the neck, the perfect bow belt, the perfect details that make your dress uniquely yours.  These are the frustrating moments of designing.  So despite my perfect vision, the Elizabeth Anne will not be worn this weekend for Lily's first birthday.   It was suppose to be it's big debut.  I have this idea that when ever I attend an event I need to wear my own design and if I do not that I am cheating on my vision.  I'm sure one could sympathize with that.  


One day this beautiful dress will come to life.  The dress is a knee length, 3/4 length sleeve dress with a ruffle around the neck and sleeves and a big bow belt.  The dress will come in pink with green ruffles, navy with orange ruffles, yellow with white ruffles, and aqua with red ruffles.  I am sooo excited to bring my creation to life and finally have it for complete.  Until then I am practicing deep breathing and I will be envisioning this!!!

I took this pic several years ago and continue to refer to it when I need to find my sense of peace!  This dress doesn't have to be perfect today, just someday! Right?????? 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day celebrating with those they love!  Mac and I celebrate Valentine's Day and usually give each other something small, but we have created our own holiday that we celebrate every year and that's when we exchange gifts.  VALENTEASTER is our fav holiday and we celebrate between Valentine's and Easter.  We decided during the dreary cold months that we needed more holidays to look forward to before spring actually came.  So that's where Valenteaster originated.  We go every year to Flemings Steak House for the Big Occasion.  So tonight we will cook and nice salmon dinner, watch a movie, and enjoy an evening in with Leonard and Lucile.


I do have to mention my fav Valentine gift.  It actually came from my mother in-law and was too perfect for our black and white toile bathroom. I am very matchy matchy so these totally complete the room.

They are shower curtain hangers, each with a different black and white Toile scene on them! Those who know me well know how obsessed with Toile I am so this gift truly made me smile:)  As Mac's aunt told me, a girl have never have too much toile.  They are perfect for our bathroom and make fabulous accents.

Can you see what I'm talking about???? It was a wonderful surprise!  The last thing I need is my Black and White Toile Marye-Kelley trash can to complete the room.
  
Have a wonderful day celebrating your loved ones!  

Preparing for V-Day

So to prepare for Valentine's Day my friend and I took a little trip during our lunch break last week to one of Richmond's favorite spots in Carytown!

For the Love of Chocolate was decked out and ready for this Big Occasion!

This store truly has it all and here are some of my favorite stops!

YUMMY!!!!!

Of course we want to recognize their unique gifts as well :)

I'm embarrassed to admit I have owned these at one point in my life.

This book is right up my alley!

I left with some Pink Cotton Candy Rock Candy and some goodies for Mac!  It was a very successful trip.  If you haven't been it is a must go spot!  Hope they have recovered from this busy season.

House Projects

So last July we bought a house that needed renovating and it was actually a very fun yet stressful project!  I'll have to do a post sometime to show the before and after shots!  The main part of the house is completely finished but we are continuing to work on the basement.  Mac and I are dedicating this entire weekend to basement projects!  This is definitely on the list for the basement steps, but I'm thinking we won't get to it until late spring.

I took this picture in San Jose three years ago and this is exactly why I always have a camera on hand!  When I found this photo a few days ago it totally gave me inspiration for our basement steps.  I would LOVE to at least tile in between each step if not all of them.   I'm thinking after this weekend of hard work and finishing up the steps we will be ready to entertain this summer!  Mac and I love having people over and are always looking for reasons to entertain so hopefully a Masters Party is on the Horizon in our finished basement :)

Happy Birthday Girlie!

So I actually have to blog twice today because it is my Best Friend's Birthday-Girlie!  Girlie and I have known each other since the age of four and grew up across the street from each other in Greensboro, N.C.  We have literally been through every phase of our lives together and the adventures would take an entire book to recount!  We got the nickname "The Girlie Twins" at the sailing camp that we attended every summer because of our long blonde hair, blue eyes and similar personalities!  Everyone just assumed we were twins!  The name Girlie has stuck and we continue to refer to one another as GIRLIE!  Our friendship is as unique as the way we talk.  I totally wish I had a scanner right now to show some old school pictures!

Here we are in Kiawah last Christmas!  Our families spent the holidays together in S.C. and there is nothing better than being with your family and Best Friends during the holidays.

I am soooooo excited to visit Houston next weekend not only to celebrate Girlie's Birthday, but also Mini Girlie (Lily) she will be one!

The Three Girlies grabbing lunch at Neimans in Houston

 I am blessed to also be Mini Girlie's God Girlie!

I can't wait to see both my Girlie's next weekend and celebrate 2 very special Birthday's!

Perfect Blazer for Spring

People who know me well know that I am chronically cold!  I have the hardest time staying warm so I'm constantly drinking hot water (yes it's a bazaar habit that I have, but it works) and looking for cute jackets that can also act as my outfit because I know I won't be taking them off!  A few different companies seem to have this style blazer out for spring, but the Boden Jersey Blazer in Navy Breton Stripe is my favorite.  It looks like Boston Proper and J. Crew also have a similar style out.  I love anything  nautical looking and Navy and White is one of my favorite combos.  In fact I have three dresses in my first line that have Navy and White as a color option.  I totally need to branch out I know, but it's just soooo classic.

Anyways this blazer would be perfect for spring or summer nights in new England-too bad I don't live there anymore!  Hopefully this item will be in my closet one day!  Navy and White Stripe anything never goes out of style!

 

Rekindling an Old Flame

So while I didn't get a chance to lounge on a hammock in Costa Rica last weekend I did rekindle my flame with an old love!  Every Christmas growing up my family took a ski trip either out west or to Europe-my parents lived in Germany before my birth and enjoyed going back to visit old friends, not to mention there is also incredible skiing in the Alps.  I have to admit the last time I hit the slopes was on our last family ski vacation to Aspen in December of 1997.  Needless to say 13 years had passed and I was a little wary about this adventure.  So when a group of friends headed to the Homestead last weekend I was unsure how things were going to go on the slopes!  Fortunately Hot Springs, Virginia is a great place to get your sea legs back on!

Can we please talk about how amazing these old school ski clothes are! Particularly the overall bibs!

Mac had only skiied a few times before so I was thinking this was a good place for him to start.

I literally did not even have a ski jacket so thank goodness some friends came prepared and I could borrow a jacket, scarf, and proper pants!  This would have been a great time to have some of Apres by CKB fabulous Ski gear!

Everyone told me that it would be like riding a bike and would come back as soon as I I hit the slopes.  While I can't claim that statement to be true I can say each run I felt more and more comfortable!

Cocktails by the fire  is always a must after a day of skiing, although we did have a few sips of bourbon on the ski lift up-it was a long ride to the top!

For dinner we went to Sam Sneads and had some comfort food!  

Thanks to the W. clan for a great weekend!  I'm so glad we went and I had to a chance to get back out there!  I'm thinking the slopes will see a lot more of me now!

Very Me

Lilly

So I really can't afford to go spring shopping this year because every extra dime I have is going towards making my samples in hopes of having a trunk show one day :) BUT....... This dress is sooooooo ME!  In fact if I had to choose a Lilly dress throughout the years that described my personality this would be the one!  Lilly has come up with some precious frocks over the years, but I'm thinking this my fav of all times!  Maybe a valentine's gift?????

Hopefully the picture will show up this time :)

           

My Latest Favorite

I absolutely LOVE China and am currently coveting the Herend Golden Edge Dinner Plates with my initials on them in gold.  I think they would accent my Chinese Multi plates beautifully so I tend to pop into Taylor Hogan and Hampton House way more than I should just to peruse and dream.  When I came across this piece at Taylor Hogan I knew I HAD to have it! 

What a perfect piece to add to my blue and white collection! Apparently they have over 200 breeds to choose from so eventually I will get a beagle plate in honor of Leonard, but for now the Bouvier will suffice.  Not to mention it's soooo hard to find anything with a bouvier on it so I knew I couldn't let this gem get away! I've found the perfect location for it in our breakfast nook hanging right above where Lucille eats!

After a long stressful week with little sleep, I am dreaming of being back here lounging on this hammock in Costa Rica with a good book and a mojito.

Lily's First Birthday-A Lilly Party for Lily

So I was thrilled to get an invite to my god daughter's first birthday!  Houston here I come!  These are the cutest little invites I have ever seen and how did Lily know that Pink Elephants are our family's favorite decor (My grandfather owed a bar called the pink Elephant in Cleveland Ohio).

The coordinating pinks elephants made me smile! Now it's time to search for the perfect gift for a very special young lady!  I just love traditions and my Christmas tradition is to buy Lily a Lilly ornament every year.  A Lilly Tree for Lily-I just love this idea!  I'm thinking I will stick with the Herend theme for birthday traditions since that what I bought her for her christening.  Any thoughts? Time to start searching for the perfect gift!