Isaac.

Isaac Mizrahi now designing for Liz Claiborne... I don't think I have ever even so much as noticed a piece of Liz Claiborne in the past, but it will for sure be turning heads now. I like it.

Last weekend, I made lots of votive holders for our backyard & deck area with miscellaneous vases & ball jars and stainless steel wire really inexpensively... now all I need is this outdoor drape. I love the simplicity and ambiance it creates... top it off with some homemade guac. and sangria and you would be set.

Currently on sale at West Elm: the Solid Outdoor Drape, a 48-inch-wide durable cotton drape in white with stainless steel grommets. Prices start at $39 for the 84-inch-long size.

Valentino.

Saw this last week with my momma and was obsessed... It will not be at the Angelika for much longer.

Giorgio Armani, Anne Hathaway, Alessandra Facchinetti, Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld, Gwyneth Paltrow, Claudia Schiffer, Donatella Versace, Diane von Fürstenberg, and Anna Wintour all make appearances.

The movie is absolutely beautiful & inspiring. I laughed out loud and... no lie, cried at the beauty of the garments and seeing Valentino's lifelong dream become not only reality, but an epic fashion house and unprecedented standard for elegance.

Don't miss this...

loving what wendy builds.

Built by Wendy... loving their stuff. I have been crushin' hard on her garments for about a month, had this post in my drafts for a bit, and then this morning saw two other fashion blogs blogged about her too! Shoot, I guess her stuff is just that awesome. :)

rocking bed.

This looks like a dream... I would love to be rocked to sleep every night. It is brand new & the first in it's class...

Here is an excerpt from the company's website, Private Cloud:

"From ancient times we know, that nothing can calm down a baby as good as rocking and waving. You can watch this on mothers and children all over the world.As an unborn you always hear the heartbeat of your mother. When you get born and get rocked, this is waking up the feeling of total protection, comfort and savety.Different studies made clear that while one‘s rocking, the blood-brain barrier is broken through and the brain spills out messengers. Thereby the rocking person gets, by and by, into a kind of trance.
With this rocking bed even you as an adult are able to use this effect to relax, to chill out and to calm down."

yes please.

paper {or plastic} dolls.

i loved this so much, i had to steal her.

little paper doll, please come live at my home with me...

thank you.

via Oh Joy.

relaxing.

This past weekend was so needed... sometimes just one extra day of freedom is enough to set you for a while. I had lots of time with Ry, Senga, & family, some relaxing time on the lake, did too much obsessive baking, hung out with great friends, planted a beautiful hydrangea plant that my parents surprised me with, went estate sale hunting, cooked a couple of homemade pizzas, painted two rooms in our home, and most importantly, enjoyed doing whatever I wanted to do...

Vow for this summer: I am going to dare to make more mistakes. I'm going to relax & limber up. I am going to be sillier than I have ever been. I will take fewer things seriously. I will take more chances. I will swim, jump, run, play, bake, bike, plant, cook, climb, do & enjoy more. I will remember that this life is fleeting. I will appreciate this life that was bestowed upon me & thank the Lord daily for it. I will love deeply & laugh hard. I will attempt to live this life the way it was meant to be lived.

Hope everyone's weekends were grand!

love.

This picture makes me smile and look forward to this time with Ry ... the many stories we will have shared... and the feeling of not wanting to miss out on any more stories without your other half...

photo via colormekatie

treehouse + food = :)

Look at this unbelievable tree house restaurant... I mean come on, I have an obsession with treehouses & great food, so why not combine the two? Read more about it on this architecture site.

The design is really contemporary... but how cute would a little bakery be up in the trees with a more traditional sensibility? I should quit now and go start one.

scavengers.

Going to Estate Sales & Flea Markets is probably one of my favorite things to do on Saturdays & Sundays. We hit up a few estate sales past weekend & were also astounded at the number of garage sales, as well. The weather brought out the scavengers & treasure hunters, {which Ry & I fully do not disclaim to be} the sales people & bargainers, and the swindlers & re -purposers. The feeling of a great deal cannot be beat. Our home is full of re- purposed treasures that all have a story and I love it. People, summer is here... and its here with a vengance.

graphics.

A great logo is so appealing to me... I try my hand at designing some at work sporadically, but I just don't have a knack for them. This man has such a great eye & is so talented... Just thought I would share his site with you. His stuff is very inspiring... he makes me want to be a graphic designer full time. Enjoy!

grateful.

I have never been the greatest journaler of my thoughts... some of my friends are great at cataloguing their hearts on paper. I have made attempts at journaling my ideas & thoughts and always fall short either by forgetfulness or apathy. However, writing down 5 things that I am thankful for everyday has worked for me & revolutionized my outlook on life. It has taught me to look at my surroundings with a different set of eyes... being appreciate for the little things.... like clean drinking water, fresh food, compliments from others, or family...

It takes 1 minute everyday and gratitude really is the root to sincere & genuine happiness.
"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. " Denis Waitley

Happy weekend! Try it... we are blessed with an abundance of good.

picnic.

Planning on going on one of these this weekend... even if its on the lawn in our backyard.

wine. cheese. fresh fruit. a book. I'm there.

Hopefully the bugs will stay away, however, "you do catch the bees with your honey, not your vinegar."

crushin.

I love Tori Spelling's home... not necessarily Tori herself, eh hem, but her fabulous redo of her home. It appears they kept the originaly architecture and some of the materials, which looks awesome. I love that she also used pieces with an oversized scale and lots of color. It all looks so clean, fresh, and fun. See more before and after pics here.

if you live in Dallas...

I'll be at the Etsy Dallas Craft Show without a doubt on Saturday...

Daily Candy claimed "Free goodie bags for the first 50 peeps. "

When: Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Where: South Side on Lamar, 1409 S. Lamar St.

Hope to see you there! Please help support Homemade!

feeling blue.

I have been so inspired by cobalt blue dishes lately. I think blue is so fresh, clean, and refreshing... and the dishes make any meal festive and fun. The first top picture is one of my China patterns I registered for, it's not my main china, but I loved it so much I had to at least register for it... but I could only afford to have the blue salad plates. I can't wait to use it this Spring & Summer! Its makes me so happy to look at.

Top to bottom picture credits: 1) Oscar de la Renta 2) Pottery Barn 3) Williams Sonoma 4) Crate & Barrel 5) Pottery Barn 6) Spode 7) Anthropologie 8) Anthropologie

summer treat.

I have a huge tub of strawberries chillin in the fridge and used some for a pretty triffle last night, but have been wanting to bust back out my icecream maker attatchment. I think this recipe {below} is getting whipped up tonight with the rest of the strawberries. I can't wait.

Strawberries, Chocolate, and fresh lemon juice... combined? yes please.

Strawberry Stracciatella Ice Cream
Ingredients:

-1 pound strawberries

-2/3 cup granulated sugar

-1 tablespoon kirsch or vodka (optional)

-1 cup heavy cream

-1 cup Greek yogurt

-1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
-5 ounces chocolate, melted
Directions:
Wash and slice the strawberries. Place them in a large bowl with the sugar and kirsch or vodka (if using.) Give them a stir until the sugar begins to dissolve, then let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour, giving them an occasional gentle stir.

After they’ve macerated for 1 hour, place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the accumulated juices. Add the heavy cream, yogurt and lemon juice. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Chill this mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. When the ice cream is getting close to being done, melt the chocolate either via double boiler method or in the microwave (I used the microwave, melting the chocolate in a Pyrex liquid measuring cup in 30 second intervals on 50% power, stirring after each time.) When the ice cream is just about finished churning, while the motor is still running, slowly drizzle the melted chocolate into the ice cream in a thin stream. Try not to hit the machine’s paddle. I found it easiest to drizzle a little chocolate in, then use a spoon to swirl it around while it’s churning. If you find the chocolate begins to clump up, you can drizzle it in layers when you pack the ice cream into its storage container, swirling it with a spoon as you go.
Transfer the churned ice cream to a storage container, and freeze.

Mona & Holly

Check out Mona & Holly's Spring 09 collection. I love how femine and playful their line is.

Anything with shorts and buttons floats my boat.

words to live by.

{click image to enlarge.}

I love this and am a firm believer in good, old fashioned etiquette and manners. I swear by thank you notes and still habitually say "yes m'amm" and "no m'amm." Politeness, courtesy, and manners are free... so while we are all watching our pennies, we can still mind our P's & Q's and that, ladies & gents, is something that will never go out of style.

pic via All stripes.

Senga.

She's a HANDFUL, but I love her so much it hurts.

Little Miss Senga makes my verrry heart happy.
{ Senga means "no worries" in the Fijian language. }