happy day

Hello, my friends.

How was your weekend?

We celebrated my sister in law's 40th birthday.

She's a doll and I'm blessed to call her family.

I found this sweet topiary for her.

On the card I wrote:

'So many candles...so little cake'.

But then I put 'love you' right after that,

so we're good right?

I have a confession to make.

I've left this banner up in my kitchen all summer long.

We have birthdays in May, June, July and August.

While I was out poking around the shops, I found these sweet notecards at HomeGoods. They happened to match the scarf I found earlier in the day at H&M from their Garden Party Collection.

I love the vibrant colors.

They speak to me...

Have you found anything good out and about lately?

rosebud

August was hot...much hotter than usual. Everything is looking a little spent. But, the roses have rallied. They're blooming once again.

They like it hot.

My favorite part is the little rosebuds. So much promise...

The bright pink plays well with the chartreuse green

of the Annabelles and boxwoods.

Did you know that fuchsia lipstick is big this fall?

Well, at least according to J Crew's fall look book.

They're suggesting a color by Nars called Funny Face.

A rose is the visible result of an infinitude of complicated goings on

in the bosom of the earth and in the air above...
~Clive Bell

I hope you have the loveliest of weekends, my friends!

a peach

Are you watching Project Runway this season?

I don't really watch much television.

The girls just love this one.

And I admit it, I'm hooked.

We're really rooting for our home town gal, Peach Carr.

Her daughter, Molly, attends school with one of my girls.

She's not the youngest or the the most 'fierce'. But the rest of the cast seems to like her, even if they question her 'old school' style. We prefer to call it traditional/classic with a twist of prep. It's a big look around here.

The pic above is from the party store challenge. Peach made it out of paper.

She is who she is...confident, self-assured, funny and self deprecating.

I can't imagine how hard it would be 'to be yourself' in a very stressful design competition. Plus, she plays well with others. Witness how she jumped in to help Andy South finish his ribbon/party store dress, and he ended up in first place that week.

Do you watch Project Runway?

baby love

My brother Tom and his wife Sarah safely

delivered their third baby on Saturday.

A little girl named Lucy.

9 pounds!

Bob and I had the pleasure of meeting her that night...

she's a little sweetheart.

Welcome to the world little Lucy.

Don't you just want to smooch those sweet baby cheeks?

back to school

Today's the day.

Maggie, Mary Kate, and Gracie started school today.

(Rosie's pre-school starts in a few weeks.)

We were pretty well prepared, but the failure

of Maggie's alarm clock set her back...way back, this morning.

It helped that the weather was mild, sunny and just delightful.

Rosie and I walked over to meet Gracie on her way home.

She didn't expect us. The smile on her face...

I need to do that more often.

The best part of back-to-school shopping,

new kicks.

What's your favorite part?

the little house

How did it get to be Friday already?

It's time for something pretty.

It occurred to me that I never shared

the updates to the little house in the back garden.

Do you remember what it looked like before?

We added vents to the top of the playhouse for some cross-ventilation.

It used to be stifling hot in the loft on warm afternoons.

A veritable easy-bake oven...

We also ran some rain gutters along the eaves.

Redirecting the rain will allow the cedar siding to retain it's white stain.

And as much as I like moss, it doesn't look that attractive on the little house.

The front door used to be pink, now it's red...Ladybug Red.

The little screen door is now Blue Hydrangea.

The shutters are now Stem Green.

The siding was stained white once again.

All the paint is Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior from their

pottery barn kids color wheel.

View the interior, here and here.

Do you have any fun projects in the works?

So many ideas...so little time.

so blue

The girls are home for one more week of summer

...one more week of having lunch in town with their girlfriends

...one more week of the beach

...one more week of walking to the library

...one more week of ice cream cones midafternoon

...one more week of 'Mom, I'm sooo bored'.

I'm going to miss them terribly next week.

I like all my chicks home in the nest.

Do you celebrate 'back to school' or do you dread it?

To top it off, my Endless Summer Hydrangeas

are giving me the cold shoulder this year.

Their bloom count is way down.

How are your hydrangeas doing?

nostalgia

This month's on-line issue of Lonny is lovely. Maybe it's the focus on vintage inspired design and bohemian British flair, it's really worth a read. They showcase the beautiful homes of Ms. Cath Kidston and Ms. Rachel Ashwell. One big news flash is CK is planning a re-launch of its' US e-commerce site with hopefully more favorable shipping options at the end of this month.

Love the spray flowers treatment around the doorway

and the parisian rose wallpaper.

What catches your eye?

dining room

The three older girls are at their grandparents for the night.

Swimming, crafts, games, and fun meals are on their agenda.

Rosie and I are cleaning, ironing and organizing.

Well, I am.

As her attention span is rightfully that of a three year old.

She is mostly playing on her 'puter. Do you know what a 'puter is?

Hint: Mom spends a fair amount of time on hers...

I thought you might like a little peek into my dining room.

Most of the furniture is from Lane's Maine Cottage/Down East line.

We eat almost all of our meals in here.

Lots of good times, laughter, special meals, and sweet memories.

Day in and day out. I'm a fan of using what you love, even with little ones.

Do you use your dining room regularly?

have a seat

Can you believe it's Friday already?

Time for something pretty.

I've been wanting to re-upholster my dining room chairs for a while.

I still liked the ticking stripes, but it was time for a change.

It's always time for a change around here.

Before.....and.....After

I'm pretty pleased with the strawberry print.

The color/contrast is a little more crisp and fresh.

I lined the fabric. It's upholstery grade cotton duck, but

you could still see faint stripes from the ticking. The lining saved the day.

I think it turned out rather sweet.

eat cake

Ladies, would you like to come to a little birthday party?

I'm celebrating mine today.

The cupcakes and milk are waiting just for you.

Take your pick...

These beautiful photographs are from

Michele Wimborough of Cake Walk.

She really makes some darling cakes.

If only I lived on the West Coast...

Which one's your favorite?

I'm going with the lemon. Those daisies kill me!

a big gull

Rosie doesn't sleep in a crib anymore.
She puts on her own shoes.
Sometimes...they match.


She's a big girl now. 


Or, as she would say...
'A Big Gull'


Doesn't time just fly?

cheerful colors

Hello, my friends.

It's Friday, time for something pretty.

What to do when your favorite on-line store is having a sale?

Why, you pick up a few things, of course.

You rationalize your purchase

(it's on sale and you don't have to pay VAT).

All of the cheerful colors function as a guilt-free mood elevator.

And if you purchase some fabric for an upcoming project,

the whole family benefits.

Have you seen the Japanese CK e-mook?

Why, it includes your very own bento box

with sweet matching light blue chopsticks.

The only slight problem is you have to purchase four sets,

one for each of your daughters.

Head over to I love Pretty Little Things, for more Friday pretties.